Coruscant was the festering slime pit that also happened to be the center of the Galaxy. If there was a bright center to the universe, politically, it was Coruscant, or as it was now known, Imperial Center. With the dissolution of the Imperial Senate, the main purpose of the planet was support the mammoth structure that was the Imperial bureaucracy.
Her master didn't even use his palace on the surface of the planet. He preferred to reside in his skyhook, where he would receive more important visitors. As the Decimator transport that Mara Jade was traveling on approached the skyhook, she felt the warm, intense power of her master wash over her. She steeled herself, and let herself focus on just watching the skyhook as they drew closer.
When they docked on the skyhook's hangar, Mara took her things, where they would be transported to her ship, the Jade Fang, and handed them off to one of the service droids as she walked through the corridors of the orbital mansion.
After the Clone Wars and the Emperor's ascent, droids had fallen out of favor. While they still pervaded society, it was more in fashion with Imperial stylings to have live attendants. The Emperor, perhaps a bit ironically, mostly kept droids as his personal staff. They ranged from little astromechs that saw to the maintenance the palace, mouse droids that scattered through the halls, and protocol droids that saw to the Emperor's needs.
Mara knew the way. She came out of the corridor in the main prominent feature of the skyhook, an open area which contained the Emperor's palace. It contained a temple as its main building, with rock features surrounding the step pyramid. Vines grew all over the rocks, providing slashes of green against the dark stones.
As she came closer to the temple, she saw one figure already leaving. She recognized it as one of the clones. This one wore a General's rank on his Imperial Army uniform. She inclined her head. "General," She said, not sure of his name until she got close enough to read the name plate. "Fox. How's the Emperor today?"
"As ever." He shook his head. "Were you involved with Mustafar?"
"My quarry was there. I was on the Dominion, which arrived after the Rebels had fled. We were there doing mop up afterwards. I took a transport back to Imperial Center."
"Well, maybe you won't get the worst of it. But the Apprentice is with him today."
That sent a little shiver down Mara's spine. "And…" She frowned.
"As…charming as ever." Fox grunted. "Watch your back in there."
"Sound advice, General. If I may, what was the conversation you had with him about?"
"The Legion, of course." While there were many Legions, split between the Imperial Army and its more elite brother, the Stormtrooper Corps, there was one that was simply the Legion. The 501st. It had been alive longer than Mara, and had been involved in every major operation the Empire had conducted. The insurrection of Kamino, the Mandalore Campaign, even the failed Hapan Expedition. It was the elite of the elite.
"Of course." It meant the Emperor probably had new plans for the Hutt campaign.
Mara chose not to dwell much on it. Imperial politics and foreign affairs weren't her hand. She ascended the steps of the temple onto the first landing, entering into what was the Emperor's main audience chamber.
It was a mostly open room, with a holotable built into the floor. It was twenty meters wide, based in front of the Emperor's throne. Mara didn't see the Emperor immediately. Instead, she only saw the Apprentice.
The Apprentice was a woman Mara's age. She was a tiny woman, only a meter and a half tall. She was a compacted ball of athleticism, though, and she walked across the floor from the throne. "Mara Jade," She had a haughty Coruscanti accent.
"Darth Sicari," She said, using the Apprentice's full title. "Where is our Master?"
"Along shortly. He has been upset since the Grand Inquisitor was killed."
"It was no great loss," Mara said, dismissing it. "The matter remains that four Jedi are now loose on the Galaxy."
"And I am to be dispatched to Toydaria, half a galaxy away from any Jedi." Sicari walked like she owned all of Imperial Center, right past Mara. "Don't think I won't be watching the transmissions and waiting for an excuse to join the hunt."
"I would expect nothing else, My Lady. I won't fail, though."
"Of course not. And Mara, I do hate us standing on ceremony. Let's drop the formalities."
Mara watched as a dark figure approached the light of the throne room. The Emperor's cloak concealed his figure, but she knew in every cell of her body that it was him. Her body hummed in just proximity to the Dark Lord of the Sith.
"As you wish, Leia," Mara whispered as she walked to the throne.
She stopped precisely five meters in front of the throne, and knelt. It was the typical posture for her. One knee, head almost touching the raised knee. She waited for the Emperor to reach the throne, and for his voice, a soft tone that carried the weight of the Galaxy.
"Rise."
She did so. Even underneath the dark heavy robes, she could still make out a greater part of his face.
Darth Vader was a man in his forties, with an angular, regal face. His yellow eyes were easy with contemplation, only partially attentive to his surroundings. He wore one glove on his right hand, a cybernetic implant that only Mara and a few were in knowledge of.
"My Lord Vader," Mara clasped her arms behind her back, waiting at ease, a leftover from her training at the Imperial Academy. One of her Master's many educational excursions for her.
"The Grand Inquisitor was killed by Prince Luke Organa, and his teacher, Ahsoka Tano. At first, I was complacent to let Tano work in secret on Alderaan. But our timetable has now been accelerated. We must hunt the Jedi. Organa is a resource we must utilize."
Then, there must have been something in the Force, that he had put into the next five words. "You will find Luke Organa. He is the shatterpoint of this nascent Rebellion. He somehow was able to convince Garm Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma to supply him with a force. Both have gone into hiding, but as they choose, their planets must suffer. Chandrila and Corellia will be brought under the Empire's fist."
Vader stood. He was a tall man, and even in his middle age, moved like the general he had always been. "Imperial Intelligence, though, has provided us with a new opportunity."
As he spoke, a planet appeared from the floor, suspended in the holographic field of the throne room.
Mara recognized the planet immediately. "Fresia, home of the Incom Corporation."
"Very good." He smiled. "Incom was developing a new starfighter. The X-Wing, a space superiority fighter that is due to replace the TIE fighter in general. Some of the research team wishes to defect."
"Then we arrest all the traitors." Mara said.
"This Rebellion need to follow their first victory with another. Word has leaked to them. The designers wish to meet with the Rebellion and defect to their fledgling insurgency. You will head to Fresia, and confront any Rebels there."
"As you wish, my Lord." She paused a moment. Mara had a question, and she dared ask it. "Why me, and not Darth Sicari?"
"Because Luke Organa is more useful to me alive. Darth Sicari lives in the life of the Sith. She lives for conflict, and she would kill Organa before there was a chance for me to interrogate him." He paused a moment. "You have a subtle stroke, Mara, I need that."
Mara could sense her Lord's feelings, that there was something he wasn't sharing. But that was the way of the Sith, of master and servants. "I will bring you Organa." She said.
"Make it so." She said. "You will not receive a ship. Coordinate with Fresia's defense and Imperial Intelligence."
Those last two words sent a little shiver down Mara's spine. Isard. "Of course, my Lord."
"Thank you." Vader offered a rare smile. "And I appreciate you making an attempt to be civil with my daughter. Leia does need friends."
Mara offered her a little smile. "We're not exactly average teenage girls."
"No, but the effort is noted and appreciated. May the Force be with you, Mara."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
When she left the temple, the voice was still in her head.
You will find Luke Organa.