Alternate Universe Trilogy Vol 1 The Clone Emperor

by Sonic Sculpture

This is an alternative to the derivative works licensed by Lucasfilm that were intended to follow Return of the Jedi. I don't think things turned out quite so neatly. The story has been rewritten to redress issues cited in prior reviews.

2. Chapters 3 and 4

Chapter Three: Warrior Princess for the Republic

The Alliance abandoned Endor almost as soon as Luke left. No one in the Imperial Fleet was aware of the Ewoks or their assistance to the rebels; so if they returned to find no trace of technology on the forest moon, there would be no reason to waste the kind of firepower that would be required to strafe its surface. The most effective way the Alliance could repay the indigenous inhabitants was to immediately depart, as admittedly difficult as it was for the rebels to say goodbye to their furry friends. The Ewoks were particularly distraught to be losing both C-3PO and Leia, but the protocol droid was ultimately able to explain the situation to their sorrowful satisfaction; after which, they stood along the edge of the clearing and watched the Millennium Falcon streak into the dust-strewn sky.

All the leaders of the Alliance had discussed at length what they thought the Rebel Fleet's most immediate objective should be. It was clear that they could not go directly to Coruscant. The bulk of the Imperial Fleet had fallen back to the core systems. They also needed to be certain to allow time for the Clone Emperor to leave. Princess Leia advised taking a detour to some of the Outer Rim worlds of the Old Republic, no small number of which had become secession-minded now that the Empire was falling apart. If she could only convince them to aid in reunification, once the Clone Emperor had been eliminated, the probability of putting the Republic back together would be very greatly improved. She therefore recommended that the Rebel Fleet set its initial course for the politically pivotal Utapau system. It was decided however that they should execute several point-to-point jumps first, just to be certain they could not be tracked to their destination.

Training aboard ship took on a far different tone than the unrestricted routines Leia had enjoyed on the forest moon of Endor. Levitation and other disciplined applications of telekinesis, like the operation of electronic locks, were emphasized. Yoda rewarded her waywardness with the previous remote by instructing her to assemble another. This one had enhancements that made it much more formidable than its predecessor. Even if she was not particularly pleased at the increase in its abilities, she knew it was important that she gain experience with her lightsaber. Despite her unmistakable skill, Han hardly ever entered the room while she was practicing. Unquestionably nervous about the new set of circumstances, within which their relationship was now precariously couched, he jokingly claimed to be afraid of the remote.

As the fleet emerged from hyperspace, Leia joined Han on the bridge of the Falcon. He and Chewbacca were steadfastly studying the scanner screen. She was stunned to realize that she could actually feel their apprehension, but she still could not discern its source. Han turned as he became aware that she had entered the cabin.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Luke's A-wing just entered the system," he replied, frowning. "But I don't think he's on it. For some reason, it's loaded with passengers. But it looks like they're women and children, all except for one adult male. The life sign readings are wrong. It's not Luke."

Translating Chewbacca's growling inquiry, Han asked, "How did his shuttle come to be in the hands of these people?"

"They're refugees from the Star Killer," Leia intuitively replied. "He saved their lives."

"If you want me to, I think I can follow them in without making it look too obvious," he thoughtfully suggested. "If they came from the Star Killer, they just might have some kind of information that could somehow help us."

"Very good idea," she replied, flashing him a smile. "But you'd better advise the rest of the fleet to hold here, until we've landed. If we all come in right behind the shuttle, the pilot might panic and head back into hyperspace. And we need to talk to these people."

Han and Chewbacca were both reminded of their nervous attempt at a casual flyby of the bridge of an Imperial Command Ship as they had been making their approach to Endor. They were careful to angle their descent so it looked like it was coincidental that they were in proximity to the shuttle. Although he deliberately did not voice his concern, it occurred to Han that he might have to rush to the shuttle's defense. There were some other ships in orbit, and it was anybody's guess how they would react to the obviously Imperial visitor. No one interfered however and the shuttle was allowed to land.

Neither the Millennium Falcon nor any of its crew had even been to Utapau before; but, as it happened, the Wookiees of Kashyyyk had traded with its inhabitants. For this reason, it was Chewbacca who made the request for landing clearance, and it was very graciously granted. They sat the ship down on a platform that was one level above and only slightly to the side of the one where the shuttle had landed, and well within sight of its disembarking occupants. Since he had found no appropriate alternate, Major Eisley was still in his Imperial attire. He drew understandable stares from all the attendants.

"We'd better get down there before somebody decides it wasn't such a good idea to let them land," Han said, strapping on his blaster. "There must not have been anything to change into on the shuttle. He has to know that uniform isn't going to win him any friends around here. Chewy, grab the duffle out of that overhead storage compartment. I'm sure there's something in there that'll fit him."

Slinging his crossbow, Chewbacca growlingly complied. Soon, the trio was headed towards the hatch. C-3PO appeared very disappointed when General Solo instructed the protocol droid to stay on the vessel, but then obediently remained at the top of the ramp. As Chewy and Han exchanged salutations with the platform's petite attendants, each of whom industriously issued forth to greet them, Leia nonchalantly strolled to the edge of the landing pad.

It was clear that some kind of confrontation was very swiftly developing between the shuttle's overdressed commander and the official-looking individual that had just arrived on the scene, ostensibly at the request of the attendants. The voices echoed up from the precipitous platform, and Leia found that she was actually able to overhear every word.

"You identified yourself as a refugee vessel. But this is an Imperial shuttle, and you are obviously a high-ranking Imperial officer," the dignitary declared. "You were allowed to land under false pretenses. We are prepared to tolerate no Imperial trickery. Explain yourself!"

"Our communications equipment was essentially destroyed," Eisley honestly replied. "My only option was to signal with the ship's onboard beacon. Since my passengers are women and children, and we're all seeking asylum, I didn't think there was any pretense involved in identifying us as a refugee ship. I'm not here as an Imperial representative. I am unarmed and, as far as I'm concerned, decommissioned. Your world is renowned as a sanctuary. Please do not send us away. We have nowhere else in the galaxy to go."

"The women and the children can stay. It would go against our custom to turn them away," the dignitary replied. "But you and your Imperial ship must leave this system. This matter is not open to further discussion. Go now."

As he concluded his declaration, the dignitary gestured toward two battle droids that had followed him onto the platform. Leia recognized the pair from holographic recordings she had been shown as a child. She had not been aware that any were still in operation. They moved menacingly toward the uniformed man. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, hoping to yet be heard.

"But one of them is my wife!" he imploringly announced to the dignitary, who already had turned his back and started to walk away. "Do your customs allow you to force me to leave her here?"

Spinning abruptly, the dignitary icily replied, "If you will take one, then you must take them all. Either do that, or leave now; otherwise, you will be shot and your ship turned to untraceable scrap."

Eisley had not anticipated such an impasse. He could think of no other place where he was sure his charges could be kept safe, but he could not simply abandon his wife. At the very least, she needed to be given the opportunity to make the choice. But the battle droids had already interposed themselves between him and his spouse who, because of helping to reassure the nervous children, had only just become aware of the seriousness of their situation. Eisley hesitated, and Leia realized that he had made the lethal mistake. She desperately needed to talk to this man; but, as she saw them raising their weapons, she knew the battle droids were about to eliminate any such possibility. Han looked over at her just as she leaped from the platform.

Ardently intent on drawing the attention of the battle droids away from their intended target, she let loose with a war cry as she plummeted towards the lower platform. It was a leap of which even Master Windu would have been proud. The droids definitely heard her howl. Deploying her lightsaber, while still in freefall, she easily intercepted the laser blasts with which they greeted her. By the time she lightly landed, one warrior robot had already been debilitated by its own deflected fire. She quickly carved its companion into smoldering sections. She then took up a defensive position directly in front of Eisley and deactivated her lightsaber only when she was sure that the confrontation had come to a close.

As the obviously alarmed dignitary stood there quaking before her, she bowed, after the manner of the Jedi Order, and softly said, "Please be at peace, your grace. I am Leia Organa of Alderaan, daughter of Senator Bail Organa, Padawan Princess and twin sister of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. The last time I saw him, my brother was the one piloting this Imperial shuttle. I need to know how this man came to be its captain."

"It was the Jedi who delivered us from the grip of General Grievous and his army of droids, of which we later reprogrammed some. Anyone of that ancient order is therefore a friend of all upon Utapau. I am Chairman Chelingus. I am honored to welcome you to our world," the dignity replied, bowing in return. "And I would be very interested to learn what your questions uncover."

"My name is Londle Eisley," said the man behind her. "Are you really Luke's sister?"

Aiming all her focus upon the mysterious man, Leia turned to confront him, saying, "Yes, I am. And how do you know my brother?"

"I was a junior officer aboard the Star Killer, of which he is now in command," Eisley answered. "When he came back from Kamino, Luke told me that he had been unable to persuade the Prime Minister to order an evacuation, and we were the only lives he could save. By now, I believe he has destroyed that star system."

"Do not attempt to deceive me in this next answer, for honesty is your best and only option," she warned him. "Is your allegiance yet to the Empire?"

"Not anymore," he easily answered. "And I'm willing to help the rebellion in any way I can."

"Please tell me; what precisely changed your mind?" she pressed.

"I saw my superiors, men who had risen up through the ranks, butchered on a whim by a merciless creature that was sent to us as a representative of the Emperor himself," Eisley answered. "Your brother is also quite capable of killing. But he doesn't murder for amusement. And he has deep remorse for life taken as collateral loss. I have served the wrong cause. Perhaps, if I can do something constructive towards the restoration of the Republic, I can eventually learn to live with this realization."

"In precisely what way do you think you can be of assistance," the Chairman asked, seeing the chance to enter the conversation.

"I know every one of the most up-to-date Imperial codes," Eisley replied. "I am also aware of the Separatist systems, where the Empire has almost entirely lost its hold. We were keeping abreast of all the intelligence reports, so we would be able to recommend an appropriate place for the station's commander to demonstrate its firepower. We were actually considering this as one of the most likely candidates. I'm very glad Commander Skywalker had an altogether different agenda, although he never actually explained it to me."

Returning his attention to Leia, Chairman Chelingus said, "We now understand that the reports of the Emperor's death were in error, although the destruction of the second Death Star seems certain. I would take your presence here as an indication that there is yet an organized effort afoot for his removal and the restoration of the Republic. Please, explain to me what has happened and what you and your brother are trying to do."

"The Emperor, Darth Sidious, did die," Leia cautiously replied. "But he'd had himself cloned. It is the clone that is now in control. If my brother has successfully completed the first part of our plan; then he is now in control of a weapon more powerful than the Death Star, and the cloning facilities in the Kamino system, secret and otherwise, are no more. No other Storm Troopers will be supplied nor will there be a replacement for Palpatine's clone once he's been killed. Luke intends to lure him away from Coruscant, eliminating as much of what's left of the Imperial fleet as possible. We now know that there are yet some Jedi still alive. My mission, once I've enlisted the aid of as many of the Separatist systems as I can, is to go to Coruscant. There, I'll use my father's influence to summon the Senate, and I'll change a transponder code to recall the remaining Jedi to protect it."

"Does your brother really believe he can kill this clone?" Eisley unexpectedly asked. Facing the questioning expressions that were immediately aimed at him, he slowly said, "I have seen a holoprojection of our new ruler. He is much younger. I fear that he is also much more powerful."

"If he somehow survives, it would be suicidal for him to return to Coruscant. Most of his space fleet will be gone, his soldiers will be answering to the Republic, and there will be a small army of Jedi knights with which he would have to contend," Leia said, almost succeeding in sounding as certain as she had intended.

"I see," said the Chairman. His tone was almost condescending, and Leia realized that he was deliberately playing along.

"It's a good plan," offered Eisley in nearly the same tone. "Perhaps it was very rash of me to question your brother's abilities. After all, he certainly made short work of Darth Maul."

At that moment, having of necessity taken the long way down, Han and Chewbacca came rushing out onto the platform. They looked as if they were anticipating trouble, but they quickly lowered their weapons as they saw how calmly everyone was conversing. It did not escape the attention of Eisley or Chairman Chelingus that Han and Leia seemed to automatically move to stand together. One of the women who'd exited the ship earlier took the opportunity to approach Eisley. And everyone instantly understood that she was the wife to which he had referred.

"Everyone, this is Tysha, my wife," he said by way of introduction. The simple act of etiquette seemed to restore a sense of normality to what had been a very tense situation only moments earlier. They went around the semicircle, introducing themselves to each other.

At the end of the introductions, Leia said, "Londle, what exactly did you mean about Darth Maul? I thought Obi-Wan Kenobi killed him on Naboo decades ago, but not before the Sith Lord had slain his mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn."

"We couldn't actually see the duel. Darth Maul shut down all the video transmitters in the room, but we could still hear the audio," Londle explained. "The Emperor must've cloned some of his old apprentices. Darth Maul claimed to have killed the clone of Count Dooku, whoever he was. He also seemed to gloat over the fact that the Clone Emperor, apparently right after his emergence, killed the clone of somebody named Anakin. But I have no idea what that was all about."

From the range of emotions that swiftly played out over the face of the princess, it was clear to Londle that she did. But he wisely elected not to say anything more about it.

"I've been in contract with the leaders of some of the other Separatist systems," said Chairman Chelingus, returning the dialogue to its previous topic. "I believe I can be quite helpful in making some inroads for the restoration of the Republic, at least as far as the Outer Rim worlds are concerned. I would recommend however that you visit Saleucami if at all possible. Your reassurance could go a long way in securing their support. If Cato Neimoidia or Ansion end up along your course to the core, you might stop there as well."

With the break in the conversation, Tysha turned to her husband, asking, "What are we supposed to do? Can you stay here with us now; or, if you want to go and help them, can the other women and their children stay here while I accompany you?"

Londle Eisley looked to the Chairman, who answered, "We'll happily grant sanctuary to any who now ask it or you may go wherever you will. We will also provide fuel for your ships, those on the platforms and those in orbit. We are aware of everything that passes through our system. We know you didn't come alone. I hope however that you will honor us by accepting accommodations for the night. It is almost unimaginable that a Jedi and a Wookiee should both visit us. If I am not allowed to present you to my people, they will never believe my report."

"And I think we can provide slightly more suitable attire for someone presumed to be a refugee," Han said, relieving Chewbacca of the duffel and tossing it at Eisley. "It would be a very good idea not to advertise your previous affiliation with the Empire."

"I doubt if I could've even thought of a better way to adequately describe your dress code," Leia mischievously observed, grinning at the captain of the Millennium Falcon.

Chewbacca, in particular, seemed to find her impish comment immensely amusing. He tossed his hairy head back and howled with hilarity. Han simply raised his eyebrows and gestured questioningly at his clothing, as if he could not understand the implications of the insult. Eisley ignored their banter, but Tysha giggled. Chairman Chelingus seemed out of his element as he looked on stoically.

Remembering her manners, Leia turned back to the cordial dignitary and said, "We are most grateful for your hospitality and your offer of assistance. We would be honored to pass the evening in the company of both yourself and your reputable people. Because there may be language barriers and differences in customs, if it would be permissible, I'd like to send for our protocol droid."

"That would be a most commendable course of action," Chelingus replied. "Please summon your other ships. When you are ready, I'll escort you to your accommodations."

The people of Utapau were widely acknowledged as being some of the most affable in the galaxy. It was quickly easy to see why. All the rebels were treated with the utmost respect. Chewbacca and Leia were accorded the receptions of celebrities. Even Londle and his previous passengers were made to feel completely at home.

Considering that the quarters, which they were each assigned, were only intended for the passing of a single night, they were extremely spacious. The guests were treated to a banquet before bedtime, and the selections were easily inclusive enough to assure that everyone found a dish to their taste. Glancing across the gorge, as they dined in the wide-windowed restaurant, they could see the care that was being given to their ships. It was reassuring to know they would resume their mission in freshly serviced spacecraft.

Admiral Ackbar, Lando Calrissian, and Wedge Antilles were seated at the table with the crew of the Millennium Falcon. Recognizing the romantic relationship that seemed to be developing between Han and Leia, Lando had elected to accept the Admiral's offer to allow him to serve, at least temporarily, as first officer aboard the flagship of the Alliance, the Forthright. He did not want to appear to be interfering in the affairs of his friends.

It is doubtful that Chewbacca misunderstood the intentions of the Falcon's previous owner. Nevertheless, apparently in play, he acted as if he took exception to having been so abandoned, constantly repositioning the condiments so that they were just outside of Lando's reach. Each time General Calrissian attempted to retrieve one of the containers of spice, Chewy would intercept it and offer it to someone else. Lando was forced to ask others to pass him the requested condiments.

Leia felt as if she was seeing the renewal of some old rivalry. She was not sure of its source, but she was certain about the deep friendship that was facilitating the continuous comedy. It was easy for everybody to see that Lando was acting far more frustrated than he actually was. Every time the Wookie outmaneuvered him, he would suspiciously grin; and then, he would affectedly scowl across the table at his furry foe. On occasion, even he could not maintain the parody of disappointment. As the wily Wookie finally resorted to offering the little containers to people at other tables, even Lando finally had to laugh out loud.

Chairman Chelingus was dining with them. Though he seemed somewhat uncertain of the antics that were being executed in front of him, he apparently identified it as some kind of custom with which he was simply unfamiliar. Paying as little attention as possible to the bizarre behavior of some of the table's other occupants; he engaged the obviously more responsible leaders of the Alliance in remarkably courteous conversation. He was particularly interested in learning about Luke.

"Our understanding was that the Emperor had eradicated the Jedi Order," Chelingus said. "We were led to believe that there had been no survivors; though this seemed to be highly improbable to us since we were aware of how resourceful and formidable were its disciples. But as decades went by and there were no reports of any sightings, we feared that it was true. For this reason, we lost all hope for the restoration of the Republic. If the Jedi still exist, it proves that it's the servants of the Dark Side who are blind. But how can this be after all this time?"

"My brother began his training under Obi-Wan Kenobi," Leia replied. "Unfortunately, Obi-Wan sacrificed himself in order to facilitate our escape from the first Death Star. My understanding is that, after we were forced to abandon the Hoth system, Luke then went to some remote world to finish his training under Master Yoda. So it was that he became a Jedi Knight and met Darth Vader in combat on two separate occasions. On the last of these, he was victorious. Darth Vader and the Emperor both died; but using the resource of the Kaminoans again, Emperor Palpatine had already arranged for his replacement."

"But now, the Kaminoans are gone and the Emperor's most recent ultimate weapon has also been confiscated," Chelingus concluded. "Our subspace scanners can't locate their star. It must've been destroyed. This initial strike must be very effectively followed, if we are to save the Republic. I am familiar with both the Jedi Masters you named. I am especially pleased that Obi-Wan initially survived. He freed us from General Grievous."

"He did many great things for the Jedi Order and the Republic," Leia replied, "as well as for my family. I'm glad we can remember him together. And I'm happier still that we've gained you as both an ally and a friend. As sorry as I am to bring this evening to a close, I must now ask that you graciously excuse me. I think it's time for me to retire and make use of the accommodations you've so kindly provided. Goodnight."

Everyone arose as Leia did. Some also excused themselves and followed her out of the spacious banquet hall. Taking her departure as a signal, most of the other rebels did likewise. Several stayed, still immersed in their own discussion. Chairman Chelingus did not. He had many subspace messages to send. Though he had no soldiers to allocate to the cause of the Alliance, he was now determined to lend it all of his skill as a diplomat.

Leia was well aware of Han's desperate desire to speak with her. Leaving the dining hall, she took her time, sauntering down the spacious hallway and feigning nonchalance as she waited for him to catch up with her. As he lightly touched her on the shoulder, she smiled as she turned, acting surprised. He had the look of somebody who had rehearsed what he was going to say and suddenly realized that none of it really worked.

"I'm sure Chairman Chelingus was just trying to appear proper when he assigned us separate quarters," he finally blurted. Seeming to reconsider the implications of so rash a statement, he then concluded, "I mean: I think he understands we're together but he isn't sure if we're married. After all, Londle introduced Tysha as his wife; and so, he quartered them together. We never actually said something about our relationship. But that doesn't mean we can't do whatever we want."

Princess Leia raised her eyebrows in response and Han realized that he had totally failed to phrase his comment correctly, as she innocently inquired, "Whatever we want?"

Over Han's shoulder, Leia saw Lando and Chewbacca emerge from the dining hall. It seemed as if they had elected to at least temporarily suspend their parody, since they were laughing like old friends. As they saw the couple having the discussion, they spun about, as if by silent agreement, and ambled off in the other direction. This was despite the fact that the easiest route to the guest quarters would have taken them right by Han and Leia.

Han was oblivious to the respect bring afforded him by his friends as he summoned the courage to say, "Princess Leia, I've never felt this way about anybody before. And I'd be very honored if you'd share my quarters with me tonight."

"I'm flattered by your invitation, and even more touched by your honesty," she softly said as she slipped her hands into his, facing him directly, "However, before I can even consider such a course, there's a matter I need to get clarification on from my mentors."

"What do you mean?" he asked in reply, shaking his head in confusion. "What is our relationship to them?"

"I didn't even think about this when Luke ask me about the sincerity of my pledge to complete my training," Leia admitted, sounding embarrassed. "I had simply forgotten the Jedi Code and its relational restrictions. The Jedi are considered to be clerics. Therefore, they are forbidden from entering into marriage."

"Your decision to join their ancient society has ended any chance of us finally being together?" he asked, openly aghast, not trying to hide his horror. "That's totally unfair!"

"I'm certain that restoring the Republic and the Order would be worth the sacrifice," she patiently replied. "But I honestly can't see me living in celibacy for the rest of my life. There was, I believe, one exception to the rule. I need to see just how much leeway their bylaws allow. I'll let you know what I find out. Until then, please don't be upset at me. I'm not prepared to sacrifice our friendship, whatever other restrictions might be imposed on us."

Entering her chambers, Leia sought to commune with her teachers. It was unusually difficult for her to clear her mind enough to enable the ethereal interaction. At length, she succeeded. And it was almost as if her question had been anticipated.

"Troubled you are by the commitment you have made," Yoda surprisingly said. "And wondering you are what exceptions are allowed."

"Yes, Master Yoda," she readily agreed, trying to take in stride his capacity for such prescience. "I have only recently recalled that, of old, the Jedi were not allowed to marry. But am not I, myself, the product of just such a union?"

"Discerned correctly you have," Master Yoda carefully agreed. "But married in secret were your father and mother and not with the blessing of the Council. Difficult it is to say whether it would have been allowed, and doubtful at best; for not yet had been bestowed upon Anakin the rank of Master. Expelled from the Order he might well have been."

"And yet, have you considered the end result?" she cautiously inquired. "Were it not for that unlawful union, Luke would not have arisen to help turn his father from the Dark Path and thereby destroy the original Emperor."

"Were it not for that unlawful union, Anakin might not have interfered when Palpatine was defeated by Master Windu," Obi-Wan unexpectedly objected. "He might never have turned to the Dark Side if he hadn't so habitually disobeyed all our instructions. We can't grant license on the basis of past mistakes and their ultimately unknowable outcomes!"

"An answer the question deserves, nevertheless," Yoda interjected, seeing how Leia was crushed by Obi-Wan's overly emotional response. "Not placed upon you was such a restriction by your instructor. Uninformed were you therefore at the very outset. Unwise it might be for us to insist on an end to the linage of the Chosen One. Found a way for it to continue the Force did, despite our ancient edicts. No guarantee is there that any child of yours would grow up to become a Jedi Master, but unjust it would now be to restrict you in ways of which you were not made aware when you made the promise of a Padawan."

"You are as gracious as you are wise, Master Yoda," Leia replied, barely sustaining her self-control. Had she erupted into tears of joy, she was sure it would have ended the session. And she had the impression that there was still much more to be said.

She had met the manifestation of Mace Windu before, but with no actual interaction. When Master Kenobi mentioned him, his wraithlike countenance had suddenly become very clear. And now, he spoke to her.

"I was there when your father made his fateful decision to intercede on behalf of the Supreme Chancellor, who not much later became the Emperor," Windu evenly informed her. "I'd bested Palpatine in a lightsaber duel and was preparing to kill him. Believing the Sith Lord's knowledge was the only way to save your mother, Anakin surprisingly came to his defense, cutting my arm off in the process. Palpatine then unleashed his lightning, hurling me out the window. They never learned that I survived the fall. The ability to leap from great heights was perhaps my strongest forte with the Force. Deflecting Palpatine's lightning must have weakened the crystal in my lightsaber. It was thrown clear. I found it. But it was irreparably damaged. I knew the Temple would soon be attacked; and it would have done no good to return there unarmed, especially when I was already injured."

"What did you do?" Leia asked, breathlessly. "Did you have your arm replaced?"

"There wasn't time. I needed to escape into exile as quickly as possible," he replied. "I was aware of some Jedi candidates who were all staying with their parents at a nearby hotel. They had actually passed their initial screening and were about to be accepted as Younglings. I essentially kidnapped them; and then, I stole a shuttle and took them with me. We finally ended up on a jungle world in the outskirts of the Republic. I trained them. We didn't have a lightsaber between us, nor did we have the materials to make one. But part of their training involved using sword-like sticks to intercept darts from blowguns that we had fashioned for hunting. They did this blindfolded. They're still there. I can give you the coordinates. I'm sure they'll help in any way they can."

"Why didn't Yoda know about this?" Leia asked, obviously confused. "Luke told me that Master Yoda had called him the last of the Jedi."

"I didn't know that either he or Obi-Wan had initially survived," Windu replied. "I was still alive, so I couldn't commune with either of them. And I had not been instructed in the technique for such communication. Even after Obi-Wan sacrificed himself to assist in the escape from the first Death Star, I was out of the loop. Perhaps if he'd have been aware of me, he could've initiated that contact. But I was in the backwater of the galaxy; and he didn't even know I'd survived, let alone that he should be looking for me. By the time old age finally took me, my trainees were fully-fledged Jedi Knights. But they still don't know what to do with their skills. They would respond to your summons, but they are unarmed and have no vessel. It would be best if you'd collect them on your way and try to provide whatever weaponry you may."

Windu gave Leia the coordinates of the world where his trainees could be found. He also told her their names. The next morning, everyone assembled again for breakfast.

When he was told that there was room aboard the Falcon for he and his wife, Eisley insisted on allowing the shuttle to be turned over for scrap. Proceeds from the sale of its parts, he said, could pay for the expense of providing for the widows and their fatherless children.

"Imperial transport will probably be outdated soon, perhaps even dangerous to use," he said. "But the parts themselves are all state-of-the-art and could be adapted for use in other vehicles. You should have some kind of compensation for all your kindness."

"Thank you," Chairman Chelingus replied, bowing. "We were pleased to provide for your party. But we're also happy to relieve you of such an unsightly ship if your need for it has indeed expired. But I also have something to send with the Padawan Princess, for we certainly have no need for such renowned weapons as these."

To Leia's immense surprise, the Chairman revealed a collection of four lightsabers, saying, "General Grievous lost these in combat with Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was not able to return and collect them. If the Jedi Order is about to be reborn, these weapons could be pressed again into their appropriate service. Please accept them. And may the Force be with you and your esteemed enterprise. For my part, I will do what I can to help in the restoration of the Republic. Farewell now, my friends."

Leia accepted the lightsabers from Chairman Chelingus, bowing after the manner of the Jedi. It hardly seemed coincidental to her that there just happened to be as many of the highly esteemed weapons as there were potential recipients, trained by Mace Windu. She had told all the leaders of the Alliance about her communion with him, including the coordinates of the world where his protégées could be found. They had calculated that it was located beyond the planet that the Chairman had most strongly urged them to visit.

As the Millennium Falcon and the other rebel spaceships all left the landing platform and soared up the shaft into the alien sky, Han hesitantly turned to Leia, who was seated beside him in the cockpit, and said, "I wonder just what we'll be getting ourselves into on Saleucami."

Chewbacca growled in agreement.

Indicating the full reading on the fuel gauge and the four lightsabers, which she had inspected with satisfaction, Leia thoughtfully replied, "Whatever we run into, I would have to conclude that we're already in better shape than we were when we left Endor. I'm not too worried about any diplomatic dilemmas; I've been dealing with those all my life. The thing that concerns me most is what we'll run into on Coruscant."

"Hey now," Han softly replied. "We're a long way from that part of the plan. And you know everybody in the Alliance is here to help you. It'll be okay. You'll see. I suppose I'll have to get out of my refugee clothes before we get to the Jedi Temple though."

"You heard that, huh? You'll be fine," she said, flashing her pirate smile at him. And then, leaning over and nudging the co-pilot, she said, "It's Chewy I'm worried about. Can we maybe curl his hair or something?"

As Chewbacca shied away from her, looking altogether uncertain as to how serious she might really be, Han replied, "If you'll hold your lightsaber on him, I guess I could try. Better yet, maybe you should use a couple of those new ones too. Have your phantom teachers showed you how to hold one in your mouth yet?"

"I don't know if that's really a recommended technique," Leia laughingly answered. When Chewbacca gurgled something in reply, she gasped at him for a moment before turning to Han and exasperatedly asking, "Did he just say what I think he said?"

"Yup," Han grinningly agreed. "You'd probably put the wrong end in your mouth!"

"I see how it is!" she said, feigning offense. Pretentiously pouting, she then rose and backed out of the cockpit, saying, "I'll bet Londle and Tysha won't treat me like you two."

"Yeah, right," Han grinningly agreed, cocking his jaw as he turned and smiled at her retreating form. "As long as they don't catch you picking your teeth with your lightsaber!"

As she made her way aft, Leia wittily wondered what kind of reconstructive surgery such an attempt would end up requiring. She found the Imperial ex-officer and his wife in the company of C-3PO. She had told the protocol droid to bring the couple up to date on everything that had happened so far. She did not really know how best to use the access that Eisley and his codes could potentially give them to Imperial equipment and facilities. But as intelligent as their newfound ally was, it seemed most reasonable to give him the necessary information to make such recommendations himself.

As Leia entered the cabin, the protocol droid's narrative abruptly paused and Eisley asked, "So, it was actually your strike team that brought down the force field and made it possible for the Alliance to destroy the second Death Star? And that was before you had even started training as a Jedi?"

"We had some unexpected help or we'd have never succeeded," she humbly said in reply. And then, she asked, "But do you have any ideas about how you can possibly help us?"

"I could tap into every Imperial probe or relay droid along our course and use them to gather information," he answered. "If we find there's a part of the fleet anywhere near our objective, I could also use a more distant one to fake a distress signal to draw them away."

"That's certainly a good suggestion!" she appreciatively agreed. "I was thinking we might have to use your codes to seize control of their shields if we happened to come up against a Corellian cruiser. But it would be far better to avoid any such confrontations."

"I can also get us access to automated Imperial refueling stations, but we probably won't need that for awhile," he added. "Our friends on Utapau sent us on our way very well supplied."

"Do you think there's even a chance of Luke needing to use any such stations?" she asked. When Eisley paused to consider the question, she carefully continued, "If not, we might be able to turn them against their users; that is, if you have the required expertise to rig them to blow up, and you'd be okay with helping us to indiscriminately destroy any Imperial ships that attempted to use them."

Eisley looked to Tysha, who slowly nodded in agreement, before he finally replied, "I'm okay with helping you in such a fashion. But I would advise you to be certain there really are Imperial ships in the selected area. Most of the fleet has been recalled to the Core systems. Smugglers have been known to hack into those facilities. You could end up blowing away potential allies."

Leia looked back over her shoulder toward the cockpit, before saying, "You're right. It's probably not worth the risk to the locals. And I suppose it's even likely that they'd be exposed to the retribution of any surviving ships since the Imperial officers would almost certainly assume someone in that system or its nearest neighbors to be responsible."

"Yes, I'm afraid that's correct," Eisley agreed. "I know that's what I would do."

Leia aimed all of her intuitive abilities at the extremely complicated man before her as she replied, "Thank you for your candor and your suggestions. I am certainly open to more if you should come up with any."

"I am very situational when it comes to tactics," he honestly admitted. "I may be able to be of more assistance as our situation alters. Our eventual destination is Coruscant, if my understanding is correct. Depending on what the conditions are when we get there, I may be able to help us obtain clearance to land."

"I'll keep that in mind," she smilingly replied. "Is there anything either of you need?"

"No, thank you," Tysha responded, seeing a chance to enter the conversation. "Your droid has been taking very good care of us. But from what he said, I think he's missing a companion."

Turning to the robot, Leia reassuringly said, "3PO, we all miss R2. But I'm very glad he's with Luke. That's our best chance of getting them both back."

"I couldn't agree more, Princess," the droid replied. "I do hope however that we don't find ourselves needing his abilities as a mechanic. After all, he's much better at patching things up than I am. I'm really just an interpreter and not very mechanically inclined."

Understanding the protocol droid's reference to previous problems with the Falcon, and not wanting to worry their guests, Leia replied, "The technicians on Utapau cleared all the ships of the Alliance for space flight, 3PO. There's absolutely no reason to worry."

"I'm sure you're right," the robot agreed. Seeing the concerned faces of the couple, the protocol droid then surprised Leia by adding, "It's just that I really hate space flight."

Tysha stifled her laughter, uncertain as to whether the admission had been for their amusement. Her husband raised his eyebrows questioningly, but Leia simply smiled. At the very least, she thankfully thought, any uncertainty about their safety aboard the ship had just been alleviated. She decided it was high time for her to get back to her training.

"If you will please excuse me, I need to return to my exercises," she said to the pair, bowing in the manner of the Jedi.

"Is it okay if we watch?" Tysha cautiously inquired. "I saw what you did to that pair of battle droids. I'd be honored if you'd allow us to observe your exercises."

"If it pleases you to see a simple Padawan practicing, you're welcome to watch me," Leia replied, being as transparent as possible with her false humility. Tysha smiled at her jest as she candidly concluded, "This is the largest compartment on the ship; so, I pretty much have to practice here anyway. But there's a technical station in the far corner. The two of you can move over there. Once we drop out of hyperspace, Londle, you can use it to access all the automation along our course."

Accepting her suggestion, the couple moved to the far corner while Leia readied the remote. None of them knew that they were seated in exactly the same place from which Han had watched Luke's first session with a remote under the guidance of Obi-Wan.

Tysha's attention never deviated from the duel between the Padawan Princess and her unrelenting remote. After seeing the fearsome fashion in which Leia had dispatched the battle droids on the landing platform, it was enthralling to watch her train. It seemed strange to Tysha however that the laser blasts from the remote simply dissipated upon their intersection with the intercepting blade of the lightsaber. The blasts from the battle droids had been deflected. As Leia was exchanging her weapon for another, for she put each of the four recovered weapons to the test, Tysha found an opportunity to ask about it.

"The energy bursts from the remote are far less powerful just in case it manages to slip a shot through my defenses," Leia replied. "But its emissions pack much more of a charge than the last one, which I foolishly destroyed. I think my instructors were getting even with me by having me upgrade this one the way they did."

"Yes," Londle interjected. "I was meaning to ask you about that. I had assumed your brother was training you. But isn't it highly unusual for the Padawan and the Jedi Master to separate like you have?"

"Others have assumed the responsibility for my instruction," Leia replied. "Although they are disembodied, having transformed into the Force, the essence of who they once were yet remains. The lives of self-sacrifice, which the Jedi altruistically live, allows their spirits to survive. But the Sith are all about the immediate and their gratification therein. As I understand it, those who've turned to the Dark Side experience no such continued cohesion. Their end is unknown."

Returning to her questions about the ancient weapons, Tysha asked, "Why are the lightsabers different colors?"

"My brother explained that to me," Leia answered. "The blade-like beam is created by passing energy through a special crystal. The character of the crystal determines the color. I believe that some lightsabers employ more than one of these crystals, making it possible to adjust their length."

"Darth Maul had a saberstaff that could emit blade-like beams from either end," said Londle. "Your brother has it now. Both blades are the same color. It was damaged in the duel, and he challenged us with repairing it. I saw one of the crystals, to which you refer, while the technicians were working on it."

Speaking from the technical station in front of Londle, Han Solo's voice announced, "According to plan, the fleet has dropped out of hyperspace just outside the Saleucami system. We're beginning our long-range scanning."

"Londle is going to use his codes to access any Imperial droids in the system to see what they can tell us," she informed him. Turning to the ex-officer, she said, "Okay, work your magic."

Eisley had only been busy for a few moments when he said, "There are a number of ships in close proximity to the primary planet. Some are Federation ships; but three are Imperial cruisers. There's open conflict. The Imperial ships appear to be leaving. Two of them are under attack. Strangely, the third one hasn't been engaged. Wait a minute."

Leia and Tysha looked on uneasily. While they waited, Leia took the opportunity to inform the other leaders of the Alliance of what was happening. Then, everyone waited to see if Londle would be able to give any kind of an explanation for what they were all observing. Tysha, in particular, watched Londle's face as he focused on the readouts.

"There's been an abduction. Prefect Otabutu has been taken prisoner," Londle said. "That's why the other Imperial ship isn't being attacked. It's where he's being held. If they make the jump to hyperspace, there will probably be no catching them. Any attempt at a rescue must be immediate."

"We've accessed your console and are hyper-accurately calculating the positions of every ship in the area," Han replied. "We'll all hit the hyperdrive again and then drop out right in front of the cruisers. That'll certainly slow them down. But I'm not really sure how putting our entire fleet in harm's way is going to help us get the Prefect back. We'll have to board that third ship. Its landing bays are ray-shielded. We'd have to heavily damage that cruiser in order to bring down those shields, and we'd be putting the Prefect at risk."

"Han, when the Falcon was being serviced at Cloud City, they replaced your escape pods, didn't they?" Leia unexpectedly asked.

"Yes," Han automatically replied. But then, he worriedly inquired, "Why do you ask?"

"You've got to get the fleet in front of those cruisers before they can make the jump to hyperspace. I'll take care of the rest," she enigmatically answered.

"I knew you were going to say that," he replied. "Strap yourselves in! Here we go!"

Moments later, the commanders of the three Imperial cruisers were stunned to see the entire Rebel Fleet materialize directly in their flight path. Evasive maneuvers carried them off course from their intended jump into hyperspace. But while they were all quickly recalculating, they unleashed their impressive armament on the rebels. In order to avoid such massive firepower, most of the ships of the blockade were forced to disperse.

"We're not going to be able to hold them long!" Han shouted. "Whatever you plan to do, it better be quick!"

"Their main threat is from our larger cruisers," Leia replied. "They're not too worried about something our size. Line yourself up with the ship where the Prefect is being held and make a run for their nearest landing bay. Escape pods are deliberately designed to pass through ray shields. That'll get me on the ship. I'll have to figure out how to get off after I've rescued Prefect Otabutu."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Han objected as his outrage caused the speaker to distort, but Leia was already on her way to the escape pod.

"I'm in escape pod one," she announced as she slipped into its tiny confines. "Don't bank away until you're sure you can put me right in the landing bay. Then, have the fleet help you target their hyperdrive. If they make the jump with me onboard, you're going to have to try to follow them. I'll get to the Prefect. Don't' worry about that, but it will all have been for nothing if I'm light-years from here with nobody to pick us up. That's your job."

"Oh great. Thanks a lot. I knew you were going to say that too!" Han complained.

To the gunners onboard the Imperial cruiser, the Millennium Falcon appeared to be angling away. Han was easily wily enough to know that the landing bay in the belly of the sprawling ship would offer the most accessible target. Slicing down into the space below the oncoming cruiser, he then pulled up and put the nose of the Falcon on a dangerous collision course with the massive vessel's underside. He instantly saw that it was sealed. But he also knew that Leia was right. Imperial safeguards would automatically force it to open and receive the escape pod. This was the one weakness in the Imperial armor.

Although it seemed like a lifetime ago, Han was abruptly reminded of Luke's strafing run on the first dreaded Death Star. There was no more room for error in this maneuver than there had been back then. If he hit the mark, the cruiser's ray shields would receive the escape pod and assure it a gentle landing; however, if he missed, Leia would almost certainly die. Despite Chewbacca's agitated growling, he put the escape pod right where it needed to go. But then, he barely avoided a collision with the cruiser. As his desperate maneuver kept his craft from making catastrophic contact, his speed also swept him out of the gunners' sights. The lines of laser blasts could not overtake his daredevil turn.

As the escape pod came to rest, carefully caught by the emergency automation, the voice of Londle came over its speaker system, saying, "Leia, take a quick glance at your monitor, it now shows the location of the Prefect's holding cell. They don't know we have this information; and I doubt they'd try to move him, even if they found out, since they're still prepping for the jump to hyperspace. If you'll keep your com-link open, I'll try to give you as much assistance as I can in circumnavigating their security systems. I may even be able to route some of your reception committee to wrong areas. They'll believe such orders, since they don't know that you know where you're going."

Popping the hatch, she activated her lightsaber as she leapt out and into the landing bay. Her arrival had not gone unnoticed. She was fired upon as soon as she emerged. It was an assembly of very startled Storm Troopers whom she slew, each with the ricochet of his own weapon. In the sudden silence, Londle told her that the ship's internal sensors were now tracking a ghost image, programmed by him, and it was headed in exactly the opposite of her intended direction. Becoming a blur, she hurriedly left the landing bay.

The entire Rebel Fleet converged on the cruiser as Leia was boarding it. The large vessels drew the enemy's fire, while the small ships all tried to target the dreadnaught's hyperdrive. The other cruisers closed on the conflict, attempting to intercede on behalf of the beleaguered behemoth. This drew them off their intended trajectory into hyperspace. The Separatist ships took advantage of the fact that their quarry had elected not to flee from the fight, engaging the cruisers again as they maneuvered toward the Alliance and its onslaught. Attempting to aid the ship with the hostage had entailed a surprise penalty.

With her lightsaber in one hand and a blaster in the other, Leia rapidly raced through the cruiser's corridors. Her superhuman speed was induced by her focus of the Force. It was very hard for the soldiers, whom she encountered, to take effective aim against her expeditiously altering location. She was barely more than a blur. Her scintillating strokes intercepted any laser blasts that came close, and the discharges from her own weapon each found their intended target. She swept through their attempted deterrent like some kind of storm inside the ship, whose wind was unrelenting and whose bolts could all kill.

Bombarded by laser blasts, the Millennium Falcon led the assault of the small ships. Almost all of the systems that were associated with the cruiser's hyperdrive were entirely internalized. The only part of such circuitry that was routed along the skin of the gigantic craft was near the engines. There were also far fewer gun placements at the rear of the cruiser. By comparison, blistering batteries of blasters defended the ship's bridge, which was the only other place where its interstellar prolusion system could be interrupted. As the rear batteries tried to take aim against the craft that flew with the Falcon, other ships engaged the gun placements. Rogue Squadron, commanded by Wedge Antilles, swept in to keep the cruiser's fire off their friends. It was risky tactic, but options were limited.

Avoiding the business end of the battleship, the ships of Han's squadron all focused their aim aft. There was no danger of the cruiser responding by launching its fighters, not unless they boldly abandoned the idea of escaping into hyperspace. But the dangerously radioactive discharge, which was being ejected by the engines, could be just as lethal as a laser blast. If the shields of one of the smaller ships were to malfunction in this area, its occupants would almost immediately be irradiated to death.

By employing his understanding of Imperial codes, Eisley had managed to hack into the cruiser's security systems and keep most of the interceptors away from Leia's actual route. Her ultimate objective however was not unknown. It was therefore impossible for her unseen accomplice to redirect the forces that had assembled there to repel her. And by attempting to do so, he made the onboard technicians aware of his efforts. He quickly found that his access had been cancelled. Banging his hands on the console, he swore.

As he used her com-link to explain this extremely distressing development to Leia, he also described the last known positions of the forces arrayed against her. If she could keep her opponents from encircling her, while she affected the Prefect's escape, it would be much easier to withdraw with her charge. Needless to say, he would be unable to flee with anything like his savior's speed. Eisley advised her to make directly towards one of the cruiser's outlying corridors just as soon as she had the Prefect in tow. His hope was that this would minimize any opportunity for the Storm Troopers to surround them.

"I'd suggest you select a corridor on the cruiser's underside," he continued. "We still have no plans for your extraction. Therefore, it might be best to head back to the landing bay. You might encounter an escape pod along the way. But don't abandon ship without alerting us to your intentions. If we're not prepared to run interference and retrieve you, it goes without saying that the cruiser's gunners will blow the two of you into space dust."

"Sounds like the name of a perfume," Leia mused aloud, the adrenaline of exertion inducing the unusual remark. "Okay, gotta go. I'll hit you back once I've got the Prefect."

For the first time, and surprising even herself, Leia wished that she had done some practicing with multiple remotes. There was a quite discouragingly substantial assembly of Storm Troopers situated right between her position and that of her ultimate objective. Boldly abandoning the concealment of the corner, she stepped around the obstacle and overtly revealed herself to the soldiers. Their startled hesitation made it possible for her to squeeze off the first few shots. By the time the rest could respond, her lightsaber was already oriented to intercept their radiant rounds. She could only hope they had not been ordered to execute the Prefect if they were unable to prevent his escape. Assassination certainly did not seem as if it would offend any of the cloned killers now confronting her.

Holstering her sidearm, but keeping her lightsaber between herself and the surviving soldiers, she said, "If you'll drop your weapons and retreat, I'll have no cause to kill you."

It was a gallant gesture, but none of the Storm Troopers were going to be the first to endure the shame of accepting the offer; either they had to unilaterally surrender or none of them could. Though the opportunity being extended to them was an honest one, since Leia had no desire to kill needlessly, it was almost as if she had taunted them instead. It was not possible for them to collectively act in complete contradiction to their orders, nor was it advisable for any of them to so much as appear to be entertaining the idea. Since they knew of no other appropriate response, in spite of their injuries, they attacked.

In a matter of lightsaber-swinging moments, she had decimated all that remained of their ranks. Maneuvering around the slain soldiers, while also substantiating the absence of any survivors, she purposefully strode to the keypad beside the doorway and entered the security code. Eisley had already determined the correct cipher and reported it to her before he lost his access to the cruiser's security systems, and the technicians had failed to realize that they needed to reprogram the code.

As the door slid aside, she got her first look at the Prefect; indeed, her first look at a being from Saleucami. He was far less humanoid than she had expected. And he looked as if he had been preparing to spring upon whoever opened the hatch to his quarters. As he saw the piled corpses behind her and the blazing blade of her time-honored weapon, he instantly understood that Leia was not an enemy. Surprise was evident even upon his alien features. He was suddenly unsure of how best to react in the unexpected situation.

"Your grace, I am the Padawan Princess Leia Organa, daughter of the Senator from Alderaan; which, alas, is no more. I am here to rescue you. If you can, please come with me as quickly as you can," she said, bowing. As she preformed this ceremonial gesture, she used the Force to levitate an abandoned blaster, from one of the dead soldiers, into the hands of the Prefect. He expertly inspected it, assuring its ability to operate; then, he followed her. Being concerned, quite correctly, about the possibility of the signal from her com-link being used to track her, she informed Eisley that she had the Prefect and would not contact him again until they were about to disembark. Eisley sent acknowledgement, and then relayed the report to the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.

"Admiral," said Han, speaking into his headset. "Leia has the Prefect and is trying to get him off the ship. We've done about as much damage back here as we can, whether we've actually interrupted the circuitry to their hyperdrive or not. I think we need to focus all our firepower on their bridge. If we can take out their control center, they might not be able to respond when the time comes for us to affect the recovery. The Separatist ships are keeping the other two cruisers busy. I don't think we have to worry about any trouble from them. Wedge, get Rogue Squadron out of there! We're breaking off the attack!"

In response to General Solo's recommendation, the Admiral of the Alliance ordered all of his vessels to form up and attack the cruiser's bridge. The smaller ships all came in around the larger of the rebel craft, using them as shields against the cruiser's firepower. The tactic was stunningly successful. Their salvos all reached their intended targets. The bridge, consequently, lost its shield generator and, only moments later, was besieged by a firestorm of laser blasts. The crippled cruiser was left careening, out of control, making it impossible for the gunners to adjust their sights. Multicolored flashes were everywhere.

"Now, if she can just get off that boat before they engage their emergency backups," Han said to Chewbacca, who growlingly agreed. They knew a response was inevitable.

Leia was beginning to question whether she had been overconfident. She now had to defend both herself and her companion from the Imperial weapons. This required her to occasionally flick her lightsaber in front of the Prefect and intercept a laser blast. Even though there was really no chance of her accidentally injuring him in the process, it was natural for him to reflexively respond. As a result, he was constantly breaking stride and slowing them down. They simply were not moving fast enough to evade the pursuit.

They reached one of the outlying corridors along the belly of the cruiser, according to Eisley's previous recommendation. It had been a prudent plan; but their options were now highly limited when it came to evasion and the tactic was apparently anticipated. In increasing numbers, they began to encounter Storm Troopers. Finally, they were forced to take refuge in a service alcove along the side of the hallway. There were troops both in front of and behind their position. Leia and the Prefect put their backs against opposite sides of the alcove and took turns firing shots down the corridor, each in their respective directions. All her efforts had only succeeded in getting them cornered, and only several dozen meters away from an escape pod. She had seen its markers as they were hiding.

As the Prefect was preparing to take his turn, firing down the passage, a laser bolt struck his blaster and blew it apart. The flash blinded them both. The desperation of the situation had reached a crescendo. She knew it would only take a few minutes for their eyesight to recover; but the Storm Troopers, having all seen the flash, would appreciate how disadvantaged was the situation of their opponents. She knew the Imperial forces would now be upon them in moments, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Tossing her own blaster out into the hallway and simulating surrender, though it was actually to prevent any further such misfortune, Leia shoved the Prefect into the back of the alcove, saying, "Stay here and don't move. If the next voice you hear isn't mine, then do whatever it says and accept my most sincere apologies."

Engaging her lightsaber again, which she had deactivated within the confines of the alcove, Leia exhaled sharply, collecting herself. She was not wearing a blast shield, and these enemies were not remotes; but there was only one possibility for winning their way out of the situation. Brandishing her bright blade, she courageously stepped out into the corridor. The Prefect did not even know what was happening until he heard it activate.

Believing their advantage irrefutable, the Storm Troopers were already converging upon the alcove, having abandoned the cover of the nearby corners. Leia's unexpected emergence brought forth a firestorm of laser flashes. Supplely swinging the scintillating lightsaber all around her bobbing body, presenting its interposition to the assassins on either side of her, she deflected their discharges with unbelievably deadly accuracy.

By performing seemingly impossible maneuvers of gravity-defying gymnastics, Leia avoided the laser blasts that could not be intercepted. Consequently, their crossfire was even more dangerous to the soldiers than it was to their intangible target. Smoke issued from inside their punctured suits as the Storm Troopers fell before the emissions of their own onslaught. Finally, they all lay dead. Leia's sight returned just in time for her to see the last one fall. With a newfound respect, she regarded the radiant weapon in her hand.

Scooping up one of the scattered weapons, the Prefect looked around in incredulity and said, "I wish I'd been able to see that. But I'm hoping you are not called upon for an encore."

"There's an escape pod just a little ways down the corridor. I can see the markings," Leia replied. Gesturing at the indicated hatchway, she cordially asked, "Shall we?"

Outside the cruiser, and at the Admiral's orders, the ships of the Rebel Fleet had all moved to enshroud the embattled craft. At his next order, they would divide into groups, according to their individual assignments, and attack its gravity generators. They hoped in this way to further interfere with the Imperial gunners, making it safe for Leia and the Prefect to disembark. As she climbed aboard the escape pod, Leia enabled her com-link to show Eisley where they were. He immediately relayed the report as she also told him that they were about to launch. They all knew this was the most perilous part of the plan.

The assault was successful. The loss of gravity kept the gunners from being able to fix their sights on the escape pod. It was drawn by tractor beams into one of the landing bays on the Admiral's ship. At his orders, the ships of the Alliance disengaged from their campaign against the cruiser, which immediately angled back to its original trajectory, its intended course into hyperspace. The Separatist ships allowed the other two cruisers to do likewise. Achieving their orientation, they leaped into the void before them and quickly disappeared, but the cruiser from which the Prefect had just escaped did not.

Starting at a place just in front of its engines, at the very rear of the ship, fire began to shoot into space. The conflagration quickly worked its way forward, and in less than a minute the entire vessel was an inferno. The ensuing explosion, although unplanned by the extraordinarily surprised saboteurs, was spectacular. Its flaming fragments flew in all directions. Some of its condemned crew tried to flee from the firestorm by making use of the remaining escape pods. But the shock wave overtook them, sundering the seals on the little lifeboats. None of the Imperial forces survived. Leia arrived in the cockpit of the Admiral's ship and used a headset to announce the accomplishment of her mission. She heard Han's voice respond as she watched the cruiser's inadvertent destruction.

"I'm so glad you weren't on that thing when it blew," he emphatically said.

"I'm glad for everything you've done," the Prefect added, flashing what she guessed probably passed for a smile on Saleucami. "Did I hear you say that you are the daughter of Senator Bail Organa?"

"Yes, your grace," she cautiously answered, "although he perished when our planet was destroyed by the first Death Star. And although neither of us knew it until recently, I am also the twin sister of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. He destroyed that Death Star. He was also instrumental in the assassination of the first incarnation of the Emperor."

As the Forthright and the rest of the Rebel Fleet, flanked by Separatist ships, were descending through the atmosphere, he asked, "The first incarnation?"

Leia explained all the nuances of their new situation, stressing their desperate need for support from the leaders of Separatist systems in bringing about the restoration of the Republic. The Prefect was obviously impressed to hear that the Jedi were reforming and that a Jedi Master had already commandeered the Star Killer. To Leia, it seemed as if he regarded the extermination of the Kaminoans as a necessary, although regrettable, loss. He did not even seem doubtful about the possibility of killing the Clone Emperor. In fact, he reminded her that the predecessor had certainly not proven impossible to kill.

Leaning forward and addressing the Admiral, the Prefect said, "Set your course for the capital of Saleucami. The beacon is clearly marked. I will not send you on your way until I have adequately demonstrated my gratitude. We hover before the threshold of a new era, and we must take counsel regarding those first dangerous steps into the new dawn. It has been a generation since the Clone Wars ravaged our world. Nevertheless, we remember the price that was paid for abandoning the Republic. Here now, we have an opportunity to redress an old wrong. I have no doubt that my people will also pledge their support. You would do well to linger with us for a little while. Fear not, we will not keep you overlong. In the end, we shall all take ship together. The report of our rockets will herald the rebirth of the Republic. We who once abandoned all such allegiance will secure the skies of Coruscant, reassuring its citizens. By our fealty, we will restore the friendship of those whom we once forsook."

Chapter Four: There Goes the Neighborhood

"R2, we need to get back to finding the self-destruct mechanism," Luke said. "I need to know where it is and how we can possibly gain control of it. We need to be certain the Clone Emperor can't simply destroy the Star Killer at the flick of a switch, but I also want to have that ability myself. Obviously, it has been very carefully hidden. But this'll be your only assignment until I've decided where we need to go next. I'm hoping the Rishi Maze and the shock wave from the destruction of the Kaminoan sun will prevent the reception of any order for self-detonation. Do your best. I'll be communing in my quarters for a little while. Make sure you monitor the scanners for any activity in our sector."

As the astrodroid whistled in understanding, Luke turned and left the bridge. He had misgivings about the upcoming audience since he knew that his mentors would probably condemn what he had just done. Entering his quarters, he dimmed the lights and seated himself. He quickly attained the meditative state from which he could most easily interact with his disembodied instructors.

"Kamino is no more," he said. "There will be no more Storm Troopers, nor will there be any more incarnations of the Emperor. R2 has returned to looking for the self-destruct device. I only hope we can locate it. But for the time being, I have taken us into the Rishi Maze. My hope is that the stellar explosion and our position will prevent the reception of any signal sent to destroy us. As soon as we discover the device and reprogram it, we'll be on our way. But I'm not really sure how it would then be best to proceed."

"Followed in your father's footsteps you have," Yoda sadly summarized. "Eradicated are now the Kaminoans, just like the inhabitants of Alderaan. Doubtful we were that you would actually go through with your scheme, and optimistic we were that you would not. Unable to advise you we now are."

"I'll not have you discourage my son with your cowardly counsel," Anakin railed. "If it had not been for all the dark deeds that I did, I'd have been in no position to assassinate Darth Sidious. My misstep in stopping Master Windu entailed a terrible cost. When Luke abandoned Dagobah in order to impulsively confront me, he put himself on this path; but I at least can counsel him in how to conclude this campaign. To me the next step is quite clear."

"I don't understand," Luke honestly admitted.

"The Star Killer is much more powerful than we feared," Anakin explained. "Stars the size of the Kaminoan sun aren't large enough to create a hypernova; at least, not if they are allowed to expire naturally. By causing the cascade, the Star Killer produces a much more powerful explosion. There are stars in some of the Core systems that, if this station were used against, could start a chain reaction; and more than half of the Republic could be destroyed. If this station were put in close orbit around any of them and defended by whatever remained of the Imperial Fleet, the galaxy could be essentially held hostage. If the battle station were to become irreplaceable, then it'd no longer be expendable. Then, the Clone Emperor won't have any choice but to try and get his doomsday device back."

"If it became irreplaceable," Luke hollowly repeated, echoing the words of his father. "I still don't understand what you're saying."

"The Geonosians developed the plans for both of the Death Stars," Anakin carefully replied. "Now they have created the Star Killer. The automated armies in the Clone Wars were also mostly the product of their droid foundries. Their star system is by far the most heavily defended of any in the Outer Rim. You have an exceptional occasion to eliminate many more ships of the Imperial Fleet while also making the Star Killer irreplaceable. I'm sure their history makes the genocide of the Geonosians justifiable, especially when you consider the abhorrently unacceptable situation that they helped to create."

The look of horror on Luke's face was quite clear, as he emotionally responded, "Do not ask me to do that! Eisley told me things about the cascade event. The exploding star sterilizes space for parsecs. Geonosis is less than a parsec from Tatooine. Bear in mind that I grew up there. I've still got friends living there. And I'm still friends with the families even of those who left. That is not an option! I don't care what kind of advantage it might give! I still haven't figured out how to deal with killing all the Kaminoans! I can't do that!"

"And what fate awaits the families of your friends if the Emperor wins? To what cruel slavery would you thereby consign them instead?" Anakin relentlessly asked. "Geonosis must be destroyed. You must force the Emperor to come to you. If the station can just be replaced, he might elect to destroy it instead."

"My solitary consolation for the destruction of the Kaminoan system was their Prime Minister's insistence that his society was resolute about being responsible for their every action!" Luke angrily countered. "The kind of collateral damage that you're suggesting far exceeds any possible justification. Don't you understand just how much you sound like a Sith Lord?"

"I'm glad you are still able to distinguish how horrible is the course upon which we're now forced," Anakin sympathetically answered. "But having begun in this way, there's no option but to follow through; otherwise, the Kaminoans will really have died for nothing. If you back off now, that sacrifice is rendered senseless. If the Empire endures, decades of death and suffering will follow. Son, it was because of my fear for the loss of your mother that the Emperor was able to manipulate me. Yoda told me I should train myself to let go of everything I feared to lose. I didn't listen. And the cost was incalculable. More so even than you, in that it actually is my homeworld, I'm a son of Tatooine. I know there're good people there. I also know that there's slavery and all kinds of corruption. But this is not a judgment call. I am not saying those people deserve to die. You are cutting off a hand in order to save a soul. Of all people, surely you and I understand that the best."

"That doesn't make it any easier," Luke finally replied, fighting tears.

"It's not supposed to," Anakin agreed. "You must only acknowledge the necessity."

"Tactically, this will be much more difficult than destroying the Kaminoan sun," Luke pointed out. "The Imperial forces in that system were actually expecting me; they had no reason to anticipate trouble. But subspace monitors all over this sector will have already detected that star's destruction. It's not like the Geonosians won't guess what happened. When I unexpectedly show up in their system again, every single ship there will be sent to intercept me. And any I fail to destroy will follow me when I flee, if they're also able to outrun the hypernova. It seems to me that I'll need to eliminate the Imperial ships before I unleash the cascade event. There's a small warship in the landing bay. I could use it to double my assets while leaving R2 in charge of the defensive systems and weapons on the station, all of which are state-of-the-art. But to make this work, I'm really still going to need some kind of advantage. Is there anything in the system that I could use?"

"There's an extensive asteroid field around the main planet," Obi-Wan informed him. "I had a very unpleasant experience there. If you come out of hyperspace close enough, you could use it to hide your deployment of the warship. And if you can possibly knock a few of the bigger rocks out of orbit, it might keep the planet's inhabitants busy enough to prevent them from launching a response of their own. At least, that's what I would do."

"Very well," Luke replied, sighing with resignation. "R2 can set the course. I'll power-up the warship."

"It will take at least a couple of years, even at the speed of light, for the shock wave to reach Tatooine," Anakin reassuringly said. "You could take the opportunity to warn the people of the approaching disaster. The orbital subspace scanners will confirm what you are telling them. As long as they are forewarned, they should have plenty of time to carry out an evacuation. There's no reason that they should all have to die. I'm not asking you to kill them. The planet could be voluntarily depopulated instead."

Brightening, Luke replied, "You're absolutely right. I hadn't been thinking about how long it'll take the shockwave to reach them. As terrible as it sounds to say, I was starting to wonder whether I should be concerned by the fact that the only person supporting my decisions is also the only person who was ever placed on the Council without first being made a Master."

"I've often wondered whether my designation of Chosen One didn't refer just to what I was expected to do but could've also indicated that mine is the only counsel that should be kept," Anakin cautiously suggested. "Consider how differently things might have gone if Master Windu had simply listened to me. Don't doubt, son."

"I have been arrogant and I apologize," Luke sheepishly replied. "I have just been so frustrated with the Council. Thank you. And now if you'll please excuse me, I have things to do."

R2 whistled in surprise when Luke reentered the bridge, but the subsequent burst of informative tones told the Jedi Master that no progress had been made so far in locating the self-destruct device. The astrodroid was admittedly dubious that it even existed, and Luke wondered if the officers might have been intentionally misinformed. Deception was a known tool of the Sith. But he also expected the mechanism, if it really existed, to defy their initial attempts to isolate it. He told R2-D2 to keep looking for it but to also calculate a hyper-accurate course that would put the station very close to the Geonosian asteroid belt and as far away as possible from any Imperial ships in the system.

While the little droid was thus engaged, Luke made his way to the landing bay. Ever since boarding, he had wondered about the capabilities of the craft beside which he had parked the Emperor's shuttle. He had even considered taking it down to Kamino; though it seemed much more appropriate, for diplomatic reasons, to arrive in a less intimidating vessel. His intention had been to at least appear affable, even if he was ultimately trying to scare the Prime Minister into ordering an evacuation. As appalled as he was by what he was about to attempt, he was still excited about seeing what the little battleship could do. Even Jedi Masters, he thought with amusement, are entitled to take a certain amount of enjoyment from their toys.

The codes, which Eisley had given him, included those for operating the warship. In moments, he had activated its onboard instrumentation and run a very thorough systems check. Everything was operational. He quickly discovered that its speed capabilities had been designed to allow it to serve as a lifeboat in the admittedly unimaginable event that the Star Killer created a stellar chain reaction and was then unable for any reason to flee before it. Of course, it would only have facilitated the escape of the officers, not that such a seemingly merciless oversight surprised Luke in the least. But he was troubled to think that he seemed to be considering people as expendable these days as did the Emperor.

R2-D2 signaled to let him know that the requested course had been calculated, and he took the opportunity to explain their new objective to the astrodroid. He needed to be certain that his robotic accomplice was actually up to the challenge of handling the Star Killer's various systems all alone. The attitude of the astrodroid in response to the inquiry can really only be accurately described as exceedingly nonchalant. R2-D2 had operated systems onboard the flagship of the Droid Army, commanded by General Grievous, and the original Death Star. Already possessing the correct ciphers for the Imperial network, the systems of the Star Killer almost disappointingly posed no technological challenge.

Having already taken a short nap, while making the jump to the Rishi Maze, he saw no point in delaying their next offensive any further. It would necessitate the recalculation of their course. After taking several moments to familiarize himself with the configuration of the asteroid belt around Geonosis, making use of the holographic representation that was provided by the battleship's navicomputer, Luke told R2-D2 to initiate the jump into hyperspace. From the warship's cockpit, he then watched as, beyond the ray shields at the end of the landing bay, the stars obediently blurred.

The trip afforded him an opportunity to get a little more rest. Both it and the descent into normal space occurred without incident. But emerging in such close proximity to the asteroid field immediately reminded Luke of the aftermath of Alderaan's annihilation. His breath caught as he recalled those tense moments, some of his first aboard the Falcon.

"R2, I'm going to park this ship on the nearest of the larger rocks to mask its signal," he said. "Once I've done that I want you to engage the Imperial forces and then fall back in this direction. As you lead them by, I'll come from behind and catch them between us."

In reality, he had no idea it was a similar ploy that had allowed Obi-Wan to feign the destruction of his ship while in pursuit of Jango Fett in precisely the same location. Luke was thinking only of the situation, described to him by Leia, where Han had attached the Millennium Falcon to some jettisoned junk in order to avoid detection by the squadron of Imperial cruisers. Unfortunately, it was actually as a direct result of this ruse that Jango's son, Boba, whose cunning equaled that of the interstellar smuggler, was able to furtively follow the Falcon and lead Imperial forces to Bespin and the sanctuary of Cloud City.

Expertly maneuvering the little battleship out of the bay, he headed directly towards the most proximate of the planetoids; and, after having secured the vessel to its surface, he powered-down its primary systems. Now in sole control of the Star Killer, R2-D2 sent the station deliberately towards the Imperial ships in orbit around Geonosis. The descent out of hyperspace had not gone unnoticed, but the deployment of the little battleship had not been detected. When their anxious transmissions all went unanswered, the cruisers quickly closed on the assumed invader, whose configuration they recognized with terror.

Emboldened by the ability to rely on the pristine condition of the station's protective shielding and making full use of the dreadnaught's formidable armament, the astrodroid intrepidly engaged the Imperial armada. The cruisers were not caught off guard, but they seriously suffered in that first exchange nevertheless. Interfaced with the station's central computer, R2-D2 had a response time far shorter than that of its humanoid counterparts aboard the cruisers. The targeting scanners of the Star Killer consequently compensated for the rotation that the robot had imparted to the station. This ploy provided its individual shield generators with time in which to alternately recover, without any interruption in the unleashing of its automatically adjusting arsenal, as the battle station spun into combat.

R2-D2 was well aware that this robotic tactic would only remain incredibly effectual until the cruisers could overtake and surround the Star Killer. Suddenly reversing course, just before passing between the leading ships, the astrodroid judiciously sent the station speeding back towards the asteroid belt. To the commanders onboard the cruisers, this undoubtedly looked like a desperate retreat before their combined force. They promptly pursued. Having observed its construction, and understanding its cataclysmic capability, they needed to outmaneuver and eliminate it before it could engage its primary weapon system.

The sub-light engines of the Star Killer were not superior to those of the cruisers. It was therefore not possible for R2-D2 to outpace the pursuit. By sustaining the rotation of the station however the shields were able to alternately rebound from their bombardment by the batteries of Imperial blasters. And this kept the Star Killer from being overcome as it closed on the asteroid belt.

As the station finally reached the uttermost extent of that celestial feature, its robotic pilot caused it to angle around the outer edge. The asteroids instantly became obstacles for the gunners onboard the cruisers as they sought to take aim on their evasive enemy. Consequently, the station's parabolic course appeared only as an easily understandable tactic, not as an artifice. The cruisers therefore followed their fleeing foe right around the outskirts of the asteroid field, absolutely oblivious to the ambush that was awaiting them there.

As the Imperial ships circled around to the other side, their scanners all surprisingly showed that the station had stopped. It had assumed a tactical position hard against the asteroid field, so one side of the Star Killer was unapproachable. This was an extremely unexpected ploy, and it prevented them from detecting Luke until he actually attacked.

Caught in the crossfire, the cruisers all unavoidably angled away, leaving the station briefly unchallenged. This allowed R2-D2 to reset many of the overstrained systems. By attacking from behind, Luke was firing against defensive shields on the cruisers that had not been struck in their initial encounter with the Star Killer. Their power generators were consequently sapped to the extreme as they were suddenly required to compensate for the unexpected, additional expenditure of energy. To their overseers, the technicians all seemed to be struggling at their stations as they tried to maintain the minimum amount of power to the most critical systems on the effected craft.

An Imperial response was however inevitable. Just as quickly as their commanders could bring the massive ships around, the cruisers came about. But unlike the Star Killer, whose impressive speed was to be found in its hyperspace capabilities, the little warship was infinitely faster and more maneuverable than the bulky cruisers. Luke followed them in their turn and continued his attack even as they were rotating. The gunners all tried to track the intruder, but its pilot seemed to have some kind of supernatural sense of where they were going to shoot. He avoided their volleys even as they were pulling the triggers.

The Imperial officers were nevertheless easily intelligent enough to understand that the warship's assault was a diversion; the real danger was the Star Killer, which was still sitting as a stationary target. Ignoring, as best they could, the ceaseless strikes from the unexpectedly powerful armaments of the little battleship, they ordered their helmsmen to make another run at the motionless station. Luke had no choice but to expose his robust little ship to potential broadsides as he maneuvered his way toward the lead vessel.

The Imperial gunners found it incredibly difficult to take advantage of the opportunity that should have been afforded them against the warship. Copying his astrodroid's ploy, Luke caused his craft to corkscrew as it passed between the cruisers, which diminished the chance of any shield on his ship being struck consecutively as he also proceeded to veer erratically. To the gunners, he almost appeared to be out of control; and they had to carefully check their fire to make sure of not accidentally striking one of their other ships. In this fashion he was able to irrepressibly advance on the lead cruiser.

"R2, I'll try to take out the shield generator for the bridge of the lead ship," Luke said into his headset. "If I'm successful, and you monitor the force field's failure, I want you to then fire on the coordinates I'm sending you. I'll attack the bridge's backside in the same spot. If this works, we will cripple their control center between us; but inertia will keep the cruiser on its course, so you'll have to move the station in one big hurry. Here we go!"

Angling his little battleship over the stern of the careening cruiser, Luke threaded his way through the storm of laser bolts that were sent to intercept him. Taking out as many turrets as he could along the way, he quickly closed on the shield generator in question. The potency of his weapons far exceeded that of any other ship its size; otherwise, the device's defensive screens would have turned aside his assault. But the generator was dramatically destroyed. As it spectacularly blew apart into flaming fragments, the shields around the cruiser's critical bridge were removed.

Every weapon on the Star Killer was fixed on a single set of coordinates, which Luke had provided. As that assault was unleashed, he added the battleship's contribution. The besieged bridge was suddenly sporting a horrific hole right through its superstructure. No further course corrections would now be possible for the doomed dreadnaught.

As smoke poured from the perforation, sucked out into the vacuum of space, R2-D2 ignited the engines of the Star Killer and sent it speeding out of the way. Beyond all hope of control, the condemned cruiser crashed into the ill-fated asteroid field. The result was as calamitous as it was predictable.

Because of the angle of impact, some of the stones in space were knocked directly down into the gravity well of the planet. The shock waves, from the cruiser's subsequent explosion, slowed some of the other asteroids enough that their angular momentum was no longer sufficient to keep them in orbit. Only moments after the cruiser's destruction, a momentous amount of ruinous rock was plummeting toward the planet.

The asteroid belt quickly lost all of its equilibrium. Between the cruiser's collision and all of the subsequent explosions, far too much force had been introduced. It destabilized a status quo that had existed for untold eons. Some of the ensuing impacts between the building-sized boulders deflected them and/or their flailing fragments completely beyond the space that had previously defined the boundaries of the belt.

Due to the interface of the astrodroid and the central computer, the station was able to imperviously remain in appalling proximity to the spreading destruction. A combination of micro-maneuvers and hyper-accurate targeting kept it from being struck. The cruisers however were forced to decelerate and back away from the spreading barrage of space rocks; while, within the storm of crazily spinning stones, Luke's warship seemed to move with improbable impunity as it continued to target the shield generators on the imperiled Imperial ships.

All of this, even in its totality, would not have been enough to enable the Jedi Master and his astrodroid to annihilate the entire armada. But R2-D2 was not out of tricks yet. It was a matter of the necessity of using everything at its disposal that awakened the robot to the option of utilizing the tractor beam. At first, this additional system was only used as a different type of deflector. But R2-D2 quickly understood that the final trajectory of the repelled rock did not have to be left to chance. The cruisers suddenly found themselves the focus of every errant stone that strayed within range of the station's tractor beam.

With their shield generators in ruins and almost all their gun placements pulverized, the crippled cruisers were feebly forced to retreat. The commanders were all aware that reinforcements from within the system were on the way. But they would not arrive in time to make a decisive difference if the current campaign. Their dreadnaughts would end up derelict if they refused to withdraw. Angling away, they grudgingly disengaged from the conflict. But this didn't prevent some parting shots from the rock-slinging station.

"We did it, R2!" Luke excitedly announced. "Give me a minute to get this baby back in the bay; and then, you know what to do."

From the onset, Luke had intended to make a hyperspace jump from the Geonosian system to Tatooine after they fired the cascade-inducing weapon. According to Anakin's suggestion, he intended to forewarn the inhabitants of at least that endangered region of space. However, in order to accomplish this objective and avoid having their course out of the system possibly calculated by any pursuit, they needed to reach a specific position in relationship to the Geonosian sun. He was aware of the other Imperial emplacements and that reinforcements would be on the way. If they hadn't engaged all the cruisers that were in close proximity to the planet, there would've been no opportunity to execute the final part of their plan surreptitiously.

Now, the planet would shield them from the scanners of all the cruisers, both those that had just withdrawn and those that were now on their way from the outlying reaches of unknowingly condemned star system. Unless their subspace scanners alerted them to the danger, which was highly unlikely while they were still within the limits of the system, they would reach Geonosis just as the shock wave did. In all probability the approaching Imperial ships, as well as the ones that had fled from the fight, would all perish.

As soon as Luke was back aboard, R2-D2 set course for the jump-point. Their route out of the solar system needed to take them almost directly away from the star; so, there was no option for any other trajectory. They had to already be on the side of the sun that faced Tatooine before they could fire the station's primary weapon and then engage the hyperdrive. The Imperial ships would have no occasion to interfere even if they detected what was happening, but Luke did not want to give them the opportunity to escape.

As he entered the bridge and saw that they were quickly approaching those critical coordinates, Luke turned to his robot and said, "R2, when I first met you on Tatooine, it never occurred to me that one day we'd be destroying stars together; let alone one that would wipe out that very world. If there really is any justice in the universe whatsoever, I don't suppose either of us should survive this crusade. By now, I'm probably much more notorious than even the people who obliterated Alderaan. And I may be far from finished. As soon as we reach the jump-point, fire the weapon and take us to Tatooine. Maybe we can still save the inhabitants of at least one world."

R2-D2 softly whirred in response. To Luke, the astrodroid sounded almost sorrowful. The Dark Jedi settled into a nearby seat and silently observed, yet again, the unleashing of the most dreadful weapon ever designed. Only moments later, the viewing screens all revealed the panorama of hyperspace. He sighed as he considered the devastation from which he was fleeing. He tried to console himself, although somewhat unsuccessfully, by focusing on his hope of possibly saving the inhabitants of Tatooine.

Being less than a parsec away, the trip to their relatively nearby destination did not really afford him much time for rest. Fortunately, he was able to rely on his astrodroid to use the station's communication array and issue a warning on all frequencies about the explosion of the Geonosian star. The broadcast carefully made no mention of the cause, which the audience probably mistakenly assumed as unknown. Since it was rendered by such an Imperial embassy however it was taken quite seriously. By the time Luke arose from his seat to return to his quarters an evacuation was already underway.

For the time being, he elected to leave the Star Killer in orbit around Tatooine, even if such an action smacked of nostalgia. There was no way anybody would assail such an envoy, especially after it had just delivered news of an impending disaster. Everybody on the planet was far too busy with preparing for an emergency, interstellar exodus. He told R2-D2 to return all efforts to finding the self-destruct device. And then, he left the bridge.

The echoing emptiness of the metallic corridors was just one more reminder of how successful he had become at depopulating every region of space that he entered. It had been some time since he had enjoyed any really meaningful rest, but he was much more emotionally exhausted than he was physically fatigued.

Wearily making his way into the bedroom near the back of his quarters, he stretched out on its expansive accommodation. He was almost instantly aware of a disturbance on the other side of the room.

A tremor in the Force alerted him as to its source. He had experienced it before. He arose and confronted the malicious manifestation as it materialized in the bedroom. The image of the Clone Emperor appeared before him, seeming to step out of the shadows.

"I see you've been very busy, my young apprentice, and very naughty," he sneered.

"You disapprove of my industry?" Luke sarcastically inquired.

"Only with your actions, not your intentions," Darth Chrysalis replied. "But I wonder if you have truly come to terms with those yourself, or do you still believe you're somehow saving the Republic?"

"What are you talking about?" Luke demanded.

"I gave you command of this station," Darth Chrysalis reminded him. "Did you really have cause to kill its crew? Did you really think they would defy you after you'd defeated Darth Maul? Tell me you weren't deliberately testing your capacity for killing. The path to the power of the Dark Side is paved with such unnecessary slaughter. Perhaps I should go ahead and give you your Sith name right now, but you would probably rather fashion one to your own liking after you've replaced me."

"Replaced you?" Luke incredulously asked in reply. "I have no such ambitions!"

"Really? Your actions say otherwise," Darth Chrysalis retorted. "Only by eliminating my ability to replace myself could you possibly hope to succeed me. You've done exactly that. And you've accomplished it with more murder than the history of the Sith combined. Maybe you haven't admitted to yourself that you've turned, or maybe you're afraid that I won't embrace your ambitions; but I cannot train an apprentice who doesn't want to take my place, even if I would never allow him to do so. The Sith allow their apprentices much more leeway than do the Jedi. Don't you understand that you're already my student? Are you unaware of my expertise in exactly the abilities you're exploring? Only by my training can you hope to attain the pinnacle of your power. Your designs against my life are of no concern to me, my parasitic apprentice. This is how it's always been for the Sith. You are only following in the footsteps of every Dark Lord that went before you. Do you not know this?"

"You're only trying to confuse me," Luke accusingly answered, but the argument did not even sound convincing to him. There was a resounding ring of truth to the Emperor's allegations; but, touting what he thought to be his trump card, he much more confidently declared, "If I were only keeping my own counsel in this matter, perhaps I'd have some cause to reconsider. But I have seen the spirits of those who dedicated themselves to the cause of redemption. Even my father's fate was altered by his decision to finally turn from the Dark Side. Having transformed into the Force, he is now among my mentors. It did you no good to kill his clone. Through me, he continues to thwart your ambitions. For the Sith however the end is quite possibly oblivion. But as a clone, I'm not even sure you have a soul to save. Perhaps you've already been irrevocably damned by your own dark designs."

"You foolishly follow the instructions of phantoms and you think to lecture me about something as intangible as eternal destiny?" Darth Chrysalis laughingly demanded. "Can you even be certain of the true identities of these ghosts? Look where their lessons have led you! They may merely be manifestations of the ambition to which you so desperately do not want to admit. They may even be the disguised souls of the deceased Sith, trying to help you in the ways you've not yet allowed me. And if I do not have a soul, how am I able to focus the Force? I'm patently disappointed by such insubstantial arguments. You would do better to challenge my wisdom as a ruler and acknowledge your aspirations of replacing me - topics with which we could advantageously deal. You've much to learn."

"You flatter yourself!" Luke spat. "There is nothing of any importance that you could possibly teach me!"

"Oh really?" Darth Chrysalis drawled, disdainfully. "And what exactly can you tell me about the legend of the Chosen One?"

"The Jedi Council explained it to me in detail, which should establish their identities beyond any doubt!" Luke passionately replied. "It's ancient. They preserved the tradition for hundreds of years, although they dismissed it for a while when they believed the Sith were destroyed. It spoke of one who was to come forth and restore balance to the Force; which, I'd contend, is precisely what my father would have accomplished had it not been for the Kaminoans and their cloning technology. Now, that fate has fallen to me."

"It would probably be much more accurate to say that you are the fate that befell the Kaminoans," the Clone Emperor caustically contended. "But it is odiously apparent to me that the Jedi, if that's even what they really are, have not told you the entire tale. If in fact they ever actually understood it themselves, they didn't even bother to tell it fully to your father. It isn't possible to understand the story without also including the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise."

"What are you talking about?" Luke irately demanded but then immediately regretted having actually invited so potentially tainted an explanation.

"Your father himself, or whatever wraith he has become, would be the first to tell you that the Sith are not less knowledgeable than the Jedi," Darth Chrysalis immodestly said. "We were well aware of this prophecy. It fell to my mentor to imagine some way to tip the scales in our favor. Even though it seemed an impossible task, he succeeded; and this is why he was called Darth Plagueis the Wise. As I told Anakin, he could keep the ones he loved from dying. But this was only the second aspect of his power I revealed in the very same conversation, and your father apparently didn't possess the discernment to realize how the Dark Lord's primary power played directly into his destiny. Darth Plagueis could actually influence the midi-chlorians to create life."

"How it played directly into my father's destiny?" Luke incredulously echoed.

"My master came to understand that there was only one way to use the prophecy of the Chosen One to our advantage," Darth Chrysalis replied. "Rather than allowing him to arise spontaneously, we needed to deliberately bring him forth at a time and place of our choosing. This is what my master did. Your grandmother, Shmi, passed through a series of owners before finally ending up as the property of Watto. And the last of these was my Master. Your father's virgin birth was brought about by Darth Plagueis. He was the result of a manipulation of the Force by one of the Sith, engineered by the Dark Side; thus was his destiny sealed before he had even been born. I instantly knew who he was, when we were introduced on Naboo, by virtue of where he'd been found. And not only did I subtly shape this being that my Master had cunningly created, but I also did it directly in front of the unseeing eyes of his unremarkable mentors."

"I don't care what insidious scheme you and your damnable master hatched!" Luke railed at the specter. "My father was forgiven! His eternal destiny was altered! The Force will be brought into balance! You, and your delusions of an unending Empire, will die!"

"I applaud your passion, my Padawan," Darth Chrysalis smilingly answered. "You've not the wherewithal however to bring about my end. I am as close to indestructible as a physical form can be. Whatever I lack in strength; I more than make up for in my mastery of the Force. The Kaminoans also considerably increased my longevity; even if you were to come to your senses and embrace your apprenticeship, I'd outlive you by decades. In your arrogance, you've eliminated any opportunity for actually replacing me. Your clones would have been stronger than you, and one of them might have eventually found a way to realize your ambition. Nevertheless, you need to understand that you've already allied yourself with the Dark Side, and you need to wholeheartedly accept that allegiance. Only as my dedicated student can you possibly achieve your potential."

"To serve as your incarcerated commander on the Star Killer while you live out your artificially extended life in the comforts of the Imperial capital?" the Dark Jedi demanded, forebodingly. "I don't think so! You've underestimated how dangerous I really am. I have it within my power to destroy entire star systems, and I don't even care how many I have to obliterate in order to eliminate you. I know all about the self-destruct device. But I also know how critical this station's existence has become to the perpetuation of your Empire. Eventually, I will corner you somewhere. And you will have to destroy this station or die, if that is my astrodroid hasn't already removed that option for you. Why don't you come out here and try to take it from me if you think you're so superior? Otherwise, I will come to Coruscant and extinguish its sun and the sun of every other system to which you flee until I have finally snuffed you out!"

Luke thought he detected uncertainty in the measuring look with which the Emperor regarded him, until Darth Chrysalis finally replied, "Perhaps you would at that. How very interesting. Maybe it's time to start your training. But you need to understand, first of all, that I never meant to simply leave you marooned. As you apparently have discovered, it is possible for the station to be manned robotically. After all, how can I train you if you're out there and I'm here? Very well, I will honor your request. I have a few things to finish putting in order here; and then, I'll honor you with a visit. And how will you receive me?"

"With a saberstaff," Luke sneered. "You will have to force your way onto this station; so, I hope you have many more ships to spare. As long as my shields hold, you'll remain unwelcome; so, if you should somehow manage to overcome me and retake control, the Star Killer will be in nowhere near its current condition – but neither will you. Anytime you feel like you're ready for your funeral, I'm waiting; but, if I were you, I would not delay too long. I might get bored and have to find some more Imperial installations to destroy. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

With a last sardonic smile, before finally fading, the Emperor's image uttered, "Very well then. Stand by to be boarded, my impetuous apprentice."

"Stand by to be deposed," Luke belligerently replied. "The only thing that will replace you is peace, and far sooner than your artificially extended lifespan will let you imagine."

"We shall see," the Emperor's seemingly disembodied voice replied as the eruption in the Force finally receded in upon itself and vanished.

Darth Chrysalis opened his eyes. With a thunderous wave of his hand, he made the doorway to his chambers open. Moderator Thurion stood there, his hand still hovering in front of the button for the doorbell. Even though the Galactic Senate no longer effectively existed, the Emperor had long ago seen fit to appoint somebody to the position of acting as his representative to the realm. He required somebody to relay his edicts, somebody who would seem approachable to the leaders of the subject star systems. If they had no forum within which to work out grievances, it might eventually erode his control. The man was only an instrument with no real power of his own. But the Emperor always took time to afford him an audience. This time however the Moderator had been summoned.

Levitating himself to his feet, and enjoying the effect this had on the horrified official, Darth Chrysalis announced, "I've a very unusual assignment for you. I want you to recall the Congress. I want them assembled by the time I return from the Outer Rim. They are to witness the demonstration of a new weapon system. It will be easiest if I have them all assembled in one place. If any foolishly refuse to send a representative, warn them that such a denial will automatically select their system as the target for this demonstration. Do you understand?"

The Moderator was trembling so hard that it was difficult for him to remain balanced as he bowed and very unsteadily replied, "Yes, Majesty. It will be done according to your command."

"Have a shuttle prepared," Darth Chrysalis continued. "I'll be assuming control of the command ship, now in orbit, in order to complete this reconnaissance. Advise the orbital stations that I will be taking the bulk of the fleet with me, so they will be held accountable for keeping the situation secure until I return. Remind them that their right to serve in my Empire, as well as any possibility of promotion, depends entirely on success. Those who disappoint me earn only nonexistence. I expect to be ready to leave within the hour. That is all."

"Thank you, Majesty," Thurion responded, executing one last obeisance. He turned and practically ran from the Clone Emperor's chambers.

Using the technical stations within his residence, Darth Chrysalis then set about the business of preparing for his departure. His Empire was in a very sorry state. The report of his demise had essentially shattered the stability of all interstellar organization. It was hardly the most auspicious time to be taking a sabbatical, but the Star Killer represented the ultimate tool for restoring his control. The need for re-establishing his ability to direct its destructive force made everything else extraneous. If, in the process, he managed to obtain a dependable apprentice, so much the better; nevertheless, the ultimate evolution of Geonosian doomsday weapons absolutely had to be recovered – especially now that it was the last of its kind. He would do whatever was now needed to relieve his impulsive protégée of its misappropriated power.

Having already made every other arrangement, he stepped over to the holographic recorder. There was one final item of business to which he needed to attend. It seemed that this was the most reasonable option. Engaging the device, he began to speak.

"Since the son of Anakin Skywalker has now destroyed all the cloning facilities in the Kamino system, the biometric implant is useless. Although my experiences are still being transmitted, there is no station to receive them, nor is there a clone into which they could eventually be uploaded. Hopefully, I'll at least be able to rectify this last problem. And it's for your benefit that I'm making these recordings, if in fact I'm ultimately able to replicate myself with the assistance of others. These recordings will have to serve instead at least temporarily.

"I am about to go take the Star Killer away from Luke Skywalker. He knows that I am coming, but it's of no concern. He can't hope to defeat me in combat. My only fear is that the battle station may be seriously damaged in the process. I'm recalling the members of the Galactic Senate so I can collectively show them this ultimate incentive for submitting to my restored control. A transmission that was received from the Geonosis system, just before it was destroyed, indicated that Skywalker had used the station's warship in order to engage the Imperial forces there. The warship will make it possible for me to make an external recording of the Star Killer in action.

"Over the last couple of decades, I have slowly incorporated non-engineered officers into the Imperial ranks. The Storm Troopers are resourceful, but they were engineered to take orders. They weren't really designed for command. However, their submission is to me. Only because I installed the officers in leadership positions over them do they obey. In this, they remain a secret weapon for ensuring the allegiance of those officers. Maybe no one remembers how I used them to eliminate the Jedi. And it is most regrettable that those on the Star Killer were apparently purged; otherwise, it might not be necessary for me to even take this trip.

"Luke believes there is a self-destruct device on the station, since this is what I told its officers. In a way it was true, from a certain point of view. However, I wasn't referring to some type of mechanism. The Kaminoans had very specifically created those clones for service aboard the Star Killer. If its command crew had rebelled against me, I'd have simply sent a coded message, just as I did during the Clone Wars. The Storm Troopers on the station would have turned on their officers, just as they turned on the Jedi. Since he is laboring under this misapprehension, Luke is probably spending all his energies in searching for a non-existent device. This may also help to minimize the damage to other Imperial installations, which he might inflict if he were not so otherwise engaged.

"I've spent some time trying to determine where it would be best to demonstrate the Star Killer's destructive ability. I seriously considered targeting a Separatist system, but it could be considerably counterproductive to further endanger the economy of the Empire at this precise point in time. The Outer Rim worlds with the wherewithal to espouse such anti-Imperial postures are also usually the most lucrative. However, I have come up with a much more appropriate target.

"Although I am certain they don't even suspect that I know such a thing, the leaders of the Alliance were helped by the indigenous inhabitants of the forest moon of Endor. I'll return with a vengeance to the place where my predecessor was disembodied. For their part in the destruction of the Death Star, I'll ruthlessly exact from the Ewoks the supreme price, that of their very existence. Surely, that will be the most appropriate of all possible examples. After that, anybody who had been considering a relationship with the Alliance will certainly see it as suicidal.

"During their duel on the Death Star, Darth Vader was able to divine a thing from his son. Luke has a twin sister. Her name is Leia, adoptive daughter of Bail Organa; Senator of what once was Alderaan. I am aware that he has been training her as a Jedi, although I doubt that there has been sufficient time for her to have truly forged an alliance with the Force. But if it does become necessary to eliminate my current apprentice, it may be that Anakin's other offspring will serve in his stead. Having a female student could even have additional advantages. She'd have added options for demonstrating her gratitude for my training. One way or the other, the children of the Chosen One will pay homage to me.

"Unfortunately, there isn't time now for me to do much more recording. I must go up to the command ship and take control of the fleet in orbit around Coruscant. I'm afraid I will lose more ships in gaining access to the Star Killer. But possession of its power will almost make the rest of the fleet superfluous; because once the various representatives of the Galactic Senate have all seen it in action, there will be no more talk of rebellion or secession. Fear of my reprisal will keep every star system in the galaxy in submission to the Empire. I will then have time aplenty in which to rebuild the fleet as a legacy to hand down to you.

"As soon as I've reacquired control of the Star Killer, I'll begin the search for another race with the necessary technology for creating such sophisticated clones. Although the Kaminoans may have been the best, with the entire galaxy at my fingertips, I'm sure they couldn't have been the only such race. Part of the power of the Sith is derived from their understanding of the fact that everyone is ultimately replaceable."

With an almost imperceptible gesture, Darth Chrysalis deactivated the holographic recorder. He then spent an uncomfortable moment surveying his surroundings. Despite having the accumulated experiences of his Imperial predecessor, only the Force actually felt familiar. The perception did not extend to his environments, even if he was intimately aware of their every nuance. It was like he had walked onto the soundstage of a motion picture with which he was very well acquainted. He understood its contents, but without any feeling of really belonging there. And that was not the extent of his uneasiness.

As Anakin had said to the Clone Emperor's antecedent, the power of the Sith comes from their passion. But Darth Chrysalis felt altogether unattached, disassociated, as if he were only an observer, utterly unable to emotionally engage in his own existence. It was extremely disconcerting. He wondered if this characteristic was a consequence of being a clone and if all such subjects shared it. He could no longer ask his Kaminoan creators if they knew this to be the case. Nor did he wish to hazard the possible repercussions of putting the question to one of his manufactured troops. It was a topic with which he now had to wrestle alone. He could not even be sure if it would be wise to make mention of it in the recordings that were intended for his successor.

This is why he had responded with such offended indignation when Luke suggested that he lacked a soul. In truth, he felt as if something actually were missing. However, he had not been able to isolate the absent element. And he could not escape the perception that it was something very important. Despite his unparalleled power, it was almost as if he were actually just an apprentice, still desperately searching for the Master who could help him make sense of the universe. As best he could, he dismissed the misgiving.

Strolling to the overlook at the end of his office, he gazed out upon the city. A force field now replaced the glass that had once spanned the expansive opening. Despite how increasingly grisly were the forms of execution for engaging in such attempts, a series of would-be assassins had finally necessitated the substitution. This was the precise place where he had fought Master Windu until Anakin Skywalker surprised the Jedi Master by interceding. The fate of the galaxy had been decided that day, he thought, and it was a fate from which he would allow no escape. His wisdom in manipulating the Chosen One had allowed him to survive, and none could now hope to contend with him.

Yoda had subsequently survived just such a duel, but only temporarily. Even those of his kind were not so long-lived. And Obi-Wan had foolishly failed to finish the foe that finally returned to defeat him. Now, they were both dead. And even if they somehow still existed in some form, he thought, their wisdom had not been sufficient to stop him while they were yet alive. Why should he be concerned about them giving ineffectual counsel to someone he would have fried had it not been for more intercession of the part of the Chosen One? Certainly, the intercession of Anakin had ended. The pivotal person had been removed from the equation. He could no longer deliver anyone. His was a legacy of uncertain affiliation, and it showed in the indecisiveness of his misguided son.

Why should the absolute ruler of the galaxy crave forgiveness? Why sow seeds of doubt into a design that held eternal dominion as its ultimate objective? Why should he squander his energy upon concerns about what kind of wraith he would become in the arcane non-corporeal? But why did he feel as if his memories had become trapped with him in a time to which they did not belong? Why he did he find it so absolutely unsettling that Luke was claiming to have interacted with the disembodied servants of a philosophy against which his every action was opposed? Why had there never been any account of such an encounter with a slain Sith Lord? Why was he so utterly incapable of identifying the nameless uneasiness with which he was constantly beset? Could it be that he simply had not committed the amount of murder that was required to be strong enough with the Dark Side to resist such uncertainties? It was the only solution that he could consider as acceptable; and since he was about to contend with the only person who could possibly stop him, it was a shortcoming that he needed to promptly rectify.

Luke had caused the destruction of entire star systems. The Clone Emperor did not believe that such long-distance death dealing could really increase one's mastery of the Force. If he had any reason to think otherwise his predecessor would have been on the first Death Star, absorbing all the advantage from Alderaan's annihilation. But Luke had killed an unknown number of crewmen, up close and personal, aboard the battle station. Darth Chrysalis knew that such slaughter would provide empowerment to his apprentice. Although his midi-chlorian count had been strikingly increased, the Clone Emperor knew that he most definitely needed to take all such possible improvements into account.

While his defeat seemed impossible, Darth Chrysalis was not going to allow for the error of overconfidence. He had seen that work to the mayhem of many, even the Dark Lord of which he was an arguably superior copy. Of all the campaigns in which he had engaged in either form, this one represented the pinnacle. He needed to re-secure the Star Killer and either turn or terminate the seditious son of the Chosen One. There was no room for error.

Using his com-link, he told his chief-of-security that he was headed for the shuttle.

Emerging from his Imperial accommodation, he was quickly surrounded by a squad of Storm Troopers. He considered their actions as almost ironic. The show of force might be impressive to the public, but he was far better equipped to protect them. It was almost like blaster-toting Senators assaying to safeguard a Jedi. But he was also aware that the men were each trying to distinguish themselves in his service. He allowed their formation to assemble around him, struggling hard not to show his amusement at the situation.

As they stepped out onto the landing platform, the chief-of-security, who was waiting to receive them, executed a sharp salute. With understandable apprehension, the officer approached his supernatural superior. It looked as if he was about to say something, but he was rudely interrupted. With lightning-fast reflexes that actually anticipated the event and engineered appendages that were unbelievably skillful at focusing the Force, Darth Chrysalis used nothing more than his hand to deliberately deflect the laser blast, which erupted from an adjacent building, directly into the officer's chest. Thrashing in obvious agony, he collapsed upon the platform. The startled soldiers all returned fire.

Hovering security-droids quickly isolated the location of the shooter. Moments later, the would-be assassin had been executed. The other officers, members of the shuttle's command crew, had all scattered with the firing of the first shot. As the alarming episode finally came to an end, their leader cautiously approached the Clone Emperor. His eyes turned questioningly to the sprawled body of the chief-of-security.

"He was charged to guard my life as if it were his own. By his failure, he endangered himself," Darth Chrysalis patiently explained. "Anyone who allows such an assassination attempt automatically becomes its target. Have you certified the safety of the shuttle and double-checked the operation of its shields? If anybody manages to bring down my ship, I can promise you that everyone else onboard will perish even if I do not."

"We've increased the shielding specifications for the shuttles of each command ship according to your orders, Majesty," the officer, Captain Orloff, replied. "I've checked this shuttle's systems personally. Your trip will be without any further mishap, I assure you."

"See to it then," Darth Chrysalis instructed. "I have a very long journey ahead of me, and its outset has already been far from auspicious."

As the Clone Emperor turned to dismiss his security detail, he threateningly added, "Inform Moderator Thurion that he will need to select a new chief-of-security. Whichever of you can determine who leaked the information about the shuttle launch can have the position. Once you've established their identity, you needn't wait to execute them. Just make sure you present the incontrovertible evidence to Moderator Thurion, so it can be placed on file with your promotion. And then be certain you never allow another mistake like this."

As he finished this statement, he looked down at the chief-of-security. The man was not dead. He looked pleadingly up at the Clone Emperor. Some medical personnel were already approaching with a gurney. But before they could lift the injured man unto it, with a simple wave of his hand in the dying man's direction, Darth Chrysalis mercilessly flung him from the platform. He screamed as he was consigned to splatter on the street below.

"Send some droids to clean up that mess," the Clone Emperor coldly concluded.

Gesturing towards the assembled flight officers, Darth Chrysalis wheeled toward the shuttle. The dismissed Storm Troopers immediately turned their attention to the matter of determining how the assassination attempt had been arranged. The Emperor's promise of promotion was an extremely strong incentive, despite all the dangers necessitated by advancement to such a responsible position. And he was well aware that they would not rest until they had determined the truth of the matter. Upon his return, he could therefore expect to find someone far more faithful as his chief-of-security. He even considered that he might have made a mistake in appointing a non-engineered officer to the post. There are some things, he thought, for which clones truly are the most qualified.

Escorted by a squadron of very vigilant security droids, the Clone Emperor's shuttle cleared the platform and soared into the skies above Coruscant. Not unexpectedly, there were no more attempts made against the life of Darth Chrysalis that day. The citizens of the capital looked on as the droid-enshrouded vessel slipped into the upper atmosphere. They could only pray that the clone would not return, though none of them could actually imagine a set of circumstances that would result in any such deliverance. While the void of space was the one place in which the Imperial aberration should have been easiest to kill, the firepower of the fleet would greet any attempt. In short, Darth Chrysalis seemed to be the strongest where mortality should arguably have made him the weakest.

The command ship was waiting to receive the shuttle. Rows of Storm Troopers lined the landing bay, waiting for the craft to come to rest. Admiral Turlow was also on hand to demonstrate his deference for Darth Chrysalis. The Clone Emperor emerged without any escort, striding down the ramp to the place where the Admiral and all the bridge officers were bowing before him. Inquiry was in the Admiral's eyes as he looked up and saw the solitary figure before him, but he durst not ask the obvious question. However, the Clone Emperor addressed his unspoken concern.

"Captain Orloff and his crew are dead," he soullessly said. "It seemed strange to me that the assassination attempt was only against my person and not against the shuttle. It also intrigued me how the captain was able to so confidently assure me that there would not be any further mishaps. During the journey, I was able to discern the reason. He and his crew were the source of the leaked information. I also found it necessary to eliminate my previous chief-of-security. I have no inhibitions against engaging in so much killing so early in the day, but I would like to think that I am now finished for a while. I trust that you and your gallant crew will give me no reason to reconsider."

"Majesty, I am very sorry to hear of such misfortunes," Admiral Turlow replied as he arose at a gesture from Darth Chrysalis. "You will find nothing but loyalty to you and your Empire here. If it were not so, I would expect to be held responsible. Great honor entails great accountability, and there is no greater honor than your service."

"You may dispense with the pleasantries," Darth Chrysalis replied. "You understand our objective?"

"Your message specified Tatooine as our destination," Turlow responded. "Because the Kaminoan and the Geonosian suns were destroyed, although we are oddly unable to verify the resulting shock waves, our route will be somewhat circuitous. I have however instructed the navigators to calculate our course so we arrive in the target system while its sun is occluding Tatooine. Our entry into normal space will therefore be unobserved."

"Well done, Admiral," Darth Chrysalis replied. "And I want us immediately underway. But there are two further things I would require of you."

"You have but to name them, Majesty," Admiral Turlow assured him.

"It may be quite a complex problem for us to replace the industry of the Kaminoans, but they could not have been the only race in the galaxy with such sophisticated cloning technology," Darth Chrysalis carefully said. "Have the databases on this ship thoroughly searched. I need a list of any potential alternates. Once I've assumed control of the Star Killer, I may have you act as my envoy and represent a lucrative arrangement to anyone who might be able to replace them. Assign as many technicians as needed. I would like to have this list by the time we reach Tatooine."

"I'll have my crew get right on it, Majesty," Admiral Turlow replied. Pausing, he then asked, "Was there something else as well?"

"I need a holographic recorder installed in whatever quarters you've assigned me," Darth Chrysalis replied. "And I need to be certain the recordings are secure."

"There is such a device already in my quarters," Admiral Turlow answered. "I'll billet myself elsewhere for the duration of your stay and give you the security code; then, you can simply reset the device to your liking, Majesty. I will also see to the servicing of your shuttle."

"Very good, Admiral," said Darth Chrysalis, turning and heading towards the hatch at the back of the landing bay. "Now, if you would show me the way to my quarters. I've much work to do before we reached our destination. And I will expect regular reports on your progress with the database search. The Empire is still reeling from the events in the Endor system; but by the time our respective missions have been completed, we'll have reestablished that interstellar stability. We may've even made the Empire unassailable."

Admiral Turlow led the way through the cavernous corridors of the Corellian cruiser, finally coming to his quarters. A yeoman, who had been called upon to accompany them, removed the Admiral's articles of clothing from the room's closet and transferred them to a compartment elsewhere on the sprawling ship. After that, the Admiral took his leave of the Clone Emperor and hurried off to delegate the required duties. Darth Chrysalis was left alone in the spacious cabin where he promptly reconfigured the control code for the holographic recorder. He also found and deactivated the various safety devices in room since they could have been instead used to monitor his activities.

Having done this, he returned to the task of trying to summarize all of the very most important things that he believed his eventual successor would need to know. He had no idea if another reception station, for the stream of data from the biometric implant, could be contrived or if any of the information, which had already been lost, could ultimately be retrieved. But it seemed expedient to him to take whatever steps he could to ensure that his evil legacy would continue, even if he still had yet to arrange the most essential thing.

His predispositions prevented him from even considering the possibility that no other adequate cloning technology would be found. He was also assuming that he was certain to regain control of the Star Killer, one way or another, from Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.