Chapter Ten:
Kaida Aftermath
Across the galaxy, there was shock, and there was silence.
The HoloNet was reporting the situation on Chandrilla extensively, from the first minutes of the aftermath. Chandrillan senators, including the wealthy Mon Mothma, issued statements, expressing their grief and terror. A day of mourning came to Chandrilla, as millions gathered to honor those who'd died in the calamity of what was described as a terrorist attack.
Within hours, security was tightening, and Chandrilla's leaders were vowing that such an attack would never happen again. For those who lived in the Galactic Empire, who supported the Imperial government, in the Core and beyond, all eyes were on Palpatine as they waited to hear what the Emperor had to say.
On the red world of Dathomir, away from the millions of mourners, a shadow listened, and observed. And the shadow had no sympathy, it reveled in the destruction, mocking the Empire's leader, and those who followed it.
This is how it feels to be Maul right now.
Your whole life led you to a moment like this, when you strike at a planet connected to your former master's Empire, after planning it so thoroughly. It was worth it, you made it worth it, and, for you, those deaths are nothing more than a price to pay for the eventual downfall of a regime.
It is in this moment, you remember your old potential, how you were destined to rule by your mentor's side until it was robbed from you on a world called Naboo.
You sought revenge against the Jedi, now you seek vengeance against both Sith and Jedi. You crave to destroy the man who used you as a pawn, and you hunger to kill the man who robbed you of your old destiny.
Palpatine had his victory, now you are playing your part in disrupting it.
You start small, before you go big. It will take many years, but you remember that you waited a decade to regain your strength and challenge Kenobi. You made him suffer, when you killed the woman he loved, and you still intended to kill him when the time came.
And then, you intended to kill Skywalker, along with Kenobi, as you ruled Mandalore. You still have a chance, it just takes time before you're truly ready.
This is how it feels to be Maul right now, and you continue to strike from the shadows...
On Coruscant, thousands gathered in the Senate, with little to say. All the senators had heard the Emperor would be appearing, he'd prepared a statement in response to the recent attack, and everyone wanted to hear what he had to say.
Mon Mothma stood in her pod, keeping an eye on the heart of the chamber, waiting for the Galaxy's leader to appear. While she was just as distraught as everyone else, she had little regard for Emperor Palpatine, seeing him as a despot, but she kept that well-hidden behind a mask she'd crafted perfectly.
An alarm blared, and a hatch in the floor opened. The large pod rose into the chambers, occupied by Mas Amedda, and Emperor Palpatine himself, wearing a black cloak and hood, which was said to hide his scarred visage from after the Jedi attempt to assassinate him.
The story was far from true, and no one knew, that Palpatine was a practitioner of the Dark Side, a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious, and the Jedi Rebellion was a lie.
The only one who knew the truth was Amedda, but he remained silent, along with many of the Emperor's closest advisors.
Silence settled in the chambers, and Palpatine faced the Senators as the pod came to a stop. Beneath the hood, his yellow eyes gleamed, and the decrepit Sith Lord let out a silent cough before he began his address as the Holo-Camera droids focused on the emperor:
"Members of the Imperial Congress. Within the first year of the New Order, as we have made progress to ensuring peace in the Galaxy for a safe and secure society, we have been met with many challenges that threaten the stability and order of a post-Clone War era. Yesterday, tragedy struck on the prosperous planet of Chandrilla.
"Two of our ships from the 911th fleet crashed into the Imperial financial district in the secondary tier city of Ardila, leaving countless thousands dead, and many more injured in the wake of this tragedy.
"Make no mistake, this wasn't an error by the ships' crews, this was an act of terrorism by forces seeking to destabilize our Empire and instill fear into our citizens. The destruction wrought upon Chandrilla, and the deaths witnessed there, will not be without consequence.
"Even with the conclusion of the Clone War, loyalists of the Separatist movement, and collaborators of the Jedi conspire from within and without to oppose our Order. We must stand strong, and show our enemies that our resolve is stronger than they think, and we shall work together to purge these traitors and barbarian terrorists from the Galaxy.
"Our navy and the valiant soldiers of the grand Stormtrooper Corps will hunt down the minds behind this act of barbarism, and will wipe out every last extremist who conspired to wreak havoc upon Chandrilla, a world full of loyalty and beauty. Either you are with us, or you stand against us all. Long... live... the Empire!"