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Star Wars: The Emperor Eclipsed - Brendon Wahlberg
The Emperor Eclipsed
By Brendon Wahlberg ([email protected])
Third in a series of stories about the Emperor during the film trilogy
(episodes 4-6) see also A New Enemy (1) and The Hand Of Fate (2)
The Emperor's Grand Vizier, Sate Pestage, knew his master was dead
before anyone else in the palace. The message he found waiting for him
on his secure holonet terminal left no doubt in his mind. Once he had
decrypted it, using codes known only to the Emperor and himself,
Pestage knew the Empire had lost its dark center. Like the gigantic
black hole at the center of the galaxy, Palpatine had been the hub
around which every destiny in the Empire revolved. Now, without him,
the Empire would spin out of control, heading for disaster. Pestage
should have been filled with despair. He had found his life's meaning
in his service to the Emperor. Without that purpose, the emptiness
would surely swallow him. But the Grand Vizier could afford neither
despair nor oblivion. It was entrusted to him to turn defeat into
victory, to salvage order out of chaos, to restore hope. Palpatine,
his Emperor, was depending on him. Pestage reviewed the contents of
the message once more, as puzzled by its cryptic lines as ever. My
old friend, the fact that you are reading this means that the worst
has come to pass. I have reached the nexus I feared, and have not
survived. But you must not surrender. If ever you have been my
servant, you must serve me now. You must bring Mara Jade to the
Citadel on Byss. No one, not even Jade, must know the reason for the
journey, but if you succeed, I will be restored. The Empire is in your
hands.
With one bony finger, Pestage touched the erase key. He knew that no
one else must see the message. Bad times were coming. Now, a power
vacuum existed, and someone would rush to fill it. No one had the
right to the throne except his master. Not even Pestage himself could
claim it. But those who would steal the throne would also kill to hold
it, and that meant Pestage's life was in danger. Doubly so, if the
usurpers knew of this message. Not that Pestage understood
it. Palpatine was dead, somewhere near Endor. He had gone to face
Skywalker, and that had led to the ultimate ruin. He had taken a clone
with him, but evidently, that had not availed him. Pestage knew enough
about the Emperor's cloning-based immortality to see that there was no
salvation for his master, so far away from Byss. Without proximity to
a clone, Palpatine was surely lost. Yet, he would trust that somehow,
appearances were deceiving, and that there was hope. He would trust in
his master, and he would trust in the Force. Suddenly, Pestage felt
very old, very alone, and quite overwhelmed. He regarded his own
frail frame. "It isn't fair," he muttered. "These weak bones cannot
bear such a great burden. I must restore you, when you were all that
kept me going... what have you done? You've staked all on an old man,
whose only strength is his love for you. Well it may not be enough.
But I...I will die trying to save you, if need be. There is no
other way for me." Pestage hung his head. Now, he must deliver the
terrible news of the Emperor's fall to Ars Dangor. He did not look
forward to that duty in the slightest. Dangor was not a man who took
bad news well.
* * *
The Emperor's Hand, Mara Jade, was the second person in the palace to
know that Palpatine was dead, and the only one to see him die. She
was standing alone in vast and ancient Manarai hall, in front of a
huge window that displayed the breathtaking panorama of the distant
Manarai Mountains. She could look down on the sprawling Imperial City
that filled the valley, ocean like, its metallic waves braking against
the severe rock of the faraway peaks. The city heaved with activity,
but high above, Mara had sought out this serene and empty place for
her much needed meditation. She had been tormented by anxiety and
guilt for days. She was afraid that something terrible was going to
happen, and most of all, she felt that it would happen because her
last mission had failed. Mara had been summoned into her master's
presence just weeks ago, by a mental command. She had made her way to
his private chambers. She knew that every courtier who saw her pass
by, saw her beauty and concluded that she was Palpatine's pleasure
toy. That misconception, that underestimation, suited her just
fine. It made her job that much easier. For Mara Jade was in reality
the Emperor's Hand, a special operative who took care of the tasks
that couldn't be handled by a legion of stormtroopers. She was an
assassin and a spy, a versatile extension of Palpatine's will. He had
trained her in the dark side of the Force personally, and she could
hear his mental commands from anywhere in the galaxy. That last
ability made her very special to the Emperor, for she often ventured
into places where communication was impossible, to work his will with
an immediacy and an effectiveness that was impossible for other
operatives to achieve. When she reached Palpatine's rooms, Mara
slipped inside with a slight swaying of her graceful hips, for the
benefit of an advisor who was waiting at the Emperor's door. She saw a
spark of outrage in the advisor's eyes, that he should wait even
longer while the Emperor dallied, and then she was inside.
Palpatine's rooms were sparsely decorated, and despite being well lit,
had a sense of shadowiness to them. "Come, Mara Jade," said Palpatine
from a side chamber. She found him in a tiny gallery of Jedi artifacts
and lightsabers, each one representing a vanquished foe. "I have a
mission for you, one well suited to your talents." She stood very
close to him, and he placed a fatherly hand on her red-gold hair. In
a sense, he was her father. Mara's parents had died when she was very
young, and she remembered very little of them. Palpatine had brought
her to Coruscant, and she had grown up there, thinking of the Emperor
as her father figure, despite their infrequent contact. When she came
of age, he had revealed his special plans for her, and she had been
overjoyed. Ever since then, it had been her pride to serve as his
agent, rooting out his evil enemies and bringing an end to their
schemes. And now, here was another chance to do just that. "What do
you need me to do?" she asked eagerly. "I have told you of my visions
concerning the Jedi, Skywalker," He replied quietly. "You know that I
will face him, and that there is some...uncertainty surrounding the
outcome. I fear that the Force itself conspires against me. But you
and I, my dear Mara Jade, you and I will cheat fate. We will deny
destiny. I have intelligence that Skywalker is going to Tatooine to
rescue his friend, the Correllian, from the local Hutt crime lord. You
will take full advantage of this knowledge, and find him on
Tatooine. There you will see that our young Jedi meets a premature
death." He smiled at her warmly, conspiratorially. "I leave the
details to your capable mind." Mara Jade was filled with feelings of
determination, pride, and anger towards Skywalker. Anger that such a
young terrorist could give the slightest vexation to her beloved
Emperor, let alone threaten him. "As you command," she said with
conviction, "so shall it be done." Mara had traveled to that forsaken
dustball and infiltrated the grotesque slug's "palace" as a
dancer. How it had disgusted her to perform for that drooling
monstrosity! But apparently her lithe figure and shining hair had
delighted the Hutt from the moment he saw her. It was degrading, but
it was a good cover. She had waited, biding her time among the sick
menagerie that thronged the Hutt's fortress. Then , finally, a few
days later, Skywalker had shown up, walking into the palace with
arrogant self- confidence. And Mara had been asleep! A long day of
dancing had exhausted her, and by the time she woke up, the Jedi had
already killed Jabba's rancor and earned the Hutt's personal
hatred. Skywalker was to be executed at something called the Pit of
Carkoon. Suddenly everything was spinning out of control. She didn't
trust the bloated Hutt to be able to overcome the Jedi. She was in a
panic that unless she came along to make sure Skywalker died, somehow
he would escape. Anyone who could elude Darth Vader should have little
trouble with a Hutt. Skywalker had some clever plan, she was sure of
it. So she had asked to go with Jabba on the sail barge. And her
cover identity had backfired on her. Jabba had become very "attached"
to her, and wanted her safe in his chambers when he returned from his
little excursion. The Pit of Carkoon was no place for a dancer, it
was too dangerous. She had begged him, telling him she didn't want to
be away from him for that long, but he had been adamant. She had even
tried to use her Force skills on him, to no avail. And so, the sail
barge and its prisoners had left without her. A day later, Bib Fortuna
had made his way back to the palace, the only survivor of what was to
him an astonishing debacle. Jabba was dead, Boba Fett as well, and the
Jedi had escaped. Mara had been consumed by a helpless rage. Fortuna,
already busy with his bid to take over the organization, did not even
notice when she left. She returned to Coruscant in disgrace, but she
was the only one who knew it. The Emperor had already left to go to
Endor, where he planned to trap the Rebel fleet. He had not even
contacted her, or acknowledged the failure of her mission. He had been
forced to go and face his fears and it was her fault. Worry and a
sense of doom hovered around her for several days until she finally
came to the ancient hall to practice the meditation skills that
Palpatine had taught her, to try to find some escape from her deep
unease. She reached out to her master, calmly and carefully, but his
mind was closed to her. She could not sense him. Then, just as she was
settling into a meditative state, letting the Force flow through her,
a vision of Palpatine hit her like a silent explosion. Her eyes jerked
open, but the view of the distant mountain range was utterly blotted
out by larger than life figures that floated before her; they seemed
more real than the room she was in. The Jedi, Skywalker, and the Sith
Lord, Darth Vader, were standing in front of a seated Palpatine.
Behind her master, a circular window looked out on the stars.
A moment later, she saw Skywalker gesture commandingly at
Vader, and they both moved together to attack Palpatine with their
lightsabers. To slaughter him. She saw his face between their grim
forms as they closed the gap. He was looking directly at her. Such a
sense of betrayal was in his yellow eyes - she gasped at his look of
rage and terror. In his last seconds, a crystal clear message came
through to her, so strong she could have sworn he was there in the
room with her. "YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER!" It was his last
command. Vader and Skywalker cut him down without mercy, and the
vision ended. Mara Jade crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
* * *
Emperor Palpatine knew he wasn't dead, but then, he wasn't exactly
alive, either. As the Death Star began to erupt, he reached out
through the Force to find Mara Jade's mind. It was his only choice,
given the pressing need for a swift escape. Finding it, he had
established a special link between them, through which he could use
her as a "spirit anchor". A moment later, the stormtroopers and
officers around him screamed in final terror as simultaneously, a
fireball devoured the air in the corridor and the floor vanished,
opening a gate to an inferno. Palpatine's pain was all- consuming, but
very brief. His clone body was vaporized. He felt his consciousness
stretch out, impossibly thin, bridging the gap from Endor to
Coruscant. With a violent snap, he hurtled into the mind of Mara
Jade. He huddled around the Force-sensitive node in her brain, trying
to regain coherence of perception; the brief journey had been enough
to leave him severely disoriented. For an eternal moment, he had been
exposed to the dark side's chaotic force of dissolution. If it had
been able to claim him, he would have been swallowed into its madness
for eternity. But now, Mara Jade's living, organized mind provided him
with a shield against that chaos. He was safe. But something had
happened that he hadn't expected. Most of his dark power had been
stripped from him and left behind in space near Endor. Mara Jade's
mind simply could not contain it. Additionally, his state was nothing
like what he had expected from his studies on spirit anchors. It was
different on the dark side, he now learned. He wasn't entirely within
the Force while retaining his individuality. This was more like a kind
of possession. Worse, it was a kind of imprisonment. Palpatine was a
guest who couldn't survive leaving. And so, diminished, shorn of his
form and power, and almost defeated, the former master of the dark
side of the Force clung to Mara Jade's mind as he slowly came back to
himself. His main goal now was his restoration. He had not panicked
at the end, that was critical. Instead, he had sent a message to Sate
Pestage, which would hopefully convince the Grand Vizier to bring Jade
to Byss. There he could leave Jade's mind and reenter one of his clone
bodies. Even as he had made the transition into her mind, he had
created a false vision of his death for her, calculated to make her
blame Skywalker for his murder. Palpatine still wanted revenge, and he
still felt Mara Jade was best suited to carry it out. But she must
have the complete conviction that the boy must die. From his position
within her mind, Palpatine would do his best to encourage that
belief. Skywalker had an unfortunate talent for making allies out of
his enemies, and that must not happen with Mara. Even though he had
lost, the game was not over. The Emperor's power was merely eclipsed
for a time, and before long, he vowed, his name would once again
inspire fear throughout the galaxy.
* * *
Still dwelling on his feelings of inadequacy, Sate Pestage knocked
softly at the door of the Emperor's chief advisor, Ars Dangor. He had
walked slowly through the ornate halls of the palace, staring
disconsolately at what he perceived as a terrible emptiness. The
advisors and government officials he passed knew nothing of the
disaster that had occurred. They went on about their business in
blissful ignorance, and the vast body of the Empire continued to
lumber along, not realizing that it had been decapitated. The news sat
like a hot stone in Pestage's gut. He had to share it or it would sear
his innards. The first person who had to be told was Dangor, who took
care of so many of the day-to-day details of running the Empire. After
Palpatine and Pestage himself, Dangor had the most power in the
government. He would know what to do to prevent a panic. All too soon,
news from the surviving military elements at Endor and from the
Alliance forces would pour in. The government on Coruscant had to be
prepared lest the blow shatter it. The door opened, and for an
irrational moment, Pestage thought he saw Palpatine, miraculously
returned from the dead, standing there cloaked in a black robe with a
deep hood. But young hands reached up to pull the hood back, revealing
the face of Ars Dangor. Unlike the other advisors, Dangor dressed in a
manner similar to Palpatine. Not catching Pestage's disorientation,
Dangor smoothly asked, "To what do I owe the honor of your presence,
Grand Vizier?" Recovering, Pestage replied, "Chief Advisor Dangor, I
need to speak with you privately, about a very grave matter. May I
come in?" "Enter," said Dangor, and stood aside, beckoning with his
robed arms. Pestage entered a suite of rooms that, unsurprisingly,
mimicked the asceticism of the late Emperor. He faced Dangor,
uncertain of how to begin. How to put such a calamity into words?
Dangor waited patiently, and after a few moments, Pestage said the
only thing he could. "Palpatine is dead, and we must prevent the
Empire from collapsing." Dangor stared at him, speechless. Long
moments passed. The chief advisor looked stricken, but his thoughts
were racing. Palpatine - you fool! Curse you and your reckless
obsessions! Skywalker. Endor. We are lost, unless... "He died at
Endor?" Dangor demanded. "He was killed by Skywalker? No - it doesn't
matter how. He is dead... I warned him not to pursue this course. I
warned him. He put himself at risk in an unfinished battle station,
just to capture a boy! We should have finished the Death Star and
wiped out the rebellion planet by planet. This didn't need to
happen...He didn't need to die..." Dangor turned away, trembling in
his robes. "I never really thought he would die, you know. Even when
he became old, he was somehow able to regenerate, to reclaim his
youth. I thought I would be able to serve him for the rest of my life
- longer, if he shared his secrets with me...I would have been
content." Chief Advisor," Sate Pestage urged, "The reason I came to
you first-" "Yes, Sate Pestage. The Empire must not fall." Dangor
began speaking rapidly. "You were right to say that. It needs an
Emperor. A strong person must be placed on the throne as soon as
possible, someone whom the people know and respect. We must convene an
emergency meeting of the advisors, the Moffs, and COMPNOR, to deal
with the crisis of leadership. Fear not, Sate Pestage, we will come
through this with the Empire intact. I shall see to it immediately. We
will have to contain the information flowing in from Endor, and
assemble as much of the fleet as we can here at Coruscant. CompForce
must discourage any potentially treasonous acts by those who would
take advantage of the situation for their own advancement. There is a
great deal to do. And so, Grand Vizier, we must both keep our hopes
intact even as we struggle with our despair. Go in peace." And
before Pestage knew it, he had been ushered out into the hall. What
had really happened in there? He had expected some sort of outburst
from Dangor - the man was infamous for them. Instead, he had seemed
grief-stricken. But, he had spoken like someone who had guessed what
was going to happen, and who was somehow prepared. I warned him not to
pursue this course. What was Dangor up to, to send Pestage away so
quickly? Something about Dangor's little speech was nagging at the
Grand Vizier. Dangor had seemed too ready to deal with the news, and
if that was true, then...a strong person must be placed on the
throne...I would have been content...Of course. It was clear to
Pestage. Dangor planned to be the new Emperor himself. Pestage
hurried back to his quarters, his thought in turmoil. Dangor as
Emperor! He could not allow it to happen. But did he have any power to
prevent it? And would he be placing his life in danger if he tried?
Dangor had a well-earned reputation for dealing ruthlessly with his
enemies. Right now, Pestage's life was not his own. His master
depended on him for his very survival. When he reached his rooms, he
sat down at his private terminal. Palpatine kept records of
everything, and Pestage was Steward of the Emperor's personal
archive. Documentation of his most secret communications was contained
therein. There was a great deal of information that could aid Ars
Dangor immeasurably in his bid for power, and so he must not have
it. Pestage keyed in a long and elaborate code that permanently closed
the archives. Now, no one could have access to the Emperor's
secrets. Only Palpatine knew the code required to reopen them.
Pestage sat back and breathed slowly, trying to calm down. He simply
had not expected this, but in retrospect, it was predictable. Well,
there was little he could do about it for the present, so he had best
turn his efforts towards finding Mara Jade. Where would a secret
assassin, known to no one, be in the event of her master's death?
Pestage hoped desperately that she had not learned of the events at
Endor and left Coruscant for good.
* * *
Even as Sate Pestage wondered where Mara Jade might be, she was secure
in a hospital bed in the Old Republic Hospital not far from the
palace. She had been found unconscious in Manarai Hall, with
dangerously low brain activity. She had been brought to the Hospital
for treatment, and now she was recovering in a private room, the
danger past. Fast asleep, she shifted, tossed and turned, clutching at
the blankets and mumbling. "Skywalker...you killed him...kill...kill
you..." Deep inside her mind, Palpatine was fashioning nightmares for
her.
Mara could see the throne room on the Death Star, but the only clearly
visible areas were the throne and the steps before it. The far walls
were lost in the mist, and the window behind the throne looked out on
absolute blackness. The throne was facing away from her, and she could
see a dark figure standing behind it in the shadows, a barely visible
silhouette against the window. She was aware of a low hum, then the
dark figure raised a lightsaber, illuminating its face. It was
Skywalker, and his face was a mask of sadistic pleasure. He put a
bloody hand on the throne and slowly rotated it to face Mara. She felt
a stab of ice in her vitals as she saw the occupant of the chair. It
was Palpatine. Skywalker had dissected him. Atop a burnt stack of his
limbs sat his head, severed and facing directly at her. An odd
grouping of lightsaber wounds marred his face like a charcoal
sketch. She could almost see a pattern in them. Then Skywalker spoke,
showing his enjoyment by indicating the body parts with a flourish.
"Amazing the things you can do with a lightsaber," he said. Then he
pointed to a large black heap at the mist's edge. "That's Vader, or it
was. We attacked the Emperor together. He couldn't defend against
both of us at the same time, so he struck down the greater
threat. Poor Vader. He wanted to share ruling the Empire so much. He
never knew that I used him, that all I wanted was for the Empire to
fall. I thought this would be a fitting tribute for him, though."
Skywalker indicated the burn marks on Palpatine's face. Suddenly Mara
could see how the burns resembled the lines of Vader's breath mask,
and she cried out in anger. Palpatine's dead, staring eyes held her
own, seeming to accuse her. I will never rest until he is dead, they
seemed to say. With one swift step, she seemed to close the distance
to Skywalker's side in an instant. He froze in surprise, as if seeing
her for the first time. She lashed out with her hand at his throat,
bringing him to his knees, choking. Mara calmly picked up his fallen
lightsaber and activated it. "You killed him, Skywalker," she said
grimly. "Now I'll kill you." His left hand was the first thing to go.
In her hospital bed, Mara Jade's tormented expression smoothed out and
shifted to a small tight smile.
* * *
When Mara Jade awoke, she had a splitting headache. She didn't dare to
sit up, but she turned to face the Emdee droid that stood by her
bedside. "Just relax, Mara Jade," the droid soothed. "You were found
unconscious in Manarai Hall, in the old section of the palace. You
almost slipped into a coma, but you seem to have recovered from your
trauma. I can find no further signs of trouble. When you feel up to
it, you may leave. I do suggest you seek out the advice of a
specialist. We could not discover the reason for your trauma, and it
may recur. And now, citizen, I have other patients to attend to. I
wish you well." The droid glided away. "Thank you," she called after
it. Mara lay still, thinking about her situation. She could still
vividly recall her vision, and fragments of nightmares flitted through
her memory. They had all been of killing Skywalker. He wasn't dead
though. Not yet. She knew she had to do something about that, but
right now, she was in no shape to do anything. Her master was
dead. And what was she now? Where could she go? No one knew her, no
one knew what she did. No one knew of the power she had possessed;
they all saw her as the Emperor's lovely companion. In a twinkling,
she had lost everything. Maybe the only meaning left to her was to
fulfill Palpatine's last directive, to kill Skywalker. Well, she would
try, but she had to be realistic. He would be no easy target, and it
might take her years to find him. She might as well leave Coruscant,
even though she had no idea where she might go. But first, she would
get rid of her headache. She began to try to channel the Force to ease
her pain, and was astonished to discover she couldn't sense the Force
at all. The walls of her tiny room seemed like true boundaries. She
couldn't sense anyone or anything beyond them. It was like losing a
basic sense like eyesight or hearing. Enhanced perceptions she had
come to take for granted were completely gone. Now Mara Jade began to
despair. She felt awful. Palpatine was dead, and now she had lost the
Force, too. Had her abilities all depended on his being alive,
somehow? She felt violated, robbed. The Emperor's greatest gift to her
had been torn from her. Without the Force, how could she ever hope to
defeat, let alone find, a Jedi? She brooded for a long time, and
finally decided that she would indeed leave Coruscant. Perhaps that
would stop her nightmares of the Emperor's death. She would take one
thing with her that the Emperor had owned. In his chambers was the
lightsaber that had belonged to Skywalker's mentor, Kenobi. She would
go claim it and make her way to the starport. With that weapon,
Skywalker's death would be that much more satisfying.
* * *
Sate Pestage was just finishing instructing a team of ISB agents to
track down Mara Jade and bring her to him, when he received a summons
and a notification from Ars Dangor that the advisors, the Moffs, and
COMPNOR's select committee would be assembled within two hours.
Pestage knew it was necessary to organize their response to the fiasco
at Endor, but he would just as soon not be directly involved. Evidently,
Ars Dangor felt differently. If Dangor was going to announce his
candidacy for leadership, he would want Sate Pestage's vote of
approval in front of the other advisors. Well, he wasn't going to get
it. The Empire could survive without an emperor until the true Emperor
was restored. Pestage would attend as required of him, but he was
anxious to get back to the task of locating Mara Jade. He chose his
most somber looking garment, one with only a few jewels along the hem,
and began to get ready. Hopefully, the ISB agents would be successful
while he was occupied.
* * *
Mara Jade fumed as she waited in Ars Dangor's office, under guard by a
CompForce soldier. She had left the hospital, finally, but before she
could reach Palpatine's suite, she had been cornered by this oafish
trooper. "Excuse me," he had said, halting her and consulting a
datapad. "You are Mara Jade, is that correct?" She had seen no point
in denying it. "Yes, what is it?" she had snapped. "I have orders to
escort you to the office of Chief Imperial Advisor Dangor for a
private meeting. If you would please come with me?" She had complied,
not wanting to make a scene, and ended up here, sitting in Dangor's
office for the past hour. She turned once more to the guard, who was
without doubt a poor conversationalist. "What is this all about?" she
asked for the fourth time. "Where is the Chief Advisor?" "I've told
you, I don't have that information. The Chief Advisor will be here to
see you shortly." He stared at the far wall, saying nothing else.
Mara tried to bore a hole in his head with her eyes, but instead, she
felt as if she were the one with the hole. Her headache had not
relented, but she had grown somewhat used to it. A few minutes later,
Dangor arrived, wearing that black robe similar to Palpatine's. She
regarded him with respect but not awe. "Mara Jade, my dear, I'm sorry
to have kept you waiting, but this is a very busy day. Thank you
guard, you may leave." Once the guard was gone, Dangor motioned for
her to take a more comfortable seat on a small couch. "What's this
all about?" she asked, sitting. "All right then, we'll get directly
to the point." Dangor stood in front of her. "I'm going to tell you
something that only a few hundred people know at this moment. The news
will reach the whole planet within another day, but hopefully we'll be
ready for that. You see, our great Emperor has fallen. He is dead in
battle with the rebel alliance. Someone needs to take his place, and I
feel that person should be me -" Dangor looked at her in concern. "Are
you unwell?" Mara had been reacting with convincing surprise at the
news of Palpatine's death, but when Dangor had mentioned his being the
new Emperor, her headache had intensified severely. She had grimaced
and put her hands to her temples. "Yes, I'm all right, just a headache
I've been having. Really. Please, go on...so, my Lord is dead?" Mara
fought back the pain and put on a solemn expression. "Yes, well,"
continued Dangor, "the Emperor would certainly want his throne to pass
to one he trusted as much as myself, who was so much like him, and who
he had groomed for power for so many years. If I am chosen, and the
throne becomes mine, I want you to know that you will not have to
leave. I know how you served Palpatine, and I would like to retain you
in that capacity." Mara looked at him in surprise. How did he know
about the Emperor's Hand? "You are quite a prize," Dangor went
on. "Very lovely indeed. I can see why Palpatine enjoyed you so much,
and indeed, I have admired your beauty for a long time. With great
power comes great loneliness, and someone like you would be wonderful
for helping me to avoid that." Mara was at a loss for words. Her mouth
opened, then closed, her eyes wide. "You don't need to decide at this
moment, my dear," Dangor said, "but you would be wise to say yes. Hard
times are on the horizon, and I can give you protection and
wealth. Think about it. I shall see you in a few hours. Until then,
Mara Jade." Dangor gave a little bow, smiling, then called for a
guard. "Please escort this woman to my quarters and keep her there to
await my return. Mara Jade, I have business to attend to, but I look
forward to the pleasure of your company." He left her with the guard,
who motioned for her to precede him. As she walked to Dangor's rooms,
Mara's Jade's head was spinning. Her headache was terrible, and
Dangor's conception of her was suddenly degrading and humiliating to
her, despite all that she had done to contribute to it. She wanted to
get out of the palace, to slip away unnoticed with Kenobi's
lightsaber. For now, she would have to play along with Dangor's
conceited game. It couldn't be any worse than dancing for the Hutt had
been. The guard let her into Dangor's chambers, then closed the door,
no doubt stationing himself outside. He was a CompForce trooper,
fanatically loyal to the New Order. His kind always overdid
everything. Mara stared at the sparse furnishings and austere
decor. It was a cheap imitation of Palpatine's rooms, she
realized. Palpatine had tolerated Dangor's imitation, valuing him for
his competence and loyalty, but he had never really thought of the
Chief Advisor as being very intelligent. Mara knew that her master
would never have given so much power to anyone with the ability to
ever be his rival. She had no doubt that, if he were alive, he would
be fairly angry that Dangor even thought he was fit to rule. Mara's
headache worsened, and she groaned a little. She noticed the computer
terminal in one corner, and, one hand held to her head, she sat down
at it. One thing was for sure, she wasn't just going to sit in here
doing nothing. She would see exactly what the Chief Advisor was up to.
Mara accessed the palace security cameras, using the access codes
taught to her by Palpatine. She scanned through several dozen scenes
before one arrested her gaze, a huge hall full of people. It was the
central Hall of Address, where Ars Dangor traditionally delivered
speeches on behalf of Palpatine to be broadcast to the galaxy over the
holonet. She recognized the uniforms of the COMPNOR leadership, the
militaristic ranks of the Moffs, and the riot of multicultural
fashions worn by the hundreds of Imperial advisors. An empty podium
faced these rows upon rows of the Empire's elite. Something major was
in store; no doubt she was about to see Dangor's bid for power. The
crowd continued to murmur with anxiety. She could pick out several
discussions focused on the rumors of the Emperor's death. Then a hush
fell over the assembly. Dangor entered, his resemblance to Palpatine
rather eerie under the circumstances. He seemed to be using it to his
full advantage; he moved like Palpatine and kept his hood over his
face. When he reached the podium, he waited for total silence. He
pulled back his hood, and his gaze touched each of the major groups
present. When he spoke, it was with the practiced, ringing tones he
had perfected in countless addresses in this hall. "Honorable Moffs,
the Select Committee, the Advisors of the Imperium, and the Emperor's
Grand Vizier, welcome." Now, Mara Jade noticed Sate Pestage seated
near the podium, looking uncomfortable. "This is a day of great
sorrow. What you have heard is true. Our Emperor is lost to us. The
Empire is bereft of its guide and master. Emperor Palpatine created
this mighty galactic government. He built it, he shaped it, he brought
it to a level of power and glory that rivals even the Old Republic of
legend. Palpatine truly was the Empire. With his great leadership, he
forged an awesome future for all of us. But that future is now in
question. "Today, we must ask ourselves, can the Empire that
Palpatine created live on without him? Can a new Emperor take up his
mantle and lead us onward? Many of you will think, no, he can never be
replaced. He should never have needed to be replaced. He was
eternal. Well I tell you, no one of us is eternal. This day was
inevitable. Nature dictated it. Some of you may believe that the
cursed rebel alliance greatly hastened the coming of this day, that by
their treacherous murder of Palpatine, they stole from the Emperor and
from us many decades of his wise rule. I am here to reveal to you that
his rule was neither wise nor apt to last. "This is the Emperor as
you knew him." Dangor produced a hologram of Palpatine as a
commanding, middle-aged man, no longer young but still strong. "This
is the Emperor as he really was." The holo was replaced by a very
recent image of the Emperor. He was, of course, terribly aged, his
flesh deeply ravaged by the toll the dark side had taken on him. Most
of those present had never seen him like this. Exclamations of shock
and disgust filled the hall. Even those who knew joined in the
outrage, for now, their fear of the Emperor was gone. It took quite a
while for order to be restored. But eventually, the huge crowd turned
to Dangor for an explanation of this revelation. "He lied to you all
about his age and his health," Dangor's voice boomed. "He had one foot
in the grave already when he died, but he never told you. He wanted
his power to be absolute up to the end. But the end...the end was
something he brought on himself! "He was obsessed with the rebel
alliance. Despite the fact that they could never have defeated the
Empire on their own, he was consumed with the desire to wipe them out
completely. He created an elaborate trap to lure them to their final
destruction at Endor. He also hoped to kill the famed rebel, Luke
Skywalker, another of his obsessions. But Palpatine was the architect
of his own failure. He placed himself at risk on board an unfinished
battle station. His only protection was a defense shield, and reports
from Endor tell us that the rebels easily destroyed that. He was
destroyed along with all those on the Death Star, once his inherently
suicidal plan reached its fruition. The Imperial fleet was crippled,
and Lord Vader has died as well." Mara noticed several people looking
relieved at that news. "Did Palpatine know he was going to die? Did
he want to take his Empire with him? Did he mean for us all to go down
as well? Did he gamble so outrageously because he knew he was going to
lose it all anyway?" Dangor paused to let all of this sink in. Mara
saw that Sate Pestage was ashen faced at what Dangor was doing. It was
all a lie, but it was infinitely more believable than the
truth. Palpatine had created a lie himself, to screen his true nature
from the galaxy. Dangor was taking brilliant advantage of that. Now
Dangor spoke into the complete silence. "There is a question we have
not yet asked. What of an heir? Is there an heir to the Empire? A son
or daughter to inherit his power? Even a chosen successor, designated
by Palpatine to take over when he was gone? Was there even a
procedure set up for choosing a successor? The answer is no! There is
no heir! No one to be the successor! Or, if there is, the information
is sealed in the Emperor's Personal Archive. I have tried to look
there. It would be of utmost importance to me to see Palpatine's
designated heir placed on the throne according to his wishes. But the
archive has been permanently closed! The information in it, which
alone could tell us who Palpatine might have envisioned as his heir,
is denied to us. We can only conclude that there was never meant to be
an heir. Palpatine meant for the Empire to die when he did. "And who
among us, since Palpatine is dead, has closed the Archive? Who is
assisting the dead, deceitful ruler in dealing this comprehensive
death blow to the Empire? It is none other than Palpatine's Grand
Vizier, Sate Pestage! The man who saw Palpatine as he really was, and
helped to keep his secret. Who filled the senile Emperor's ears with
encouragement for his fatal obsessions and support for his ruinous
policies! Who even now sits guilty among us, ready to finish the job
that Palpatine started, to see that the Empire completes the fall to
its doom!" Mara looked on with horror. Dangor was totally in command
of the assembly. And the old man whom he somehow saw as a rival for
the throne was helpless before his poisonous assault. "Sate Pestage,
as Grand Vizier to the fallen Emperor, you are accused of treason to
the Empire. You used you position of intimacy with the Emperor to
shield him from any views that may have dissuaded him from his path to
destruction. The advice of Palpatine's advisors, such as myself, fell
on deaf ears because you deafened them, because you kept our voices
from being heard." And here Mara Jade saw the emotions of the crowd
shift firmly against Sate Pestage. It was a masterstroke by Dangor,
for in truth, many of those gathered hated Pestage for that very
reason. Whenever any of them were commanded to contact Palpatine, or
desired to speak with him, they often had to wait for hours, on bended
knee. And the only face they saw, the only voice they heard during
those humiliating vigils was that of Sate Pestage. Pestage, who passed
on his master's wishes to them, and who guarded his master's time by
deciding who would gain his ear and who would not, became the natural
focus for the hate born of that humiliation. The advisors, the Moffs,
and the COMPNOR officials could all share in the feeling evoked by
Dangor. And, truth be told, their shock at seeing Palpatine so old
still coursed through them, and they focused their distaste for that
vision of decrepit weakness upon the similarly aged form of Sate
Pestage. Angry mutterings began to sound out everywhere, and Dangor
allowed them to grow. Then he turned on Sate Pestage and channeled the
accusation of the assembly at him. "Do you have anything to say in
your defense? You have been accused of treason, and the penalty is
death." Pestage slowly stood. Mara marveled at his dignity and
bearing as he faced Dangor. He must have seen how he was being set up,
how he was being eliminated as the one person who might have claimed
executive power in Dangor's place. But he didn't show any signs of
anger on his suddenly serene face. Pestage spoke softly, so that most
of the audience couldn't hear it. The security microphones picked up
his words, however, and Mara heard him say to Dangor, "You have
betrayed our master. One day, you will pay for your crimes. I will not
deny your accusations, for I did indeed seal the Archive. The master's
secrets are not for such as you to know. Nor will I accept death at
your hands. I choose exile from Imperial space, as is my undeniable
right under law. I shall never return to your Empire." Then, Pestage
walked out of the great auditorium, although as he reached the door,
he was joined by CompForce soldiers who took his arms. He did not
resist. Dangor was disoriented. His "script" for the proceedings was
disrupted. He watched Pestage go with troubled eyes. Then he seemed to
come back to himself. He faced the gathering once more. "The traitor
has admitted his acts with his own voice. He has chosen exile from the
Empire, never to return." Voices of protest rose up to him. Chief
among them was the loud cry of Tarn Gemillian, the advisor from
Mandalore. He clearly wanted Pestage to face execution, and he was
trying to rally others to press the issue. But Dangor could not allow
distractions from his main purpose. Those who wanted an execution
would have to be satisfied with an exile. "No! Listen to me - it is
his right under the law. That will be enough justice. Let us give no
further thought to him. Now we must turn our minds to the future!
Despite the worst Palpatine and his Vizier were able to do, we still
have a chance to preserve the Empire. We need a new leader - a strong
leader who can run the Empire well - who is known and respected - a
leader who can be trusted not to hide in the shadows in this time of
crisis. There is no heir! One among us must be chosen. The time for
that choice is now." Dangor waited. All depended on the next few
moments. He had revealed the truth to them, alerted them to danger,
rooted out a traitor from their midst, and stood before them like a
vision of the Emperor they had thought they knew, and had believed
in. Would they accept him as Palpatine's replacement? Then, several of
the advisors stood, and one of them called out, "Will you lead us, Ars
Dangor?" Dangor still said nothing. Several more advisors rose. They
began to call to him, "Dangor, you must lead us! You are the only
choice!" The advisors were the easy part. He already led them. But
then the Moffs and the Grand Moffs began to stand. Perhaps they
realized that if one of them were to try to claim power, the others
would fight him for it, no matter who he was. They added their voices
to a growing chant, "Dangor! Dangor! Dangor!" The number of standing
people steadily increased. Then, even the COMPNOR officials
stood. Their loyalty was, after all, to the New Order, and they would
go along with any means of preserving it. Before long, the entire
gathering of several thousand people was standing and chanting. It was
deafening. Mara was stunned. And then the chant became, "Emperor
Dangor! The Emperor!" Dangor gave a deep bow, and Mara felt such a
black anger build up inside her mind that she lurched away from the
screen and fell to her knees. A violent surge of hatred coursed
through her, blotting out any rational thought. She stiffened, and
finally all thought left her as her consciousness went spiraling down
into blackness.
* * *
Ars Dangor, the new Emperor, left the Hall of Address and hurried back
to his quarters. He was heady with excitement. The throne was his!
The adulation of the people would be directed at him alone! Of course,
he also knew he would have to face the harsh realities of the crisis,
but why shouldn't he be allowed a moment of triumph? For years he had
run the day-to-day business of the Empire. Now he had the true power
that went with that responsibility. He had earned this. Dangor
reached his quarters, and the guard by the door bowed to him. Now why
was there a guard - ? Oh yes. Mara Jade was inside waiting for
him. What a perfect way to celebrate his victory. She would certainly
be his now that he actually was Emperor. Dangor licked his lips in
anticipation as he dismissed the guard and opened the ornate
door. "Mara Jade," he called, "I've come for you, as you knew I
would."
* * *
Mara Jade was inside the new Emperor's chambers, but she was not
seeing them as they really were. All around her were Palpatine's
things, and they were all spattered with his blood. Cradled in her
arms was her beloved master, dead in a pool of his own vital
fluids. Palpatine's wounds were horrible. They had been made with a
lightsaber, that was clear, but they were designed to make his death a
slow one. Indeed, she had found him while he was still breathing.
"Mara Jade," he had whispered in his agony, "It was the Jedi,
Skywalker. It was Skywalker." He had coughed up a great deal of blood,
and even more had spilled from the terrible open wound in his
stomach. He was so very old and frail, so weak and helpless. He had
managed to tell her of how Skywalker had found him weaponless, how the
rebel had toyed with him, cutting him first on the leg, then the
chest, stalking him around the room as he bled in his terror. The
final cut had left him to die slowly. He had finally died in Mara's
arms. Suddenly the door opened. Someone was invading Palpatine's
rooms. A robed figure stepped in. It was the Jedi, Skywalker. "Mara
Jade, I've come for you, as you knew I would," he said. He walked over
to her. "I am Emperor now. I have taken the throne." He smiled. "Now
it's your turn." Mara leaped to her feet. She snarled at the arrogant
Jedi, so secure in his ability to kill her as well. That wasn't going
to happen. She had no weapons, but her bare hands would suffice. She
lunged for Skywalker, catching him by the throat before he could bring
out his lightsaber. He looked just like he had in Jabba's palace, but
now his boyish looks were suffused with shock and fear. Her hands were
still covered with Palpatine's blood as she pressed her fingers deeply
into his flesh. Skywalker choked, struggled, pleaded in
gasps. "-no-ah-ah-wha-you-do-ss-sss-sto-" But Mara used all her skills
as an assassin, countering his struggles and pressing home the death
he deserved. "You killed the Emperor," she hissed into his
face. "You've earned this, Skywalker!" The Jedi had begun to turn
purple. He barely managed to rasp, "-y-you-m-make-m-mis-take-ah-",
and then he had no more breath left for words. Then a strange look
came over Mara Jade's face, and she suddenly grinned wickedly. Her
voice deepened and became more sibilant as she bore down mercilessly,
finally, upon Skywalker. "Oh no, Ars Dangor, you will find that it is
you who are mistaken, about a great many things." At last, the man in
Mara Jade's iron grasp died, his throat crushed. He sprawled at her
feet. Mara Jade staggered back and turned to the body of her
master. "I have avenged you," she said, and then she stared in
surprise as the corpse and all the bloodstains dispersed like
smoke. She spun to look at Skywalker's corpse, certain that she was in
another nightmare, but it hadn't vanished. It had changed. Now she saw
the dead, bulging eyes of Ars Dangor staring at her. She had just
murdered the new Emperor. Mara checked his body to make sure he was
dead, and to dispel any doubt that it was an illusion. She felt
dizzy. What was happening to her? Normally, she was able to adapt to
swiftly changing situations, but this was too much. Her headache still
tormented her, she was unsure of what was real, and now, she realized,
she was in a world of trouble. The entire crime must have been
recorded by palace security cameras. Palpatine monitored all the rooms
of his advisors. Even now, security might be on its way to take her
into custody, or even kill her on sight. She had to flee. She forced
herself to take stock of her options. One thing was certain, she
needed to leave Coruscant. After that, it was possible that she would
be hunted, so she would have to change her identity and go into
hiding. Her first task was to get out of the palace and find a ship to
steal or stow away on. That would be facilitated by her knowledge of
the secret passages of the palace, and of the security systems. She
could come and go like a ghost, and they would never suspect her of
being able to do so. She decided she would take two things with
her. One was Kenobi's lightsaber. The other was going to be tricky,
but she felt she owed it to Palpatine. She was going to free Sate
Pestage from his undeserved imprisonment and see that he got to go
anywhere in the galaxy that he wanted to. He had served Palpatine
faithfully to the end, and it was justice that he not be mistreated
and exiled, without honor, to Wild Space. Now that Dangor was dead,
Pestage might not even get the privelege of exile; in the chaos about
to descend, he would probably become just another casualty. Mara
tapped into the palace security systems through Dangor's computer, and
disabled the cameras on all nine floors of the advisors' wing.
Swiftly, she left Dangor's quarters and hurried towards Palpatine's
rooms. >From there, she would have access to the secret ways. Behind
her, the body of Ars Dangor lay very still, his hot stare definately
beginning to cool.
* * *
Sate Pestage shifted uncomfortably on the hard slab that was the only
furniture in his cell. He regarded the bars that imprisoned him.
Beyond their super dense material was a sterile, empty corridor. He
had had no visitors since he was deposited roughly here by the
CompForce troopers. The former Grand Vizier was alone with his dismal
outlook. The thing that tortured him the most was how he had failed
Palpatine. His master had placed his only chance for restoration in
his hands, and what had he done? He had failed to find Mara Jade and
he had underestimated Ars Dangor. Now there was a new Emperor, he was
sure, and he, Sate Pestage, had only avoided execution by choosing
exile. Exile would take him to Wild Space, where he wouldn't survive
long. He would be as far from Byss as it was possible to be and remain
in the galaxy. He would never see Palpatine again. Now, for the first
time since he had received the Emperor's final message, Sate Pestage
felt despair. Even when he had known Palpatine was dead, he had not
given in to despair, for he had to believe in the crazy hope that his
master could be restored. He had clung to that, avoiding facing
reality. But events had defeated him. Now, that cruel reality was his
only companion. Sate Pestage was alone in the universe. Twice before,
he had felt thus bereft, but those times had been many years in the
past. He had lost his beloved wife in childbirth. Even today, as he
thought of her, he still felt a pang from the loss of his Gemsaa, so
long ago. His son, his only child from her, sadly had not reminded him
of her. Gemsaa had been so full of light. Her powers in the Force as a
healer had been widely known and revered. But her son, Espaa, had been
more at home in the shadows. He had been a serious child, who shunned
other children and seldom laughed. Even so, Pestage had loved Espaa,
for the child was all that was left of his bright Gemsaa. One day,
even that was taken from him; he was bereft a second time when
strangers had arrived at his home to ask that his son be given to
them. They identified themselves only as the Sith, a name that had
meant nothing to him. He had refused, and despite that refusal, they
had taken Espaa, stealing the boy in the night. And Pestage had been
alone in the universe. What did it matter to him, that the strangers
had spoken of his son's "destiny"? He had known only his loss. He
could not quite recall what had kept him going during those bleak
years. He wished he could remember, for he needed that something
now. He did remember what had brought him back to life. He had found
Palpatine, and found his life's work in the service of his awesome
master. It was the meaning of his existence. A meaning that was now
gone. Bootsteps in the hall intruded upon his misery. A group of four
CompForce troopers marched into view, followed by a man dressed
flamboyantly in metallic blue. It was Tarn Gemillian. Sate Pestage
didn't get up. Gemillian looked scornfully at him. "So, Grand
Vizier. I see that your fortunes have fallen somewhat of late,"
Gemillian gloated. "You will no doubt be able to recall a certain day,
several years ago, when you disgraced me in front of the Emperor. I
told you that someday our positions would be reversed. I told you that
someday, you would pay. You probably didn't ever think that day would
come to pass. But the late Ars Dangor has given me that gift, and so
here we are." Gemillian smiled meanly. "Grand Vizier, your expression
betrays you, even as you sit in silence. You didn't know Ars Dangor
was dead." Gemillian shrugged his shoulders. "The new Emperor's reign
was a short one indeed! A young woman named Mara Jade strangled him in
his own room. She is being hunted, of course, and she'll be executed,
but the damage is done. Dangor was the only chance we had to fend off
riots and destruction here in the city. There will be many dead before
the morning comes. I don't think you had anything to do with that. But
there is still the old score that I have to settle with you. Who will
notice one more death, especially that of an old man, and a traitor to
boot?" Gemillian stepped close to the bars and looked straight into
Pestage's eyes. "Have you nothing to say? Nothing? Well then. This is
goodbye. You may have thought you were clever, choosing exile, but I
cannot allow that. So sorry, old man. "Guards. As soon as I am gone,
kill him." Gemillian gave a small bow, and strutted out of sight.
Still Sate Pestage did not stand, or even turn away. He had accepted
his own death already. There was nothing left in life for him. He
looked steadily at the troopers, as they fingered their blasters.
Suddenly there was an electric hum, and a bright blue bar of light
flashed among the soldiers. They screamed and fell, revealing a young
woman with red-gold hair. Her green eyes glittered in the sharp glare
of an ignited lightsaber, held ready for further combat. But no other
troops appeared, and she relaxed a fraction. "Grand Vizier Pestage,"
she said, "I've come to escort you to freedom." He stared in
wonderment at the vision of redemption before him. Joy flared within
him, burning as brightly as the Jedi weapon held by the young
woman. "I would be pleased to accept your kind offer, Mara Jade,
Emperor's Hand," he said tremulously, "but there is the small matter
of my confinement." He gestured at the bars. Mara looked steadily at
him for a moment, her eyes shining. Then, with two sweeping strokes of
her lightsaber, she severed the bars, top and bottom. They fell with a
clatter to the floor, and Pestage gingerly stepped over them and into
the hall. "What did that man have against you, anyway?" asked Mara.
Pestage frowned. "A few years ago, on his homeworld, the rebel
alliance was making great progress in winning over the sympathies of
the planetary government. Had the Emperor known, he would have
punished Mandalore with a fleet of Star Destroyers, but Gemillian
didn't want to lose his vast land holdings. So he hid the information
from the Emperor. I merely informed the Emperor of the truth.
Gemillian never truly had the ear of the Emperor again, having been
shown to be a liar." 'Why keep him on at all?" Mara wanted to know.
"The Emperor liked there to be rivalry and scheming among his
advisors. Gemillian was very good for that. So why waste good talent?"
Pestage said simply. Mara let the matter drop, and led Pestage to a
secret door at the far end of the cell block. "Sometimes the Emperor
would come here to interrogate his prisoners in his own special way,
privately," Mara explained. "Yes, I know," said Pestage. "It was very
thoughtful of him to have planned for our escape like this."
Together, they vanished into the dimly lit corridor, sealing it
invisibly behind them.
* * *
Mara Jade and Sate Pestage descended into the tunnels far below the
palace. Imperial City had been built up like rock strata upon the
structures of days gone by, so that going down was like going back in
time. Soon, they passed beyond the gleaming, modern corridors with
artificial light, and entered halls of stone where the only light was
the glare of Mara's lightsaber. Now and then, they saw creatures in
the shadows that resembled Womp rats the size of Nerfs, but these were
evidently scared of the light and quickly vanished into their hiding
places. Mara hurried along, followed by a puffing Sate Pestage, who
was pushing his scarecrow like body as fast as it would go.
"What...what are we rushing for?" Sate Pestage breathed heavily,
"surely we would never face pursuit down here!" She turned, realizing
for the first time how he was struggling to keep up. "I'm sorry, Grand
Vizier," she said, "we can rest a moment. I'm not worried about being
followed. I'm worried about them closing the starports to...to keep me
from escaping." She paused, looking pained. "Tarn Gemillian told me
that you killed Ars Dangor. Is this true?" Sate Pestage asked softly.
"Yes, it's true. But I don't know how it happened. I didn't mean to do
it. I didn't even know I was doing it...but then he changed, and he
was dead, and - I think I'd better start from the beginning, huh?"
Mara put a hand to her temple, and, not facing Pestage, told him the
story. "It started for me yesterday, when I saw the Emperor die."
Pestage peered at her in surprise. "I was in Manarai hall when I saw
it in a vision. Lord Vader and Skywalker turned on him and killed
him. It was awful. He looked at me, and he looked so betrayed. He told
me I had to kill Skywalker. I blacked out, and had nightmare after
nightmare of doing just that, in so many ways...so many ways. As for
Vader, I think he's already dead. He was dead in all my
nightmares...that must mean something. When I woke up, I had a
splitting headache, and my ability to sense the Force, to use it in
any way, was gone. I've had to deal with that loss, the loss of the
Emperor, and on top of all that, I can't help but feel that it was all
my fault." She started to weep softly. Pestage put a wrinkled hand on
her shoulder. She turned to him, and said, "I had the chance to kill
Skywalker on Tatooine. I was sent there to do it, and I failed. I
failed. And now he's dead." Pestage felt the deep hurt of this young
woman, and he knew he could help with at least part of it. "It wasn't
your fault," he said gently. "The Emperor must have known he might
die, and he had a message prepared in advance to send to me if it
happened. In it, he told me to get myself to a safe place, and to see
that you were safe as well. He knew it wasn't your fault, and he
didn't blame you. He may want you to kill this Skywalker, but
Palpatine's death was something he chose to face. But you were telling
me about Ars Dangor." "Well," she continued, "Dangor sent his men to
get me while I was still pretty messed up. It turned out he wanted me
for his pleasure. He thought I was Palpatine's lover, and because he
was going to take the throne, he wanted to claim me, too. I felt
degraded, but not enough to kill him. I was sent to his rooms, where I
broke into the security systems. I watched the meeting where he set
you up, and took you down. Again, I was angry, but not that angry. But
when he was actually declared Emperor, I felt such a rage that...that
I blacked out. Then - this is the really strange part - I thought I
was having another nightmare. Palpatine was dead at my feet, and
Skywalker came back to kill me, too. This time, I strangled him with
my bare hands. After he was dead, I could see that he was really
Dangor. I wouldn't have killed him. I only wanted to escape from him
and leave the planet. I don't know what's wrong with me." She looked
into Pestage's eyes. "You don't know what it meant to me, when you
called me Emperor's Hand. I was feeling like no one knew who I was
anymore. It - it just meant a lot to me." She took his hand, holding
it warmly. Pestage was thinking furiously. Something incredible was
beginning to dawn on him. There was Palpatine's order for him to bring
Mara to Byss, the nightmares and headaches she was having, the
blackouts, and her hatred of Dangor when he became Emperor. He didn't
know how it could have happened, but he suddenly understood that he
was in the presence of his master. Palpatine existed within the mind
of this young woman. "What you did meant a lot to me, too, Mara
Jade," he told her. "You saved my life, and I owe you more than you
will ever know. But there is something else I need to ask of
you. There is a world in the Deep Core called Byss, where the Emperor
has a stronghold of those loyal to him. I would be safe there. We both
need to escape, we are both fugitives. Would you help me to reach
there? Perhaps you, too, can find a home there." "I'll take you
anywhere you need to go. That was part of my plan. But how are we
going to get off planet?" "Don't worry about that, Mara Jade. I know
of the ideal transport. The Emperor's personal shuttlecraft is in a
docking bay near the palace. If you can pilot it, it can get us free
of Coruscant." She clasped Pestage's hands firmly with her own. "Can
I pilot it? Does a Wookiee live in the trees? Let's get out of here!"
Pestage smiled at her, and they moved off in a different direction,
sharing hope like the first taste of food after a long fast.
* * *
Emerging from the secret ways late that night, the fugitives found
themselves in a quiet docking bay, empty of other people. Before them,
a Lambda class shuttle crouched like a white bird with its wings
folded. Sate Pestage motioned for Mara to stay put, then he walked up
to the open boarding ramp that beckoned invitingly. "Sate Pestage,
Grand Vizier, code SGW0027, deactivate defense systems." He turned
back to Mara. "It's all right now, we can get on board." She climbed
the ramp, looking nervously around her. "What would have happened If I
had been alone?" she asked. "You would now be dead," Pestage told
her. "This ship is equipped with the navicomputer programs necessary
to penetrate the Deep Core, and the recognition signals for bypassing
the Hyperspace Security net. It would not do to let those things fall
into the wrong hands." Mara followed him into the cockpit of the
little craft. She immediately began activating the ship's systems and
monitoring communications from Imperial City. "I'm getting some
information you should know about," she said to Pestage after a
minute. "There's a total blackout on holonet transmissions, and
traffic to and from Coruscant has been prohibited. That might slow
down or even prevent any pursuit from the ground, but listen to
this. A lot of the surviving Star Destroyers from Endor have returned
at Dangor's orders, and are now in orbit. There are a lot of very
angry, very confused Captains up there demanding to know what's going
on down here. And no one's answering them. Imperial City doesn't want
the news from Endor to get out until they're ready for it. Things
haven't fallen apart yet, but they could at any moment. We'll have to
fly right through a fleet of Star Destroyers to get away from
Coruscant -" "And they could easily capture us or shoot us down,
depending on their mood, which is no doubt poor," finished
Pestage. "Don't worry - I said this ship could get us away from here
and it will. The Emperor has given us a little insurance." Mara
finished her preparations. "All right, Grand Vizier, here goes
nothing. You'd better know what you're talking about." The shuttle
rose up, wings unfolding into a triangular configuration, and shot out
of the bay into the night sky of Coruscant, the city spread out below
them like a glittering tapestry. Mara pushed the shuttle for all the
speed she could coax out of it, and, as she had guessed, nothing rose
up to intercept them. Driving towards the upper atmosphere, Mara
powered up the weapons systems. Her scanners registered no less than
twelve Imperial Star Destroyers directly above her. Her skin prickled
as she pictured their hundreds of turbolasers locking onto the tiny
craft. Sate Pestage was completely calm. He touched a switch with his
long, thin finger, and sat back in his seat, smiling slightly. The
shuttle continued to climb, leaving the atmosphere behind. The stars
became sharp pinpoints of light as they came within visual range of
the enormous wedge shaped cruisers. Mara fought the urge to turn and
flee, and they hurtled past the fleet, at a distance of less than ten
kilometers. Suddenly the Imperial ships were dwindling behind them,
and they were in the clear. Mara let out a whoop of relief and called
up the coordinates for the hyperspace journey to Byss. "You see,"
said Pestage, "this ship broadcasts a code that tells the computers of
any other Imperial ships not to fire, and not to lock on a tractor
beam. Palpatine never wanted to be in danger of becoming the victim of
a quick and easy coup by an ambitious admiral while he traveling in
such a tiny vessel as this. So, they may have tried, but they couldn't
shoot at this shuttle. We were perfectly safe." Mara stared at
Pestage as the stars out of the viewport flared into starlines. "I've
got to hand it to you," she said with admiration, "this is some
rescue."
* * *
Sate Pestage awoke in his tiny makeshift bunk on the shuttle to the
sound of Mara Jade's screams. She was clearly in the grip of her
nightmares. Pestage was hesitant to approach her, recalling what had
happened to Dangor. Why do you torment her so, my master, he wondered
silently, looking sorrowfully at the restless form of the young
woman. She tossed and turned, seeming to grapple with the air. She
struck at nothing, and slumped down into a dreamless sleep once more.
Pestage waited a few minutes, then, judging it to be safe, he gently
prodded her awake. Groggily, she looked at him, grimacing in pain. She
still had her headache. "Are you all right, Mara?" Pestage asked her.
"Not really," she said, "I can't say I'm in any way right." Her eyes
had a haunted look. "I may never be all right again. I can't shake
this headache, I feel so empty, cut off from the Force. And the
nightmares...I can remember that last one. The Emperor was dead, and
Skywalker had his head on a sort of pike. I come in, and he doesn't
seem to think of me as a real threat. He just sort of laughs. And this
time I have this really wicked knife. I throw it, and it hits
Skywalker in the eye. But he isn't dead. He comes at me, and we
struggle hand to hand. Then I'm able to punch the knife hilt, and
drive the blade all the way in. Of course, he dies then. And the dream
ends with my putting his head on the pike. I don't know what's
happening to me. When I kill, it's clean, fast, as efficient as
possible, as painless as possible. You don't make it as an assassin by
putting on some kind of scene from a horror holovid. I don't
understand where these ideas, this hate, comes from." Pestage thought
he knew very well, but he had his orders not to let Mara Jade know
about her role. Still, he pitied her. Palpatine was using her; when
she would have obeyed him on her own, he was driving her to obey. And
why was Palpatine taking that approach? Pestage thought he knew that,
too. He had come to believe that it had been Vader who most likely
would have, or could have, killed the Emperor. The young Jedi didn't
seem powerful enough, and from what Pestage knew, the boy wouldn't
have joined Vader in an evil act, either. No, Vader must have done it,
and died in the process, while Skywalker survived. It would be
entirely like Palpatine to hate Skywalker and want him dead, just for
not surrendering and not dying. And so, he had to twist the truth for
Mara Jade to carry out his "revenge". Still, Pestage would not defy
his master. He would have to hope that all this would work out for the
best, somehow. "I'm sick of dwelling on death," Mara said, looking up
sadly. "I want to talk about him, about what he meant to us, while he
was alive. I need to mourn him in a healthier way than this." "Yes,
we can do that. He was very important to both of us. You know, there
are really very few people in the galaxy who really knew him, who
would mourn him at all. We may be the only two. It is very hard to
love someone who is really above humanity...who is so much a part of
his power, when that power is so very great. It is too easy to give in
to things like awe and fear. But somehow, we two managed not to. There
are very good reasons why that is so, I think." "He seemed like a
father to me, I suppose," Mara replied, hugging her knees. "When both
of my parents died in an accident, he saw that I had caretakers on
Coruscant. He came to see me, teaching me things as I grew up. I came
to admire him, and he showed me that I could do amazing things. He
gave me pride in myself." Sate Pestage nodded, encouraging her to go
on. "One day, " she said, smiling, "he made me his special agent. It
felt great to be trusted with so many secrets. To have that special
ability to hear his call from anywhere, instantly. It gave me an
identity. The Emperor's Hand." She stopped for a moment, lost in
memories. Pestage had been with Palpatine for a long time, and he
remembered the real story of how his master had found Mara Jade.
Palpatine had learned through the Holocron that some people were born
with the ability to instantly receive thoughts across vast distances -
powerful receptive telepaths. He had cast out mentally for such a
person, and found the tiny child, Mara Jade, on a distant world. He
had had her parents "eliminated" and her brought to Coruscant to be
raised. Her ability had served Palpatine very well indeed, and Pestage
strongly suspected that it had served him one final time when he
escaped from the second Death Star. Pestage decided that it would do
much more harm than good for her to know these things. She had been
used, yes, but also repaid with many gifts. And most importantly, she
had been happy. For both Mara and himself, that said it all. "So you
see," Pestage said, "a good reason. You thought of him as a father."
Pestage paused. He decided to tell her a secret. She had been deceived
so much lately, and maybe she just deserved to hear some truth. "As
for me," he said, "I believe I was his father." Mara's mouth fell
open, but Pestage maintained a placid expression. He realized as he
spoke that Palpatine may somehow be able to hear him. Somehow, that
was all right. "I never told him, of course, and he never guessed. He
never treated me as a father, and I never treated him as a son. But
perhaps my long service to him will now be easier for you to
understand." Mara stammered, "That's incredible! But what do you
mean, you 'believe' you were his father?" Pestage told her the story
of Gemsaa, and his stolen son, Espaa. "Many years passed, after I
lost my son, during which I was alone. Then, I heard of the rise of
Senator Palpatine to the Presidency. I was in the same place as him by
chance, and he had come to make a speech. I watched him, and a strong
feeling, a suspicion came over me. I felt a connection. I managed to
get to see him, and I offered my services as his personal servant. He
must have felt something, too, for he accepted at once. Over the
years, I tried to find out for sure if he was my son, but I never
could. He spoke of the Sith, however, the one word by which my son's
captors identified themselves. And once, when I asked him about his
parents, he said he never knew them. He was young enough when he was
taken to have forgotten me. In any case, I believe it is true, and so,
to serve the great being my son became was enough to fill my life with
meaning." "Why did you never tell him?" pressed Mara, who was
spellbound. "To do so would have changed our relationship. He had to
be the master. The Emperor. The one ruler of the galaxy and the
greatest master of the Force. There could be no one above him that he
could see. And so, I was content to serve him, to be close to him, and
to share in his glory." "I think I understand," said Mara. "He
mastered both of us, but we wanted it that way." They sat in silence
for a while, then Pestage stirred. "You should get more sleep, Mara
Jade," he said, and went back to his own sleeping spot in the
shuttle. Eventually, Mara did go back to sleep. Pestage, who needed
little sleep, listened to her breathing for a long time. She seemed to
be having a dreamless rest. Perhaps Palpatine had been given something
else to think about.
* * *
The Emperor's shuttle emerged from hyperspace in the Deep Core,
surrounded by a glorious profusion of stars. The closest was a binary,
a blue star and its blue dwarf companion, and Pestage told Mara to
plot a course for the world orbiting them. So they came at last to
Byss, a world full of the energies of the dark side where the Emperor
and his adepts had built a model of the galactic society they were
striving for. Warm and peaceful blue-green sunlight shone on the
billions of citizens that had followed the lure of this beautiful
planet, and settled among the islands and canyons in the luxurious
cities. The life force of these billions was gently leeched away by
the dark side adepts while they complacently enjoyed endless resort
life. On Byss, the dark side had total sway without anyone firing a
single shot. And Mara Jade could sense none of it. Mara flew over the
Imperial Control Sector, which dominated an entire continent. She
approached the Imperial Citadel, an enormous spire several kilometers
high. Pestage informed her that, were it not for the recognition codes
being broadcast by their ship, they would never have penetrated the
defensive zone of the Citadel alive. As it was, they registered the
tracking signatures of hundreds of turbolasers as they sailed smoothly
into Palpatine's private docking bay. Three hundred Sovereign
Protectors were ceremonially lined up in the bay to receive them.
Pestage and Mara descended the ramp and stood wearily before one of
the Emperor's dark side adepts, Savuud Thimram. Thimram was visibly
shocked to see the dirty, exhausted looking pair, and he could not
suppress his anxious questions. "Grand Vizier! Where is the Emperor?
We have heard rumors of his death, and indeed, we have felt the
weakness in the dark side. You have come in the Emperor's personal
transport. What can you tell us?" Pestage summoned as much dignity as
he could. "I would speak with you privately, Savuud. But first we need
some rest. We have been mistreated and sorely pressed. See that
quarters are prepared for us." Pestage was looking at Thimram with a
certain expression that signalled the adept to probe the old man's
surface thoughts: Palpatine is dead, but there may yet be hope. He has
somehow preserved himself in the mind of this woman. She must be
brought to the clone labs as soon as possible. Thimram nodded and
signalled that he understood. He spoke rapidly into his comlink, then
led Mara and Pestage out of the bay and into the halls of the
Citadel. Mara stumbled along, and her face showed that she still
needed a lot more sleep. Her headache was still plaguing her, and only
the thought of a real bed kept her going. Thimram gave Pestage a
significant look. They were nearing the clone labs. Stay close to her,
Pestage thought. And even as Thimram stepped near to Mara, she
suddenly cried out, clutched at her head, and collapsed into the
adept's arms. "It is done, my master," sighed Sate Pestage.
* * *
"Are you sure you will not stay, Mara Jade?" asked the Grand
Vizier. "Byss is a soothing place, it is said, and after your help in
getting me here, the least you are owed is a secure life among those
who were loyal to the Emperor." Mara stared out at the beautiful city
of lights, glistening under the five moons of Byss. They were standing
in the Emperor's docking bay, several days after Mara's collapse. She
had awakened in a comfortable bed, her headache gone at last. But her
Force powers were still gone, and she had still dreamed of killing
Skywalker. She had explored Byss for a while, but despite its beauty,
she had only seen Palpatine's ghost, staring at her wherever she
went. She knew she could never find peace here, not until she carried
out the Emperor's last command. "I appreciate the offer," Mara said
sadly, "but I have unfinished business to take care of." Her hand
strayed to the lightsaber at her belt. "Where will you go?" asked
Pestage. "I'm not sure. I can't go to the Empire, or what's left of
it, and I can't go to the rebels either. I suppose I'll try to survive
on the Fringe...I don't know." "At least you will accept this gift,"
Pestage said firmly, indicating the shuttle. "The coordinates of Byss
will be erased when you leave, but the codes protecting you from
hostile Imperials will still be there. I'll know you are safe." "I
accept," she smiled. "You know, I'm going to miss you. You're a good
man. Thanks for sharing your secrets with me. I feel like you're my
grandfather, in a way. Is that okay?" Pestage nodded, smiling. "May
the Force be with you, Grand Vizier," Mara said, and went up into the
shuttle. "May the Force return to you, Mara Jade," he said softly,
after her. A while later, the shuttle lifted off gracefully, and
climbed for the stars. When it had dwindled to a distant point of
light, Pestage heard quiet footsteps approach him from behind. It was
Palpatine. He was alive, and young again. He stood next to Pestage,
not speaking, just sharing his presence with the man to whom he owed
so much. "You may have mishandled her, Master," Pestage said after a
while. "I'm not sure she will finally do as you wish." "Only time
will tell," Palpatine said simply. "The future is no longer...open to
me." "Are you well, Master?" Pestage asked. "I am alive, Sate
Pestage, but I have lost a great deal. My powers are at their lowest
level in decades. My adepts have become my teachers, and they say I
can be restored, but it will take years. Years while the rebels claim
my galaxy." "Master, there will be a chance to reclaim that, too, I
am sure. When that day comes, you may encounter Luke Skywalker
again. If you will accept my advice, I would ask you to consider that
meeting with care. Perhaps it is not necessary to be his
adversary. Perhaps you can turn him next time, and even make him the
heir to your Empire." "I will consider your words, Sate Pestage,"
Palpatine said. "With Vader gone, it may be the wisest course to
follow. But that, too, must wait." Palpatine was silent for a time.
Pestage bowed slightly. "I will leave you to your thoughts, Master,
and retire for the evening." "Good night, Old Friend," said
Palpatine. Pestage walked away, his robes whispering, and Palpatine
stood gazing at the city. For now, it was all that was left of his
Empire. That would have to be enough. The doors closed behind the
Grand Vizier. Hearing that, Palpatine said quietly, "Good night,
Father."
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