1,520Chapter 9-Shades of Grey
If there was one thing you could say about war, it was war was violent. War would always be violent. It would involve brave men and women fighting for a cause they believe in, were paid to fight in, or to the rare few instances, enjoying the thrill of being knee deep in the violence. No one could refute this. No one could dispute it. This was a fact. A cold, hard, truthful, and painful fact about war.
And like all wars fought in ages past, it had many faces. The good. The bad. The cruel. The civilized. The honorable. The dishonest. The shades of grey that was in-between with questionable choices used for the greater good. Where morally questionable actions were used in the name of defending to protect those morals.
It was here, in the Jedi Temple, the shades of grey manifested themselves. It was here, the fracture of the Jedi Order, and Order that had lasted for over 1,000 years, had finally reached the breaking point. The Jedi within the temple were at odds with one another. Arguing with one another. Almost to the point where they drew their Lightsabers to fight one another. The teachings of patience and restraint being put to the test with the tension rising every day. Each time testing those who were but a mere moment away from lashing out with dark intentions.
With that moment finally reaching the point where the tension boiled over, and the first Lightsaber was ignited.
Within moments of this single act, Lightsabers from all over the Jedi Temple activated. Blue, green, and other colors were lit all over. Lines in the sand had been drawn and Jedi in the temple were prepared to fight other Jedi for their own beliefs on what it meant to be a member of the Order. In many ways, it was a Jedi civil war. The changing of the guard and the changing with the times they lived in that the Force commanded should happen.
A change the old guard shunned and ignored. Preferring to be the unyielding boulder in the river of time that did not move or change with the current. To be proud and strong to endure the changes the Galaxy went through, but they remained the same regardless of everyone else. Why change? Jedi have been this way for 1,000 years. We can endure anything time sends our way.
That was there response to the Force calling for change.
A change that the new guard saw as clearly as one would see the sky on a cloudless day. The Force had been calling for change. Calling it for years. But it had been ignored. For so long, the old guard told the new one to ignore the call for change. But the new generation of Jedi could not ignore it. The Force had screamed at them to change or they would fall and fall hard. It wasn't just a warning. It was a threat. A threat made by the Force that it would abandon them to the enemy should they not change with the times.
Unfortunately, the old guard would not allow change to happen to the Jedi Order. Not in their time. Not in any time. The old guard wanted things to stay as they were since before their time and intended to cast down anyone who did not follow their version of being a Jedi.
When word got out of several Jedi Masters on the Council being arrested for the subtle attempt to have Anakin Skywalker and Qui-Gon Jinn killed, it setup a chain reaction where the new guard could not sit back anymore. The old guard had gone too far in trying to defy the Will of the Force. For too long, the next generation of Jedi knew the old were defying what he Force commanded. They felt the Force was wrong and chose to disobey.
It was why many within the Jedi Order felt their strength in the Force was weakening and the old guard shrugging it off as a minor annoyance. The new guard thought otherwise. It was the Force backing up the threat of seeing them fall. Seeing them cast down and defeated. Not just by the Sith, but by the very Galaxy itself coming down on them.
They had to change and change now!
The civil war and battle that took place within the Jedi Temple lasted for three whole days. Fortunately, the Jedi Temple had been placed on lockdown when this happened so no one could get in or out. But the violence behind it had shaken the foundation of the Jedi Order. The Jedi Consulars struck first when it happened, going after Jedi Guardians and Sentinels they knew wanted to change things. They attacked Jedi Knights, Padawans, and Masters in sudden vicious acts to obtain victory almost immediately.
Unfortunately, the Force was not with them when they did it. The Jedi Guardian and Sentinels still had a strong connection to the Force. As such, they sensed the ill intent before the first Lightsaber blade from a Jedi Consular was ignited. Knowing full well what it was, the Jedi Guardian targeted was able to draw his Lightsaber and block the intended strike aimed to take his life.
And thus, began the three-day Jedi Civil War.
By that point, Anakin and Qui-Gon had already been recalled to the front lines once more at the request of Chancellor Palpatine to help in repelling the Separatists from reaching deeper into the Core Worlds. The news of Obi-wan Kenobi being defeat by Vader reaching his ears and being sensed through the Force required it. Naturally, Qui-Gon had been saddened to hear about his former Padawan's death at the hands of the very Sith Lord they encountered over 10 years ago. Anakin had been there for him, telling the Jedi Master they would defeat Vader one day and to keep strong. It made Qui-Gon smile knowing Anakin cared so much and was willing to give his all to the war despite the issues the Jedi Order had with them.
If the two only knew what had happened in their absence.
Master Yoda had been a deciding factor in the Jedi Temple when the fighting started. Moving from one place to the next. Siding with the new generation to the surprise of the old. Many of them thought the oldest member of the Jedi Order would have sided with them. He had been around only a few centuries after the last Jedi Sith War and the Ruusan Reformations had been accepted throughout the Republic. For Master Yoda to side with the next generation had been a blow to the moral of the old guard to be sure, but they had endured it, and considered the Grandmaster a traitor to the true Jedi Order that they followed.
Many of the Jedi Consulars were defeated within those three long days on Coruscant. Many died. Many more injured. On both sides. Some Jedi Consulars even went so far as to target the Younglings. If they could not mold the future generations of Jedi into being their version of the Order, what was the point of keeping them alive?
Let them die and become one with the Force and leave the physical world for the spiritual one.
Fortunately, several Jedi Masters were already protecting the Younglings from the three day war raging around them. Many of the children frightened by this turn of events. Hiding as best they could in their rooms or rooms with the least among of fighting. Jedi Master Jocasta Nu watching over many of them in the Jedi Archives while keeping an eye out for any so-called Jedi seeking their lives. She was arguably another member of the old guard, maybe a tad arrogant in the belief the Jedi held all the knowledge the Galaxy in terms of planets, systems, stars, etc. However, Jocasta also saw change, felt the change was on the horizon, and felt it was not her place to impede such things within the Jedi Order. If anything, she felt impeding change was impeding life and growing stronger. The Jedi Master and Guardian of the Jedi Archives would not allow this to go unchallenged and let the old guard's arrogance destroy the Order from within.
So, when two Jedi Consulars came with Lightsabers drawn, she was ready with her own. A fierce look on the usually gentle woman's face. The two came at Jocasta, seeing her as a traitor like they did Yoda. The fact she had been helping several Jedi Masters in uncovering the hidden plan to have the Consular Class Jedi dominate the Order and control various policies within made it all the more impacting in their eyes.
But Jocasta Nu was not a weak woman. She was one of the few Jedi Masters of her time and age who could wield a Lightsaber on par with Master Yoda. She could have been on the Jedi Council if the woman wanted the position. But Jocasta felt her place was in the Jedi Archives to watch over and protecting the vast knowledge it held with the belief it would help the Jedi Order advance further into the future.
Not become stagnant out of arrogance.
True to form, Jocasta Nu easily handled the two Jedi in front of her. One lost an arm and thrown across the large room with his back hitting the table with enough power to knock him out. The second Jedi she had to, regrettably, kill with a Lightsaber to the heart, seeing the look of disbelief, yet anger in his eyes when life faded from them. She knew it had to be done. The intentions of the two, now dead, Masters was clear when they walked into the Jedi Archives, looking around, sensing for the children hiding deep in the protective section of the library. They would never destroy the Jedi Archives. It held knowledge they could command and control on a whim. But Younglings were not controllable and were very much impressionable with them being a threat to their intentions for the Jedi Order.
She could not allow them to do what they wanted. These two Jedi nor the ones who would come later to see if the deed they wished was done.
When the three days ended, the Jedi Temple was severely damaged from the fighting. Various sections of it were damaged, smoke was rising outside of the two temple spires, and numerous bodies of Jedi of different rank dead on the ground. Jedi Masters, Knights, and Padawans of all kinds were either dead or severely injured from the fighting within the temple.
And in the center of massive room was Master Yoda himself. His head was bowed low. His appearance seemed to age drastically from the loss of so much life. Good Jedi on both sides. Each one dead was a severe blow to the Jedi Order. One that would decades to recover depending on how long the Clone Wars lasted. Worse, if this incident got out, and it would, Yoda knew it would only embolden the Sith to strike harder at the Jedi Order with their nearly limitless pawns at their disposal.
"The Younglings are safe. There was no loss of life there, thank the Force," said Mace Windu with a sigh and Yoda gave a brief nod.
"Damage done to us; it still was. Severely damaged the Jedi Order, we have become," said Yoda while Master Windu winced since it was true.
"Master Jocasta killed over fifty Jedi Masters and nearly half as many Knights when they tried to storm the Jedi Archives to seek out Younglings. I never thought fellow Jedi Masters would go this far," said Master Windu with Yoda nodding.
"Master Plo Koon defeated nearly as many, he did," said Yoda with Master Windu thankful to know another Jedi they could trust had survived this.
"The damage was extensive, as was the casualties, but it could have been much worse," said Eath Koth after walking with a noticeable limp in his step toward them to provide his own report.
"And your own injuries?" asked Mace with Eath shrugging it off.
"Just a minor flesh wound by comparison to the others. I can wait to have it healed. The ones with more devastating injuries," replied Eath Koth without a care to his own well-being.
"Physical injuries healed they can be. Mental and spiritual ones, far more difficult," said Master Yoda with Windu and Koth nodding in agreement.
"What will we tell the public when they inquire about this? Something of this magnitude cannot be kept hidden from the masses," remarked Master Koth knowing their actions the last three days were quite loud.
"If we tell the truth, the Sith and Separatists will become embolden to attack us even harder," replied Master Windu knowing such exposure was more wounds to the Order and greater advantage for the Sith.
"And if we lie or tell a half truth, who is to say someone will not reveal the actual truth later. People have had a distrust of us before today. Keeping it hidden will only add more fuel to the preverbal fire if it comes to light," said Eath Koth since he had issues with the semi-isolationist-based policy the Jedi had with the public.
Instead of expanding throughout the Galaxy within the centuries following the Ruusan Reformation, the Jedi contracted heavily to be a center point on Coruscant. They had abandoned various Jedi temples on now lost worlds and taken everything deemed of value at the time without looking back. At times, Eath would wonder what could have been the Jedi Order if they had kept expanding. Expanding their Order, their knowledge, their place in the Galaxy to new heights like a growing tree of light instead of a single pole.
"Secrets, poison they are to us. Keep this one a secret, we cannot. We should not. Heal faster we will, after its reveal. Deal with the fallout of the public, we can. Refocus on the war sooner we will," said Master Yoda knowing their past policy to keep things from the public had allowed the seeds of distrust and darkness to grow.
"Master Yoda is right. This wound will fester if we try to keep it a secret and covered. It must be brought into the light to heal," said Master Shaak Ti with the woman having her own wounds treated earlier.
She had nearly lost her left arm when fighting several Jedi Masters at once and one of them managed to slice into the limb. Another Jedi had cut into the left side of her torso and slightly along the left leg. She was able to keep her limbs, but the pain and walking around would take time to heal. Still, the woman's discipline and training in using the Light Side of the Force made it bearable.
"Secure the Jedi Temple first, we will. Deal with the Galaxy second comes next," said Yoda while he now walked away from them.
"This is hard on him. There hasn't been something even remotely like this since the time of Revan and the Jedi Civil War," said Eath Koth while Master Windu nodded.
"It weighs down on all of us. But yes, Master Yoda is suffering the most. He trained many, if not all the Jedi here when they were once Younglings here in the temple. So many dying, injured, and turning on each other like we did has no doubt shaken him to the core of his beliefs," said Master Windu and it was disheartening to see the once proud Jedi Grandmaster look almost defeated.
"We can endure this. The Force command us to change with the times. It does not care how it happens. So long as it does happen. We are at the tipping point. If we don't change, the fear the Force will make it happen, whether we want to change with the times or not," replied Shaak Ti with the two Jedi Masters now deep in thought.
"Vader and Skywalker. The two are connected to this. They will bring the change. The balance that was foretold in the prophecy," commented Eath with Shaak Ti thinking about that in her mind.
"Possibly. Prophecies are not meant to be taken literally or fully focused on in their entirety. Even more so if we try to make them come true. How the prophecy is fulfilled is left up to interpretation. For all we know the prophecy could happen with the Sith winning in an unknown and unique way, even if it results in their own destruction," remarked Shaak Ti with Master Windu and Master Koth nodding since that could be one such possibility.
"We will look at this issue surrounding the prophecy another time. For the moment, we need to direct our focus on healing the Jedi Order before our enemies learn of this and can seek to make the wounds deeper," said Master Windu knowing at least one Sith would attack the Jedi Order in its current state.
(Supreme Chancellor's Office)
Darth Sidious wanted to laugh. Laugh as he did when something truly advantageous went his way. His old Master warned him of gloating too much over the small things. Even the big things. Victories over his enemies, no matter the size or significance, were not allowed to be known through it. Sidious had once scoffed at his old master's words but was punished for it all the same with the Muun Force chocking the man to his knees, and Plagueis glaring at him with his own Sith eyes.
Even now, despite the man being dead, those same Sith eyes and glare Plagueis gave him still caused a small shiver of fear to run down his spine. Though Sidious would never admit it. He would never admit it, nor would he acknowledge the Muun was right. The idea of his old master being right long after death was irritating on various levels that insulted Sidious's pride.
"Never gloat my young apprentice. Never! It breeds arrogance. It reveals the truth you wish hidden. You wish to be a Sith Lord, yet you hide it and your true self from the rest of the galaxy. Gloating about your victories will only reveal what you wish hidden. Gloating reveals what you are to people. You may think in time, the power you have accumulated, amassed, and marshalled to your side in the Force and in life surrounding your political friends in the Senate will protect you should it all come to light. It will not."
"At least until the Empire is made Master. Once the Grand Plan is complete, there will be no need to hold back our gloating over our dead enemies."
"Arrogant fool! The Galactic Empire we seek to make from the ashes of the Republic through the Grand Plan will not and cannot protect you, even if you became its Emperor. You can never reveal yourself to be a Sith Lord to the public should you succeed in such a goal. For it was the Sith Order which caused pain and suffering throughout the galaxy for the last 1,000 years in secret. It was the Sith Order which has been secretly orchestrating conflicts throughout the galaxy. It was the Sith Order which started Galactic wars, battles, and the rise or fall of star systems through our invisible guiding hand. We helped whisper into the ears of the Senate to put down the growing strength of the Mandalorians before they could rise to power once more. Do you think the galaxy as a whole will stand for it? That just because our enemies in the present will be dead by the time our formation of the Empire begins, new enemies will not rise to avenge them? To get their revenge on us for what the Sith Order did?"
"Not if we instill fear upon our future enemies and throughout the galaxy. A fear of knowing that we can destroy their lives no matter what they try to do. A fear so strong and spread so far throughout the entire Galaxy, we could gloat to our hearts content and our enemies would be powerless."
"You forget my young apprentice; the galaxy is vast. Endlessly so. There is not enough fear in the galaxy to secure the submission of everyone in it. Not even you, for all your plots, plans, and schemes can hope to make it happen. You will no doubt try. But I believe your attempts will fail."
"And why is that Master. Surely my plan has merit."
"In theory, yes. But theory on a subject is one thing. Practicing it is another. Tell me Sidious, how could you control the galaxy with fear in the years to come. When your body is old. The flesh weak. And your apprentice is seeking to take your position from you. The Rule of Two demands you relinquish what you have to him or her when the time is right. What if your apprentice becomes Emperor after you and seeks to change things?"
"I would never allow any apprentice I train to get that far. I would find a way to live forever. I would seek to be like the Sith Emperor of old and live beyond my human limitations."
"You would pervert the Rule of Two? Prevent the full circle to be completed?"
"If I am the Emperor of a Galactic Empire, what is the point of having an apprentice one day take what is mine?!"
"Again, you are being arrogant Sidious. You see things only as they pertain to you and you alone. The Rule of Two exists so the next generation grows stronger over the previous ones. A change with each new Sith Lord who becomes Emperor. A changing with the times. To never grow stagnant. To never be one thing long after another is outdated. If there is one thing, I wish to teach you beyond anything else Sidious, is to never focus entirely on yourself in becoming powerful beyond any other. It will fuel your own arrogance and be your weakness from which an apprentice will exploit when the time is right."
"A vision of the future Master?"
"No. I am being realistic with you Sidious. Arrogance has brought down many who have been possessed by it. Sith. Jedi. Mandalorian. Bounty hunters. Chancellors. Senators. Emperors. The wealthy. The poor. The healthy. The sick. Arrogance does not care what you are, who you are, or what you can do regardless of your skill set. Just as a Sith Lord can have no weakness, being a Sith Lord requires you have no room for arrogance."
"Unless I have the power to support it."
"Arrogance feeds off your power Sidious. All you do, is make it stronger and your weakness that more apparent for all to see. Look at me Sidious. I have lived far longer than you. Have done much in my time as a Sith Lord. Do you see me gloating over my past victories? Over fallen enemies? Over my plots, plans, and schemes coming to fruition? No. Because I learned long ago to never be arrogant in what I do. Don't misunderstand me Sidious, you can enjoy your victories when obtained, but you should never do so in a way which reveals you had a hand in it one way or another."
Sidious fumed for days over the Muun's words. What was the point of obtaining victory after victory over your enemies and not gloat over how they fell? To reveal how you cast down such fools and were the reason for their demise? What was the point of enjoying it and not revealing it to others of similar mindsets years later when no one could stand against you for it? To Sidious, absolute power meant he could do whatever he wanted without repercussions. His actions would inspire fear from any enemies too frightened to do anything because Sidious had all the power and was not afraid to use it.
And yet, he was far from that day. Despite what just recently happened to the Jedi Order. How could he not laugh? How could he not gloat over how the Jedi Order had nearly torn itself apart? Even if he didn't have a hand in this action coming about the way it did? It had been glorious. Violent. It made him relish in the suffering of those arrogant fools who thought themselves his better in understanding the Force.
Unfortunately, the pleasure of it all was dulled and soured due to the simple fact Sidious could not take credit for such a major event hitting the Jedi Order. No. While the true architect of such an action did belong to a Sith Lord, it was not Sidious who could take credit for the Jedi's internal fighting.
That right belong to Darth Vader.
Oh, how Sidious hated that name! Hated that there was a Sith Lord out there who could challenge him for supremacy over the title. The right to be called the strongest of Sith of their time. Sidious saw Vader as a major threat to his plans and rightfully so given how his rival (and he was just that) took potential pawns prior to the Clone Wars and recruited them before Sidious himself could. How Vader took all of Sidious's intended his pawns meant to die one way or another during the Clone Wars and kept them alive for long terms assignments. Sidious had planned to use these pawns to manipulate the Clone Wars to his benefit, only for them to die on assigned missions so they weren't a threat to him in the future.
But Vader was messing up his plans to control the outcome of the Clone Wars. Instead of manipulating both sides of the war, Sidious could only control the Republic. He couldn't contact Dooku or any of the Separatists prized Generals or War Council to manipulate into being more ambitious and try staging a coup. None of them wanted to fight the Count or challenge the Sith Lord beside him.
'One day soon Darth Vader. We will fight. And when we do, I will show you the true power of the Sith and the Dark Side of the Force,' thought Sidious while relishing and hating what happened to the Jedi Order.
All the while ignoring the phantom chuckle of his old Master echoing within his mind.
(With Vader)
The Sith Lord smiled behind the mask that hid the lower part of his face. The Jedi Order had fractured to the point where they split figuratively in two. Both sides fighting for supremacy within the Jedi Temple. Anakin Skywalker and Qui-Gon Jinn were not there when it happened. Sidious had unknowingly and in a way, ironically, helped Skywalker from being a part of something that could arguably send him spiraling toward the Dark Side. The violence done in the Jedi Temple, the possibility of Qui-Gon dying, and how the old guard of Jedi treated Anakin would have pushed the Jedi Knight to the limit.
And ultimately created a second Darth Vader to this particular timeline.
As much as Vader wanted to capitalize on this fracturing and internal conflict within the Jedi Order, he could not act on it at this time. He was far away from Coruscant as one can get. His ship floating in space while thousands of construction droids were hard at work on making his prized weapon. He needed to have it built in absolute secrecy. Oh sure, the large number of droids he used would make those in the Republic Military Intelligence Unit wonder what the Hell he was doing. But they would never be able to track it. Many of the resources gathered for this project could be found in the Outer Rim, where he had it setup, or through the various subsidiaries owned by the Confederacy's corporate sector. Anything he had purchased was nothing new since they were used for the war effort and bought in massive bulk to be distributed all over.
Where they all went when divided up was impossible to track.
"My Lord, I have calculated the progress of the project and estimate it is 78% completed," said the droid commander in charge of running things while he was away.
"Projections from three months ago said it would be 86% by this point. What changed?" asked Vader while he frowned at this possible setback.
"Several key components and other vital parts obtained from a Techno Union Subsidiary were faulty and could not be used or else it would have caused internal problems," said the droid commander while the Sith Lord in front of him turned and walked over to him.
"I take it you returned the components and demanded replacements at a discount?" asked Vader with the droid commander nodding.
"Through our agents to keep the project a secret. The agents were met with resistance at first, but soon acquired the parts after the implication of blades and blasters being used if compliance was an issue," said the droid commander with Vader nodding since he was owed proper parts and at a discount.
"Have there been any report of other parts being considered faulty?" asked Vader since there could be more than one incident with getting high quality parts.
"After the initial report, I looked into the possibility of faulty parts already obtained and installed into the project. We were fortunate this was an isolated event. All other parts obtained for this have met our standards for use," said the droid commander with Vader nodding.
"Double check every part from now on when they are sent to us. Make sure all of them are inspected thoroughly to ensure they are exactly what we paid for," ordered Vader with droid commander nodding.
"Yes, my Lord," said the droid commander with Vader walking back over to the viewport to see his prize being built and smiled knowing it would be a sight to see when completed while allowing himself to dive into the Force to learn more of what is to come from this.
The most recent report on the war effort was three days ago, but even that was outdated. Troops were being moved. Campaigns beginning and ending. So much to do and so little time to do it. But when it came to delving into the Force, time was not your enemy. It was your friend. Time in the outside world as he knew seemed to freeze all around you while you walked through the flow of the currents. It took you places you saw different things, other moments in time regardless of if it was the past, present, or the future.
At the moment, Vader saw the future once more. Vividly! The path the Force showed him was clear. The war would come to an end soon. A few more pieces needed to be played. A few more actions needed to happen. A nudge here. A whisper there. Planting of information one location. Confirmation of it located in another.
All that Vader would need for the Jedi to see the truth. All that Vader would need to reveal Sidious as a Sith Lord to the Galaxy. The one the Jedi have been looking for all this time. The one who did horrible things to get to the position of Vice Chancellor and Supreme Chancellor. By the time Vader was done, one way or another, he would make sure Sidious would never recover or live following the aftermath of this war.
His former Master in another lifeline did not fear anything. Or so Sidious claimed when sitting on his throne. But Vader knew better. Sidious feared being exposed to the galaxy as a Sith Lord. It was why he never revealed it or said he was one on public long after becoming Emperor. Everyone had hated Vader for being one in the original timeline and rightfully so given his actions within the Empire. If Sidious had been revealed as one, people would have asked too many questions, put the pieces together, figured out the truth in everything that happened to form the Empire, and thus the Rebel Alliance's numbers would have swelled three times what they had been, if not more.
Vader was not just meant to be his subservient apprentice and slave in all but name. He was meant to take the brunt of the blame for the Emperor's crimes. If ever caught and arrested by the Rebels, Sidious could easily claim to be a weak and feeble old man while claiming Vader used his Force powers to have the Emperor approve of whatever the Sith Lord wanted. Some of the galaxy's masses already suspected him in the original timeline of turning the Emperor into a puppet sitting on the throne to manipulate so he could do whatever he wanted without repercussions from the Imperial Military. Laughable of course give the actual truth, but it was a card Vader knew Sidious would not hesitate to play. And it was a play many would believe given Sidious was a frail old man while Vader was far younger, and no one knew the Emperor was a Sith Lord.
All Vader had to do was shatter such an illusion before it could be used. Show the man was not the kind understanding figure everyone respected and was Supreme Chancellor. No. Vader intended to show this man was a man in slowly rotting flesh. Show them this man was pure evil, who loved to see others suffer whether they might have deserved it or not. How Sidious cared for only himself and would sooner see the Galaxy as a whole destroyed if the man could not live in it as its Emperor.
It was finally time to set the pieces into motion for the final part of this play's performance to reach its inevitable conclusion. To push back the curtain and to reveal the truth to the entire Galaxy.
To bring the darkness into the light and turn it into a balanced shade of grey.
"Commander. I think it's time to implement another strategic move in this war," said Vader suddenly with the droid commander turning to him.
"What strategic move would you like to implement my Lord?" asked the droid commander.
"Strategic maneuver code named 'False Presumption'. Authorization code: 293R9GT02QZ0," said Vader with the droid commander's eyes blinking for a moment before nodding.
"At once sir. I will contact Count Dooku, and our agents assigned to this maneuver immediately," said the droid commander with Vader nodding and the seeing it leave to carry out its orders.
"Query: Do you think this ploy will work Master?" asked HK-47 curiously while standing by to receive his own orders and be the Sith Lord's bodyguard.
"It will if it is done correctly HK. Once Sidious tries to reveal what he believes we have in our possession as a weapon of ultimate destruction, it will rally the Republic for a time. Only for us to reveal we do not possess such a weapon. Or plans for such a weapon he would claim us to have in our possession. It will make people question about how certain things and knowledge of it came into his possession. This plan is designed to make people question the man and what he does with his position of power," said Vader while HK nodded.
"Second Query: Isn't what we are building here a weapon of mass destruction Master?" asked HK-47 curiously again since what they were building was a might war machine.
"Yes, it is a weapon of mass destruction. But compared to what my enemy suspects I have been building all this time, the project being built here is minor by comparison," said Vader knowing the Death Star was a weapon that could destroy massive dreadnought warships just as well as planets.
And while it was nothing compared to the Force, the Death Star was Sidious's prize weapon. A weapon that Vader intended to turn against his former Master before it could even be created.
As for Anakin Skywalker, his arguably other half, the man was currently in a discussion on the next move against the Separatists with Qui-Gon and new apprentice Ahsoka Tano. As with the previous timeline, Ahsoka had picked up a few of Anakin's past habits, a few being bad ones which Qui-Gon was unable to remove. However, the trio had made quite name for themselves in the Clone Wars with Ahsoka showing she modeled herself in Anakin's image over Qui-Gon's. Which was understandable given Anakin being the teacher in this role while Qui-Gon helped with the finer tuning points of her education.
"My Lord, a message just came through from one our agents on Naboo," said a Protocol Droid rushing into the room as fast as his feet could carry him.
"What news?" asked Vader curiously.
"It pertains to the woman named Shmi Skywalker," said the Protocol Droid before handing the report to Vader, who nearly ripped the droid's arm off when grabbing the pad with the report.
When Vader read it, he was shocked to hear the news of this. His eyes widen, the shock of what he was reading filling his mind. It wasn't possible! Surely this was some sick joke. Some cruel act by Sidious had set into motion to help drive young Skywalker to the Dark Side through discreet channels. But when he reached out to the Force to see if what had happened was natural or through other nefarious means of the enemy, Vader was surprised to sense It was natural causes.
"Query: What does the report say Master?" asked HK-47 while seeing the Sith Lord suddenly lash out at the nearby Protocol Droid by suddenly crushing it into a ball.
"Shmi Skywalker. She is dead. A blood disease found on Tatooine called Kyrat Syndrome was the cause of death based on the doctor's report when examining her," said Vader while wondering how he never knew his Mother from another timeline had this.
Kyrat Syndrome was a rare disease found on Tatooine. It was a blood disease. Incubating in a person's body years on end. So rare that people didn't know they had the disease until it was too late and the disease attacking without mercy. No one understood how one contracted the blood disease, only that it existed and seemed to be contractable to those from Tatooine. The rumors of its origins could never be confirmed nor properly studied since the blood disease could hide itself in the blood. Some said it was a bioweapon left behind on a long-lost forgotten war. Others said it was something related to the planet and the heat it generated. Some even speculated the blood disease came from another planet but was transferred to Tatooine through some long-lost exotic looking item or food brought in by transport.
At the same time, any indication of someone having the disease being present when alive left soon after the body was dead from its attack. Only for what was determined afterwards to the body being easily recognizable as the disease made its mark. The disease rampaged through the body's internal organs, one by one, and using the veins the blood flowed through the body to reach its destination. Each organ hit, they looked ravaged, beaten, mauled, destroyed, and consider completely useless to the point that they could no longer support the body.
"Mournful sadness: My apologizes Master. I know from the past few years how much the woman meant to you when speaking to me in confidence about her. She must be someone really special to make you feel this level of sadness," said HK-47 while Vader nodded and closed his eyes before they opened.
"Prepare my shuttle. I must travel to Naboo immediately!" ordered Vader before he left the bridge to be alone to mourn the loss of the woman, who he called Mother in another lifetime.
He could only imagine how Anakin Skywalker would soon feel about this when word reached the man of his Mother passing.
(Naboo-Sometime Later)
It was a long day of sadness for the people of Naboo. A dear friend to many people on the planet had just passed on. When the funeral was held, many Nubian nobles attended it, the gungan leader Boss Nass had come, the former Queen and now Senator Padme Amidala Skywalker was also among those attending, to honor the woman who was Shmi Skywalker. Even though Shmi was not born on Naboo, she was well liked by many people she met when living on the planet. A handmaiden who had been diligent in her duties when serving the former Queen and the current Queen without hesitation or complaint on her part. It also didn't hurt her son was considered a hero all those years ago when defending the planet from the Trade Federation. To be the Mother of such a hero had placed her on a pedestal of sorts in the process. Not that Shmi used it to open doors to get what she wanted from others since it was not her style.
Shmi was born and raised as a slave for most of her life under the rule of a Hutt and was one of the few slaves, much less a former slave, who could honestly say they had lived long enough to escape that life. As such, Shmi was a humble woman and lived a simple but fulfilling life despite most of it being a slave and while her life on Naboo was much different, she never let it change her. When she wasn't on duty as a handmaiden, Shmi would go to the local markets to buy food and other necessary items, but would also interact with people, had conversations, and learned new things with each passing day.
In short, Shmi had become quite the people person with many who she called friends. When she died, it had been a great blow to her friends and colleagues who heard the news. Some couldn't even believe it when the news reached them. Many wept and cried during the funeral. Padme and Anakin most of all. They had hoped Shmi would be able to live a long life on Naboo after escaping the one she had as a slave.
To live all the way to the point where she could call herself a Grandmother.
Beside Anakin was Qui-Gon, who had his hand on his apprentice's shoulder in a show of support for the boy he helped raise as his apprentice. And like Padme and Anakin, he also held a deep sadness in his heart for the loss of Shmi. The two had become close over the years. Almost romantically close. While his duties as a Jedi had forbidden him from expressing it openly, the signs of the two being involved had been noticeable to Padme and Anakin. The only reason Qui-Gon kept it hidden from the public as the years progressed when training Anakin was due to the risk of the Jedi Order casting him out and leaving the boy to the mercy of those who would seek to keep Skywalker's potential suppressed. Add to the war going on throughout the Galaxy, it made things increasingly difficult for Qui-Gon and Shmi to be near the other without raising suspicion.
And while Qui-Gon knew Shmi would transform into the Force, as all Jedi believed and knew would one day happen upon death, the loss of the woman in the physical reality of existence was still hard. He was the closest thing Anakin had to a Father when raising the boy to be a Jedi and tried to be one regardless of his fellow Jedi Masters frowning at him for it. Qui-Gon honestly didn't know why certain Jedi Masters were so hard on Anakin when growing up at the Jedi Temple. When word reached them of the issue at the Jedi Temple, they had almost turned around from their assignment to the Outer Rim. It had been a difficult time for him, Anakin, and even young Ahsoka with so many Jedi turning on one another due to the fracture within the Order creating the divide.
And now this.
Looking around the room, Qui-Gon was not surprised to see so many people pay respects to Shmi, as she had been loved by all. Her position as Chief Handmaiden to two Queens of Naboo notwithstanding. Shmi had served Padme faithfully until the latter's term as Queen ended and continued on serving the successor to the title soon after.
But was surprising was the sight of Darth Vader there on Naboo. Here at this funeral, even though the man was responsible in freeing Shmi in the first place. Their time interacting with each other had been, as far as he knew, limited during and after the invasion of Naboo came to an end. He saw Vader's Sith eyes staring at Shmi's seemingly peaceful looking form with sadness in them. Why was he here? Why did he look so sad? It didn't make sense to the elderly Jedi Master. Why would this Sith feel this way toward this woman?
He would need to find out.
"You sense him too I take it?" asked Anakin while still staring at his Mother's body being placed in her grave while resisting the urge to look where the Sith Lord was standing.
"I do. Whatever you are thinking Anakin, we cannot engage him here. Now is not the time," warned Qui-Gon with Anakin nodding.
"I wasn't going to suggest it Master. We will wait and see where this takes us," replied Anakin with Qui-Gon nodding.
"Should I discreetly contact our ship to prepare deployment of troops to apprehend him?" asked Ahsoka curiously since she had seen Holo-Vids of Vader and his skills in battle.
"No. We cannot afford Naboo being turned into a battlefield. If we act first, it will look bad on our end of things. Besides, I sense he is not here for a fight. He is here to pay his respects. We will speak to Vader at a late time," said Qui-Gon with Anakin nodding since this was neither the place nor time to start a fight with a Sith Lord.
(With Vader)
He knew they would approach him. Knew they would sense him. See him. They would confront him on why he was here. Qui-Gon and Anakin would no doubt believe it was the brief history he had with her in this timeline. They weren't wrong. At least not entirely. Vader respected strong people. Strong in spirit as well as the mind and body. Shmi had endured much in his original timeline and this one though the last decade had been a paradise compared to the previous time and life on Tatooine.
Sith Lord or not. Mother or not. Vader would felt he would have paid his respects to the woman who birthed such a strong son to endure whatever the Galaxy threw at them. Slavery, the pain that came with it, the resentment from others who thought themselves superior, this very Force damned war, and every form of loss one can feel from it.
"You have questions for me," commented Vader casually without fear when he was alone with the three Jedi, his back to them, while on the very grassy field the droid army fought the gungans all those years ago.
"Why are you here?" asked Ahsoka with Vader raised an eyebrow at her and turned slightly to stare back at her.
"Why ask a question you already know the answer to young one?" asked Vader with Ahsoka scowling at him for not answering.
"I believe the question should be rephrased. Why did you attend Shmi Skywalker's funeral?" asked Qui-Gon with Vader glancing at him.
"To pay my respects. While my time being around her was brief all those years ago during the invasion of Naboo, the woman left quite the impression. It would be an insult to not pay my respects," said Vader calmly while he kept looking out at the green grassy field.
"You haven't seen her in over 10 years," commented Anakin with Vader smirking behind his face mask.
"That was more for her protection and yours young Skywalker. I didn't want the Jedi Order to have an excuse to keep you away from your Mother. We both know had I been in contact with her or this planet since the Trade Federation invaded, they would have either moved to relocate her or simply ban you from having any contact," said Vader, which was true since he knew the Jedi Order all too well in this timeline and his previous one.
The things he learned when going through the Jedi records regarding his old self in his old timeline had only proven to him the Jedi Order at the time was wrong in their treatment of him growing up in the Temple. Various logs showing several of the Jedi Masters trying to keep him down, belittling him during his time learning under Obi-wan. All in order to keep Anakin humbled, controllable, and to ultimately prevent his potential from surpassing their own.
Even his Mother's death in the first timeline was partially their fault. The Jedi Council knew about his visions of her dying. They knew! Obi-wan had addressed it to them after the third one came about, and Anakin told his old Master from that timeline about the dreams. The Jedi Council knew they were signs of the future events that could happen. Even more so when the visions came to him in near crystal-clear clarity one does not have unless they were going to happen in the extremely near future.
And what did the Jedi do? They allowed it to happen. They knew she was going to suffer and die at the hands of the Sand People. They wanted her to die! To sever the bond between parent and child. They instructed Obi-wan to tell him that it was just homesickness. They were just dreams. They would go away in time. To ignore the feeling of his Mother suffering and being in pain for reasons he did not know nor could understand at the time.
But Vader now knew what those words truly meant.
The "dreams" would go away in time, but only because Anakin's Mother would be dead. The feeling of "homesickness" would go away when the woman who birthed the galaxy's greatest Jedi of its time was no longer alive.
"And you know this how?" asked Anakin curiously, yet his eyes narrowed with a hint of anger in them since it was true.
"Because I know how the Jedi in your Order act when it comes to you young Skywalker. I know they feared change. Feared you. They tried to control your destiny. To control the prophecy that surrounds you. To control the Will of the Force itself," said Vader while the Jedi behind him tensed.
"So, you know about the prophecy surrounding the destruction of the Sith," commented Qui-Gon with Vader smirking since that part was always been a driving means for the Jedi to keep him around.
It was ironic how the prophecy became their undoing in the original timeline instead of salvation.
"I know you think, if not believe, the fracture within the Jedi Order was something I caused," said Vader since he knew many in the Jedi Order blamed him for many of the waves coursing through it.
"Are you saying the cause of the fracture is something else?" asked Ahsoka in disbelief.
"No. What I am saying is the fracture within the Jedi Order was already there. Or rather, it was multiple fractures. Microfractures to be precise. So small and minor at first glance, you could easily ignore them without a second thought. But knowing where to look for them, I have seen the microfractures all over, and simply applied the pressure to make them visible. It is not my fault the Jedi Order refuses to deal with them appropriately when feeling the pressure on those areas. If they had, the incident not that long ago would have never occurred," said Vader while sensing the sadness the three Jedi had for those within the Temple either dead or seriously injured.
"The problems were already there but hidden or buried too deep to see with our own eyes," surmised Qui-Gon with Vader nodding.
"Exactly. I merely applied the pressure. The Jedi Order did the rest when it came to their response," said Vader while not caring how so many Jedi in the Order perished since most of them deserved it for their crimes against him.
Even the Younglings who came before and after Anakin Skywalker to the Jedi Temple had been wronged for who knows for how many years. Taken from their parents. Against the wishes of said parents. Cut off from them. Even when some of the parents had inquired about their children. Only to receive nothing in terms of a response. Or, if the Jedi Order does respond, they tell you absolutely nothing, and instruct the parents to cease attempts at contact.
And that was just the Younglings taken from their parents when they were just babes not even a few years old. Those who grew up knowing about the Force, but never fully understanding it, and on worlds who called it something else were hurt by the Jedi Order. Some of these worlds were primitive and were not…friendly to those with such powers. Some cultures would shun or oppress those with the Force, yet the Jedi Order did nothing to help them because of the "too old" rule they setup. It was any wonder the Sith had a vast number of candidates over the last 1,000 years to pick apprentices when the Master was ready to train one.
For all their talk of following the Light Side of the Force, the Jedi seemed to only embrace a narrow view of things that left them being blinded from the ever-painful truth.
Light creates its own darkness.
"Is that why you have been recruiting Jedi thought missing or dead to your cause?" asked Qui-Gon with Vader scoffed.
"Please! Spare me the self-righteousness Jedi. What I did was correct a grave injustice. You know as well as I do what happened to those members of your Order sent to that prison was wrong. Is it any wonder they found a new life away from your fractured version of the Jedi Order?" asked Vader with Qui-Gon wincing since he knew the Sith Lord had a point.
"And should you win the war? What will you do with the galaxy under your control?" asked Anakin with Vader glancing over in his direction.
"Make it a better place. Contrary to the belief of the Jedi Order, there are some Sith who wish to rule over destroying. To forge a strong Galactic Empire that will bring peace and justice to the Galaxy where the Republic could not," replied Vader since that was an ideal, he could support.
In all honesty, Vader had nothing against the Republic. At one point in time, it was good, honest, and the Senators actually cared about the people they represented. But as the Republic grew, policies changed, Senators left, the ambitious took hold, backdoor deals were made, laws were twisted, and corruption took hold of a once proud government.
Granted, the Galactic Empire under Sidious wasn't much better in certain areas. Namely the stability of it was held together through Vader's former Master. Without him or the entire Galaxy would crumble into mindless wars and hardships not seen in ages. And it wasn't like Sidious had made things stable in the first place under his rule after turning the Republic into the Empire. He oppressed nonhuman beings, instilling people who thought similar to himself and gave them his full support in oppressing the people on the worlds they ruled over. Added to this instability were the many public executions, the biological weapons, ruthless genocide on entire races on multiple planets, and the secret super weapons of mass destruction designed to destroy entire planets.
Vader knew Sidious well enough to know he was a poor ruler and would sooner destroy the Galaxy if the man could not rule it. Something he learned painfully before and after finding out about Exegol. Vader had come there to find the Emperor's secrets and get his revenge on his Master for the Hell the man put him through with his lies.
Vader only wished he had lived long enough in his old timeline to see the evil Emperor's backup plan to survive being betrayed had failed horribly. Vader endured the nightmares that stood in his way there and saw the plans the Emperor had made to still rule over in secret. His cloning technology, which he had taken from Kamino during the chaos of the Clone Wars, stored the tanks away in secret, and move to Exegol in secret when the Empire was formed. Using the expeditions to the Outer Rim, the Emperor had found the planet and placed the cloning tanks there.
Though Vader was sure the Emperor would have been in for a complete shock had his used it with what his former apprentice did when arriving there. Vader swore to himself that Sidious would never know peace in any shape or form. Should he be successful in escaping death by Vader's hands, the man would suffer. Suffer as Vader had suffered all those years. Suffer in perpetual agony in a way that was worthy of his master's own cruelty aimed toward others.
Vader had sabotaged the cloning tanks in a way that made cloning a Force sensitive extremely difficult, if not impossible to perfect. It was a hidden fact regarding the cloning of someone that making a copy of a Force sensitive successfully was exceedingly rare. The Force disliked copies of those who could wield its power and Vader felt it was an unwritten rule made by the cosmic energy that there could never be multiple copies of an individual capable of wielding the Force. Though what Sidious had in mind was to move his spirit into a cloned body of himself when the original corpse died. Something Vader could not and would not allow to happen should the Emperor try his backup plan.
A least, not without consequences.
Vader had sabotaged the cloning tanks on Exegol in a way that should Sidious use them, he would find that not only do the clones not meet his expectations, but it would trap the man in one of those bodies and in perpetual agony. The clone bodies themselves would also come out of the tanks deformed and hideous, almost like a rotting corpse. Vader was sure they could use the Force when out of the tanks, but every time they moved, twitched, blinked, breathed, or just moved in general would feel like they were being stabbed all over by several thousand needles.
Should Sidious use his backup plan to escape death's embrace, he would suffer for as long as the clone body inhabited lived and would do so with every single body, even if he transferred into another one to stay alive. It was Vader's revenge against him. It was why he served the Emperor so loyally afterwards to make the man believe he had seen there was no way to defy him and had won against his apprentice. Vader had done the exact same thing Sidious had done to his Master and even turned the contingency plan against Sidious in case his former Master hoped to laugh in the face of betrayal and death.
But Vader would be the one to have the last laugh in his original timeline. He had made sure of it. The old man would suffer for years, decades with no hope or end in sight short of killing himself. Nothing short of someone strong in the Force, someone of his choosing to kill him, and capable of holding his dark spirit into their body, could free the man from his future Hell in that timeline.
And just to be even more spiteful in this one, Vader made sure Sidious never knew about Exegol or its location. He had seen to that on his own with the memory of the coordinates burned into his brain after Ochi of Bestoon took him there the first time around. Vader didn't need the Sith Wayfinder to locate that world on his second trip there. The beast guarding it was torn apart without hesitation before it had the mindset to attack him. All he had to do was fly over the planet and drop top secret planet destroying weapon charges on key locations before getting clear. The Dark Side had howled in fury that day at the loss of such a world centralized in its essence but was also relieved at the same time. Not unlike hating to have something painfully removed without anesthetic, but glad to have it removed all the same.
"An empire of any kind forged by a Sith is filled with oppression and tyranny. Not to mention it is only as strong as the Sith Emperor who rules it," commented Ahsoka snidely with Vader now smirking behind his mask at her words.
Sidious would have killed her slowly and painfully for telling such a truth out loud, if he was here without the eyes of the Galaxy constantly watching him.
"That all really depends on the Sith Emperor who rules over the Empire. Besides, your Republic is not better at this point with so many corrupt Senators. Not to mention your Supreme Chancellor. Shouldn't his time be over soon? Given how his time in the Senate is well past the standard time of service," said Vader with amusement in his voice.
"The Senate demanded he stay longer," remarked Anakin with Vader nodding.
"No doubt afraid that a change of leadership now in the middle of a war would prove disadvantageous to the Republic. The not so small issue with the Jedi Order fracturing to the point of brief civil war it just had notwithstanding," commented Vader since that was how Sidious kept himself in office for so long and when word of the Senate trying to limit the hidden Sith from centralizing his powerbase for when he became Emperor.
"What is your point?" asked Ahsoka with her patience becoming dangerously thin.
"My point is nothing is what it seems. The Jedi Order has become stagnant and blinded by the Dark Side as a result. You have tried to change but the change has possibly come too late. To make matters worse, the Force is no longer your ally. Or rather, it is no longer an ally to most of the Jedi Order. Otherwise, the war would be over or close to it," replied Vader before he began walking away.
"And what makes you think we won't try to kill you here to end help end it?" asked Ahsoka while Anakin put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
"And risk severe political fallout? Risk the public turning on the Jedi Order even more with the way it has had certain truths brought to light about itself? Naboo is a neutral planet despite how it is the home of the Supreme Chancellor. As such, we leave our difference, and fighting on the frontlines of the war. Not here. And certainly not after the funeral of someone all of us here have come to respect and love a great deal," said Vader while turning to stare at Anakin with the man nodding.
This place in time was not meant to be one of fighting an enemy. It was a time of mourning and loss. A time to grieve and eventually move on after healing from the wound brought by the end of the life that was Shmi Skywalker.
"What was my Mother to you Lord Vader? Why do I sense there is more to this situation?" asked Anakin with Vader looking back a little further.
"In time young Skywalker. One day, you will know the truth. Until then, be true to yourself. Honor your Mother's memory in what it means to be a good man. In the short time I knew her, it was all she ever wanted in life," said Vader before walking away toward his speeder.
"Cryptic much," commented Ahsoka with Anakin frowning.
"Master?" asked Anakin while glancing at Qui-Gon to get his feeling about the Sith Lord.
"I am as baffled as you Anakin. But I trust in the Force. And right now, the Force is letting this play out as it should. Patience is the key here my former apprentice," said Qui-Gon with Anakin nodding since the old Jedi Master had not misguided him yet.
"I understand Master," said Anakin with a small smile.
"Why can't you be like Master Jinn when teaching me?" asked Ahsoka with Anakin's smile turning into a smirk.
"I will when you stop acting snippy towards me during our lessons Snips," answered Anakin with Ahsoka sticking out her tongue in a childish manner.
"Now I wish I made that wall fall on you instead of letting you go through the conveniently placed hole," remarked Ahsoka in a grumbling tone with Anakin letting out a small chuckle.
"Your loss is my gain Snips," said Anakin before they headed back to Padme's home.
He needed to spend time with his wife after the funeral. Even more so now with Padme feeling the loss of Anakin's Mother almost as much as Anakin himself. Shmi had taken a liking to Padme instantly, even before knowing she was a Queen. Even gushing when Anakin and Padme married while saying her son had actually married a Queen. Like it was something out of a story. Granted, Padme was a former Queen turned Senator at the time, but it still made Shmi happy knowing her son had found love from a woman like Padme.
Anakin also knew spending time with his wife would help keep his mind off the Sith Lord they just let go and the strange feeling about Vader he couldn't quite place.
(Coruscant-Chancellors Office)
"And this is reliable? Without question?" asked Sidious to Mas Amedda who had provided him with a data pad with information in it.
"Yes Master. I was extremely careful. There can be no doubt the Separatists are building a dangerous weapon," said Mas Amedda with Sidious smirking.
"So, they have made their own plans for such a weapon after all. And to think I was going to use the war to secretly plan its creation to use once everything was over," commented Sidious while relishing how this information could be used to rally the Senate to his cause once more and maybe even get quite a few of the so called "neutral planets" back on his side.
"Yes Master. While I cannot confirm what shape the weapon will become due to such information being beyond my means of obtaining, it is clear from the massive production increase in various parts of the Outer Rim that something massive is being built. Something the Separatists do not wish to be known to us or the Republic. Something on a level not yet seen by the Galaxy at large since the time of Revan," said Mas Amedda since making a warship on a massive scale were rare and expensive in these times when compared to several thousand years ago.
"Yes. And we can use that in the Senate. Even the circumstantial evidence here will be enough to throw the Sensate into a frenzy and fuel the war effort to our side. Make sure to embellish a few things before I release this information to the Senate. Just to be sure," said Sidious with Mas Amedda bowing slightly.
"Yes Master," said Mas Amedda before he left the room.
"Soon Darth Vader. Soon I shall end you and your plans. The time of the true Sith will be upon us. The Jedi will be no more. The Republic will die. I will cast down you, my old master's act of revenge, and even the Force itself. Soon, I will be the only true Sith in the Galaxy with every person in it bowing to my power," said Sidious grinning at the thought of casting down so many of his enemies near the end of the war.
Little did he know, a certain assassin droid was on a nearby building was secretly recording everything Sidious had just said. While the spot was perfect for HK to kill the Sith, his orders were not to kill the target in question. Not yet. Vader had wanted to justify the hidden Sith's death so when it came, no one could dispute it. No one would rise to the defense of the Supreme Chancellor or prosecute the one who killed him.
In the Galaxy filled with good and evil. Darkness and light. The one who controlled the shades of grey in-between was Master over everything.
(A/N: YAY! A much long-awaited update. Many have wished for an update and I intend to deliver. Some of you probably know of the comic which involves Vader being punished by Sidious following the events of Empire Strikes Back and before Return of the Jedi. How Sidious breaks Vader's body and leaves him on Mustafar while "helping" his apprentice connect with the Dark Side again, which eventually leads to Exegol. FYI, I never read the comics, only saw small snippets, and whatnot so I don't everything in them. However, when it came to Exegol, I felt that Vader would do something that would allow him to finally gain his revenge on Sidious if successful in killing him. Vader doesn't strike me as a man who gives up on something so easily and it would explain Sidious's inability to do anything when on Exegol during Rise of Skywalker. If you recall in the film, Sidious was in perpetual agony while in that machine crane thing and the clones of his body were essentially failures. The man had to resort to making those Snoke clones to compensate for his crippled state. I figured Vader sabotaged the cloning tanks to make that happen and the one body Sidious did claim was (as I just mentioned) crippled, if not a slowly decaying corpse. What better revenge for Vader to deliver to his Master and carry out the promise of making sure Sidious never knew peace? It would also explain why Vader was so loyal to the Emperor afterwards since he had been successful in setting his revenge into motion with the Emperor being none the wiser. All that was left to bring everything to fruition was Luke facing the Emperor, play his part as a loyal servant, and simply wait for Sidious to become so focused on Luke that he wouldn't see the final act of betrayal coming. But that is my theory on how things played out when Vader was there. Until next time…PEACE!)