Chapter 33 - Preparations

Vader's desk in the Imperial Palace looked as though a machinists toolbox fell on top of it. Spare parts spilled across the surface. Plasma cutters sparked, electro-meters ticked away measuring power flow, and micro-servo components flew across the room into a waiting hand. Chests of supplies and raw material off in one corner remained open, given how often they saw use. In the last few days, the highest office in the galaxy became more workshop than seat of government.

"Mmmm…"

The Dark Lord of the Sith narrowed his one good eye and picked up another tool, adjusting the internal wiring beneath a section of forearm plating. After a moment he opened and closed his prosthetic fist. "Acceptable."

Normally such work, highly personal, took place in the workshop connected to his private quarters. However, it was currently being moved by Palace droids down into the depths beneath, into the very heart of the ancient Vergence in the Force. One which existed since Coruscant was covered in plant life. The lowest, deepest part of the former Jedi Temple, a place even Master Yoda, for all his years and wisdom, rarely ventured.

Now, Vader found himself doing repairs here.

Not that it was without merit.

"One hour." He said to himself. He looked at the black death mask staring back at him. His iconic helmet sat on the desk. He'd taken it off, preferring to perform repairs using his own eye. Even so, He'd been breathing unassisted all that time. A familiar ache returned to his lungs in the last few minutes, but even that came slowly. "I am healing."

The last week was a busy one. Apart from many political matters demanding Emperor Vader's attention, he'd begun his search of Palpatine's properties and storage warehouses. The cunning, old Sith, appropriately cautious and paranoid, spent a great deal of time and money setting up numerous locations to hide his wealth, his possessions, and most importantly his experiments into the Dark Side and ancient Sith Alchemy. Things Vader now required. More than a few held nothing but death traps. A scratch running across one side of the helmet was proof of that. One excursion even led Vader into the belly of a medical center, where he recovered a massive, pulsating red crystal suffused with Dark Sid energies.

So far, Vader's greatest prize? The discovery of a laboratory. Given the information found on a pair of Holocron, it seemed to be the former private domain of one Hego Damask, the true name of Sidious' Sith master, Darth Plagueis. Therein, Vader discovered the remains of a library containing research into life, death, and manipulation through the Force. Plagueis combined Sith Alchemy and the most advance science and technology he could acquire. Given his obvious wealth, this was no meager amount. The knowledge alone was beyond value, to say nothing of the equipment even now being moved into the Imperial Palace. More than that, hidden deep in the sub-basement, one located down a long shaft and into the lowest levels of Coruscant, Vader found bodies. Preserved. Awaiting dissection, experimentation and whatever else Palpatine and Demask might have planned. And amongst them, Vader saw a familiar face. Blue of skin and red of eyes, a Chiss male. One slain by Anakin Skywalker during the Clone War.

"Vandalor."

How Plagueis came to acquire the corpse remained a mystery. However, Vader noticed something. An empty eye socket. Elsewhere, a preserved Kaminoan head was likewise half blinded. "Curious." Neither eye could be found anywhere amongst the many corpses, body parts, or even within the data files. But Vader couldn't afford to focus on it at the moment. More required his attention. He ordered the entire building to be gutted and its bounty moved into the Palace.

Darth Vader, in a matter of days, became the sole proprietor of one of the most advanced bio-labs on the planet. Only a few mega-corps boasted anything better. Between devouring the Krayt and Sand Demon on Tattooine and the initial tests he'd performed on himself, the results were better than he expected.

Still, one last hurdle remained.

Before the ache grew, Vader put his helmet back on. As the modified HUD blinked on over his eye, he activated the comm.

Kshhhhhh

"Tarkin. Make whatever preparations are necessary. We unseal Palpatine's private apartment at dawn."

###

The announcement that Palpatine's dwelling would be opened met mixed feelings from the public. Anyone other than Vader, and there might be riots. Media requests poured in by the hour, begging to be included, drooling at the chance to be on-site when the late Sidious' home was finally revealed. They'd all been refused, though Vader made a cryptic promise of compromise.

Even he didn't know what they'd find in his master's private home. He'd taken numerous Sith Holocron from Sidious chambers in the Senate. Even his own red lightsaber crystal was a prize he'd acquired from one of Palpatine's sabers. So, what would be hidden in the depths of a secure, private home?

Now, standing at the doorway to the penthouse apartment, one occupying the upper levels of 500 Republica, the most exclusive building on the planet, Vader paused.

Kshhhhhh

"Activate your respirators."

Tarkin and Black Squadron responded, and a simultaneous hiss signaled they were breathing through their armor's self-contained air tanks. At the far end of the corridor, a camera droid hovered patiently in the air. Vader's promise. A small concession to the rest of the planet, the media, and the Senate. A day earlier, Vader explained the Grand Chancellor's cautious nature in the face of the Jedi and the many traps he no doubt placed to defend himself in the face of their Treason against the dying republic.

"Palpatine designed his home to catch even Jedi off their guard. I will not allow my people to be placed in direct danger. Only myself, Grand Moff Tarkin, and a personally selected team will enter. If you wish to observe, use the droid."

Sure enough, multiple news conglomerates clambered for the chance to report on the grand opening of Palpatine's home. The Senate too, especially the faction under Mothma and Organa's control, wanted at least the semblance of oversight. But with everything settled, the Dark Lord still hesitated. It was one thing to kill Sidious in a sudden, surprise attack. This though… Dangerous, even in death. Every precaution a Sith imagined, waiting beyond the door. A Sith who survived a lifetime of cut-throat galactic politics amidst the corruption and intrigue of a rotting carcass. One filled with every manner of vulture and scavenger out to secure their own pound of flesh. All under the eyes of the Jedi Order. Decades of planning. A lifetime of careful calculations, turning every situation from the shadows. Orchestrating everything as the unseen hand. And he stumbled at the end. A valuable final lesson, my master.

Under other circumstances Darth Vader would not hesitate to rip the door from the very wall, but between the presence of a camera at their backs, his own goals, and Sidious' cruel intelligence he chose a method more subtle, but in its own way, far more impressive. Standing in front, much of Coruscant watched the Sith Emperor extended both arms, opening his hands. The black gloves of his fingers flexed and twitched as the Force moved through him, surgeon's blade rather than unstoppable, surging tide. The security panel beeped as internal locks disengaged and the door slid open. A slight scraping noise, one only Vader's advanced audio sensors picked up, clued in how long the residence sat unused.

Kshhhhhh

"Touch nothing and maintain vigilance."

Vader stepped inside.

As he passed through the doorway, sensors to one side flashed. "So, it was the right decision." His hands brushed the pair of lightsaber hilts on his belt. The two, decorated with invaluable electrum, once belonged to Darth Sidious, who always carried the sabers up his sleeves. Vader considered bringing the Inquisitorius along, rather than Tarkin and Black Squadron, but thought better of it. No doubt Palpatine made preparations, should a group of lightsaber wielders walk in. His keen eye caught several security features. Most designed and installed by either the Senate or Republica's own experts. However, he recognized the tell-tale sign of custom work. Tool marks, personal adjustments, and off the shelf parts. "A set of sensors tuned to the wavelength given off by Kyber." He said, a note of admiration in his voice. "Impressive, my master." In particular, a specialized design. One useless for any other purpose. Only for detecting lightsaber wavelengths. Then Vader looked up and drew a hilt from his belt. "Incoming." Something moved overhead.

A flash of red plasma cut a pair of BX commando droids in half as they dropped from the ceiling.

Tarkin drew his blaster pistol and put three bolts into a third as it popped up from behind a half-wall separating the entryway from the apartment proper. "Quite the welcome, my lord," Tarkin said.

"But, within expectation. An attack on anyone who enters unless Palpatine's bio-signature is detected." Droids and physical defenses were a minor danger. Traps devised using the Dark Side or techniques requiring Sith Alchemy and Sorcery? That was a real threat. He doubted anyone who studied under Darth Plagueis would be under-prepared in those categories. "Spread out and secure the greeting hall," he ordered. "Do not push further."

Reaching out through the Force, Vader felt the pulse of life, bright dots against the background, from Tarkin and Black Squadron. Pushing past, he delved deeper, letting intuition guide him further into the Living Force, then beyond that. The Cosmic Force. Something dim, but nearby, caught his attention.

He opened his eye. "I suspected as much."

"Lord Vader?" Tarkin asked.

"We are safe. What traps Sidious set, in this room, are not of the Sith." Saying so, Vader stepped into the apartment's sitting room. A place to entertain guests and receive public visitors. When another Battle Droid dropped from above, the Emperor's hand snapped into a fist, crushing the mechanical guard before it even reached the floor. "Black Squadron, secure this floor," he ordered. "Tarkin, we will examine the rooms as they clear our way."

This 'level' of Republica comprised several floors in every home. Each dwelling a mansion unto itself, Vader's task force would need time to comb the main floor before moving to another. And Vader sensed Sith artifacts like a dim blackness in the Force somewhere nearby. Palpatine's habit of collecting everything he managed to get his hands on, no doubt. Useful, but not the ultimate prize currently desired by Sidious' final apprentice.

"Are you sure we can handle it?" Tarkin asked Vader.

Kshhhhhh

"Palpatine made preparation for a Jedi incursion. There is no defense against all that I am."

###

"Trust your intuition," Vader guided the Squadron as they cleared Palpatine's home, inch by inch and room by room. "The Dark Side, even with your limitations, is a powerful ally." Walking through the apartment, Tarkin noticed nothing amiss as they cleared each room. Sometimes dealing with traps or battle droid guards. Even Vader sensed nothing in these public rooms. In the end, they came to a private study. Simple, humble, and above all else, unassuming. Mostly. Vader's master still owned archaic books, a truly impressive personal library shelved on the wall behind his desk.

"Palpatine was not above boasting," Vader said and his eye flew along the spines of every volume, searching. Then it landed on a particular tome. "A History of the Slave Trade in the Core Worlds." Darth Vader turned his mind towards the Sith Code.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.

He reached out through the Force. Feeling a strange, yet familiar sensation, one he could dimly sense beneath his Palace. One he knew during his fight on Alderaan. Smaller here, but unmistakable. Considering how to proceed, Vader turned to the camera drone as it floated in the center of Palpatine's office. "I sense something hidden within this room, but it will take time to uncover. Go examine the rest of this apartment. Miss nothing." Obeying the Emperor, the little, floating droid zipped off.

"I take it you don't want an audience, lord Vader," Tarkin guessed.

Without responding, Vader looked around the room. Three things caught his eye. One, a massive incense burner sitting in the center of the desk, next a pair of urns near the door, and last, an ancient scroll displayed in a glass case. "Only Sidious would use Sith artifacts as a security feature." He walked over to the doorway, and his fingers brushed each urn. "The ashes of Plagueis and Tenebrous. The Dark Side reveals it to me." Next, Vader waved his hand and the glass case came apart, allowing the scroll to float in front of Vader as it unrolled. "On the surface, a mere history of some tribe on Yavin IV, however…" Vader held out a hand and suddenly the text shifted and warped. "The ink itself is touched by Force energies." Soon, letters rearranged. "I see. Instructions." Summoning the book on slavery, Vader opened it and quickly found what he was looking for. The scroll, written in the ancient Sith language, was indecipherable without a key, which the book contained. Glancing back and forth between them, the Sith Emperor quickly understood the arcane lock Sidious devised. He looked to the urns, which floated across the room and towards teh desk. Making a quick slashing motion with two fingers, they each tipped a bit of ash into the incense burner. Next, Vader activated a lightsaber and jammed the tip into the bowl, already filled with oil and now the ashes of dead Sith. As acrid smoke filled the room, the bookcase rumbled. It moved aside on hidden tracks, revealing a staircase leading down into darkness.

What is this?" Tarkin asked, his eyes wide.

Kshhhhhh

"An entire floor, one secret from even the Jedi themselves. And from the architects, most likely."

Vader wouldn't doubt that Palpatine, or perhaps even Plagueis , made use of builders, controlled through mind-tricks, to construct an entire hidden floor within such a preeminent apartment complex.

"Perhaps even back into the time of Darth Tenebrous. If not before. Sith operate on centuries." It was not the first time Vader wondered if Master Yoda's long lifespan made him overconfident. Many Sith, working across the inestimable time scale of the millennia, leading up to his own unstoppable rule. Bringing balance to the Force.

"No matter," he decided. Activating his comm, he summoned his soldiers and the camera. "Guard this floor," was his order to Black Squadron. "Come, Grand Moff. We will see what my predecessor left us." With those words, Vader, Tarkin, and the camera droid descended into the darkness below. As they marched down the stairway, the Dark Lord considered how to handle his unwanted guest, but a solution presented itself as they reached the bottom.

Foreseeing the trap, he curled his fingers and twisted his hand. Through the Dark Side, the camera droid drifted right behind him. A bolt of plasma flashed out of the darkness and Vader tilted his head. It raced over his shoulder and slammed into the camera droid. Lightsaber igniting, Vader shot forward, cutting through a security turret.

A half glance back at the smoldering machine and he said, "Unfortunate. It seems the Senate will not witness anything further."

Vader and Tarkin walked into the darkness. As they moved down, both men felt the sudden chill. Everything down here was… wrong. In some strange way, they entered another world, one apart from Coruscant, the Galactic Empire and even space and time. In front of them, the dim outline of a locked safe stood against deeper darkness. More like it, identical in fact, stood further in the shadows. Row after row of container. Each one holding something valuable enough to warrant such security.

"Lord Vader?"

"With so many artifacts, it is no surprise." Vader's very presence acted as a bubble of reality around them, keeping the distortion at bay. A handful of objects touched by the Sith or Jedi would not overwhelm him so easily. Certainly not as one who walked the strange Wasteland and saw the Storm. "Tell me your thoughts and feelings, Tarkin."

"Its an unlit room. Unfinished, unadorned. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was still under construction, but…"

"But?"

"The hairs at the back of my neck are on end, my lord. This place is," Tarkin waved his hand trying to pull a description from his mind, but soon gave up. "Wrong. That is all I can say. I feel like I'm being watched, but not like a security camera or even a predator. Its different, but all the more unsettling."

Kshhhhhh

"Trust your instincts, Grand Moff. You have honed them over a lifetime, and they do not betray you. Unlike the temple, this is not a Vergence, but so many artifacts touched by the Force are not to be underestimated."

Tarkin swapped out his pistol for a blaster carbine, the DC-15S, his preferred mid-range weapon. "You showed me a hologram of Beskar, but it seems this is a repository of Force items?"

"Palpatine used this hidden floor to keep many things secret. Artifacts are merely one."

"And why did the Jedi, or even you, not sense them through your Force, my lord?"

In explanation, Vader ignited a lightsaber. "Look." Using the weapon to light their surroundings, he illuminated the walls floors and ceiling. Strange inscriptions, some sort of writing, Tarkin wondered?

"I can't read the language," he said.

"No, even I don't understand it. Sith sigils, imbued with Dark Side power. And this." He thrust the tip of the blade into a wall. His saber instantly sparked and vanished in a flash. "Cortosis, spun into nano-fibers and blended into the walls. It not only dissipates energy, but also dims my connection to the Force. Even now, I can barely feel any presence apart from the two of us." He returned Palpatine's hilt to his belt and walked further. "Most interesting."

"My lord?"

"Every single vault uses a Sith Holocron as its lock. Only a thorough command of the Dark Side allows me the chance to open them. Sidious prepared for Jedi incursion beyond even my imaginings."

"Do not the Holocrons contain data?"

"Yes. Likely data on the contents of each safe. Meaning if the Jedi ripped them out, they would be wholly unprepared for whatever traps my master prepared. Observe." Each container sat inside a pillar, supporting the floors above. When Vader extended a hand, Tarkin heard the tell-tale sound of a Sith puzzle box opening within. He'd been around Darth Vader long enough to grow familiar with the clicks and whirs, after all. When the thick door swung open, a small Holocron floated free into the Sith Lord's waiting hand, whereupon he further unlocked it and revealed the schematics for a one-handed lightsaber. Inside the safe, two hilts rested on an ornate stand.

"How many lightsabers did Palpatine own?"

"I doubt less than a dozen. He could not carry them openly, so hiding them in as many places as possible was the only option. And he certainly had the resources to craft them. Even under the Jedi's very noses."

"But if Yoda or Windu, or any of the Jedi Council found this place…"

"Look closely, Tarkin." A gloved finger pointed to just inside the safe. The Grand Moff took note of delicate glass vials. Fragile enough that any violent shock would shatter them. "This one reacts violently with air, here is powdered cortosis and metal flakes which disrupt electronic communication." Vader continued, pointing to a strange fluid. "This reacts explosively with water."

"Water?" Tarkin questioned. "What use is that in here?"

"Jedi come from more than terrestrial worlds, Grand Moff. If they should flood this room, even that would not save them, and water does not compress." Vader continued, pointing out another vial, "This is a concoction which drives those sensitive to the Force mad with visions of enemies surrounding them. This one grants a burst of physical strength, this an alchemical concoction deepening connection to the Force." Clearly, Tarkin realized, the Emperor spent his time doing more than rubber stamping political agendas. Darth Vader studied, and studied well, to recognize Sith Alchemy by sight alone. "All in all," Vader finished, "It is unlikely any Jedi would escape alive. They would kill each other in a frenzy, assuming they did not succumb to the violent explosion upon breaking any one of these containers."

"But you're looking for Beskar? Is that not what the hologram you showed me revealed?"

Kshhhhhh

"The supply of Beskar ingots is my immediate goal. However, I intend to make use of everything my master left me. The full extent of Sith Alchemy and Sorcery will bend the knee to my Empire. But for now, this is what I seek," Vader said standing before a particular safe.

"How do you know that container holds the metal?"

"It offers no sensation through the Force." With a quick motion of his hand, Vader sent the door swinging open, and a carefully secured case stood patiently inside. Grabbing it by the handle, Vader pulled the prize out, setting it on the floor between them. Tarkin reached out and tugged, he couldn't carry the weight. "No doubt Sidious prepared this over the years. Whether as hard currency or for some other end." Lifting the case with ease, Vader stalked towards the stairs. "Come, Tarkin. We will assign guards for the apartment. In time, I will return for the rest. Today, this alone will suffice."

Before they reached the stairs leading up, Vader stopped short. He turned back, staring at a particular pillar. Dropping the Beskar with a thud, he stalked towards it, almost inexorably pulled by the Force itself. Something within called out to him. The fingers of his left hand brushed the door and he pushed out with the Force, feeling for the Holocron lock. It relented under his will and the door opened, revealing a pair of Bacta-filled vials. Within one, a pure red eyeball. The other held a large, black eye with a white iris.

Vader summoned the Holocron lock into his palm and opened it, the information within blossomed into a glowing light show of Sith alchemical formula and schematics. Directions on pushing living flesh to new heights, manipulating tissue through the Dark Side and fusing blood and tissue together, no matter how disparate the species.

Kshhhhhh

"I see."

###

After the camera droid went dark, the Senate and several larger media organizations sent teams to the former Grand Chancellor's residence. They were greeted by Vader, unharmed, striding out. "A defensive turret," was all Vader said, then he was back to the Imperial Palace. News agency after news agency wanted interviews and the Senate was insistent on learning exactly what they found in the apartment, but all they received was a noncommittal response from the Palace.

Meanwhile, Vader busied himself with preparation for the next step in his life as the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Down in the Vergence beneath, his workshop and laboratory were filled with everything he'd claimed from the various properties formerly owned by Plagueis and Sidious. After the last week, he'd cleaned out Palpatine's apartment, removing any hint of Sith Lordship. What remained he allowed the Senate and news corps to pour over. By his count, a dozen special broadcasts and at least as many bureaucratic hearings resulted in the aftermath. Useful, as it kept them busy. More than a few politicians started arguing about who had a right to claim rare bits of artwork and the like, further cementing Lord Vader's dim view of their kind. Various demands of 'The Grand Chancellor would want me to have it' and more like it passed across his desk every day.

"You called for us, Lord Vader?" Organa asked. Despite the public appearance of gratitude, Organa and Mothma held an even icier disposition to the Emperor after he returned from killing Kirak Infil'a and the soldiers under Saw Gerrera. And they'd been more vocal than most in their machinations to undermine his authority and power in the young Galactic Empire. They should be his greatest foes in the political arena. And yet…

Kshhhhhh

"Palpatine's property is being placed under the care of your faction," he said without looking up from a data pad. "Do with it as you see fit. The same with his residence." The pair stood, eyes wide, in front of the Imperial desk. Neither moved. "Was I unclear?"

"Why us, lord Vader?" Mon Mothma asked, astonishment plain in her voice.

Vader stood and turned his back, walking to the window overlooking the front of the former Jedi Temple. "What do you see, Senators?"

Looking at Mothma, Bail Organa shrugged and walked up to the transparasteel window and looked out into the planet-wide city. "I see Coruscant." Even without the Force, he could feel Vader's annoyance at the answer. He practically radiated disappointment. "Indeed? And you, Mothma?"

Mothma went to stand beside her friend and watched the lanes of traffic crossing between buildings. "The People."

"Better," Vader said. "My people. I am responsible for them all, because I am the Emperor. Not just those. Not even merely all of Coruscant. The entire galaxy. And you ask why I leave Palpatine's apartment to you?"

Before any further explanation could be asked or offered, the comms activated and a voice spoke. "Lord Vader? This is the hangar. We received codes for a landing. It came from your starfighter. Should we…?"

Kshhhhhh

"Allow it. I will be down directly." He raised a hand, summoning his repaired lightsaber hilt. "I will be unavailable," Vader said as he stalked out the office. "See yourselves out."

"What if we need you?" Bail asked with a growl.

Vader paused mid-stride. As he turned, even behind the mask, the tilt of his helmet spoke of a man pondering how to answer. Marching back, towering over the pair, he extended a finger. "I very much doubt you," he said, tapping Bail's chest, "would summon me. But if the Senate thinks it understands anger, then drag me from my Great Work. Whatever travails Coruscant find itself in, I will solve them." He turned and took a few steps. "But be warned, Senators. You may find the solution hard to stomach." With those words, Vader left the office and descended to the hangar.

"I am pleased to see you well, lord Vader," CZ7-5b said. It stood in front of Vader's Actis fighter as a team unloaded a large case, carefully lowering it from the storage compartment.

"The results of your mission?"

"A success. Several organics attempting to control the location tried to stop me. They are no longer in a position to speak of my actions. Per your orders, no witnesses. No survivors. The final remains of General Grevious are yours."

"Well done droid. Follow me with the case."

Ceezee hit a button on the lock box containing the parts of Greivous which didn't rot away and it lifted into the air, hovering behind as the droid walked after Vader. "I see Black Squadron is still alive! Well done. I'm aware of how challenging that is for your kind." It said as it passed by Vader's wing working on their own fighters. "You've even increased your number. Perhaps you are not so worthless after all!"

"You know we're human, right?" Ada asked.

"I do not blame you for your affliction."

"Human, like Lord Vader," she continued.

Ceezee paused for moment, processing. "Pebbles and Mountain are both stone. I fail to see the utility of comparing them."

"Damn, friendly fire," the newbie Soontir Fel said with a grin.

Ada scowled. "Oh, shut up!"

Kshhhhhh

Vader's breath rang louder from the lift. Ceezee picked up the pace and Black Squadron ducked down, focusing on their work. When the droid and package were inside, the doors slid shut and it descended.

"Phew," Captain breathed out, relaxing a bit. Then his comm crackled to life.

"I will be busy," Vader said. "I leave Black Squadron's schedule in your hands, Captain. No doubt you will exceed my expectations."

"Understood, lord Vader," he said, standing to attention. The line went quiet. He sat heavily on a crate, exhausted like he'd been through a rough bout of hand-to-hand with one of the Inquisitors. "Freakin' droid…"

###

"Do you even know what Vader is doing down there!?" Organa asked as his temper got the better of him.

"He is preparing for the next stage of the plan, Senator," Tarkin said, glaring. "And I'll remind you to speak of lord Vader in a more respectful tone. Your loyalty to the Old Republic notwithstanding."

"Its nothing to do with that! The Emperor vanished after he left Alderaan. No contact! No explanation! And now he's gone again! Every request has been stonewalled, every demand met with excuses!" Bail shouted, his temper reaching a fever pitch.

The office doors opened and Darth Vader strode into the room. "You do not make demands of me, Senator." He opened his hand and Force Lightning crackled between his fingers.