Beyond - Legends Imperial Destiny (COMPLETED 8/24)

and the intrique continues...

Kanti and Isolder?? Talk about an odd couple.

 

somehow I doubt the power of Hapans in the face of the Imperial Navy. It will be fun while it lasted...

 

*jaw drops* Well well if it isn't Helena Norema. So she's related to TC by blood?

 

Oh good, the Noremas. Nice touch of continuity to have the conservative opposition be the same house as in the other stories.

Enjoyed the idea of them being concerned about Isolder and Kanti getting together considering they might be a little late.

And of course if they are a little late then overthrowing Isolder would cause the very Imperial intervention they were hoping to avoid.

 

RedGold: Well, it could work. And it would give Kanti complete, unquestioned control over the Cluster without having to mount a major military operation.

Darth_Mu: I'd agree that the Hapans don't have the firepower to match that of the Empire.

Sil: Yup, ol' Helena's making an appearance. But it's Adelissa that's related to TC, not Helena.

_JM_: Glad you liked seeing the Norema family raise their heads again to cause trouble. And you've brought forth the very problems plaguing Hapes.


But now, let's check in on the Solos.


"So Corellia's definitely out," Kam said. "Most of those we've got working for us wouldn't last a minute there."

"It seems to me like the problem lies with the way the Empress maintains control," Leia said. She, Han, Corran, and Kam were seated in the lounge of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie was leaning against the wall, as he contemplated Artoo across from him, the holochess board between them. "She's allowing the sector governments a certain amount of liberty in how they handle their affairs."

"And she's already demonstrated she's capable of coming down hard on rebellious worlds," Han said. "Just look what happened to the Hutts." The Hutts had been caught red-handed trying to build their own superweapon, using stolen blueprints from the first Death Star. The Empress had ordered Nar Shadaa, the Smuggler's Moon, from which much of the Hutts' business was constructed, razed to the ground. That, however, had only been the beginning. The homeworld, orbited by the now cratered and devastated moon, had been seized by the Empire, and heavily fortified. It now served as an Imperial Detention Facility, from which few emerged. Some held that Ysanne Isard, the Director of Imperial Intelligence, had turned it into a second Lusankya.

"That fear, which would have worked for us before, now works against us. Everything that goes wrong in the Empire gets blamed on the fragments of the Alliance," Leia said.

"Or on Bel Iblis," Han added. "As far as I know, the Empire would still love to get their hands on him."

"Where is he, anyways?" Kam asked.

"Last I heard, he had something major planned. Though I have to admit that Karrde's sources aren't quite as good as they were before the Empire discovered he was helping us."

"Why isn't he here?" Leia asked.

"He hasn't been able to set up a permanent base," Han said. "In fact, sometimes I think he's limited to what the Wild Karrde and a few other ships can carry."

"Just like you used to be, right?" Leia asked. At that moment, Bail stuck his head in.

"You might want to see this," he said, tossing a datapad to Han. "Kalenda plucked it off the Holonet the last time she was able to hack in."

"I thought you told her to stop that," Leia said, casting a look in Han's direction that told him they'd be discussing the matter with their daughter later. Which, to Han, meant he and Leia would further discuss the matter after that.

"She said there wasn't any way they could track her," Bail replied, jumping to his sister's defense. Said she was using some of those codes you brought back from Tatooine."

"And how did she know about Jabba's codes?" Han asked, his eyes narrowing as his gaze locked on Bail.

"Umm, I might have let something about that slip," Bail said, just a little too quickly.

"Riiight," Han growled. "I think you and Corran need to have a long talk about operational security," he said, giving the Jedi a look.

"This is interesting," Kam said, passing the datapad back to Han, from whom he'd taken it while the Solos were getting issue of blame settled. "It looks like the moon is dropping. Some kind of new Imperial weapon?"

"I don't know what could cause that," Han said. "You think they might be using the Force?"

"I don't know," Leia said. "Our knowledge of the Force is incomplete at best. But if the Empress has a Jedi capable of pulling down a moon, why hasn't she come after us as well?" After all, Leia had encountered Imperial

 

Ah a nice little family trip.

 

Um... is anyone going to die on Sernpidal?

Well... anyone of concequence that is...

 

...Just awesome.

 

Sil: Well, maybe not so nice, given what's going on there.

RedGold: Well, I haven't decided on whether anybody will die.

Ackyuna: Welcome! Glad you're enjoying the tale so far.


Since RedGold brought it up, I'm going to put it to a vote whether Chewie should live past the scenes on Sernpidal, or die as he did in the NJO. Let me know what you, as the readers, think about it!

And now, on with the story!


On the edge of the galaxy, the great worldships of the Yuuzhan Vong people waited, all eyes on the three that had entered the galaxy that would be their new home. In the command center of one of those ships, the warmaster, Tsavong Lah, waited for a report from his warriors, who would soon be spreading across the target galaxy, seeking out the first targets for conversion.



But in the command center of another of the aging worldships, one warrior watched the progress of the Praetorate Vong with trepidation. Korinda, of clan Cha, believed that her commanders had made a mistake entrusting this mission to Da'Gara. The prefect, she knew, was ambitious, hoping to work his way into the Supreme Overlord's inner circle. She distrusted him, as she distrusted all members of the intendant caste. They were manipulators, rarely speaking the truth. But more so than others, Korinda felt that Da'Gara wasn't to be trusted. He would seek the glory of the Praetorate Vong before the overall glory of the Yuuzhan Vong, and the gods they served.

But Korinda was a simple warrior. She was linked by blood to the warmaster's own clan, but had not been escalated to the point where she could truly speak of her fears, and expect to have her words acted upon. She would watch Da'Gara's reports, watch as he and the Praetorate Vong seeded the fourth world of Helska. She would watch, and wait for the inevitable moment when Da'Gara, secure in his position, would make a mistake. And then, when he ultimately grew too arrogant, she would bring him back to ground.

She turned away from the screen, stretching tired muscles. It had been too long since she'd taken up her position here, her vigil against Da'Gara. From where her prejudice came, she didn't know, nor did she care. She was a warrior of the Yuuzhan Vong, and the decision to turn this scouting mission over to an intendant's control irked her. There was conflict ahead. She believed in this firmly, and considered it all the more an affront to her caste that warriors had not been sent in to see to the taking of their foothold.

Tsavong Lah had, of course, heard of her comments. "Your place in in command of your own warriors," he had told her. "See to them before you look to take on the prefects." She had seen to that, seen to it to such a degree that those under her command were among the most proficient aboard the vessel. Some, she knew, would be escalated to their own commands soon.

She smiled, the grin looking dangerous upon her scarred, tattooed face. One of her ears had been given to Yun-Yammka upon her escalation, and a scar ran from her left eye to her mouth, a reminder of the time she'd challenged her own commander. She lived, while his head had been offered as a sacrifice to the Slayer. The time was coming when the galaxy that lay before her would tremble at the mention of Lah's name. And soon, her name would be known among them as well.

"Do'rik vong pratte!" Korinda said, saluting the image of the Slayer. And may the deaths of the infidels glorify the True Path.

++++++++++++


Back to Belkaden to finish the week off tomorrow.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

I believe that the scarheads will find out exactly where their "true path" is headed after a taste of Skywalker, Thrawn and general Imperial firepower and ruthlessness.

Or maybe not. Even the Vong get lucky at times, after all.

 

Pelranius: They may experience some success, but you're probably right that the Vong won't be able to withstand the power of the Empire. Unless, of course, something goes drastically wrong...


Now, back to Belkaden, and then on to Coruscant, er, Imperial Center.


Something here wasn't right, Danni thought as she completed the last few repairs to the battered old Spacecaster. She'd sent Bensin and Tee-ubo back inside, even as the sky began to darken with night. But again, she noticed the change in the colors of the sunset. It was something she'd have to check on once she retreated back inside. Which, she thought, wouldn't be such a bad idea. They hadn't had any problems with the native cougars, a fact which Danni was grateful for, but now would not be the time to try their luck by remaining outside.

"You picked a good time to come back," Garth said. "Our object just developed a tail."

"A comet," Danni said, taking note of the change. "And yet, the tail doesn't look like anything I've ever seen."

"Perhaps it is extragalactic," Bensin said. "I mean, we've all been working from the assumption that it isn't, but this could be a sign that there is a way to cross the galactic rift."

"An impressive feat," Yomin Carr said, and Danni thought that for just a second the newbie might have been holding something back.
"Either way, we've got to do something before it smashes into Helska. If this is something from outside our galaxy, we need to study it," Garth said.

"And before it gets wrecked," Bensin added. "But how many of us actually trust that piece of junk out there?"

"Maybe we should report it, get ExGal's decision."

"It's too late for that now," Danni said. "By the time they get the word, and get permission from the Imperial Science Council to actually do anything, that comet will have smashed into Helska IV. If we wait, we lose any chance of finding out the truth."

"The truth is what we all seek," Yomin Carr added. "We must not lose the opportunity to discover the path to the truth." They all looked at him. Danni seemed to be eyeing him curiously, as though she hadn't expected him to speak.

"Well," she said, "I think somebody has to go up and take a look. I've been working on the ship, and I'm confident that it'll be able to handle at least two more trips. So I'm volunteering myself as one member of a team to go to Helska."

"I guess I'll go with you," Bensin said. That, Danni knew, all but ensured that Tee-ubo would bee coming along as well.

"How about you, Yomin?" Danni asked. "After all, this was your idea?"

"I shall stay and monitor," Yomin Carr replied. "I can better assist you here. Though I will help to get the ship ready to fly." He knew he would have to cleanse himself afterward, but it would allow him to place a tracker aboard the Spacecaster. Danni was destined to serve the gods, and it would not do for her to be blown out of space before she could understand the glory of the Yuuzhan Vong.

++++++++++++

Kyp leapt, avoiding the slash Gantoris made towards his legs, and followed with a diagonal slash that would have scored the other Jedi's torso. This isn't what we should be doing, Kyp thought, and caught a glimpse of the last of the trainees evacuating the room. Good, Kyp thought, at least the students are out of the way.

"Concerned for their well-being, Durron?" Gantoris shouted. "It's your own you should be worried about."

"We can still stop this, Gantoris," Kyp said, rolling to avoid the violet blade as Gantoris stabbed down.

"Then you're willing to accept that I'm right? You accept that the use of Force is necessary?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I did," Kyp said, leaping to and clinging to the wall. He'd seen Gantoris use this strategy with the students. The other would lure them into complacency, and then strike with devastating accuracy. Kyp wanted no part of that.

"Running won't help you," Gantoris said, and Kyp had just enough time to leap from the wall before the other's blade doubled

 

Ack! Missed two posts.

Let's see...

Um... Chewie lives... Anakin Solo lives!

Jacen dies.



And great posts... I'm curious to see what G-man is up to!

 

RedGold: Glad you had a chance to catch up. As for your comments about who lives and dies, well, I'll take the Chewie request, but I cna't oblige on the other two, since they aren't in the story!


Okay, just a quick up, before I get back to spoiling myself silly.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

but I cna't oblige on the other two, since they aren't in the story!

Oh yeah..

Sorry... I will never forgive NJO for killing the wrong Solo kid...

Never forgive...

So it kinda...

yeah...

did I say I was sorry?

 

I guess these people never heard of wear ysalamari under their clothes or use sabers to block lightning.

I don't think anybody was happy when they read Anakin's death, especially me since I read DJ before the end of SBS. Since the topic of who to kill was brought up, my death votes are for Danni and Ricar. Or anyone else who isn't a Skywalker, Solo, Tahiri, or Zekk.

 

30/03/2005
Sounds like the Empire is semi-federal in structure, so each sector government can adapt to their specific needs and so keep their populations happier. Not good for the Rebellion.

Poor Nar Shadaa, though at least it had a few decades delay in getting ?Base Delta Zero?ed thanks to Han. Serves the Hutts right, but feel sorry for their subordinates.

Agree that fear could work against the Rebellion, and they serve as a very nice boogeyman to justify ?security measures?.
Of course as much as the Empire blames the Rebels for everything so are the Rebels blaming the Empire however little sense it makes for the Empire to be testing a new weapon on Sernpidal.

Liked Bail and Kalenda.

Wonder who they might be able to find on the prison ships.

31/03/2005
Enjoyed Korinda?s feelings on the Praetorate Vong and her determination to catch them in their treachery.

Agree that to a warrior (as to many) it would seem strange that winning the first crucial victory and beachhead should fall to non-warriors.

Nice description of Korinda?s scars.

Major problem for the Vong is not so much that the Empire has more firepower (though the less divided command structure is more important) as much as the fact that Tych_sel is not an idiot. He therefore would be able to remember what the situation for the Vong rather than, as in NJO, this being forgotten so the Vong armed forces can replenish all losses without having the shipwombs to grow the ships or the warriors to crew them.

01/04/2005
Good insight by Danni to realise that Yomin knows more than he is saying and so his words have hidden meanings.

Liked that Kyp has the wider perspective to consider the consequences of the fight as well as the fighting of it, to realise Gantoris?s attempt at trickery, and to realise who it must be shouting at them. Gantoris on the other hand is a moron who didn?t seem to consider how vulnerable his attack would leave him if his pathetic trick failed.

Also liked Ricar trying to keep his mother out of it. Glad that Ricar has the strength and skill to slam Gantoris down.

Good way to deploy Kyp, could be an interesting fight with Imperial design fighters (with their greater agility) versus the Coralskippers.

And as stated Gantoris is a moron if he is plotting something and especially if he then lets Ricar sense this. Hopefully the same fate as in JAT if sadly delayed for the extra years.

 

Sil: Thanks for weighing in on the death idea. Though I am a bit surprised you want to see Kanti's son killed off.

_JM_: Okay, here come my replies!

30/03/2005
It's just that Kanti realized she can't be everywhere, and a local governor might be able to better handle things. Sort of what ol' Palps tried to do, sans Death Star.

Yeah, you have to know that those serving the Hutts would have been sent out like cannon fodder.

Yeah, the Alliance does allow Kanti to maintain a strong presence, sort of like the Conferderacy's role in allowing Palpatine to remain Supreme Chancellor past the end of his term.

Oh, I don't know who they might find on the prison ships.


31/03/2005

I was hoping to give us a warrior whose motives we can actually understand, since ol Tsavong's motives are sometimes about as clear as thick, slimy mud.

Let's hope I'm able to keep all the threads straight myself, though I'll try and avoid some of the blunders that occurred in the NJO.

01/04/2005

She may acknoledge he's not telling everything. But knowing that, and knowing what he's hiding are very different things, aren't they?

Kyp's taken more after Luke here, which means he's more open to considering other paths than Gantoris. Gantoris, I feel, would like to be that second Sith, Ricar or no.

Ricar's trying to avoid involving his mother, simply because he knows things will get messy if she does become involved.

You'll have to just wait and see how Kyp fares against the skips.

So I take it you'd like to see Gantoris tempted into giving his anger free rein?



Now, back to the Unknown Regions.



Luke had, for the most part, been left alone for the entire voyage to Outbound Flight's location. Formbi apparently had other things to attend to, though Feesa had checked in on him occasionally to ensure that he didn't need anything. The couple of times he'd run into Drask in the corridor had given him the impression that the general would have liked nothing better than to cycle Luke through an airlock, sans life-support gear.

He'd therefore taken to remaining in his cabin, spending some extra time in meditation. After all, he wanted to make sure he presented the right appearance to the Jedi he'd be meeting, before explaining to them how he'd been forced to twist the code to ensure the survival of the Jedi. And of the original Masters, he wondered, how many would still be alive? Could one of them perhaps stand up to the Empress and put an end to her tyranny?

He doubted it. Fifteen years ago, Thrawn had been sent to recover certain artifacts from the Emperor's storehouse on the planet Wayland. Thrawn found more than he had bargained for, since the Guardian the Emperor had placed on the world had been killed by Joruus C'Boath, an insane clone of the Jedi Master Jorus C'Boath, one of the Jedi Masters assigned to Outbound Flight. C'Boath, now that Luke thought about it a bit more, was actually the one who had pushed, pleaded, begged, and outright threatened the Republic Senate into authorizing the mission. C'Boath's clone, however, had no problem using the powers he'd been gifted with. Thrawn had been lucky to escape the world with his life.

Luke had sent three Imperial Jedi, led by Tavion, who had recently been elevated to the level of Imperial Knight, to confront the rogue Jedi. None of them had returned, and C'Boath had sent a message to the Empress displaying the bodies. Luke himself had planned on going to deal with the Jedi until the Empress herself decided she would handle the matter personally. "I will not have some insane clone slaughtering my Jedi," she had told Luke.

Luke had, of course, insisted on accompanying her. If necessary, he would sacrifice his life to ensure her survival. He now wondered what he would have done had it come to that. After all, it would have meant removing one of the few controls on the power the Empress exercised. And who knew what she would have done to Salina if Luke hadn't been there to counsel his daughter.

The Empre

 

I wanted Ricar killed because that would cause alot of despair, with the young, promising heir dead and Yuuzhan Vong carving up the Empire like a pizza, if Tsavong Lah is still the same as he is in NJO.

I, too, wonder what Kanti would do to Salina were Luke not there.

 

*thanks the Force Luke lived through that*

I love the way you'd put this all together!

 

Sil: Tsavong will be himself, but really, do you expect him to last long against the likes of Thrawn? As for what Kanti could have done with Salina, I'm not even going to think about it. I don't need any more plot bunnies!

RedGold: Yeah, it is a good thing Luke survived. But then, I'm not going to kill him unless it's absolutely, without a doubt, impossible for the story to continue without him.


No post today, but one will be up tomorrow.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Could one of them perhaps stand up to the Empress and put an end to her tyranny?

Ouch, I was reminded of the end of Dark Empire but that never happened in this AU so it seems Luke never learned the lesson of:

?No...I made a mistake...I thought I had to save the Galaxy all by myself. But the way of the Jedi is not a solitary path...? -Luke

Or

?One Jedi cannot conquer the Darkside alone...I guess we?ve proved that. Together we were a Jedi fire that outshone his evil.? -Luke
?Two are more powerful than one...three are more powerful than two? -Leia



Interesting that Thrawn was lucky to escape with his life. In the Thrawn Trilogy Joruus C?Boath did have some options despite the Ysalamiri but this sounds more serious. I wonder if the Empress has exterminated the Ysalamiri as a threat to her personal powers.

"I will not have some insane clone slaughtering my Jedi," she had told Luke.
I like that attitude.

Also liked Luke?s soul searching about whether he really would have died for the Empress because of the consequences for the Galaxy and his daughter of the Empress being unrestrained.

Sounds like one hell of a fight between C?Boath and Kanti. Slightly surprised that Kanti destroyed her father?s ?garden shed? (where he dumped all his junk and odds and bods) rather than securing it, but women are often more pragmatic about things.

 

_JM_: Luke hasn't come to the realization he did in DE, precisely for the reason you mention: in this universe, it didn't happen. As for the Thrawn/C'Boath confrontation, it's possible that Kanti didn't know C'Boath was there. Hence, Thrawn would have gone in prepared to deal with an ally, not the enemy C'Boath proved to be.



And here comes the next post, taking us back to Imperial Center.


The blond girl shuffled along with the others as they were herded into a van. This wasn't the first time this had happened since she'd slipped onto the planet, so she wasn't overly concerned. The Rodian in front of her was shivering with fear. "Don't let them see that you're afraid," Tahiri Veila whispered. "It'll go better for you."

"Where are they taking us?" An older girl asked, her face smeared with dirt and grime from having attempted to eke out a life in the section of Coruscant known as the Invisible Sector.

"Probably to a work camp," Tahiri said, keeping her voice low as one of the security folks strode past, keeping the line of sentients moving. "They come by every so often and attempt to clear out the streets."

"Maybe you don't have anything to worry about," the Rodian whispered. "But everybody knows how the Empire treats nonhumans. What's to say they won't turn us over to some slaver?"

"Because even the slavers have standards," Tahiri said. "Most of those who are licensed to deal in slaves have certain qualities they must meet before they can sell a slave. And one of those is a thorough checkup."

"And what of those who aren't licensed? Those who deal in victims of kidnap?" asked a Ho'Din male that Tahiri guessed was probably Bail Solo's age.

"Those types wouldn't be working with the security forces," Tahiri replied. She'd been through this on several occasions, always finding a way to slip away from the duty she'd been assigned to continue her mission. She'd volunteered almost a year ago to infiltrate the galactic capital, with hopes of finding any remaining Rebels, who could then begin the process of setting up a new cell in the heart of the Empire.

She thought she'd come close Iella Wesseri, who'd managed to actually infiltrate the Imperial Palace almost fifteen years ago, but hadn't actually made contact. And then Wesseri had vanished completely. Tahiri wondered if Leia Solo's friend and confidant had finally run afoul of Imperial Intelligence, or if Iella was simply pursuing her own mission.

The van filled up quickly, and the doors soon closed. The vehicle lifted off, and Tahiri spent the next few moments waiting in the dark for it to come to a stop. It did, and when the doors opened again, the bright white light was nearly blinding. "File out, humans to the left, aliens to right," a voice said. Alarm bells started to go off in Tahiri's head. This wasn't normal. But unusual circumstances could lead to unforeseen consequences, so she did as she was told. She glanced ahead of those in the other line, and saw what appeared a registration counter. What had she gotten herself into?

The line of humans had begun to move forward, and soon, Tahiri found herself facing a stern-looking woman wearing lieutenant's insignia. "Name?"

"Galena Solilini," Tahiri replied.

"Planet of birth?"

"Tatooine. I'd come to Imperial Center looking for work." She had to be careful not to slip and say 'Coruscant', and therefore give away her Rebel leanings.

"That isn't of my concern. You have been found in violation of regulation 65-231-0171-64576. Under the new regulations, you will be examined, and then turned over to a legalized slaver for disposition." The lieutenant turned to the stormtrooper. "Escort this one to exam room twelve."

"Yes, Ma'am," the trooper said, gesturing for Tahiri to precede him.

I think I'm in trouble, Tahiri thought, taking a tentative step forward. "This is only the first time I've been..."

"Quiet. If you cannot find work, then work will be found for you," the major said, turning her attention back to the

 

Hello, Tych_sel. I'm new, but I went back and read all of your story posts so far, and I'm really enjoying this! Great job!

(please post more . . . ?)

 

Ut oh.

 

Killik_Twilight: Welcome, both to the boards and to the fic. Glad you're enjoying things, and I hope you'll find more enjoyment to come.

RedGold: Yes, things do not look good for Tahiri, do they?


As I implied at the end of yesterday's post, I've been on a bit of a writing tear with this fic lately. So here comes and extra post!


Mara rolled over on the bed, propping her head up against one hand as her daughter entered the cabin. "I know that look," she said. "Things didn't go well?"

"Let's just say that Nom Anor's asking for trouble," Salina said, tossing her cloak over the chair facing the data terminal. She then turned the chair around so that it faced her mother, and nearly collapsed into it. "He basically called the wrath of the Empire down upon himself."

"He's a fanatic," Mara said. "Attempting to understand his point of view is likely impossible."

"But my goal here was to calm the region down," Salina replied. "Instead, it looks like I'm going to have to call the rest of the Fleet in."

"Salina, I think the Executor's more than capable of handing one insubordinate rebel leader."

"There's more to it, Mom," Salina replied. "I tried to get a reading through the Force, and there was nothing there. It was like the Force had nothing to do with him. Not the Light, or the Dark. And he should have been overflowing with the Dark Side."

"What about the others?" Mara asked. "Could you sense them?"

"Yes, but I don't..."

"Would they follow Nom Anor if they knew it was suicide?"

"I don't think so, though many of them seemed to believe in what he was saying. They really don't think the Empire has any business being in the system."

"This system is part of the Empire. If they can't see that, then perhaps an example needs to be made."

"Then you don't think he'll come around to our point of view?"

"I don't think he had any intention of giving in," Mara said. "But if he didn't, then he had to know that your next course of action would be to bring swift retribution down upon him. You're going to deny him that."

"But why?"

"Because you're going to make an example of Rhomamool in a different fashion. Have all the troops brought back up to Executor. I'm sure that there's space aboard that isn't being used. And then contact Admiral Brandei. Tell him we need a fleet large enough to sustain a blockade." She had risen, and was now gazing through the viewport as the planet rotated slowly beneath the enormous ship. "And make sure that all the comm traffic and holonet traffic to the planet is blocked. Inform Admiral Hokk that he may destroy any satellites he feels will be necessary."

"What are you hoping to accomplish?" Salina said, still not understanding where her mother was going. "Isn't that the same sort of thing the Trade Federation tried to do before the Republic betrayed the people it claimed to represent?"

"Not quite. The Trade Federation invaded. We're simply giving Nom Anor what he claims to want. Complete isolation from the rest of the galaxy."

"He was hoping for an incident. One that he could make public, one that would show the rest of the galaxy what a tyrant the Empress is."

"By denying him that, you deny him his goals. And hopefully," Mara said with a smile, "you will stop whatever treason he had planned."

++++++++++++


That's it for now. More to come tomorrow.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel