EBONY AND JADE

Part Two

The tallest spire of the Imperial Palace, and thus the tallest point of any building on Coruscant, contained a small transparisteel room known as the Emperor's observation deck. This room was shaped like a cylinder with see through walls, and was bare except for a throne that could rise up through the floor from the room below. The Emperor liked to sit here and view his planetary domain, reflecting on the knowledge that it was all his own. He might lay claim to distant worlds on the rim, but Imperial City was something he could touch and truly possess.

It was a magnificent sight this evening, as usual, and it served to distract Palpatine from his growing fears about his physical decline. The sun had just set, and two pale moons were visible, hanging in the dusk sky. The dimming light revealed a world surface made up, not of land, but of buildings, with cathedral like clusters of skyscrapers rising from a vast plain of rooftops, public squares, and spaceports. At the rooftop level, the narrow spaces between buildings looked like long roads from the Emperor's perch, but were actually dim canyons where windows and travel tubes were aglow, descending into darkness like the light starved lower levels of a dense forest.

The city extended from horizon to horizon, a world of densely packed structures that blended into each other from the vantage point of the observation deck. The buildings that stood out from that height were the colossi, structures that rose above the rest like castles on a field. Among these were the towering walls of Monument Plaza, an enclosed park where one could touch the bare rock of a mountain peak without going far south to the Manarai range, as well as view many statues of the Emperor himself. Palpatine's gaze also fell on the mushroom shaped Senate building, with its carved stone statues. Once, it had been one of the grandest structures on the planet, but now the Palace cast its shadow completely over it. The Emperor smiled as he looked down on where he had once served as a Senator. Ah, how the mighty have risen, he thought. He moved on, revolving his throne to look for the sprawling University of Coruscant with its millions of students, all studying Imperial-approved subjects. There was the Imperial Justice Court, where his laws were enforced, and the giant cube of the Imperial Security Operations building, where the agents of the New Order congregated. And there was Lord Vader's dark castle, built atop the ruins of the Jedi Temple, a brooding structure that suited its owner. It was the only large edifice without a multitude of surface lights. The Emperor took in the city glow that arose from everywhere else, smiling with satisfaction.

His eyes automatically skipped over certain areas of Imperial Center; they ignored the segregated alien sectors, and did not pause where the decaying underworld of Coruscant could be glimpsed. Instead, they tracked upwards, to the constant stream of ships flying all around against the shimmering green and red night sky auroras. It was beautiful, but he had saved the best for last. Palpatine rose from his throne and walked to the window. Looking straight down, he could see his masterpiece below him, his world, his Palace. It had been built over the ancient Presidential Palace, reconstructed, enlarged, and enhanced according to his design. It was a hybrid cathedral and pyramid made of polished gray-green rock and sparkling mirror crystals, beautified with marble and carvings based on old Sith symbols. The structure was never dark, and at night, it was lit up as if the sun had been trapped in a hollow glass mountain, a fortress of light with tapered spires and fragile looking towers rising from every conceivable surface. The Palace was Palpatine's monument to himself. He loved to gaze at its majesty, which reflected his own. His world contained treasuries and prisons, computer centers and war rooms, libraries and residential areas, vaults and studies, audience chambers and throne rooms. Most importantly, his world contained himself. But...for how long?

As they inevitably did, Palpatine's thoughts returned to his problem - his accelerated, unstoppable aging. For now, he owned this magnificent world, but bleak death waited in the shadows, marking time until it could steal all of this away. He couldn't bear the thought of another person ruling his Empire when he was gone. But what could he do? He was the victim of a hideous irony. The very power he had used to rise so high was now destroying him. It came down to this: Palpatine needed the dark side more than it needed him. The dark side eventually consumed its champions, so hungry to destroy life that it swallowed even its greatest servants. According to his studies with the Sith, if a great dark side adept died, his spirit would be forever lost in the howling chaos of the dark side itself. With that waiting for him, there was only one thing he could do. He had to find a way not to die at all.

So far, he had produced no solutions. And so, he lived with his fear every day. It was like a crushing weight, insubstantial as the air, heavy as the Palace itself. He strove to deny his fear, to bury it deep inside. Fear was slavery, and Palpatine was a proud servant, not a slave. He knew he richly deserved the power granted to him. As he expanded his Empire, he generated fear, anger, and aggression across space, feeding the dark side on a galactic scale. His gift to the darkness was the chaos that was ironically called the New Order. All he asked in return was that he be spared. But his withered flesh held the answer to his plea - the dark side was indifferent, unconscious, amoral, relentless.

Palpatine was not ready to admit defeat. If there was a way to find, he would find it. He would continue to follow every lead. This strange Jedi Vader had spotted...now there was a possibility. Vader had sworn that he had killed this man, and yet, here he was at the Palace. Of course, it was possible that Vader was wrong...or even - dare he think it of his faithful servant - deceiving him. But something told Palpatine that that was not so. A tremor in the Force...a chill across his soul...the Emperor's instincts were rarely wrong. This Ashka Boda was important. He knew things...secrets that he would soon give up to Palpatine in the interrogation center. Perhaps the secret of surviving death itself. He shivered with anticipation. With immortality and his own dark genius, there would be nothing he could not accomplish.

He turned away from the windows. It was time to go and meet with Lord Vader. His servant would then go out and bring Ashka Boda to him. And, just to make certain that Vader carried out his mission properly, he was going to assign the Dark Lord a partner. Vader's role in this matter was still ambiguous, his connection with Ashka Boda not fully clear. Boda was too important a prize to risk killing...prematurely. And so, it was time to unveil his new and precious tool. His own creation...the new Emperor's Hand.

The main audience chamber was a wide corridor with a scooped out floor. Platforms for Imperial guards lined the walls, alongside computer duty stations. Right now, as Darth Vader passed below these platforms, they were empty. This was to be a private meeting. At the far end, wide steps climbed up to the throne. Part way up these was a platform for projecting holograms. The ceiling was extremely high, with long light panels running vertically up the walls. Behind the throne, and to either side, were circular windows, divided by spoke like polished bars. The bars were joined by small curved pieces at odd intervals, giving the impression of a round web. A fourth such window was positioned high above the throne, dominating the room. Vader reflected that very few people existed who understood that the shape of each window was the Sith symbol for chaos.

Vader's Master sat waiting in the throne at the top of the stairs. After Vader had climbed to just below eye level with the Emperor, he stopped and gave a small bow from the waist.

"Welcome, my friend," said the Emperor. "We have much to discuss." Palpatine smiled at his foremost servant. Vader trembled slightly. The Emperor was an intense concentration of dark side power, like a black flame burning. Ever since Vader's new life began, he had craved his Master's presence. Being by his side was like being warmed by a fire, or cooled by a breeze. It filled up his hollow core with purpose. Vader guessed that his Master was transferring some of the Force's energy to him, perhaps as a reward for service. He straightened and replied simply, "What is thy bidding?"

Palpatine leaned forward in the throne. "I have taken your reports of a Jedi here in the Palace very seriously, Lord Vader. It is a matter that greatly disturbs me." The Emperor paused. "But I find your assertion that this Jedi has returned from the dead to be...questionable."

Vader bristled, and Palpatine continued soothingly, "I do not question your word to me, my servant. However, it is possible that you were somehow deceived." He smiled at Vader, then waved a wrinkled hand dismissively. "But that is a secondary concern. We are agreed that any Jedi is a threat that must be dealt with at once."

Vader nodded. "Yes, my Master."

"Good. In the past, you have served the Empire well in hunting down Jedi Knights. I command you to do so again. I wish you to capture this Ashka Boda and bring him before me. Then I will question him personally. This should be well within your capabilities, so long as he is merely a Jedi. After all," the Emperor chuckled dryly, "you have killed him before."

Vader did not reply. Had he spoken the angry words on his lips, he would have been punished for his insolence. Instead, he controlled his emotions and waited.

The Emperor stood, clasping his hands together between his enormous sleeves and looking down at Vader's helmet. "And yet, it is never wasteful to be cautious, Lord Vader. The Jedi might be more than he seems, as you believe. And so I have decided that you should be accompanied on this mission by an assistant."

The announcement took Vader completely by surprise. He took an involuntary step back down the stairs. In that one terrible second, his fierce pride had been cut to the quick. That his Master should think that he was not capable of handling Ashka Boda by himself! In his surprise, Vader did not notice the small figure that slipped into the chamber via one of the semi-hidden side doors. The newcomer walked nimbly up the stairs to stand by Palpatine's side. The Emperor placed a fatherly hand on this person's shoulders, his black sleeve draped around her small body.

"I would like you to meet Mara Jade," said Palpatine. "She is to be Emperor's Hand and your partner in capturing Ashka Boda."

Vader stared at Mara Jade in anger. His indignation spiraled out of control as he realized she was just a girl, a teenager. Usually so careful in the presence of the Emperor, Vader, for once, lost his patience with Palpatine. "Is this to mock me, Master?" he rumbled harshly. "I swear to you that what I said about Ashka Boda is true. There is an unknown danger, and sending a mere girl..."

Palpatine's yellow eyes flashed, silencing the Dark Lord. He pointed a crooked finger at Vader and addressed him. "Perhaps I did not make myself clear, Lord Vader! You are acting like a young fool who speaks before he thinks. This young woman is my personal assassin, a trained agent. I demand that you treat her with respect." Palpatine turned abruptly away from Vader and returned to his throne.

Mara Jade remained standing, the picture of discomfort, looking unsteadily at Vader. Vader took the opportunity to examine her closely. She was short and thin in her black body suit. Her short-clipped hair was deep red with bright gold highlights. Her emerald green eyes seemed too large for her small face. She seemed at once competent, because of the combat training evident in her stance, and vulnerable, because of the naiveté evident in her eyes. She did not seem afraid of either Vader or the Emperor, but she did seem embarrassed by how the meeting had begun.

"Your reaction to Mara Jade," the Emperor spoke up pedantically, "is the reason she will make an excellent assassin. Her victims will not suspect a 'mere girl', either. But that assumption will be their last mistake, for Mara has been trained well." Palpatine stared at Mara as he spoke. With his attention on her, she straightened with pride and abandoned Vader's face to look at the Emperor with gratitude. "Mara was raised here on Coruscant," he continued. "I took a personal interest in her education, keeping in contact with her and seeing that she had the best teachers. She is also a capable pilot, and knows many of the latest fighting forms." Palpatine placed one hand on his chest. "Even I have been her teacher. She has a minor sensitivity to the Force, which I have nurtured. It gives her an advantage as an assassin. I also think, Lord Vader, that there is much that she could learn from you."

Vader felt incredulous at this turn of events. There was a Jedi to be hunted down, and the Emperor wanted to send an adolescent to do it? And yet, Vader was not being mocked. There must be a very good reason for Palpatine to do this. Vader vowed he would find out what it was. He looked at his Master. The Emperor was watching him, with his jaw set and his mouth a thin line of displeasure. Vader could not afford the Emperor's displeasure, not now, and not ever. No one who directly defied him had ever survived the experience. Vader answered in the only way open to him. "It shall be as you wish, my Master."

Palpatine still glared at him. "Very good, Lord Vader. Given time, you will see the value of my new agent."

Mara Jade breathed a careful sigh of relief. She had sensed a possible confrontation building, and she was glad it had not materialized. She very reasonably did not want to see her Master angered, and she did not want to be unable to work with her new partner. Palpatine's authority had carried the moment, but it would not be a permanent solution. Once she was alone with Vader, she would have to prove herself against his strong doubts. It was not going to be easy, but Mara didn't allow that to destroy her enthusiasm. This was her first real mission for the Emperor. She had only been recently declared his Hand. In her new capacity, she was going to expose traitors, assassinate the Empire's enemies, and spy for the Emperor. It was a source of great pride and joy to her to serve the man she thought of as her father figure. Her new identity filled her with zeal for her duties. She knew she could not let him down on her very first assignment, and that meant working successfully with Vader.

Mara had noticed that her Master had not told Vader everything about her. He had omitted the specific Force skill that made her most useful to him. She was a powerful receptive telepath, and could receive the Emperor's thoughts across light years. When he communicated with her, she could see his face and hear his words. She even felt his emotions. In this way, he could talk to her with an immediacy that made her more effective at carrying out his will than any other field agent. She wondered if Palpatine wanted Vader to know about that. She hoped there was a good reason to keep secrets from her partner. She really did hope to learn from the formidable warrior, and did not want to give him any reasons to mistrust her. Things were off to a bad enough start as it was.

The Emperor decided that Vader was going to comply concerning Mara Jade, and he relaxed a fraction. He needed Vader to cooperate in this. It was for the Dark Lord's own good. Palpatine had been wondering about Vader's ambition lately. With his physical decline, it was obvious what Vader might hope to gain if the throne was empty. They had not discussed it openly, but no doubt both of them knew Ashka Boda's potential knowledge of immortality would benefit only Palpatine. Vader might be tempted to destroy Boda outright, destroying any knowledge he might have. If Boda's means of surviving death required special preparation or equipment, then he would be helpless against Vader's treachery. Palpatine would have to kill Vader in punishment, and he did not want to do that; Vader was too valuable. With Mara Jade along, Palpatine could watch over Vader through her. He could then be sure of Vader's loyalty and good behavior.

The Emperor did have the ability to view Vader from afar through the Force, but there were two drawbacks to this. First, despite what he had instructed Pestage to tell his callers, Palpatine had not been spending his time in meditation. He had been extremely busy trying to research a cure for his malady. He simply lacked the time to observe the Dark Lord constantly. Second, if he should see Vader betray him, he could do nothing about it from a distance. No, using Mara was his best option. It would be a subtle way to keep tabs on the Sith Lord, which was also a necessary aspect of the plan. If Vader knew he was openly mistrusted, he might conclude he had nothing to lose, and act rashly. He might, for example, kill Boda, go into hiding until his Emperor died, and then try to take the throne with all of his dark side strength.

The plan served another purpose as well - he habitually tested all of his agents, especially the Emperor's Hands, by throwing them into the action and seeing which ones were the strongest...which ones survived. Palpatine had high hopes for Mara Jade. In Vader's hands, she would be tested to her limits.

The Emperor looked pointedly at each of his two servants. "Go then, and work my will. I want the Jedi brought to me alive, by whatever means are necessary. However, the operation is to keep as low a profile as possible. We do not want it known that the Jedi are on Coruscant. The people understand that their vile sect is gone forever...so let it remain. And if this Jedi you seek is somehow immortal..." the Emperor smiled, "Mara Jade should be able to keep him dead long enough to bring him before me."

Darth Vader and Mara Jade bowed to him, the Emperor observed, but not without giving each other a wary sidelong glance. Oh yes, the Emperor cackled softly, this is going to be an education for both of them.