Danielle didn't plan on staying on the planet for long. Her part of the Empire spanned half of the Galaxy, so there was plenty of job. At that aspect she envied the Emperor. He directly ruled the part where he was a god in everything but name. No one could ever dream of starting a rebellion there, except for a couple of fanatics which were present everywhere. The lady knew that it was a trial of her strength of will, intelligence and cunning. She had to put an end to that pointless and bloody 'rebellion'. Bring order to that space.

There were many Imperial garrisons all across the Galaxy. It was a strain on the budget, but as long as there were terrorists around, they could not be dispersed. And as long as there was a threat of galactic invader. The main super weapon of the Empire could make ships, but they had to be fueled, and it was something what had a price. Not to mention the payments to the biggest army in the history of the Galaxy. The Senate never ceased to complain about it. They couldn't understand the need for the army. They demanded to get rid of the military completely.

"All suggestions of such naivety cause nothing but pity," the Emperor answered them in his famous calm and at the same time apathetic tone. "The Republic did this mistake. It wasn't able to subdue the bloodshed between autonomous worlds. You want to repeat the mistakes of old? Go ahead. But you will be the ones facing the consequences. I will never sign that document, keep that in mind when you decide to hand me that waste of code or paper."

It got him into couloir debates with Senator Amidala, who was known for her fierce pacifism. Phantom kept assuring her that the soldiers would never turn upon the innocent citizens. His policy of intervention into every dispute led to the end of many conflicts. He was a gifted diplomat, but not always he could find a compromise. It was probably a ticking bomb from the dissatisfied side, but Phantom was spending years working on it.

At the moment he was on some job on the outskirts of the Galaxy. Danielle knew only that they were working on some top secret project, which somewhat originated from Geonosian designs. Lord Poggle of their nation was there too to observe the construction. It was supposed to be the weapon which could defend the Galaxy from all threats. The princess could go there, but she wasn't interested in it. Instead she set off for another task. Her abilities of instant transportation weren't as good, but her ship was the fastest in the entire Empire. Fit for the person of her status.

Danielle preferred to travel without convoys, except for maybe her guards - the Death Troopers. They spent the entire time in their quarters, not bothering her. The princess remained in the living room, sitting on a sofa crosslegged with a book in her hands. A glass of wine was near her on a coffee table. The room was big, as was the shuttle. It had white inner walls, with wooden pieces lining them. The soft lighting created a peaceful atmosphere. The journey took a couple of days, as there was some confusion on Korriban, and it was quarter of the Galaxy away.

The planet was the Sith stronghold in the Galaxy. The race of red skinned humanoid beings had been exiled from their home, but thanks to the Emperor they worshipped their kind was able to return. No one needed that heated rock with almost no resources whatsoever, so there were few conflicts. However, nothing stopped the Sith from getting into each other's throats in their cravings for power. You couldn't expect the entire race to change. The only thing keeping them in line with the Imperial laws was the Emperor himself. And that's exactly why the princess was there, as some had got too bold. And who was better to solve the issue than her?

Danielle stepped out of her shuttle in the private docks of the spaceport. Immediately she was greeted by two lined of guards dressed in crimson armor, as they had kept the traditions of their ancestors, who used to serve the Emperor of old. All what was lacking was a red carpet, but it was not their custom. The princess went forward, accompanied by her own black armored bodyguards. The Sith stood still in synch, their armors and guns clanking loudly. Behind their helmets they watched her closely. She honestly didn't look much like the warrior type. Then again, so wasn't her father, but they all knew what he was capable of.

"Greetings, Your Highness," the familiar Sith said. "Thank you for accepting my request."

"It is my responsibility, Lord Innit," The woman responded in the same noble tone she had mastered many years ago. But she still nodded in greeting, no reason to be impolite despite the superior position. "Shall we go?"

"Of course."

They went to the car waiting for them. The floating transport was not a limo, but the leather seats were comfortable and could fit everyone. There weren't many reporters, because some arrangements were conducted without public knowledge, which was not surprising. From what Danielle had learned, it was something purely of intrigue matter. She looked away from the sandy wasteland outside and turned to the Sith.

"Did anything happen while I was going here?"

Innit leaned back in his seat. "Nothing to concern ourselves about. Except for...this, our planet is developing just fine."

"Are there any clues as to what could be the reason of the disturbance?"

"Nothing at all.

The transport reached the keep of enormous size, reminiscent of the pyramid of Aztec culture. The princess's knowledge about cultures was quite vast, especially Terran ones, as it had been her father's home. The regal interiors were to be expected from the people valuing power above all else. Danielle walked to the elevator, along with Lord Innit. The Sith's face was scanned and the access was granted. After reaching the top floor, the two went out of the elevator and through the corridor. The metal doors in the end slid open, revealing a large hall.

Inside there were nine seats, two of which were empty. One of them was positioned in the far end, and was more regal looking. It was tall, made of glass and black onyx instead of metal so widely used there. There was a black pillow on the throne, the hands were engraved with wavy designs and the letters on the Sith language. It was a quote from one of their ancient literature works, a prophecy of sort. The red skinned beings viewed Emperor Phantom in a more religious way than his father, more fanatically and loyally than ever. The back of the seat reached high and on top was the hexagon of the Empire. The place was presumably Danielle's, the other belonged to Innit. The princess was invited to sit, and she took her place, crossing her legs and putting her gloved hands on them. The Council members bowed in greeting as she passed them. They surely were a peculiar bunch, and it made Danielle stand out even more, with how usual she looked for a being rivaled only by her parent.

Some Sith had metal augments, some had red visor instead of an eye, or an entire neck was supported by artificial additions. One of them was obviously breathing with their use. Some Sith Lords were alright in this matter, but they also had their unique traits, possessing scars all across their faces. It would have looked like a meeting of a club of disabled, if Danielle didn't know how powerful all of the present were. The princess sat on her throne and made a gesture to begin.

"First of all, we greet you on our planet, Your Highness. It is a great honor to host such a visitor."

Danielle nodded in greeting once more. "And I thank you for a warm welcome. Let's get straight to the point, shall we?"

Lord Innit nodded. "Yes. Everything began six Korriban months ago."

"We found one of the tombs desecrated."

"But if no one comes there, how did you notice this?" Danielle raised her eyebrow.

"We do check them once in a while, don't take us as fools, my lady," one of the Sith responded.

"We haven't gone deep inside. No understanding what exactly has been done. Whoever came in either died..." a Sith Lord glanced at his colleagues. "Or came out alive."

"Leave your arguments out of this," commanded Danielle strictly. "It will become a huge waste of our time otherwise."

The red skinned being nodded, but his visor was still focused at the other Lords.

"No assumptions can be made yet," the princess rubbed her chin. "Please, go on. Any clues yet?"

"Sadly...this is something we wanted to ask you, Your Highness."

"I beg your pardon?"

"No other person can be trusted enough to search for clues. Furthermore, knowing how both you and your father are able to defeat any ghost which may dwell within the tombs."

"You could have warned me beforehand," Danielle stood up. "I have my own schedule to uphold, respectable Lords. I may change it, but next time, please, for the love of the Emperor, say everything before I leave everything. Your Sith matters are just as important, but neither I nor my father are capable of being everywhere all at once. And delving into tombs is not exactly a job of the monarch, you could have asked my sister. Why haven't you, anyways?"

She crossed her hands, suddenly finding herself in the middle of the room. The lords looked at each other, before Innit spoke for everyone. He was the head of the Council, widely respected and thus the one to give response to the question. The joy of this honor was questionable at least.

"Lady Tano is not so keen on coming to our world."

Of course she wasn't. Ahsoka was not obliged to do that, nor any of the obligations her little sister had. Despite being the older child, the Togruta lady was an adoptive one. She was not a ghost, nor a halfa like Danielle. It had some depressing implications no one wanted to think about, everyone just ignored them as much as they could. That prevented her from laying any claims to the throne, not that she wanted it really much. Ahsoka was in charge of training novitiates, young and not so much, into the proper Paladins worthy of serving the Emperor. Who knew where she was at the moment, Danielle spoke to her only three days ago, being very busy. For all she knew, Ahsoka could be on the other side of the Galaxy, convincing the local family to come to Coruscant or Babylon to live the life of luxury at the state's expense. How could they not agree?

Danielle sighed, putting a hand on her chin.

"I am going to get down to the matter this evening. Until then I need some time, if you let me."

"Of course, Your Highness. The details have already been scribed on the datapad. It is in the room prepared for you."

Finally the last tiny issues were solved and the princess was accompanied to her chambers. On the way Danielle was greeted by many other Sith lords, not so relevant as the members of the Council. The temple was filled with statues and banners, just like in the times of old. Not that she had witnessed those old times. She was not a time traveler. Ironic, considering what the fate had in store for her. Nonetheless, as the doors closed behind her, Danielle sighed, before sitting on a sofa.

The room was posh, unlike the others. The Sith knew that the dark halls of the temple had no appeal to her. The woman had grown in a palace spangled with gold, so vivid and bright. The huge window took up an entire wall, letting her watch the lifeless desert outside and the rising sun. It was still the morning. Several shelves were filled with pieces of art. The Sith did have art, despite coming as barbarians at the first glance. In the core of any art was passion, and Clockwork was the witness, they had plenty of it. Amphoras, paintings drawn with imported materials, all had their own unique style. They even tried to copy Terran style of furniture, in its minimalistic hypostasis, how adorable. The Sith knew just how to appeal to the girl who was technically born there.

Danielle was thirsty. She looked for something to drink in the kitchen range, before coming across the fridge and a bottle of Alderaanian wine. They had basically monopolized the market with their finest. Others could only watch in envy, although Naboo was close second. Her father had actually developed a distaste for them. She didn't know why. Pouring some wine in the glass, Danielle calmly drank it. Alcohol had no effect on her, hence why she was always in sober mind. Both a blessing and a curse.

"How much ectoplasm is there in your alcohol?" A familiar voice snapped her out of the digestion and almost made her cough out the contents. Her eyes widened.

"Father!" She exclaimed. "How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me?!"

Her father only made a light-hearted laugh from his chair. At the first glance he didn't look like a parent, more like a sibling, with how young his face was. An older sibling, in his late twenties, not enough to look aged, yet old enough to look respected. It was the age of his choosing. His stark hair and neon green eyes shone brightly, outlined by the white aura. The emperor was wearing black clothes, with silver buttons and epaulets. His palms were hidden below the white gloves, on his feet were the boots of the same color. He put his head on a fist, smiling broadly.

"Aw, is my little phantom not happy to see me?" Phantom asked.

Danielle sighed and then chuckled. She got to her father and hugged him, sitting on the hand of the armchair.

"Hello, dad. What are you doing here?" The woman asked, pulling away.

"Just checking on my baby girl."

Danielle blushed and stood up again. He never stopped calling her childish nicknames while in private. She would always be his little girl, no matter how many thousand years they both would turn.

"To be honest, I didn't expect you to be on Korriban of all places," the emperor continued. "What gives?"

"Lord Innit politely asked. Maybe you can..."

"Sorry, kiddo. No can do, I'm supposed to be on Scilla in half an hour."

The capital of the Chiss Ascendancy — the only state to not be subjugated by Phantom in his steadfast quest for dominance. The steamroller his Empire was left the proud race to their own things, nonetheless signing the pact of Eternal Peace. Despite their prevalent isolationism, the Chiss took part in the military projects as both nations sought to protect themselves from the imminent threat from another galaxy. Their relations were more than sympathetic, if the blue-skinned beings were even capable of emotions. The Grand Admiral was only partially confirming this statement.

Danielle pouted and crossed her hands. The message was clear, she did envy his power to jump back and forward around the Galaxy and the Empire at whim. But it did allow such things to happen, Phantom visited his two children whenever he had a chance. Because they were the only family he had. Convenient for the monarchy in some way, but it did get lonely in the enormous palace, even with all the Paladins-apprentices living in their own wing, so eager to get attention of their leader. They did succeed, as Phantom was happy to dedicate his free time to watching over the people who needed guidance in order to survive in that world. But it just was not the same.

The emperor smiled. "Now, now. Why the long face?"

In short the princess retold him the whole story. And as she progressed, her father's face was becoming more grim, the smile was falling deeper and deeper into the pit of dread and suspicion. He tapped on his chin, still silent even after Danielle finished the story. Then the emperor leaned back in his seat with the heaviest sigh possible.

"This is a rather disturbing matter. We won't stand for this...maybe I should do that."

"No."

The princess was near his seat, taking one of her own, gently touching her father's hand.

"Father, you are worrying too much. I've been in the Dark Lords' tombs before. I haven't turned into a dark-robes enthusiast. But to be honest, my clothes are hardly the latest fashion trend. And it's scorching hot in them," Danielle pointed at her outfit, making her look as if she was some monarch from the end of Terran nineteenth century.

"Hey, I'm not establishing any dress code, you can as well stroll into the Senate with only your underwear on...But then again, I would punish you as a very disappointed parent," The emperor shrugged, before getting up from his seat. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Do not think that I am distrustful of you in any way, dear. I know you are capable of many things. But who knows what is hidden beneath all that dirt and distasteful sand. No one likes sand. And much less people like the Sith Lords. Without any clue of what's in there...you can't tread there like it's an evening stroll in the park."

"I. Know. Father. And you are worrying too much. I will be fine, what's the worst that might happen?"

"Must you say THESE words? Now SOMETHING will definitely happen. You are making all the more concerned."

The princess pushed her father's hands off and looked straight into his green glowing eyes. "Aren't you going to be late?"

"Damn it all. Yes, I am. Don't think that we are done, young lady. I'll be back soon after. And if I find out that you went there..."

"You what, father? You will spank me? I'm twenty four, for the Ancients' sake. Please, everything is going to be alright."

After several seconds of silence, filled with a train of different conflicting thoughts (some of which had very nasty implications), Phantom finally sighed, giving up on his attempts to convince his child. She was his mirror image, both physically and mentally. He knew she was not going to back down, because he surely wouldn't.

"Fine. You go there. But you must call me immediately after, no matter where I am. Just a call without words will be enough. Will you do me at least this little favor?"

Danielle nodded. "Yes, father," she smiled. "Thank you for your trust," the lady bowed her head lightly.

Chuckling and giving her a goodbye kiss on the cheek, Phantom made a step back. Then he vanished in a whirlwind of dark smoke. After it dispersed, nothing was in the room but the smiling princess. Rubbing her eyes, Danielle returned to what she was doing — drinking the unhealthy amounts of alcohol. With a wineglass in her gloved hands, she stepped to the wide window, looking at the lifeless desert below. Somewhere out there hid the ghosts of the dead, they lurked in darkness, happy to see the newest acolytes, eager for answers they would not receive. She made another sip of wine.

That evening she was ready to go. Being ready implied that she specifically meditated for a while, preparing herself for a surge of the Dark Side energy within the tomb. Now walking through the treacherous sands of Korriban, she cursed multiple times as they got within her boots. Her father was right, everyone hated sand. It was coarse, rough and it got everywhere, even her tight boots. The path was more or less clear, as the sandstorm had cleared hours ago. Clear in a sense that she knew where to go, could see where to go. The road itself, on the other hand, was untraceable beneath everything the strong wind had brought. But eventually, as the sun tightly gripped the line of the horizon, she made it to the tomb. Well, if you consider a pile of chiseled stones within a rocky canyon a tomb. The only thing seen was only the small archway into darkness.

Danielle had to lower her head in order to get through. And even then she lightly hit her head once inside. The ceiling was low just like that. The light was soon utterly vanquished by the ever-present darkness. Sighing, Danielle raised her gloved palm. The green energy was coming from her core, embedded with the beating heart. It was a question of nature how such thing was even possible, but hey, she was born half-dead. Nothing would surprise her nowadays. That Galaxy was full of mysterious things.

Once she encountered the closed stone door, young Phantom just shrugged and went through. It wasn't something complicated, every Box Ghost and his mother knew that intangibility trick. And it was for some reason not enchanted with the Force.

"Maybe that's not for every door," the princess mumbled upon realizing the fact.

Then she went down the sandy staircase, looking under her feet. The tombs were usually filled with traps, and this one was not an exception. The pressure plate was supposed to...apparently launch poisoned arrows. She could either phase or let them shoot, poison was the cause of horrid itching tops. But the ruined clothes were not worth it, even if those were the rags donated by the generous crowd. She looked more like a Tusken raider, albeit without a creepy mask. Speaking of, she decided to remove the piece of cloth covering the lower part of her face. The robes were comfortable, however.

On her way were multiple corridors. Dark, tall and empty. Huge columns were the only obstacle for the ceiling on its way to the ground. The statues were long broken, it was impossible to understand to whom they were dedicated, or better yet, who was the owner of the tomb. The endless network of tunnels connecting them made it virtually impossible for a simple intruder to not get lost. It concerned the princess, because with each loud step of hers deeper inside, the Dark Side was growing stronger as well. She could get lost too if its power clouded her vision completely. But so far Danielle didn't even know what she was looking for. Probably for the signs of desecration, or the presence of the unfamiliar being. The princess had to admit that her father would have done the job with utmost haste. He knew how Palpatine felt, he would have figured out if it was him or someone else.

Finally she made it to the main chamber. Up the long staircase was the sarcophagus belonging to the owner of this tomb. Four engraved columns were holding the stone construction in a mausoleum manner. What was curious, however, is that the torches were lighting the place. Someone had been here not so long ago, no torch could burn for too much time. Going upstairs, Danielle learned a very nasty thing. The sarcophagus was opened, its ugly lid was lying on the ground. Hesitantly, the princess leaned over and looked inside. She then grimaced.

"Hello, ugly," she mumbled.

When her day had begun Danielle could not even imagine herself being Lara Croft for even this single occasion. A damn mummy was lying within the sarcophagus. Its empty eye sockets were looking right at her. The princess shivered, for it was quite creepy. Then a gust of air came out of her mouth. Her hand went for her lightsaber, and then she turned around, swinging the blade. It was pearly white, with a handle of the normal sword.

In front of her floated a ghost. A fat one, as Danielle soon came to notice. He was wearing a lot of armor, the pauldrons were very sharp and pointy. Better not to stand by his side. The armor plates were over the dark robes. The mask mimicked a face, with one eye being covered. He was transparent, as all the Force ghosts were.

"Just what do you think you are doing, girl?" The ghost asked.

"I meant no offense," Danielle continued, still holding the blade. "I've come here just because I learned that this tomb has been trespassed. If you tell me what happened, I would appreciate it. And then leave."

"Ah, yes, the ghosts here talk a lot about your father, princess," the man said. "There has been a visitor. An old man, doesn't seem like much. He has been snooping around."

"Palpatine," The princess mumbled and removed the sword. "He is wanted across the entire Galaxy. What was he looking for?"

"For power. The one I have mastered shortly before my death. I gave him this...but in exchange for my afterlife we have agreed that I would do something else."

"Wha..."

A bright flash almost blinded her sensitive eyes. And as if someone banged on her eardrums, the princess felt a sharp pain. She screamed and fell on her knees, dropping on her knees and dropping the lightsaber. Her hands were occupied with covering her suffering ears. And yet, she felt her concentration slipping away from her. The second she fell into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.

"What the...who is...."

The brief phrases reached Danielle through the ringing still jumping around her ears. With her eyes still closed, the young woman tried to recollect that little what she remembered before being knocked out. Soon it dawned upon her, and she opened her eyes in a split second. Her blue eyes flashed green for a brief moment, before she got into sitting position in a split second. Then she accidentally banged the back her head at the stone brick. Hissing slightly, the princess tubbed the sore place, taking a look around.

It was the same tomb! But it was different now. As if it had been completely repaired...a dreadful feeling rose within Danielle's stomach. No, it couldn't be.

"Hey! Wake up, already!" Fingers snapped in front of her face. The princess blinked and looked at the two men.

They were dressed in the light black robes and small pieces of metal for protection. One was a human, another was a Sith. If the latter had no certain distinctions from the rest of his red-skinned kind, then the human had blonde hair and brown eyes. Both had the special training sticks with laser lines for extra damage. Those were used for training in lightsaber combat in all three orders. Danielle rubbed her eyes and took off the piece of cloth covering her head.

"Have you seen that ghost by any chance?" She asked.

"We are asking questions here, lady," the human said. "For instance, what are you doing down here?"

"It is I who should be asking this," Danielle got up. "You are acolytes and this tomb is off limits."

"We are here on a task from our Master. You, however...we have never seen you around," The Sith mumbled.

"You kidding, right?" The half ghost asked in confusion. "Or the Sith don't watch holonet? Actually, don't mind this. Who is currently in charge?"

Better be cautious, she had watched the movies. If the problem was exactly what she had thought, then the princess better not to highlight her origins. She would be totally misunderstood.

"The Emperor..." the human said slowly. "What rathole have you climbed from?"

"I...was hit in the head. Okay, let me put it differently..."

"Enough of this. Who are you? And what are YOU doing here?"

"I am Danielle. I came here because I was asked to check the strange activity here."

"Asked? Don't make me laugh. I start to think that this is just a runaway slave."

"What? No!"

"Then what?"

The half ghost sighed. "Well, I am from about...I suppose four millennia in the future," she smiled. "And I ended up here."

Both acolytes burst laughing loudly. Danielle was not amused.

"You come with us, girl. Now."

What a twist of events, Danielle mused. Too sad that she hadn't listened to her father. Now she was in the Empire of old, with no idea how to go back. But she was the second most powerful being in her Galaxy. She would manage. But for now, Danielle would play along. And what a better way to avoid attention than to be a slave? The main problem was...she was in the citadel of the Dark Side.