Return of the Sith

by SithMasterJosh

Book 2 of the New Empire Trilogy, the story continues as Darth Arisin and his sister, Emperor's Hand Leia Organa, expand their powers and realize that the war may be over, but conflict will never die.

2. Dark Side Rising

Chapter 2: Dark Side Rising

Mara Jade and the newest of the Emperor's Hands, Princess Leia Organa, were crouched in a dank alley ankle deep in something foul waiting for the vigo to make his appearance. According to their contacts, the vigo would be walking this way any time now.

Nar Shaddaa reminded Leia of the very worst parts of the Coruscanti lower levels. The buildings were in varying states of decomposition. Ancient duracrete had rotted away, exposing power cables and decaying pipe work. A sick yellow fungus coated almost every surface, no doubt slowly eating away at the mineral content of everything it could find. It was only a matter of time before the buildings, severely weakened over the centuries, began to collapse. She absently wondered if anyone would even care.

Footsteps in the darkness nearby caught the attention of the two women. A man dressed in plain spacer garb—hardly fitting of a Black Sun Vigo—swung around the far east corner of the building and was moving toward them. As he walked, he went through small islands of light cast by the widely spaced glow lamps. Following closely behind him on either side were two menacing gray creatures. Roughly a meter and a half in height, their ferocious appearance more than made up for their diminutive stature. Not many pilots walked around with their own bodyguards.

"Noghri," Leia heard Mara whisper. "We just got lucky."

"What? What are Noghri?" Leia breathed, not taking her eyes off the aggressive looking aliens.

"Just trust me." Before Leia could stop her, Mara stood, pulling Leia up with her by the arm.

"What are you—?" Leia fought against her.

"Just trust me!" Mara repeated through gritted teeth. The sound of their scuffle alerted the Noghri bodyguards of their presence.

"Who isss there?" asked one in a smooth purr. The other seemed to have disappeared. The vigo stood with his back pressed to the wall, placing his remaining bodyguard between him and the women.

Mara dragged Leia into the light. "I am called Jade," she called out, holding Leia by the wrist.

"And who isss thisss?" hissed a voice at Leia's right elbow, startling her. She felt the cold edge of a blade at her throat.

"This is Leia Organa," answered Mara. "Daughter of Darth Vader."

"What?" said the first Noghri in surprise. "Kilneytuk of clan Mal'shay, verify."

The Noghri's powerful hands pulled Leia down to his level and he pressed his nose to the skin of her exposed neck. She felt its hot breath as it sniffed her. Instantly, the blade was gone from her throat.

"It is true!" he yelled.

"What are you doing?" cried the vigo, suddenly finding his voice. "Kill them!" Neither Noghri made a move.

Mara leaned over to Leia. "Order them to do something," she said out of the corner of her mouth.

"What?" asked Leia. "Why would they do what I tell them?"

"Just—"

"Trust you, right," said Leia, frustrated. "Uh, ok. Noghri," she called out. "Apprehend the vigo."

In unison, the Noghri cried, "At once, Lady Vader!" The first Noghri grabbed one of the vigo's arms as he tried to run away. The other rushed out from behind Leia at an unbelievable speed and clutched at the other arm. The vigo struggled against them until one, the Noghri who had snuck up on Leia, brought his curved blade against the vigo's throat faster than Leia could track.

"Okay," said Leia slowly to Mara. "Explain."

Mara smiled. "Back during the Clone Wars, the Noghri homeworld was devastated by a Separatist ship. It crashed into the planet and contaminated the surroundings with the toxins it carried in its cargo hold. Most of the planet was eventually rendered barren. After the war, Lord Vader supervised the rejuvenation process. The Noghri pledged allegiance to him and his clan. That would be you." She laughed. "And here I thought you wouldn't be useful on this trip."

"Thanks," she said, giving Mara a sarcastic smile. "Now what do we do?"

"Now we have two Noghri to help us on the mission," Mara told her. "They're a lot like Wookiees with their life debts. Want them or not, they're yours till death do you part."

"Terrific," said Leia cynically. "Just what I needed." What was she going to do with two Noghri? "So what am I supposed to do now?"

"They're your Noghri. You decide. But hurry up; we've got three more vigos after this."

"Right." She stepped toward the very frightened vigo. "My, my, vigo," she said admonishingly, stepping into the character of Emperor's Hand. "We have caused a lot of trouble, haven't we?"

The vigo just stared at her through terrified eyes. Undoubtedly, was all too aware of the Noghri's lethal capabilities.

"Black Sun has worn out its welcome in the Empire," she told him.

Finding his voice, the vigo cried, "But you want Breyac, not me!" His hair was mussed and his breath came out in ragged, frightened gasps. "I'm just a vigo; he's the head!"

Leia gave her most condescending laugh. "Ric, Ric, Ric. Have you ever heard of the hydra?" she asked. He shook his head. "It's a great sea serpent on the world of Mon Calamari. The hydra has a number of individual heads, not unlike Black Sun. But do you know what is so special about that fact?"

Nervously, the vigo shook his head again.

"Removing one of the heads simply will not kill it. Do you know how many heads you have to remove before the creature finally dies?"

Again, the vigo shook his head, careful not to brush against the Noghri blade held unmoving just millimeters from his skin.

Leia smiled. "I bet you could guess. I bet you're a smart man, Vigo Ric Andar of Black Sun. Tell me, of the multiple heads of the hydra, how many would you have to sever before it died?"

The vigo gulped loudly. "A-all of them?" he said quietly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. How about you, Mara?"

Mara shrugged. "Nope. Didn't hear a thing." She found herself impressed with Leia's handling of the situation, much as she'd prefer not to be.

"A little louder this time, Ric. How many of the heads?"

"All of them!" he cried. His face was a mixture of fear and anger at this prolonged humiliation.

"Exactly right, vigo! Very good. So you see, even you are important." Without warning, she violently flicked her wrist and the alley was filled with the sick wet snap of the vigo's neck as it echoed off the surrounding buildings. He went limp in the arms of the Noghri, who dropped the corpse to the trash strewn ground. "Well, you were, anyway," she added.

Mara Jade stood frozen, mouth agape. She tried to process what she'd just witnessed but was coming up blank. "Wow," was all she could get out.

Leia turned to look at her, a solemn expression on her face. "Not such a princess now, am I?" she asked the dumbstruck woman. "When a job needs to be done, at the end of the day, the Emperor can count on both of us." She told Mara, who offered no argument. "Now," she said, turning to the two Noghri she seemed to have inherited. "What are your names?"

"I," said the first Noghri, "am Dreyauk of clan Chu'lak. This," he gestured to the other, "is Kilneytuk of clan Mal'shay."

"Dreyauk and Kilneytuk, hmm? You," she pointed at Dreyauk, "I'll call you Drey. And you," pointing to the other, "How do you feel about Kay?"

"Lady Vader," said Dreyauk. "We will respond to whatever names you wish to bestow upon us. We are now your most loyal protectors."

"Alright, Drey and Kay it is." She had a feeling these two may actually come in handy.

The long walk back to their ship was wholly uneventful and entirely silent. As they neared the landing pad, however, Leia leaned close to Mara and asked, "Hey, how did you know they wouldn't kill us despite my…parentage?"

"That's easy," said Mara, not looking the other woman in the face. "I didn't."

"Oh," said Leia. "I see."

"Listen, Princess, if it hadn't worked, we would've found another way to deal with the situation, that's all. We're not exactly helpless, you know." She gave Leia a sigh. "If it makes you feel better, this was probably as easy as it's gonna get."

"And how exactly is it supposed to make me feel better?"

Mara shrugged. "It'll keep you on your toes. Can't have you letting your guard down."

"You don't need to worry about me," Leia said, doubtful that it was her well-being that Mara was actually concerned for.

"I see that," Mara said. "You tapped into something back there. You taunted him, toyed with him. Then you executed him. When you killed him, you felt excited. I could sense it. Admit it, Princess, you had fun."

"What?" Leia shook her head at the accusation. "No, of course not. I was acting," she argued. But she added rather sheepishly, "Besides, so what if I enjoyed killing him? He was a very bad person. I was bringing some justice to the galaxy. What's wrong with that? That's all I've ever wanted to do. It's why I became a senator and it's why I joined the Rebellion."

Mara scoffed. "Whatever helps you sleep. You really don't need to justify yourself. The Emperor ordered you to kill him. But instead, you have to complicate things with justifications, make it all personal. Lemme give you a word of advice; if you want to make it as an Emperor's Hand, you need to look at a job as just that. Allow yourself to have fun doing it if it help. Don't think about what kind of person the job is. Just remember that there's a reason the Emperor wants them gone and let that be the end of it." She added, "You start trying to justify what we do and you'll go crazy."

Leia nodded. "I admit, that feeling of power was…"

"Intoxicating?"

"Yeah," Leia admitted. "But I want to control it. I don't want it to control me. That's what I feel I need to focus on."

"Fair enough."

Neither of them spoke again until reached the Jade Sabre. Leia was amazed at how silent the two Noghri were. They deftly scurried ahead of the two women, checking every shadow for any threat.

"You know, Princess," said Mara as they approached the ship. "These two could really take the fun out of our job." She scoffed. "I mean, half the perks involve kicking the jawa juice out of guys who sneak up on you. If these two take them out before we even see them, what's there left for us to do?"

Leia only rolled her eyes and smirked. Drey and Kay stood watch behind them as Mara input the unlock codes and the ramp lowered. As they were filing aboard, Leia thought of something.

"I'm sorry, guys. Did you have anything you wanted to take with you?"

"A Noghri doesn't need possessions," said Drey.

"All that we need, we carry on our person," added Kay.

"Great," said Mara. "Then we can hurry up. This place may be lawless, but murder is eventually discovered and sometimes even frowned upon. Let's not be here when that happens." She ran up to the pilot station and sealed the ship. Leia took the Noghri to the passenger area. She couldn't help but laugh when they sat on the flight couch and their feet didn't touch the deck.

"Sorry," she chortled. "I didn't mean anything by that."

"Our size and the irony that comes with it are not lost on us," said Kay with a toothy smile. "It is, in fact, more advantageous that our adversaries underestimate us."

"I guess I should count myself lucky that we're on the same side, then," said Leia earnestly.

"Lady Vader, though the Noghri cannot touch the Force, as the daughter of Lord Vader, you must be very powerful. No Noghri warrior can compete with your power."

"Oh, I don't know about that," she said modestly.

The two Noghri glanced at each other, and then leapt at Leia in a gray flash. Without thinking, Leia held up her hands and the Noghri were tossed against the bulkhead.

"Hey! What was that about?" she cried out as the Noghri picked themselves up from the deck.

"Showing you," said Kay, wiping dark blood from the corner of his mouth, "that you are more powerful than you believe."

"We can smell the power on you," said Drey. "It is even stronger than Lord Vader's."

"What in Stars' End are you doing to my ship back there?" Mara yelled over the intercom. "We're about to take off and you're throwing stuff around?"

Leia stepped up to the comm. panel. "Don't worry; your precious ship isn't hurt," she told Mara. "We may have some concussed Noghri back here, though. Where's your med kit?"

"Under the flight couch. You can tell me what happened on the way."

"Where are we going?" asked Leia.

"Just be sure you dress warm." The comm clicked off.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She didn't get an answer. "Jade?" More silence. "Jade!" Nothing. "Blast you, Jade!"

---

The Emperor's shuttle circled the enormous Imperial Palace twice before landing in the Emperor's private bay. Its wings folded and the ship set down without the slightest jostle.

The moment the ramp touched the floor, both Sith Lords rushed out of the ship at top speed. As they had approached the planet, both had felt a considerable disturbance in the Force. They knew the only likely source of the disturbance was the Rebel prisoner, Katarn, who was strong in the Force himself, though untrained so far as they were aware. They needed to get to him immediately. He was being held in the bowels of the palace. They took a private turbolift down nearly four hundred stories into the sub-basement.

"Come," said the Emperor, moving remarkably fast for a man of his age. "We must move swiftly."

"There's something very familiar about this presence, Master," Arisin commented as they sprinted. "Something isn't right here." Arisin had a bad feeling about all of this.

They rushed past two very startled guards and into the cellblock. Katarn's cell was at the end of a long hallway. When they reached the cell, Arisin felt something within that he hadn't in many months. He opened the door and entered the room, followed quickly by his master.

"Hello, Obi-Wan," Arisin addressed the glowing, translucent figure at the center of the cell. They'd caught him talking to Katarn.

"Luke," the deceased Jedi Master said in a spectral voice, his tone hardened some from its former warmth.

"Master Kenobi, how wonderful to see you. You're much older than when I last saw you." The Emperor's words were polite to the point of mocking. "You haven't been counseling our young prisoner here, have you?"

"You!" Obi-Wan glared menacingly at the Emperor. "You are an abomination to the Force! Your tyranny has led to the deaths of billions!"

"My 'tyranny' has led this galaxy through two wars and saved far more lives than it has taken," the Emperor countered.

"You destroyed the Jedi, guard—"

"Oh, don't give me that 'guardians of peace and justice' swill," Palpatine croaked. "The Jedi were as corrupt as any political body. You may have been a separate entity in the beginning, free of any political affiliation, but you and your order became tangled in the bureaucracy the same as everyone else. You didn't guard peace and justice. You cared only for yourselves. Commendable, certainly, but hypocritical nonetheless." The Emperor relished the opportunity to say these things to a Jedi's face. "How many deaths could you have prevented had you not been so focused on yourselves? How many times did you refuse to squash an uprising? Hmm? In the Huk Wars, you sided with the invaders."

"We had no right to meddle in the affairs of other planets," said Obi-Wan. "We offered guidance."

"You had the power to stop such things and you chose not to," Palpatine growled.

"Having the power to do something does not give you the right," Obi-Wan argued.

"Oh, but it does. Whether you admit it or not, the Sith and the Jedi are inherently above ordinary citizenry," Palpatine said. "The Force has granted us power over them. We are meant to use it."

"The Jedi didn't look at the Force as a power to wield; we saw it as a gift to be used sparingly and in service to others."

The Emperor scoffed. "You felt that your 'gift' placed you above everyone else, only you never had the courage to admit it to yourselves. The Jedi were narrow-minded and dogmatic in their views of the galaxy, unable to fathom that their way of life was not the best way."

"We used the Force for knowledge and defense," Kenobi pressed stubbornly. "We used it to serve others. You, along with every other Sith, only wish to gain power for yourself. To cause pain and suffering. To oppress."

At this the Emperor actually laughed. "My good Jedi, if the Sith were as terrible as you would have people think, we wouldn't have much to have power over, now would we? You Jedi are always talking of peace and understanding, yet anything you do not understand or agree with, you fear. And when the Jedi fear, they destroy. You dare complain that I wiped out the great and peaceful Jedi Order, yet you and your kind have hunted the Sith to the point of extinction for millennia because you feared our ways. The Dark Side has always frightened lesser being, those too afraid to hold any real power. You lashed out in your fear and you destroyed us. Your fate was well deserved."

Arisin and Katarn had remained silent during the exchange, wrapped up in what was unfolding before them.

"The Dark Side will only destroy you in the end," Obi-Wan told the Emperor. "That is all it's good for. Destruction."

"With it," said the Emperor, "I have built an empire. An empire that will stand for a thousand generations."

"Overconfidence is your weakness," the Jedi said sharply.

Palpatine laughed, remembering that Arisin had once said those very words. "And if we are to play that game, incorporeality is yours, Master Kenobi. I tire of this. Tell me what you were doing in young Katarn's cell."

Obi-Wan shook his head and began to fade away without a word.

Palpatine made a subtle hand gesture. "Oh, you're not going anywhere," he said. There was a subtle note of strain in his voice, though that was all that betrayed the tremendous effort he was exerting to keep Kenobi rooted in place.

Obi-Wan looked puzzled. "But, you can't have power over this plane!"

"Tell that to your little green friend." Palpatine said with a toothy grin.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in shock then immediately narrowed with rage. "What did you do to him?"

"He came to visit me, not unlike he did once before. It seemed that I was not the only one able to influence another plane. We engaged and, for the second time, I remained standing." He smiled evilly.

"What did you do to him?" Obi-Wan repeated.

The smile faded from Palpatine's face. "I opened a doorway into the chaos of the Dark netherworld. He is now one Jedi among thousands of Sith. I do not expect his essence to still be intact."

"You're lying," said Obi-Wan. His glow actually seemed to have dimmed. "You don't have that kind of power."

For the first time since entering the room, Arisin spoke. "Didn't you tell me once not to underestimate the powers of the Emperor?"

"Luke, you are a good person," Kenobi pleaded. "Palpatine has entrapped you just as he did your father." The old man looked so pitiful.

"I am nothing like my father," Arisin said sharply. "My father was weak, manipulated. I embraced the Dark Side of my own accord. I'm still a good person, doing real good in the galaxy," he said coldly. "And my name is Darth Arisin."

"Then you have forgotten yourself," said Obi-Wan. He sounded weary, defeated. "You have become the very monster against which you fought for so long."

"No, Obi-Wan," Arisin told him. "I was nothing before. I'm something now. You're right, I have become what I fought against for years, but only because I came to realize that the monster was me all along. What hope did the Rebellion have of winning? All it ever did was cause needless death. It was a pointless war. That was the evil. That was the monster."

"Luke, how can you ally yourself with a man who has destroyed worlds; begun war for personal gain; a man who slaughtered the Jedi, an order devoted to peace and justice?"

Arisin got angry now. "Don't tell me the Jedi were devoted to peace and justice," he growled. "How many worlds were destroyed because the Jedi refused to interfere? How many wars could the Jedi have stopped? Who it was that slaughtered the Sith to the point of extinction, who drove them out of the Order and into exile in the first place? That's right, the Jedi. Your order created the Sith, forced them to oppose you when you drove them out. The Jedi were not the saviors they wanted everyone to believe they were. In my opinion, the only justice was their destruction."

Obi-Wan sighed. "The Emperor has twisted your thoughts, Luke. You are not thinking clearly."

"Oh, no. I'm thinking more clearly than I ever have. It's easier to see things as they really are when you're being told the truth. My Master doesn't lie to me, Obi-Wan. Can you match that claim? My whole life, I've been lied to. And this man," he gestured at the Emperor, who watched silently, "the one I have been brought up to hate, has been the only person in my life to tell me the truth."

"The lies were for your own good, Luke," Obi-Wan argued. "We were protecting you, you must understand that."

"Stop calling me that!" Arisin raged. "How arrogant of you to think that you knew what was best for me, to think that you needed to protect me. You had no right!"

"I'm sorry, Luke. I truly am." Obi-Wan shook his head mournfully.

"You haven't answered my question, Master Kenobi," said the Emperor. Obi-Wan snapped his head back to look at him, as though he'd forgotten the man was still in the room. "What were you doing with our young Rebel here?"

Before Obi-Wan could answer, Katarn spoke up. "He was teaching me the ways of the Force. Someone needs to destroy you." He glared at Arisin. "And not fall into bed with you," he added.

The Emperor laughed. "And just how exactly were you planning on destroying me, my young…Jedi?"

Katarn said nothing.

"Oh, I see. We weren't supposed to discover your clandestine meeting. Not until you were strong enough, correct? Well," he said, "I'm afraid your little club has been cancelled." His eyes flashed and he bared his teeth. Deadly bolts of energy shot into Katarn, which sent him flying across the cell. He hit the wall and crumpled to the ground, screaming in pain.

"Kyle!" yelled the spectral figure of Obi-Wan.

Not taking his eyes off Katarn, Palpatine snarled, "Quiet, old man. I shall deal with you momentarily." Katarn writhed on the floor of the cell. Palpatine ceased his attack. Smoke rose from Katarn's clothing in faint curls. He stared weakly into the eyes of the Emperor. "That is but a taste of what your death will feel like. You will beg for me to end your life long before your wish is granted, I guarantee you that." Katarn immediately lost consciousness.

"You are an evil man, Palpatine," growled Obi-Wan. "You fooled the Republic and you even fooled the Jedi. But no more."

"I'm sorry, Master Kenobi," Palpatine said politely. "Are you feeling left out?"

"You don't frighten me, Emperor. If you truly opened a portal to the Dark nether realm when Yoda confronted you, you will still be far too weak to do it again." Obi-Wan wore a smug look on his face. "You barely have the power to keep me rooted to your plane."

"Master Kenobi, you are absolutely correct," the Emperor conceded. "I cannot open another doorway. Alone," he added. "How fortunate for me, then, that I have with me the heir of the Chosen One with me to draw strength from." He gave Obi-Wan a wicked grin. "You shall be joining your friend very soon."

"Master?" Arisin said, puzzled.

"Do not worry, Lord Arisin," Palpatine assured him. "You have the power to spare within you. Focus on your hatred of Master Kenobi; remember how he got your mother killed. I shall do the rest."

Arisin narrowed his yellow eyes at the spirit before him, hating it, wanting to send it away forever.

"And now, Master Kenobi, I think it is time for you to be leaving." Palpatine closed his eyes with intense concentration and, just as before, an ethereal breeze seemed to blow around the room, tugging not at their clothing, but at Obi-Wan's. As the spectral wind grew stronger, the familiar vortex formed in the middle of the floor. "Good-bye, Master Kenobi." Palpatine said triumphantly.

"Good-bye, Obi-Wan. My regards to Master Yoda," said Arisin.

"I failed you, Luke," Obi-Wan anguished, yelling over the relentless spirit winds. "I failed you as I failed your father. I'm so sorry." As he lowered his head in defeat, his form began to warp and stretch into the vortex, like matter streaming into a black hole. After a few moments, he was gone. The tear between dimensions had sealed and everything was quiet once more.

"Come," said the Emperor weakly. "We both must rest."

It was then that Arisin felt the extreme drain in a sudden rush. It was as though his own essence had been sucked away. His legs felt like durasteel blocks. It was pure willpower that got him up to his quarters after seeing his master to his office. Once in his room, he sat cross-legged on a circular floor cushion and put himself into a deep trance. He felt his energies recharging. There he sat, unmoving, for several hours, his eyes closed; he did not dream.

---

Palpatine sat alone in his office, lights dimmed and shades drawn. He had primarily tapped into Lord Arisin's powers to rip open the fabric of the Dark netherworld. Nevertheless, he had expended a great deal of his own energy in the process. He had been recharging for many hours. As Master Kenobi had said, he was still weakened from his confrontation with Master Yoda.

He wasn't worried about Lord Arisin's powers. He was young and would recover quickly. His upcoming trip to Korriban would increase his powers even further. Palpatine, however, wasn't young anymore. He took longer to recoup.

Presently, he sat in meditation, his energies sufficiently recovered for the time being. Which is why, when his door chimed, he allowed his visitor to enter. It was his Grand Vizier and most trusted staff member, Sate Pestage. Pestage was an older man who had worked for Palpatine since his earliest days as a senator. He was the one person in the galaxy Palpatine could count on as one would a friend.

"Your Majesty, I heard of the HyperGate's success," Pestage said as approached the Emperor. "You must be very pleased."

"I am most pleased, indeed, my friend." He opened his eyes lazily. "The demonstration was spectacular. Everything functioned as projected." He paused. "I sense now that you wonder if I regret it."

Pestage was quiet for a moment. "Well, yes, Your Majesty. It's just that you were born there. Naboo was no longer your home, but you had a certain unbreakable connection to the planet. Surely you felt something."

"You may be right," the Emperor admitted. "I do not regret my decision. However, I regret that the decision needed to be made. You are right in saying I have an unavoidable connection to Naboo. I do not feel remorse; pity, perhaps, but King Vera signed Naboo's death warrant when he allowed the Rebels to hide on his world. I made a decision and I stand by it."

"Alright, Your Majesty. Fair enough." He approached the Emperor's desk. "May I sit?" he asked.

"Please do," said the Emperor, gesturing to one of the chairs.

"Thank you." Pestage sat. "I also heard of the scuffle in Katarn's cell."

"My, word travels quickly within these walls," the Emperor quipped. "You heard correctly. It would seem as though Jedi Master Kenobi was not content to remain dead. Our young Rebel friend was receiving audience from beyond the grave. Master Kenobi was desperately attempting to train Katarn to oppose me. Lord Arisin and I took care of the troublesome specter."

"Master Keno—you don't mean Lord Vader's first master, do you?" Pestage asked, bewildered.

Palpatine nodded. "The very same," he said. "It would seem the Jedi know how to anchor their essence to this plane. In a rather primitive fashion, I might add. They seem to remain incorporeal. The Sith of Korriban retain the ability to exists for brief periods in the physical world."

"Well, why didn't all the Jedi come back this way?" the Grand Vizier inquired.

Palpatine pondered for a moment. "I don't believe it was an ability known to all the Jedi. If it were," he smiled, "I dare say my office would be flooded with dead Jedi out for revenge."

Pestage chuckled. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Wouldn't that be a sight?"

"Yes, quite," said the Emperor, imagining just that.

"But they couldn't actually do anything, could they? I mean, it's only their spirits, isn't it? They wouldn't be able to influence our…dimension? Is that even the right word?"

Palpatine shook his head. "I do not pretend to understand what happens to Force users after death. Perhaps they go to another dimension, perhaps a higher plane of existence. What I do know is that there are dark places which death grants us access to and through the power of the Force, it is possible to penetrate, briefly, the fabric that separates our reality from that whirling, screaming darkness and banish those who have chosen to remain beyond their welcome. While Master Yoda was able to influence this plane directly, Master Kenobi seemed to lack that ability. It could well vary from individual to individual. As I said, the Sith are able to retain their essence, and in fact corporeal bodies, on Korriban, including full use of the Force, as well as the ability to travel between the planes, acting as spirits." He sighed. "Perhaps, in time, Lord Arisin and I will uncover the secrets of life after death. It is a far more complex universe than any of us realize."

"That would be most interesting, Your Majesty." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I originally came here to update you on the progress of Miss Jade and Princess Organa."

"Oh?" said the Emperor, instantly curious. "How are my pets?"

"Doing wonderfully! They have removed Vigo Andar and acquired his two Noghri bodyguards. Apparently, the Noghri have sworn some allegiance to the Princess. Something about her being the daughter of Lord Vader."

"This is unexpected," the Emperor said. "They will certainly make the mission considerably easier." Palpatine thought about that for a moment. He had personally seen these creatures in action and could vouch for their abilities. This mission is a test for the princess. She is to assist Jade. The Noghri added a new variable to the equation. They are of no consequence, he thought to himself. He knew she wouldn't allow the guards to do the job for her. It suddenly came to his attention how long he had been silent. "I'm sorry, my friend. Lost in my own thoughts. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well," Pestage began, "we have received word from the Maw Installation that Gates Three and Four are well under construction and should be ready for deployment within the month."

"Excellent," the Emperor said.

"Yes," said Pestage. "I really think this device will revolutionize trade between worlds, fleet deployment, and even commercial travel. Gates Five and Six have already been commissioned by the Imperial Mining Guild. One Gate will be stationed at the IMG's main facility in the Alderaa asteroid belt and the other will travel to various belts throughout the galaxy, transporting those rocks with high concentrations of useful ore."

"What are the estimated profits?" asked the Emperor.

"Oh, quite reasonable, Your Majesty. The IMG will be able to increase its revenue by at least five hundred percent while decreasing over all cost by ten times. They will be able to completely strip their fleet of everything but the scout ships that will actually locate the ore. This will make materials like transparisteel and durasteel much, much cheaper. Off the top of my head, I would estimate end of year profits to be somewhere around seven or eight trillion credits."

"That is a significant figure," the Emperor said, impressed.

"Yes, sir, it is," said Pestage. "With the war over, the Empire is saving well over three trillion credits annually. Perhaps some tax relief is in order?"

"This is true," said the Emperor, nodding. "And I will sink more credits into the Maw Installation. I do not want another rebellion to gain such strength in the galaxy as this one did. I underestimated them once. I will not make that mistake twice."

"Experience teaches us the most valuable lessons, Your Highness. You, and in turn the Empire, are stronger now," said Pestage sagely.

"You are very right, my friend. As always. Is there anything else?" he asked.

"Nothing of real importance, Your Majesty," said Pestage, standing up. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes. Please tell Lord Arisin I wish to see him immediately."

"As you wish, Your Grace." Sate bowed deeply and left the office.

Palpatine closed his eyes once more. Arisin would soon be on Korriban, learning the ancient secrets of Sith past. He remembered well his first visit to the powerful planet…

---

The small personal shuttle set down on the barren ground, kicking up a large cloud of red dust that momentarily blocked out the cockpit viewport. As the dust settled, Palpatine got his first up-close view of the planet his master had always spoken of as being the seat of ultimate power in the universe. He said all the knowledge of the Sith could be found here. He said a lot of things, Palpatine thought. He's dead now.

With the death of Darth Plagueis came the death of his alter ego, Senator Hego Damask of Coruscant. The Coruscanti Police Force had ruled it an assassination. Presented with massive tissue damage confirmed to have been inflicted by a lightsaber, they suspected, but couldn't prove, a Jedi conspiracy. The Jedi, of course, had nothing to do with the murder. They were merely a convenient scapegoat; something the Jedi vehemently insisted was the case. The Supreme Chancellor, not wanting to risk a full out confrontation with the order, announced to the public that Senator Damask had been killed by a lightsaber-wielding assassin but that it was questionable that the assailant was a Jedi Knight.

Palpatine had laughed at that. Never were truer words spoken, he'd thought to himself. He was disappointed that the Jedi had not been publicly accused, but he knew that there would be little chance of that, anyway. He had succeeded in his main goal, which was to discredit the Jedi, to plant the seed of doubt in the mind of the Republic that perhaps the Jedi were looking out for more than just the public's best interests. While the Jedi had been exonerated, the bill that would have given them police authority independent of Senate oversight had died a quick death on the Senate floor.

After the good senator's death, young Palpatine had addressed the Republic a broken man. He had lost not only his employer but also his closest friend and mentor of many years. Palpatine became a household name after that. Before long, another senator had taken it upon himself to take Palpatine under his wing.

Senator Vera had felt it only appropriate to help this lost young man, a child of his own planet, Naboo. Palpatine had accepted his kindness and soon, Vera was carrying on Damask's work, grooming Palpatine as his replacement, the future senator for Naboo and the Chommell sector. First, however, he insisted that Palpatine take three months to mourn, a Naboo tradition dating back millennia. And so Palpatine had left for parts unknown to grieve for his lost master.

Palpatine laughed aloud as he lowered the ramp. He would take his three months, but he would not mourn. He would learn.

Dirt crunched underfoot as his boots hit the ground for the first time. Instantly he felt a surge of power. It flowed through his veins like a narcotic. Intoxicating. He looked all around as a light breeze caressed his face and whipped up the dirt around his feet. He sensed no life here, but immense power emanating from everywhere.

As he'd flown over the empty terrain, he had noticed a valley full of enormous stone structures. He knew they had to be the ancient Sith tombs. He'd found the valley of the Sith. If there was anything to be learned here, it would be in that valley.

Often times he had wondered why Plagueis had chosen never to take him here. His naming ceremony had taken place in his master's apartment. There had been candles and a scroll of powerful words, but nothing as formal or official as he had always imagined. Immediately following Plagueis' death, Sidious discovered a description of the Naming amongst the Muun's things. He felt robbed of an important experience. He vowed that when it came time for him to name his apprentice, a Zabrak child he had discovered months before during a mission for Plagueis, he would adhere to tradition.

As tradition stated, Sidious landed well outside the Valley, journeying the rest of the way on foot. He would properly perform his own ceremony before venturing into the tombs. He walked for a long while before coming to a cave. The sun was rapidly falling below the horizon and Sidious felt it a good place to rest for the night. He'd discovered early on in his journey that his Force powers were greatly amplified here. He would use this advantage to aid in sustaining him during the night, warming the air around him as he slipped into deep meditation.

He was ripped out of his meditative state by thunderous crashes coming from outside, echoing loudly around the cave. Sidious, puzzled, went to investigate. As he neared the mouth of the cave, he saw brilliant flashes of light that illuminated everything for kilometers and cast deep shadows throughout the interior of the cave. Just an electrical storm, he told himself. They occurred frequently on Coruscant, though they were never as violent as this. According to his initial scan of the planet from orbit, the electromagnetic field was significantly weaker than most inhabited worlds'. It was possible that the increased solar radiation interacting with the atmosphere was responsible for the magnitude of the electrical disturbance. Whatever the cause, he found himself standing for what seemed like hours, just watching the fantastic display of raw power. Lightning charged the air, raising the hair on Sidious' neck. One bolt struck just above the cave entrance, blasting free a large chunk of rock and almost sending Sidious hurtling to the ground. He saw the rock, which had been blown free had landed several meters away from the cave mouth, still glowing a dull red.

He could feel the energy of the storm as it passed slowly overhead. Enchanted by the extreme display of nature's power, he continued to watch the sky being ripped apart by the white-hot bolts of energy. The storm died as the sun rose, bringing with it a cool breeze. Eager to reach his destination within the day, he set off for the valley.

Several hours of walking led him into a wide ravine with high rock walls. The silence was eerie. Even the sound of the wind was lost. He was thirty meters into the ravine when he felt a powerful dark presence nearby.

"Show yourself!" he called out. His words echoed unanswered off the steep walls. "I can feel your presence! Now I demand you show yourself!" He felt no fear.

"A brave young man," boomed a voice. It seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Or foolish."

"The two often walk hand-in-hand," Sidious quipped.

"Do you not fear me, boy?" asked the booming voice.

"I don't," said Sidious. "It takes more than a disembodied voice to scare me."

"Only a fool is without fear," the voice said.

"I never said I was without fear. I merely said that you do not frighten me." Sidious was getting tired of this. "If you do not show yourself, you will be sorry."

The voice laughed. "I would hate to do something I'd regret," it said playfully.

Very suddenly, a figure appeared before Sidious. It was swathed in tattered robes from head to foot and the face that hid in the deep recesses of its hood seemed blurred, like an image viewed through thick glass. It was an imposing being, whatever it was. Easily over two meters tall, it towered over the short Sith Lord. Instead of a lightsaber, Sidious noticed a pair of ancient swords hanging at the figure's belt.

Not the least bit impressed, Sidious asked, "And you are?"

"I," said the figure, his voice now more localized, "am the Dark Underlord, victor of the Battle of Vimsari, Emperor of the Nak'til Empire, and the scourge of more than three hundred Jedi."

"My, that is impressive, Underlord, but the Battle of Vimsari consisted of advanced weaponry against primitive tribes with nothing more than stones," Sidious said, his voice dripping with condescension.

"Why you—!" the Underlord started.

"The Nak'til Empire," Sidious continued, ignoring the outburst, "fell to the Republic over a thousand years ago and very few people have even heard of it."

The Dark Underlord's distorted face contorted with rage.

Sidious pressed on. "And as for being the scourge of over three hundred Jedi, while commendable if true, the number is more likely closer to thirty. Or less." Sidious gave the phantom Sith Lord a triumphant smirk.

The Underlord's eyes were wide with anger and disbelief. "How dare you? I would kill you where you stand—"

"But that I am the sole living Sith Lord in the galaxy and to do so would wipe out our order completely and finally," interrupted. "I do not fear you, my lord, but rather pity you that you are dead and that I shall never know such weakness."

"We shall see who is weak among us," said the phantom. "You say that you do not fear me, so let us discover what you do fear. What terrifies you? What are your nightmares made of?"

Before Sidious could respond, he heard a terrible scream from behind.

"Treachery! Betrayal!" Sidious turned to see his master, Darth Plagueis, standing at the mouth of the ravine, lightsaber in hand and very much alive.

"What is this trickery?" demanded Sidious. But the ancient Sith had vanished.

"You will pay for my death, boy!" Plagueis screamed. He ignited his lightsaber and charged.

Sidious likewise ignited his saber and prepared for attack. He knew from experience that he was a better swordsman than his master had been. Plagueis' resurrection wouldn't last long. He ran towards his oncoming master. Upon meeting, their sabers clashed and whirled at blinding speed.

At once, Sidious saw an opening and exploited it. He swiped his blade across the Muun's chest, a killing blow…and nothing happened. It passed through him as though he were made of something as insubstantial as smoke. In Sidious' confusion, Plagueis managed a glancing blow to his right shoulder. Hissing in pain, he kept a firm grip on his saber as he grabbed the wounded shoulder with his left hand. A quick inspection revealed just a flesh wound that, while painful, wasn't serious. It also revealed something very important: Sidious could not inflict damage on Plagueis, but Plagueis could inflict damage on him. Could kill him. This alarmed the young Sith greatly. How could he defeat a seemingly undefeatable opponent? He wasn't given the chance to ponder this question as the Sith Master came at him again, even stronger than before. Sidious had to wonder if his master had, in fact, been able to cheat death. Has he been alive all this time? Or is it some trick from the Underlord? At the moment, it didn't matter. All of his effort was going into defending himself from Plagueis' relentless onslaught.

"You will pay!" cried Plagueis as he advanced.

Sidious leapt straight up, avoiding a blow that bit into the rock wall behind him. He kicked off the wall and flewover Plagueis' long head, landing just behind him. In a futile gesture, he plunged his blade through Plagueis' back, getting the same result as before. It was then that he truly felt afraid.

"You're dead!" yelled Sidious. "I killed you!"

Plagueis spun round and kicked Sidious hard in the stomach. Sidious dropped his lightsaber and stumbled backwards, doubled over in pain. He looked up to see Plagueis positioning himself to kick his apprentice again. The blow landed on Sidious' right cheek and he was knocked to the ground. He could feel the cheek swelling and tasted blood. His nose was likewise dripping blood down his chin. Plagueis stood over him, blade held high.

"And now, Sidious, you will die," the Muun Sith Lord said triumphantly.

As Plagueis brought the blade bearing down on the helpless man, Sidious instinctively shoved him back with the Force. To his surprise, Plagueis was tossed against the wall with a grunt, falling to his knees but keeping a firm grip on his lightsaber. When he stood, Sidious noticed a trickle of blood at the corner of Plagueis' thin mouth. He could be hurt.

"And I shall kill you again, my master," Sidious said quietly.

Plagueis leapt at Sidious, a feral, inhuman scream escaping his throat. Sidious quickly called his saber to his hand and ignited it in time to meet Plagueis', the blades squealing in protest. Sidious pushed him away again, more violently and with greater control this time. Again, Plagueis hit the wall with a pained grunt. And again, he rushed back at Sidious. Letting out a primal yell, Sidious wrapped himself in the Dark Side and released a wave of pure fury. It seemed to seep out of every pore, to make his scream somehow tangible. His eyes squeezed shut, and he felt a burst of immense power leave his body and expand in every direction. Once more, the alien was thrown against the ravine wall. He hit with a sick crunch and fell to the ground, unmoving, his lightsaber deactivated a meter away. Sidious opened his eyes. He saw thin wisps of smoke rising from the broken body of his master. He now stood in a shallow crater; the ground for five meters in every direction was slagged. Breathing hard, he allowed himself a thought. I won.

He'd killed his master.

Again.

Breathless and weak, he stepped over to the smoking corpse, prodding it with his foot. His cheek and shoulder were both throbbing painfully. His head jerked up when he heard someone clapping, the sound echoing all around.

"Very good, boy! You have faced your greatest fear and triumphed." It was the Dark Underlord.

"And just what was my greatest fear? Certainly not my master." Sidious was furious that he'd been tested without warning.

"No. Your greatest fear is what all intelligent beings fear above all else: Death. You were faced with an enemy who could not be killed but who could kill you. A truly hopeless situation."

"Then tell me why his corpse is smoldering at my feet," Sidious snarled.

"Ah, because he could be killed, just not with a lightsaber," the specter responded. "You were forced to abandon the obvious and attempt the unorthodox. I am impressed with your performance."

"Well thank you," Sidious said sarcastically. "Will you allow me to pass?"

"Just where are you going, my young lord?" the Underlord asked.

"Ancient texts speak of a cave, inside which is the Chamber of Names."

"But you have already been named, Sidious. What business have you in the Chamber of Names?"

"My master named me on Coruscant. I wish for an official ceremony."

The figure seemed too think a moment. "This is very unorthodox," he said at last. "No one has ever made such a request. I shall have to confer with the Council. You may continue your quest, boy. Go to the Chamber. We shall have an answer for you upon your arrival."

Sidious, his anger lessened somewhat, nodded. "You do that. I'll be expecting one when I get to the Chamber."

"The Force be with you on your quest." The Dark Underlord then faded into the air and Sidious was alone once more.

Invigorated by his experience, he set out for the cave immediately. Though he hadn't the slightest clue where it was, the Force gave him all the direction he needed. After less than a day's travel, he arrived.

The entrance stood before him, a two-meter hole in the solid rock of the mountain. On either side was a torch, each burning with an eerie black flame. Harsh Sith runes spelled out a warning above the entrance: E tu nal v tiem s Mastu al e Mogtem; "Those unworthy of the Masters shall meet their death." Sidious smiled. He was worthy of the Masters. He was the most powerful being to stand before that cave and would not meet his death that day.

Inside the cave, he found more writing, illuminated by more of the black flame torches. Text covered the walls. He took the time to read some of it. It spoke of more warnings; tales of Sith Masters long dead, battles fought millennia ago. There were stories of the rise of great Masters. Sidious approached a blank spot on the wall and removed his lightsaber. He would leave behind his own story, his legacy. He lit the blade and shortened it to a few centimeters. He began to carve.

He told the story of his training, his coming to power, and the death of his master. Finally, he wrote of the future. His future. He explained his prophecy; how he would rid the galaxy of the Jedi and bring the Sith back into the seat of power. He hoped that the next Master to walk this path would read and confirm this bold statement. He reread his saga and, satisfied, replaced his saber on his belt, journeying deeper into the cave in search of the Chamber.

A further fifteen minutes of walking brought him to his destination. Up ahead, he espied an opening in the cave wall. This was it. He quickened his pace until he was practically sprinting. He slowed as he approached, taking everything in. Just a few meters ahead of him was everything he sought for himself. The Chamber of Names. He closed his eyes and entered.

He opened his eyes and peered around the chamber. It was dark, save for a faint glow coming from what appeared to be an elaborate throne adorned with countless luminescent jewels. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light before proceeding any deeper into the chamber. When he stood in the center, he finally spoke.

"I've come to be named!" he cried out. "Masters of Korriban, I am here!"

Initially, nothing happened. He was about to call out again when a cold breeze started to swirl around him. Light suddenly flared up from a hundred candles, momentarily blinding him. Now illuminated, Sidious could clearly see the chamber's every detail. It looked to be almost perfectly round, at least twenty meters in diameter. Thick tapestries covered the walls, each one commemorating a great battle or victory over the Light. He saw before him a dais, upon which sat the throne whose bejeweled surface glowed with an eerie Dark light. It was made of rich wood, thousands of years old. Off to his right stood an altar, rather plain compared to the rest of the chamber. On the altar sat a rough stone basin. He knew what it was. It could only be the Blood Chalice. In it the Master and the Apprentice mix their blood, symbolizing the Apprentice's advancement into the Order of the Sith by becoming a Dark Lord the same as his Master.

He felt Darkness all around him, the cold wind still blowing. He knew he was not alone.

"Masters, I beg you to name me!" he cried.

The wind stopped. A figure suddenly stood before him, appearing out of nowhere. It was not the Dark Underlord. This man was very tall with broad shoulders. Gauntlets more ornate than Sidious had ever seen adorned his large hands. He wore thick hide boots, likely rancor leather. Whatever else the man was wearing was hidden from view by a heavy black robe, pinned closed at the neck with a beautifully crafted and elaborate clasp. Sidious was greatly attracted to the robe. It seemed to radiate a subtle sense of power and authority, two of the things he craved most. One day, he knew that he, too, would wear a robe just like it.

The man lifted his gloved hands and lowered his hood. Sidious was startled to see such a young man staring back at him. His face was fair but not pale and surprisingly handsome by some Human standards. He had high cheekbones and a severe, square jaw. His head was completely bald and his eyes were fierce, luminescent yellow orbs set back deep in his skull. And they were staring directly into Sidious.

"You have come to be named," the Sith Lord said in a deep, powerful voice. "Yet you come alone. Your Master has already named you and you have succeeded him as the Dark Lord of the Sith."

Sidious spoke to the specter, maintaining eye contact. "This is true, my Lord. At the time of my initial naming, I was unaware of this long standing and glorious tradition. I cannot help but feel that I will not be able to live to my fullest potential until I am properly named and recognized in the Dark Side by the great Masters of Korriban."

The man seemed to ponder this a moment, stroking his chin as he thought. "Such a situation has never in a thousand years occurred," he said. "However, you speak wise words. The Council shall decide." He brought his hands together in an ear-splitting clap that thundered and reverberated unnaturally throughout the chamber. At once, seven new figures appeared behind him. One of them Sidious recognized immediately as the Dark Lord he'd met in the ravine. The others Sidious couldn't name.

"These are the Masters of Korriban," boomed the large bald Master. "More inhabit this place, but these are the Council of Darkness. I believe you already know one of our number," he said, gesturing at the Underlord. "Among the rest, there is Lord Freedon Nadd, Lord Naga Sadow, Lord Exar Kun, Lord Marka Ragnos, Darth Xiost, Lord Shest, and," he said, pounding a fist on his own chest, "I am Darth Bane."

As impressed as he was with the celebrity of some spirits in the room, Sidious could have been trampled by a stampeding bantha and not been more surprised by the identity of the figure standing before him. Darth Bane had survived the Battle of Ruusan and had rewritten the Sith Code. It was he who wrote the Rule of Two: Never again shall the Sith become obese in numbers, the Dark Side spread thin among many. There shall be only two: one to embody the power and one to crave it. And now, the man who had shaped the Sith into its sharpest, most lethal form, stood before him.

Composing himself, Sidious found his voice. "It is indeed an honor to be in the company of Masters such as yourselves. I have read of all of you and know too well how great your victories were, and how great your power remains."

"He wishes to be named," boomed Lord Bane. "What says the Council of Darkness?"

"I recognize him," cried the Dark Underlord immediately.

"As do I," said Freedon Nadd.

So it went around the Council. Darth Sidious was unanimously recognized as Dark Lord of the Sith in the Dark Side.

"It would seem the Council has spoken. You are to be named." Lord Bane motioned for Sidious to sit upon the throne. As he sat, he couldn't help but feel that this was the most important day of his life.

---

"You wanted to see me, Master?" Arisin asked as he strode past the pair of Royal Guards into the Emperor's office.

The Emperor was pulled back from his journey into the past to the present. "Yes," he said. "Lord Arisin, you shall leave immediately for Korriban. You may land within the Valley this time. I must warn you, many tombs are protected with powerful Sith magicks. Do not expect all to allow you access freely."

"I expected nothing less," said Arisin. "I'm sure I can handle anything I'm confronted with."

"Do not underestimate the danger of the Old Ones," Palpatine scolded his apprentice. "Though long dead, their power is still great. I would be most disappointed if the most promising of my pupils was to foolishly allow himself to be killed."

"That won't happen, Master." Arisin vowed.

"See that it does not, Lord Arisin. Be prepared. You still have much to learn. But," he said, "that is what this mission is for. Now go. Take my shuttle. You'll find it already has the coordinates programmed into the navigational computer."

Arisin bowed and left.

"Learn well, my boy. Learn well."

---

As the starlines reverted to pinpoints, Arisin saw the familiar dusty orb hanging before him. Korriban. Even from orbit, he could feel the power radiating off it. He quickly located the Valley of the Dark Lords and angled the shuttle to enter the atmosphere. The Valley appeared to be entering into night. Once landed, Arisin would sleep in the shuttle and get an early start as soon as the sun rose.

The shuttle handled beautifully. As he entered the thin atmosphere, the ship sliced through the air with almost no resistance. The advanced stabilizers and inertial dampers allowed for a smooth and trouble-free descent to the planet's surface.

He flew low over the ground, kicking up a great trail of dust in his wake. Following the route he'd taken on foot, he began recognizing familiar landmarks. The terrain had become rocky and had begun to elevate, forcing Arisin to fly higher. He flew over the ravine where he'd met Lord Kun. At the site where he'd faced a rancor, a skeletal claw still protruded from the ground where he had entombed it in molten rock. He saw the entrance to the cave that led to the naming chamber several kilometers farther north. He brought the shuttle higher still and rose above the plateau where their ship had landed the previous visit. Beyond the mountain lay the Valley of the Dark Lords, the Valley of the Sith.

The valley was a sprawling city of dilapidated structures. Hundreds of stone tombs, some adorned with huge statues, filled the enormous basin. Some were built freestanding, but others were carved into the solid rock walls of the surrounding mountains and hills. There were low-lying tombs and grand, several-hundred-meter-tall temples. The Emperor had told him that the pyramidal shape of some of the crypts helped to channel the Dark Side. It was no surprise, then, that the structures with that shape were the most intact of them all. He circled the valley twice before finding a suitable clearing to set down. By the time the ship came to rest on the dusty surface, the sun was well on its way to falling below the horizon, offering only a few more minutes of meager daylight until night on the Sith world fell. Arisin powered down the ship and headed for the small sleeping cabin to rest until sunup. He lowered himself to the floor of the cramped quarters and closed his eyes, slipping into a dreamless trance.

When he woke from his meditation and checked the viewport it was still dark, but he could see faint rays of light starting to bleed into the sky along the horizon. With the planet's fast rotation, he knew the sun would be up very soon. He decided to begin his trek before the sun rose fully. He had no idea how long he'd have to be there, but he felt that it was going to be a long day.

When he exited the ship, he was wrapped in a cold blanket of desert air that reminded him unpleasantly of early mornings on Tatooine. He pulled his robes tight and stepped down the gangplank. As he trod upon the surface, he was met with the familiar sensation of electricity flowing through his body. He literally tingled with power.

Ignorant as to which tomb belonged to whom, he decided to simply start with the nearest one and work out from there. It was an impressive construct, carved into the bare rock of the valley wall, its entrance flanked on either side by massive statues, each towering at least thirty meters over the valley floor. They stood with their arms outstretched. Their hands were cupped and held in each palm was a flickering black flame, lit millennia ago. Enormous columns stood to either side of a pair of huge wooden doors. The doors, somehow staving off the rot of centuries, were inscribed with the same harsh writing that he'd encountered inside the Sith cave.

As he approached the doors, he was amazed by their sturdy appearance; they were easily three times his height and appeared to be quite heavy. Atop all of that, he didn't know what sort of Sith magic protected the tomb. He placed a hand to the smooth wood, somehow hoping an answer would come to him. To his surprise, the doors swung open easily, gliding on silent hinges. Half a dozen thoughts entered his head. Perhaps it opened automatically by some hidden mechanical hinge. Maybe the owner had used a Sith spell to ensure that only a Sith could enter. Or perhaps the door had simply opened because he had pushed on it. Instead of standing there wondering why the doors had open, he opted for taking advantage of the fact that they had. He stepped cautiously into the crypt.

As he proceeded into the tomb, more black flame torches lit, flaring up all around the large chamber. It appeared to be one large room, hollowed out of the mountain face. The tomb was dominated by a central dais, upon which sat an elaborately carved stone slab. On the slab lay the perfectly preserved body of a man. Arisin stepped up to the dais and gazed down upon the ancient Sith Lord. He wore simple battle armor and his bearded face was scarred by what appeared to be a wicked burn. Arisin guessed he was in his late sixties when he died, though he couldn't be certain. The cause of death was an obvious lightsaber slash to the chest that had burnt away the armor and clothing beneath it to bite deeply into his torso.

"Who are you?" he asked aloud to himself.

"I am called Lord Malloc," said a voice. At first Arisin thought the body had spoken. Then he felt the presence beside him. He turned to see a man standing next to him, the same man who lay before him dead on the slab.

"Lord Malloc?"

"Yes. What is it you seek here, boy?" One of his eyes was a milky white, useless. "I allowed you to enter because I felt a great Darkness in you."

Arisin spoke firmly. "I am Darth Arisin. I'm here to study, to learn. I was sent by my Master to gather the knowledge of the Sith."

"Your master would be Lord Sidious?" asked Malloc.

"He would."

"Yes, I remember him well," said Malloc. "Very powerful. I imagine some time has passed since he was here."

"The Emperor has been here before?" inquire Arisin.

"Emperor? My, young Sidious has worked his way up in the galaxy. When he was here last, I believe he was going to run for a spot in the Senate. Something about defeating the Jedi via the stylus and not the saber." Malloc shook his head. "I really hadn't a clue what he was talking about, but I sensed a great power within him, so I allowed him access to my knowledge."

"He became a senator," Arisin told the Sith spirit. "And he was elected Supreme Chancellor after that."

"A Sith became president of the Republic Senate under the Jedi's haughty noses?" asked Malloc, astonished.

Arisin nodded. "The Jedi had no idea," he said. "When the time came, he was able to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"But, how did he manage that?"

"He was Supreme Chancellor for thirteen years," Arisin explained. "The galaxy trusted and respected him. He was able to convince the Senate that the Jedi were taking over, which I'm certain now that they would have. He declared them the enemies of the Republic after they attempted to forcibly remove him from office. Most Jedi were killed by soldiers of the Republic. The rest were hunted down by my master's apprentice, Vader."

"Ah," said Malloc. "Now there is a name I know. I was present for his official naming ceremony. I felt there was something dangerously off about him."

Arisin nodded again. "Yes. He served my master for over two decades, but sought to betray him the entire time. Vader died at my hand a month ago."

"There were rumors that Vader had a son," Malloc said. "I imagine that would be you." He didn't phrase it as a question.

"Yes," Arisin said again. "Vader also had a daughter, my twin sister. She is apprenticed to my master as well."

"A second apprentice? Master Bane wrote that there may be only two," warned Malloc. "Those tenets were put in place after my death, but I've come to see the wisdom in the practice."

"Yes," said Arisin, "but the threat of the Jedi is gone. The Sith are free to increase in numbers again."

"And just how do you plan to do that? The Rule of Two wasn't just implemented because of the Jedi." Malloc shook his head. "Bane's rules saw the concentration of power funneled into just two individuals; he expressly stated that the Dark Side weakens when spread amongst many."

Arisin was growing tired of this conversation. "It will happen," he told the spirit. "I promise you. Now, I would like access to your holocron. Where is it?"

Somewhat hesitantly, Malloc said. "You may study it, but it may not pass the threshold."

"What?" Arisin fumed. "How am I supposed to learn the secrets inside if I can't study it in my ship?" He was outraged. "I need to be able to take it with me!"

"If you desire the information that much, then it is worth it to you to come back. As many times as it takes. You will learn that the knowledge should be uncovered over time, not all at once." Malloc gestured at his holocron, which sat on a pedestal a short distance from the dais. "The conditions are simple. You may come and go as you please. The holocron is at your disposal within this tomb. To remove it would bring about severe and unpleasant consequences."

Arisin was decidedly less than intimidated by any threat of consequences, but perhaps Malloc was right; perhaps it would be best to learn slowly. He had as much time as he needed. "Alright," he said. "Agreed. Shall we get started, then?"

For several consecutive days he returned to the tomb of Darth Malloc. He soon discovered that Malloc was neither the most powerful nor the wisest of the Sith Lords of old. The information held in his holocron was very basic and poorly explained.

"Anger and hatred fuel the Dark Side," said the small holographic figure. "With the Dark Side comes power. With power, anything is possible."

"And how is that helpful?" Arisin asked, frustrated by the childish instructions.

"You will find it more helpful once you stop asking questions and start listening to the answers."

"What answers?" Arisin fumed. "You're talking in circles!"

"Please refine your question." The small hovering figure looked at him. "Please refine your quest—" Arisin shut the holocron. He was getting nowhere and wasting time that could be spent searching other tombs. On the fourth day, he abandoned Malloc's tomb in search of something more fruitful.

He next sought out the most impressive crypt he could find, which happened to be a half-kilometer walk from Malloc's tomb. Like Malloc's, it was carved from solid rock into the valley wall. Its façade was incredible: an enormous seated figure of a robed man at least a hundred meters tall and projecting out from the rock wall easily half that. A steep set of steps led from the ground up the front to the figure's yawning mouth, in which appeared to be the tomb's entrance. Arisin stood before the first step, taking in the grandiose structure. Finally, he began to ascend.

---

Palpatine allowed his gaze to wander out his window up to the sky. The Death Star would soon eclipse the sun, as it did twice every day. Though it no longer belonged to him, he was still very proud of it. He had given it to the princess as a gesture of good faith. Not unexpectedly, the first thing she had done was decommission and dismantle the superlaser. She then had requested that the station be completed and retrofitted, converted from a military space station to a habitation sphere, an artificial world that people could call home, a place where all displaced Alderaanians, made homeless by the first Death Star, could live comfortably for the rest of their lives at the Empire's expense.

Palpatine, true to his word, approved her every request. Her servitude was well worth the cost. Even at that very moment, as construction was being completed, the station's interior was being transformed. Huge gardens and parks were being installed. Windows offering spectacular views of Coruscant were planned, as were countless zoos and wildlife refuges featuring every native species of plant and animal life on file from the dead world. After completion, the Death Star, to be christened New Alderaan, would resemble a small world more than the moon-sized battle station that it was intended to be. The Emperor had to smile at her persistent do-good attitude. She was very clever, he had to admit. He had fully expected her simply to order the station's demolition.

He brought his gaze downward to the planet's surface, to the ancient Jedi temple. Its once graceful towers now stood blackened and charred, a reminder of the night the Jedi fell. How well he remembered that black evening.

He had sensed the four Jedi Masters coming to arrest him. He knew that that night, his shroud would finally fall and the Jedi would at long last know the face of their destruction. He had been dealt his hand and was going to declare Sabacc and take the pot. That night belonged to him. The only thing that had stood in his way was the Jedi Order. And the noose had already been placed around their collective throats. All that remained for him to do was kick away the chair.

He remembered how good it felt to have his saber up his sleeve, eager to lay waste to everything in its path. Though it had been decades since he'd used it in proper battle, when the time was right, it had found his hand and danced flawlessly to the tune of the Fall of the Jedi. It sang a hymn of the Dark Side as its master waged war against the Jedi cancer. Though it had not landed the killing blow, its fiery dance symbolized the end of the dogmatic Jedi Order.

How he wished he could have entered the fray at Jedi Temple amidst the blazing rifles and slashing sabers, killing as many Jedi as he could, killing those who forced him to live his true life in the shadows.

My revenge was sweet, thought the Emperor. Mine was a revenge of the Sith, a revenge spanning millennia.

As he turned to sit behind his desk, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the transparisteel window. He held a hand up to his ancient and disfigured face, allowing himself a rare moment on vanity.

"How I do miss the face of Palpatine," he said aloud. His scars were a constant reminder of what he'd fought against to achieve his goals. He refused to allow a surgeon to repair a single wrinkle. He wore his mantle proudly as a badge of honor. In the end, it was well worth it.

So long ago, it seemed, that that night fell. He still remembered well the searing pain as his own hatred was forced back at him, tearing into his face. That night, everything had changed…

Palpatine sat in the antechamber to his main Chancellor's office. He could feel the four Jedi approaching, all of them powerful Masters. The door slid open and the Jedi stormed in, taking a stand between him and the exit. Leading the Jedi was Master Mace Windu, Masters Saesee Tiin, Agen Kolar, and Kit Fisto flanking him tightly.

"Master Windu," Palpatine said with a friendly smile as the leader of the Jedi Council strode in. His expression portrayed complete ignorance of the Jedi's intentions. "I take it General Grievous has been destroyed then?" His smile faded into feigned confusion. "I must say, you're here earlier than expected."

"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic," said Windu, igniting his shining purple blade, "you are under arrest, Chancellor." The other Jedi followed suit, igniting their sabers.

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" Palpatine growled, enraged at their gall in taking it upon themselves to arrest the Chancellor himself without any authority whatsoever.

"The Senate will decide your fate," Windu replied. He gave the Chancellor a glare as hard as durasteel.

"I am the Senate!" Palpatine croaked with a sneer. This was his moment. He allowed his concealed weapon to slide home, felt the cool alloy fill his palm behind his back.

"Not yet," Windu said defiantly.

"It's treason, then," Palpatine announced, red fire springing forth from his hand. Without warning, he leapt, corkscrewing through the air at the four dumbfounded Jedi Masters. As he flew, he let out a feral roar, more animal than human. Before the Jedi knew what had happened, Palpatine, now fully revealed to be the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, had impaled Master Kolar through the chest. Master Tiin was next, slashed from shoulder to hip, his internal organs flash boiling in an instant. Of the three Jedi Masters accompanying Windu, Master Fisto was the only one to get so much as a single strike in before his death. The scream was still on his lips when Master Windu engaged the Sith in the outside hallway, dancing into the main office.

Slipping deep into Vaapad, it took every ounce of skill Master Windu had just to offer up a defense against the Chancellor's savage attack. He hopped back a step, the Sith Lord's blade narrowly missing his torso. The Chancellor hissed, a sound so unsettling that Windu was briefly caught off guard.

They danced all through the grand office; Palpatine leapt off of a conical holoprojector as he retreated towards his desk. They shattered the enormous panoramic window wall with two well-placed slashes and the cold Coruscant night poured into the room. The wind howled, tearing at their clothing. Transparisteel slivers crunched beneath their boots and neither took any notice of the thousand meter drop just centimeters away.

Palpatine had felt Anakin's anxiety ever since his meeting with the boy an hour before, when he had revealed his true identity to the young Jedi Knight. The Sith been tracking Skywalker's presence from the time he left the office and he could feel the young Jedi approaching quickly. It was now or never. Palpatine lowered his guard and allowed Master Windu a free kick, which sent him tumbling to the ground. His lightsaber deactivated and flew out of his hand and out the shattered window. Master Windu brought his violet saber to bear on Palpatine and advanced, his blade pointed directly at the Chancellor's throat.

"Anakin!" the Chancellor cried as the Jedi Knight entered the room. His voice had changed to that of a frightened old man. "I told you it would come to this! The Jedi are taking over!"

A bewildered Anakin was held at bay by Master Windu's raised hand warning him to stay back.

"You are under arrest, my lord," said Windu, his words dripping with disdain and condescension. "The oppression of the Sith will never return. You have lost!"

Too furious to maintain his guise of fear, Palpatine's face contorted in rage. "No! No! You will die!" Sprawled out on the window ledge, he unleashed a volley of deadly lightning towards the Jedi Master. Though surprised, Windu managed to bring up his blade in time to block the Dark energy.

Tendrils of hate leapt from the Chancellor's fingertips, wrapping around Master Windu's blade, which crackled and popped in protest. The smell of ozone grew strong as the assault intensified. Windu angled his blade downwards, deflecting the Sith lightning back at its caster.

"He's a traitor!" screamed Palpatine. He looked pleadingly at Anakin, who stood back, unsure of what to do.

"Don't listen to him, Anakin!" yelled Master Windu, not taking his eyes off the prone Sith. "He is the traitor!" He was desperately trying to maintain a hold on his blade. His defense was weakening. So was Palpatine's.

"I have the power to save the ones you love!" cried Palpatine. "You must choose. Don't let him kill me!" The Sith feigned terror once more.

The Chancellor's attack began to lessen, until finally, it ceased. Both men locked gazes, breathing hard. The Chancellor's face lay in ruins and his delicate wisps of smoke wafted up from his fine clothing.

"Anakin," Palpatine groaned painfully. "I-I'm too weak. I can't hold on any longer."

Master Windu advanced on the crippled old man and raised his blade to strike him down. "I'm going to end this once and for all," he said savagely.

"No, Master," Anakin said, suddenly finding his voice. "He must stand trial!"

"He has control of the courts and the Senate. He's too dangerous to be kept alive." Windu looked menacingly at Palpatine, who peered back at him with carefully calculated terror in his eyes.

"Please, don't kill me!" he begged, glancing over to gauge Anakin's reaction.

"It's not the Jedi way," pleaded Anakin as Windu prepared to strike. "I need him!"

"Please!" cried the Chancellor desperately, again peering at the troubled young Jedi. "Don't kill me!"

Windu slashed down at the Sith.

"No!" screamed Anakin, who, in one fluid moment, lit his own lightsaber and sheared through Master Windu's wrist. The air instantly filled with the sick tinge of burned muscle and bone. The lightsaber fell from the dead grip and tumbled with the hand onto the floor. Windu looked at Anakin in amazement and screamed in pain.

Palpatine had won. Dropping the act, the Sith Lord sat up straight and smiled. He unleashed his devastating lightning attack on the now unarmed Jedi Master.

"Power!" the Sith cried as he poured waves of blue-white lightning into the writhing Jedi. Windu, still screaming, struggled to stay standing under the onslaught. "Unlimited power!"

Windu's agonized screams reverberated around the office as the Dark lightning tore into his body, illuminating the bones beneath his skin. With one last surge of hatred, Palpatine triumphantly hurled Windu off the ledge and far out into the Coruscant night where the Jedi Master fell forever.

"What have I done?" lamented a dumbstruck Anakin, who absentmindedly lowered himself onto a padded seat beside the desk. His lightsaber fell from his loose grip with a dull thud and rolled on the lavish red carpet of the Chancellor's office.

Palpatine climbed bodily to his feet and stepped over to the distressed Jedi. "You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin."

The Emperor came back to the present.

Yes, that'd been the greatest night of his life. It had seen the death of the Jedi Order and the birth of his Empire. There were times that he longed for some Jedi to come out of the woodwork, some survivor of the Purge, just so that he could feel the satisfaction of their death once more. But there had been no word of survivors in recent years.

I need not worry about that, he thought to himself. There will always be Jedi to fight one way or another.

---

"Alright, everybody," called Mara over the ship's intercom. "Time to strap yourselves in." The Jade Sabre had begun its entry into the planet's outer atmosphere.

She looked out over the snow-covered terrain with a sour look on her face. Though she was hardly looking forward to this mission, the Princess was even less pleased when she'd finally gotten the destination out of Jade: Hoth.

Some time after the evacuation of the Rebel base, Vigo Sariss Arkan had converted it into his own private safe house. According to Imperial Intelligence, Echo Base had been rebuilt and reinforced. Every entrance was guarded by automated gun turrets and, it was rumored, captured wampas. Additionally, he had a contingent of at least forty mercenaries patrolling the base at all times. This would be no walk in the park.

At first, Leia had wondered why a Black Sun vigo, rich beyond most beings' wildest dreams, would choose such a remote and unforgiving landscape as his base of operations. But Mara had informed her that Arkan was a Whipid, a wiry-haired tusked alien that hailed from a planet very similar to Hoth. He likely felt very much at home, which gave him the advantage. Of course, they had certain advantages of their own in the form of two Noghri bodyguards. Plus, she thought to herself, we both have the Force. And lightsabers.

She found her hand slipping instinctually to her hip, where she felt the comforting weight of her elegant weapon. It wasn't really hers, of course, was it? But, for now, it would have to do.

She located the environmental survival suit under the flight couch in the Saber's passenger hold. It was made of a thin, form-fitting material that protected against heat, cold, and short periods of vacuum. She slipped in on. A little tight, but it would get her through the mission. She turned to the Noghri.

"You guys need anything?" she asked them.

"We do not," said Drey.

"Our fur is far more insulating than it appears," added Kay.

"You're sure?" she asked.

"They said they were fine," said Mara, walking into the hold, her fiery hair standing out against the pale grey of her snowsuit. She looked at Leia. "Good, you found the enviro-suit."

"Yeah, thanks for making sure I packed for a Hoth summer," Leia said sarcastically.

"Hey, Princess, you could've asked where we were going before we even left Coruscant," said Mara, raising her hands in mock defense.

"I'm asking now," said Leia with fire in her eyes.

"Say please," Mara said coldly.

Without warning, a medpack flew across the hold and hit the bulkhead centimeters from Mara's head.

"Please," said Leia sweetly. She hadn't moved a muscle. Her measure of control over the Force was getting better every day.

"Stars' end, Princess!" yelped Mara. "No need to get so frakkin' testy! The next two planets are Falucia and Coruscant."

Leia had never heard of Falucia, but Coruscant?

"What? Why couldn't we have done Coruscant first?" she yelled.

"Think about it, Princess. Who would be on Coruscant?"

"Breyac," Leia said after a moment's consideration.

"Exactly," said Mara. "You go for the central head of your hydra first and the other heads get wise. Take out the lesser heads first, you can nab the central head before it even knows what hit it," explained Mara. "By the time Breyac hears about the deaths of his lieutenants, we'll already be knocking on his door."

"Alright," conceded Leia, "I suppose that makes sense. What about Falucia? I've never heard of it."

"It was a Separatist stronghold during the Clone Wars. You do know who they were, right?" asked Mara.

A cargo crate began to lift dangerously off the floor.

"Ok," she said quickly. "Anyway, our good Vigo Mordsun has taken up residence in the old command center." Mara was tired of explaining things. "C'mon. It's time to go and light is wasting. Everybody ready?" She looked over at the two Noghri.

They looked at one another. "We are," said Drey.

"As I'll ever be," added Leia.

"Good. So let's go then, huh?" Mara headed down the corridor out of sight.

As Leia followed, she heard the whine of hydraulics and felt a blast of icy air hit her unprotected face.

"Here," said Mara as Leia approached. She tossed her a pair of goggles and a thick scarf. "Put these on." Mara was already wearing hers.

"Thanks. You might want to hide that mane of yours," said Leia, pointing at Mara's bright red hair. "Unless your plan is to be seen from ten kilometers away."

Mara scoffed but pulled her hood tightly around her head.

"So how far are we going?"

"About ten minutes' walk," Mara answered. "Far enough that if you get lost, you might just stay lost. So try not to wander off by yourself."

Leia glared at Mara. "I'll try to resist the urge," she said through gritted teeth.

"Let's go," Mara said, stepping down the ramp.

Once everyone was on planet, she locked up the ship and consulted her datapad.

"This way," she said, pointing and trudging through the snow.

"You sure?" asked Leia, her voice muffled by the scarf she'd wrapped around her mouth and nose.

Mara didn't bother with an answer.

For a day on Hoth, Leia had to admit it wasn't bad. The sky was clear and blue. Visibility was at least a hundred klicks in any direction. They crunched through the knee-high snow quickly and quietly, making good time across the landscape.

Soon Leia saw something familiar. Several somethings, in fact. Off to the west was the giant ion cannon the Rebellion had used to disable orbiting Star Destroyers when they had made their frantic escape. Off to the east were the charred remains of the massive power generator. Though it had only been a year, the ruins were almost completely reclaimed by the snowdrifts. And finally, directly ahead, were the southern blast doors of Echo Base. She remembered the gut-wrenching sound they made as they slammed shut, locking the two men she loved out in the rapidly plummeting temperature of night on Hoth.

She remembered as Major Derlin had made that difficult decision.

But, she thought, everything had turned out all right.

The other Hand seemed to penetrate her thoughts. "No time for nostalgia, Princess. We have a job to do," Mara said as she waded past her, the snow now up to their thighs. Her breath came out a thick white cloud. It was cold.

Leia turned to look behind her. "How're you guys doing back there?" she asked the Noghri.

"We are well," said Drey. Or it could have been Kay. She still couldn't quite tell them apart yet.

"Why would one choose such a desolate place to live?" asked the other one.

"Necessity," said Leia, herself having made the decision to relocate the Rebellion there.

Leia turned back around, expecting Mara to be glaring at her, telling her to quit the chatter and hurry up. Instead, she found only empty terrain. Mara had vanished.

"Just great," Leia said to herself. "She tells me not to wander off then disappears herself."

Drey—or Kay—came up beside her. "Is there something wrong, Lady Vader?"

"Oh, nothing much," she said. "Our navigator just vanished, that's all."

"Should we not call for her?" asked Kay—or Drey.

"Not until we know for certain that someone else isn't listening," Leia said. "Until then, we find her quietly. She can't be far."

---

Lord Arisin gazed back at the ruins of the great stone seal, thinking once more that he should have just answered the riddle. Instead, he had taken the easy way out and just blasted the door with a well-aimed wave of frustration. Simply put, he had climbed a steep, hundred meter set of stairs and was in no mood to answer a silly puzzle.

It wasn't, however, the regret of having destroyed a priceless artifact that caused his retrospective thinking.

He dove for cover as a spear-like tail whipped the ground where he had just been standing.

No, it was the giant stone vornskyrs animated by the Dark Side when he failed to solve the puzzle that was the source of his regret.

In life, vornskyrs are two-meter long, ill-tempered canids with long, whip-like tails tipped with a poisonous barb. These, however, were not live vornskyrs and their stone counterparts made the real things seem like Ewok cubs in comparison.

So far, he had managed to sprain an ankle, destroy an ancient clay chalice, and cleave a seven-thousand year old tapestry in two. The two stone super-vornskyrs, on the other hand, remained quite intact. They appeared immune to the Force, as he'd heard their living cousins were, and were surprisingly agile for "creatures" that must each weight well over a ton of solid stone.

Arisin risked a glance around the tomb in an attempt to locate anything he could use as a weapon against the stone beasts. His lightsaber had flown out of his hand and its location was currently unknown. He was beginning to have a very bad feeling about the whole thing when he spotted the ornate sarcophagus at the far end of the huge chamber. He thought that perhaps the old Sith might have been buried with his lightsaber. He hoped. At the very least, the sarcophagus would provide some measure of cover while he came up with a plan to get himself out of this mess.

He sprinted unprotected across the rubble-strewn floor toward the sarcophagus, the vornskyrs in hot pursuit. He leapt off a stone bench and cleared the top of the coffin, landing hard on the other side. As he landed, he used the Force to rip off the heavy stone lid and launch it at the charging monsters. It smashed into the lead vornskyr, breaking off a large section of its snout. Though toothless, the creature's tail more than made up for any other physical shortcomings.

The Dark Lord peeked into the now open sarcophagus and saw exactly what he'd been hoping to; a cylindrical object was clutched in the leather-gloved hands of the Sith Master. He only hoped the power cell was still good as he plucked the lightsaber from the dead man's grip and thumbed the activator.

To his relief, crimson fire erupted from the hilt, casting an eerie glow on the vornskyrs, who had just caught up with Arisin. They charged the coffin, knocking it over and spilling the moldering Sith onto floor of the tomb. Arisin rolled out of the way before the sarcophagus could crush him. Just as he reoriented himself, a barbed tail sailed through the air in an attempt to skewer him. Now rearmed, he had the advantage. The odor of burning rock was instant and gratifying. The sharp tip of the tail fell to the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces. Faster than a Human eye can perceive, Arisin sprinted forward and relieved the monster of all four feet before lopping off its enormous head, which exploded dramatically as it hit the ground, shards of rock spraying everywhere. The rest of the body simply crumbled.

The second vornskyr, unaffected by the death of its partner, lunged at Arisin, stone teeth bared. Arisin plunged the blade up to the hilt into the beast's mouth and out the back of its head. But short of melting a perfectly round hole though the stone, he did no real damage.

He was knocked aside by a huge paw, smashing into the overturned coffin. The vornskyr, lightsaber still implanted in its head, came at him again.

Arisin shoved with all the Force he could muster. Though the creature was immune to the Force, the lightsaber wasn't. It sliced the creature neatly in half along the length of its spine. As with the first beast, this one crumbled into dust and, for the first time since entering the tomb, all was quiet. Perhaps, he thought, he wouldn't tell Master Sidious about this one.

Arisin wasted no time and immediately began searching the tomb for a holocron. He guessed correctly that it would be within the sarcophagus, which now sat tilted on its side. Its inhabitant lay sprawled awkwardly on the floor, its gloved hand still clutching an invisible lightsaber.

"What secrets are you hiding, old man?" Arisin asked the corpse.

"What kind of secrets are you searching for?"

Arisin instinctively brought the saber to bear on the new voice. Before him stood a dark robed figure in heavy battle armor, presumably the Sith Lord interred within the tomb.

"And you would be Lord—?" asked Arisin.

The figure cocked his head slightly to the side, his face covered by a mask strangely reminiscent of the Emperor's Royal Guard.

"I am Darth Revan."