Scars of Mustafar (COMPLETED 1/14/09)

[Sidewinder]

A good chapter, but:

“Reject our teachings, Anakin Skywalker did.”

“He is no longer the Chosen One.”

That was quite a surprise. Is Obi-Wan or one of the other refugee Jedi now the Chosen One? Or will you write a sequel featuring Luke as the Chosen One who kills Sidious and restores balance to the Force?

[Darth Fanboy]

Will you keep reading if I give you the surprise answer?

[Sidewinder]

Will you keep reading if I give you the surprise answer?

Well, I still watched Michael Bay's 'Transformers' despite the fact that I was disappointed in the movie storybook and the comic book adaptation. Oh well, I guess I can wait until you write the next few chapters.

[Crazedwraith]

... It lives! A Nice solid chapter fanboy, I hope there are more to come.

[Darth Fanboy]

... It lives! A Nice solid chapter fanboy, I hope there are more to come.

Well when I write chapters I like to get a good chunk done all at once and I divide them into chapters of six-plus pages on Microsoft Word with a ten point font. So when I write out part of an arc sometimes By the time I finish getting down what I need I end up with over a chpaters worth of work. In this particular case I nearly completed two, so I am going to put in a little extra time tomorrow in finishing the next chapter for you guys, which will give me a full slate to start preparing for the big scene.

[Darth Fanboy]

Chapter 20: Learning the Hard Way

“Welcome Lord Vader.”

The fact that his Master used his Sith honorific instead of his public title suggested that Depa Billaba was aware of the entire façade.

So she was a minion of Sidious all along, I can’t wait to hear this explanation, although it will be too little too late to spare her.

“I see that Master Billaba requires no introduction. Splendid, then we can begin discussing your upcoming cooperation then.” Sidious gushed in an almost reptilian voice.

Anakin was beside himself in shock. “ Cooperation? Master I don’t understand, I have been fighting in part to exterminate the Jedi for weeks now! Why should I cooperate with one of them, a pawn of Mace Windu no less, to help them rebuild!”

“Master Billaba has proven both worthy and loyal to our New Order Lord Vader. You would do well to respect her counsel.” Sidious admonished.

“If I may your Majesty,” Depa interjected before Anakin would respond. Sidious nodded and allowed her to proceed. “Lord Vader, it has come to my attention that you were elevated to the Jedi Council prior to the misguided attempt by our fellow Jedi…”

Anakin interrupted. “I am not a Jedi! Do not associate me with your treacherous ilk.”

Depa nodded apologetically while mentally noting Vader’s overt disdain for the Jedi. “Forgive my indiscretion Lord Vader, but all I suggest is that you are technically the highest ranking survivor of the Order, what with my recent incapacitation. Once the Jedi are gathered and a new Order is established on Coruscant, your participation will prove invaluable.”

“What would you have me do, and what is keeping me from doing to you what I did to your former Master?” Anakin growled, his eyes focused with hate.

“As you know the outer rim is littered with the scum of the galaxy. Gangsters, Pirates, and of course former Separatists turned Rebels. If we can turn the surviving Jedi to our side, we will have an unmatched advantage in restoring the Rule of Law to these territories.”

Anakin was unconvinced. “The Imperial Armed Forces will be more than up to the task of pacifying the Outer Rim. I will see to it myself.”

“I understand and admire your resolve Lord Vader, but you must realize that military pacification in those areas is tricky at best. This Jedi Order would legitimize our efforts in those systems that remain loyal, but not true, to the New Order.”

Sidious, sensing Anakin’s defiance on the matter, decided to weigh in. “I have decided that this is a good plan, my apprentice. It will be a great victory if we are able to turn the Jedi into the servants of the Sith. Remember your lessons, it is better to possess than to destroy.”

Not if your possession has the power to destroy you.

“I sense that you have doubts Lord Vader.”

“Forgive me my Master, but I have killed a great many Jedi in your service. I find it difficult to believe that they could be controlled in such a manner.”

Depa Billaba’s voice chimed in, much to Vader’s chagrin.

“That is where your participation ends, and Ambassador Amidala’s begins.”

Instinctively, Anakin drew his lightsaber to his hand, before he could ignite the switch Sidious gestured with the Force and knocked the hilt of the blade across the room.

“Lord Vader, your temper displeases me. I would have you hear Master Billaba out.”

Anakin, furious beyond any measure, restrained himself from following through on his attack. He did not want to displease Sidious. Not so long as the man held knowledge of the power to save people from death.

“It is all right majesty; Lord Vader is only being protective of the people he cares about. Just as he cared for Obi Wan and the other Jedi he served with admirably during the war.”

That comment had stung Anakin hard, only the threat of reprisal from Sidious held Anakin in check now. He was not prepared to challenge his master in any way just yet. Billaba turned her shoulder to Anakin and continued to outline her plan.

“Ambassador Amidala was well respected by the Jedi Order, she will be vital in reuniting the Jedi Order under our control. I propose that she and I form a diplomatic team to meet with the remaining Jedi. She wouldn’t be in any danger surrounded by dozens of Jedi now would she?”

She might be if those Jedi found out what I did in the Jedi Temple.

“I understand your concern Lord Vader,” Sidious spoke. “But Amidala knows the importance of her posting, and she accepted the position on the condition that you take an extended leave of absence, a sentiment we both shared.”

Only Sidious could make such an innocuous statement menacing.

“Yes, my master, I shall abide.”

“Then return home at once and resume your studies Lord Vader. I trust that you will spend the time with your children most productively.”

Sufficiently humiliated and frustrated, Darth Vader knelt before his Master and turned to storm out of the room, where he would once again resume his role as Anakin Skywalker.



”Vader is a child, but a powerful child indeed,” thought Cynyst.

Lord Sidious had refrained from using her own Sith honorific, a sign that not only was Lord Vader unaware of her true background, but that Lord Sidious intended to keep it that way. Whether it was to placate the impetuous apprentice or to protect her from his wrath Cynyst could not tell. Either way, she preferred Vader’s ignorance.

”Let him think that I am still part of the Jedi. That way it will be much more surprising to him when my blade meets his throat.”

Sidious rose from his throne and moved to the large window behind him, the window offered possibly the most perfect view of the Coruscant skyline anywhere, but when one had the Force, looking out to the skyline of a planet-wide city was like using a high powered scanner to read a book.

“Do you see now Lady Cynyst, the irrefutable power of the dark side? Even a great individual such as Lord Vader must humble himself in the presence of true power.”
Cynyst moved to stand by her Master’s side, a derisive scowl across her face. “Lord Vader is an affront to the ideals of the New Order. Powerful as he may be, there is no place for a rabid beast such as him in the society we are building. What is power without the ability to control it?”

Sidious turned to her, and she met his gaze. Looking at the old man’s face was difficult and Cynyst was sure that Sidious knew full well that his visage was most disconcerting. “Ah, but what is power without the will to use it? This is where Lord Vader surpasses you by a great margin Lady Cynyst. There is nothing he will not do to achieve his objectives. He is the ultimate weapon of war incarnated in human form.

That rebuke had stung Cynyst hard. Still, Sidious was not done. “You had the opportunity on Haruun Kal to dispose of Mace Windu, and you let yourself be defeated.”

The Dark Lady defended herself. “He was too powerful my master. His physical strength and combat form were too powerful for my abilities. The induced coma was necessary in order to save myself.”

“Don’t be so sure, that sort of self doubt is unbecoming of a Sith Lord, you would be wise to refrain from making such mistakes in the future. Fear is a weapon of the Sith, not a hindrance.”

Cynyst bowed, which was the correct move for a contrite apprentice. “Yes, my master, I am grateful for your wisdom.”

“Apologies and promises do not interest me, if you seek to placate me then you should consider accomplishing the next stage of our plan.” Sidious moved away from the window, taking a few steps and pondering for a brief moment before turning back towards Cynyst. “Tell me more of the hidden Jedi Enclaves you were speaking of before Vader arrived.

Cynyst reached into a pouch within her vestments, and handed her master a datapad. “Of course my Lord, as I was saying earlier there are a number of hidden Jedi Enclaves scattered throughout the galaxy. Many of them are being scouted out by agents of Inquisitor Malorum using records obtained from the Jedi Temple. However there is one world not on the list whose location I was privy too, Telos.”

Sidious remembered the name of the world well, it was part of one of Plagueis’ more interesting historical lessons. Three thousand years ago, the Sith Lord Darth Nihilus had fought with the Jedi on the world.

“As you know, twenty years ago, the damage done to the environment by the Offworld Corporation has led to the abandonment of most of the planet’s population centers. There are still enough people that it is not unusual to see ships traveling in and out of the system, but it is of little strategic importance. Guarding the system and monitoring the incoming and outgoing traffic is a waste of time. The Jedi Council has covertly maintained the ancient Jedi Enclave on that world for many years now. It is the only enclave with the resources necessary to house multiple fugitives.”

“If it was such a classified location then how would any of the surviving Jedi be aware of it? We have killed or captured every last member of the Jedi Council after all.”

“I have referenced the list of Jedi whose whereabouts are unknown. Of those Jedi, only Master Tholme would know of the Telos Enclave.”

”A nuisance of the highest order.” thought Sidious. During his time as Supreme Chancellor, even he had a difficult time keeping tabs on his activities. Tholme was a master of utilizing proxies and concealing his agenda. ”He could have been an excellent Sith, were he not so attached to that pathetic Jedi Order of his”

“Lord Sidious, Tholme may be a master of espionage but to me he is predictable. By now he must have at least a small group of Jedi with him that he could utilize as his agents in rebuilding a new spy network. He is also the senior most Jedi alive in terms of his rank. Lesser Jedi will flock to him, making the task of eliminating him easier yet.”

Sidious drew the Force into him, and then refocused outwards. Gazing through time itself, he followed the ebbs and currents of the Dark Side to almost literally seize the future ahead of him.

“We do not need to kill Tholme, or any of the other Jedi yet. Instead, you and Senator Amidala will attempt to contact Tholme. Arrange for a meeting at a neutral world if you must, but make sure to gather as many Jedi as possible. We cannot allow a handful of rogues to delay our efforts across the galaxy.”

“Yes Majesty, it will be done.”

“And Lady Cynyst, remember what we spoke of with regards to your fear. After this assignment is over Lord Vader will most likely seek you out. If you restrain yourself in any way, you will never defeat him.”

Cynyst acknowledged, she bowed again, and followed the same exit as Darth Vader.

As soon as she exited the room, she decided to make a side trip to see an old friend, someone who Cynyst hoped might be able to expedite her replacement of Lord Vader...


Sith Masters are the most cunning, ruthless, and treacherous beings that the galaxy has ever known. By contrast, Sith Apprentices are among the most manipulable. For one thousand years Sith Masters have toyed with their apprentices as part of their training, few Masters ever trained fewer than two before finding one suitable for the title. Indeed, the Apprentice covets what the Master possesses and pledges his servitude to obtain. But the Master, always at risk of losing his power, will never relinquish his title. The Apprentice must make the conscious decision to take what they desire, and thus replace the Master.

”For all his faults,” Sidious mused, “Lord Vader will one day assume his role and take that which is rightfully his. Cynyst will never be more than a pawn, always too timid to rise to Mastery like that fool Tyranus, forever tainted by her Jedi training. Vader’s recklessness may be childish, but ultimately it is what helped him resist Jedi indoctrination.”

Sidious had been secretly hoping to pit his charges against each other, so that he might see how Lord Vader would adapt to Cynyst’s unique form of combat and skills of deception. But Cynyst had to this point shown a complete lack of interest in anything beyond apprenticeship whereas Vader's naked ambition was exactly what a true apprentice should have. Now, Cynyst's apprenticeship was drawing to an end.



The Victory Star Destroyer Sharpwyrm was listing badly. With her shields gone, and her defensive batteries unable to retaliate against her attackers, the Rebels had started the task of wrecking whatever parts of the ship they could to make her useless for the Empire.

Within an hour there was nothing left to do save to recall the fighters. The Another Chance and all her munitions were securely in the grasp of the Rebellion, and Obi Wan’s ships were all intact. The smaller ships had taken a beating but not enough to prevent them from escaping to hyperspace. As soon as the Master Control had finished recalling all of the droid fighters, the Rebels were off without further incident. The Empire would arrive only to find their comrades rendered useless.

Content with the damage he had dealt but profoundly disturbed by his vision from the Force, Obi Wan retired to his quarters in order to contact Mon Mothma via their secure feed. After the end of the war, the former Separatists on orders from Former Senator Lott Dod cannibalized and reorganized a sizeable portion of the CIS Shadowfeed. The Rebels had instantaneous holo-transmission readily available throughout most of the Core and Mid Rim with limited reception in the Outer Rim.

Obi Wan seated himself in from of his holo transmitter and punched in the exclusive key-code he was given by Mon Mothma in order to contact her. The transmission would take some time to connect, for security purposes the initial call was always disguised as a perfectly innocent message from relatives on Chandrila. A counter-espionage detection program piggybacked a background signal along with the call, if the transmission was free from outside monitoring then the call would connect normally. This was necessary in order to prevent Mon Mothma’s extra curricular activites from being discovered by the ISB while she was still legally the Senator of Chandrila. After ten minutes, a green light illuminated on the display of the transmitter and the transparent blue image on Mon Mothma, seated at her desk, came to life on the display.

“General Cody, it is good to see you, how did your mission fare?”

“All went according to plan Senator, the Another Chance is in our hands as well as all of her cargo. We encountered a Victory Star Destroyer during the operation but we disabled the ship before it could do serious harm. Minor casualties on our lighter ships and minimal losses of droid starfighters, but other than that we are doing well. We made our escape before any reinforcements could arrive.”

Mon Mothma’s lips curved upwards into a smile. “A small strike, but you have shattered the Navy’s delusion of invulnerability. Excellent work General. It pains me to think that I could lose you so soon.”

“Lose me, how so?” Obi Wan’s confused tone in his voice was the only thing revealing his surprise from behind the expressionless mask.

“Then you have not yet heard…”

“I did feel a disturbance in the Force during the battle, but out of precaution I have kept our ships running silent for the duration of our route back to port. We have neither sent or received transmissions of any kind save for this one since our departure.”

Mon Mothma’s hands clasped in front of her. “I see, so you are completely unaware that the Empire has offered a general amnesty to all Jedi regardless of their rank or status within the Order.”

Just when Obi Wan thought he couldn’t be any more surprised. The news was like an arcball thrown by a professional shockball player. “Was this General Skywalker’s doing?” Obi Wan was hopeful that perhaps his padawan might be coming to his senses.

“The announcement was made by Master Depa Billaba. Tell me, how does this affect your standings with us?”

The urge to laugh and chastise Mon Mothma for joking around was tempting, and Obi Wan might have done just that if he didn’t have the Force to aid his perception. The truth was more bewildering than any fiction, especially in these dark times.

“Well General Cody?”

Obi Wan had completely forgotten to answer her question. “Ah, I am sorry Senator. As much as I would like to get to the heart of this manner, there are those in the Empire who believe I am dead. As I have said before, the knowledge of my existence is best kept out of Imperial hands. I remain committed to the Rebellion.”

“That is good to hear. Rest assured that if there is any information to come of this I will alert you as promptly as possible. However, once the next set of legislative acts passes I may be forced to resign from my office, as well as forfeit my contacts on Coruscant.”

“I understand Senator; the Rebellion will still have my sword regardless.”

“I am sure we will need it before our next trial begins General. Good luck, and may the Force be with you.”

The transmission ended the rhythmic breathing from Obi Wan’s chest increased. He was nervous, almost shaking. Any Jedi who responded to this trap were taking the bait right back into Palpatine’s trap, against the coded transmission that he and Yoda sent out after infiltrating the occupied Jedi Temple.

Obi Wan closed his eyes and connected his aura to that of the Living Force, putting himself in meditation, desperate for a way to save his brothers and sisters from certain death.



“An Imperial ship has arrived in the Telos system, a Lictor class transport. They will arrive in orbit within the hour.”

Bol Chatak’s words were permeated with gloom. She, along with her Padawan Olee Starstone had been tasked with the latest watch. Making matters worse, Lictor class ships were specifically developed for prioner transport, especially Force sensitive prisoners. Their crews well trained in mental defense techniques, and armed with weapons suited for Jedi hunting. During the Clone Wars they had been used with great effect in seeking out rogue Jedi recruited by Count Dooku.

Master Chatak, along with her Padawan had immediately brought their findings to Tholme, T’ra Saa, and Roan Shryne, who were in deep discussion in the facility’s sickbay where Quinlan Vos was still recuperating.

“I cannot sense Master Billaba anywhere on the planet.” Roan Shryne quipped. “If she is here, she is deliberately disguising her presence.”

“That is a possibility,” Tholme said. “But it has not been long since her transmission from Coruscant. She has probably planned this from the start and wanted to send this ship in as soon after her press conference as possible in order to maximize the impact.”

“That was her style,” Master Saa noted. “A trait she picked up after years of studying under Mace Windu.”

Shryne fixed his eyes on Tholme. “Master, we are all in agreement that something must be done. I have decided to accompany you and the others to Coruscant.”

Tholme placed his hand on Shryne’s shoulder. “I appreciate the vote of confidence Master Shryne, but I think it would be more prudent if you remained behind for the time being.”

That had not been expected. The denial of Shryne’s request to accompany him was hurtful to say the least. “Do you not trust me Master Tholme?”

“It is not that Roan. Believe me, I trust your judgment and your blade as much as any of the others here.”

“Then why…”

“Easy, because if something happens then it will fall upon you to begin the process of rebuilding the Jedi Order. Your ability for seeking out Force users is unparalleled by anyone else here, even myself. Besides, Quinlan is in no shape to travel. I am leaving you in charge here while the rest of us meet with Master Billaba on Coruscant. Quinlan’s wife and child, and his young Wookiee charge will remain behind as well to see to Quinlan’s medical treatment. The two AgriCorps students will stay behind as well. I want you and Quinlan to each take one of them on as Padawan learners.”

“Do you really think this is the right time for these two to begin their training?” Shryne protested.

“We don’t really have a choice now do we? Besides, after what these two have been through, it is probably to the Order’s discredit that neither of them was apprenticed.” Tholme continued before Roan could say anything else.
“We will take both of our freighters up to rendezvous with the transport and then make contact with Master Billaba. Try to stay out of sight until you receive word from me. Until we can ascertain the Empire’s intentions, we will claim no knowledge of your whereabouts.”

“Understood, try not to get killed like me then.” Shryne sarcastically remarked.

Tholme laughed for the first time that Roan Shryne had ever witnessed “Were that my intention Master Shryne, I would never have made it to Telos.”



The man in the dark room sat quietly, as he had done so for over three years. Long stripped away of his weapons and his prestige, he had been tried and convicted for crimes against civilization. Left to rot beneath the Jedi Temple, he had gotten used to a life of extreme monotony.

Then, just when he had begun to accept his fate, the outside world revealed itself once again with the fires of war that he had grown accustomed to. His cell in the Jedi Temple was burst open, and he was then taken into custody by new captors. The uniforms were different, but they were still easily recognizable as clone soldiers of the Republic.

He refrained from resisting, as if a voice in his head was subtly telling him that this would not be another imprisonment, but an opportunity instead. After weeks in a new cell in the heart of the new Imperial City, he had started to think that the opportunity would never come. That is, until an old friend came to visit him.

“Master Billaba!” In his mind he could her himself shouting, but he spoke no words, the price of losing his voice in the jungles of his home world.

Using the Force, Depa opened the door to his cell, and led him into the corridor where they walked side by side for the first time in years. The prisoner felt relief that he could once again speak with a friend, even if it was the silent speech of those who knew the Force.

"The Jedi said you were dead."

“Reports of my death are quite false as you can see. I trust that your time in your cell has not atrophied your abilities too much?”

He smiled, even without opponents to test his mettle against, the Pelekotan in his mind was as potent as ever. “Not at all, which is fortunate, because now that I am free I am going to hunt down that filthy sack of ankkox droppings Mace Windu and remove his organs with my bare hands.”


“Your opportunity for revenge is lost old friend. Mace Windu is dead.”

The former prisoner stopped, and paused to spit on the ground. “By your hand I would hope?”

Depa shook her head in the negative. “I’m afraid not. Rest assured though that he met a painful end knowing nothing but sorrow and defeat. In fact, the man who killed him is the reason I have liberated you from your current accommodations.”

The native of Haruun Kal clenched his left hand into a fist before squeezing it with his right. “I am in your debt Master Billaba.”

“After you finish this task I can guarantee that I will be in your debt, Kar Vastor.”

Depa handed her comrade from the Summertime War a datapad, Kar Vastor opened the file already brought up on the screen and held it up to his eyes. “This should be no problem. I trust that you have weapons readily available?”

“New versions of your arsenal from Haruun Kal will be made available, with a few modifications that I trust you will utilize with full effectiveness. You will also be given access to an account here on Coruscant with no fewer than five thousand credits. Use them as you see fit, but do think for a second that I will not be watching you. When this is over I will see to it that you are granted passage back to Haruun Kal.”

Vastor flexed the fingers on his restored hands. “All the more reason I have to make sure this is done right then.”

Depa escorted Vastor out of the prison complex where he had been held. A transport arrived shortly and a pair of attendants unloaded a pair of cases fitted with repulsor sleds. Depa turned over the cases to the former Jedi prisoner and Vastor stood by himself on the busy street as Depa stepped into the transport as it sped off towards 500 Imperial.

Before leaving the scene with what was undoubtedly his new equipment, Kar Vastor took one more glance at the subject on his datapad and the subsequent orders attached to the file.

“Anakin Skywalker…you are dead.”

[Dargos]

Very interesting, but didn't Kar Vastor lose both his arms from the elbow down to Mace Windu?

[Crazedwraith]

Sith Intrigue is good. Very good. But you haven't update the New chapter date...

[Darth Fanboy]

Very interesting, but didn't Kar Vastor lose both his arms from the elbow down to Mace Windu?

Vastor's hands were sliced at the wrists, but his hands were saved and reattached once he was taken into custody, which is why he is still a viable character for use

Excerpt from Vastor's wookiepedia article:

Mace sidestepped the attack, aware that Kar was stronger, younger, faster, and could beat Mace on his best day, and this was one of his worst. Instead he used the Force to snag one of Iolu's shields that was lodged above Nick's head. He sent it whizzing at Kar, and the weapon sliced right through Kar's, cutting through both wrists and embedding itself in his chest, less than a centimeter short of his heart. Kar Vastor collapsed with surprise on his face, though he survived to be placed in custody.

Vastor was taken to Coruscant, and was held in the Jedi Temple. His wounds healed, and his hands were saved, though he was placed in detention within the Temple. He was later charged with crimes against civilization, a category that had not been invoked since the time of the Great Sith War.

His fate or whereabouts as of the Raid on the Jedi Temple at the culmination of the Clone Wars remains unknown.

Thanks for the heads up Crazedwraith, mea culpa.

[Sidewinder]

A good chapter. Did Kar Vastor appear in the Clone Wars comics? (I admit I didn't read many of them.) And what's Pelekotan?

[Darth Fanboy]

A good chapter. Did Kar Vastor appear in the Clone Wars comics? (I admit I didn't read many of them.) And what's Pelekotan?

Kar Vastor is another character from Shatterpoint who was loosely related to Mace Windu. He, along with Depa Billaba, committed a series of War Crimes on Haruun Kal during an annual event known as the Summertime War.

Pelekotan is a Koruunai word that describes the Force. Kar Vastor is a Force user, although his control is not nearly refined as a Jedi. But he is described as being fully capable of defeating Mace Windu in single combat.

After the event in Shatterpoint, he was taken into custody by the Jedi and was convicted of crimes against civilization. His fate after Order 66 is unknown but he was interned in the Jedi Temple for the duration of the war. Stover left two very powerful loose ends after Shatterpoint ended and although it hurt my opinion of the book it did leave open some interesting plot devices for a fanfic.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Nice to see it still going.

[Darth Fanboy]

HAd to make some edits to Chapter 20, during my research on chapter 21 I realized that I had completely forgotten that KAr Vastor could not communicate via normal speech. He had lost said ability in the jungles of Haruun Kal while developing his Force talents.


Feedback, and especially criticism is appreciated.

[Darth Fanboy]

Big Update, but not a new chapter.

Another part of the story was rewritten, this has a minimal effect on the overall plot but it is a fix of continuity within the story, and makes the plot more plausible.

-The Battle of Kessel was transformed into the Battle of Enarc, Enarc being one of the most prominent CIS holdouts at the wars end and a much better setting than Kessel.

-This fix also makes the Jedi Conclave on Kessel a more realistic occurence, plus since the conclave happened within the OTL I am inclined to make sure it fit well.

-Admiral Palladar was replaced with the Trade Federation Customs Vizier Vooro.

-A few fixes in continuity between Chapters 4 and 5 will make for better reading. I can't believe I missed a few of these things over the two years or so that this fic has been in development.


Chapter 21 is scheduled to be finished by the time of my vacation departure Wednesday morning.

[Sidewinder]

Big Update, but not a new chapter.

Another part of the story was rewritten, this has a minimal effect on the overall plot but it is a fix of continuity within the story, and makes the plot more plausible.

Going all "George Lucas" on us? (I don't blame you-- when I read my old stories, I often find overlooked errors. I end up editing the stories and revising them to suit my current tastes.)

Chapter 21 is scheduled to be finished by the time of my vacation departure Wednesday morning.

I envy your ability to write fast AND well.

[Darth Fanboy]

Chapter 21: Trust No One


Amidala nervously bowed her head at the projected image on her desk. “I understand your highness, but if I may ask though, how did Anakin accept this?”

Palpatine’s face, obscured by his now trademark cowl, showed only a slight sneer. “You will see for yourself Ambassador Amidala. He will be at your door soon enough.” The image faded, and disappeared.

Sure enough, Anakin entered her office within seconds of the end of her conversation with Palpatine. She was at first startled, surprised at his apparent clairvoyance. “Back so soon from your meeting with the Emperor?” she asked.

But the visibly irritated General of the Empire ignored the question. “You can’t accept this assignment, not on my behalf.”

“But Ani…”

“The Jedi are not to be trusted!” He barked. “If they get between us, If I can’t protect you, then they will kill you and our children!”

“Master Billaba will be assisting me, as will plenty of troopers…”

“I don’t trust that witch! Don’t you get it?” Anakin growled.

Tired of her husband’s ranting, and pushed beyond the limits of her patience, Amidala verbally struck back. “That’s enough Anakin!” she shouted. Anakin stopped with his protesting, pausing long enough that Padme could seize the opportunity to continue. “I am tired of you always thinking that you have to protect me! Do you remember how long you were gone in the outer rim during the war? How many months and years did I have to spend alone without you here?”

Anakin stood quietly, his frustration growing. Padme stood from her seat, moving around the desk to embrace her husband, but remaining firm in her resolve.

“Did you have another vision?”

“No.”

“Then why are you so worked up? I caught wind of a report saying that you completely destroyed Sate Pestage’s office, and that earlier you nearly frightened a few dozen Senators to death!”

“It’s just…the Jedi…”

The topic was quickly turning into something that Padme had long tried to avoid ever since the couple’s return from Mustafar. She had been a long supporter of the Jedi and of Anakin’s career in the Order. Padme knew only what the official reports offered, but she knew there was something Anakin was not telling her. Obi Wan had told her that he had led the Clone Army in the attack on the Jedi Temple. Whatever the Order had done to him, it had scarred him deeply.

“I am sure that whatever Palpatine has in store for the Jedi will work to the benefit of everyone involved. This galaxy needs the Jedi.” She said calmly, rubbing the palm of her hand on his back in an attempt to soothe him.

“The Emperor will win, that’s for sure.” Anakin quipped.

“Look,” Amidala pulled back but gripped Anakin’s hands with her own, “I have supported you through everything, and I have asked for little in return. Now it’s time that you supported me for a change. I may not be running into another arena full of the galaxy’s deadliest beasts but I need you behind me for this just as much.”

Anakin hung his head low, not even Palpatine could humble him the way Padme could. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” was all he could say.

Padme smiled, and leaned in to kiss Anakin on the cheek. At the moment her lips parted from his face a chime rang, it was the two way intercom from her office’s reception area.. Amidala leaned over to her desk and thumbed the switch. “What is it Sabé?”

Anakin recognized the name; Sabé was Amidala’s longtime best friend from Naboo and served as her primary decoy during the Trade Federation invasion. “You won’t believe this milady,” like most people of Naboo, Sabé still used the Royal honorific when addressing Padme. “But two Jedi have already arrived to speak with you regarding the Amnesty offer, they’re being escorted by troopers to your office right now.”

Anakin sighed. “I guess this means you’ll be busy for at least the next few hours. Is there any chance that you will be able to come home tonight?”

The Imperial Ambassador threw up her hands. “I’ll be here until tomorrow if necessary. The Emperor’s office only just transmitted my instructions and guidelines and I’ll have to sort through those while talking with these first two.”

“Great. Is there any chance that I…”

Padme anticipated his question perfectly. “Go home Ani.” Amidala placed her hand on his chest. “One of us should be there for the children. Just because their parents are public figures they should not miss out on having parents. That’s a big part of the reason the politicians on Naboo are so young.”

Anakin admitted to himself that seeing the twins would be rather uplifting, but he couldn’t resist being a little playful to help boost his spirits. “Is that an order Ambassador?”

“Well I don’t think I have any authority over the military, but in this case I think I can pull rank.”

They both smiled, and the Skywalkers shared a lasting kiss. After the short but blissful moment, Anakin turned and left, satisfied to at least be heading home. As he exited through the Ambassador’s reception area he saw the two Jedi being escorted by troopers, who were not shy at all about displaying the firepower at their disposal.

“Master Skywalker!” yelled one of the Jedi. Anakin recognized her as a young Padawan named Noirah Na, an enthusiastic young learner who he had only met briefly when she was apprenticed to Jedi Master Kai Hudorra. Hudorra and his Padawan had been sent to Toola as part of the Outer Rim Sieges roughly the same time Anakin had left to participate in the Republic’s campaign to take the Neimoidian Purse Worlds.

“You’re alive! We had been told that all of the Council had been killed by…”

“That’s enough Padawan.” The elder Jedi said, attempting not to provoke any soldiers

The instruction came from the Jedi Knight Dama Montalvo, a Jedi whose slight resemblance to Anakin Skywalker had led to a case of mistaken identity on multiple occasions. The situation was made more peculiar because the two had never formally spoken to each other save for passing greetings.

One of the clones holstered his blaster and approached Anakin before saluting him. Anakin returned the salute and then engaged the trooper in conversation.

“Trooper, state your designation and orders.”

“Sir, Trooper CC-4496 Lieutenant Gentti attached to the 65th Legion Shock Troopers reporting. These two Jedi turned themselves in to the guard at the 65th legion headquarters requesting Amnesty. Commander Thire ordered us to escort the Jedi to the Ambassador’s office under armed guard under the authority of His Majesty’s office.”

“Well, you are here aren’t you; perhaps you should wait outside while the Ambassador meets with the two Jedi.” Anakin was determined to help Padme out at least a bit. He knew she would appreciate it if the armed soldiers stayed out of her office and away from her and her staff.

“Sir, my orders from Commander Thire explicitly state to keep the Jedi under armed watch at all times. That includes the areas within the Ambassador’s workspace.”

Anakin was not used to clone troopers resisting his instructions.

“Trooper, tell me, when the Republic reorganized into the Empire, did the standing general orders of all military personnel change at all?”

“No sir, only minor alterations to reflect the name change sir.”

“Then remind me again what General Order Number Two is?”

The trooper stood up tall and recited the order, as clearly as he had after his decanting on Kamino. “In service to the Galactic Empire, I will obey the orders of all of my commanders prioritizing the orders of the most superior commanders above all else.”

“An excellent verbatim recollection Lieutenant, now with that being said wouldn’t MY instructions be worth more than Commander Thire’s?”

The trooper’s posture slackened slightly, Anakin could tell he was nervous, even without the Force it didn’t take much to realize that the trooper was sweating underneath his red and white shock trooper armor. “Yes sir!”

“Then you and your men will wait outside of the office, and afterwards you will follow the Ambassador’s instructions as if they were my own orders. Understood?”

“Yes sir!” The trooper was now eager to please; not wanting to be known amongst his brethren as the only clone that nit picked the revered General Skywalker.

“Good, then you are dismissed!”

Anakin looked over the two Jedi, who appeared somewhat bewildered. Before he left Anakin offered them a few choice words.

“You two are both fortunate that the Empire is offering this amnesty, but do not think for a second that you will be permitted the same luxuries that the Order had enjoyed before.”

Anakin turned on his heel and left.

“They’re safe for now, but soon the reckoning of the Jedi will be at hand, whether Palpatine and Billaba like it or not.”


Kar Vastor had heard of Coruscant’s underbelly even on far off Haruun Kal. The Works, the Crimson Corridor, the Underlevels. There was almost literally no end to the labyrinth of evils that could be found beneath the galactic capital. It was fitting in a way.

The apartment Depa had provided him was small, but adjacent to nearby abandoned buildings with ample space to unload and test his new equipment. His armor now covered most of his body and the outer layer was sheathed in cortosis. In addition, his vibroshields were also layered with cortosis so that the weapon could now negate a lightsaber as well as deflect it. He was also given a pair of repulsor lift skates; Depa had left a message recalling the skates’ effectiveness in the Battle of Jabiim.

Kar Vastor went over all of the equipment with great detail and care. After this, he repackaged the equipment and went back to his solitude to wait. Soon he would receive the call he had been waiting for, and his battle would begin.



The view aboard the Hammer of Wealth as it orbited over Chandrila was stunning to say the least. The ship was one of the few remaining ships of the CIS Navy once donated by Chairman San Hill and the Separatist elements of the Intergalactic Banking Clan. With San Hill’s death and the end of the war, the IBC unconditionally surrendered and offered its staggering wealth to fund the financial mechanisms of the infant Galactic Empire. The move was welcomed by the Empire, but those ships with IBC markings were no longer red flagged as Separatist Ships. The small number Munificent class of Star Frigates controlled by the Separatists would now be able to move freely so long as they avoided close inspection.

It was one of these ships, under the authority of former Trade Federation Senator Lott Dod, that had arrived on Chandrila to help evacuate Mon Mothma, and take her to the Confederate Remnant’s stronghold on Enarc.

“General Cody’s fleet is returning safely, they will be at the rendezvous point at the Lakteen Depot. The Another Chance and all of her supplies are now in our hands.”

“A success indeed Senator Mothma,” Dod said with his thick Niemoidian accent. “Indeed our efforts on Acherin will benefit most greatly from...”

“Hold that thought Senator Dod.” Mon Mothma interrupted. “I thought we had already agreed in principle to divert the Chance and her cargo to Ralltir and distribute the weapons to resistance cells within the Core Worlds and Inner Rim. Acherin is hardly relevant towards undermining the Empire.”

Dod turned toward her, although the Neimoidian’s frame was lanky and slender, he was taller than Mon Mothma and able to look down upon her.

“Why should we send badly need weapons to a planet whose government caters to the Empire, when Acherin remains free? Do you think the sacrifices made by my people are less worthy than those made by humans?”

It was ironic for a Neimoidian to play the ‘species card’, especially considering the immense wealth they had gathered at the expense of other races as leaders of the Trade Federation.

No wonder the Duros disassociate themselves from them. Mon Mothma thought. “I would never make such an assumption Senator Dod. Those beings fighting for the cause on Acherin are all champions of liberty.” Mon Mothma exhaled a sigh of relief, but she was quite annoyed that, even in exile, she was still forced to negotiate and pander as if she were still in the Senate.

“Your praise is most welcome Senator. You will see how necessary Acherin is; with Enarc gone it is our last refuge in the galaxy that the Empire cannot currently touch.”

Senator Dod excused himself while a silvery protocol droid escorted Mon Mothma to her stateroom, which wasn’t much but certainly better than most fugitives of the predominant galactic society ever received. She sat down at a desk, barren save for a small data terminal and closed her eyes.

In her mind’s eye she saw Bail Organa, and Garm Bel Iblis. She saw freedom fighters uniting in a just an even cause in order to restore the Republic that they had all believed in. The battle would be long but there would be no doubt in her heart about the outcome.

That dream was now in tatters, and Mon Mothma had to wonder if she had acted too hastily. By throwing in her lot with the Former Separatists, she was aligning her fate with dangerous war criminals that she had bitterly opposed at the beginning of the Clone War. Her ideals could never perfectly mesh with the greed of Confederates whose only ambition was to restore their own lost power so they could control the lives of free beings.

She recanted an old Chandrilan saying, “The rival of my rival is my ally.” Still, she now had to be on her guard when dealing with her benefactors as well as the Empire. There were very few people left that she could trust, and none of them were on Acherin.

“As soon as we reach Lakteen, I will speak with General Cody, he could be the only savior of this rebellion.



“It’s a tight fit.” Tholme remarked as the cadre of Jedi seated in the cabin area of Shadday’s YT-1300 squeezed tightly together in the available seating.

Shadday’s freighter had launched and was now making its way out of the atmosphere. Telos had little in the way of air traffic and the planet side traffic controllers only monitored incoming and outgoing traffic heading to and from the planet’s modest spaceport.

“Anyone who wants to complain about the facilities is more than happy to strap themselves to the outside of the cruiser.” Shadday remarked playfully over the intercom. “We’ll be out of the atmosphere within the next five minutes, and then you can move about freely. I will warn you though, that Imperial ship is going to be all over us the second it detects us.”

“The sooner the better,” said Master Shaalas, whose Nikto body was dwarfed and cramped seated next to the hulking Jastus Farr. “No offense Master Farr.”

“None taken, if you think this is bad you should have seen me in one of the old Delta 7’s.”

The ship shook slightly as it exited the atmosphere and into the cold void of space. Almost immediately the Jedi began unbuckling their restraints with most standing to stretch.

The Imperial ship that they had detected from the planet was just coming around the planet and into a direct line with the freighter. The urge to bolt and run was quite tempting for Shadday, but she remained firm in her co-pilot’s seat monitoring the situation.

“This is it,” Tsui Choi announced from his pilot’s seat. Even though he was the smallest, and would fit easily amongst the others, he was also the best pilot of the Jedi contingent. “We’re being scanned. I’ll patch the audio through to the rest of the ship so that you all can listen in.”

“……-3000 freighter, identify yourself. Repeat, this is the Imperial Prison Transport Akhabra to unidentified YT-1300 freighter, identify your self. Failure to comply will result in the destruction of your ship.”

Tsui Choi opened a channel to the Imperial Ship, not wanting to provoke them any more. “ Akhabra This is the…” he looked over at Shadday, who shrugged her shoulders. During her time with the ship she had never bothered to name the craft. Tsui Choi was forced to improvise a name on the spot. “…New Hope.”

“New Hope, your records match those of an unnamed transport ship confirmed as under the ownership of the Jedi Council.”

“So that’s where you got the ship.” Tsui Choi whispered to Shadday as he covered the audio receiver with his hand. “That is correct; this ship is carrying Jedi bound for Coruscant to accept the Empire’s offer of amnesty.” Choi took a chance that the Jedi would be allowed to travel to Coruscant on their own terms. It didn’t work.

“Negative, travel in and out of Coruscant is highly restricted. All Jedi seeking amnesty must report to the nearest Imperial representative for transport in order for amnesty to be validated.”

Choi grumbled something in his native language, Shadday couldn’t make it out but she guessed that it was one of Master Choi’s rare curses. “Very well Akhabra, we accept.”

“Good. Dock in the starboard hangar and be prepared to surrender all weapons and other devices upon arrival. Failure to comply will be dealt with.”

Almost right on cue, a squadron of ARC-170 fighters came into sight and lined up in an attack formation. The YT-1300 would not last long against those odds.

“Understood.” Tsui Choi politely signed off the transmission before breaking into another diatribe of curses.

From his eat next to T’ra Saa in the back Tholme began to delve deep into the Force for guidance. Even deep into a trance however, the shroud of the dark side still blinded him as the paths of future events were closed to him. Only the most powerful masters had been able to look into the future at the best of times.

Hoping in his heart that he was not leading his fellow Jedi on a fool’s errand, Tholme put his brain to work, acknowledging that he would have plenty of time to dwell on the matter inside a cell aboard the looming Imperial ship.

[Stuart Mackey]

Very nice. Not much action, but I presume this is a lead in chapter?

[Sidewinder]

Good chapter, but why did Anakin order the shock troopers to stay out of Padme's office? Considering his distrust of the Jedi, it would probably make more sense to keep the shock troopers beside Padme, dispite her discomfort at having armed guards ready to kill her guests, just in case.

[Darth Fanboy]

Very nice. Not much action, but I presume this is a lead in chapter?

Can't get from A to C without going to B in this case my friend. It's all leading up to a nice big clusterfudge.

[Darth Fanboy]

Good chapter, but why did Anakin order the shock troopers to stay out of Padme's office? Considering his distrust of the Jedi, it would probably make more sense to keep the shock troopers beside Padme, dispite her discomfort at having armed guards ready to kill her guests, just in case.

Padme trumps all. Setting us up for the inevitable choices he is going to have to make between her and the Empire. For right now he doesn't have to do that, but eventually he will.

[Darth Fanboy]

Chapter 22: Matricide

“Rise Lady Cynyst, you have news for me regarding our wayward Jedi?”

Depa Billaba rose from her knee and stood before her master. The light of the day had created a most ominous light from behind the Throne which engulfed Sidious in a complete shadow as the light burned into the eyes of those before him.

Using the Force to shield her eyes though, Cynyst was able to tolerate the blinding light with little effort. “The Akhabra reports that thirteen Jedi were taken into custody on Telos, Master Tholme among them. I suspect that there are more still on that world.”
Sidious inhaled deeply for a moment, and then made a dismissing gesture with his hand. “Do not concern yourself with Telos any longer my apprentice. Any remaining Jedi there are inconsequential. We will allow those Jedi who have surrendered themselves to their fate to live with their humiliation and be humbled at the feet of the Sith.”

“Yes my Lord.” Cynyst nodded with compliance. She had hoped to be allowed to send troops to the world so that their efforts would be complete, but a direct order from the Emperor she would not dare question. “Including those thirteen, we now have approximately sixty Jedi on or en route to Coruscant as we speak. Although the most worrisome, Yoda, is not among their number.”

Sidious laughed derisively at this apprentice. “You need not concern yourself with Yoda; he has already been dealt with.”

That had been a shock to Cynyst. She was certain that of all Jedi, Yoda would have been the one powerful enough to be a significant threat. “Was it by your hand my Lord, or by another?”

Sidious continued to laugh with the full intention of embarrassing and insulting his student. “Yoda evaded my wrath on Coruscant on the eve of Order 66. But he was taken into custody by your competitor.”

Cynyst’s embarrassment was swept aside at the realization. “Skywalker!

“Careful my apprentice,” Sidious chastised her, “do not let your emotions control you.”

“Yes my Lord.”

“Your awe of Vader’s power betrays you Lady Cynyst. Neither you nor your friend Kar Vastor will have any chance of defeating him if you enter battle from the subservient position!”

Billaba was taken aback at the mention of Vastor, had she not concealed her movements enough?

“You didn’t think I was aware of your designs?” The Emperor seethed as he stood up and spoke, his diminuitive physical presence became a towering unstoppable Force as the Dark Side expanded around him. Cynyst stepped back out of fright. “I am not mere politicians in an ivory tower, waiting to have information spoon fed to me? This is my Empire Lady Cynyst and you would do best to remember that.”

All of his words had been spoken quietly, but Depa could still hear the words ringing in hear ears as if they were a deafening roar.

“So this is the true power of the Sith Lords…” Instinctively she knelt, resisting the urge to display weakness and plead for forgiveness.

The Dark Maelstrom that was Darth Sidious took his seat on the throne again, his yellow eyes slightly visible beneath his cowl and watching his apprentice as if he were only waiting for the proper time to strike her down.

“Your plan will be allowed to continue, for it will benefit us to have Skywalker distracted while you and Ambassador Amidala deal with the Jedi. If Kar Vastor is able to beat Skywalker though, then you will have another rival to deal with if you want to be fully elevated as a Sith.”

Cynyst shook her head to affirm her understanding and then rose and exited the throne room quickly. She needed time to recuperate, and perhaps spend some additional time refreshing her training with a lightsaber.



It was late at night, but Padme was only now coming home. After an exhaustive day of processing the amnesty documentation for nearly two dozen Jedi while coordinating the Imperial diplomatic efforts across the Core Systems, she was ready to sleep.

The entire estate was darkened but she could hear something inside. She handed her things to the attending droid as she followed the mysterious sounds up the stairs and down the main hallway opposite of the direction of the bedrooms. When she reached the source of the noise she realized she was right in front of the reinforced training room that was built at Anakin’s request. The light on the keypad was red, meaning that Anakin was within; she keyed in her security PIN to the entryway’s keypad and nearly screamed as a CIS Battle Droid stared her right in the face.

Anakin used the Droid’s momentary distraction to cleave the entire droid in two while dropping to the floor to avoid the horizontal attacks of a pair of electrostaffs. At war’s end, Palpatine had presented him with a gift of three IG-100 Magnaguards that had once belonged to General Grievous. It was a welcome gift, as Anakin routinely destroyed any of his training droids beyond repair.

Anakin rolled sideways as the two remaining Magnaguards approached him, their staffs sparking with energy. Grievous had taught them to be aggressive in attacking Jedi opponents.

Anakin looked over his shoulder to see Padme and smiled. He waited for the right moment, feeling it out with the Force, and then rushed at the oncoming attackers. With his left hand, he cleaved one of the droids at the waist with the lightsaber swinging forward, while his artificial right hand tore into the other. With the droid impaled on his arm Anakin Quickly thrust his arm forward and tossed the droid across the room where it shattered into hundreds of small pieces. Anakin looked down at the other droid to see that his lightsaber had carved the internal power supply cleanly in half.

“I might be able to fix that one.” Anakin smirked as he looked back over at his wife, who had just noticed that Anakin wasn’t even fatigued in the slightest.

“I’m sure you could, it would be nice to see you do something constructive in your spare time these days. How are the twins?”

“Sleeping comfortably, you know Leia is a very big fan of The Little Tusk Cat?”

Padme smiled, the idea of the greatest warrior in galactic history reading one of her favorite childhood stories to their daughter was both hilarious and heartwarming. “We read that story together every night that we can, what about Luke?”

Anakin laughed. “Not interested in the slightest, He’s much more interested in his holo-mobile.”

“You mean the one with the starships?” Padme asked, grinning all the while.

“That’s the one!” Anakin smiled, beaming with pride. “He’s going to be a great pilot someday you know. He might even be able to show his old man a thing or two. I can’t wait until then!”

“Well you might not be able to wait, but I am going to enjoy these years with them while I can. They won’t be this little for long.”

“Well then perhaps you should stay out of the office tomorrow and come with us, I’ve decided to take your advice and I’ve booked a resort on the Western Sea…”

Padme blushed, but frowned. “It is quite tempting Anakin, but you know that Master Billaba and I are holding the first Jedi Reformation meetings tomorrow. Even if I wanted to, I have to follow the Emperor’s orders.”

”Don’t we all.” Anakin cursed under his breath. “I’m beginning to think that Palpatine doesn’t want us to have any time together.”

Amidala pushed the thoughts out of her mind; she didn’t want to think about Anakin’s words any more than he did. “Listen, after these talks I’ll be able to hand off a lot of the work on this project, then you and I and the kids will take a nice long retreat on Naboo. Queen Apailana is going to have everyone she can spare for us so that we can have some privacy. ”

“You don’t get it Padme, this isn’t just about us. I think Master Billaba is trying to lead us into a trap, I don’t trust the Jedi.”

It was a phrase she once thought she would have never heard him say, but it was now something all too repetitive in their home. “Have you had any visions?”

“No but…”

“Then you’re just being paranoid Ani.”

Anakin wanted to argue with her, he wanted to sit her down and tell her about his meeting with her and the Emperor. But he couldn’t, not while there was so much blood on his hands, not until he became the Emperor as he once promised her on Mustafar.

“You’re right. It’s just…”

“Stop,” she interrupted again. Instead of speaking, she coaxed him into continued silence with another kiss. The Skywalkers, now content with the time that they had, walked hand in hand out of the gymnasium and into the hallway. As they made their way to their master bedroom, they stopped briefly to look in on the infant twins, who slept quietly and comfortably, the problems of a troubled galaxy now far away.


The cells were tight, and cramped, but none of the Jedi on the Akhabra were mistreated. They had been relegated into the brig reserved for Force Sensitives and were always under armed guard though. If any one Jedi tried to break free of their cell, all of the others would be flooded with a mix of powerful nerve gases and the temperature of the cell increased to several thousand degrees. Any attempted escape could be quelled that much quicker.

With the aid of the Force, the confining nature of the cell vanished. Tholme could sense the other Jedi around him doing the same, save for the three Padawans who were having some difficulty in dealing with their own impatience.

“Perhaps we should have left them, with Master Shryne like the other adepts.” Tholme wondered.

“Do not forget Master Tholme,” came the spectral voice of his close confidant T’ra Saa, “These Padawans have come a long way in their training, they can only learn now by venturing forth into the galaxy just as we did before we became Knights.”

Suddenly the ship’s deck plates began to vibrate; Tholme stood up in his cell to react but quickly realized what had happened. The ship had emerged from hyperspace at the end of its destination.

“There is no sense on dwelling upon it anymore Master Saa. We’ve arrived and we’re about to learn the truth of our betrayal.”


The Lakteen Depot, located off of the key hyperspace route known as the Giju Passage, was one of several sanctuary worlds that formed a network of hidden bases for the fledgling insurgency. The base was discovered towards the end of the war as Mon Mothma’s agents scoured the galaxy for places to begin the building of their resistance movement. The planet Lakteen, a pirate nest cleaned out by the Republic many yeas before, was on the short list of worlds to examine. Fortunately the world boasted a series of undiscovered abandoned pirate barracks still suitable for the landing and storing of spacecraft and supplies. When the eventual time to escape would come, ships could easily escape to anywhere in the galaxy via the Giju Passage and escape into the void. Not even the vast Imperial fleet could cover all of space.

In transit aboard Hammer of Wealth Mon Mothma and Lott Dod officially signed the accords that formed the Alliance to Restore Galactic Freedoms. The new Rebel Alliance was much more streamlined and allowed for resources to be distributed more freely across the galaxy. The enemies of the Empire were now united under one banner.

It was not enough though, for Mon Mothma. With her former allies in the Senate opposed to an armed rebellion she had little choice but to seek out former Separatists in order to obtain the necessary weapons to fight a new war. Lott Dod had been serving a house arrest as had all Senators of those worlds and affiliates that defected to the Confederacy. Dod had fled from his house arrest when he learned of the droid armies deactivating, knowing that his own death would eventually come. Mon Mothma was disconcerted though, by the rapid pace at which her plans were advancing. Ideally she had hoped to build her organization over the course of several years. The meteoric rise of the Empire was quickened by the even greater rise of it’s invincible champion, Anakin Skywalker. Mon Mothma had felt trapped, she had firmly believed that it was time to move quickly while there were still systems who opposed the Empire at all.

It was Lott Dod who had actually sought out Mon Mothma, through his waning number of active contacts he learned of Mothma’s failures to attract new allies. Knowing that the Confederate Remnants could not sustain their scattered network of besieged worlds, he had brought Mon Mothma into the fold. But while Mon Mothma was hoping to recruit the droids of the Separatists in the fight for freedom, Dod wanted to usurp her underground network for his own purposes. He knew that the Separatist Warlords, at each others throats since the absence of General Grievous, would never unite for any cause unless they were elevated to the position of Supreme Commander. Dod’s plan was to create a supply network for all of the warlords so that their holdouts could go on indefinitely, and then leverage his position so he could control those worlds for himself.

The loss of Enarc, and the reported destruction of a Remnant fleet over Mustafar, was a debilitating blow to the Remnant’s efforts, but it furthered Dod’s own scheme brilliantly. He had influence with the leaders of the Separatists on Acherin and could use their world as a base of operations.

The foundation of Lott Dod’s carefully laid plan had finally been set in place. There was only one obstacle left to remove.


Obi Wan’s shuttle arrived aboard the Wealth along with the Niemoidian technicians whose efforts had allowed the Task Force to secure the Another Chance . The Banking Clan frigate carrying Mon Mothma had joined with those ships along with a handful of other Rebel ships circling the planet Lakteen.

He was scheduled to report to Mon Mothma, but “General Cody” found it unusual that he would be traveling to meet her aboard the Hammer of Wealth instead of the other way around. Normally the larger ship was the host ship for such formalities, however, it had occurred to Obi Wan that Lott Dod and other former Separatists would be present as well and Obi Wan’s flagship had most of its VIP quarters and creature comforts removed to make room for additional supplies. Even while running for their lives there were those Separatists who would never give up their luxuries, a flaw which nearly allowed Obi Wan to capture Viceroy Nute Gunray during the invasion of Cato Niemoidia.

The Sheathipede shuttle set down in the modest hangar below the command tower. The technicians were the first to step onto the deck, where they were immediately escorted by a waiting cadre of B1 battle droids. Obi Wan stepped out through the hatch, lowering his head slightly as he was not yet fully accustomed to his increased stature from his life support suit.

He looked out into the hangar, and saw Mon Mothma approaching him. The bright lights of the hangar had an adverse effect on his artificial eyes but he could tell it was her quite easily with the Force.

“General Cody, let me be the first to offer you congratulations! I had a feeling your abilities would be more than enough for this mission.” She took his hand, Obi Wan responded to the handshake, but felt a slight pain in his artificial limb as he did.

Obi Wan broke his grip at the feeling and offered a slight bow to compensate for the possible gaffe. “Our success lies wholly within the admirable cooperation between our two factions. It is unfortunate that it took a situation so drastic to bring us all together.”

“If only I shared your optimism. If you have the time I would like to speak with you regarding some of our Confederate benefactors.”

“Of course, maybe then you could share with me some more details about this Imperial Amnesty situation. I suspect that this is little more than a trap designed to seek out and eliminate surviving Jedi. There may be a way to bring more of them into our camp before they side with the Empire.

Mon Mothma shook her head in the affirmative; the prospect of having more Jedi on their side was certainly uplifting. “It seems I was wrong to hold any doubts about your commitment to the cause Master Jedi. Even I would find myself tempted by the offer, if only as a way of getting that much closer to the truth about the Empire’s doings.”

Obi Wan noticed a slight increase in the pace of his rhythmic breathing and an odd buzzing in his reconstructed ears, but could not figure out the cause. He made a note in the back of his head to check with a medical technician at his earliest convenience. “With your permission then I might take some time to investigate…” The sentence abruptly ended as Obi Wan’s breath quickened further and the buzzing sound began to roar in his artificial ears.

“General Cody?” Mon Mothma asked, worried that her ally’s medical condition might suddenly be deteriorating.

“I should have picked up on this sooner!” Obi Wan thought to himself. He was still getting accustomed to his new body, what he had at first thought were quirks of his life supporting suit, he now understood were the telltale warning signs of danger being sensed through the Force.


“Where is she?” Lott Dod demanded.

The Neimoidian warrior, in the full regalia of the Neimoidian Gunnery Battalion, pointed out through the transparisteel window overlooking the hangar from the concourse above. “In the hangar Excellency,” he said, using the Trade Federation honorific for those of lofty status, “she is with the Jedi General.”

“Splendid! Then we can eliminate two hawkbats with but one stone. We could never expect the Jedi to serve our purposes.” Lott Dod folded his hands with excitement as he walked closer to the window.

“Deactivate the blast doors; magnetize the floors; send in the battle droids…” Dod ordered, “…and depressurize the hangar.”


The shields that prevented the vacuum of space from penetrating the hangar dissipated and several living crew members of the Hammer of Wealth were violently torn from where they stood. Obi Wan tried to move, but found that his felt were now solidly magnetized to the floor through his boots. In a split second Mon Mothma was taken off her feet and headed into space. Obi Wan quickly reached out with the Force and caught her, drawing her gradually closer to him and straining to pull her back in against the unceasing grip of space.

Obi Wan noticed that the blast doors weren’t sealing, this was a deliberate assassination attempt. Mon Mothma had briefly mentioned her distrust of former Separatist’s intentions. There was no time to speculate though, because of the depressurization the oxygen was quickly pouring out of the hangar and Mon Mothma was almost out of air.

Finally, he managed to get the Chandrilan Senator down to him, and she wrapped her arms around his back as he carried her, using the Force to summon the necessary strength to trudge across the floor and to the hatch that would get them back into a pressurized section of the ship.

He was about twenty meters away when a squad of Super Battle Droids arrived to block his path, lifting his lightsaber, Obi Wan fought against the pull of space and magnets in order to deflect several shots back at the attackers.


“How is he still alive?” Dod cringed as the Uknown Jedi General valiantly struggled to somehow keep Mon Mothma from being sucked into space.

The Gunnery Battalion soldier checked the screen of a scanner on the concourse. “The Jedi’s magnetized, apparently his feet are artificial as well.”

“Demagnetize the floors!”

“Excellency, with all due respect that move will cost us an entire squad of B2s!” The soldier pleaded, knowing that the droids were a precious military resource.

“Obviously you were just a grub when two Jedi helped turn the tide on Naboo. Now do what I say!”


Obi Wan deflected another bolt that struck his attacker. Without warning he began to feel weightless as he realized that whoever was trying to kill them had deactivated the magnetizing effect in the hangar. Obi Wan tried to tether himself with the Force when he felt Mon Mothma hitting him on the back of his helmet. He turned his head to see hers, although she could not be heard he could see her mouthing the words “Lott Dod” right at him. The remaining Battle Droids flew past Obi Wan out into space, where they would likely fall into Lakteen’s atmosphere and burn up completely. Obi Wan held with all of his might, but eventually he could resist no more and both he and Mon Mothma shot out into space.

As they exited the hangar, Obi Wan sheathed his lightsaber and grasped his hands onto an exterior handrail normally used for maintenance. He turned his head to check on Mon Mothma again and cringed as he saw her lifeless body drifting in space, floating away from the ship to join the funeral pyres of the Battle Droids in the skies of Lakteen. Even with the sadness he now felt, the irony of his situation was not lost on him. The life sustaining armor that had been his hindrance was now his savior. Obi Wan still had a limited oxygen supply. Looking straight up, he saw the command tower looming over him, its transparisteel windows beaming light shining like a beacon.

Giving himself to the Force, Obi Wan released his grip and unsheathed the lightsaber. Using the Force, he propelled himself upward, almost flying as he moved closer to his target. With the lightsaber in his hand he waited until he was right in front of the windows leading into the bridge. He stabbed the lightsaber into the window as he passed. The bridge floor immediately magnetized to protect the droid bridge crew and subsequently pulled Obi Wan inside The blast doors sealed the bridge behind him and the magnetization turned off. Reacting quickly, Obi Wan began spinning his blade like an azure whirlwind of destruction. Droids began falling left and right as they reacted to the intruder on the bridge.

If Lott Dod was allowed to win, there would be nothing left between Palpatine and Galactic Domination. The entire Rebel efforts, and those of Mon Mothma, would be wasted as part of some petty businessman’s scheme.

Obi Wan opened the doors, and then began making his way down the corridor, keeping an eye out for any more nasty surprises that his attackers might have in store for him.

[Crazedwraith]

... Now that's fucking awesome. And poor Mon Mothma... Spaced. Not the nicest way to go.

Looks like Kenobi's going to have to kick some major ass. Is eventually going to become Supreme Commander of the Rebel Alliance?

[Darth Fanboy]

... Now that's fucking awesome. And poor Mon Mothma... Spaced. Not the nicest way to go.

Consider it partly an homage to NecronLord, originally she was going to get gunned down by Battle Droids but having read his Alternate Timeline I thought it might be a nice touch to see how someone less arrogant than Count Dooku handles the vacuum of space (although it doesn't hurt that he has life support equipment built in!).

I had more to this chapter, but instead decided to allow Obi Wan's guantlet to begin Chapter 23, which means I have a good start on the next chapter already.

Looks like Kenobi's going to have to kick some major ass. Is eventually going to become Supreme Commander of the Rebel Alliance?

Still a loooong way to go before that happens, especially with all the pissed off Separatists there might be on Acherin.

[Sidewinder]

Badass. I expect to see Obi-Wan get medieval on Lott Dod's green ass.

... Now that's fucking awesome. And poor Mon Mothma... Spaced. Not the nicest way to go.

Consider it partly an homage to NecronLord, originally she was going to get gunned down by Battle Droids but having read his Alternate Timeline I thought it might be a nice touch to see how someone less arrogant than Count Dooku handles the vacuum of space (although it doesn't hurt that he has life support equipment built in!).

I didn't read NecronLord's story. Do you have a link to that? If not, what's it about?

[Edward Yee]

I didn't read NecronLord's story. Do you have a link to that? If not, what's it about?

It's "Star Wars: Rise of the Machines," primarily focusing on Grievous and various droids. As for Dooku... to paraphrase Grievous, in this case the power of the Force and Makashi < an internal comlink.