"Where is Gann?" Theron asked Horn. He slammed his fists on the table that rested between them. Theron's eyes glared physical threats at the powerful Jedi Master. Horn stood impassively, unafraid of the very real danger that was being lobbied against her. "You're going to karking tell me, or I will destroy everything. Everything."

"Get a hold of yourself, Theron. What is this about?" Horn asked. Her hands glided behind her back, where her saber fell lightly into her hand from her sleeve. She knew where this was heading, and the destination would not be her death. "Why are you demanding things of me? Threatening me?"

Theron roared at the woman and kicked the table wrathfully. "Just tell me where Gann is! I know he knows. He knows everything – about me, about my parents' death. And I'm going to get it out of him."

Horn sighed and shook her head. "Theron, he has no such memories of your past."

"You're wrong!" Theron shouted. He shoved the table and it slid towards the glass window. The friction force of the ground on the table caused the furniture to bounce heavily off of the glass, and Horn knew that if Theron had put any more force into his rage, the window would have shattered. "He knows I am Theron Fel."

Horn's eyebrows rose. She stayed quiet for a few more moments. "Who told you that?"

"Does it matter?" Theron hissed. He stalked over to the glass window. "Tell me where he is."

"I cannot," Horn replied. She glared into the eyes of Theron's reflection. "Especially not when you are in this state. You need to calm down – you imbalanced, and you drawing inordinately on the Dark Side of the Force. This much anger is dangerous, even for a Gray Jedi. Return to the light, boy."

Theron snarled and turned around to stare the Jedi in the eyes. "Stop acting so damn calm, schutta," Theron growled. Horn noticed that his hand had not yet gone to his saber; the conversation and the first defenses placed upon the boy's trust could still hold fast. "You karking Jedi are all the same: sanctimonious and unhelpful. Sure, you're all 'Let's help everyone in the galaxy. Right the wrongs of the universe.' At least until someone actually needs help fixing those sins!"

Horn's stare grew colder until it seemed able to make Mandalorian durasteel brittle. "Theron, I am afraid you do not know what you are talking about. If you would calm down, we could all talk about this with Grand Moff Gann over holo," she demanded. She saw the rage in Theron's eyes die down slightly.

"Nihl said you all know where the last of the Fel Dynasty is – you, Gann, and Soon. You're lying to me," Theron said, searching Horn's eyes.

"We are not lying to you," she said soothingly, assuring Theron of her intentions.

The Gray Jedi's eyes hardened. "Your emotions betray you, Jedi," he said simply. His left hand flew forward, and Horn was knocked backwards into the wall by a concussive blast of Force energy. She struggled against her invisible bonds. "You're lying to me."

Theron quietly slipped on his mask and walked over to Horn's work desk. He hacked into her profile and sent a message to Gann to meet "Horn" at the Imperial palace. A few moments later, Gann agreed.

"What are you lying to me about?" Theron asked as he turned to Horn. She noticed with a start that the Dark aura surrounding him, coupled with the mask of Revan, gave Theron the look and feel of his profoundly powerful ancestor. Horn feared, however, that the boy could surpass even Revan in strength – a strength that would annihilate the galaxy if unleashed with hatred.

Horn gulped down her fears. Theron's trust had been destroyed completely, and it was only a matter of time before he Fell too far to ever return to the Light. Horn took a deep breath, and Plan Besh was enacted. "You are not a Fel, Theron."

The Gray Jedi scoffed behind his mask. "That's bantha poo doo," he replied haughtily. "I am Theron Fel!"

"No," the woman said again. "Search your feelings – search my feelings. It is the truth." Horn watched the young man shake his head and back up into the glass.

"You're lying, you schutta!" Theron screamed. He unleashed a barrage of lightning at the woman pinned to the wall by his mind, and she screamed in pain.

The doors to Horn's study flew open, and Theron's crew ran through with weapons drawn. "What's going on, Maste – Theron, stop!" Rhen shouted. He rushed at his friend with saber raised.

"Do not get in the way!" Theron screamed. His saber was suddenly in hand and he disarmed the incoming Rhen and Ana before deflecting twin bolts of blaster fire back at Van's weapons, which fell from his hands.

"Stop it!" Ana screamed. She lunged at Theron with her bare hands, forcing the unbalanced Force user to dodge her blows. Rhen joined in and the two began to come closer and closer to knocking their friend out.

"Enough!" Theron shouted. A pulse of Dark Force energy erupted from his body and collided with those in the room. The glass behind him shattered outward and the clear material rained down infinite stories and into the dark levels below. Rhen, Ana, Van, and Horn were all hit by the intense strength of the Force energy and the sheer strength of the pulse quickly forced all four into unconsciousness.

Theron stared, stunned at his three fainted friends, then turned his gaze to the unconscious Jedi Master. "Y-you're lying!" Theron screamed. He turned around and jumped from the windowsill. "You'll all get yours! All of you!"

Theron, stop, the voice in his head begged. Stop this now. Right now.

"You're not real. You're not real. You're not real," Theron chanted beneath his breath as he fell into the traffic below. He landed in a speeder with a quiet thud. He glared at the woman behind the wheel and she slid into the back seat. Theron jumped into the driver's seat and set a course for the Imperial palace.

Theron, please. Stop.

"You're not real!" Theron screamed, eliciting a confused and fearful shriek from the woman in the back of the car. "SHUT UP! YOU AREN'T EVEN REAL!"

SWSWSWSWSW

Ana gasped in pain as she woke up from her inadvertent slumber. She looked around the room and stumbled to her feet as Horn, Van, and Rhen began to do the same. Ana claimed her sabers from the ground and clipped them to her belt. She gasped as she reached across her body and clutched at a pain in her right side. She ran her hands across her flank and felt an intense pain run through her body as her hands traced her ribs. Luckily, none of the bones seemed to be broken. "Just some bruised ribs," she groaned to herself. She knew she could heal that quickly enough with the Force, but it was still incredibly painful.

"What was that?" Van asked as he scrabbled to his feet. He was – surprisingly, given his usual ineptitude with the ways of the Force – the one least affected by Theron's attack. The pilot had been lucky enough for the powerful blast of energy to throw him into Horn's mattress, one of the few frivolities the Jedi Master owned.

Rhen groaned while he stood up. He reached his right arm across his body and pulled on his left arm with as much strength as he could muster. There was a painfully audible "POP" as Rhen's dislocated shoulder was forced back into place. The twi'lek grunted in surprise from the sudden pain, but seemed mostly unaffected by the actual damage. "What did you say to him?" the Jedi asked Horn angrily.

"I merely told him what the triumvirate was hiding from him – for the sake of the galaxy. It was important that the idea of a Fel remain alive. They are all dead however. There is no Theron Fel," Horn explained.

Rhen looked like he had been punched in the gut. "Th – You told him his entire past is a lie!?"

"Would you prefer I not?" the Jedi asked. "Besides, his mental state is unbalanced. It was -"

"You had us lie for you – we remember what happened in Nihilus' head, and you had us lie!" Rhen interjected, his voice screaming at his superior. "Why?"

"For this. There was coming a time when Theron would find out what we did not tell him. If he discovered it alone, without our fail-safes in place, he would deny it and Fall to the Dark Side. He would carve a bloody path through the triumvirate's lands until the Sith ruled over everything. Since his mental state – his belief in the past, his past – is unbalanced, he may accept what I have told him, with time and more evidence," Horn explained. "Still we need to get to Gann before Theron makes a mistake he cannot take back."

"Wait," Ana said as the Jedi Master began to walk away. "You let him think he was a Fel? A – A Fel? Why?"

"We do not have time for this," Horn sighed. "Gann is rapidly approaching his death."

"Why?"

"Because, Imperial, the galaxy needed the hope that a Fel survived. It was important that Moff Gann 'search' for that final Fel so the dynasty could continue in people's hearts. But there was no final Fel – they died at the hands of assassins sent by Force knows who. We believed this, but the galaxy could not – at least not until the Remnant government had been re-established and memories of the Fels faded into history," Horn said firmly. She summoned her saber from the ground and activated its blade.

"The Moff and I will have words about this," Ana growled.

"Ha! What Gann speaks of with fatherless children is of no import to me," Horn retorted. Ana's face palled. The Jedi smiled knowingly at Ana and turned to walk out of the room. "We must leave now in order to save the Moff."

SWSWSWSWSW

Theron's speeder rushed towards the Imperial checkpoint at full speed. He had deposited the speeder's owner on a walkway a few blocks earlier with enough credits to buy transport. "Excuse me, you are entering Imperial Remnant Airspace. State your business or be fired upon," a hapless stormtrooper demanded over the speeder's radio. Theron's grip on the wheel tightened and he sped up. "This is your final warning! You will be fired upon!"

Theron used his saber to slice the headrest from the passenger seat and lodged it firmly onto the accelerator. He maneuvered himself through the window and atop the speeder as it rushed towards the checkpoint. Theron reignited his saber and waited for the blaster fire to come. Finally, it did: the stormtroopers positioned themselves outside of the checkpoint and began to fire their E-20 rifles towards their would-be attacker.

Theron scoffed at the incoming projectiles and deflected the multitude of blasts that ran towards him from the checkpoint. The blaster fire sped up as the speeder approached the checkpoint, and the walkway behind it, at incredible speeds. Theron deflected another volley of blaster fire, and tensed his legs. Three... two... one, he counted down in his head, then he leaped from the top of the car, which collided in a fiery explosion with the checkpoint. Theron heard five identical screams behind him as he landed and rolled on the walkway leading up to the Imperial Palace. He stared at the outside of the magnificent building he had not seen in person since the assassination of his parents – his home, his rightful seat of power. His palace. Theron walked forwards through throngs of stormtroopers, deflecting their intense blaster fire without any real effort. The red beams of light ricocheted through the mass of white armor and there were groans and screams all around. He held regret for what he had to do – he would help them and their families once his rightful place as Emperor had been reclaimed.

Theron walked up the steps to the Palace, still deflecting blaster fire as he went. "Stormtroopers, retreat! We'll handle this!" a deep authoritative voice shouted. Theron rolled his eyes in disgust as two Imperial Knights landed on the ground before him, their capes fluttering in the wind and armor glittering in the sunlight. Theron looked between his two identical opponents, twin dark skinned men with shaved heads.

Theron rolled his eyes at the Knights' "heroic stances" and tried to force his way past them. "Halt, stranger!" they shouted in unison. Their silver sabers erupted into existence and crossed in Theron's path.

"You don't want to do this. You're on the wrong side," Theron said menacingly. He gripped his saber tightly and took a few steps back. He adjusted his feet into a ready position and waited.

"No, you surely do not believe that," one of the men said. He reached one hand out to Theron and his face adopted a forgiving look. "The Darkness is rolling off of you in waves, my fellow. But you are no Sith – you can come back to the light."

Theron's eyebrows came together in an angry and disgusted V. "Move or die," he said simply.

"Then I suppose you must die," the other man said. The two Knights ran towards Theron, who sighed internally. He raised his off hand lazily and unleashed a barrage of purple lightning at the two Knights. Both managed to raise their sabers in time, but the sheer amount of energy threw the brothers through the air. The lightning continued, however, and the sabers of both Imperial Knights faltered from the sheer power of Theron's attack. The Dark electricity rushed through their bodies and they screamed meters above the ground. The lightning flashed through every inch of their flesh and Theron walked beneath the two floating, writhing bodies. He walked into the Palace and cut off the lightning rushing from his hand as soon as he heard the sound of molten flesh dripping to the floor. The screams had stopped moments before.

SWSWSWSWSW

Ana, Rhen, Van, and Master Horn surveyed the wreckage outside the temple with a mix of emotions ranging from fear and disgust to rage. Rhen was the first to speak up as they took in the destruction and smell of fire and burning flesh. "Theron doesn't think straight when it comes to anyone with the last name Gann," the twi'lek said, trying to excuse his friend. "The mention of Gann on Treaty Day... he melted a Sith kid."

Horn gestured at the molten bodies of the Imperial Knights beside her. "Like this? These were good men, Rhen. And Theron just killed them."

"No one is saying we should completely excuse his actions!" Van said. "But I mean, he just learned his entire life was a lie! That would kark with anyone's head, even yours."

"We broke him," Ana said simply as her eyes crossed over the carnage. The others turned to her, confused. She looked over. "We made him doubt his sanity." Ana glared at Horn angrily. "He's a good person, but your kriffing plan made him doubt who he is. And then Nihl, and Nihilus, and whatever is going on there? You pushed him over a cliff! We'll be lucky if he comes back."

"Make no mistake, Imperial," Horn began, "if he does not come back, the galaxy is doomed. Theron is the only Force user I have ever encountered with that much energy – the Force swirls around his very soul. If he Falls, Ana, the galaxy will be doomed to millenia of Darkness. The Jedi will die. The Imperial Knights will die. The Galactic Alliance will die. If Theron Falls to the Sith, there will be nothing left. If he comes back, there is a chance for the galaxy to survive. What he has done is unspeakable, and his leash will be considerably shorter after today."

"What, like he's a dog? A slave!?" Ana asked angrily. "You're just like my – Moff Gann. You're just like the Moff. Controlling everything and everyone is not the answer!"

"It is the only option available," Horn stated simply and firmly. She turned towards the entrance to the Palace. "We need to find Gann – If Theron kills him, his Fall will be complete."

"Well, we have to tell him the truth," Ana demanded. She expected Rhen and Van to be on her side, but the two men remained quiet. "Right?"

"Ana, if we save him, he can't have reason to doubt us again," Rhen said, a pained look on his face. "He's my friend, and I hate myself for it... but I'd rather lie to him than have him die a Sith."

"We'll pay for this," Ana said. Her chin fell to her chest and she stared at the ground. "We'll all pay for this."

SWSWSWSWSW

"You'll pay for this!" Theron screamed at Moff Gann. The man's charcoal-gray hair was disheveled and part of his scalp was showing, burnt from Theron's increasingly wild attacks.

"I didn't do anything to you!" Gann screamed. He fired a blaster bolt at the advancing Force wielder, who raised his saber lazily. The bolt ricocheted off the white plasma and burnt through Gann's shin. The man screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Theron advanced on the man who had ruined his life. "Stop! Stop, or we both die!"

Theron stopped moving for a moment, an amused expression across his face. "What are you going to do? Have an assassin kill me like you killed my parents?" Theron spat. He began to walk towards Gann again.

"No – I'll blow the building," the Moff said. The man grunted in pain and pulled himself into a sitting position with his back against the steel-gray wall. "Kill me, and the dead-man's switch in my heart blows my body to high hell, and you with it."

Theron stared at the scared man in front of him. "Well, I guess I'll have to work slowly. You can bleed out when I'm long gone, hm?" Theron asked. He took the mask off of his face and explained, "I think a murderer should look his victims in the eye – a courtesy you never afforded my family, coward." Gann studied the young man's features for a moment before Theron cruelly unleashed a barrage of lightning into the older man's body. Theron's eyes were a dull orange, far from the fiery yellow or red of most Sith, but well on their way. The boy's skin was pale, and his veins pressed up visibly against his skin.

"I. Didn't. Do. Anything. To. You," Gann grunted painfully as Theron advanced on him.

Theron's eyes widened. "DO NOT LIE TO ME!" he screamed. He sent a jolt of Force electricity running through Gann, who screamed in pain.

"Stop!" a woman shouted. Theron heard the ignition of lightsabers, and turned around to face his would-be attackers. He stopped for a moment when he saw his friends. Ana stared at Theron, fear crossing her face. "Theron... what happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "I'm finally in control? I'm finally getting justice!?"

"Theron, don't do this," Ana said simply. She took a few steps forward, then set her feet. "If you don't stop, I'll have to stop you." Her sabers glowed beneath her arms, and her steely gaze matched Theron's mad anger in intensity.

"I won't stop," Theron said sadly. "Not until I get justice."

Ana nodded sadly, and jumped towards her friend. Their sabers clashed in the air, bringing brilliant colors to the faces of the combatants. "You can't beat me," Theron said quietly, a regretful pain running through his voice. He countered Ana's attacks move for move, yet never put himself on the offensive. "Don't do this... Please."

"I have to save him – I have to save you," Ana replied simply. She unleashed a volley of blaster fire from her saber. Theron deflected the incoming bolts away from Ana, and the light fizzled and burned into the wall.

"You can't save me," Theron explained as he deflected Ana's blows lazily, as if he almost wanted the blades to hit him, yet they never did. "He destroyed my life years ago."

"He didn't, Theron," Ana shouted. "He did not kill the Fels. And you aren't their son."

Theron's eyes lit up with anger. "Do not tell me you believe those lies!" Theron screamed. His saber suddenly flew offensively towards Ana, and with two quick blows her sabers flew, deactivated, to the ground. He advanced on the woman, and she tripped to her back. As Horn, Rhen, and Van ran to Ana's aid, Theron unleashed a concussive blast of force at them, and they flew away, unable to interfere. He returned his attention to Ana, and placed the tip of his saber inches above her throat. Grief and conflict ran through his features as he looked down at her. "I didn't want this."

"No! Please, do what you want to me!" Gann shouted. Theron turned around to gaze at the man, who was crawling across the ground towards Theron. "Do whatever you want to me – just don't hurt my daughter."

Theron's eyes widened, and he looked down at Ana. "Daugh -" he was unable to finish, as Ana had shot a concussive blast straight at his midsection. The young man was launched off of his feet and collided with a wall. He flew through wall after wall, until he finally stopped falling. He pushed his battered and broken body to its feet and breathed heavily. "It'll take more than tha..."

Theron's voice trailed off as he saw where he was. Before him were three clear caskets containing stasis-preserved bodies. "Jagged Roan Fel III: Beloved Emperor, Husband, and Father. Kaera Satele Fel: Adored Empress, Wife, and Mother. Theron Draco Fel: Only Child of Jagged and Kaera Fel, Heir Apparent to the Empire. Died 70ATF."

Theron stared at the body of the young man – the boy – in the casket marked Theron. "Only... child? But I'm... I'm Theron... He's..." he asked the air. He heard a series of thuds in the room around him, but he did not notice who was with him. Theron walked towards the bodies and fell to his knees. "Am I not... No, I – I'm..."

"Theron," a kind voice said behind him. He looked up into Ana's eyes. "Theron, I -"

"I'm... I'm so sorry," Theron said hollowly. He looked back at the caskets.

"Theron Fel died ten years ago. I don't know who you are, but it was important someone believe this boy could be found, alive. You believed yourself Theron Fel, and you almost look the part, my boy," Gann explained from Horn's shoulder. "But you are not him. I'm sorry."

Theron shook his head. "I – I'm not – I..." His vision darkened, and he fell face first into the rubble on the ground.

"Theron!" Ana gasped. She rushed forward and turned the young man over on the ground. Color had returned to his skin, and his veins were no longer pushing out visibly from his cheeks. Ana tearfully pulled his eyelid open and stared at the steel-gray iris around his pupil.

"It'll be okay," she said, and she hugged the young man's shoulders. "It'll be okay."

SWSWSWSWSW

Nihl watched the whole event on a datapad from the comfort of his Palace on Dromund Kaas. He smiled in grim, terrible victory. "Horn and Gann's plan was enacted just as I thought. Your intelligence was perfect, Lord Mukao," the tattooed man said. He stood up from his throne in the ancient temple and walked over to the Sith before him. The Sullustan was bowing low.

"Thank you, Lord," the man replied.

"You have done well," Nihl said, his gravelly voice croaking out with congratulations. "You are an invaluable asset, Chancellor."

Sien Soon raised his head and stared into his master's cruel, red eyes. The Sullustan Sith smiled with evil satisfaction. "Thank you, Emperor."

A/N: Hey everyone, this is it: End of Act 1. It's been fun, and we are not near the end yet. Theron still has a lot of trials and tribulations to go through before the end, and so do his friends. If you've enjoyed our journey through this Star Wars pre-Disney fanfic, please leave a review. A real quick thanks to everyone following/favorite-ing/reviewing the story so far! May the Force be with you...