There were four notifications left on his comm console when Vader returned to his quarters from a mission. One from Palpatine and three left at the top of each consecutive hour by Sabé. It never boded well to keep the Emperor waiting. But for Sabé to be so desperate to get in touch with him, Vader knew it had to be something vital. Vader knew how to buy time with the Emperor. But Sabé never indicated anything that was so desperate to reach him.
He was just about to return her call when the top of the hour came and she comm'd through instead. They had just connected when Sabe came on the line and said without greeting, preamble, or pleasantry, "The Emperor knows."
That could mean a great many things. But for Sabé to so desperately try to get in contact with him, for her to say that without any explanation and without her usual respectful and professional candor only meant one thing. Still, he needed her to elaborate.
"Knows about what?" Vader asked.
"Where the Rebellion base is at least. Whatever else depends on what else Bail Organa knew," Sabè elaborated.
"Bail Organa?"
"The intel from your Imperial Center agents that you told me to look into. When you thought it was weird that Palpatine was leaving the palace or the planet without notifying you or not being specifically slotted into Palpatine's itinerary. You told me to see if I could get a closer look. Well, I did. Bail Organa is who I found and where they were holding him."
While Palpatine may have had his spies watching Vader around every corner and keeping track of his main fleet, Vader figured that was a game two people could play. With the help of dozens of spies settled in Imperial Center, Vader had gathered full databases on Palpatine's every movement. Days and weeks of his master's schedule from the time the man awoke in the morning to the time he went to bed. Every Senator, every diplomat, every dignitary he encountered along with their extensive profiles. The rare times the man left the Imperial Palace and the even rarer times the man left the planet.
Vader's original purpose for the spy network around Sidious was to find a way to avoid a direct confrontation with his master, even though he was prepared for his and Ahsoka's conspiracy to end that way. Hence going through every moment of the man's day to cause a tragic "accident" of nature that would bring about the man's death in a verifiable way. Because, of course, Sidious expected Vader to come lightsabers blazing to kill him. Sidious, however, wouldn't think to check the possibilities of more subtle means. Sabé thought it was savvy. A less violent death meant a smoother transition into a new Imperial era than a culmination that equated an obviously violent overthrow. But Vader's purposes had been much more selfish.
While he had no qualms about a direct confrontation with Sidious, tricky as he knew the man to be, he had many qualms about Ahsoka following him into that confrontation. As far as he was concerned, his own life would be a worthy price to pay if it meant taking Sidious down with him.
Ahsoka's life was not.
And as to not have to make that choice, Vader had enough forethought to do everything possible so her presence wouldn't be necessary.
Still, the times Palpatine left the palace and the planet certainly intrigued him. He had Sabé pass over to Obi-wan and his team as they unraveled the mystery that was Contingency. Undoubtedly, the Emperor leaving the planet without Vader to accompany him was to handle business that would cause Vader a headache later.
It appeared now was the start of that headache.
"I knew it would be too risky for any of us to do anything to stage a rescue, not without exposure. So, I've been keeping a watch on his records daily. He's been kept alive and periodically tortured for information, but today he's been scheduled for execution. The only reason I can think that they did that is that they managed to get something out of him. At least enough pieces to make a big picture," Sabé explained in a rush.
"Do you know exactly what?"
"I don't know. It depends."
Depended on exactly how privy to her secrets Ahsoka had allowed Bail to be. How much he'd been told by either his young daughter or his wife. How much he might have inadvertently observed for himself.
"How long ago did you get this information?" Vader demanded.
"A few hours ago."
"And have you warned the Rebellion?"
"I don't have Ahsoka's direct comm. Diya's not answering."
"I'll contact Ahsoka," Vader decided. "And I don't care how risky it is. Put a team together to get Organa out that prison."
Sabé nodded.
Vader cut the comm and once again ignored a second hailing from the Emperor, putting in the comm frequency that Ahsoka used for the Rebellion. She'd given it to him to contact her in the case of an emergency. This felt emergency enough.
After a few seconds, the comm lit up, and Ahsoka's head and upper torso came into view.
"Vader. What are—?"
"The Rebellion has to evacuate. Now."
Ahsoka frowned, her lips twitching some as though she was debating what to say. Finally, she said, "We already are."
"Have you been attacked already?"
"No," Ahsoka admitted. "Just... I just woke up a few hours ago with a feeling. We've been preparing ever since."
Vader hadn't been aware that Ahsoka was so in tune with the Force to sense an impending attack that could still be more than a few hours away.
"A feeling?" Vader asked.
"It doesn't matter." Before Vader could press, Ahsoka continued, "What intel do you have?"
"Sabé's found where the Empire has been holding Bail Organa and has been observing his status. He was suddenly marked for extermination. Sabé thinks it means they got something out of him. She's not exactly sure what, but it was enough that he'd outlived his usefulness and wasn't worth torturing for more information."
If Ahsoka was affected by that information, she didn't show it. She simply nodded and understood what Vader was asking.
"He didn't know anything about you. He knew I had a high ranking informant in the Empire, but not exactly who."
"Did you tell him any of the exact nature of the intel you got?" Vader asked.
"No. When I gave High Command reports, it was always mixed in with the rest of my intel. Nothing special or distinguishing."
Maybe not, but certainly there was some intel that Vader had given Ahsoka that she would have only known because she'd gotten it from him. Depending on what Organa knew, it wouldn't be much of a stretch for anyone looking at the data to put the pieces together. It certainly wouldn't be a stretch for the Emperor, a man powerful with the dark side of the Force, to put the pieces together and figure out his betrayal.
"The Emperor knows," Vader stated.
He expected her to tell him not to be too hasty or so paranoid, to stop and think and lay out all the pieces and the different possibilities.
Instead, Ahsoka frowned and looked down before saying, "I think he knows too."
"He's been hailing me for the last ten minutes. There's no telling what for. Whatever it is, I think it's a trap."
After a pause, Ahsoka replied, "I think it is too. Guess that leaves us with one option."
"Spring the trap."
The Force was suddenly very still and quiet. Vader only recalled the Force being this still on a few occasions. The first as he'd fought with himself over whether to leave the Jedi Council chambers and join the conflict between the Jedi masters who'd left him behind and the Sith who'd offered him to join. He'd known exactly what his choice would be if he left that room. He'd known—or thought he'd known—exactly what that choice would mean.
The second time was a little over a year ago. In a fit of barely controllable rage, he'd been ready to damn all their planning to hell to kill Sidious for coming just so close to getting his hands on Luke and Leia. For the trauma he'd put them through in his effort to get his hands on them. It was probably the closest thing to the mindless haze he'd been in just after he first turned that Vader had been in years. And only Ahsoka pleading with him in a way she never had, redirecting that mindless haze, made Vader talk himself out of such hasty action against Sidious.
Now, there was again a choice to make. Though, the choice that needed to be made was not clear to him. On that, the Force was silent as it had been those times before, which could only mean that it had already given him the tools to make that choice.
"I think this is it," Ahsoka finally said, making the choice for Vader.
She didn't have to explain what it was. It was a lot sooner than either of them had anticipated. About two years too soon. But if Vader was compromised, there was no choice in the matter.
The Emperor hailed again, and Vader knew he'd kept the man waiting too long. But what did it matter at this point?
"I'll concern myself with that. You evacuate that base and get yourself and the children somewhere safe."
He expected an argument from her. That there was no way in the universe he was more than likely headed off to Imperial Center to face Palpatine, and she wasn't following him. But she surprised him.
"I am," Ahsoka said in a wry tone with a roll of her eyes. Then she sobered and said, "Vader."
He felt their bond open up from her end, the pleasant hum that he'd gotten accustomed to when she was near coming across. But her Force signature was much more magnified. There was something familiar about it. He'd sensed a Force signature magnified in this way before. But he had no time to ponder it, nor was it harmful. He simply reached out in the Force, finishing the connection and creating a feedback loop. The loop sent the warm vibration back across the bond like a retreating tide before it came back again, repeating over and over again.
"Ahsoka."
She averted her gaze before looking back at him and saying, "Be careful. I..." She trailed off and sighed before muttering, "Never mind."
It was too late, though. Vader sensed a confession just at the tip of her tongue.
"What are you hiding?"
"Nothing!" she said quickly and then cringed. "Okay. It is something. A little something. But I promise I'll tell you when I see you."
He sensed her resolve across the bond, and Vader knew that even if he tried to get it out of her, she would not tell. Even if he wanted to try, he didn't have time. The Emperor hadn't hailed again, but he knew the man was waiting.
"Fine," he finally said.
Ahsoka nodded, and the image winked out, cut off from her end.
He headed to the bridge only to find his clone commander and Lieutenant Piett with grim expressions as they stood over the dead body of his admiral. Commander Dare's blaster was still smoking from where he'd apparently shot the admiral point-blank multiple times. The said admiral's body was bleeding out on the formerly pristine black tiles. However, neither men seemed concerned as they stood to attention at Vader's approach.
Vader said nothing. Only inclined his head to the dead body and looked back up expectantly
"The Emperor has made contact," Dare informed.
Vader sensed there was a lot more to come, so he only tilted his head in askance.
"He said there's been a new development about the war. An impending attack by the Rebellion and that we're to set course for Imperial Center immediately," Piett said.
"Is that so?" Vader asked.
"That's what we were supposed to tell you," Dare continued. "Apparently, the Emperor has evidence of high treason against you. His Highness wanted your admiral and lieutenant to secretly bring you back to Imperial Center under that pretense to deal with you himself."
"I disagreed," Piett replied.
"The admiral was displeased with that so..." Dare trailed off, his gaze drifting to the body.
Vader looked down at the body once more before looking up and saying, "Congratulations on your promotion, Admiral Piett."
Piett swallowed but gave away nothing else that might indicate surprise. Finally, he said, "There was one more piece of information from the Emperor. Apparently, they've found the location of the rebel base. They're sending Admiral Thrawn to destroy it and capture its leaders. The Emperor gave no further details."
Apprehension rose in Vader at the mention that Palpatine was sending Thrawn to capture the base. He wasn't surprised necessarily. With Tarkin dead and with Palpatine apparently wanting an immediate audience with Vader, Thrawn would be the next best choice. A brilliant tactician, rivaling Vader in tenacity and creativity with a startling intuition and foresight about people for someone without a sensitivity to the Force. So brilliant that Vader had desired to have the chiss on his side of this conflict. But in his and Sabé's evaluation of him, Vader realized that it was impossible to know where the man's loyalties lay. He was as masterful at hiding his true hand with people as he was in battle strategy. Not to mention, Thrawn would surely not turn against Palpatine without the surety that Vader would win against him. Thus Vader had decided he would make use of the chiss admiral after Palpatine's defeat. The man was intelligent enough that he wouldn't dare challenge Vader's rule.
But that was after Palpatine was dead.
Now?
If anyone was a genuine threat to Ahsoka, Thrawn was the one. The man had been fascinated with the rumors of the elusive Fulcrum. And though he hadn't gotten an update about Thrawn in almost a year, no doubt he'd been even more fascinated when he found out the elusive rebel's identity. There was no telling the intel he had on Ahsoka. The things he'd probably managed to put together about her—strengths, weaknesses, ticks. All of it likely deduced just from going back and finding all the information he could find on her previous exploits in the Clone Wars, the Jedi, and that short broadcast when she'd declared war against Palpatine, the only recent footage the Empire had of her since she never participated in the propaganda her Rebellion sent out.
So sorely tempted Vader was to ask Piett if he'd gotten the coordinates of the base. So sorely tempted, if he had, Vader was to order them to that location. To fight off Thrawn himself. But if he did that, Vader would lose what little element of surprise he might have left when going to confront Palpatine.
Ahsoka could handle it. He'd known what she'd be up against and trained her for it accordingly. If anyone could mar Thrawn's perfect track record, Ahsoka could. Ahsoka would. There was no other option. And Ahsoka might murder him if he threw away the opportunity to confront Palpatine while he was still was in the dark about their plans and how much they knew about his contingencies. Before Palpatine could regain his bearings and readjust.
"Your orders, my lord?" Piett asked.
Apparently, Vader had been lost in his thoughts for much too long.
"You heard the Emperor. He wants to straighten out this misunderstanding out personally. Set course for Imperial Center," Vader ordered.
"Yes, sir," Piett said, turning to command the crew.
Ahsoka could handle herself. Besides, he'd wanted her as far away from the Emperor as possible during his confrontation with the man. Perhaps this was the Force's way of granting him that desire.
Mind made, he wrapped the dark side around himself as a shield and went to go prepare the ground troops for whatever they might encounter when they got to Imperial Center.