CHAPTER THREE
Before heading off to Coruscant, the Millennium Falcon dropped off Toah Jarsan at the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV. The Jedi Praxeum had once been the Great Temple of Yavin until it was changed into an academy and later the headquarters of the New Jedi Order. Chief of State Mon Mothma had offered to help construct a new Jedi Temple on Coruscant, but Luke had declined, saying that it would be a while until a new temple was needed.
Toah stepped off the Falcon and walked up the steps of the Great Temple and into the academy. Waiting there were his fellow Jedi Kyp Durron and Kelbis Narik.
"Well, if it isn't the star!" Kyp laughed. "How's it going, Toah? Find anything about Master Skywalker's whereabouts?"
Toah shook his head. "Nothing. However, it does seem like we're up against another faction."
"Another faction?" Kelbis echoed. "Who are they?"
"I don't know," Toah replied. "All I know is that they were after Imperial information and weren't afraid to kill a dozen stormtroopers to get it."
Kyp smirked. "That's not much to go on. I'm sure Darth Vader has killed a bunch of stormtroopers to get what he wanted."
Toah nodded. "True...but I feel as if there's something more..."
"Ah, don't be such a worrying Gammorean wart," Kelbis said with a laugh. "Come on, Master Leia wants to see you."
"Why?" Toah asked. "It's not about Master Luke, is it?"
The Rodian Jedi shrugged. "Beats me. I'm not the person to ask. All she said is that she wants to speak with you."
"All right," Toah said. "Take me to the Council Chambers."
Kelbis nodded and the two Jedi walked through the Praxeum's corridors until they reached a circular room where Leia Organa Solo and five other Jedi Masters awaited them.
"You summoned me, Master Leia?" Toah asked once Kelbis had left.
"Yes," Leia replied. "I have a mission for you, one that I am sure you can accept."
"What is it?" Toah asked.
"We've decided that you shall continue Luke's original mission in finding out more about the Jedi. And, if absolutely necessary, the Sith in case we need a way to stop Darth Sidious."
Toah shifted nervously. "Why me? I failed Master Luke. I could have saved him!"
"Don't say that," Jedi Master Xanus Baran said calmly. "Who knows what Palpatine did to him. It could've been impossible to save Luke. It's not your fault..."
"Master Baran is right," said Master Morin Tharr. "And besides, you have become a skilled Jedi Knight. I think it's only fair that you are given this task."
Leia nodded in agreement. "However, you will not go alone. Jedi Knight Kyle Katarn shall accompany you, since you will need someone more experienced to ensure you do not suffer the same fate as my brother."
Toah bowed to the Jedi Masters. "I accept your task, masters. And...thank you."
* * *
The fortress of Darth Sidious had never before felts so...intimidating.
Titus Klev was indeed used to being in the same vicinity as a Sith Lord, having served under Darth Vader on the Executor for a time. However, Sidious was different. More often then not did Klev hear the bloodcurdling screams of tortured subordinates as the Emperor punished them for their failures.
And if Sidious was not frightening enough, then it was his two acolytes, Lumiya and her apprentice Flint Torul. If the Emperor required someone to be executed, he would send them to be electrocuted constantly by Lumiya while being repeatedly by Flint with his lightsaber. The screams that came from their room haunted Klev all the way to his dreams. But the admiral managed to keep his cool and continue with his duties.
From his place in the fortress' command station, Klev monitored the construction of the Emperor's new superweapon, the Galaxy Gun. Sidious had studied the flaws and weaknesses of the two Death Stars and, with the assistance of Imperial designer Umak Leth, began creating the Galaxy Gun.
So far, the main build was complete, with only the armor plating needing to be finished. Then, the Emperor would test this superweapon on a nearby planet known as Abanol. If the test was successful, Sidious would then take the weapon to Coruscant and threaten the Republic into surrendering.
And then, the galaxy would be his.
* * *
Awaiting Toah in the Praxeum's hangar was Kyle Katarn standing by his ship, the Raven's Claw.
"Hey, Toah!" Kyle called. "The council just told me that you would need help in your mission so they asked me to come with you."
"I know," Toah said. "So, have any ideas on where to start?"
Kyle shrugged. "I'm not that knowledgeable on Jedi-related planets, but I do know a rumor that a Jedi academy used to be on Telos Four."
"Was?" Toah asked. "So it's not there anymore?"
"Only one way to find out, right?" Kyle said with a grin.
Toah chuckled as he and Kyle climbed onto the Raven's Claw, and soon the light courier ship was out of the hangar, blasting off into Yavin space.
* * *
The world of Krem-Zon was one hard to get to. Warships surrounded the planet and destroyed any ship its scanners did not recognize. Thus, Thrawn was completely clueless on how he and the remnants of the Imperial Fleet were able to pass through the blockade and land on the planet.
Awaiting them, strangely, was a masked man in crimson and ebony armor, which was dangerously close to the armor of the Emperor's Royal Guards. The man was even flanked by beings in similar armor. The lead man presented a simple, yet suspicious offer to Thrawn: to join his own empire and enact their vengeance on Palpatine's Dark Empire together.
Hesitantly, Thrawn accepted the offer and merged the remnants of the old Empire with this new 'Crimson Empire' as the man had called it.
It had been nearly a year since then...and Thrawn was still not sure that he had made the right choice. The masked man, simply called the Crimson Emperor by everyone else, never spoke of his exact plans to the Grand Admiral, conferring only with his Force-sensitive warriors known as the Crimson Knights.
However, the other high-ranking Imperials, such as Gilad Pellaeon, did not seem to care much of this...inactivity. "Was it not exposing his plans that caused Emperor Palpatine and the original Empire to fall?" Pellaeon had asked one day. "I believe it is for the greater good."
"Perhaps," Thrawn replied, but suspicion still tingled his mind. Soon, the Chiss Imperial had had enough of it and took a transport for the Crimson Emperor's palace. Once there, Thrawn walked up the many steps that led to the palace's twin black doors. Two armored guards stood in his path as they crossed their staffs, preventing entry.
"What business do you have here?" one of the guards demanded. "You know that only Crimson Knights are allowed to see the Emperor."
"My reasons are not for you to know," Thrawn replied coldly. "If you wish to keep your job, you will let me pass."
"I'm afraid we can not, sir," the other guard told him. "If you simply state your reasons, we will consider allowing you entrance."
Thrawn's red eyes narrowed. "Very well. I wish to discuss with the Crimson Emperor on our plans against the Republic and the Dark Empire."
The guards exchanged nervous glances with each other before the one on Thrawn's left said, "The Emperor does not take criticism lightly..."
"Neither did Palpatine," Thrawn muttered. "Will you let me enter now?"
"Indeed, we shall," the other guard said as he and his partner stepped aside. "But I'm not sure if his majesty will let you leave...alive, at least."
"I'll take my chances," Thrawn said quietly as he passed through the black doors...
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