Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.
Let's get to it.
Sectrooper: Hey, man, good to hear from you again. Unfortunately, that idea is just something I'm not a fan of, I'm sorry.
Us navy: Between the old Imperial ships, and the new ones of the Dark Empire, thousands of ships.
Chapter 79- The Broadcast
(February 6, 2053, Naboo)
"Come to mama!"
Rey smiles as she holds out her hands, a brilliant smile on her face. A few feet from her, Vestara toddles towards her, giggling wildly and holding out her arms towards her mother. Once Vestara reaches her, Rey laughs as she swoops her daughter up in her arms.
Vestara is now 15 months old, and is a bumbling, happy little toddler. She is learning to talk, having started learning sooner than normal, and with a larger vocabulary than is usual for toddlers her age. Her parents have also had to keep careful watch over her. They had realized soon after she was born that her strength in the Force was beyond what they had even first thought, and she does not yet have control over it. Needless to say, at around 10 months, when she first began using her powers, they proved themselves to be quite the troublemaker and bringer of chaos, simply because she didn't know her own strength or know better than to misbehave like that. They had tried their best to teach her not to, but teaching a toddler something like that is not something that is easy, so they just have to keep careful watch on her and stop her whenever she starts to misbehave with her powers.
Rey looks up as Ben walks over, holding some ice cream cones he got from a vendor set up on the edge of the park in Theed where he and Rey had brought Vestara for a day out together. Although Vestara wasn't yet old enough for regular sugar consumption, she could have occasional treats, and her favorite ice cream.
"A treat for my lovely ladies," Ben says with a smile. Rey smiles as she takes one of the cones from her husband. She starts eating hers while Ben starts spoon-feeding Vestara her ice cream. Vestara is absolutely delighted and giggling as she scarfs down her ice cream.
"These days are what give me the motivation to keep going, especially after operations like Umbara," Rey says. She and Ben had returned just a week ago from the invasion of Umbara. The capture of Umbara was critical, as it placed them in a great position to launch operations against the Core Worlds. However, the operation had been something of a bloodbath. Divisions amongst the Umbaran people between the two sides had led to confusion and civil conflicts among the Umbarans, and the capture of the planet had been a brutal affair. Although the planet was now in allied hands, they had sustained the highest casualties on the ground they had taken so far in the war in a single battle.
"Agreed. But any day with my two girls is a wonderful day," Ben says with a smile. Rey blushes slightly in response.
As they are sitting together, watching Vestara eat her ice cream, both feel a great sense of peace wash over them. They can't wait until the war is over and they can feel like this all the time.
Suddenly, from all across the park comes a strange mechanical crackling sound. Ben and Rey look around in confusion for the source of the sound, and see a man sitting a few yards away who had been listening to news broadcasts on a device that could be accurately described as a very advanced radio. "What's going on?" Ben asks.
"I'm not sure. I think someone's hacked into the broadcast," the guy responds.
Suddenly, from all across the park, echoing out of anything capable of receiving such a broadcast, a terrible voice filters out and fills the park. A terrifying voice, with a message of dread.
"At last the work of generations is complete. The great error is corrected. The day of victory is at hand. The day of revenge. The day of the Sith."
Ben is instantly on his feet, staring intently at the radio he had heard this most clearly from, fear surging through him. Oh, he knows that voice thanks to old videos he'd seen in the past. And that is a voice he could never forget.
"That's impossible," he mutters.
"What's impossible?" Rey asks. She was worried enough after hearing the broadcast, but seeing Ben's reaction has her more worried.
Ben turns around to look at her, and his eyes are filled with worry. "That…that was the voice of Emperor Palpatine," he says.
Shock floods through Rey. "Palpatine? But he died. Your grandfather killed him on the second Death Star," she says, horror filling her voice.
"He did. But I'd know that voice anywhere. It was him," Ben says. He is quiet for a moment before he mutters, "What just happened?"
(February 7, 2053)
All is quiet in the command center of Jonathan's HQ as the assembled group await the arrival of the Grand Admiral himself.
Needless to say, things are no longer peaceful on Naboo. The broadcast and the implications behind it were terrifying for the people of Naboo. Not only because of the fear of a possible return of the Emperor, but also because he was once of Naboo. Reports have also come in from around the galaxy, and the effects of the broadcast are rippling through the galaxy's populace.
Jonathan had called for this meeting to discuss the broadcast, but waited to give Galen Andor and his spy network time to try and verify if this broadcast really meant what everyone feared it did.
Gathered in the room are the top generals and admirals in Andromeda (with some attending by commlink call), Jared Hansen, Calvin Adams, Anakin Hall, Hania Nez, Zelda, Simone Biles, Jaina, Ben, and Rey. Luke, Kelly, and the leadership of the Resistance were also joining via holo-call.
At last, the door opens, and Jonathan walks in, followed by Admiral Jacobsen. Immediately, everyone can see the grave expression on Jonathan's face, and their hope for the best begins to diminish.
Jonathan reaches the conference table, resting his hands against it and looking at the situation maps being projected from it, not looking anyone in the eye yet. Silence reigns for several more seconds before Jared Hansen speaks up and asks, "Well, Jonathan. Did Galen get confirmation?"
Jonathan finally looks up, looking at everyone gathered around the table. He is quiet for a moment longer before he says, "Yes. I spoke with Galen Andor, and he confirmed that one of his deeply placed spies was able to listen in on a discussion between Kylo Ren and one of his generals, believed to be Allegiant General Enric Pryde, and what he heard confirms what we feared. Somehow, Palpatine has returned."
Complete silence reigns in the room as everyone digests this and their last hopes they were wrong are dashed. The way had finally seemed to be going in the Alliance's favor. And now, the worst possible thing that could've happened has happened.
"Are we sure we believe this? Are we sure Kylo Ren hasn't come up with this as some way to further way to legitimize his rule, or as some kind of propaganda effort to terrify the galaxy and destroy our morale," Zelda asks. Some think that she might have a point, as the morale of the Alliance's armies is already beginning to fall, and once this confirmation gets out, it could cause morale to plummet, and perhaps even people to start deserting out of fear of the Emperor.
"It can't be possible," one of the generals in the room mutters, the man refusing to believe that someone could just return from the dead like this.
"Maybe not," Luke pipes up. Everyone looks over at Luke, who continues as he says, "It is known only by a few, but there are ways to evade death through the Force. Perhaps the most common is that one can simply use the dark side, their anger, and hate to simply withstand wounds that would kill an ordinary person. Some Jedi have also been known to preserve their consciousness after death to some degree. And, deep within the histories of the Sith, there are rumors of some Sith that learned how to transfer their spirit from one body to another. Those records were hidden long ago, but myself and my son rediscovered some of them since the fall of the Empire."
"Seriously?" Jonathan asks.
"Yes. But he would've had to have a body prepared for himself in case his original body died. And of course he would. He had contingencies for contingencies," Luke says, half to the crowd and half to himself.
Suddenly, Calvin looks like he's been struck by lightning. People notice, and one of the generals asks, "General Adams, are you okay?"
"It's been him. Always, in the shadows," Calvin mutters. Seeing then the expressions on people's faces and the confusion, he states what he just realized, "All those decades ago, when I was trying to capture Moff Gideon, and ended up killing Lumiya…that Imperial remnant was dabbling in cloning, and they wanted Grogu badly…it was all for him. Palpatine was communicating with Lumiya. He must have had a clone boyd of himself made in case he died. And maybe, maybe they wanted Grogu so they could use the Force potential of his blood to try and create a better, more powerful body for the Emperor."
Shock ripples through the crowd, and Anakin is the one who breaks the silence as he mutters, "Palpatine has been pulling all of our strings for all these decades. We've all been pawns to him." Shivers begin to run down many spines as they realize just how deep Palpatine's influence goes.
Jonathan finally speaks up as he says, "Agent Andor gave me more information. According to what he was told, the Kylo Ren intends to ally with the Emperor, under a new banner: the Dark Empire. The followers Palpatine has amassed in the Unknown Regions have been building something for decades: the most powerful fleet the galaxy has ever known, augmented by old Imperial ships hidden away at the end of the Civil War all those years ago."
"That's why so many ships went missing at the end of the war," Jared mutters aloud. Jonathan nods to confirm it.
"Do we have any idea when they plan to make their move?" Leia asks.
"Yes. We were fortunate to overhear that. The fleet built and maintained by Palpatine's followers is not yet ready, and will take some more time to receive the final touches it needs to be combat ready. We have six weeks before attacks begin on all territory free of the First Order. And once the galaxy is subjugated, they are coming for Earth," Jonathan says. He pauses, then says, "Agent Andor also heard that the place they've been hiding for all these years is a world in the Unknown Regions called Exegol."
Immediately, Luke and Kelly perk up a bit. Everyone sees this and looks over at them. "Master Skywalker, do you and your wife know anything about this place?"
"Yes, a little," Luke says. He pauses before saying, "Exegol's location has never been known save to the Sith. It is the secret fortress world of the Sith, a place they could retreat to if all else failed. But next to nothing else is known about it. The only way to get there, if you didn't already know how, was with a Sith wayfinder built to lead the way to the planet.."
"Maybe," Calvin suddenly pipes up. Everyone looks at him, and he says, "During the Civil War, the Empire was trying to map the way to Exegol. I know this because after the Civil War, the Joint Command commissioned a journey to try and find Exegol, and they sent Admiral Pellaeon and my old friend, David Ronen, to lead it, since Pellaeon had been involved in the Imperial efforts. And it was during that mission that the Hood disappeared." Everyone is quiet for a moment, the story of the disappearance of the Hood weighing heavy on their minds.
Jonathan is the one to finally break the silence. With an iron look on his face, he says, "Ben, Rey, I have a mission for you. I need you to try and find a Sith wayfinder in case we can't find another way to Exegol, and I need you to draw the attention of Kylo Ren while I prepare our forces for an assault against Exegol. If we are going to have any chance of defeating the Emperor, we have to hit him on his turf before he's ready."
Ben and Rey both quickly respond in sync with each other, "Yes, Grand Admiral."
"I'm going too. Two searches are better than one," Jaina pipes up, her face firm.
"Not alone, you're not. I'll go with you," Anakin says. Jaina looks at him and gives him a thankful nod.
"Very well," Jonathan says. Jonathan then looks at Leia and says, "General, we need everything we can get to stop this Dark Empire. While we wait for a way to Exegol, you need to do everything you can to gather every ship possible from across the galaxy. Anyone who wants to preserve their freedom needs to join us now, because its now or never."
"We will do our best, Grand Admiral," Leia responds.
Jonathan looks quietly around at everyone around the table before he says, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is it. If we win here, our victory in this war will be all but guaranteed. If we lose, then both galaxies fall. This is a battle none of us can afford to lose. This is the key point not just of the war, but of history. We have to win here. Losing is not an option."
And, I'll end the chapter there.
I hoped you liked this one, and the effects we saw the broadcast have on people we're familiar with. I also hope you liked how I showed them connecting the dots to realize how much Palpatine has been behind.
Alright, the next chapter will actually be up today, as I'm giving you guys a double upload day. Still, please leave a review, and stay tuned!