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Star Wars: The Power of the Dark Side - by Brendon


IV. The Power of the Dark Side

by Brendon Wahlberg [email protected]

The conclusion of four stories concerning Palpatine during the film trilogy
and leading up to Dark Empire, the comic saga by Tom Veitch. See also, (1)
A New Enemy, (2) The Hand Of Fate, (3) The Emperor Eclipsed. Note: the
character of Grand Admiral Saren and the Zingali are the creation of
Michelle Slaughter. The final quote from the Book of Anger in this story,
concerning Force Storms, is from Dark Empire, by Tom Veitch.

"The Force is an energy field, fed by all living things. All living
things have darkness within them that feeds the dark side of the
Force. The universe rages. My own anger can unlock and unleash the
anger of the cosmos. From this act flows the power of the dark side."
-From The Book of Anger

"Tell me, Savuud Thimram," said Palpatine, "why have you not betrayed
me in my time of weakness?" The former Galactic Emperor leaned back in
his chair, regarding the powerful adept across the heavy
table. Thimram hid it well, but a flicker of anxiety still showed in
his thin semi-human face. The question had caught him by
surprise. They had, after all, been deep in a discussion about the
weakness of inferiors, such as the citizenry of Byss, and how their
life energy was stolen by the adepts. Stolen to pay the price of
physical decay demanded by the dark side. Savuud Thimram had never
once thought of Palpatine as weak or inferior. Not even after Endor,
when Palpatine had returned to Byss shorn of most of his dark
might. To him, Palpatine would always simply be The Master. It was
that fact that had led to Thimram being chosen as the adept who would
guide Palpatine in his attempts to regain his power. Palpatine had
always trusted Thimram, and trust was something rare among followers
of the dark side. So why was he asking about betrayal? Thimram was
unable to block out vivid memories of the fates of others who had
betrayed Palpatine in the past. Vader's death was one of the more
gentle examples. He quickly buried those thoughts and forced himself
to consider the question seriously. Thimram placed both hands on the
table, formally showing that no Force generated attacks were being
made. His small lips tight above his pointed chin, he took a moment to
choose carefully how to answer. If his loyalty was in question, it was
a serious matter. "Before the events at Endor," Thimram began, "no
one would have thought they could betray you and survive. Even Vader,
deluded as he was, knew he took his life in his hands when he began to
plan his treason. Your power was immense. You didn't need to be
concerned about adepts like myself because your link to us gave you
the ability to observe us at any time. But master, you must believe, I
never even considered treason, and not simply because it would have
meant my death. I was amazed by your strength and knowledge, and I
have always felt fortunate that you have shared some of it with me. My
loyalty was always that of the apprentice to the Master." Savuud
paused, searching Palpatine's face for a hint of where this was
leading. The Master's emotions were hidden, and his expression was
unreadable. Thimram had known that face in many guises. Just now it
was the face of a man in his early thirties. Palpatine had aged very
little since the day, two years ago, when he had left the mind of Mara
Jade and returned to life in one of his own clones. But then, it was
the heavy use of the power that led to accelerated aging, and
Palpatine had been brought low. It was almost as if the dark side had
withdrawn its favor from him. Perhaps the dark side was the most
unforgiving Master of all. "And now?" Palpatine prompted him quietly.
"And now..." Thimram felt a nervous dampness break out on his brown
skin. "I am still your student, Master. Despite your raw strength
being diminished, your knowledge has only grown. No one alive knows
more than you about the lore of the dark side. Besides, with your
determined research into new sources of power, it will not be long
before your strength surpasses what it once was. There are rewards for
loyalty to the true powers in life, especially for loyalty during hard
times." Thimram tried to remain calm. Palpatine continued to screen
his thoughts. Thimram began to wonder if someone else had been trying
to turn the Master against him. Palpatine leaned aggressively towards
Thimram. "And yet, my research into the hidden lore is recorded in my
archives and books. I have but few secrets that I have not committed
to my compendium. If I were gone, you could use that knowledge to
dominate all the other adepts. Byss would be yours. You are stronger
than I am. Why not destroy me and take my place?" Thimram decided to
get to the bottom of this uncomfortable situation. Perfect frankness,
although dangerous, was called for. "Master, I must assure you of my
present and continued loyalty. I don't covet your position, nor do I
think I'm suited for it. If someone has been informing you to the
contrary, I tell you it is a lie. To oppose you, even now, in your
'weakness', would be folly. Here on Byss, you are secure in your
fortress. Four hundred Sovereign Protectors remain absolutely loyal
to you. My own powers, formidable though they are, couldn't preserve
my life against them. You control hundreds of Sentinels as
well. Again, I'd dismiss my chances of survival against so many of
those giants. Then there are the Stormtroopers, the Royal Guard, and
all your technology. Of what use would your destruction be, if I
didn't live to reap the rewards? And then there is the plain fact that
if I tried to kill you right now, and succeeded, I still would have
failed. You would transfer to a clone, and secure in the clone labs,
you could decree my death at the hands of your legions." Thimram
waited, uneasy, for the Master to reply. "Very good, Savuud. I
appreciate honesty. And I don't believe you would betray me." Thimram
felt the tension drain from him. "However," Palpatine continued,
frowning, "I have felt something in the Force lately. A sense of
danger. Something is going to happen." Palpatine looked away. "Of all
the things I have lost, the power of vision is what I miss
most. Before, I could simply have foreseen the threat. No longer..."
"Master," said Thimram, confident once more, "I haven't heard of any
danger, but your feelings must not be ignored. It could be the
beginning of your vision returning. If we remain alert, we can catch
any threats before they begin." Thimram could see that the Master was
still troubled. Palpatine's old arrogant posture had been replaced by
a visible restlessness. The traumatic events involving Luke Skywalker
and Lord Vader had left their scars. Palpatine's supreme confidence
had been undermined. Thimram, perhaps experiencing a premonition of
his own, sensed that an even more terrible trial lay in the near
future.

* * *

"My Empire was built on the power of the dark side. Without that
power, it could not hold together. My own dark will drove the Imperial
war machine, and its wheels were lubricated by fear and anger - anger
at the rebellion, and fear of my punishment. But fear, anger, and
military might were not enough to hold it all together. Without the
dark side, that same fear and anger were enough to tear the Empire
apart."
-From The Book of Anger

"Dinner is served, Master," said Sate Pestage. He entered Palpatine's
chambers carrying two steaming trays. Placing both of them on a
shining table, Pestage gathered his jeweled hems together and settled
down, breathing in the aroma of savory flangth. He looked over at the
room's other occupant with good-natured impatience. Palpatine was at a
huge desk, engrossed with an alien book on the Tyia, an alternate way
of viewing the Force. Pestage knew his Master was ranging far and wide
in his studies to find new insights into the power of the Force. More
alien adepts than ever before had been gathered on Byss, as Palpatine
invited them in order to simultaneously teach them and learn their
secrets. The former Emperor was oblivious to Pestage's presence. The
old man cleared his throat. "It is unkind to keep your elder waiting,
Espaa," suggested Pestage. Palpatine looked up from his book,
frowning. "Perhaps you will recall that I have told you not to call me
that." Pestage shrugged, smiling inwardly. This was a familiar
conversation. "Will you not indulge an old man in his doddering
sentiment?" Espaa was the name of Pestage's son from long ago, stolen
from him by the Sith after his wife's death. Over the years, Pestage
had come to believe that Palpatine was that son. He had not spoken of
his belief until after the Battle of Endor, when he had told Mara
Jade. The Emperor had been residing in her mind, and Pestage had
suspected that he could hear him. Regardless of whether that was so,
Palpatine's behavior towards the Grand Vizier had changed after
that. There was a new level of trust between them. Pestage had saved
his master's life, and Palpatine had repaid that debt of gratitude by
opening himself to the old man, sharing his fears and ambitions. Endor
had humbled him enough to let one person into his life. Pestage wasn't
sure Palpatine considered him to be his father; he wasn't exactly the
sort of person who had a father. But the simple fact that Palpatine
now treated him as an equal made all that Pestage had gone through to
save him absolutely worth it. Palpatine loudly shut his book and came
over to sit opposite Sate Pestage. "Old man indeed! I have sometimes
thought that you have more of a chance of living forever than I do."
Pestage picked up his utensils and began to eat contentedly. He was
old, a bony, wizened figure whose scarecrow-like body was lost in his
sparkling cassock. In contrast, Palpatine for once looked the part of
Pestage's potential son. His strong-boned face was crowned by a blonde
widow's peak and short-cropped hair. His eyes never changed. They were
as hard and as penetrating as ever. Pestage was pleased that whenever
they fell on him, they softened a fraction. To bring out a tiny part
of the deeply buried humanity of his Master was no mean feat. "Let us
discuss what is left of the Empire, Old Friend," said Palpatine after
a while. "Tell me of the latest reports." " The fragmentation
continues unabated, Master. The various Grand Moffs and Generals
continue to carve out their little pieces, fight each other over them,
then lose what they had won. And much of it is still being done in
your name. The most important new trend is the growing power of the
Warlords. The days of vying for power politically are over for good, I
think. Today, only military strength counts. We have followed the
progress of one Warlord, Zsinj, in particular. With his Super Star
Destroyer, he is causing heavy damage to various New Republic
worlds. The man is a criminal, but he is effective. He is likely to be
successful in carving out his own mini-Empire." "Until I take it from
him," Palpatine smiled grimly. "And what of the so called New
Republic's gains?" "Our intelligence estimates that they will have
control of Coruscant within two years. Little stands in their
way. Systems like Correllia and Kuat have become fortresses, turning
completely inward. The Warlords are powerful, but self-interested. In
fact, some of them have fought with loyal Imperial forces that defend
the Core Worlds. The way is open to Coruscant." Pestage looked
crestfallen. "They will take the Palace, Master." Palpatine shrugged
slightly. "But they will not destroy it. Anything that they have taken
can be retaken when I am ready. As I have told you before, this chaos
is to be expected. While I ruled, I gave power to ruthless and
ambitious people. But they feared me, and rightly so! They didn't try
to take more than they were given. Now, it is only their natural
tendencies taking over. Let them have their petty squabbles, my
friend. It will keep them all busy while I prepare my forces. When I
go forth with the World Devastators and the Eclipse, nothing that the
Warlords or the rebels have done will matter. Specific territories do
not matter. I am going to crush the spirit of the galaxy."
Palpatine's gaze turned inwards, perhaps visualizing the conflict to
come. Pestage ate quietly for a few minutes, then, raising a skeletal
finger, he interrupted his Master's introspection. "There are other
players in the game to be accounted for, Master. There is Grand
Admiral Thrawn." "Yes." Palpatine rested his chin on his
hand. "Thrawn is still in Wild Space, but he will return in three
years. I would prefer that he not be wasted in pointless fighting with
the rebels, but knowing Thrawn, that is precisely what he will
want. When I am ready, he would make an excellent Commander for my
forces. We will see. If he returns, and if he survives, we will see. I
will not reveal myself until the proper time has come." "It is a
pity, Master, that the other Grand Admirals are lost." "Indeed. There
was one in particular, Grand Admiral Saren, who showed much
promise. Did you know, that once she argued with me over one of my
commands for three days? She dared to defy me." Palpatine glared at
the memory. Pestage raised a white eyebrow. "She was a Zingali, the
race with the killing rage, that we exterminated. She never knew that
the killing rage was an innate means of tapping into the dark
side. With special training, she could have taken her place in the
Dark Empire to come." Pestage searched his memory. "She was killed at
Endor, was she not?" "Yes. She died aboard the Executor..." Palpatine
fell silent. Whenever he recalled the Battle of Endor, he began to
dwell on thoughts of his Enemy. His chief hatred. "And then there is
Skywalker. I have followed his progress. His powers have not greatly
increased, and his sister remains untrained. No new Jedi have been
trained. Skywalker will find it very hard to grow in power. The lore
of the Jedi was swept clean from the galaxy during the purge. He
cannot hope to become a master." "That is, unless you train him."
Pestage took every chance he got to promote this idea. Luke Skywalker
worried Sate Pestage. Pestage felt certain, deep inside, that he
somehow did have the power to be a threat in the future. He was
determined not to see his beloved Master lost again, so he tried to
convince Palpatine to plan for Skywalker's alliance rather than his
destruction. Palpatine made a noncommittal noise. "And create another
Vader, perhaps?" Pestage had no answer to that. They ate in
silence. Finally, the table's comlink chirped. Palpatine touched a
key, leaning towards it. The voice of Savuud Thimram grated from the
small speaker. "Master, the Eclipse has arrived, and is now in orbit
around Byss." Palpatine and Pestage looked at each other. Both knew
what that meant. Pestage felt a pang of anxiety. "Thank you
Savuud. Have my shuttle prepared. I shall be there shortly." They
both stood. "We will continue our discussion...another time. Until
then, Old Friend." "Until then, Master", said Pestage, bowing
deeply. It was a habit he could not break. Palpatine strode quickly
out of the room, leaving Pestage to stare at the empty doorway for a
long moment. May the Force be with you, Espaa. And be careful. The
risks you take are so that you can regain the power, and with it, the
greatness you deserve. You will succeed. You will because you must.

* * *

"The new technology of destruction is an extremely useful tool for
furthering the aims of the dark side. Star Destroyers and Death Stars
were viewed by some as tools of political conquest. They missed the
point entirely. My vision for the galaxy has always been to fill its
uncounted worlds with the emotions that serve the dark side. If a
civilization is burned down by the guns of a Star Destroyer, it is
gone forever, but if it can be made to fear that destruction, the true
power in the galaxy grows ever stronger."
-From The Book of Anger

Alone in his private shuttle, Palpatine rose past the moons of Byss
and faced the star-crowded heavens of the Deep Core. He could feel the
stellar energies like a warm breeze, laced with the distant chill of
the great black hole at the center of the galaxy. For a long time, he
simply looked at the galaxy, as he used to when he was Emperor. To
rule over every one of those stars...it was a seductive thought. Then
he felt an approaching presence, a thing of vast energies contained,
threatening. Ahead, the profusion of stars was blotted out by a black
shape that slowly expanded. The ship was majestic. It ate the light
and shed darkness. The Eclipse was twice the length of the lost
Executor. From its foreboding bridge to the gigantic triangular plain
of its upper hull, it was made of a superdense ebony alloy. Instead of
coming to a point, the hull flared downwards into a huge frontal spine
that held a gaping rectangular mouth of fire. That baleful glow was
the firing portal of the weapon that dictated the staggering length of
the Eclipse, a superlaser capable of destroying a planet regardless of
planetary shields. The ship was unfinished. It had been under
construction for years, ever since the Battle of Hoth had suggested
the utility of combining a Star Destroyer with the Death Star's prime
weapon. Even after Endor, when many Imperials wanted to cease its
unbelievably costly creation, construction implacably
continued. Palpatine's dark side adepts saw to that. The axial
superlaser was complete, as was the hyperdrive. Still to come were the
fighters, gravity well projectors, tractor beams, turbolasers, and ion
cannons. But Palpatine did not mean to take the ship into combat. It
was Palpatine's means of reclaiming his former might. With it, he
meant to tap into the power of the dark side. Years ago, when the
first Death Star had destroyed the rebellious planet Alderaan,
Palpatine had discovered to his stunned surprise that the event
tremendously strengthened the dark side of the Force while weakening
the light side. The terrified death of an entire living world had sent
more power than he could possibly contain coursing through him. His
plans to take advantage of that had been rudely disrupted by the
interference of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his young student, Luke Skywalker.
But the idea was never lost, and now Palpatine had the ability to make
it a reality. This time, he would not be fully at one with the dark
side, lest the power should overwhelm or even kill him. Instead, he
would enter a meditative state, receiving a lesser share of the
power. The next time, he would be able to take more. In this manner,
planet by planet, he meant to once again become Master of the dark
side. And though the destruction of several worlds might be felt by
those sensitive to the light side, distance and the energies of the
Deep Core should mask the loss completely. Skywalker would not suspect
a thing. It was, of course, his fault that Palpatine faced this
dangerous necessity. Skywalker had driven him to seek survival within
the mind of Mara Jade. Her tiny node of Force sensitivity had been
unable to contain his total energy. He had left most of it behind in
order to retain his basic self. And even though his clone was capable
of harboring great power, when he entered it he was as weak as he had
been decades ago. Unless he found a radical solution, he faced a
return climb that was also decades long. Palpatine hoped this would be
it. His shuttle joined a small convoy of ships carrying crew and
supplies for the voyage. They were all soon lost against the awesome
starship that eclipsed the stars. The shuttle sailed into a docking
bay large enough to hold a Victory class Star Destroyer. Immediately
he felt the dark aura of the ship surround him. The ship was crewed
by many dark side adepts, and everywhere in its enormous volume, the
seductive whisper of the dark side could be heard. It was a space
going world devoid of light, clotted with rage. Palpatine immediately
felt right at home.

* * *

Urn Zelotes relaxed in his tower in Velarium, the city of adepts,
watching one of his favorite segments from Palpatine's Book of
Anger. Zelotes was a tall, reedy alien, with four-fingered clawed
hands, lizard like skin, and a wedge-shaped head with widely spaced
eyes. Zelotes had the disconcerting habit of glaring with one milky
eye while leaving the other slitted in suspicion. Rattling his
bracelets slightly, Zelotes lifted one claw to place against his
pointed chin and smiled grimly. His moment of moments was drawing
near, the fruition of all his plans. Before Zelotes shimmered a
life-sized hologram of Palpatine, speaking in that arrogant, pedantic
way of his. The Book of Anger was an unfinished hologram recording of
Palpatine's teachings that he shared with all of the adepts. Palpatine
had admitted that he was unable to create his own Holocron, and so
this means of recording was his only similar option. Unlike a
Holocron, the Book of Anger was not interactive. It could not be
questioned; it would not reply. It simply droned on and on. Zelotes
wished he could hold a conversation with the image. He wanted to
berate it, accuse it, punish it, and tell it how he planned to kill it
forever. The best he could do was to freeze the image periodically
and vent his recriminations at it. "The universe is full of power,"
Palpatine was saying. "To release it, you must harness the emotions of
hate, anger, fear, and aggression. Release your own anger and the
anger of infinity is released. By itself, the dark side is a thing of
chaos and irrationality. It has no control, no conscience, no
restraint. But domination is its goal. There is a bargain to be made
with it. It gives you power and exacts its price. In order to let the
power flow through you, you must let the destructive emotions flow
through you. But that is not all. It is a great danger to those who
cannot control their emotions. Only with a strong will can you control
your rage and make the power your servant. When anger is controlled
intelligently, there is nothing you cannot do." Zelotes paused the
recording. "Nothing you can't do! But you never share the most
powerful secrets with us, do you? Keeping us below you, always
below. Now you are the one brought low. Low enough to step on." He
resumed the recording. "Throughout history, followers of the dark
side have never been organized as the Jedi were. I have changed
that. I am creating a compendium of knowledge and gathering
students. The Jedi are destroyed, and I will replace them with a
stable order of Dark Jedi. I will replace the Moffs and Grand Moffs,
the Captains, Generals, and Admirals, the Governors and Presidents,
all with followers of the dark side. The Empire is just a first step
towards the birth of a Dark Empire. All who follow me will take up
positions of power in the Final Order. The light side of the Force
will be utterly forgotten -" Zelotes angrily froze the image. He
leaned very close to Palpatine's glittering face and spat his hate and
frustration at it. "Promises, promises, Master. Where is your Dark
Empire now? You called us to you, promised to teach us and give us
positions of power. And what did you do? You let your Empire die! You
indulged your obsession with the last Jedi until it destroyed
you. You're in no position ever to give me what you told me would be
mine or even to get back what you once had, but still you make
promises! You called us to you, not to teach us, but to get our
knowledge to add to your own. Now it's time to pay what you owe, and
because you have failed and cannot give us worlds to rule, we will
take as payment your life itself. In your own words, you have said it:
betrayal and death. You have betrayed us, and earned death."
Palpatine resumed speaking. "- and the dark side will dominate
forever. The Empire itself is an excellent tool for paving the way for
this transformation. It produces the emotions that strengthen the
dark side at every turn. There are threats to survival such as slavery
and imprisonment. There is the loss of culture, government, rights,
and identity. There is the ever-present whisper of atrocity and
injustice. The populace of the galaxy is filled with fear...Where
adepts have gathered in the past, there have been battles, betrayal,
and death. They mistrust one another and are driven to fight each
other for dominance. But in the Dark Empire, among the followers of
the dark side, there must be a basic cooperation. Betrayal is capable
of provoking an explosive outpouring of anger, but the Final Order
cannot tolerate it -" Zelotes froze the image one last time. "Master
of hypocrisy! You speak of a stable, trusting order of Dark Jedi, but
you never trusted anyone, and so long as you stood high above all the
others, anyone who betrayed another was encouraged. But if they
betrayed you... Now you'll feel betrayal for the last time. You'll
feel the contempt, the humiliation, and then you'll die." Zelotes
made the former Emperor vanish, then went to the window. In the
distance, several kilometers away, but still highly visible, the
Imperial Citadel penetrated the sky. The betrayer had left that great
spire and gone to his new warship. Even now, Zelotes' allies were on
the ship with Palpatine, waiting for the moment of justice. Zelotes
himself faced the more dangerous mission. The other adepts would
personally slay Palpatine without warning, but Zelotes would have to
prevent the betrayer from returning to life. He must invade the most
closely guarded place on the planet, Palpatine's cloning laboratory.

* * *

"Betrayal is capable of provoking an explosive outpouring of anger,
but the Final Order cannot tolerate it, or its consequences. When the
Dark Empire is complete, the followers of the dark side will share my
power of being able to observe each other. Betrayal will no longer be
practical. Only with this basic cooperation can the order of Dark Jedi
attempt the next task, the conquering of the entire galaxy, and then,
in the distant future, other galaxies..."
-From The Book of Anger

Rollo Mon shuffled through the halls of the Imperial Citadel. He had
just finished his scheduled checking on Palpatine's clones with Sate
Pestage, and as usual, his thoughts were full of biotechnology. He
didn't even notice, as he entered his quarters, that the lights were
dimmer than usual. Thus he also failed to see the hulking shape
standing in the room's far corner. He began sifting through a stack of
files on his desk, and was very startled when he heard someone clear
his throat loudly. He spun, dropping papers everywhere, to see one of
the Emperor's adepts lounging in his favorite chair. "AAH! Don't do
that!" he exclaimed. You shouldn't scare people like that. How did
you get in here? Wait, don't I know you? Adept Zemekkis, right?"
"Zelotes, Constable. I'm sorry I frightened you. But you see, I'm in
need of your assistance." Zelotes stood up. "I need to get into the
innermost cloning laboratory, and I need your help with the access
codes." The adept's hands clenched oddly as his face took on a look of
concentration. It still felt strange to him to use the Force without
talismans. Rollo Mon backed away. "I'm sorry, Adept Zelotes, I can't
share that information. The Emperor forbids it. No one else is to
enter those labs, especially while he is away. I...I just can't...help
you." He stopped his retreat abruptly. "Yes, Constable, I commend
your loyalty, but the Emperor needs me to get into the lab. Before he
left, he gave me special orders. He wants an experimental solution
tested on his clones, and he said you would help me. He told me to
come to you. You are the only one who can help me carry out his
wishes." Rollo Mon said slowly, "I'm the only one who can help
you. Do you wish to go there now?" "No Constable. First we need to
wait for a little more protection. The solution is highly valuable and
very rare." Zelotes picked up a clear cylinder of yellow liquid. "I
have strict orders to prevent it from being stolen by his enemies. He
thinks certain of his adepts may be plotting against him, but he
doesn't know which ones. You and I might not be able to hold off a
traitorous attack on our own. So I brought my Sentinel." Zelotes
gestured, and the giant stepped out of the corner. It was a silent
titan, carrying a tall pole arm. Its body was hidden under many layers
of clothing, and its shadowed helm hid all of its face save two
glinting reddish eyes. The Sentinels were cloned creatures, linked to
their adepts and dependent on them for their purpose. They could share
their perceptions with their adepts, and they were fearsome fighters.
Palpatine had access to several hundred, but the lesser adepts were
allotted only one each. Zelotes had brought his own, and his ten
allies had contributed theirs. Eleven Sentinels would have to be
enough. "We await the arrival of ten more Sentinels, Constable. His
Majesty informed me that several uniforms were stolen from the
Sovereign Protectors. We may run into enemies who look like our
allies. Have patience." Rollo Mon was quite overwhelmed. His
defenseless mind had fallen swiftly to Zelotes, and he was further
caught up in the intrigue. "Do you really think there'll be fighting?
That's incredible...Well, you can count on me. But, ahh, there is a
slight complication. Usually the Emperor enters the innermost labs
with me. Now that he is away, he has entrusted his portion of the
access code to the Grand Vizier. We were just there a while ago. I'm
not sure where he went after that, but we can probably find him. How
much time do you have?" Rollo Mon looked at Urn Zelotes with
concern. The adept had begun to curse, very loudly.

* * *

Rollo Mon watched, curious, as Adept Zelotes paced nervously back and
forth. Standing rigidly beyond the agitated alien were eleven towering
Sentinels. They made the Constable uneasy, they always had. Even with
his meter high head ornament, the little scientist only came up to a
Sentinel's chest. And they were so very still. It was eerie. There
was a gentle knock at the door, and Zelotes' agitation redoubled.
"Answer it. If it's Sate Pestage, let him in, but don't tell him I'm
here." Rollo Mon nodded, pleased to see some action after so much
waiting. He hurried into the hall and opened the door to see the
elderly Grand Vizier looking tensely at him. There was no need for
tension. Once the Grand Vizier saw how things were so well in hand
with Adept Zelotes there, he would be so much more at ease.
"Constable, I've come as you asked. Now tell me what you know about a
threat to the Emperor. What have you discovered?" Rollo Mon waved
Sate Pestage into the hall. "Not out here," he hissed, and hurried
into the main room. Pestage followed. Zelotes summoned his will as
the Grand Vizier came into view. This new and unexpected development
had greatly increased the difficulty of his task. Now he would have
to control two minds as well as coordinate the actions of eleven
Sentinels. The labs were about ten minutes away. It promised to be a
quite an ordeal. Pestage saw the gathered Sentinels first, and an
expression of startled suspicion was born on his face. Zelotes clamped
an instant coercive hold on both Rollo Mon's and Pestage's minds. The
time for brain-washing was over. He saw Pestage's eyes fill with
outrage at his captivity, but the Vizier could not move. "Welcome,
Grand Vizier Pestage," said Zelotes. "You are just in time to help me
destroy your Master once and for all." The adept forced Rollo Mon and
Sate Pestage to stand to either side of him. He opened the door and
sent his own Sentinel ahead as a scout. A single Sentinel would not
immediately alarm the Sovereign Protectors; it could be going about
the business of any of the adepts. His Sentinel would also give him
visuals of what was around the next corner. Zelotes had planned his
route in advance, but chance encounters with soldiers could still ruin
him. He linked himself to the monster, and in moments, he could see
out of its eyes. As usual, the sense of height was disorienting. With
his two captives at his side and surrounded by the other Sentinels,
Zelotes went out after his mute slave. Soon the giant reached the
first security cameras, and as planned, a small device it carried
emitted a short burst of energy. The camera would pick up only static
for a minute, enough time for Zelotes to hurry past. He didn't want
any clear images of him to be made, in case he had to retreat. For two
minutes, the route proved to be an excellent choice. Then they
encountered a Stormtrooper patrol. The Sentinels took the troopers by
surprise, tearing into them and rending them limb from limb. Zelotes
didn't need to direct their every move in combat. They were programmed
for such ruthless violence. Zelotes had to place a new Sentinel at
point, as his was now blood-soaked. He was unused to the specific
mind of that giant and had trouble linking his vision to it. As a
result, the Sentinel marched straight through an intersection without
revealing to Zelotes the Sovereign Protector standing in the
cross-corridor. The elite warrior, however, detected Zelotes. He was
trained in the use of the dark side of the Force, and the coercion
being placed on the captives was like a beacon drawing his
attention. The Protector was there to investigate the failure of the
Stormtrooper squad to report, and he was fully alert. Zelotes and his
prisoners came into view, and the Protector was already in motion,
barking a clipped command into his comlink for reinforcements. In one
hand, he had a prototype blaster, in the other, an exotic Force Pike.
The adept went pale with shocked surprise, and lost his control over
Rollo Mon and Sate Pestage. But the two men swayed and held their
heads, unable to recover. The Protector's first shot ripped away the
lead Sentinel's head with immense violence. As the others closed with
him, the soldier spun and darted beneath the grasp of the nearest
behemoth with impressive dexterity, twisting his Force Pike at full
power into its vitals. Sparking and shuddering, the weapon penetrated
the giant's light armor. But even as the discharges ravaged its
brutish nervous system, the Sentinel forced itself forward. The Force
Pike burned out its back as the Sentinel managed a powerful backhanded
blow that broke the Protector's neck. Zelotes recovered his wits. Two
Sentinels picked up the prisoners, and the invaders left the dying
Sentinel behind in an awful embrace with the corpse of the
Protector. Pestage and Rollo Mon, now fully aware, were terrified and
furious. The minutes ticked by as they came ever closer to Zelotes'
goal. A sudden storm of Blaster fire announced the arrival of the
Sovereign Protector reinforcements. Zelotes spun and blocked some of
the bolts with his hands, desperate to keep his captives
alive. Several of the Sentinels went down, gaping holes burned dead
center into their backs. Zelotes sent the rest back towards the
Protectors, keeping only the two holding Pestage and Rollo Mon. Then
he ran on towards the clone labs. The meeting of the two forces was a
fury of noise that washed over the fleeing adept. The Protectors were
the most elite of the Empire's soldiers, chosen from the Royal Guard
for their stamina, strength, dexterity, and intelligence. The Force
further enhanced their perceptions and sped their reactions. The
Sentinels were much stronger, but they were dependent on the will of
their adepts. As Zelotes fled, they were doomed to failure. Wielded
with the astonishing skill of the Protectors, a few vibroweapons and
heavy blasters spelled the end of Zelotes' force. The fight came to an
abrupt end when the Protectors' Commander stepped up with a Prax
Energy Rifle and fired microgrenades into the helmets of the last
three standing Sentinels. There was a stunning report, and fragments
of the giants' heavy robes soared flaming through the air as their
headless forms slumped heavily to the floor. Zelotes felt the loss of
his Sentinels through the Force. Despairing, he experienced a moment
of pure terror as the corridor became a dead end and he realized what
the Sovereign Protectors would do to him. Then he understood that he
had reached the clone labs at last. Before him was a heavy blast door
with a complex control panel to one side. Zelotes throttled his own
panic and reasserted his control over Rollo Mon and Sate Pestage.
"Open it," he growled. They stumbled forward, rushing to do his
bidding. The codes were entered, and moments later, Zelotes
experienced the immense relief of the blast door hissing shut behind
him. "Disable all the lab security systems," he commanded. A plan to
deceive the adept flickered across Pestage's thoughts. Zelotes caught
it, and punished him with an angry constriction of his wrinkled
throat. Gasping, Pestage went to his stick like knees. "Don't defy me,
or you die. It's that simple." Zelotes pointed to the console. "One
of you, turn it all off, and erase any recordings made so far. I'll
know if you do it wrong." Rollo Mon scurried to the controls and
deactivated the system, but Pestage seemed unable to get up. He was
weak, and getting weaker. Zelotes didn't care. He brought out the
cylinder of yellow liquid, and passed it to Rollo Mon. "Feed this into
the Spaarti Cylinders." Rollo Mon thought of dashing the cylinder to
the floor, but the thought was detected. His hands wouldn't obey him;
instead they hooked the container up to the nutrient feed lines. He
watched in impotent horror as the poison flowed out to find every
clone. All his work was being destroyed. He wanted to die rather than
watch, but watch he did. Some of the clones twitched violently, then
they were still. The youngest forms did not react at all. One by one,
the tanks began to whine with warning alarms as their contents
died. At Zelotes' command, Rollo Mon shut those off, too. When the
last alarm was silenced, the only sounds were the gasps of Sate
Pestage, the whimpering of Rollo Mon, and the dull thud of the
Sovereign Protectors' first attempt to get through the blast
door. Zelotes was not worried. It would hold for a while, yet. He
trembled as a feeling of wild victory coursed through him. He had
survived, and he had won! The clones of the betrayer were destroyed,
and it was done in time. At any moment now, the betrayer himself would
be destroyed, and Zelotes would get the message of ultimate success on
the room's Holonet terminal. He forced Rollo Mon to his knees next to
Sate Pestage and waited.

* * *

"When rage leads directly to results, a sense of the omnipotence of
expressed rage grows. Vader felt this sense of power, but he and I did
not use it in the same way. I have truly learned to control my anger,
while Vader could only partially control his. Like a berserker, he
always struck out with his rage, but I am like a furnace. My rage
burns deep within, contained and concentrated. Mine was ever the
greater strength, for this reason. Many of my enemies were fooled by
my apparent lack of defenses. But rage, focused within and
controlled, is a devastating weapon that can be used at any time, and
without warning."
-From The Book of Anger

Standing on the bridge of the Eclipse, Admiral Dal reflected that his
career had certainly had its ups and downs while serving Emperor
Palpatine. Dal had first come to the Emperor's attention in the early
days of the Empire, for his part in the massacre that ended the threat
of the Zingali. He had climbed in the ranks swiftly, becoming an
Admiral by the Battle of Endor. He remembered that day vividly. His
Star Destroyer had been in a great fleet, trapping the rebels between
them and the Death Star. Evidently, a madman's order was given within
the rebel fleet, for the rebel frigates and Mon Cal cruisers had flown
directly into their midst and opened fire at point blank range. It
broke all the rules of Capital Ship combat, and it was horrible to
behold. Most of all, Dal remembered the explosions of the Star
Destroyers. The city-like ships almost brushed up against the rebel
cruisers and the tiny space between them was like a lace work of
turbolaser bolts. Twin rows of fireballs blossomed along each hull as
deflector shields crumbled and the pent-up hatred of years of conflict
was given a savage outlet. A dying Mon Cal cruiser had aimed itself
directly at Admiral Dal's bridge, but another Star Destroyer, spinning
out of control, hit it first. Their collision had nearly taken Dal's
ship with it. Dark and disabled, they had drifted away from the
battle. A while later, the blackness of the bridge had been lit up by
the distant annihilation of the second Death Star. Dal and his
surviving crew had joined with another ship and escaped the rebel
mopping up action. For one year, he had defended the shrinking
Imperial territory. Then, to his mystification, he had been assigned
to the Eclipse project. He couldn't believe it was still being
funded. Nor did matters become clear when he was in the midst of the
project. The source of the funding was hidden in a bureaucratic tangle
he could never hope to unravel. The available evidence pointed to a
powerful Imperial leader somewhere, but those who inquired too closely
into the matter tended to vanish. A few weeks ago, just after the
completion of the ship's hyperdrive and prime weapon, Dal had received
orders to take the unfinished Eclipse into the Deep Core. He had
obeyed, hungry to penetrate the mystery. Perhaps the last thing Dal
expected was to find the Emperor reborn awaiting him. Dal knew
absolutely that it was the Emperor, but how could someone return from
death as a younger man? Dal couldn't conceive of it. Like a proper
Imperial, he had never believed in the Force. His grip on reality had
begun to slip. Then he was told that he would be taking the ship to
destroy several uninhabited Deep Core worlds for the Emperor.
Enveloped by a sense of the surreal, Admiral Dal had agreed. Perhaps
he had died at Endor, and he and his Emperor were carving out a new
Empire in the afterlife. It didn't matter, so long as he could
serve. Without service, Dal instinctively knew he would find a kind of
living death. The Eclipse emerged from hyperspace, pulling Dal into
the present. The bridge crew went smoothly into action, placing the
vast ship on a course for a nearby world, visible as a tiny blue
sphere on the main screen. Dal admired his crew. They were some of the
best remaining officers in the Empire. They were efficient and
skilled, and completely loyal to the Emperor. Dal was really only
comfortable on the bridge itself, surrounded by his human
officers. Elsewhere on the Eclipse, he was unnerved by the presence of
the alien dark side adepts. They filled him with a deep revulsion and
sent a chill through him whenever he saw them. The small planet ahead
continued to grow in the viewscreen. Dal turned to look behind him at
the special platform above the bridge. There sat the Emperor, on one
of his technological thrones. He was in something called a meditation
trance, supposedly in contact with the Force. The Emperor had told Dal
privately that destroying the planet ahead would increase his power.
Dal was struggling to include the Force in his view of reality, but
after seeing the Emperor reborn, he believed many things were
possible. He looked forward to reclaiming the Empire and erasing the
New Republic from existence. The Eclipse moved smoothly into firing
range. "All crew stand ready," called out the Admiral. He glanced once
more at the Emperor's still form. "Commence primary ignition." The
Eclipse began to vibrate subtly. It was the barest indication of the
incomprehensible forces about to be unleashed. The power of his ship
intoxicated the Admiral. Very soon, the planet ahead would simply
cease to exist. Dal hadn't served on either Death Star, but this more
than made up for it. His prime weapon was stronger than those that had
come before. Now he would see it in action at last. And just maybe,
before too long, he would see it used on the worlds of the New
Republic. Dal was just about to give the order to fire, when he felt
a startling and frightening constriction at his throat. His breath was
choked off, and panicked, he grabbed at his neck to force away the
hands that held it so painfully. There was nothing there. Terror
surged up inside him, but there was nothing he could do. The Force was
killing him, he realized in his final moments. He dimly saw that the
officers around him were stricken as well. Irrationally, he thought he
could see Lord Vader standing nearby. That makes sense, he thought as
his mind cut loose from his pain-wracked body. Vader often punished
people like this. But he had heard Vader was dead. On the other hand,
the Emperor was still alive, was he not? Perhaps no one really died at
all. Perhaps this wasn't the end, but only a beginning...

Palpatine let the Force flow through him. He could sense the balance
of the dark against the light. Soon, he would disrupt that balance in
a violent assault against nature itself. The new strength of the dark
side would be shared with him, and once again he would become its
greatest servant. But his servitude was not slavery; it was a position
of ultimate mortal power. He was far above all other living
beings. This was given to him to know by the dark side itself. This he
believed absolutely. The world ahead was full of life. Its oceans and
continents were teeming with non sentient forms. Its loss would be
strongly felt by the light side. Not only would the existing life be
lost, but also all the potential life. Just as all the potential death
had been lost with the destruction of the Death Star, weakening the
dark side. Despite being in a trance, Palpatine was partly aware of
his surroundings. He heard the command to commence primary ignition
as if it was spoken at a great distance. This was it. He was ready to
reclaim his title as Master of the dark side, a title that meant more
than Emperor to him. But wait - Something was wrong. The command to
fire had not been given. Palpatine reached out with the Force and saw
two things at the same moment. The entire bridge crew was dead, and he
was completely surrounded by black-robed figures, their human and
alien arms raised as if to reach out to him. He had a moment of utter
clarity to realize that this, at last, was the source of his recent
fears. It was his death. Then, devastating waves of Force Lightning
slammed into him from the ten adepts that ringed him. He was the
center of a bright wheel of agony, its spokes twisting through fiery
arcs that burned into him. The air shrieked, or perhaps it was
Palpatine. He was off the throne, then falling from the platform, but
there was no relief as the ten figures moved with him, their circle
shrinking as they closed in. The writhing bolts illuminated a bearded
human face here, a tentacled snout there. Hands, claws, and other
appendages pushed hateful sizzling death at their betrayer. Palpatine
had no chance against so many. Barely able to think, he rolled his
tortured body towards one side of the circle, seizing on a final,
desperate plan. His hand thrust into his robes, and when it emerged, a
hot orange lightsaber blade extended suddenly from it, occupying the
space filled an instant ago by one of his attackers' hearts. As the
adept died, the circle was broken, and Palpatine dragged himself to
his feet. His respite lasted no longer than that. Recovering from
their surprise, the other nine adepts unleashed another barrage of
lightning at Palpatine's back. The lightsaber flew from his grip as he
was hurled violently into the crew pit. The adepts advanced to deal
the killing blows. But Palpatine was right where he wanted to be. He
brushed aside the dead hand of the Imperial gunner next to him and
grasped the firing lever of the prime weapon. With pain-filled
fingers, he drew it towards him. The Eclipse became a titanic energy
weapon. An unbearably bright bar of light appeared between the ship
and the planet, bisecting the blackness of space. For an instant, the
ship and the planet were linked, then the planet's surface boiled away
like a ball of wax hurled into a fire. The small world's rocky core
lasted a moment longer, then it, too, wavered within the bar of light
and was gone. On the bridge of the Eclipse, the dark side adepts
ignored the spectacle and relentlessly pressed their attack. Palpatine
had kept his design a secret from his adepts because of his
premonitions, so they knew nothing of what he hoped to gain by his
action. One last act of defiance, perhaps? A world they would never
rule over? Their Lightning arced towards Palpatine one final time,
carrying their justice with it. The bolts never struck him. A
shimmering sphere had appeared around Palpatine, a coruscating globe
of light that completely encased his prone form. The Force Lightning
smashed into the sphere, but did not penetrate it. The wild play of
fierce energies turned the sphere into a ball of flame. A moment
later, all the power of the attack was hurled back at the adepts,
vastly increased in magnitude. As one, they turned to flee, but shock
waves of heat overtook all of them. Nine vaguely man-shaped masses of
char and ashes spattered to the deck. There had not been any chance
to scream. Silence settled over the bridge. The sphere continued to
shimmer for a few minutes, then it winked out. Revealed within was the
battered form of Palpatine. He was sprawled on the floor, nearly
unconscious. His slitted eyes glowed with a baleful light, and black
flames seemed to play along his limbs. The Force was with him once
more.

* * *

The signal that Urn Zelotes waited for did not come. There was no
communication from the Eclipse at all. The Holonet station in the
clone lab was dark and quiet. Second by second, fear began to grow
inside Zelotes, like a living thing that was born there and was eating
his will in order to increase in size. There was no signal. What had
happened? Were his allies dead? All dead? It was impossible. Their
attack must have been delayed, or called off. But no - they would have
let him know in that case, too. Dead. All dead. Was Palpatine dead
too? Zelotes lost himself for a minute, indecision crushing down on
him. The door to the clone lab shuddered and boomed. Heavy explosives
had been brought in. That did it. There was no time left. Zelotes
faced his prisoners. "Show me another exit from this room!" he ordered
them. Pestage still didn't seem able to rise, so Rollo Mon stood and
walked, trembling, to a blank wall behind a row of Spaarti
Cylinders. He put a hand through the wall, revealing that it was only
a hologram. "Thank you Constable. I have to leave you now because I'm
not sure if my allies have succeeded in their mission. I have to get
to a place of safety and anonymity if I am ever to have another
chance. No one must know who I am, and unfortunately, that means you
both have to die. Come here, Constable. I'll make this as painless as
possible seeing as how you've been such a help to me." Rollo Mon
helplessly walked back towards the gaunt, lizard like adept, tears
streaming down his face. But Zelotes had made the mistake of turning
his back on Sate Pestage. The Grand Vizier had not been helpless. He
had been fighting for some control over his own body. In his fear and
distraction, Zelotes had missed it. Pestage grabbed up the long
cylinder that had held the poison and swung it as hard as he could
against Zelotes' head. The adept's wedge-shaped skull was battered to
one side, and in that moment, Rollo Mon was free. "Go!" rasped
Pestage. The Constable spun and ran behind another row of tanks. Urn
Zelotes turned on Sate Pestage and grabbed him by his jeweled cassock
with strong, claw like fingers. He shoved the old man hard and Pestage
collapsed in a heap. "Stay there," Zelotes grated and ran to look
behind the tanks for Rollo Mon. But the Constable was gone. There was
a third exit somewhere back there. Gone, too, was any hope of keeping
his identity a secret, if Palpatine was indeed alive to learn it. Sate
Pestage had effectively killed him. Not bothering to coerce the Grand
Vizier, Zelotes stood over him. "This has all been for nothing, if
Palpatine still lives. His clones are dead, but that was just a
necessary precaution. All for nothing." Pestage smiled at
Zelotes. "Don't feel too bad. Others have tried. Others have
failed. The glory is his and no one can take it from him. He will
always be the Master." Zelotes scowled. Rage twisted his features. He
knew he had to flee. Palpatine was still off planet. If Zelotes could
get to Velarium, he might survive. He knew he wasn't rational
anymore. It didn't matter. He stepped away from Sate Pestage. If he
could not destroy Palpatine, then he would destroy a part of
Palpatine. One of the last two Sentinels came over to the Grand
Vizier, picked him up, and squeezed. Sate Pestage only managed to
gasp out a few words. "And he will always be my son -" There was a
sound of brittle bones breaking and the once powerful Grand Vizier of
the Galactic Empire died. The Sentinel dropped the body to the floor,
then waited for its next orders. Zelotes stared crazily at the corpse,
a still heap glittering with gemstones. The face was peaceful. Son?
Had he said son? This was the Emperor's father?! The lab reeled around
Zelotes. He left the Sentinels standing there like grave markers and
fled through the door Rollo Mon had shown him.

* * *

"Anger, concentrated by will in the vital center of the body creates a
portal through which vast energies are released - the energies of the
dark side of the Force. Standing watch with the mind, in my meditation
of anger, I have slain my enemies from great distances, through the
dark side power that permeates the galaxy. I have created lightening
and unleashed its destructive fire. Using this knowledge, I can
unleash the dark side energies that are all around us, even to shatter
the fabric of space itself. In this way, I have created storms."
-From The Book of Anger

- Espaa.
- Father?
- Thank the Force, you are still alive! I had to know before I departed.
- What's wrong? What's happened?
- I am truly sorry, Master, but I have died.
- What do you mean? Where are you?
- I have died, Espaa. I am going to become part of the All. I am within your
mind. I was able to see your mind like a beacon and come to it. You have
become powerful again. The Force has chosen you as it did before. When
you awaken, my identity will be gone. I can feel the pull now. It is very
beautiful, actually.
- Will I see you again?
- I...I don't know. You walk a different path. I'm not sure it will be
possible. But you may yet learn. In life, I worshipped your glory, but now
I see it has its limits. The Force, the All, is one, my son. You feel only a
part of the whole.
- A Jedi myth. The Force is only a power to use, to pay the price for, to
master.
- I'm not here to argue. I am here to say I have loved you. Now I go to be
with Gemsaa, my wife, in whatever way that is possible -

The insistent beeping of the Holonet terminal finally reached
Palpatine, and he awoke, groggy, grasping at the vanishing threads of
a dream. He was on the deck of the crew pit of the Eclipse. All around
him were dead bodies, his officers, Admiral Dal. On the upper walkway
were several ash heaps. That sight brought the memory of his recent
battle crashing back to him. The dream was gone. He could not
remember it. No matter. He was alive! He had won. The Force was with
him and he had regained much of his old strength. He began to heal
himself as he limped over to the beeping station. Rollo Mon appeared
there as a small hologram. He looked frantic. "You're alive! Then
they didn't succeed! Master, There was an attack here at the
Citadel. Adept Zelotes fought his way into the clone labs and
destroyed all your clones. I'm ashamed to say he controlled me, that
he had my help. And Master -" Rollo Mon's voice caught. "How can I
tell you this? He also controlled Grand Vizier Pestage. He was going
to kill us both but Sate Pestage attacked him, so that I could
escape. He gave his...he was killed. He gave his life for me. Zelotes
escaped. I don't know where he went. Master? How will we find him?"
Palpatine took a step away from the terminal, as if he could deny its
message with distance. He shut his eyes. His head tilted back. Rollo
Mon left his awareness. His hands became fists. Sate
Pestage. Dead. His friend, his Grand Vizier, his faithful servant,
perhaps even his father, dead. Murdered. Palpatine raised his arms,
his fists held high. His teeth clenched as his face filled with
violence. Dead. Murdered by Urn Zelotes. The only one who had come
into his isolation and stayed there. The man who had saved his
life. Murdered. Anger was there, in that moment, ravening, demanding
release. He held it in, stoked its fire. The anger flared into rage,
but he held it in, concentrating it deep within, at his center. Rage.
Power. Power was everywhere, waiting to be used. It only needed an
outlet. The rage was like a cold iron gate within him, closed against
the power. He began to make the gate larger. Urn Zelotes had tried to
kill him. Zelotes had destroyed all the clones and his allies had
nearly murdered Palpatine as well. He had been so close to final death
and its unending chaos and he had not even known it. Now fear at that
thought poured in with the anger, swelling the flow. The gate holding
back the power grew. It now felt like it was meters thick, and yet it
shook massively. Zelotes was one of his older adepts. Palpatine had
taken him in and shared his knowledge. He had been repaid with
betrayal, assassination, and murder. The murder of Sate
Pestage. Betrayal and loss, fear and anger. Aggression must follow,
but not yet. Palpatine found himself drawing more power than ever
before. The pain of his loss had opened up untapped sources that he
had not previously imagined. All men lost those close to them, and
many cried out in rage. The universe did not care. But other men were
not the Master of the dark side of the Force. The Master cried out in
pain and rage...and the Universe answered! The gate felt like part of
a towering wall, a black fortress made of iron and stone. The power
screamed and beat its fury against the gate, hammering relentlessly, a
million voices yammering for release. Palpatine opened the gate. And
a new thing was born into the galaxy. Outside the Eclipse, a vortex
of time and space began to grow. It spun ponderously, and soon, it had
become a huge funnel like storm. Palpatine was struck with awe. The
storm was his, and it wanted to destroy. Could he control it? The
image of Urn Zelotes filled his mind. His links to his adepts had been
restored. Zelotes was on Byss. He had gone to the city of adepts,
perhaps to hide, perhaps to try to escape. There would be no
escape. The storm responded to his hate. It whirled into hyperspace
and burst forth over Byss. The great vortex roared down through the
atmosphere, tearing defense satellites apart, rending ships and small
fighters unlucky enough to be in its path. The automated defense
systems of the Imperial Control Sector sent energy skyward like an
inverse rain, but the storm only seemed to pick up velocity. In
moments, it was above Velarium.

Urn Zelotes had made it back to his rooms. There is still time, he had
told himself, over and over. Zelotes had mostly lost the capacity for
planning. He had not reasoned that the Emperor's forces might already
be at his quarters, waiting to take him prisoner. He did not know
where he would go afterward, once he had retrieved his most important
belongings. There hadn't really been a plan for failure. Maybe there
could not have been one. Zelotes only knew he had to keep moving, to
hide wherever he could. He gathered his books and talismans together
in a tough sack. They were his last links to his homeworld and his old
way of using the Force. Palpatine had taught him new ways, and
Zelotes had tried to use those teachings against him. But perhaps
there was something in his sacred books that he could use to survive
the failure of his coup. Hurrying to escape the room, Zelotes
overturned the table holding the Book of Anger. It clattered to the
floor and activated. Palpatine's hologram projected horizontally and
resumed its lecture. "- or its consequences. When the Dark Empire is
complete, the followers of the dark side will share my power of being
able to observe each other. Betrayal will no longer be practical."
Palpatine had more to say, but Zelotes was already gone.

The Force Storm descended upon Velarium. As it enveloped the city,
buildings were torn up whole and went soaring up into the vortex,
fragmenting as they rose. The Emperor's punishment claimed many lives
that day. Dozens of adepts, innocent of any conspiracy, were swallowed
up by the storm and lost. Urn Zelotes, too, met his doom in that
merciless chaos. His building was pulled from its foundation and
lifted towards the vortex of annihilation. It shattered under the
stress on the way, and Zelotes suddenly found himself cast from the
wreckage into mid-air. The greatest horror was that he did not fall.
Fully aware, he rose toward the enormous whirlpool in the sky. He
thought he could hear the Emperor laughing and laughing. Then his body
was taken apart by the storm, and the unending chaos of the dark side
took the rest of him.

A little while later, the storm began to recede. Witnesses spoke of
how it seemed to do so reluctantly, as if, given the choice, it would
have ravaged the entire Imperial Control Sector. Left behind was a
small city in rubble, with nothing moving in it. But only a few
kilometers away, the Imperial Citadel was untouched.

* * *

Within a few days, the violent incidents surrounding the attempted
coup had been mostly covered up, with the help of Savuud
Thimram. Sovereign Protectors told no tales, nor did Rollo Mon, so the
knowledge of Palpatine's vulnerability, his lack of any mature clones,
did not reach the ears of anyone else. The reason for the destruction
of the city of adepts, however, was made common knowledge. It was
'revealed' that several adepts had plotted treason, that their scheme
had been discovered before it could be implemented, and that all the
traitors had been killed by Palpatine's power in the Force Storm. It
was a lesson that would never be forgotten. Palpatine had returned
with the Eclipse, having decided to delay any further use of the ship
while he attended to the damage on Byss. He made himself highly
visible, and all who saw him could feel his new strength, and were
more than a little afraid. The Emperor was back. Then, the time came
for a decision regarding an important matter. Palpatine's eyes were
hard and cold as he stared, brooding, at the Constable of
Homunculi. Rollo Mon produced a small cryocontainer and placed it on
the table between them. "It is up to you, Master. We can clone him,
make him any age you like. Then there is the question of what
memories to give him..." Palpatine's voice was distant. "We actually
discussed this, he and I, a year ago. He thought I might want to bring
him back this way, when he was gone. But he had this belief that he
was my father..." Rollo Mon's eyes widened, but Palpatine only shook
his head. "He said he didn't want anyone else to claim that honor,
even if they were a clone of himself. Yes, Constable, clone him, but
make him like he was ten years ago. Implant the things he needs to
know to be my personal servant, to be the Emperor's Grand Vizier, but
nothing more." Rollo Mon stood and bowed. "It shall be as you desire,
Master." He left Palpatine alone. Palpatine was the undisputed Master
of the dark side of the Force, and he had no companions left. His
piercing yellow eyes gazed from a face that was unlined, but
empty. Those eyes avoided the chair that Sate Pestage used to sit in
when they shared their meals. The way of the dark side was the way of
isolation, of personal aggrandizement at the expense of all other
relationships. Palpatine wondered if it was really that fact that had
killed Sate Pestage. He could think of only one way to honor
him. When next he met Luke Skywalker, as he knew he would, Palpatine
would do as Pestage had wanted, and approach his enemy as a potential
ally. Palpatine's power of vision had returned, and he could still see
Skywalker kneeling before him, saying, "My father's destiny is my
own." But the boy was not ready to join him, not yet. In a few years,
perhaps. He still had to learn the limits of what he could do with the
light side. When Skywalker was ready, Palpatine would make his move,
and the last of the Jedi would belong to him. It would be fitting
vengeance on the rest of his enemies to turn their greatest hope
against them. Palpatine laughed his old laugh, a sound of sadistic
mirth. Great things were coming to him. The galaxy would become his
Dark Empire. And how could it not be so? For who could resist the
power of the dark side...forever ?
 
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