Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)

[Master_Baerne]

In my opinion, Moff Tarkin's lifespan can now be measured in minutes.

[MKSheppard]

This is a fucking awesome fanfic.

[Darth Fanboy]

Chapter 32: Treachery Amidst Cataclysm

Roan Shryne had already activated his lightsaber by the time he hit the ground, and before he knew it, Anakin Skywalker was already approaching him. Shryne carefully watched the former Jedi as he turned away from Quinlan Vos, as if Vos was no longer a threat. Before he could engage in any combat though, Shryne had to quell the self doubt brewing within him.

“Okay Roan, you’ve got years more experience in lightsaber practice and developing your Jedi powers, just because the kid is the human equivalent of an orbital bombardment doesn’t mean he’s invulnerable. He was never even a Master, rely on your training and trust in the Force…”

Shryne moved into a defensive posture and backed up slightly. To his dismay, he had failed to conceal his worries from Skywalker, who had sensed them as easily as if Shryne had said them out loud.

“Having doubts about saving your friend Jedi? If this is the best that your order has left then perhaps you are no longer the threat to the Empire that I had thought. It will be that much easier to exterminate you, there is no way you can beat me.”

Skywalker’s taunt struck a nerve. “I don’t have to be good enough to beat you,” Shryne shot back, “I only need to be good enough so that Master Vos and I can beat you together.”

Shryne had expected further mocking from Anakin, but received only a challenge.

“Then by all means, try.”



Vader didn’t know the Jedi that had rushed to Vos’ aid, but it only bolstered his beliefs that Vos was not the only Jedi complicit in Padme’s assassination, and that the Jedi needed to be purged from the Galaxy at all costs.

He had been tempted to further taunt the Jedi Master, to see how far he might go in his pursuit of victory, perhaps even resorting to the Dark Side as Vos had. But this Jedi Master was far more disciplined, and for the time being more dangerous. Vos was a more powerful Jedi, but Anakin nearly pitied Vos for his sloppy and uncontrolled use of the Dark Side, which made fighting him that much easier. The new Jedi was a true Jedi Master, what he lacked in raw power he made up for by focusing his mind and body on but one purpose and allowing himself to be guided by the Force. He would not make the same mistakes.

Of course the easiest way to break a Jedi’s discipline was to break his spirit, and Vader was well versed in that. As the two combatants gradually moved in closer Vader took but a moment to summon the Force and seize his enemy’s body, the surprised look on the Jedi Master’s face was comical to Vader as he was lifted into the air and tossed several meters in the direction of Quinlan Vos. Although the Jedi was unhurt, Vader could tell that the Jedi had never encountered any being that could control the Force with such power and precision.

“That is but a taste of my power! Ironic, that the Jedi Council denied me Mastery only to have me surpass them in every way without their precious knowledge! On your feet traitor, so that your order’s death is delayed no further!”



Shryne picked himself up out of the snow and glanced over at Vos, who was looking at him. “Good to see you Quinlan.”

“This isn’t your fight Roan.” Vos grumbled as Shryne began to notice the extent that Vos was delving into the Dark Side.

“I don’t know if you just noticed, but he’s already pummeled you into a bloody mess and he just tossed me through the air like a rag doll. Now I don’t really care what path you’ve decided to walk at this moment, what matters is that we end his threat now and forever by any means necessary.”

Vos regained his feet in time to see Anakin charging at them. “No time for chatter! Just make sure that if you have the chance to kill him you take it!”

Shryne and Vos attempted to take Anakin by surprise and launch an immediate counterattack and force him back. They approached with Vos ready to strike towards Anakin’s center and Shryne ready to react to Anakin’s next move.



Vader had timed his charge well. The two Jedi, acting without a cohesive strategy, were now forced to fight on his terms and react as he dictated. Jedi battle doctrine rested heavily on using the Force to center one’s self and take control of the situation. Vader knew this well and presented the two Jedi with an apparent way to take the upper hand. If the two followed up each others attacks rather than move simultaneously then they might have been able to move the battle according to their design, but in their haste to do so Vader correctly predicted that they would fail to anticipate his next strike.

Vader stopped his charge and allowed the Jedi to close the gap for him and become even more focused on their attacks, they were just heartbeats away from being in range for lightsaber strikes when Vader unleashed his Force Lightning. Both Jedi stopped in their tracks and writhed in pain as the dark energy blasted through their bodies, burning them from the inside out, the blood that had frozen on Vos’ face burned and sizzled, filling his nose with a terrible stench.

“This is what you get Vos!” Vader taunted, “You probably thought that by giving yourself over to the Dark Side, you could summon the strength to win. But the fact is that you cannot master the Dark Side of the Force unless you have the will to control it! You’re nothing more than an overmotional wreck tampering with powers that you could never hope to control!”

The two Jedi collapsed, their robes smoldering and the snow melting beneath them as Vader moved forward. The other Jedi was barely conscious and had dropped his lightsaber when he fell. But Vos was still alive, and muttering a series of curses with what little sound his lungs could produce.

“This is what you’ve been waiting for! Now you can drink from his suffering and show Vos the utter futility of opposing you! It is your right as the stronger being! Show him the true nature of the Dark Side!”

The inner monologue was still his own, but on some level it disturbed Vader that he was beginning to sound more and more like his Master. It mattered not, in becoming a Sith Lord Anakin Skywalker had ascended past such petty afflictions. Self doubt and uncertainty were psychological weaknesses, and Darth Vader possessed no weaknesses whatsoever.

“Is that so? Was Padme a weakness? Does this mean her death benefited you?”

There was the other voice, the one that was beginning to sound more like Obi Wan the more he heard it. The undeniable truth that accompanied it was definitely a characteristic of Obi Wan’s speeches.

Just as Vader felt he was about to lose control of his hate a third voice ended the debate. “Enough! My destiny is mine and mine alone! It is not for the Jedi or Sidious to decide!”

Vader recognized the voice as his own, and Vader felt the calling of the other two voices fade as this third aspect grew louder. Vader finally realized that the war inside of him was just another battlefield in the long standing feud between the Jedi and the Sith, and the third voice was his own personality attempting to quell his own psyche and take charge of his own fate.

Vader looked down at Vos and the other Jedi, and for a second his vision blurred. The forms of Vos and the Jedi became those of Sidious and Obi Wan.

“Kill them both, and you become master of your own destiny.” the voice said. The voice repeated itself until finally the sentence slightly changed.

“Kill them both, and I become master of my own destiny.” Vader’s personality had finally won out over the competing doctrines of Jedi and Sith, his voice was once again his own.

Vader summoned the Force to him, and, feeling stronger than ever, he raised his lightsaber and prepared to kill Vos, when an explosion in the distance caught his attention.



For Captain Vedij, the operation had already spiraled out of control and had quickly turned into compelte anarchy. “Just why in the stars is the Judgment commencing bombardment? Get her Captain on the line right now; tell him that General Skywalker is still on the planet!”

“Captain Vedij, we’re being hailed by the Judgment , she’s saying that she received orders directly from Moff Tarkin”, yelled his communications officer, whose voice had become hoarse from relaying the multitude of messages.

“Tarkin ordered this? Has his shuttlecraft landed yet?” the worried Captain asked.

“Indeed it did,” came the voice of Tarkin as he stepped aboard the bridge. “And rest assured that I did indeed give the Judgment her orders. We’ve been out of contact with General Skywalker ever since he set foot on the planet and we can only assume that he was somehow bested by the Jedi fugitives. In order to ensure the death of the Jedi responsible, I’ve ordered a Base Delta Zero for the entire world.”

Vedij couldn’t tell if he was more worried that his command had been usurped, or of what Skywalker’s reaction would be if he somehow survived, which was next to impossible at this point. “Of course Moff Tarkin, my apologies, I was only ensuring that…”

“Enough Captain, you can save your pathetic excuses until after the Operation. The Emperor has put me in charge of a reason, General Skywalker allowed this legitimate mission to become too personal, and now it has cost him his life. I am here to ensure that no more Imperial resources are wasted. Is that clear Captain?” Tarkin’s demeanor had the edge of a stern man who coveted control.

Vedij felt his heart race. “It is clear Moff Tarkin.” Although his apology was genuine, Vedij couldn’t help but wonder if he had somehow been caught in the middle of a power play within the Imperial hierarchy.



“The Jedi never believed in luck, because they never had such fortune as I do right now!” Tarkin thought as he shook his head at Devastator’s captain. In the corner of the bridge, a holographic representation of the system and the Imperial forces dispersed throughout was displayed, flickering slightly as the ships and celestial bodies moved through the void.

He had been lucky enough to catch Skywalker in the midst of his final assault on the Rebels, luckier still when Skywalker had been off of his flagship at the time. Tarkin could not have asked for any more when it was reported to him that Skywalker had stayed behind on the planet and was not answering communications. It was almost disappointing that Skywalker would be so easy to dispose of. Of course the thrill of a challenge in this situation was negated by the fact that Anakin Skywalker was quite volatile, and Tarkin wasn’t about to find much enjoyment when his life was at stake.

“He laid the framework for his own destruction in so many ways. It’s only fitting that he be as unaware of his killer as he was of the plot to kill his wife.”

Skywalker would never know that it was Tarkin who devised the actual plot to kill Padme Amidala at the Emperor’s request, and in Skywalker’s blind rage it was child’s play for the Emperor to use the once rogue Jedi Quinlan Vos as a scapegoat.

The elimination of the Jedi and Anakin Skywalker would remove the biggest obstacles to the success of the New Order. The fledgling Rebellion born from the ashes of the Confederacy of Independent Systems would serve its purpose for a time, forcing the public to continue to acquiesce to the continued military build up of the Imperial Armed Forces. Not that Tarkin necessarily personally felt that public approval was required; once his secret battle station was finished there wouldn’t be anything in the galaxy even remotely capable of attacking or defending against the Empire.



Obi Wan had been keeping his distance from the fight, attempting to evade Anakin’s notice. But when a volley of turbolaser fire began demolishing the surface of the planet with uncounted gigatons of energy, the masked Jedi knew that it was time to leave.

Circling back around he passed in low over the site where Shryne had joined Quinlan Vos’ fight against Obi Wan’s former Padawan. To his great sadness, Anakin was standing over the two Jedi with his blade ignited. Obi Wan noticed that the orbital bombardment must have caught Anakin’s attention, because the Jedi was staring off into the distance towards the latest blasts. The three combatants were spared from the initial effects due to sheer chance, the pattern of bombardment would not reach their area for a time, but that time was running short.

Then Obi Wan saw it, a black Eta-2 interceptor that could only have been Anakin’s, it was a fair distance away from his own ship, which Quinlan apparently had crashed into the snow just beyond the outskirts of what was once Telos spaceport. Nervously, Obi Wan looked down at the controls for the freighter’s sole laser cannon. While shooting at Anakin would risk the lives of his comrades, the fighter presented an easy target, and without it, Anakin would be stranded on Telos as it burned.

The circumstances of the situation weighed heavily on Obi Wan. He had been tasked by Yoda to destroy Anakin, and had tracked him down to Mustafar for that specific purpose. But there was something despicable about it that left Obi Wan with an uneasy feeling. Killing Anakin in a duel was one thing, but abandoning him to die in an inferno seemed almost cruel.

But Obi Wan’s compassion for his friend had run out. Anakin had tried to kill him, and left him for dead on Mustafar. Then, when the opportunity arose, he actively participated in the deaths of dozens of Jedi and began a campaign of extermination that had brought him to Telos. He was the head of the most powerful army in galactic history, and the minion of the Sith Lord who had covertly conquered the galaxy. In the end, Obi Wan lined up the freighter’s cannon with the abandoned Eta-2, and then fired. A pair of shots obliterated the ship in a shower of bright sparks and shards of metal.

Obi Wan was not feeling merciful, but the knowledge that he had not killed Anakin, but condemned him to die still weighed heavily on his heart. After confirming that the ship had been destroyed, Obi Wan passed over Anakin one more time, and then set a course out of the atmosphere, where he and the padawans could reach the safety of hyperspace.


“What?” Vader yelled as he broke his gaze away from the far off destruction to realize that the mysterious ship that had come to Vos’ aid had now destroyed his own means of escaping the impending apocalypse.

“Hah,” Quinlan Vos said as he coughed up a small amount of blood. “Looks like someone destroyed your ride.”

His own anger at the hopelessness of his situation, Vader was unable to ignore Vos’ remark. In his anger he brought his foot down on the neck of the unconscious Roan Shryne, killing the man instantly.
“You know who it is on that ship Vos! Tell me now!”

“As if that information would do you any good! Killing Shryne meant nothing, we’re all dead. The fact that you’re just as dead as I am means that I can rest in peace. How about you Skywalker? Do you have any unfinished business?”

Vader stepped forward and seized Vos’ throat with the force, tightening his grip by the second. “My children will live on, your plot to exterminate my entire family has failed.”

“Didn’t…kill…her…” Vos managed to grunt out as he choked.

“You deny your crime, even now? Vader scoffed as he lifted Vos into the air.

“See...yourself…” Vos choked out again, his consciousness fading, as he lost his grip on reality, Vos’ mental defenses collapsed and Vader could now read his thoughts with impunity.

Unsure of what he would find, Vader pushed his way into Vos’ mind, the foreign presence causing great pain to Vos who held his hands over his head and bit down on his lip to try and manage the pain, while doing nothing as he allowed his adversary a look into the truth.

Vader saw images of a battle on Kashyyk, a string of close escapes across the galaxy, a family, but nothing that implicated Vos in the murder of his wife. Stunned by this, Vader released his hold on Vos and stood silent.

“Palpatine has played you for a fool Skywalker,” Vos said as he regained his voice, “and I couldn’t care less.”

They were the last words Quinlan Vos ever spoke. Vader had controlled his rage up to this point, but it had built up to the point where he no longer had the desire to restrain it. Quinlan Vos’s eyes shot wide open as the invisible grip of the Force seized his heart. Vader roared as he clenched a fist, a gesture that was accompanied by a swelling of the energy that had permeated Vos’ atriums and ventricles. Quinlan Vos’ heart exploded inside of his chest and within seconds he fell to the ground, never to rise again.

Although victorious, Vader knew that time was running out. Vader had but one hope left. He knew that his Master used the Force to see future possibilities, if there was a way for Vader to focus his own visions and see into the realm of possibilities for escape, he just might find one that worked.

Vader scanned over the horizon and concentrated his mind to delve into the Force as deeply as possible. He closed his eyes, and turned his body until he had found something. Upon opening his eyes, he saw his means of escape, and began sprinting towards it.

“Moff Tarkin, there is an unknown Barloz class freighter leaving the planet. I am sending fighters to pursue.” Vedij reported.

“Belay that Captain, the bombardment of Telos is our only priority right now. They’re probably just civilians escaping from a remote outpost. It is nothing to be concerned with while the Jedi are still somewhere on that world.”

“Yes Moff Tarkin,” Vedij said unenthusiastically as he sent out the word to his fighter squadrons to cease pursuit of the vessel. Although Tarkin appreciated the increased deference the Captain had shown since Tarkin’s arrival on the bridge, it was obvious that the Captain as doing everything he could to appear useful.

“Just like the way my fellow Moffs bow to Palpatine. But while they continue to pay lip service to the Emperor, my deeds will continue to elevate me above their ilk until I can rise no higher.”

Tarkin’s musing was cut short by Vedij. “Moff Tarkin, we are tracking a…”

“I don’t care what it is! Let the rest of the fleet know that until the Base Delta Zero is accomplished I don’t want any more time spent of tracking insignificant vessels!” Tarkin screamed.

Vedij resisted the urge to roll his eyes and relayed the message out to the rest of the fleet. “I thought Skywalker’s relentlessness was bad, Tarkin’s megalomania is downright dangerous.

Another minute passed and Vedij watched as Telos burned, the entire planet was burning away as more ships joined in with the Judgment , but all the while Vedij secretly kept a close eye on the holographic display as Tarkin watched Telos through the main flatscreen. Nervous, but unwilling to voice his concerns to Tarkin, he watched as the small ship course took it right towards the Devastator .



Newly promoted Commander Bow and his troops finally disembarked their ship after their original hangar space had been taken up by the Moff’s shuttlecraft. Rather than move to a smaller area, the Moff had insisted on taking the space available closest to the bridge, even though a Theta class shuttle didn’t warrant an area of that size. The clones had spent extra time waiting in the cramped conditions until other ships could be rerouted and placed elsewhere for a berth to open up.

“Karking governors.” Bow cursed as he and his men began making their way off the transport. The Clone Commander made his way over to the Hangar’s control area, where a pair of non-clone traffic controllers were busy sorting through the disorganization caused by Tarkin’s arrival.

“Any word yet from General Skywalker?” He asked.

The controller seated closest to him shook his head in the negative. “None whatsoever, but get this, Tarkin’s got a communication’s blackout running for the duration of the bombardment.”

Bow was puzzled. “What bombardment?”

The second controller chimed in. “You haven’t heard? They’re BDZing Telos right now. Heard a rumor from a gunner that Tarkin thinks the General bought it on the surface and that we’re slagging the place just to get the guys who got him.

“Rumors all it is.” Bow said angrily. “No Jedi, no ten Jedi even, could take down the General.”

“Maybe so,” the second controller responded, “but if he’s still alive then where in the Outer Rim is he?”

Right at that moment, Bow started receiving a communication through the 501st’s secure channel in his helmet. The helmet hid his smile from the two controllers, but they could tell easily from the sound of Bow’s reply.

“He’s on his way right now.”



The Separatist Gunship cut through space, heading directly towards the Imperial Star Destroyer Devastator but broadcasting a friendly signal, which Vader surmised must have been keeping him from notice.

“Something is very wrong; surely the bridge crew would have noticed a heavily armed Separatist Gunship heading straight for them.”

With only seconds to spare Vader had made his mad dash for the gunship once piloted by Quinlan Vos, remembering that he had brought the ship down with Ion Cannons, Vader placed all of his trust that he had not permanently disabled the craft, but instead caused the systems to just short out. Most military craft, such as the gunship, could be restarted after a short time if they had the proper circuitry shielding to protect their most delicate systems, and Separatist ships normally packed quite a bit of that in order to protect their droid ships and droid pilots.

In the end, Vader had to use the Force to help extract the ship from his location, but the gunship had made it out of the atmosphere under its own power. As Vader reached the atmosphere and set his next course, he saw the area surrounding the Telos spaceport below him erupt as the apparent Base Delta Zero operation finally made its way to that part of the planet.

Vader had no idea who would have done such a thing, but his faith in his commanders was lacking. Needing information, he attempted to contact Commander Appo over the 501st’s secure communications channel.

“This is General Skywalker to Commander Appo. Appo, do you copy?”

After a couple of seconds Vader heard the voice of a clone, but it wasn’t who he expected.

“General Skywalker, this is Commander Bow. Commander Appo has been killed.”

The news did not sit well with Vader, he had highly respected Appo and regarded him as an excellent soldier. “How did he die?”

“He was aboard the Rebel ship when it was destroyed under orders of Moff Tarkin. General, you’ll be interested to know that Moff Tarkin is also the one responsible for giving the Base Delta Zero order.”

“Tarkin!” , Vader exclaimed to himself. “Commander Bow, I’m returning to the ship. Clear a path for me so that we can deal with the Moff. Get your men ready as well, bringing cowards to justice rarely goes smoothly.”



Bow turned to the flight controllers and was about to order them to get a berth ready for General Skywalker, but he was struck with an idea that would be far more satisfying.

“I hear you loud and clear General,” he said over the secure channel. “There will be a space very close to the bridge waiting for you when you get here.”

The Clone Commander closed the communications link and stepped out of the hangar control room. “Hey, you four!” He yelled at a squad close to him. “Get your kit and follow me, we’re going to go make room up in the reserved hangar for General Skywalker.”

[clone1051]

YES! Tarkin must DIE!!!

That is all.

Damn it why are the Sith so kriffin' hard to get rid of?!? They always manage to find an escape route at the last second...
Awesome fic, btw

[Stuart Mackey]

Tarkin is about to be out of breath..his excuses should be amusing.
One now wonders how Vader will plan his removal of Palpatine, does he yet possess the foresight and patience to conceal what he knows to learn the tenets of the Sith?

[Spice Runner]

Ah the plot thickens.

[Sidewinder]

One now wonders how Vader will plan his removal of Palpatine, does he yet possess the foresight and patience to conceal what he knows to learn the tenets of the Sith?

My idea is that Anakin gets his hands on the Death Star's blueprints, studies them to find its weakness, i.e., the exhaust vent the Rebels were targeting in 'A New Hope', wait until Palpatine is aboard the Death Star, and do a trench run.

[Stuart Mackey]

One now wonders how Vader will plan his removal of Palpatine, does he yet possess the foresight and patience to conceal what he knows to learn the tenets of the Sith?

My idea is that Anakin gets his hands on the Death Star's blueprints, studies them to find its weakness, i.e., the exhaust vent the Rebels were targeting in 'A New Hope', wait until Palpatine is aboard the Death Star, and do a trench run.

Or just shoot down Palpy when in a shuttle?

[JME2]

Hehehehe, ooohh, still loving it...

[Solauren]

I have this sneaking feeling the clones are going to pay Tarkin's ride back for taking up there parking space....

Karma's a bitch

[Darth Fanboy]

Chapter 33: Requiem for a Moff

“Moff Tarkin, the operation has concluded. For all intents and purposes, Telos has been destroyed.”

“Nothing compared to what my new battle station will one day be able to perform.” Tarkin thought to himself. “Then my work here is finished.” Tarkin reached into his pocket and pulled out his personal communicator and contacted the pilot of his shuttle. “Lieutenant, we’re finished here. Prepare the shuttle and start plotting your route back to Coruscant immediately.”

At first Tarkin thought that there was some kind of interference with the transmission, until he realized that the Lieutenant was actually stuttering incomprehensibly.

“But sir..errr…Moff Tarkin I…oh…”

“Out with it Lieutenant!” Tarkin snapped with great annoyance.

“Y…Yes Moff Tarkin! I hear and obey, it’s just that well, the shuttle isn’t here in the hangar any more.”

“What?!” Tarkin screamed, much to the dismay of Captain Vedij and the bridge crew, who feared further scrutinty from the angered Moff. “Then where is it Lieutenant? Answer me!”

“Moff Tarkin.” shouted one of the bridge crew, a Sensor Technician hoping to offset the Moff’s anger with dutiful efficiency, “Emperor’s Apostle is drifting a few hundred meters away from the hangar opening. There are no lifesigns aboard.”

“Put it on the main viewscreen.” Tarkin demanded, and within seconds the image of the Theta class shuttle was on display for all on the bridge to see. The ship was floating lazily in space.

“How did my ship get out there?” He asked openly. The sensor tech, still attempting to be useful, quickly answered.

“There’s an ion trail leading from the hangar, it’s very faint. It looks like the ship’s engines fired for just a brief moment in order to put distance between it and the Star Destroyer. I’m reading some faint activity inside the ship, it could be a droid.”



At that same moment, the group of Clone Troopers working with Commander Bow laughed heartily and exchanged handshakes. The clones had “procured” an unused RA-7 variant used by the Devastator’s storekeepers for menial tasks such as inventory and routine cleaning. Although the droid lacked the programming necessary for novice-level piloting, it had enough to activate the engines for a controlled one second burst, and steer the ship in a straight line.

The clones had stormed aboard the Emperor’s Apostle , activated her repulsorlifts, and left the droid to do its work. After the deed was done, Commander Bow transmitted a short message to General Skywalker. “General your space in the hangar nearest the bridge has been cleared. Be sure to look out for the Moff’s shuttle drifting by as you come in.”



“Impossible you dimwit, the Empire does not use droids for any kind of piloting, perhaps you’re confusing us for the Separatists. One more mistake like that and I’ll have you demoted for incompetency!”

As if on cue the proximity alert began blaring, and Vedij noticed from the holo display still running that the little gunship he had been tracking against the Moff’s orders was coming in fast. Burned out from his anxiety, and with little left he could do to sway the Moff’s attention, Vedij decided to be the bearer of bad news.

“We have a positive identification. A Separatist Gunship is closing in on our position. I attempted to inform you earlier Moff Tarkin but your orders were quite clear.”

Tarkin was beside himself. “You mean to tell me you intentionally allowed an enemy gunship to enter close range to your own ship?” Tarkin sneered, baring his teeth. “That’s dereliction of duty Captain, if not outright treason.”

Vedij continued to work past his fear, shrugging his shoulders in a dismissive manner. “The ship is broadcasting a friendly IFF signal; I have no desire to fire on my own men.”

“The gunship is targeting the shuttle!” The sensor technican yelled, careful to keep the excitement out of his voice.

Tarkin watched as a pair of heavy beam cannons skewered his personal transport, tearing the unshielded ship apart. “Captain Vedij…I swear…”

“Moff Tarkin please!” Vedij was now attempting to negotiate as best he could, hoping he could mitigate the fallout as much as possible. “ISB has been using captured Separatist ships since the end of the war, We’ve been using battle droids in newly begun ground campaigns since then as well. For all we know General Skywalker could have stolen that ship off of Telos and used it to escape.”

“That’s absurd Captain there’s no way that…” the sentence would never be finished. As ludicrous as it sounded, Tarkin realized that the possibility Vedij had blindly suggested was more than possible, it was probable.

Sweat began to bead on Tarkin’s forehead. “Where is the gunship now?” He asked nervously.

In his excitement, the sensor technician had stopped looking at his terminal. Quickly, he turned back to his console only to find that the ship had disappeared from his scanners. “I’m no longer reading the ship, but the only way that could have happened is if it had docked within our own hangar bay. I’ll call down there to check.”

“Don’t!” Tarkin cried out. “I mean…that won’t be necessary. Just get security up here at once.” The Moff was now breathing heavily and had to take a seat in the captain’s chair. Tarkin looked over at Captain Vedij, who looked back over at Tarkin as he notified security to report to the bridge. If he objected to Tarkin’s using his seat, he didn’t show it.

As Tarkin watched the door of the bridge, he had a second realization. “Captain, who is the naval officer charge of the Devastator’s security?”

Vedij shook his head. “We don’t have one; General Skywalker personally placed Clone Commander Appo of the 501st in charge of the ship’s security once it became his flagship. Commander Appo was aboard the Rebel cruiser when it was destroyed, so I believe that responsibility falls to his replacement.”

The horror sunk in as Tarkin recollected his attempted purge of the 501st. His safety now rested in the Clone’s strict adherence to protocol and the Imperial Code of Military Justice. Although he knew that the clones were as loyal to the Empire as anyone else, he had no idea how their loyalty would be tested by the deaths of their brothers, or by the attempted assassination of their leader for that matter.

Four clones stepped aboard the bridge, carrying their weapons. They stood at attention as soon as they noticed the Moff and crisply saluted. Their commander sounded off. “Commander Bow reporting as requested Captain Vedij.” He said in the familiar voice characteristic of all the Empire’s clone soldiers.

“At ease,” Tarkin interrupted, waving Vedij off with his hand. Vedij shook his head and stood back, he didn’t like what was going on, but even though things had started to get interesting he wasn’t about to start acting without orders until he was sure it was safe to do so.

Tarkin stepped forward towards Bow and stared right at him, the Clone’s face was obscured but Tarkin was sure that he was making eye contact from under his helmet. “I have reason to believe my life is in danger. You and your men are to guard my person at all times until I am safely returned to Coruscant.”

“It will not be a problem,” Bow replied. “In fact, we already received similar orders before reaching the bridge.”

“Similar orders, from whom?” Tarkin inquired.

Suddenly the entire bridge seemed as if had been hit by a blast of superheated air. Everyone noticed, and officers across the room began tugging at their uniform collars and wiping their brows. Tarkin heard a strange rumbling, almost like thunder, and for a second he thought that there had been an explosion on the deck below. The explosion would have been far more welcoming than the voice Tarkin heard next.

“Commander Bow’s orders came directly from me Tarkin.”

Wilhuff Tarkin’s jaw dropped at the sight of General Anakin Skywalker, whose eyes were almost glowing with a fierce yellow fire as he stepped onto the bridge. With a gesture of his hand, Skywalker seized Tarkin with the Force. The Moff tried to scream as he was raised off the floor but a terrible grip began to constrict around his throat.

Keeping the vice-like hold maintained Skywalker moved towards his captive until he was less than a meter away.

“Before I am done with you Tarkin, you will provide me with the answers to all of my questions. I can read your thoughts, and if I suspect for a nanosecond that you aren’t telling the truth then not even the Emperor can save you!”



“Hey, Jambe, wake up!”

Jambe Lu awoke to see his friend and fellow Jedi Padawan Nam Poorf shaking his shoulders in an attempt to wake him. His head hurt, but he was otherwise fine, the last thing he remembered before falling sleep was falling to the deck in an uncontrolled heap. Now, he found himself laying in one of the bunks in the freighter’s crew cabin.

“What’s going on?” He asked Nam, who adopted an expression of relief.

“Thank the Force, for a second there I thought that you’d been shot and not just stunned.”

“Stunned? Wait…where’s Master Shryne?” Nam could only muster a grim frown. Jambe started to remember, he instinctively reached for his lightsaber and was fully prepared to go to the cockpit and seek out the mysterious General Cody that Master Shryne had placed his faith in.

“Hold on.” Nam said as he moved into the hatch to prevent Jambe from confronting Cody. “It’s not what you think. He did it to save us.”

“I don’t see how blasting us unconscious and abandoning Master Shryne to die has anything to do with saving us! He’s probably turning us over to the Empire right now!”

“I doubt it,” Nam countered. “He had plenty of opportunity to do that when the Empire destroyed Telos.
Jambe was aghast. “They destroyed Telos? But how?”


Heavy metallic footsteps followed by a monotone electronic voice quickly answered that question. “A Base Delta Zero attack isn’t something that too many Jedi were willing to teach to their students. The fear was that too many upcoming young Jedi in the battlefield would then consider it as an option without fully understanding what it entailed.”

General Cody placed a hand on Nam’s shoulder and moved past him to sit next to Jambe. “Not that I disagreed at the time, but I’ve learned recently there can be hazards in withholding information from a Padawan for too long.”

Suddenly, Jambe realized that he was sensing Cody’s aura through the Force, and that the man was not just the cybernetic soldier that he appeared to be back on Telos. Cody raised his arm and allowed the lightsaber to drop from its hidden compartment, then clipped it to his belt.

“You’re a Jedi?” Jambe asked.

For the first time in a long time, Obi Wan was able to properly introduce himself, it was refreshing. “Master Obi Wan Kenobi at your service young one, and just like you I was on the verge of spending the rest of my career in the Agricultural Corps, if it hadn’t been for Master Jinn of course.”

“Master Kenobi? The reports said you were killed on Utapau!” Jambe half-yelled before remembering to regain his bearing in front of a Jedi Master.

Beneath his mask, Obi Wan smirked. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been mistakenly pronounced dead.”

Although neither Jambe nor Nam said it, the obvious question hung in the air like a timed detonator. Obi Wan decided to get it out of the way.

“Anakin did this to me. He was corrupted by Palpatine, who was actually a Sith Lord in disguise. Palpatine manipulated the entire war as a means of bringing the entire galaxy under the heel of a militarized Empire answering only to him. You will learn more as your training progresses, but suffice it to say that now more than ever, we need to resist the Empire as hard as we can.”

Jambe and Nam stayed quiet save for Jambe offering a quiet whisper of thanks as the enormity of the news weighed down upon him.

“Grieve as you need Padawans, but do not dwell in it. Instead resolve to make the sacrifices of brave souls such as Master Shryne have meaning. He and countless others have already died just to protect others from the government, even with the war already over. Many more will die in the coming days as the Empire starts hunting for our hidden bases in earnest. They won’t find them all though, and when the time comes you will be able to fight back as fully trained Jedi Knights.”

It was a promised that filled the two young Jedi full of hope, and one Obi Wan vowed to deliver on.

“I failed Anakin, I won’t fail these two.”

Obi Wan made his way back towards the cockpit and then began making course corrections. Within a few hours he and the two Padawan would arrive at the gathering of the burgeoning Rebel Fleet at Dantooine.

Obi Wan’s gaze began to turn hazy as a vision appeared to him. He was fighting Anakin, although he looked much older. Anakin’s red blade crossed with the blue of Obi Wan’s own lightsaber and the two bantered back and forth. Somehow, Obi Wan could sense that Anakin’s twins were involved, but the pace of events moved too quickly for him to discern them all. But one part of the Vision he could see with great clarity, the consequences of which nearly floored Obi Wan.

He shook his head, although he remained slightly dizzy, his vision had returned to the red tinted sensor displays of his life support helmet. But the memory still rocked Obi Wan to his core, the boy he once mistakenly referred to as “another pathetic life form” before their first meeting on Tatooine was of much greater importance than he ever could have dreamed.



The impromptu interrogation of Moff Tarkin was a farce. Vader knew that he could take whatever information it was that he wanted from Tarkin’s mind, but the Sith Lord was curious as to how much Tarkin would voluntarily reveal. Either way, his lifespan could now be measured in minutes.

“So you admit that you ordered the bombardment of that Rebel ship even though I had ordered my men aboard to take prisoners and collect information, and that despite the presence of hundreds of clone troopers, you still went ahead with the attack?”

Tarkin’s tears caused his cheeks to shimmer in the light of the bridge. “Yes…yes I do. I told you the operation was taking too much time! The Emperor needs this…”

Vader tightened his grip again. “Do not invoke His Majesty’s name in defense of your actions any more, or I will run you through the ship’s recycler and have your remains ejected into a star with the rest of our waste!”

Tarkin began coughing loudly, fighting to keep his vocal chords open. “General…I swear it was not my intention to…”

Vader’s anger grew, for the past several minutes he had been pulling the answers directly out of Tarkin’s thoughts. The news was disturbing; apparently his Master’s fear and paranoia had gotten the better of him, and now Vader and anyone loyal to him had become a target.

“Enough of this farce Tarkin! You’ve attempted to use the same bureaucratic dialogue to avoid answering a question as those fools in the Senate!”

Tarkin began to whimper, but surprisingly Vader relaxed his grip and released the man. The Moff could do no more than keel over on the deck, filling his lungs with oxygen unhindered at never felt so good.

Calmly, but coldly, Vader continued the questioning. “I’ll give you one last chance to answer a question truthfully, and if you do I promise to you that I won’t kill you.”

Nobody on the bridge was as shocked as Tarkin at the proposal, although there was a healthy measure of skepticism; Skywalker had been regaled for his honor repeatedly during the war, and was known for keeping promises.

“Of course General, thank you General.”

Vader smiled and lowered his head as he moved in and began pacing around the cowering Moff in a deliberately slow circular pattern. “Don’t be so eager just yet Moff Tarkin. There’s one part of your mind, one thought that you’ve closed off rather well. Simply reaching into your psyche and taking it would leave you a vegetable, which is something that neither of us wants, correct?”

Tarkin only nodded in agreement.

“Good,” Vader said, “now tell me Moff Tarkin, who is responsible for the death of my wife?”

Fear and anxiety overcame Tarkin, which Vader took a careful note of as he finally started giving an answer. What Vader did not yet realize was that Tarkin had been put under the strictest orders by his Emperor not to reveal that particular piece of information under any circumstance.

Unfortunately for the Emperor’s privacy, there was little difference between the fate Tarkin would suffer at his hands, and the fate he would suffer at the hands of Vader if he refused.

“I was ordered…my agents….” Tarkin said as terror robbed him of his speech.

“Answer the question!” Vader demanded, stepping forward and lowering his head towards Tarkin, correctly guessing that Tarkin would be less reluctant if the rest of the bridge crew could not hear.

“Em…Emp…Emperor Palpatine.” He whispered, “He was the one who ordered the death of Ambassador Amidala.”

Vader had thought that he had prepared himself for the revelation of the truth, but he underestimated his own anger. The betrayal had left an acidic taste in his mouth as Vader realized that he had been duped into believing that the Jedi were responsible.

Vader reached out with the Force and resumed crushing Tarkin’s neck. This time, Tarkin failed to scream or cry out, he writhed on the ground as he attempted to remind the General of his promise, hoping to gain any sort of aid from the crew on the bridge. Vader released the grip, and Tarkin attempted to beg for his life, but found that he couldn’t.

“I’ve crushed your larynx.” Vader said, each word the verbal equivalent of a heavy turbolaser aimed right for Tarkin. “As promised, I won’t kill you. However, that does not mean you will be escaping the justice you so richly deserve. Commander Bow, step forward.”

The armored clone stepped forward, uneasy but unflinching as he complied. “Yes General.”

“I hereby declare Moff Tarkin guilty of crimes against the Empire, and responsible for the deaths of your brothers. It is my decision that the 501st be allowed to administer his punishment, that is, if you can think of something creative enough for this filth.”

Bow turned from the Vader and looked down at Tarkin, watching as the now mute man attempted to speak. With a swift motion Bow’s foot came forward with a swift kick to Tarkin’s abdomen, causing Tarkin to grown in agony.

“That one was for Commander Appo.” Bow pronounced. “Don’t worry General, me and the boys will make sure he is dealt with. What do you want us to do with the remains?”

Vader did not take long to consider the request. “Dispose of him as you would any other garbage Commander.”

Bow saluted and ordered two of his men to drag Tarkin away, each man grabbed an arm and hefted the man up before carrying him out into the passageway, as the doors closed behind them everyone on board the bridge could hear the sounds of a scuffle as Tarkin attempted to resist, and the sickening pounding of clone trooper fists shortly after.

“Captain Vedij…” Vader said, quickly gained the Captain’s attention. Although the entire secne had caused Vedij to rethink renewing his commission, he was glad to no longer be under the unnerving scrutiny of Tarkin.

“Yes General?”

“Was there any indication of a small freighter leaving Telos’ atmosphere before it was destroyed?”

“Affirmative General, specifications matched that of a Barloz-class Tibanna Gas freighter, it left the system during the window between the bombardment of the Spaceport and the commencement of the Base Delta Zero. Moff Tarkin forbade any attempt at pursuit, but I did have their course noted in the event of your return General.”

Vader took a deep breath. “Fortunately Tarkin’s incompetence is not contagious.”

“Good work Captain. Signal the rest of the Task Force, give them the freighter’s escape vector and have them send every available probe droid and reconnaissance vessel they have to search. The Devastator will be returning to Coruscant.”

Vedij thought better than to ask why and simply complied, and as he turned he failed to notice Vader’s own tears welling up.

In the fateful days since the foundation of the Empire and the eradication of the Jedi, Darth Sidious had been trying to convince Vader that the Jedi were no longer the greatest threat in the galaxy. Sith Master did not intend to imply that he had taken that dubious distinction for himself, but that was how his student was beginning to interpret it.

The irony of Vader’s master fearing his disciple’s growing strength was not lost upon Vader. Even the great Dark Lord of the Sith, who had brought his order out of obscurity after a thousand years of silence to destroy the Jedi and conquer the Republic feared losing his power.

Vader thought back to his earliest Sith teachings, specifically the lessons on the usage and manipulation of fear.

“Perhaps his own fear is taking control of him faster than the old man expects. By playing his hand too early he reveals his weakness, handing me a weapon to use against him. It is too bad, there is much more I could have learned from him, but his time is at an end. I will take I what can from him, including my revenge.”

[JME2]

Ah, Karma. It is a bitch, as Tarkin has learned and as a certain shadowy Sith Lord is about to realize...

[Sidewinder]

AWESOME!!! I like the way Tarkin was turned into the clonetroopers' bitch.

Or just shoot down Palpy when in a shuttle?

My idea was that Anakin kill two birds with one stone, namely, his master and a superweapon that can be used against him. (The canon universe's Vader doesn't seem to think the Death Star is very useful, anyways.)

[Darth Fanboy]

Chapter 34: Students and Teachers

To put it simply, Darth Sidious was mad .

For the past two decades he had carefully crafted and nurtured his master plan to bring the galaxy under his rule, and for those two decades his delicate manipulation of events had transpired according to his design. His mastery of the Sith teachings garnered from artifacts and holocrons from across the galaxy had enabled the Sith Emperor to view possible futures with the Force, allowing him to guide events to the outcome that most benefited him.

He was loathe to admit it, but Darth Sidious lamented that he had perhaps, acted too hastily in dealing with his apprentice. But the history of his order had taught him that Sith Lords that failed to reign in apprentices in due time were subsequently replaced. Although the process was designed so that the next generation of Sith would be more powerful than the previous one, and that undeserving apprentices weren’t rewarded with the future of the Sith, it wouldn’t do for Vader to take control of the Sith at such an early stage in his training, not to mention the fatal effect it would have on Sidious’ own plans for immortality.

There was also the fact that Vader was no longer irreplaceable. Amidala’s pregnancy had been surprise enough when it had become obvious during its later stages; the fact that she produced twins was more than the Sith Lord could have ever hoped for. When the pregnancy became obvious, Sidious had utilized his Palpatine persona to quash all rumors and speculation, done in part to preserve his plan for Anakin Skywalker, and also to begin building his future plans for the Skywalker offspring. Their planned role in the Emperor’s ultimate plan would make his reign of the Empire a lasting one.

Vader’s impatience and headstrong approach were expected by Sidious when he had finally decided the time was right to offer the former Jedi a place in the Sith Order, but his prediction that Amidala would die pursuing him to Mustafar had failed, and Sidious was frustrated when the birth of the children began to supersede Vader’s commitments to Sidious and the Empire. He laid the framework for Amidala’s death by activating one of his last remaining assets with any knowledge of his double identity, and shifted the blame entirely to the Jedi almost flawlessly.

Upon seeing how distraught Vader was, and sensing his refusal to serve the Empire unless he was permitted to seek his justice, Sidious had made the decision to eliminate Vader and thus gave him free reign to pursue the Jedi Master Quinlan Vos, knowing that Vader would not pass up the opportunity. The distraction was designed to enable one of Sidious’ loyal and most ruthless servants, Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, the chance to strike when Vader’s attention was elsewhere. According to the possible outcomes Sidious had foreseen, Tarkin was the most likely of his subordinates to succeed at the task, and that in a blind rage Vader would become completely vulnerable.

But, despite the overwhelming odds in favor of the Moff, Tarkin had failed . The pilot of Tarkin’s shuttle, an undercover COMPNOR operative posing as a Naval Lieutenant and trained to resist having his thoughts revealed by the Force, had sent a discreet tight beam warning from the Star Destroyer Devastator back to his headquarters on Coruscant, the contents of which were forwarded directly to Sidious.

“Tarkin is dead. Skywalker is alive. Quinlan Vos presumed dead. Devastator is en route to Coruscant.”

The message was lacking in specific details, but it wasn’t hard for Sidious to guess that, one way or another, he and Vader were about to meet face to face. Sidious knew that he had little chance in a straight up duel with Vader; his own duel with Mace Windu had confirmed that. The Jedi Master had pushed him to his limits with a lightsaber, and his unique talents countered Sidious dark powers effectively. Whether or not Sidious could have bested him was a question that even he could not answer, but it had never come to that. Regardless of the potential outcome, the whole point of the duel was to bring Anakin Skywalker into the Sith fold, by staining his hands with the blood of the Jedi. No matter whose side Skywalker believed he was on, Sidious had crafted the scenario so that Skywalker would have no choice but to kill Mace Windu in order to protect the only way he knew to spare the life of Amidala.

Briefly, he considered seizing Vader’s twins for use as leverage, but ultimately decided that such a gesture would only escalate Vader’s anger making him harder to control. There was also the fact that the 501st legion, walking a fine line towards treachery, had taken up the Skywalker Residence as a temporary barracks, turning the estate into a fortress to protect the children at Vader’s own request. The children could not be taken without a messy incident that would be too difficult to cover up. Such a distraction would only impede efforts to placate a turbulent Coruscant, still coping with the implementation of Imperial Rule.

There was but one flaw in Vader that Sidious knew he could exploit, Vader’s mental and emotional instability was uncharacteristic for a Dark Lord. What control he had learned could be easily undone with the proper exploitation.

Still seated in his throne, he watched as Sate Pestage, entered the room, responding to an earlier summons.

“Your Majesty, how may I be of service?” Pestage said as he bowed.

The Emperor cut right to the details. “Lord Vader returns from Coruscant, he will be seeking an audience with me. You will do everything in your power to delay him from seeking me out, but do not deny him outright.”

Pestage, still skittish from the last encounter he had with Vader, twitched at the order, but accepted the Emperor’s order without question. “I will do so to the best of my ability Majesty.” Pestage, sensing something was amiss, offered a suggestion. “Shall I also take the time to have troopers posted to your residence?”

“The troopers are tainted with loyalty to their General. However if you feel it is necessary you may allocate any ISB or COMPNOR resources as you see fit, but under no circumstances are they to engage in any direct or verbal confrontation with Vader, only you are authorized to speak on my behalf. I will deal with Vader personally.”





“Sir, I just wanted to let you know that Moff Tarkin’s remains have been atomized at your request. Nothing left to contradict the official report.” Commander Bow said as he held his salute.

Vader shook his head with approval. “At ease Commander Bow, excellent work as well. I’ve ordered Captain Vedij and the bridge crew to remain silent, but rumors tend to spread rather quickly. Have you finished the background check on the shuttle pilot Tarkin brought with him?”

Commander Bow handed over a data pad. “Nothing unusual, a second year Lieutenant who spent most of the war ferrying about politicians on Coruscant, this guy’s own commanding officer probably couldn’t even pick him out of a lineup.”

“In other words, the perfect cover for an Imperial Agent, have any unauthorized transmissions left the ship since we turned back for Coruscant?”

“Nothing that we’ve been able to detect General, but if he really is an agent then there’s a good chance we was able to conceal it completely. You want us to bring him in so you could have a look?” Bow asked.

“Leave him be; whether or not my suspicions are confirmed does not matter. I’ll be going to meet with the Emperor either way as soon as we return.” Vader took a deep breath and then turned from the data pad to Bow. “What I’m about to engage in will be considered treason Commander. You and your men have served me beyond the call of duty, if it is your desire to avoid the coming confrontation I will not attempt to prevent you from doing so.”

Bow simply shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been talking to the rest of my men, here on the ship and back on Coruscant over the holocomm. Tarkin might have issued the orders, but he wasn’t the only one who wants to get rid of us clones. Without you General, we don’t really see ourselves being around much longer. We turned on the Jedi out of loyalty to the Republic and to the Supreme Chancellor, but if they can’t show us the same respect they can eat thermal detonators for all I care. I can’t speak for every legion, but the 501st will stand with you General.”

“It is good to fight alongside others with the same respect for loyalty as I do Commander. Together, we will deliver on the Empire’s promise to bring order to the galaxy.” Vader stood up, and involuntarily began flexing his mechanical arm, as he did whenever he sensed a conflict approaching.

“What’s the biggest transport that we have on this ship Commander?”

Bow sensed what the General was getting at. “There is one CR-25 troop transport in the barge hold that can hold around fifty troopers if we pack in real tight. It also holds eight gunships that can carry at least two dozen or so more men each."

It was a number not acceptable to Vader, thinking quickly, he thought of a solution. "I want every dropship and transport on the Devastaotr filled to the brim with your men Commander. If necessary, bring the rest down in ARC-170s.

Vader raised his artificial hand high and examined it, as if he were seeking an imperfection. “Have everything ready by the time we reach Coruscant. We’ll land it as close to the Senate district as possible and then march to Palpatine from there. Any rumors of my death that might have spread will be stopped dead in their tracks.” Vader then cracked a small smile. “For what it’s worth, Grand Vizier Pestage might even soil himself when he sees us heading towards him.”

“There isn’t a sane person in the galaxy that wouldn’t General.”

Vader laughed, but the happiness evident on his face was fueled by sadistic thoughts of how much pleasure he would take from destroying his enemies. Palpatine’s deception and Tarkin’s actions had revealed the last of his adversaries to him.

“I’m done striking at shadows my Master; it’s time for me to take everything from you that I desire, your knowledge, your galaxy, and then your life. One by one they will all be mine.”



Jambe Lu and Nam Poorf marveled as their ship reverted to realspace, pointed directly at the planet Dantooine.

For experienced galactic travelers, it was an unimpressive world, but there was nothing unimpressive about the fleet gathered around it. An assortment of capital ships circled the world, ranging in size from the massive Trade Federation ships all the way to smaller corvettes purchased discreetly from independent Corellian shipyards.

Obi Wan, lowered his head towards the ship’s communicator and begin broadcasting. “This is General Ben Cody aboard the inbound freighter,” he stopped, covered the transmitter and turned to Jambe. “What did Vos call this thing again?”

“Shadower.”

“Ah thank you Padawan.” Obi wan uncovered the transmitter and continued. “Freighter Shadower inbound from Telos.”

A few seconds passed until Obi Wan had his response. “General Cody, this is former Senator Garm Bel Iblis aboard the dreadnought Sand Panther , we need to talk. We’ve set up a base on the planet’s surface. I’m transmitting the coordinates to you right now. Meet me there in one hour.”

“Acknowledged Senator, but if I may ask, why the sudden change of heart? Senator Organa had said that you weren’t interested in our cause?”

There was a brief moment of silence. “Things change General, galaxies, governments, and especially personal opinions. I’ll fill you in planet-side. Bel Iblis out.”

Nam Poorf quickly picked up on Obi Wan’s befuddlement. “Is something wrong Master Kenobi?”

Obi Wan shook his head. “First of all, from now on it’s Master Cody, no matter the circumstances. Get that into your heads as quickly as possible. For the time being, the less people know about my real identity the better. I only told the two of you because if you are going to learn from me, then you have to trust me. Secondly, yes something is quite wrong. I spent a brief time on Alderaan after my injuries and from what I learned Garm Bel Iblis had no intention whatsoever on joining the rebellion.”

Nam considered the situation carefully, “It doesn’t make sense, why would he change his mind like that Master?”

“I have no idea,” Obi Wan said. “But one way or another we’re going to find out. I want you both to accompany me at all times for the time being. The only thing either of you have to worry about or concentrate on is the Force. That way, if anything happens, neither of you will be distracted.”

Obi Wan turned and made sure that Jambe was listening as well. “Consider this your first lesson from me, you are going to want to get more involved down there, but you need to push outside disturbances aside and keep a clear mind. A lot has changed within the Rebellion lately and we can’t afford to trust anyone yet, Imperial spies might be present as well so remain vigilant.”

The two young Jedi accepted their assignment unquestioningly. “Good,” Obi Wan replied, “try to relax in the passenger cabin while I fly us in. It may be the last chance you get for a while.”



Deep underground beneath the ever-expanding Imperial Capital, in an isolated section of the abyssal slum known as “The Works”, Yoda struggled to keep his sanity intact. His tortures had become more sporadic, and the Jedi Master constantly wondered if he had been abandoned to die. The Red Guards had stopped making rounds down below, which meant that Yoda’s one source of food and water was now gone.

Of course, Yoda had not done much to dissuade them from thinking that he was still alive. Each time the guards came, he had used what little of the Force he could gather to place himself in a trance, a precaution against the sadistic designs of potential torturers.

Sidious had to know that members of Yoda’s species were hardy. Yaddle, another member of his species and a former member of the Jedi Council, had survived imprisonment for nearly a century on minimal food and water before emerging from captivity underground.

Yoda did have one friend to keep him company though, although this would be their last conversation.

“The Sith Lord is well aware of your life expectancy my friend, but he believes your physical form will far outlast your sanity given the trying times, and he hopes to one day return to see you once your mind is completely gone.” Qui-Gon Jinn said, his spiritual form completely incorporated and standing beside the shackled Yoda.

The bright light was a stark contrast to the darkness of the cell, but even as it strained Yoda’s eyes it was welcome.

“Return to this existence only to tell me that Master Jinn? Thought the force is weak with me, still sense your essence fading I can.” Yoda said.

“It may seem trivial, but it’s best that you know so that you’re prepared. The time of your escape draws near my friend. It will be best if you are nowhere to be found during the coming storm.”

“Sensed a disturbance in the Force I have, but I am unable to discern what it means. The Dark Side is strong in this place.”

“Then you should know that Sidious and Anakin are about to have their falling out, the death of Padme Amidala had far greater ramifications than anyone could have expected. Not even the Dark Lord of the Sith could keep up with the shifting series of events, and now suffers the consequences of his failed predictions. Now he is left with no alternative but to destroy Anakin Skywalker.”

Yoda’s mind processed as much of the new information as it could. “The outcome matters not, for the winner can only be a Sith Lord, and the winner would control the Skywalker Twins.”

“Which is exactly why it is imperative that you leave this place, one day when the opportunity arises, the New Chosen One will seek out a Jedi Master for training, only this will restore balance to the Force. With my last act I will impart upon you what is left of my power, use it wisely my friend.”

Qui Gon’s spirit began to fade from sight as power from the Force began to percolate in Yoda, restoring the strength in his muscles and healing the damage to his psyche, and thus improving his connection to the Force. Yoda could still sense Qui Gon, but even the unseen presence was fading fast. “Grateful I am Master Qui Gon.”

“As am I to you Master Yoda. However, there is one last thing Master, there will come a time when you and the New Chosen One will have to part ways. When that happens, seek out Obi Wan. Although he does not realize it, his fate is more entwined with the galactic prophecy than any of us could have imagined.”

“Then alive Master Kenobi is, good news this is. You have my word that seek him out I will when the time comes.” Yoda said as he stretched and tested his restored body, satisfied with his strength and enlightened with the new knowledge, Yoda was prepared to take the next step towards fighting the Sith, and saving the galaxy.

“Then there is nothing left for me to accomplish, my time has come. May the Force be with you Master Yoda.”

“May the Force be with you, Master Jinn.”

No longer able to cross the boundaries between the physical realm and the netherworld where he existed, Qui Gon Jinn finally released his spirit into the Force, never to be heard from again. Now healed, Yoda had the power to loosen his restraints easily. He did so, knowing that Qui Gonn would not have prepared him for such an escape if such an opportunity was far from coming.

As he lay in wait, he was able to hear the footsteps of approaching guards in the distance. Yoda turned his head and concealed a small grin as he slowly began to gather energy for his surprise attack...


Author's note: apologies for the shorter length of this chapter, but it had to be done this way in order to properly set up the next one.

[Crazedwraith]

Good chapter Fanboy. Some nice setup for the coming storm. Will Palpatine finally prove a challenging fight for Anakin? Assuming it actually comes to blows, of course. Annie seems to have curbstomed everyone thus far.

Edit: and apologies for not commenting on the three preceding chapters, I have been away from the internet, rest assured I have read and liked them.

[JME2]

Ooh, I'm quivering with anticipation; great work as always, Fanboy.

[Sidewinder]

Oh, it's getting better and better. (Laughs maniacally in anticipation of Vader making Sidious his bitch.)

Hopefully, Anakin will NOT be seriously injured in the coming fight, e.g., lose another limb or the ability to breathe unaided. I'd hate for him to end up looking like canon Vader, i.e., that 'Scars of Mustafar' will look like something written by Brannon Braga.

[Spice Runner]

Excellent chapter as always.

[Darth Fanboy]

A quick edit has been made to the previous chapter. The CR 25 transport was not big enough for what I had intended, so there has been an addition to Vader and Bow's conversation.

[Darth Fanboy]

Apologies for the Necro, but there actually is an update. Portions of Chapters 5, 6, and 7 were rewritten to accomodate the animated Clone Wars movie. It also actually helped out the quality of the chapters IMHO.

-Some dialogue changes in 5 and 6 for accuracy
-Big change in 7 to accomodate Anakin's past dealing with Jabba the Hutt
-Watto's appearance eliminated, Jabba's provocations now have a little more creativity behind them instead of a scene that was forced in unaesthetically by the author.

[Crazedwraith]

Any ETA on the next chapter?

[Darth Fanboy]

Any ETA on the next chapter?

I'd like to have at least one if not two more finished by the end of the year, but I have been drinking a lot lately.

[Sidewinder]

-Watto's appearance eliminated, Jabba's provocations now have a little more creativity behind them instead of a scene that was forced in unaesthetically by the author.

Will you include the original scenes and deleted scenes, e.g., the scene where Anakin tries to justify killing younglings to Padme, in an "author's notes" or "postscript" section?

[Darth Fanboy]

-Watto's appearance eliminated, Jabba's provocations now have a little more creativity behind them instead of a scene that was forced in unaesthetically by the author.

Will you include the original scenes and deleted scenes, e.g., the scene where Anakin tries to justify killing younglings to Padme, in an "author's notes" or "postscript" section?

At some point perhaps in a finished version. I've never finished a fanfic of this size before.

[Darth Fanboy]

Chapter 35: Honor to the Dead, Woe unto the Living

The abundance of ship traffic in the skies above Coruscant weren’t as impressive to the trillion-plus residents of the galactic capital as they were to the millions of travelers that were making their first visits. Still, even the residents watching the skies near the Senate District took pause as an Imperial Star Destroyer took up and incredibly low orbit and hung slowly in the air, a violation of District Airspace that even the military refused to permit its own vessels to pass through except in emergency situations.

After it had held its position long enough for crowds to gather, a small parade of ships began to disgorge from the belly of the Star Destroyer, heading along a vector taking them straight to the largest landing platform in the area. The same one that had been made famous by General Anakin Skywalker’s impossible landing of the disintegrating Trade Federation flagship Invisible Hand .

A LAAT gunship led the charge under the direct command of Clone Commander Bow. Bow’s gunship and others were formed up around a larger transport that was carrying General Skywalker himself.

He leaned his head into the cockpit, his helmet underneath one arm and the other arm keeping him in place with his safety grip. “What’s the comm. Traffic sound like?” He asked the Gunship’s pilot.

“About as garbled as a Verpine Heavy-Isotope band sir, General Skywalker was right when he said that keeping the Star Destroyer over the city would wreak havoc with the air controllers. They’re diverting everything away from the Senate District, which will leave us plenty of room to land.”

Bow chuckled at the thought of the panic playing out at the nearby traffic control outpost. “Good work, but keep sharp, things are going to get very interesting once we touch down. I hope you had a chance to buff out your armor recently.”

The pilot laughed back, “Why Commander, is there going to be an inspection?”

Bow let go of his grip and put his helmet back on, taking a few seconds to check the seals. “I haven’t heard anything about an inspection, but the General did ask me before we left if the 501st was up on their parade skills.”

“Oh yeah?” The pilot said, “Did you tell him that we had plenty of time to practice in between battles, and the only issue we had is that we kept tripping over the droids we had just finished blasting to bits?”

Bow laughed, “I think I said something along those lines yes. But even I had to agree with his counter argument. He said that if we do this right that we will spook every one of those stuck up Coruscanti cloud-dwellers that never made it within fifty light years of a battle until the Seps tried to ambush us here. General says they’re so skittish right now we’re bound to get at least a few of them to ruin their trousers.”

“Sounds like a plan Commander,” said the pilot as he gave the thumbs up. “Just remind me which ways left and right are when you ask me to face. Oh, and I advise getting ready, because we’ll be landing here in less than a minute.”



The pair of Crimson Guardsmen, elite clones specially refined for the task of ensuring the safety of then-Chancellor Palpatine, stalked through the Works.

“I thought we weren’t bringing that old traitor anymore food.” The junior of the two guards asked.

“We aren’t, His Majesty has ordered us to dispose of him because there is no more benefit to keeping him alive. He is only prolonging the inevitable with those damned trances of his.”

The two troopers finally arrived at Yoda’s cell, readying their Force Pikes to dismember the body of the captive Jedi. The Jedi lay shackled and curled up, motionless with his hands on his belly as if he were weak from hunger.

“If there is any part of him left that still feels, it won’t be for much longer,” said the senior guard as he stabbed forward with the pike, aiming it directly at the back of Yoda’s head.

But the attack stopped jess than a millimeter away from the flesh on the back of Yoda’s skull, and the guardsman found himself facing an unseen resistance as he attempted to drive the blow home. Surprisingly to the guards, Yoda’s shackles undid themselves, and a heartbeat later, the senior guardsman fell backwards as the handle of his weapon flew backwards into his chest with great speed, knocking the wind out of him. The second guard jumped backwards, unsure of what had just happened. In that second Yoda leapt to his feet quickly and reached out with the force, taking the junior guard’s weapon.

By this time, the senior guard had begun to pick himself off the ground, but Yoda ended that by swinging the deactivated pike in his hand like a club. The attack, strengthened by the force, struck the guard on the side of his head and knocked him out cold. Yoda lifted his had towards the other guard.

“Kill either of you, I will not. But sleep now, you must.”

Yoda reached out with the force and seized the junior guard by his helmet and then slammed him face first into the duracrete floor. Abhorrent as it was to Yoda to use the Force in such a manner against a living being, it was still a non lethal technique, and his mission was paramount.

The guards would be unconscious long enough for Yoda to make his escape into the lower levels, the deepest parts of Coruscant where not even the Empire dared tread. Into the ancient warrens of lost city that held no purpose save to hold up the surface above.

A lightsaber would have been convenient, for illumination and for defense. But Yoda had the Force, and it was all that he believed he needed. The darkness of down below was even darker than his cell had been, but there was a key difference between the two that made the underground much more appealing.

Yoda was free, free to wait until the time was right to rise without the chains of the Emperor to hold him back, free to wait until the time to move against the Sith and fulfill a prophecy that had destroyed his family, and had nearly destroyed him.



“General Cody, glad you could make it.” Garm Bel Iblis said as he welcomed the Jedi and the two padawans into the makeshift conference room on the now growing Rebel base that had sprung up on Dantooine.

“I shall always find time for allies Senator, though I’m surprised that you have changed your mind in such a short time. I had heard from Senator Organa that you and Senator Mothma were having quite a disagreement over her opposition to the Empire.”

Bel Iblis grit his teeth at the mention of his now deceased former colleague. “The last time I spoke with her, I had every reason to oppose her, and even were she alive right now I would think her too rash to consider the cost and logistics of waging an open rebellion with the Empire given the resources available.”

The Corellian sighed. “But, it is going to be a lot harder without her, no matter when we acted, and new information coupled with recent events has forced me to reconsider my opinion.”

“What new information?”

“You would have received it had the Neimoidians not betrayed out and assassinated Mon Mothma; there is upheaval on Coruscant, within the government and the military alike. Most of it is circulating around the Emperor and Supreme Commander Skywalker.”

Obi Wan’s heart nearly leapt out through his respirator. “He was the one leading the Imperial forces at Telos.”

“I know,” Bel Iblis replied. “I still have several reliable sources in the executive branch, There was in incident between Skywalker and Moff Wilhuff Tarkin after the battle ended. It appears Tarkin gave an order that killed hundreds of clones under Skywalker’s command.”

It didn’t take Obi Wan long to guess what had happened, “I take it that the General objected to the Moff’s course of action?”

“It goes deeper than that, but yes.” replied the Senator. “It appears as though Skywalker killed Tarkin, who rumor has it was acting on the Emperor’s orders, although I can’t confirm that part of it. It doesn’t make any difference because soon afterwards Skywalker left in a Star Destroyer right for Coruscant and if my guess is right he’s already there. Ever since the assassination of Padme Amidala there has been a surge in support for General Skywalker, and it has created a rift between those who support Skywalker, and those entirely devoted to the ‘New Order’ of Palpatine. It hasn’t had much effect because their goals until recently have been the same, but if someone on either side wanted to start a fight, it would not take much.”

“You could always count on Skywalker to start a fight.” Kenobi mused as he attempted to comprehend the situation fully. Coruscant was changing faster than he had expected.

Bel Iblis pounded his fist into his open palm. “That’s just what we’re doing! At first I had figured on Palpatine taking the time to consolidate his power while his support made him untouchable, but if Skywalker pushes the leadership issue on Coruscant, then that is no longer an issue. Mon Mothma was right for all the wrong reasons.”

“I hope for your sake Senator that guilt over Mon Mothma’s death isn’t the only reason you’re pursuing this course of action. While I welcome your assistance as much as anyone we need to make clear decisions now more than ever.”

Bel Iblis stopped, and was silent for a moment. “There may be some guilt in me General, I will admit that. But that doesn’t change the fact that we are being blessed with an opportunity to realistically fight back years earlier than we could have hoped, we can hurt the Empire in its infancy before they have a grip on the rest of the galaxy!”

The Senator moved towards Obi Wan and extended his hand forward. Obi Wan reciprocated and the two shook hands. “I concur Senator, and I think Mon Mothma would as well were she here.”

“We will honor her memory the day the war ends General, one way or the other. Maybe I’m just saying this because she is dead and will never have to hear me say it, but she was a true patriot. In the mean time why don’t you and your charges have some down time, we’ll start coordinating our assets tomorrow.”

“Thank you Senator, and please let me know if you receive any information from Coruscant. From the way you have described it, things are about to get awful ugly over there.”



For many of the clones in the 501st, they had not been part of any sort of parade march since they had boarded the Acclamators on Coruscant for the first time after Geonosis. Many of them had visible marks on their armor, from blaster burns to gouges from a vibro blade, each imperfection worn with pride as a badge of honor commemorating his service in combat across the galaxy. They were a group not unlike the hundreds of other legions that served the Grand Army of the Republic, now the Imperial Armed Forces.

But in many ways they were different. As the unit with the most surviving clones from their initial batch, the 501st was deeply mistrustful of other clones. It wasn’t that other clones were inferior in any way; it was that they did not feel like brothers. It took time for newcomers to be fully accepted, of having been through enough combat to “get the stink of nutrient bath off ‘em,” as some of the older clones had first put it. Some clone units had begun dabbling in the Mandalorian heritage of their progenitor, Jango Fett. But most members of the 501st rejected this to the point where such practitioners in other units were given the derogatory label of “Fettheads.” Clones of the 501st still remembered that, for whatever reason, Jango Fett had fought for the Separatists on Geonosis, and had fought against his genetic copies in the process. Instead, the 501st developed their own cultures, a culture based on one critical factor, survival.

Survival wasn’t just about living to see the next day; it was helping your brothers next to you do the same. The battle could be won, but if nobody made it home then there would be nobody to fight the next one. Clones of the 501st risked their life time and again, but never doing so for ridiculous concepts like honor and personal gain, but with the hope that his death would mean that his brothers would live. New clones, also known as “Shinies”, rarely understood this when they entered the 501st, but they would either live long enough to learn, or die on the battlefield anyways. Understanding did not help them live longer, but it helped them fight harder.

Only one being outside of the unit had ever really understood and been accepted, and that being was Anakin Skywalker. Were it not for his actions when fighting together, the 501st would not have any of its declining number original members, made fewer by the callous actions of Moff Tarkin in the space battle around Telos.

While bred to be obedient, the 501st knew that blind obedience would eventually destroy them. So they did what any practical unit of clones would do when they knew that the people they were supposed to be serving were plotting against them, they changed their loyalty.

It was startlingly easy for many of the 501st to rationalize. All they had to do was decide how to interpret their orders. Their loyalty was to the head of state, but what happened when that position was in dispute? Clones had always been taught to follow the chain of command, and the command code put the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces at the top of the pecking order, and it just so happened that in this upcoming leadership dispute that the Supreme Commander was one of the powers vying for leadership, and up until the dispute itself came out into the open, the clones could simply state that they were following orders, and would require a direct order from the Emperor in order to supersede their orders from the Supreme Commander.

Those were the reasons why hundreds of clones marched in formation behind Anakin Skywalker through the Imperial Plaza that day. No words were spoken or commands given, all the clones had to do was follow, and follow they did. The crowds parted and ground traffic stopped to make way for the ivory column.

What the clones did not understand, was the unspoken role being played by Anakin Skywalker, more specifically his Sith alter ego. Throughout the Senate District, his will was pervasive, those beings even remotely sensitive to the Force would have looked upon the man leading the troopers as a radiant furnace of energy, teetering on the brink of explosion. A Zabrak driving a freight carrying hovertruck stopped, but not because he reacted to avoid hitting anyone in the column, he stopped because Anakin Skywalker wanted him to stop; there was no other option available to him.

Those in the crowd with enough intelligence and enough power of will to resist being drawn in by Skywalker’s Aura made it a point to promptly leave the area in a quiet way, knowing that whatever it was building up in the plaza would soon engulf the entire area in a dangerous way.

Painful emotions and bittersweet memories continued to fuel the fire within Anakin every step of the way, not once during the entire march did he even think about what action he would take to get to his Master, or what he would even say when he arrived. One thing was for sure though, Palpatine’s actions had served to unify the conflicting emotions within Anakin’s heart, and Anakin seized that fact and used it to focus his hate as he had never before. Anakin believed that he was finally understating his hate and anger to a degree that he had never managed before. Sidious’ lessons had taught Anakin to focus his rage, but his betrayal had inadvertently taught Anakin how to turn that anger into true hate.

His first apprentice killed Qui Gon Jinn, and left me to the fate of a Jedi Order that didn’t care for me...

His armies killed my friends in the war, on battlefields all over the galaxy I watched them die…

Still, I was willing to fight for him, kill people I once cared about for him, because I thought he was right. No, because he was right!

Then his agent killed hundreds of my men needlessly, because they supported me…

Then his tried to kill me! Using my own ships against me while I fought the true enemies of the Empire…

Still, I would have fought for him, because such is the nature of the Sith Order, had I been killed, I would not have been a worthy heir to the Sith legacy…

But then I learned that he killed Padme…


As Anakin finished the thought, he looked up and saw that he was but a short distance from 500 Imperial, and in the midst of all of the chaos and emotion swirling about that his Master was there, waiting within. Anakin stopped, the clones behind him coming to a halt as well.

“Commander Bow,” the General said, his glare still fixated on the building before them.

“Yes General?”

“I am declaring a state of emergency; spread the word that a group of former Separatists is planning to assassinate the Emperor and that Jedi may possibly be involved. We will use the culture of fear and the same vague justifications used by the Emperor against him. I want your men to secure the perimeter of this building, but do not enter the building itself, I am guessing it is already seething with COMPNOR lackeys, and I can practically taste the stench of ISB as well.”

“Yes sir, General.” Bow acknowledged.

“There is one other thing, at some point I will transmit a message to you. I pre-recorded it onto my comlink. Once I send it to you, I want you to spread the message as far and wide across this planet as you can. At that point, I fully expect this place to turn into a warzone.”



The integration of droids into the Imperial military was incredibly controversial, especially among those who hailed from worlds devastated by droid army invasions.

But the opportunity to implement valuable technology forcibly acquired from the Trade Federation was too good to pass up for most of the military leadership, who were unconcerned with the political consequences and clamored for the tactical advantages that the new droids could give them.

The compromise was to take the old Trade Federation droids and re-design them into “Imperialized” versions, which would be built by corporations loyal to the Empire, notably those that also had tight connections to the Emperor.

Thus it was that Arakyd Industries was given the right to manufacture a new type of armed probe droid, capable of travelling through hyperspace and broadcasting their finds back to their controllers via the holonet.

These droids were put into production and use by the Empire as soon as they had rolled off the assembly lines, the first batch of these droids were given to Anakin Skywalker’s Death Squadron, as they hunted out fugitive Jedi. After an unknown freighter escaped the destruction of Telos, these droids were the first to deploy in pursuit.

Only one was required to locate the target for the operation to be successful, and in fact, one was. Programmed with one of a large number of escape routes and habitable worlds along that route, it was the only droid to emerge at the edge of the Dantooine system and notice the presence of numerous enemy ships orbiting it.

The message was sent back to its handlers, a coded transmission that sounded like meaningless electronically generated noise to human ears that was actually a rather detailed message, sending as much data as it could gather.

The Empire had found the Rebels on Dantooine.