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Chapter 5

The great hall of the Imperial Palace on Coruscant echoed with the heavy footsteps of the Emperor's crimson-robed guards as they filed into position along the walls. The vast chamber, cold and dark, was lit only by the pale, artificial light filtering through the towering windows that overlooked the city-planet's skyline. The air was thick with anticipation and a sense of intimidation the Emperor himself entered, his form shrouded in the shadows of his deep, black cloak. His presence alone was enough to send a chill through the spines of the highest-ranking officials in the Empire.

The Imperial Senate chamber had been cleared of its usual occupants, the rows of seats empty save for the small cluster of the most influential senators who had been summoned for this final gathering. They stood in uneasy silence as the Emperor took his place on the central dais, his twisted features hidden beneath the hood that obscured his face. The sound of the city outside was faint, barely audible over the oppressive silence within the chamber.

Palpatine's voice, when he finally spoke, was a low, gravelly murmur that appeared to seep into the very walls of the chamber.

"The time has come," he began, his words slow and deliberate, "for the final vestiges of the Old Republic to be swept away."

The Senate's power had already been incredibly diluted. Just a token entity that many in the galaxy saw as wholly ineffective. The issue of security was no longer a problem… that was basically what the Empire was selling to its citizens. Those who supported the Empire were going to generally be ok with sacrificing individual freedoms for what they thought would lead to greater safety, prosperity, and security. Those same people see the Senate as a bureaucratic relic that stands in the way of those goals.

"The Senate has served its purpose… and now, it is no longer needed."

A murmur ran through the assembled senators, their faces paling as the reality of the situation dawned on them. For years, they had clung to their positions, believing that they still held some measure of influence within the Empire. But now, standing before the embodiment of power itself, they realized how naive they had been.

"The Imperial Senate," the Emperor continued, his voice rising slightly, barely able to contain his glee, "is hereby dissolved. As of this moment, all authority is transferred to regional governors and military command."

The words hung in the air. The Senator exchanged fearful glances, knowing there was nothing they could do to resist. The dissolution of the Senate was the final nail in the coffin of the Republic, the last illusion of democracy within the Empire shattered. The last time he felt like this was during the Declaration of the Empire.

At any other time, Palpatine's proclamation would have resulted in a Civil War. The local governments would pull back their systems within the Empire, join the Rebellion, or form their own systems. However, this had been the great conclusion of the Sith having a rule over the galaxy. For the Emperor to dissolve the Senate, it took decades, and only after mimicking the act of being everyone else's pawns when he'd established direct control in the sectors of the Core.

As the Emperor's declaration settled into the minds of those present, he felt a subtle shift in the Force—an almost imperceptible disturbance, like a faint mutter at the edge of his consciousness. His eyes narrowed beneath his hood as he searched deeper into the sensation, searching for its source.

The disturbance was not just one of opposition or rebellion, but rather something more elusive, more profound. It was as if the Dark Side itself pulsated, a ripple spreading out.

A distant spike of revolution gripped the Emperor. Muffled echoes of determination, fierceness, and cold finesse. No matter how faint, those echoes were similar. The Sith Emperor concentrated on them, seeking Vader.

Eventually, he tracked him down, following the acute echoes of newfound emotions engulfing him. When he did, Vader's signature was clear. Darth Sidious pushed against his former Apprentice, attempting to ensnare him. Instead, he faced a wall of resistance, interlocked by another Force Signature, this one far stronger.

The Dark Lord couldn't reach Vader. However, the vipers he received from him sharpened. He could see the icy chillness of newfound conviction.

The familiar face of Tarkin's, etched with terror, gripped by an invisible hand. An infuriated roar of another vibrated in his head. Conflicted faces were exchanged as they lingered on the premises of life and death.

Stormtroopers charged forward, shooting their blasters. One pinned to the wall, armor breaking through. There was no brutality in the strikes. No anger.

The vision shifted again. He was in a corridor. A trooper turned around, terror implanted behind him. The armored man shot three times and a green blade slid through his chest. Another hand through the Force sending one flying back. The green blade cut another scream short, replacing it with deafening silence.

The visions continued to plague Darth Sidious until all he could get was dead silence. It was the first time in years Darth Sidious had to resist stumbling.

'Betrayal,' echoed in his mind.

Owen Lars hated Obi-Wan Kenobi for several reasons. He was around before, during, and after the Clone Wars, and knew exactly who Kenobi and Anakin were; Jedi in the conflict that altered the galaxy forever. He resented Kenobi for believing that the old hermit in hiding would draw Luke, whom he viewed as a son, into the drama that ripped the galaxy apart, and that Kenobi was still a part of that forsaken religion.

Before Kenobi went into exile on Tatooine, not too far from where Luke, Owen, and his wife Beru lived, he entrusted the infant Skywalker to the care of the Lars family. The Lars family accepted Luke with open arms and promised to raise him.

Owen was a moisture farmer who genuinely loved Luke. Meanwhile, Kenobi secretly kept tabs on Luke, which angered Owen. They had many altercations, and Owen forbade Kenobi from speaking to young Luke. This was out of fear that the Jedi in hiding would convince the boy to follow him on some foolhardy quest and ruin his life.

Owen knew that Kenobi and Anakin were once friends, but now partially blamed Kenobi for ruining Anakin's life. He didn't want Luke to follow in his father's footsteps. For years, he feared what Darth Vader and the Empire would do to himself and his family if they ever learned of what happened to Luke, and Kenobi's involvement in hiding the young Skywalker. They feared what Luke would do if they ever told him the truth, and worried that one day Kenobi would reveal it to him.

Owen was right all along and warned Kenobi to stay away from him and his family. But no matter how hard he attempted to stop Obi-Wan and Luke from sharing the past, fate made their paths intersect, and once again the Skywalker family was drawn into the Galactic spotlight.

His anger bubbled up inside of him, and he had a hard time not lunging at the man. While he was starting to accept Luke was a Jedi in the future, he didn't find amusement in the slightest at the fact that Kenobi, in essence, manipulated Luke. Telling the boy the same bantha bullshit that he'd told both him and Beru.

Darth Vader betrayed and murdered Anakin Skywalker.

"Kenobi, we need to talk now," he demanded, because he wasn't going to allow Kenobi to manipulate Leia - the young girl - into believing foolish dreams. Anything Kenobi did, she would not leave his or Beru's side. Not until Luke returned.

Kenobi nodded curtly and followed, leaving the young girl who stared after in confusion.

Once they were some distance away, out of hearing distance, Owen turned to look at Ben, who was still arching his eyebrows, with a clear panic across his face, indicating how he felt.

"Where is Luke, Owen? I do not-"

"I'm asking the questions here, you son of a Krayt Dragon!" Owen snapped, stunning the Jedi. "Why did you lie to Luke and us for all those years, making us believe Anakin Skywalker was dead when he's actually Darth Vader?"

Obi-Wan's face paled. Slowly, he asked, "...You know?"

"Yes, and Luke does as well," Owen replied sharply, shocking him. "Why did you lie to my boy?"

"You don't understand, Owen." Kenobi's response was layered with deep weariness. "Vader murdered Anakin. He'd slaughtered the entire Jedi Temple, including children. He's a monster. Luke could never know the truth for his own good."

Alas, he couldn't fault him entirely. Some part of him understood that. Owen nodded. "I understand. I would never approve of the massacre of children, but Luke and Leia still live." It was still odd to say her name.

"Luke is just beginning his journey to find himself. Find his place and his power. The last thing he needs to know is that he is the son of a failed and fallen Jedi, and known throughout the Empire as a cold murderer, a pawn of the Emperor."

That re-ignited the anger within him. "He's not some bloody tool, Kenobi! He was raised with a family and attached heavily! That does not make him evil! That makes him human!" Owen hissed. "Did you not consider the psychological issues that could have happened if Luke killed his own father? And the girl?!"

That girl was young enough to be his daughter, and Kenobi believed he would protect both of them.

"I had to protect him," Obi-Wan proclaimed somberly. "I knew that if Vader deserved the truth, he would turn both of them into weapons."

Owen scoffed. "Do you ever hear yourself, Kenobi? I imagine someone who cares deeply about people like Anakin wouldn't ever go away. My stepmother used to tell me that." Pain found its way into his old heart at the memory of Shmi Skywalker after all these years. "I never thought even you would be cruel. Even I have my limits."

"Cruel?" Kenobi repeated the word as if he'd heard it for the first time. He pointed his index finger at the moisture farmer. "You have no idea of balance."

"Keeping the children away from him, I can understand. Separating them even, I can see. But raising them to kill him without thought to their well-being instead of fixing your own bloody mess! You're a karking Hutt, Kenobi!"

Kenobi grimaced. Guilt illuminated across his face. "You don't understand, Owen," he responded. "He's a Sith. He would hurt them."

Owen gave him a nasty glare. "Do you ever wonder how he would turn out like this? After you demanded that he let go of his mother who got raped and tortured to death?" He shook his head. "Why is it so difficult for you to accept the truth?" he inquired. "Anakin and Vader are the same person."

"They're not," Kenobi denied furiously.

"Yes, they are!" he growled. "Listen for once, Kenobi!" Inhale, exhale... "Anakin was known as Anakin until he took on the name Darth Vader. He's the same person, even if he or you don't want to admit it."

Obi-Wan Kenobi winced, "I know the truth. The Anakin you knew is gone..."

"How do they get their names?" Owen asked. "Those..."

Oh, what was that word?

"Sith?" Kenobi elaborated. "From the old archives, it is claimed that they came from their Sith Masters," the Jedi sighed.

"Then what was Vader's name before he became a Sith?" Owen inquired rhetorically.

"Anakin is dead." Obi-Wan deflected, "Vader murdered him." How many times would they have to go through this?!

"Who is running around in that suit?" Owen groaned.

"Vader."

"It's Anakin!" Owen hissed. "I will admit that I did tell Luke Anakin was a navigator on the spice freighter, but that was because I thought he was dead. You lied to me and my wife! Lied to Luke! Had I known Anakin was alive, I would have never lied to him, because he needs to know the truth." Owen meant it. He would have told Luke the truth when he was old enough, simply because of how popular Vader was, even out here.

Kenobi sighed, "Vader is not Anakin, Owen."

Kenobi was starting to get on his nerves. "What is Vader's birth name?" Okay, try this again.

Obi-Wan's eyes light up in wonder briefly, then return to a placid expression. "He was always Vader."

"Oh really? So Shmi Skywalker named him Darth Vader?" he posed sarcastically, "No, he was and is Anakin Skywalker."

"I cannot accept that," Kenobi retorted."

"For a dead man, he seems almost just fine," Owen said pointedly, "and that's the most important thing. You placed all of your burdens on two children. Killing those children is inexcusable. Yes! Grooming, brainwashing, and manipulating them is even worse, I argue, simply because you could have left so much mental trauma on both of them for life."

"He killed my brother! I loved him! Vader would never do the things he did! Never!" Kenobi's patience was frayed, deep grief and horror coming across his face now.

"Your denial is not helping anyone at all," Owen replied simply. "Did Anakin came to you about his mother? I remember he was desperate when he came back here."

"Yes," Obi-Wan relented, "he had a vision about his mother's death, and I gave him the advice he needed to hear. If he had listened to m-"

Owen sighed in irritation and mentally counted to ten. He didn't know much about the Jedi, but he knew they were powerful. Ironically, if Kenobi had listened to Anakin, they wouldn't be having this discussion!

"Kenobi, Anakin wasn't just another unfeeling monk. He'd grown up with his mother in a life of slavery. Exceptions should have been made." Owen grunted. "Do you really think if Anakin was stressed out enough to lose a loved one after he lost his mother that he wouldn't do everything in those telekinesis tricks of yours to save her?"

"The Jedi didn't permit attachments, Owen, it was for the reason he fell to save his wife."

"No, he fell because you were all a collection of fossils and didn't allow him to go back to save his mother. He was scared and desperate the last time I saw him, and he had every right to be! We all know what you wizards are able to do with that much power! He didn't listen to you because you failed with his mother!"

Obi-Wan's eyes darted. "Anakin couldn't accept the reality of the moment. If he had, he would have been able to accept his mother's passing. He wa... he murdered children, Owen!"

"I'll say it again. He shouldn't have. It was barbaric and inhumane." He felt a brief, tiny bit of pity for the other man for his expression. "But you spectacularly refuse to own up to your mistakes and just pinned the responsibility of fixing the galaxy and dealing with Vader onto the next generation. You are planning to lie to Luke to get him to commit patricide." Owen snarled. "Don't you know if he kills the Emperor—a fairly popular figure, he will be seen as a mass murderer needing to be put down by the heart of the Imperial Armed Forces and other people in the galaxy."

Obi-Wan's eyes widen, face cold as ice... "I hadn't consider that," he admitted.

"And Leia will not be put through that. We will keep her safe until Luke returns."

Kenobi held out his hand, "I..."

"Nothing you say is changing my mind."

"Where is Luke?!" It clearly took all within the Jedi not to grab his shoulders and begin to shake. "Owen! Please! I need to talk to him!"

Owen smiled in genuine fondness. "Exactly where he should be."

Author's note: Sorry, no Luke or Vader here, but this chapter needed to happen to establish some things. I'll try not to make the next update take too long. No promises. Lol

Mara Jade will be coming sooner or later. For now, she is still active as the Emperor's spy and likely on a mission. I do have a plan for her to be included as a major part of this story.

Also, this will not be an easy "Luke and/or Vader goes and kills the Emperor and claims the Empire" story. In my opinion, if Vader had survived Endor, or another successful attempt to destroy Sidious, then when he moved to keep the Empire intact, he would have encountered a lot of antagonism in the Core due to his deeds and reputation, along with a fair number of the military, from people who didn't want to be blamed for oversights and blunders. Regardless of whether he redeems his reputation and makes the right amount of deals, Vader taking over may still be seen as a power grab by at least a fraction of the Empire. That said, Vader is intelligent and has Luke helping him. Both are going to have a lot of work to do.

May the Force be with you all always.