I hope everyone had a merry Christmas! I was intending on posting this Christmas Day, but I was a little busy. I hope everyone enjoyed the marathon. Here's the next chapter!

Palpatine sat meditating in the flagship of the fleet provided for him at Outpost 37752. There had been reports of Death Squadron leaving before sending a single Star Destroyer back in search of something… or someone. What had happened after that is unknown, and all contact with the fleet was lost. This was getting very curious, indeed.

What was even more curious was Vader's Force signature. Just two weeks ago, right before the fleet stopped at the outpost, Lord Vader's signature was normal. Once they stopped at the outpost, however, it grew muddled and murky. Soon after, Palpatine sensed another Force presence, a vaguely familiar one, nearby. Then Vader's signature grew ruthless and animalistic with rage, which lasted a few hours before suddenly vanishing entirely. Now Palpatine sensed nothing of either signature.

The more he thought this over, the more connected it seemed. However, the actual connection was missing, and Palpatine was rather irritated that it hadn't been found yet. If all contact had been lost with Death Squadron, then the worst possible scenario was that whatever caused the fleet to vanish would affect other fleets and areas as well.

Then there was the interesting problem as to what Palpatine had sensed when he first arrived at the outpost. For a moment he could have sworn he sensed a Jedi on the outpost and then as fast as he had detected it, it was gone. Palpatine was no fool, though; he had the entire outpost undergoing a thorough search for anything or anybody conspicuous.

Nihoma was certainly an interesting place. Physically speaking, it was a beautiful planet with many different climates. The capital sat in a valley, snuggled between two mountains. The area around it was thickly forested and was to be kept that way.

The population was also pleasant. The people seemed cheerful enough and were very trusting, an odd trait for such a loyal planet. The only thing that reminded Obi-Wan of the Imperial presence was the occasional officer he would see wandering about the streets.

Apparently there had to be some sort of outpost near the city, but Obi-Wan hadn't detected anything yet. Still, he was just there to lay low, not to cause trouble. He needed to avoid all confrontations possible.

Still… he had to find that individual. After all, that was his entire reasoning for leaving Tatooine and leaving Luke. Obi-Wan prayed that Luke would be alright while he was gone. The five-year-old was rather feisty on his own; he showed Anakin's habit of being a little too curious for his own welfare and getting himself into trouble on numerous occasions.

No, Obi-Wan told himself. Ever since he had left Tatooine, Anakin began haunting him again. He thought he had finally gotten rid of that problem. He had finally found peace within himself, but now… now it was if it had just happened.

Sighing, Obi-Wan walked back to the inn where he was temporarily residing. He entered his room and sat on the floor, closing his eyes to calm himself and meditate.

Padmé smiled as she breathed in the fresh air. She had finally gotten the chance to step out of the med center and go home with her family. It had been a week and a half since she awoke from her coma. Although the doctors seemed a little hesitant to discharge her, Padmé promised that she would rest and insisted upon leaving.

Now she was finally going home with her family. Ryoo, Pooja, and Sola's husband, Darred, were waiting at the house, along with a large feast from what Padmé had heard. The idea sounded refreshing, though dark thoughts about what had transpired were clouding her mind as she walked to the speeder that would take her home.

The Galactic Empire had taken a rather strong hold on the galaxy over the past five years. There were Imperial fleets patrolling practically every system, and the most feared of all was Death Squadron, which was led by… Darth Vader.

Padmé shuddered as she thought about Vader. She had asked and had been allowed to see a holo of what he had become and it terrified and repulsed her at the same time. The very thought that Anakin had died and been replaced by that monster was enough to tear her heart to shreds. He had committed so many atrocities. When Padmé asked where Death Squadron had been most recently, Sola answered that there had been reports of it patrolling in the Raiobello Sector.

When Padmé thought about the Raiobello Sector, the first thing that came to mind was Anx Space. The xenophobic Empire could have sent Death Squadron there to cause all sorts of problems for those people. Either that, or they were there to cause problems on the trade route, Myto's Arrow.

Padmé's thoughts were interrupted when she caught sight of her home. Smiling, she climbed off and walked alongside Sola, following her parents inside.

It had been three days since they began their journey to Nihoma, and the entire time, everyone had been too busy to tutor Vader. So, he found his own ways of keeping himself preoccupied.

Shiine and Zhymmia hadn't had much to do in their sector besides oversee their subordinates… until Vader found out he didn't have any classes. Shiine found himself stopping Vader from wandering into the detention areas, particularly when Commander Sypikne was brooding. Zhymmia even had to have stormtroopers escort Vader out when she caught him about to mess with some interrogation equipment.

When Vader wasn't bothering the detention center, he wandered into the war room where all of the Executor's tactical information was. This would get Rowan and Captain Mentzer a bit nervous and the two were forced to keep a guard of some sort in the area to make sure the boy didn't tamper with any information.

Carh'la and Kerrick, who oversaw the tactical divisions, also had to keep Vader out of the way, for he somehow always managed to find his way into the auto turret system. One time, out of sheer boredom, the boy activated the auto turrets on stun just to watch Commander Sypikne go hopping and dancing out of the room, flailing his arms and screaming like a mynock.

To top off the ridiculousness of the situation, Numel was constantly found in the dreariest corners of the ship so as to avoid his commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Sypikne, who was in charge of security.

Some of the group was fortunate, however. Jifo, who supervised a small surveillance crew on the bridge, rarely had to worry about Vader interfering. Kobayashi, Marrax, and Moeema were also others who did not experience many problems with Vader. Ryatsi, for certain, received no problems from the boy.

Ooke was the only one who could handle the boy. Since Ooke enjoyed Vader's company and technical brilliance, most of the time the two would be in the engineering division for hours on end.

So now, three days into the trip to Nihoma, it was mid-afternoon when the Executor bucked abruptly, sending all of its occupants flying to the ground.

Moaning in exasperation, Ton Mentzer squeezed his comlink irritably before activating it. "Engineering, what is going on down there?"

"Sir, something—clogged—the—couplings," Commander Katsure, Chief Engineer, replied between coughs. "It's—not the—boy,"

"Where is Lord Vader?" Ton asked.

"Down here, sir," Commander Katsure coughed harshly before continuing. "He was with Lieutenant Tunrott."

"Are there any casualties down there, commander?"

"A few bumps and bruises, but—nothing serious,"

Ton paused for a moment before saying, "Why did the couplings get clogged? You said in your report this morning that everything was running smoothly."

"Sir, it—it can't be a malfunction, we just had those couplings inspected last night!" the commander said. "Something must have gotten caught in there from outside, it's the only explanation."

"What could get—"

Ton's comlink beeped once again and he told the commander to fix whatever the issue was. He then switched frequencies. "This is Captain Mentzer. What is it?"

"Sir, this is Lieutenant Commander Norhek; we've got a small problem,"

Ton restrained a sigh. "Don't tell me; we found the Rebels once again."

"No, sir," Lieutenant Commander Norhek replied with a hint of amusement in her tone. "It's not quite that drastic. However, it'll be enough to throw us off schedule, I'm afraid."

"What is it?"

"Well, sir, my navigation division just found a discrepancy in the repairs the engineers did. Apparently they didn't fix the navicomputer, sir, and as a result, it led us right into the Ferionic Nebula."

"The Ferionic Nebula?" Ton repeated. "That's impossible; we should have passed that nebula at least two days ago!"

"Sir, with the hyperdrive as damaged as it is, it's quite possible that we've been on the edge of losing lightspeed altogether."

"And with us being stuck in the nebula, there's no way we can go into hyperspace," Ton cursed. "Get all the bridge officers to the meeting room."

"Yes, sir,"

"Jar Jar?" Padmé nearly exclaimed. "They made Jar Jar the next senator after my supposed death?"

Sola nodded. "Yes. I must admit that he has done a relatively good job keeping us out of trouble, but that is all."

Padmé sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Jar Jar's not known for his subtlety, but I trust him to keep us safe for now. However, my decision to join the senate once more still stands."

"But how are you going to do that?" Darred asked. "The entire galaxy thinks you're dead."

"I'm not going back as Senator Amidala," Padmé laughed. "I'm going back as an aide and advisor to Senator Binks."

"But—but you'll be right on the Imperial Center," her father protested. "People could recognize you there."

"The only people who would recognize me would be friends," Padmé responded. "And I only know of two or three truly close friends who would know me… if they're still alive."

Padmé paused before asking, "Now what about my children? I understand that you couldn't tell me in the med center, but we're at home now."

Darred left the room so they could discuss it in private. After all, he himself didn't know where the twins had been hidden. The moment he left, Sola said, "Luke and Leia are well protected, Padmé. Luke is with your late husband's family while Leia is with one of your colleagues from the senate."

Padmé took note of Sola's terminology for her "late" husband, but brushed it to the back of her mind. "But Anakin has no family. His mother died."

"Supposedly he has a brother," her mother said. "That's what we were told, at least."

"Of course," Padmé suddenly remembered. "Owen Lars was Anakin's stepbrother… but what about Cliegg Lars?"

"We don't know of any Cliegg, I'm afraid," her mother replied, shaking her head. "Just an Owen and Beru Lars,"

"Beru Lars? They're married now?"

"Yes,"

Padmé paused once again before continuing. "What about Leia?"

"Leia is with Senator Organa," her father answered.

"Bail is taking care of her?" Padmé raised her eyebrows. "Well, at least she's in good hands... for now."

"What are you planning to do?" Sola asked. "Make the senator's daughter mysteriously disappear without a trace?"

"Well what do you expect me to do, just leave my children where they are without a father or mother?"

"They have people taking care of them, Padmé," her mother said soothingly. "We will find a way to get them back, but don't be hasty. You must remember that they are five years old now. They are quite content with their situation."

Padmé's instincts were telling her that was not the case, but her logical side told her to calm down and listen to her family. They had a point. She couldn't go rushing off without thinking.

Sighing, Sola asked, "How are you going to get to the Imperial Center? What will your name be?"

"My name will be Cordé Tarix." Padmé said.

"So what you're saying is that we're going to be stuck in here for a week at least?" Kerrick clarified with Commander Katsure in the meeting room.

The commander nodded. "Unfortunately so, I'm afraid."

"Sir, don't we have a schedule to keep?" Kerrick asked. "I thought we had to be at Nihoma within a week!"

"Just a quick question before we go on," Rowan interrupted before facing Mentzer. "Captain, I know this is awfully late to be asking, but who is going to replace the admiral?"

Rowan's question was due to the admiral's death during the battle. Mentzer sighed. "Technically speaking, commander, we already have someone who is above an admiral… however, if we let him call the shots, I dare say we'll be spending our time taking him from the zoo to the museum to anything humanly possible."

Some snorts of laughter went around the room while others merely looked slightly panicked. "He's not actually in charge, is he?"

"Of course not," Captain Mentzer replied. "He is obviously unfit for duty, so I am taking responsibility of the fleet for now."

"Now, what's the problem with the hyperdrive, Katsure?" Rowan returned his attention to Commander Katsure.

"We haven't had enough time to repair it properly," the commander responded. "It can run but not very well, and with this nebula we don't have a chance of getting out of here through hyperspace. My estimate still stands; we will be in here for a week at least."

"What about the rest of the fleet?" Captain Mentzer directed his attention towards the holographic images of the captains from the rest of the fleet.

"Captain, perhaps you can bring miracle boy over here," the captain of the Avenger, Captain Piett, said. "We can use some work on our thrusters. There's no way we're going to get through this nebula without those."

Captain Mentzer looked thoughtful for a minute before nodding. "Very well… we will send the boy to the Avenger. Are there any other issues with your ships?"

Most of the captains spoke of little problems that could be repaired during their slow trek through the nebula. The meeting then ended and Captain Mentzer turned to face Kerrick.

"Get Lord Vader to hangar bay twelve," Mentzer told him. "He's going to the Avenger to assist in repairs… that way he will have something to do and we won't have to worry about him causing trouble. However, send one of his companions otherwise the Avenger will be in an even worse state than before."

Kerrick hid a smile and bowed in salute. "Yes, sir,"

Lo lied in the ventilation shaft staring at the dull grey walls around him. The shaft was small, enough to make anyone else claustrophobic, but the boy was thin enough to fit. He somehow also got the feeling that he had been in more confining spaces than this. Besides, he felt horrible.

He had been hiding in the vents for two hours ever since he was soundly kicked out of Shiine's detention center. He had only gone to visit Shiine and Zhymmia but then he saw Ress and then he saw the machinery, and… oh, well.

The reason why he had gone to see Shiine and Zhymmia was because he was feeling awful. He had already been plagued with nightmares about what had happened a week ago, but now he was beginning to grow feverish and his stomach felt as if it were being wrung. To make matters worse, his head was pounding.

He had gone to the vents because after leaving the detention center, the symptoms grew worse. He didn't want people to bother him while he felt this way, so he decided that hiding in the shaft would be best. He was already feeling better anyway.

Suddenly, he heard his name being used. Shifting so he could lay on his stomach once more, Lo crawled through the shaft to the closest grate before punching it open and peeking out into the corridor.

"Little One, where are you?" he heard Kerrick calling out.

Lo immediately squeezed through the small space allowed and landed in the corridor. He was covered in grime and smelled like a musty ventilation shaft, but he shrugged it off, heading towards the turbolift to go to Deck 4 where he heard Kerrick.

Once he arrived, Kerrick approached him and gave him an odd look. "Why do you look so dirty?"

"I was in the vents," Little One said matter-of-factly.

"What—why were you in there?"

"Because I wanted to be alone,"

Kerrick scrutinized him further before shaking his head. "I was calling you because you're going on a little trip."

Lo's worries vanished in an instant, all the pain completely forgotten. "Where am I going?"

"You're going over to another ship of this fleet,"

"Am I going to the Tyrant?"

"No, you're—"

"Am I going to the Devastator?"

"No, Little One—"

"Well, how about the Adjudicator?"

"No—"

"The Firewind? The Vengeance I? The Vengeance II?"

"N—"

"Oh, wait! I'm going on the Aggressor!"

Exasperated, Kerrick threw his hands in the air to stop the boy. "No, Little One, you're going to the Avenger!"

All the boy did was laugh as if he had already known the real answer. Kerrick sighed and waited for him to stop, which he eventually did.

"So why am I going to the Avenger?"

"You're going to the Avenger because they need your wonderful mechanical prowess," Kerrick smiled. "Come on; the shuttle's leaving in ten minutes."

"Wow!" Vader bounced in the air before grabbing Kerrick by the hand and dragging him to the turbolift, automatically punching for Deck 8 without even asking where they were going.

The turbolift came to a stop and Kerrick was pulled to hangar bay twelve.

"I'm not going to even ask how you knew where to go," Kerrick panted before pointing to the shuttlecraft they would be boarding.

"Aren't you coming with me?" Vader asked even though Kerrick had never said anything to the contrary.

"No, Lo, I've got work to do here," Kerrick responded. "Marrax and Ress will be accompanying you,"

Vader looked at the shuttle for a moment before looking at Kerrick once again. He watched him for a few seconds and then pulled him into a tight hug. Kerrick, shocked, merely returned it with a pat on the back before the boy released him and ran to the shuttle, waving excitedly before boarding.

"You seem a little nervous, sir,"

Captain Piett glanced over at his subordinate, Commander Skidder. "Just keep silent unless spoken to when Lord Vader arrives."

"Sir, from what I've heard, he's not very picky about your appearance anymore—"

"We're still going to treat him properly," Piett cut him off.

Commander Skidder bowed his head. "Of course, sir,"

The shuttlecraft entered the hangar bay and landed. Its landing ramp hissed and then lowered to the ground. An ensign and a stormtrooper disembarked, followed by a lieutenant.

"Where is Lord Vader?" Captain Piett asked the three.

"Who?" the lieutenant asked.

"Eh, Little One is right here," the ensign quickly said. "However, we can't say where Lord Vader is."

Piett immediately cursed himself for his slip. Apparently Lord Vader was dressed in the lieutenant's uniform.

"Well, uh, Little One, this is Commander Skidder, the chief engineer of the Avenger," Captain Piett said to the boy. "You'll be working with him."

"Okay," Darth Vader nodded, walking over to Commander Skidder. "So let's go."

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