Chapter Eight - Heir to the Empire
Back on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine emerged from the shadows of his private office to address the Galactic Senate. Though he appeared battered and weakened from his confrontation with the Jedi, his charismatic presence was undiminished. A shimmering blue hologram of the Chancellor flickered to life on the central podium, looming over the vast arena filled with thousands of delegates.
"My friends, we have suffered a grave betrayal," Palpatine began, his voice heavy with tragedy. "The Jedi Order, that once noble group now blinded by lust for power, has attempted to seize control of the Republic."
As Palpatine continued spinning his web of lies, tears glistened in his yellow eyes, eliciting outrage and mourning from the gathered senators. They cried out angrily, demanding justice against the treasonous Jedi.
"My brave soldiers, so many loyal clones forced to do their duty to stop the chaos..." Palpatine's voice hitched with false grief. "Our noble peacekeepers cut down while defending democracy against the Jedi threat."
The Senate roared in fury; the sound echoing throughout the massive chamber. Palpatine waited for the clamor to die down before continuing his address. "The Jedi rebellion has been defeated. But at such terrible cost. Their terrorist actions have left scars across our galaxy that will take generations to heal."
With well-practiced sincerity, Palpatine praised the clone troopers for remaining loyal to the Republic in the face of the Jedi's betrayal. He claimed the Jedi had orchestrated the entire war, manufacturing crises to increase their own power. The Senate ate up his lies and half-truths, eager for someone to blame.
As Palpatine concluded, he announced the Jedi Order defeated and the Republic to be reorganized into a Galactic Empire for increased security. One Palpatine would shepherd into a bright new era that himself as Emperor. The Senate exploded into wild cheers at this declaration, thunderous applause echoing amid the podiums.
"We will hunt down these traitors no matter where in the galaxy they try to hide," Palpatine declared viciously, his triumphant glare piercing through the hologram. "Any surviving Jedi will be executed for their heinous crimes against civilization. To preserve order during this transition, I name my most trusted protegee, Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss, as commander of our glorious Imperial forces. He will lead the Empire as my second in command."
Lightyears away, on the remote asteroid mining base of Polis Massa, Obi-Wan Kenobi grimly switched off the HoloNet broadcast of Palpatine's grandiose speech. He turned to the other Jedi exiles gathered around him, faces etched with worry in the stark white light of the medical facility.
"A Holographic recording. Palpatine prepared for this," Obi-Wan said bleakly. "He wasted no time claiming absolute power for the Sith."
Anakin Skywalker slammed a fist against the cold metal wall in frustration, the echo resounding through the room. "Thrawn. I never would have guessed he was the true threat lurking in the shadows. Palpatine's protégée. Even in death, the dark lord's machinations continue to hunt us." His jaw clenched. "Now billions will suffer under this Empire's iron rule."
Yoda leaned wearily on his gnarled gimer stick, looking all of his nine hundred years. "Done. What is past cannot be undone," the wise old Master cautioned. "Focus on the living Force in the present moment, we must." He beckoned the dispirited Jedi into a circle.
"Though weakened and few in number we are, survive the Jedi Order still can. But careful in the shadows we must remain. Avoid Imperial detection at all costs, until the time to strike back is right."
The ragtag group of Jedi survivors knew Yoda spoke prudently. Until they could quietly rebuild their strength and allies, open defiance of the newly installed Empire would mean only swifter eradication. For now, they must disperse and melt into the fabric of the galaxy, carrying the fading embers of hope until the day came to reignite the flame of freedom.
Anakin's thoughts turned to his wife, Senator Amidala, still recovering from her injury back on Coruscant, now trapped in the serpent's nest of Palpatine's regime. Anakin had travelled immediately when his master sent him a message to gather everyone together, but he had not expected this. He did not expect Thrawn to use Sidious' death to his advantage and take control of the Republic, now an Empire, using the voice and form of a dead man. He feared for Padmé's safety, but took small comfort knowing she could plausibly hide her ties to the Jedi. To the public, she was still believed loyal to the Republic and its new emperor. Only a selected few knew about their relationship.
"What of the other survivors?" Anakin asked Yoda grimly. "Surely Thrawn will double his efforts to hunt down and exterminate any Jedi who managed to escape the slaughter." The thought of the newly knighted and utterly defenseless younglings endangered by the Sith Lord's extermination campaign made Anakin's blood boil.
Yoda's green ears drooped sorrowfully as he nodded. "Yes, yes. To the Outer Rim they must be taken and hidden away from the Empire's sight. Shielded from detection until ready to be properly trained they are." The old Master studied Anakin pensively before continuing. "When the time is right, complete their training you shall, Master Skywalker."
Anakin straightened his shoulders, solemnly embracing the crucial responsibility Yoda had entrusted to him - ensuring the next generation of Jedi Knights survived in secret to one day restore balance to the Force.
With their meeting concluded, the ragtag group of Jedi survivors prepared to scatter across the far reaches of the galaxy. Each had their own essential roles to play in preserving the legacy of the Order while evading the newly ascendant Imperial forces hunting them. And when the time was right, they would emerge from the shadows into open rebellion to take the fight back to the protegee who had engineered their downfall.
Before departing, Anakin placed an encrypted transmission to Padmé, urging her to go deeper into hiding and make no overt moves against Thrawn's regime just yet. Though it pained him greatly to leave her so alone and vulnerable, he knew their best hope was to bide their time.
"Even with Palpatine gone, the Sith legacy remains a threat so long as adepts like Thrawn are still at large."
"Have faith, my love. I promise you, our children will grow up in a galaxy free from tyranny," Anakin vowed to her image. "This is not the end for the Jedi. Nor for hope itself."
One by one, the nondescript, battered ships lifted off from the secret base on Polis Massa, each charting their own carefully plotted a course through the stars to avoid Imperial patrols. For now, through treachery and manipulation, the Sith had won this dark day. But Palpatine's legacy would not go unchallenged for long. From the ashes of the Jedi Order's defeat, the first seeds of organized rebellion had been planted. And Anakin Skywalker would be instrumental in their growth in the difficult days to come.
