Chapter 1 – A new mission

3 BBY – 16 years since the birth of the Empire.

"Lady Fel?"

Thea's eyes opened a tad at the sound of the voice emanating from behind her. It was the voice of Lieutenant Commander Nee. A good man, by all accounts. A young officer that was rising relatively quickly through the ranks. Clearly he had been sent down here for a reason, most likely a waiting transmission on the bridge.

She sighed and then spoke aloud, a deceivingly pleasant voice emerged from her mouth. "What is it, Commander Nee?"

"We just received a transmission," So it was exactly what she had expected then, another dull mission most likely. The young imperial continued. "From Lord Vader himself, ma'am. He asks that you return to the Imperial Palace at once."

Thea partially turned around at that, as far as someone on their knees could turn. Her mediation fully broken. "Imperial Palace? Did he say why?" The palace wasn't a place you'd choose to go. The former Jedi Temple, now the comfortable home of Emperor Palpatine. She hadn't been there in years, not since Palpatine had taken her under his wing and made her one of his Inquisitors. The Grand Inquisitor in fact. There had already been someone in that position, the only person who had joined before she had. The man didn't have a name as far she remembered. He had been a white skinned Pau'an. A temple guard, in his previous life. He had been skilled enough, but Thea had wanted that position. She had refused to settle for a lesser spot, one of the numbered brothers or sisters. So she slew him immediately and no one questioned her after that.

"There wasn't any further information then that. You know how Vader can be." The young man said as a kind of jest. She never minded jokes, of course. Vader wasn't the a topic she wanted to joke about though. The cyborg Sith Lord, the most terrifying figure in the empire. Even more then the Emperor himself, she thought. But she knew who he was. Truly. Beneath the mask.

She knew she was one of the only beings in the galaxy to now who he truly was. Skywalker. Thea had seen his face during Operation Knightfall, otherwise known as the extermination of every living Jedi at the temple a few years back. She had been one of the few Knights on planet at the time. She hadn't fought him though, seeing as she was still alive. He was a force of nature all on his own. He tore apart anyone or anything that stood in his way. She had stayed hidden while the slaughter happened and snuck out in the morning, cutting down a patrol of clones before they could call for help and tried to leave. Of course, it didn't happen. She walked out into even more clones and was eventually stunned.

Sometime later, she met Vader properly. He was already in the suit though. She always wondered how anyone could end up like that. A mystery she'd likely never know the truth of.

Thea rose fully to her height. The lightsaber that had been floating in front of her fell into her waiting palm. It had a curved hilt with the traditional silver color with some golden coloring down the hilt. She kept her orignial hilt as opposed to how every single other Inquisitor ended up using the eye sore of a hilt that switched between a single and double bladed version, and it also spun around to overwhelm opponents. They were all too reliant on their toys, since they were incapable of fighting any worthwhile Jedi without a gimmick saber. She never needed such toys.

Thea passed by the officer who seemed to shrink away from her as she came near. "Then I suppose I'll be off then. Tell Captain Verick to keep all three Venators at their current location. I'll be back in a day or so. Let the hanger bay techs know to prepare my fighter."

The man only nodded and headed off to attend to his duties. Thea watched him go for a few moments before walking off towards the hanger bay.

It was very unusual for an Inquisitor to command a small fleet like she did, which consisted of three Capital Class Venator ships, all upgraded of course. She didn't like the Star Destroyer models, though they were significantly bigger then a Venator, she preferred the large amount of fighters and options such a ship gave her. She also kept all the Republic model starfighters, as she found them superior to the Tie-fighters. Thea enjoyed elevating herself above her so-called peers. Just bloodthirsty hunters the lot of them, she didn't care for them, but they had their uses and she had beaten them into submission as quickly as they had fully formed into a group. For whatever that was worth. Most of them were dead now. Palaptine never replaced them, he most likely assumed their worth was nearly up, as there were scant few Jedi running around anymore.

Thea continued on her way, the snap-clicking of her boots through the hallways, cape billowing behind her. Her long mane of dark red hair flowing. Within a few minutes she found her way into the spacious hanger bay and found her black and silver Eta-2 starfighter, primed and ready to go. The last last of the techs finished fueling it and the black imperial astromech droid had already put into it's socket.

Thea slid herself into a the small cockpit and took off without a moments hesitation. The bridges crew had already been informed as her departure, so there was no reason to inform them. She rocket out of the open dorsal hangar doors and into the waiting hyperspace ring that had been launched earlier. She connected into it and felt the jolt as it locked her into place and her droid entered in the coordinates to Coursacant. The stars in front of her elongated as her ship rocketed forward as she entered the familiar blue tunnel of hyperspace travel. She closed her eyes then as she entered into a trance and awaited her arrival. It wouldn't take more then a few hours, but staring at nothing for such a long period was of no interest to her.

Some hours later she awoke to an annoying beeping as it indicated to her that they were about to leave hyperspace. Just as quick they appeared back in regular space, and she could see the the busy space lanes of Coursucant as well as the large city planet it self. There were multiple Star Destroyers posted around the system. An easy gig. No one would dare attack the capital.

Her ship broke though the clouds then and landed on one of the many open landing pads outside the Imperial Palace, and she quickly departed her ship and took long strides as she walked inside. As soon as she walked inside, she could feel them. Lord Vader and the Emperor. It even chilled her bones a bit, and she was used to them at this point, or as close to comfortable as one could become around two such beings.

She walked through the temple, sparing no time for thoughts of her former home. It meant nothing to her anymore. Before long she fond herself at the doors of the throne room, and continued to push on the doors opening wide before her and closing with a gentle hiss.

She didn't slow in her pace, and kneeled just as quickly at the seat of Palaptine, with the only other sound in the room being the hiss of Vaders respirator beside him.

"Grand Inquisitor Thea Fel," greeted the Emperor, though one could tell from his tone that he was anything but pleased. "So good of you to join us." The cold chill emanating from him doubled in it's intensity. It was almost strangling, being so near him like this. But though she was no Sith herself yet, she had done her best to learn their ways, and their techniques. She wasn't the type to sit by idly and let her power slowly decay. These two were always climbing higher in strength, and she intended to surpass them both. She had grown tired of following the commands of these two. At least Vader she respected, he was always busy chasing rebels or doing something at least. But Palpatine..

"Your thoughts betray you, Fel. Though you may be one of the last Inquisitors left alive, and your power utterly eclipses the rest. Do not think yourself more then you are." Palpatine said plainly. Irritation oozing from his words.

To be read so openly cooled a bit of the raging inferno of hatred she bore in her heart. "Of course, my master. I apologize," She responded quickly. "What is it you need of me?"

A thin smile appeared to crack the wrinkled visage of Palaptine face. "Why, what else? A mission for you. Your group has dwindled, and we can't have you gallivanting off in the Outer Rim forever. There have been several Jedi causing us issue the past few years. They've all managed to make quiet a name for themselves. Ones such as Kanan Jarus, Ezra Bridger, and Cal Kestis. You're to set out and immediate all of them. I will not have a proper Rebellion forming in this galaxy, especially one led by traitors. Seek them out, and destroy them. All of them. You will be given anything you might need to wipe them out. Do better then your former dead colleagues and you will be richly rewarded." Palpatine finished with a cruel smile.

"It will be done, my lord." Thea said simply and moved to leave the room. But the Emperor had a simple word yet. "Vader will of course be accompanying you. Between the two of you, I have no doubts you will succeed."

Thea bit her lip at that so hard she tasted blood. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with Vader, while she respected his single minded drive. He was an animal, he was just as likely to kill someone for a small screw up as not. He wasn't a proper Sith at all. Though, it did give her the once in a lifetime chance at killing him and taking his position for herself.

"As you command, my master."