In a dark chamber, deep in the bowels of the Imperial Palace, two Royal Guards kept silent vigil over a vaporous bacta tank, highlighted by the white liquid inside. The visual receptors of an FX-9 surgical assistant droid shone in the gloom as it as it checked the patient's vitals. On its signal, a DD-13 medical droid activated the cylinder's draining mechanism. As the viscous liquid ebbed, a suspended charred and mangled figure in a breathing mask came to view. Darth Vader opened his glaring sunburnt eyes. When the jaws of the chamber's blast doors opened, the Sith Lord strode out in a polished suit of armor to the sound of his ominous breathing.
A thunderstorm pierced Coruscant's night sky, as Darth Vader made his way to the Emperor's throne room. Darth Sidious watched from his chair, relishing in the resolute anger and hatred he felt coming from his apprentice.
"Lord Vader," The Emperor said. "I see you have healed well from your wounds."
Vader genuflected in front of the Dark Lord of the Sith and said, "What is thy bidding, my Master?"
"Rise, my old friend. I sense a great drive within you."
"I'm ready to hunt down the Jedi who dared try to kill you."
"Patience, my friend. Do not let your hunger for justice distract you from our greater vision. We have much work to do to secure the future of our Empire."
"Project Stardust?"
"Project Eternal Dawn. The knowledge found in the pages of the Chronicles of Brus-bu will help us achieve our plans to eradicate our enemies."
"What about the First Sister? She can't be trusted."
"The only thing you can trust about those who walk in the dark side of the Force is their never-ending desire for greater power."
"Why not use the shrine?"
"The Jedi were no fools. The Splinter of the Mind's Eye can only be opened by the light side of the Force." Though the Emperor began to wonder what to kind of dimension the shrine offered entrance. He made a mental note to devote a bit of time to finding out.
"It's activation caused a great disturbance in the Force."
"I felt it too. Looks like our Inquisitors have tampered with powers beyond their limited understanding."
"Then, why allow the First Sister to live and have her supervise Project Eternal Dawn?"
"Because now that we have the Chronicles of Brus-bu, the project can move ahead. Besides, I want to learn about the power she has unleashed."
"How do you wish to deal with the Jedi?"
"They're nothing but a minor nuisance. Let the Inquisitors handle them. It's just a matter of time before they answer for their pointless transgression—and our dear Senator Chuchi too."
"But with the holocron Cere Junda and her apprentice stole from the Fortress Inquisitorius containing the names of Force-sensitive children, the Jedi could rebuild their order." Vader spoke of a pair of Jedi fugitives the Inquisitors had currently failed to kill, losing two of their own in the process.
The Emperor laughed. "Let them try. All they will do is hasten the end of the Jedi Purge. Besides, the few surviving Jedi are too afraid for their lives to risk coming together in large numbers. But I sense those aren't the targets occupying your thoughts."
Vader took a moment before he spoke, "Syrran Qer, I want to face him again."
The Emperor knew the unresolved outcome of Vader's duel with the Chiss Jedi was something his apprentice wouldn't be able to forgive and forget. The Emperor had ordered the death of the troopers present at the training hall to preserve Vader's reputation as his unrelenting enforcer. He also would order the rest of the Inquisitors never to bring any report about the Chiss and his friends to Lord Vader.
"I warned you about concerning yourself with the memories of dead men, my friend," the Emperor said. "The reason he lives, is because Commander Eisvolk intervened. An unfortunate action she would have to atone for by helping find these doomed Jedi. So, I want you to put this out of your mind until the time comes for you to exact your revenge. With Director Krennic obsessed with finding Galen Erso to finish the construction of the Death Star, you have nothing to worry about—at least for now. Don't let your personal feelings interfere with our plans."
Vader didn't like this, but he knew better than to go against his Master's will. Nevertheless, his inability to best the Jedi's childhood rival with ease, scarred his mind worse than any damage his body had ever incurred. Weakness had no place among the Sith. If Vader wasn't suited to remain at his Master's side, one of the Inquisitors would take him out. He had to find a way to prove his worth without disobeying the Dark Lord.
Tarkin. Vader thought. The governor owned him a favor and had mentioned he was an adept hunter. An idea to prove his worth as a warrior began to form. "My devotion to you is unwavering, my Master." He bowed.
"Good. Return to Mustafar and focus on the construction of your formidable fortress. I'm sure there will be plenty of time in the future for you to revel in your might."
Padme. Vader thought about his dead wife. If Darth Momin's latest design worked—as he promised it would—he would breach the veil between life and death to resurrect his beloved. Then, he could get rid of Palpatine and become Emperor and the Dark Lord of the Sith. His offspring would become his Apprentice and rule the galaxy for eons to come. So, killing Syrran in combat could wait—at least for a while. "Yes, my master." Vader bowed.
As the Emperor watched his apprentice walk away, he thought about his duel with the Chiss. Palpatine had become acquainted with the mysterious species from the Unknown Regions a few years ago, thanks to the discovery of one of them in exile on a remote planet. Not many people could best Darth Vader in battle. The Dark Lord of the Sith pondered the possibility of turning the former Jedi to the dark side and making him his new Apprentice.
###
"I agreed to that stupid wager out of respect for our partnership," said Quay Tolsite via hologram. "She was supposed to be back here in Kessel with my ship after a few days. And now my informants tell me the Outcast was in Coruscant a few standard days ago, fighting against the Empire and escaping for parts unknown."
"Quay, Quay, you're overacting," said Dryden Vos in the comfort of his office. "We're talking about a ship here."
"Not just any ship; a brand-new-one-of-a-kind-self-contained spice runner commissioned from Chopjob in Corellia, that cost me enough credits to buy my own fleet!"
"What do you need that for? Your entire operation runs on smugglers. Let them worry about their ships."
"That's not the point. I want my ship and I want it now, and without a single scratch, or there will be Chaos to pay."
"I'm sorry, but that sounded terribly close to a threat. Am I hearing things? Please, tell me we're not about to break our mutually-beneficial and profitable association due to a misunderstanding about something as insignificant as a starship."
"Not insignificant. I want my ship back, Dryden."
"And I want to find Theleema, Quay. So, why don't we both search for them—effectively doubling our efforts—and we'll take it from there."
"Because, if I find her first, I'll have her and her friends dipped in a vat of spice, until they lose their minds in an endless nightmare of hallucinations, and then I'll have my Wookie slaves tear their limbs off."
"Sounds like a party. Tell you what, I'll find them both, and I'll pay for any damage done to your precious ship. I'll even throw in her friends, so you can indulge in your sadistic pastimes. But the Crimson Lady is mine to deal with."
"I'm going to hold you to your word, Dryden. Do not make me involve Marg Krim in this." Quay ended the communication.
A weary Dryden Vos closed his eyes, resting the tips of his fingers on his striated face. He took a deep breath. "Leave me."
His guards and concierge left the office. Dryden took a long drink from the glass of phattro on the table in front of him. Using his signet, the crime lord closed the window blinds and contacted his boss.
"Vos." Maul sat on a stone bench; his head shrouded by the hood of his robes.
"News about Theleema. She and her companions have run afoul of the Empire after the botched regicide, with no apparent plans to make it back to our fold—and she stole some light freighter from the Pykes, which Quay Tolsite would not stop whining about."
"She betrayed me... It seems I overestimated her need for revenge."
"I'll have our people go after her."
"That would be a waste of manpower. Have the Pikes help you find her."
"Find, not eliminate?"
Maul's face came into view from under his hood, eyes glowering. "I want to see what my wayward apprentice hopes her future can be away from my guidance, before I take it away from her."
"And what about the Empire? With the failure of the Palpatine's assassination, your plans for taking over have taken a major setback."
"This is merely a delay in the inevitable."
"Is there something I should know?"
Maul grinned. He had learned long ago, from the Master he wished dead, to consider every possibility and think ahead of your opponent. "It's time to put the Shadow Collective together again and show the Emperor he's not the only power in the galaxy."