"Sirs," the aide cried out. "Relinka Spetzv has just started to broadcast an update on Vader's actions."

Luke gestured urgently and a holoscreen rapidly dropped into position, a remote leaped into the air and into Luke's hand, and the fledgling Jedi hit the appropriate buttons.

The screen lit up to reveal Relinka Spetzv, her dark hair braided, her face made up lightly. In the weeks since her "abduction", the former bubbly Imperial Holonet Host had grown increasingly serious. However, there was no sign of abuse; indeed, the woman seemed genuinely excited by the strange path her life had taken.

"Relinka Spetzv here," the woman said. "We are currently in orbit around Tatooine, a desert world in the Outer Rim. The footage I am about to show was taken less than 12 hours ago when Lord Vader and Padme Amidala, along with a legion of Stormtroopers, descended to the palace of a local crime Lord, Jabba the Hutt."

The screen shifted to show a long, dark tunnel, and the holobeing carrying it hurried behind Relinka, who was in turn hurrying after a group of Stormtroopers. As the group penetrated deeper into the darkness, the holocam began picking up the sounds of screaming and shrieking, along with blaster fire and a peculiar buzzing sound which was familiar to people who had interacted with a Jedi Knight or a Sith Lord in battle.

Luke and Leia leaned forward, thrilled with excitement which was not unmixed with dread. They knew, because Master Yoda had told them, that their father was an incredible swordsman, but they had never actually seen him in action.

A moment later, they found themselves awestruck, amazed, and intimidated. The holobeing had reached a large, low room with a large corpse sitting slumped on a dais.

A very large corpse.

"Is that…?" Leia asked.

"Jabba, yes," Solo finished, and then all fell silent as the cyborg Sith continued his dangerous dance around the room, his red lightsaber shifting and moving in the comparative darkness, deflecting a bolt here, slicing off a head there. Most of the stormtroopers, it seemed, had been tasked with protecting Amidala, who was standing near the entrance to the great room surrounded by guards.

The remaining troopers were either disappearing into corridors, or blocking off exits. Luke guessed that some of the troopers were finding slaves and freeing them; that was one of the main goals of Padme and Vader, to free slaves on various planets around the galaxy.

He approved thoroughly, of course, but most of his brain power was focused currently on his father, whose skill with the blade was incredibly intimidating. At his current level of training, Luke guessed he would survive about ten seconds against the Sith.

Assuming, of course, that the Dark Lord wanted him dead. Which, apparently, he did not. That was a reassuring thought.

"Well," Han said aloud, "I guess we don't have to pay Jabba back, Chewie!"

/

Imperial Palace

Imperial City

Imperial Center

A few hours later

Darth Sidious, Emperor Palpatine, flicked an irritable pinky finger at the holoscreen, causing it to rise smoothly up to disappear into the ceiling.

He rotated his throne to face out toward Imperial City, which spread beyond the windows into the distance. The planet was essentially one giant city; as far as the eye could see, there were buildings and towers and more buildings and more towers, all filled with sentients.

He pushed a button on his armrest and a footrest lifted up, allowing him to prop his aged feet into a comfortable position.

He was getting old, he thought piteously. Too old for this nonsense, anyway.

Two months ago, everything had been delightful in the galaxy. The Rebellion was being chased from one pathetic base to another. Vader was being his usual, efficient, rampaging self, with total hatred toward all things Jedi and total loyalty toward his master.

And then, the Force had played a very cruel prank on Darth Sidious by bringing Padme Amidala Naberrie Skywalker twenty plus years into the future.

He had, at first, refused to believe it. No one could time travel. But there was no other real explanation for what was going on. First, Vader obviously believed that the female in question was his long lost wife and he, presumably, would know. He had known Padme, loved Padme, slept with Padme. He would be able to tell the difference between the genuine article and a clone or imposter.

Second, Palpatine had watched all of Padme's interactions with Relinka Spetzv, his abducted Holonet Host. Padme Amidala had always had a presence. She was not a Force sensitive, but her words, her tones, her face, her form, her very movements, had inspired devotion in those who followed in her train.

She had captivated Jedi, Gungans, politicians, and, worst of all, Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader.

Vader had broken the Force bond between Sidious and himself some weeks ago.

The whole fabric of the Force was a maelstrom of confusion. What had once been clear, was now shrouded. What had once been Darkness, was now tinged with Light. What had once been a tamed loth cat kitten was now an irritable rancor.

He was confused and uncomfortable and angry, and yes, afraid. The Force continued to slip and slide and move around him, as if his grip was oily. The Force thrummed in his ears "danger danger danger" but he did not know exactly where the danger was coming from. Vader, of course, but when? And where? And how?

He had not left Imperial Center in more than a month.

He had not left the Imperial Palace in more than two weeks.

He felt like a prisoner. He was, of course, a very wealthy prisoner, with anything he wanted at his fingertips, but he dared not leave.

Because yes, he was afraid.

Darth Vader was coming for him.

Padme Amidala Naberrie Skywalker was coming for him.

For all he knew, the young Luke Skywalker (whose blazing growth in the Force was keeping Palpatine awake at nights) was coming for him.

The latter was actually a positive thought – if he could capture Luke Skywalker, he could turn the boy and take him as his apprentice.

But Skywalker had not been sighted in the last four weeks. It seemed the boy was lying low, which was remarkable given his parentage.

Palpatine snarled aloud, and felt his guards quiver slightly in terror.

He needed a little stress relief, now, and the best relaxation he knew was to torture someone to death with Force lightning. The pain and fear did wonders for his Force powers, and he could imagine that he was punishing Vader, which made him happy.

The question was, whom should he kill? He had already murdered sixteen royal guards in the last four weeks and while there were dozens more fully trained men, they weren't all at Imperial City. He should wait on killing more guards until a new legion arrived from their training grounds on Corellia.

He sighed, wrinkled his aged nose, and pressed a button. "Send Advisor Knells to me immediately," he ordered.

"Yes, your highness," a disembodied voice answered with commendable promptness. He wouldn't kill that person today, anyway. Maybe another day, but not today.

Five minutes later, Knells arrived, his face carefully blank though his entire being was consumed with terror. The man marched bravely toward his doom and then dropped to one knee, his head bowed.

"It seems that Lord Vader and his fleet are orbiting Tatooine," the Emperor remarked.

"Yes, your Highness," Knells said meekly.

"Do we have a fleet available to intercept Executor within the next six hours?" Palpatine demanded.

Knells hesitated for a just a moment and then, eyes still focused on the floor, admitted, "No, your Highness. The nearest fleet is orbiting Pasaana, and it will take at least a day to ..."

"That is unacceptable!" the Sith hissed, rolling to his ancient feet (daintily avoiding the footrest in the process) and throwing Force Lightning at the hapless advisor. "I gave orders that a fleet be available to intercept Vader wherever he might appear!"

This was, of course, an impossible order but the Emperor hardly cared about that. He just wanted to kill someone, and Knells, while reasonably gifted, could be sacrificed.

Knells fell to the ground, screaming with agony, though he did not beg. There was no point, and he knew it.

Palpatine settled down to enjoy himself. He could alter the strength of the lightning bolts to make the entire ordeal last longer and...

The first strike from the Force pike took him entirely by surprise, and the second strike was so agonizing, along with being so ... so... impossible, that it took him a moment to react.

When he turned, drawing on the Force to remain conscious and standing, he found himself facing the blank helmet of one of his red guards who, having struck him with the Force pike, now took a hasty step back.

He was so incredulous that it took him a moment to respond. One of his own guards? Had attacked him? Their master? Their lord? Their god?

He would, of course, kill this one slowly and very painfully and...

Another pike struck him in the back and he whirled around in disbelief. And now he was surrounded by red guards, all with Force pikes at the ready, all with blank masks shielding faces which were, he sensed, twisted with hate.

He raised his hands to throw the men, and was immediately struck again with a Force pike. He dropped his hands and reached frantically for the Force but his body was shaking, as was his mind, and the power was slipping.

More strikes, more strikes, and he was old, and he was weary, and it hurt, oh how it hurt!

He was on the ground now, and the guards were all over him, their pikes striking his body as it jerked and quivered. He was nearly unconscious now, but his eyes caught a glimmer of red, and there was a familiar buzzing sound and...

Then darkness.

Advisor Knells lurched painfully to his feet and stared in disbelief at the sight of the red guards standing in a circle. As he watched, they all took one step backwards in unison, and Knells looked down upon the corpse of Emperor Palpatine which was no longer attached to his head. One of the guards, he realized belatedly, was holding a red bladed lightsaber and presumably had just decapitated his master. Their master.

"Wuh…?" he muttered through slack lips. "Wha…?"

"He killed my brother two weeks ago," one of the red coated guards said.

"And my close friend a week ago," said another.

"We decided he had to die," said a third.

"He is … was always distracted when killing someone with Force Lightning," said a fourth.

"So we killed him," the fifth said.

Knells was caught between gratitude for not being tortured to death, shock at such an incredible betrayal, and genuine terror.

"What are you going to do?" he stuttered.

"We have someone who can erase our files," one of them said.

"And basically no one notices our faces," another one said. "We're going to ditch these stupid outfits and throw them into an incinerator and disappear into the underbelly of Imperial Center."

"Coruscant," another one admonished.

"Yeah, Imperial Center is a stupid name," said the first guy.

Knells blinked, pondered, and twitched for five seconds before saying, "Can I come with you?"

"Sure!" the guards chorused.