Revan entered the grand chamber. With his wrists still bound from Force-restraining cuffs, the Jedi was uneasy at the lack of lighting inside. If he thought the hallway was dark, then the chamber that contained two hate-filled Force signatures was a whole new story.

His slow steps took him away from the door and towards a grand staircase. They descended to a space that sat in the large window's shadow, where the black of space stood in its magnificence. The large chair in the chamber acted as a throne that ruled over the many stars and planets that bowed behind the glass, and on the throne, was the Emperor.

His hood draped over his head, but Revan could see the Sith yellow eyes beneath its shade. When he descended the stairs, Revan kept his gaze on the man who had deceived the Jedi Order and the Senate as the Chancellor. The old man that gave kind smiles and had a diplomatic sense about him was gone, and Revan saw the evil that laid underneath.

'Revan Shan,' the Emperor stated, his voice sending chills down the Jedi's spine. 'I must say that I was surprised to hear of your surrender. The Jedi were known for putting up a fight.'

Revan looked away from the man's blackened teeth and caught sight of the figure in the corner of the room. 

It was him, the Sith that Revan had come for.

He sensed Vader's red flame in the Force and was glad that he had continued hiding his own presence until this point. Revan couldn't let Darth Vader sense the anger, hatred and desire for revenge in his energy. He despised the way Vader stood in the dark, his black attire blending in if it had not been for the green and red lights on his chest panel. The black mask reflected what little light there was in the room, and he stood with the intention to intimidate.

But Revan wasn't intimidated. He was blinded by the swirling rage in his stomach. He wanted to leap across the room and do whatever he could to the man that had murdered his wife. But Revan didn't stand a chance in his restraints, and Vader was on his guard while in the presence of the Emperor.

So, the Shan clenched his fists in the Force-restraining cuffs and looked back to the grinning Sith Lord.

'I remember a great Sith once carried your name,' he cooed, the grin not leaving his wrinkled and decaying face. 'Darth Revan was powerful, and I sense that you are a descendant of his great, dark bloodline.'

'I am not like any of my family before me,' Revan spoke for the first time since arriving on the Death Star. 'I am the first of my name. First of the Shan's that will-'

'You are nothing different from the scum before you. Do not lie to me in my own chamber.'

Revan didn't like to be interrupted or talked down to. He kept an eye on the presence in the corner that awaited a disturbance in the Force, but Revan made sure to not give him the advantage. He had to remain calm and keep his composure. He was acting as a prisoner, and prisoners that escaped were obedient and unassuming.

'But I sense something in you,' the Emperor spoke again, his eyes sliding shut as he looked into the Force. 'You are hiding your presence, but your anger is difficult to ignore. You have not come here to surrender, Revan Shan. You have come here for revenge.' 

The Emperor's yellow eyes appeared once more, and Revan stiffened. He thought that by hiding his signature, he was also hiding his true emotions. But he should have expected as such from a Sith Lord who held the unlimited power of the dark side.

There was no hiding it now. The Emperor knew why he was here, but perhaps Darth Vader didn't. It was time to change Revan's approach and hopefully, it wouldn't be long until he was able to unleash the rage that was making its way throughout his body.

Revan had been caught, but it didn't mean that it was the end. 

'I'm here to offer you something, My Lord,' Revan struggled to address the Sith in such a respectful way. 'To satisfy my own urges, I offer you... myself.' 

Darth Vader had moved out of the shadows to be closer to his Master and the Jedi. He was unsure about allowing Revan to be so close to the Emperor, but now, Vader was unnerved. Revan hadn't been on the Empire's radar for anything other than his affiliation with the Resistance, and his appearance and behaviour had caught Vader off-guard. And if the Jedi was going to use his slippery presence to his advantage, Vader had to be prepared to strike down the unassuming man. 

'What is it that you are offering me?' the Emperor questioned in curiosity. 'What is it that you desire so much to slip towards the dark side?' 

Revan took a deep breath and looked towards the nearing Sith. Darth Vader paused to be within reach of both the Emperor and the Jedi, creating a triangle of powerful men. His emotionless mask stared back at Revan with his blue eyes hiding beneath its anonymity. Although the dark side was slowly fading from Vader's signature, he was still prepared to kill anyone who threatened him on his Death Star.

'Your apprentice has crossed me many times while under your teachings, My Lord,' Revan started, glancing only briefly at the Emperor before he looked back at Darth Vader. 'After he crushed my wife's skull with the sheer power of the Force, I vowed that I would avenge her, and all those who have fallen at Anakin Skywalker's hand.' 

Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader paused. The grin that once ripped at the Emperor's face had fallen away completely, and the broad shoulders of Darth Vader had squared. The room was blanketed in an intensity that weighed on everyone's chests, and Revan received the reaction that he could have only dreamed of. 

Darth Vader was infuriated. How dare Revan Shan speak the name that he had tried so hard to forget. There was only one person who was able to say the Skywalker name and not experience the wrath of the Sith. Sol was the only person who could say 'Anakin' and cause the trapped man inside Vader to make his way to the surface.

But Revan wasn't Sol, and Vader's eyes flashed to their usual yellow at hearing the Jedi say the Skywalker name so freely. 

'You wish to strike my apprentice down?' the Emperor confirmed while raising a wiry eyebrow. 'You think that you are equal to the one they once considered the Chosen One?' 

'I will dispose of this filth, Master.'

Darth Vader's voice boomed, and the hiss of his lightsaber's ignition sounded. Revan took a step backwards but made sure not to scurry away at the sight of the crimson blade. He kept his expression as neutral as possible but let his brow arch in a daring sense.

The Sith raised his lightsaber to sit over his challenger's shoulder, and Revan felt the heat of the blade on his neck. He heard the buzz of the kyber crystal's beam, and his ear rang after hearing the weapon's hum so close to his eardrum. Revan hoped that from Vader's reaction, that he had upset the man and insulted him to the point of wanting to kill him. He wanted Vader to battle him, and if Revan had to edge him towards a duel, then Revan would continue his digs until he faced Darth Vader in a battle. 

'Wait.'

Revan and Darth Vader turned their attention to the Emperor. In his chair, the shriveled old man had regained his grin and sent another wave of unease through both the Jedi and his own apprentice. The Force was full of anger, hatred, and an incoming disturbance, which the Emperor found to be most convenient.  

'I sense another Jedi has docked in the hanger. You will be served your opportunity, Revan Shan, but perhaps someone else will fall to the dark side, today.'

---

The ground troops of the Resistance were forced to fall back. The perimetre that they had formed against the invading Empire was shrinking, and deceased rebels were left littering the jungle floor. Imperial scout troopers had made it within metres of the rebel base, and just as Padme had predicted, when one trooper fell, another took his place.

The skies were a battlefield of TIE fighters and rebel ships. Chases of blaster fire and haunting cries of TIE fighter engines skimmed the tree line. Birds of Yavin 4 were disturbed by the sudden battle and fled in their swarms towards other parts of the jungle. But the other animals within the trees and hiding in holes remained silent, as the violence and noise was uncommon on the usually quiet moon. 

'Captain! Commander Lesley is reporting that they're merely metres from here. We've lost many men already, and the Empire are not slowing,' the lieutenant of the rebels informed. Padme turned from the trees while chewing her lip. 

What remained of the Resistance stood at the mouth of the hanger, but there was a hope that they wouldn't have to open fire on troops that could emerge from the trees. 

'We will stand our ground, lieutenant. We are the last line of defense, and Mothma said she has sent reinforcements,' Padme said, hiding her unease at the thought of their fate.

'But how long until they arrive?' another rebel turned to the captain. 'They're getting closer, Captain! We have to have some plan of attack! Or a plan of escape! Anything!' 

Padme was stumped. She looked at each member of her panicked team and saw eyes of fear and pleas for orders. For the first time ever, Padme asn't sure if she would be able to deliver her duties as the Rebel Alliance's captain. Padme was just a senator from Naboo and used to speak on political matters in the Senate. But she was being looked to for a battle plan, or for a means to an escape. And through her flustered state and jittery fingers, the Amidala was lost at what to do. 

While stood with the Resistance, Ahsoka sensed that Padme was panicking. She had lost hope, and her team were about to suffer for it. Ahsoka couldn't let the last of the Resistance fall at the hand of the Empire. If Revan had decided to abandon them, then so be it, but Padme could not just shut down and leave them to be slaughtered in their own base. 

'Padme,' Ahsoka stepped to be beside the captain, forcing the small woman to turn to the Jedi. This allowed her to see the true fear in Padme's brown eyes, and Ahsoka felt bad for thinking that the captain was giving up. 

'We have to do something,' Ahsoka said lowly, glancing to the surrounding rebels. 'What about the destroyer? What about Tarkin?'

'How can we exit the atmosphere, Ahsoka? We won't be able to get close without being blown to smithereens!'

Padme blinked at the Jedi with a hope of a resolution. If she wasn't able to save her people, then perhaps Ahsoka could. 

But when the Togruta's head turned to the two TIE fighters that had been left in the corner of the hanger, Padme's heart plummeted into her stomach.

'Oh, Maker, Ahsoka. Please, no.' 

'Think about it, Padme,' Ahsoka firmly grabbed the captain's forearms. 'Tarkin would never see me coming. If I could find some sort of weakness in the destroyer's makeup, maybe I could blow it up. I could stop the attack from its centre, unlike whatever the hell Revan is doing. If we could just find a star destroyer's fault, then we could stop this before it's too late. And if Mothma's reinforcements show up in the meantime, even better!'

C3-PO, who had been hiding in a corner, piped up after Ahsoka's proposed mission.

'Might I analyse some of the odds of survival for this mission?'

'You might not, Threepio. Stay over there.'

'How rude...'

The captain wanted to be as optimistic as her friend. It was a foolish plan based on 'what if's and dwelling on the last licks of luck they had. Yavin 4's skies were a battlefield, and the star destroyer lingering in space would spot any ship that entered its airspace. It was suicidal to send Ahsoka out there, but Padme had no choice.

It wasn't like Ahsoka was unwilling to take the risk. Padme could see that beneath the piercing blue eyes, there was desperation in Ahsoka's suggestion. The Jedi knew they were in trouble, and it was just like the Tano to suggest something so crazy and near impossible.

But perhaps it's what the Rebel Alliance needed right now, which was a miracle from Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano.

'Lieutenant,' Padme called without looking away from her friend. When she saw her right-hand man stop at her side, Padme tilted her head t to give the order that would initiate Ahsoka's insane plan.

'Find a fault in an Imperial star destroyer. They must have some sort of weakness.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

Ahsoka grinned at the possibility of survival, and she didn't dare ask C3-PO for the odds.

---

Sol hoped that R2 would forgive her. She let him know that if anything happened to him while in the hands of stormtroopers, she would avenge him.

When Sol docked in the Death Star's hanger, she was immediately handcuffed and escorted to the Emperor's chamber. Her starfighter was left in the hands of the henchmen, and R2 beeped a series of curse words that were either aimed at Sol, or at the stormtroopers that prodded at him from below the ship's wing. The droid's head swiveled around as Sol was taken away, and he prayed that he would see the Jedi again after all this. 

The Force-restraining cuffs on Sol's wrists felt familiar and the hands around her biceps reminded her of her time on Thrawn's star destroyer. But unlike last time, Sol let the stormtroopers lead her to the Emperor with confidence.

Her arrival had undoubtedly been announced, and Sol sensed the flaring Force signatures that were somewhere on the large space station. She hadn't expected to be on a moon-shaped ball in between Mandalore and Onderon, but when she saw the halls and the polished floors, Sol couldn't help but admit that the Death Star was impressive. 

It's entire felt sterile with brand new halls and unscathed tiles. Black and grey had been used in every inch of the place and Sol noticed during her escort how baron every corridor was. The space station was so large that someone could explore multiple departments without running into a single soul. 

Sol was left in a dark hallway while the escorting stormtroopers retreated back into the elevator. She didn't question their departure, or the fact that they had left her lightsaber on her utility belt. She hadn't made the effort to hide it, but it didn't seem to affect her situation. Instead, Sol walked to the end of the hallway and walked through the sliding door with her fingers fidgeting with anticipation. 

She entered the chamber and descended the steps, just like the Jedi before her had done. She prepared herself to face the two Sith that awaited her, but what she hadn't expected, was to see her own cousin standing in front of the Emperor's chair. 

'Ah, Sol, how good of you to join us,' Emperor Palpatine said as he stood from his chair. 'I trust that you know Jedi Knight Revan Shan. He was just telling me about his proposal.' 

In the several times that Sol had been in the sickly presence of Palpatine, she never once had the power to focus on anything but the ghastly man. But at Revan's appearance, Sol ignored the Emperor, and even ignored Darth Vader, to stare at her cousin with wide eyes.

'Revan... what are you doing here?' she said in shock. 

Sol noticed how he was in a similar state to her, with cuffs on his wrists and was seemingly unharmed as a prisoner. But Sol saw the darkened skin underneath his eyes, and when Revan's lips didn't curl into a smile, or turn down in a frown at the sight of Sol, she questioned whether it really was Revan in front of her. He barely acknowledged Sol with his chin half-inched over his shoulder and his body still facing the standing Emperor. 

It was almost as if Revan didn't know the Jedi Master behind him, or didn't care about her enough to face her.

But in all honesty, Revan was irritated by Sol's arrival. She could ruin his whole plan of finishing Darth Vader off once and for all. Revan knew that Sol had a  tendency to be naïve and foolish when it came to Vader, and if she were to interfere, Revan would struggle to keep his rage at bay. Her persistence in Vader's innocence had gotten to a point of delusion, and Revan wasn't going to stand for it. 

At Revan's silence at her question, Sol looked to Darth Vader, who stood to the side with his lightsaber ignited. Seeing him again after escaping Thrawn's destroyer was strange, especially after Master Yoda's passing. He stood in the same black suit and with the same mask over his face, but Sol knew that Anakin Skywalker's eyes had returned behind the disguise. 

She wondered if he had been thinking about Luke and Leia, and maybe even contemplating pursuing a life outside of the Empire. It was a long shot, but Sol was hopeful that their children would have their father back, even if it meant never meeting or seeing him.

'What are you doing here, Sol?' the voice of Anakin Skywalker sounded through the Force. Sol had to hide her surprise and tried even harder to mask the relief she felt at hearing his sweet tones in her head. 

'You have no idea what you have just walked in to,' he said again, and Sol stared at the origin of the voice. 'The Emperor is planning something. You shouldn't have come...' 

'Come here, my dear.' 

Sol was torn away from Anakin's serenity and looked to where the Emperor beckoned her over. She remained on the stairs for a moment to analyse Revan's presence once more, before slowly stepping off the last step. 

Her anticipation that she had expressed to R2 had diminished and she was questioning her previous plan with harsh criticism. Sol was foolish to think that she could just walk into the Death Star, convince Darth Vader that there was still good to fight for, and watch him destroy Emperor Palpatine. But she could never have guessed that Revan would be in front of the Sith, and it had thrown her confidence off completely.

Sol wasn't in control here, and she felt like she had just walked in on something she didn't want to be involved in. 

'This gathering seems almost... theatrical,' the Emperor said, remaining in front of his chair with his crippled hands together. 'A test of morale and loyalty, it seems. Where light, dark, and something in between meet to see who will survive. Long it has been, since I have seen a battle of true purpose and a deep longing for victory.'

Sol and Revan looked down at the same time as their restraints fell from their wrists. The white energy that held the cuffs together diminished and the metal laid useless on the floor. Sol would have rejoiced at being freed, but from the Emperor's growing grin, she knew it meant nothing good. 

'All three of you have gathered for different purposes, but I offer you this; if you can strike your opponents down, you will be free with what follows. Fight, I say, and fulfill each of your destinies.' 

Vader's mask hid the jaw that hung open behind it. He knew that his Master was planning something on Sol and Revan's arrival, and he should have known that it would be something as evil and devious as this. 

It was why he feared bringing Sol to the Emperor and why he urged that he should be the one to try and sway her towards the dark side. The Emperor was everything that the Sith was, and he wanted the three of them to fight until one remained. This was not what the Chancellor had promised him before he turned to the dark side. 

Palpatine had lied to Anakin, and now Sol was going to pay the price.