Connor and AJ were mulling over their own plans to get into the place when Starkiller strode in with Proxy in tow.

"So we're going then?" Connor asked. He had been worried that they'd be left behind.

"Yes." Said Starkiller. He moved aside, "Proxy, show them."

The Droid stepped forward and his processors seemed to come alive and suddenly Darth Vader melted into existence right in front of them.

Both boys paled in fright. Even Starkiller who knew it wasn't the real Darth Vader felt his pulse pound.

"Still functioning at perfect capacity?" Darth Vader's voice came out. It was eerie to hear that voice again. It was perfect; down to the nasal breathing mechanisms that kept Darth Vader alive.

Connor snorted a laugh from the floor. "I've never met him but I don't expect him to say that."

"Well I'm not going to break character in the Royal Guard Citadel." Proxy in Darth Vader's voice sounded almost offended.

"You'd better change back before Em, Allana, or Caohdan come in." AJ paused running his hands through his blonde hair. "Especially Caohdan."

Starkiller nodded at Proxy and the Droid melted back into his normal form.

"We should let them know we're going," said Connor. There was real hope in his voice, he didn't know the outcome of the vision, but at least they could make that part of it a reality. They hadn't let Starkiller in on that fact just yet.

Starkiller moved past them and into a walk in closet that was rarely opened. "I've got to change as well," he said. He closed the door behind him and glanced at the array of outfits Darth Vader had provided. They'd not been touched for a while. They ranged from Jedi brown to Sith black and a few pilot suits. Why have I not gotten rid of them before? Am I Afraid to touch them?

He moved to the back where a black outfit hung. It looked very similar to Vader's down to the black hooded cape. Although missing were any mechanical parts that Vader used to keep himself alive. His fingers trembled as he put the Sith gear on. Memories surfaced of himself using the outfits for various purposes. He pushed them away. Not now.

At one time this was what his template had been waiting for: The right to wear this uniform out in the open proudly at the side of his Master. He glanced at the mirror, he'd had a vision of this face before. Although it had been a different situation, he'd just defeated Vader, and he'd seen another clone come out and stab him from behind.

He'd chosen not to however and so that vision had not come to pass.... until now.

He studied his reflection and took a deep breath. The door opened and Juno walked in closing the closet behind her. She smiled at him. Out of all the people in the world who'd seen him in and out of the dark side, he trusted her the most.

Still looking at himself in the mirror he said, "I don't know if I can do this."

"You can." She said. But she put a hand on his arm and came to stand next to him. It was a surreal image. A smiling pregnant Juno Eclipse next to a Dark Sith Lord. She frowned after a moment, guessing his thoughts. "It does look odd doesn't it?"

"You're staying behind too."

Her expression darkened. "I know."

"I'm sorry." He said simply reaching out an arm to hold her. She slid into his arms and he reached down to put a hand on her large stomach.
"

Don't be," she sighed. "This..." she gestured to her stomach, "takes some getting used to." She looked at them in the mirror again and burst out laughing. He was taken aback by her outburst but when he looked he could see the humor. He looked very much like a Dark Lord, but he certainly was not acting like one. "I'm sorry," she said, "It just doesn't' look like us, me becoming a mother and you...a Sith Lord." She sobered. "I know you were heading down that path before...but now. I can't see it."

She turned to face him and stepped back studying him. Smiling she reached up and adjusted the black mantel around his shoulders. He kept his eyes on her face the whole time. She was so beautiful to him, he loved watching her...he pulled her close and kissed her full on the lips, just wanting to hold her for a moment before they left for the Citadel. A knock on the door broke them apart.

"Proxy says that AJ and Connor are ready." It was Caohdan outside the door. Starkiller laughed to himself. They probably sent the one we were least likely to get upset at. Caohdan and Juno had formed a bond, anyone could tell she was fond of the babbling youngster.

"Coming." Said Juno smiling. She looked at Starkiller again. "I'm not going to be on the sidelines forever."

He smiled. "So I'll have to make sure you have lots of babies?" Juno snorted in reply, and turned and walked towards the door.

"You're too young to know the strife of married men," she said thinking of the many jokes she'd heard when she was growing up.

"It's true," he joked back, "while I wasn't born yesterday.... oh wait...."

"Stop," she said, laughing opening the door to a waiting Caohdan.

The boy smiled earnestly up at her. She took his hand and shot a worried glance at Starkiller. "You will come back to me." It was a statement, not a question.
"Always." He replied. He studied her features for a moment, taking in her blue eyes and blonde hair. Then she turned away and looked at the little boy next to her.
She nodded. "Come on Caohdan, let's see how much of my training you remember. You still want to be a pilot right?"
The two moved away towards the cockpit of the Rogue Shadow with Caohdan nodding enthusiastically.
Starkiller stood in the door way for a moment before he noticed Em, Allana, Connor and AJ staring at him with their mouths hanging open. "I'm ready."

How did they get their lightsabers?

Connor and AJ nodded. They were both wearing short cloaks themselves, brown ones they'd brought with them from the Shanties of Kelusia. Each had their own small sabers tucked into their pants pocket on their thigh. The sabers were blue, as were most of the spare crystals he carried. He managed to take some with him after his vision, surprisingly Kota had made sure he'd gotten them. He missed the Old General more than he could say, although he knew that Kota would certainly have approved the mission they were about to take. General Kota was known mostly for being short tempered and incredibly reckless.
Proxy stood, "If we're ready Master, shall I change now?"
Starkiller nodded...and Proxy's receptors whirled to life. Darth Vader melted into view once again, breathing receptors and all. Starkiller sucked in a hard breath at his appearance.
Em, opened the back hatch.

"Can you hear me?" Juno's voice came through his commlink.
"Got it, remember just listen once we're inside," he said. "No matter what."
"I got it." She sounded a little irritated.

"Here we go..." Starkiller said nodding towards Proxy who now looked like Darth Vader. "You're the boss now, Proxy."

"Yes Master," the Droid responded in Darth Vader's voice and straightened. The holodroid took the lead and Starkiller took up position to his right behind him. He pulled the hood low over his forehead. The black outfit was official and anonymous at the same time. You could only see the bottom half of his face. The boys traveled next to him looking nervous. Good, he thought. That would play their part perfectly.
Darth Vader walked up to the door of the Citadel followed by an attendant, and two boys.

The door popped open and a storm trooper opened it. "My Lord," he said. "We had no word of your coming."

"Do I need an invitation to be here?" The dark Lord's words froze the storm trooper momentarily.

"No, my Lord." The trooper hesitated and then stepped back and opened the doors. He wasn't going to stand in the way of the Dark Lord. No one did.

"Shall I report you are coming inside?"

"No. My business is my own." Darth Vader's helm turned toward the boys behind him and the trooper backed respectfully out of the way as they passed breathing a sigh of relief.

Starkiller used the Force and slammed the door shut behind them startling the guard in his office. He smirked under the hood, Vader always had presence, he used the fear he caused to control and it was working in their favor now. No one questioned them.

"Well that was easy." Connor mumbled under his breath.

"Stick with the plan." Starkiller said, earning a surprised look from Connor who didn't realize he'd been heard.

Starkiller did not look down on them at all as they walked towards the end of the hallway. Rooms branched off to the side, at least he thought they were rooms. There were no windows to indicate what lay behind the doors. Slicing into the systems here had been impossible even for Proxy. So he was going in dark. He didn't like it but at the moment there was no choice.
A man in red robes came out to see them. "My Lord." He was a Force Sensitive, Starkiller could see. "We were not expecting— "He paused. "I sense nothing from you. You are not Lord Vader."

In a flash Starkiller had put the man in a Force choke hold grip and put him up against the wall. As he struggled he cried out, "Forgive me Lord Vader!"

Starkiller dropped him hoping Proxy would take the cue to stay in character.

"I have two recruits that I want to personally dropped into class," Proxy said in Vader's voice.

"Yes Lord." The robed man said giving the boys a look over. "Force sensitives?" He was surprised. "Where did you find them?"

"Not your concern." Said Proxy. "Show me the dormitories."

"Yes, my Lord." The man dropped was over his earlier surprise. He was well trained for his job, however he understood as did all who passed through any Royal Guard Academy there was only one Apprentice to the Emperor. And he was there for a reason.

They followed him back up the hall to a doorway and he opened the door using the Force and stepped out of their way.

"New recruits are in here." He finished shoving them inside.