Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Chapter 2
Darth Sadus knelt before the holonet beacon in Jerec's former quarters. When she entered known space and made contact with the Secret Order of the Emperor, only the fool known as Boc thought to challenge her. Once Sadus easily dispatched the Twi'lek, Jerec was quick to grant her complete access throughout the Vengeance.
Sadus pulled the hood away from her head, revealing her flowing blonde locks and hypnotizing blue eyes. She was nothing but a great paradox. Her physical beauty was unrivaled, granting her the appearance of a benevolent goddess. It was but a shell covering the dark heart that beat within her. Darth Sadus was a cruel murderer that reveled in her knowledge of Sith teachings.
The holonet receiver flickered to life, projecting a massive hologram of a figure completely engulfed in black: her master, Dark Lord of the Sith and ruler of the Sith Empire. Before her master, Darth Sadus felt naked. She was but a speck of dust compared to the burning emptiness of the Dark Lord of the Sith.
"The Force is with us, Master," Sadus said. "Our return has upset the fragile balance created by 'him.'"
"You have done well, my apprentice," her master said. His voice was deep and commanding, but could also penetrate every fiber in her body as if there were no barriers to his power. "You may make contact with 'him' at your leisure."
"As you wish," said Sadus.
"I'll be sending Darth Mirage to handle matters on Korriban," the Dark Lord added.
Suddenly, a familiar cloaked female figure appeared beside the Dark Lord of the Sith. Her hood obscured her eyes from view, leaving much to the imagination. She completed the final slot of the Sith Triumvirate, serving as the Mistress of Illusion as opposed to Sadus' role as Mistress of Murder.
"Find the Son of Suns and bring him before me," the Dark Lord ordered before the transmission ended.
A lone TIE Advanced x1 emerged from hyperspace in the Beshqek System. Its pilot, clothed in a TIE pilot's uniform, sensed the lingering darkness on the sun's only satellite. Anakin grimaced beneath his helmet at the sight of Byss. Even two years after the Emperor's final death, the world still had a dark side taint that would likely last through the ages.
A few Republic Star Destroyers were present in the system, representing a small military presence that would persist until the Republic completed its investigation in another standard year. The extent of the Emperor's personal facilities on the world baffled Anakin when he participated in the initial investigation. Darth Sidious seemed intent on transforming Byss into the capital of a magocracy he termed his Dark Empire.
What few dark side relics remained on Byss after an unknown intruder cloaked in shadow ransacked the world of all Sith knowledge was now in the hands of the Jedi Order. What the Republic had yet to uncover was the full extent of superweapon technology that Imperial scientists on Byss were researching in conjunction with the secret Maw Installation.
The Eclipse-class Star Destroyer that remained uncompleted in the orbital spacedock was a reminder of perilous times.
"Unidentified TIE pilot, this is the Republic Star Destroyer Vigilance please identify yourself," a naval officer transmitted from what Anakin believed to be the flagship.
"Admiral Firmus Piett?" Anakin asked. "This is Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker requesting clearance to land at the Emperor's Citadel. I'll transmit my clearance code now."
Anakin quickly transmitted the code to the Star Destroyer and waited patiently, inhaling the air granted by the modified atmospheric controls the Jedi installed in his TIE fighter. Unlike a normal TIE fighter, Anakin's cockpit was not a vacuum, but a comfortable ride that extended the range of the ship due to improved welfare for the pilot. Few in New Republic Starfighter Command had any interest in Anakin's modifications since TIE Fighters were increasingly seen as symbols of the Galactic Empire.
"We apologize for the wait, Master Skywalker," Admiral Piett said. "You are clear to land at the citadel."
"Acknowledged," was Anakin's terse reply.
The TIE Advanced x1 soared by the Star Destroyers and penetrated the planetary atmosphere. Byss was a deceptively serene world at first glance, but it possessed the heaviest Republic military presence in the galaxy outside the Outer Rim. Anakin spotted a trio of X-Wings flying past him during his descent towards the Citadel.
"Master Skywalker, this is Citadel Traffic Control urging you to proceed to Docking Bay 17," a Republic officer transmitted.
"Got it," Anakin said.
Anakin approached the Emperor's Citadel, a facility that stood hundreds of meters above other buildings on Byss. Like the Imperial Palace before it, Palpatine wasted no effort in constructing massive palaces. The Republic survey indicated the Citadel dwarfed the Imperial Palace on Coruscant, which proved to Anakin beyond a shadow of a doubt that his former master planned to use Byss as the capital of his Dark Empire.
But all those dreams disappeared when Anakin defeated the Emperor at the Battle of Endor two years ago. Palpatine once boasted that his empire would last for ten thousand years, but only a few diehard warlords sought to keep the dark vision alive. Landmarks like the Citadel and countless lives devastated and destroyed were all that truly remained of the Galactic Empire.
Anakin landed his starfighter in Docking Bay 17 without incident. He completed every shutdown procedure before removing his helmet, allowing the mess his long hair became with each trip to stream downward. Long hair was against Imperial pilot regulations due to the fact that it made the helmet difficult to seal before the cockpit transformed into a vacuum. Anakin knew he could do without the helmet and vowed to do so once leaving Byss.
After Anakin tied his hair behind his head, he exited his TIE Fighter. General Crix Madine and two Republic guards awaited him. Over time, the general grew to tolerate Anakin's presence, but the Jedi Master could sense Crix was never going to truly accept the former Sith Lord. Due to his position in the defunct Rebel Alliance, Crix was one of the few with any knowledge of the fact that Anakin was Darth Vader.
"General Madine, I see they've awarded you with yet another star," Anakin observed. New Republic ranking systems adopted those of the Empire due to the fact that much of the Galactic Empire's forces were absorbed after the Battle of Endor. Crix wore a circle of five stars above his right breast as well as various medals won from his time with the Alliance and campaigns against Imperial Warlords.
"I'm a High General now," Crix said. "I was just promoted."
"Congratulations," Anakin offered.
Crix shrugged. He was a modest officer, a rarity. Even Jedi Generals during the Clone Wars were usually arrogant types. Anakin was a young hotshot back in those days, but eagerly accepted his discharge from the Alliance military following the Coruscant Accords.
"My wife didn't like the fact that I was involved in so many operations in the Outer Rim," Crix admitted. "I took this desk job in the Deep Core for her sake, not mine. But I'm in no mood for small talk. General Solo and his party are waiting for you in the throne room."
General Madine and his guards journeyed to one of the many turbolifts in the docking bay, but Anakin knew the one he needed to enter was directly ahead of him. Anakin rode in silence before the lift chimed at the completion of its ascent. The doors opened, allowing the Jedi Master to enter the throne room.
The Citadel throne room served a sole purpose of awing all those who entered. It was a massive room with a domed ceiling and marble statues of past Sith Lords lining the walls. It was all for show since the true heart of the citadel lay in the rooms adjoining the throne room: the Cloning Facility and the Emperor's personal study.
"Anakin!" called a female voice.
Winter Reltrac Skywalker rushed towards her husband, not giving him the opportunity to react as she quickly embraced him. Anakin hugged his wife, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. Winter was Leia's best friend, making her marriage to Anakin appear to be an odd affair. Anakin was immediately grateful that he looked young enough to pass for Leia's brother and not her father, so it did not seem he was robbing the cradle at first glance.
"Winter, I was going to go see you when I returned to Coruscant," Anakin said. He already did not see his wife as often as he wished and the separation teared at him as much as it did with his first wife during the Clone Wars.
How Winter reminded Anakin of Padmé! The same fiery spirit, the same articulate nature, it seemed as if Winter was more regal than Leia. Her flowing white hair set her apart from the former Queen of Naboo and Princess of Alderaan. Winter also did not have Padmé's eyes. While Leia possessed her mother's gaze, Winter's eyes were green.
Anakin mentally scolded himself for comparing Winter to Padmé, but he could not help but do so at times. He would always love his first wife, something Winter accepted going into the marriage. Nevertheless, the Jedi Master usually sought to keep his affections in the present rather than in the past.
"I know," said Winter. "But Leia told me she would be meeting you here and I could not resist tagging along."
Anakin chuckled. "I should have known better than to try to keep you two out of mischief," he said before releasing Winter.
"I'd do my best to help you out there, but high command has been sending me after Zsinj for the last six months," Han said.
General Han Solo was a reluctant officer if ever there was one. He wore four stars on his blue uniform, indicating his rank in New Republic Starfighter Command. Han spoke to him in confidence on more than one occasion that he probably would have retired to civilian life if Leia refused to take up the life of a Jedi. His relationship with Anakin's daughter was severed with Leia took up arms against the Rebel Alliance, but resumed sometime during Leia's Jedi training.
"Everyone is busy," Leia said. Anakin's recently knighted daughter stepped past Han to address her father. The Jedi Master could sense the scars of the past much like his own on Leia. Both proved to be redeemable, unlike a few of the Emperor's acolytes. Others such as Kam Solusar were invaluable members of the Jedi Order.
"Hey Chewie," Anakin told Chewbacca, Han's constant companion.
The Wookiee replied his greetings, but made no further attempt at conversation.
"Luke said something about your suspicions, but he didn't go into much detail," Leia said. "What did you discover in your meditations on Vjun?"
Anakin said, "I told him about as much as I know right now. Many of the Emperor's acolytes are still missing, but I also have my doubts that any of them knew the full extent Palpatine's facilities here. Even I wasn't privy to most of that information."
"Nor was I," Leia admitted. "The fact that someone knew exactly what to take is a bit unsettling. Could we be dealing with another of the Emperor's Clones?"
Anakin shook his head. It was an easy assumption to make due to the fact that one clone body was found missing during the initial survey. "I would have sensed it," he said. "You would have too."
The Jedi Master held up his right hand just as Leia was about to open her mouth. He probed both sides of the Force for answers. The Light Side usually offered cryptic visions, while the Dark Side could give deceptive divinations. But in the throne room, both sides gave him the same response.
Anakin witnessed a vision from the past. A being cloaked in shadow stood before the Emperor's throne. He waved a hand, using the Force to move the throne and reveal a hidden trapdoor. The Jedi Master dispelled the vision and approached the throne. He performed the same feat as the dark figure and the trapdoor was revealed to him.
"I can't believe we missed that," Leia said after joining her father.
Anakin peered into the darkness, noticing a ladder leading down to a secret floor of the Citadel. Not needing to use the ladder, Anakin leapt into the trapdoor, using the Force to slow his descent. When his feet connected with the durasteel floor, lights illuminated the massive chamber.
It filled with computer terminals, but not much else. The initial survey missed this floor, but now the Jedi could uncover whatever secrets remained. And Anakin feared very little clues would be present.