Vader sat in displeasure as he tried to hail the Executor, for the fourth time.
Something was wrong. His signal was reaching, and the scans showed that a link had been gained, but there was no response.
Farmile had begun acclimating to what he was seeing, and cautiously asked a question. "Vader, did your ship get into a fight?"
Vader had noticed that. The Executor was not in peak condition. Many of the lights on the hull were unpowered, and he could see several spots where it had been damaged or breached.
"Perhaps," Vader acknowledged.
He had only two options. Sit and wait for more of the Death Squadron to arrive, or investigate himself.
He chose the latter.
"Sit down and brace yourself," Vader instructed as he took the controls.
He approached the ship with moderate speed, waiting for a response.
He both was and wasn't disappointed.
The Executor started firing upon him.
But with only one turbolaser.
With great ease, he dodged the incoming attacks as he approached the Super Star Destroyer, weaving his way onto the underside.
"You seem to get into a lot of fights with people supposed to be on your side!" Farmile pointed out in alarm.
Not an untrue statement, Vader granted privately as he scanned for an open hanger. The Executor had many of what could be considered regular sized hangers, and three large ones. Most were concealed when not in use, for various reasons of practicality and safety. But none appeared to be opened on the underside.
A message came through the communications, but it was in text instead of visual or audio.
'DV, Hangar 7. FP'
Vader changed course immediately, heading to the portside of the ship, near the rear. He dodged incoming fire from a point-defense turret and resisted several instincts to destroy it.
Something was going on and he didn't wish to destroy more of his long-lost ship until necessary.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Farmile murmured as he held onto his seat nervously.
Vader ignored the boy as he found the hanger, and dodged a turret with a loop to bring himself into a proper entry.
As his ship landed, Vader was abundantly aware of the hangar doors closing behind him. The hanger itself was empty and a mess, clearly unused…among other things.
"Remain here. Do not open the ship under any circumstances," Vader ordered as he stood and made his way to leave.
"...I'm starting to think I should have stayed behind," Farmile remarked, more stunned than anything.
Vader stepped off his ship and the first thing he noticed was the thin frost on the ground. He made sure to close the ramp to his ship as he noticed that the supplies still in the room appeared as if they had all been flung or dragged in the direction of the hangar.
The magnetic shield had failed or been turned off at some point, no doubt. He doubted the causes were mere negligence or happenstance.
He walked through the hanger and noted it was empty of soldiers and any other ships. With that and the frost on the floor, walls, and ceiling? It had not been in use recently.
He was starting to get a morbid sense of the situation.
He was almost surprised that the door still opened when he used the terminal. He stepped into the hallway, and knew something was wrong. It wasn't the flickering lights, occasional marks from blaster fire in the walls, or even the hand print of dried blood on the wall.
No, it was something else.
"Lord Vader!"
The call came in a harsh whisper, causing him to look to see an imperial engineer crouching by a doorway, waving frantically for him to come towards him.
Vader knew that look, that body language, that feeling this man gave off. It was the feeling one had when far too close to a hive and terrified of poking it by mistake, of expecting enemies to swarm in at any second.
Vader glanced over his shoulder, down the flickering hallway and frowned as he heard...something. Something like many wheels and electronics whirling about.
The Dark Lord decided it was better to learn of the situation before confronting whatever that was and followed the engineer. He walked calm and steady as he entered the room with the engineer.
If it was a trap, it didn't feel like one as the man closed the door and audibly breathed in relief. "Thank Heavens you're here, Sir," the engineer said as he turned to face the Sith.
"I see things have deteriorated in my absence," Vader noted. "Who are you, and what is the situation?"
"Retwin, My Lord. I am, or was the Chief of Ship Preparations. I- wait!" he said, growing silent as he looked at the door.
Vader followed suit. He couldn't sense anything living through the Force, but the Force did advise some measure of caution as he heard the sounds of wheels and motors grow closer and louder, along with banging against the walls. It lasted for only a few minutes before the source of the noise kept traveling down the hall.
"...Perhaps the simplified version, sir?" Retwin suggested uneasily.
"That would be wise," Vader granted.
"Right, so. The important parts? After everyone realized we time traveled, the Executor kind of...started having a civil war," Retwin admitted warily.
"Was Ozzel the cause, or did he simply fail to prevent it?" Vader asked expectantly.
"Oh, he caused it, Sir. We heard about you killing the Emperor on Coruscant, and Admiral Ozzel decided you were a traitor. But a lot of us thought you were probably still our best shot at surviving in this situation. That, and it quickly became obvious to everyone that Ozzel and his cronies wanted to make their own empire of sorts," Retwin explained. "Needless to say, many of us didn't like the idea of following that plan. Captain Firmus Peitt is more or less running our side of things."
Vader took all of that in rather well, but there were two or three things he needed to know immediately.
"And what, exactly, had you so alarmed? A weapon of Ozzel?" Vader asked pointedly.
Retwin shook his head. "No sir, that would be the...third faction, I suppose. The Nutters, we call'em."
Nutters. Vader was almost positive he knew where this was going and he didn't relish it.
"Some of the crew went crazy, started hiding out on their own. We're not sure why. Time travel? All the Hyperspace jumps? Cracking under pressure from a civil war on a ship in space? It didn't really matter, I guess. They're not really a...group, just a bunch of whack jobs that are doing whatever they want. One of them turned an army of Mouser droids into a swarm of murderbots, somehow."
Madness, just what Vader expected. "There is a conflict, and madmen harming both sides. But why has the Executor been jumping all over the Outer Rim?"
"Don't know," Retwin answered with a shrug. "Sorry I can't say more, Sir, but the area of the Hyperdrive has been in lock down ever since this mess started. Some think it's another Nutter who just keeps making the ship do random jumps."
Well, that was a problem but it did explain most of the important questions. "And just how long has this all been going on?" Vader asked pointedly.
"About a year, Sir," Retwin answered, tilting his helmet at the Dark Lord. "How did you arrive years before us?"
"A question I might never be able to answer for myself," Vader admitted. Still, that made sense. If the Executor has only been back in time for about a year, that would explain why it hadn't run out of food and supplies yet. Even divided in half, both factions wouldn't exhaust their resources that quickly.
Retwin shifted topic after a moment. "Sir, we have a makeshift base set up nearby. Piett wanted me to escort you there as soon as possible."
"Lead the way, Chief Retwin," Vader said expectantly, motioning to the door.
Meanwhile
In the chaos after the Storm, the reveal that Senator Palpatine had been some sort of rogue Dark Jedi in hiding, the emergency election had called off due to the dire and immediate situation. The Senate had quietly decided to allow Valorum's term to end in the months to come.
This had been a boon for many, as it gave time for many to start or reinvigorate their own campaigns for the Supreme Chancellor. The resulting chaos had resulted in a unique political storm and an unlikely outcome.
With tales of Nute Gunray's death during the apparent occupation of Naboo by the Trade Federation, most systems were unwilling to support anyone obviously holding the interest of the Trade Federation or any group like them.
The Trade Federation's own chaos, though hidden at the time, did not help. With Gunray dead, the entire Naboo situation having imploded, and the strings of the Sith cut? A flock of headless beasts would have had better political coordination.
The natural expectation was that Bail Antilles of Organa would become the likely winner, but this image worked against him. The incident with Naboo, the Storm, and all else had ripped open an untreated wound of sorts. Many systems were wary of appointing someone who would only care for the Coreward worlds and leave the Outer Rims and similar territories to fend for themselves.
Thus among the many unlikely candidates, one had managed to catch an almost improbable victory.
Grebleips, the senator of Brodo Asogi, became the first Asogian to become Supreme Chancellor.
It was an unusual fit for Grebleips. Like the Wookies and other species, his kind preferred to remain unclothed at all times. A practice respected, but it was something that surprised some species at first. It also left him with interesting but very important decisions in if and how he dressed and presented himself as the Leader of the Galactic Republic.
What remained of the Republic.
Grebleips was no fool, the short-legged being was very aware that he was fighting an avalanche, trying to hold a falling star in the sky. The republic was falling apart, and he was a treatment of the symptoms, not the illness. He was determined to do what he could to trim the issues, to lessen the tension.
So maybe, just maybe, he could avoid a civil war…or worse, the complete dissolution of the Galactic Republic.
"Darth Vader. You believe he is creating an army? Many already are, Master Jedi. All laws and regulations regarding the keeping of militaries are being loopholed if not outright ignored," Grebleips said idly as he gazed out the window of his office.
"I understand that, Your Excellency," Mace Windu said strongly. "But the fact remains that Darth Vader is the most unknown and volatile element. We have reason to believe he intends to try to take control of the republic when it is at its most vulnerable."
"You mean when a civil war breaks out," Grebleips retorted, turning to look at the Jedi Master with a troubled frown. "It's all anyone talks about. Which is funny in some ways. There have been wars breaking out already. One was near my home planet, between the worlds of Huk and Kalee. The Huk reached out to the Republic, but we were unable to consider aiding them at the time. In hindsight, it seems they were in fact the aggressors in that war."
"There have been conflicts, yes. But the threat of war spreading across the galaxy looms over many. Those that would suffer from it, others that would use the chaos for their own means," Mace Windu agreed.
The Supreme Chancellor shook his head as he returned to his desk. "I see what you're trying to do, Master Jedi."
"I am only interested in the protection and peace of the Republic," Mace Windu assured without doubt.
"I do not dispute that. You believe Darth Vader is a threat and you wish to use him as some enemy to rally the republic behind, to reunite the squabbling systems against a common threat, in a bid to buy time for old problems and wounds to be treated," Grebleips said in understanding. "And perhaps I might be willing to entertain the idea if not for two issues."
"And those would be, Chancellor?" Mace Windu inquired, even if he had some suspicions.
"Uniting against him will also draw more to him. Vader already has a spreading reputation throughout the Galaxy. Some see him akin to a dark hero. Others with a less romanticized view still see him as someone worth allying with, one who can bring change. For better or worse. Turning him into a public enemy will turn this entire issue from being about the problems of the republic and into a War against Darth Vader himself. A man that has, to this day, done nothing the public could rally against. That alone would make him a figure to rally behind."
Mace Windu scowled but didn't try to refute that point. "And the second?"
"We know nothing about him. If he has a fleet and an army, we do not know where they came from, or where they operate from. These ships your fellow Jedi have claimed to have seen, we have almost no credible reason to say they belong to him, nor how many of them there are. And with how many systems are readily creating armies and warships, singling out Vader would prove difficult politically. Not in terms of my career, I assure you, but in that many senators would see it as hypocritical. Why target such an unknown quantity when there are more, known threats to the peace of the Galaxy? Planets we know are militarizing, among other things."
"Chancellor, the uncovering of Palpatine as a Sith proves that the reach of the Sith is deep and nefarious. It is impossible to say that much of the galaxy's warmongering is not the work of Vader and Plagueis," Windu reminded.
"Yes, this other Sith we know even less of," Grebleips recalled with a frown. "Most see the Sith as nothing more than some variant of the Jedi. Which, to my understanding, is true. An order that studies and wields this power called the Force, albeit from opposing views of it. Interest in them has spread over the Galaxy, and old records have been unveiled. An ancient enemy of the Jedi, and the Republic. And yet, a thousand years from their last supposed sighting, Vader comes to you offering peace and even aids you in defeating this Sidious that Palpatine claimed to be. By Grandmaster Yoda's own statement, he is the reason the Storm did not spread further over Coruscant."
Mace Windu could not deny any of what was said. "Those are indeed facts, Your Excellency."
"Yet you are certain that this Sith cannot mean it when he offers you an end to the conflict between your two orders," Grebleips pointed out sternly. "Why is that, Master of the Order?"
"The Sith have proposed peace before, as a ruse. They have always lied when offering to put down their sabers," Mace Windu retorted solemnly. "Those that follow the Dark Side so utterly cannot be expected to be peaceful."
"Careful, Master Jedi. You sound much like religious fanatics of old," Grebleips cautioned. "I respect the Jedi Order, I truly do. But just as people are not to be judged by their ancestors, I cannot judge Vader by ancient history. Only by what we know so far. And what we know is that he foiled a plot to take this very title that I was elected to."
Mace Windu's shoulders sagged only slightly. "I can see we will get nowhere on this topic, Chancellor."
"We will not, I am afraid. That said?" The chancellor paused and tipped his head in consideration. "I do feel I will need the Order's help. Or rather, this great city will."
Mace Windu furrowed his brow. "The Jedi are always ready to aid in keeping the peace. What do you ask?"
"The situation of The Jaw is growing more severe. The special task force formed to contain and deal with it would like for the Jedi Order to aid in future, more ambitious operations to hopefully put an end to this blot on Coruscant," Grebleips said with a troubled look.
"I have heard of such things," Windu acknowledged. "Could you send a member to the temple for the Council to hear and discuss what they would request of us?"
"That is the intention, Master Windu," Grebleips agreed with a nod. "I should warn you. The notion of seeking aid from Darth Vader or even this Plagueis has been broached in the past."
Mace Windu took that as both a disclosure that such things may be suggested to him and his fellow Jedi, and a warning that such things might come to pass if the situation grew dire enough.
"Thank you for your time, Supreme Chancellor."
Meanwhile
Retwin had fallen and emptied his bowels in his clothes.
Vader supposed he shouldn't blame the man but so much as the Sith Lord used the Force to stop a mouse droid from dropping from the ceiling. But it wasn't a normal mouse droid. The machine had small limbs that unfolded from the side. Two were pincers trying to violently grab at the imperial officer. The third limb was a saw blade and the fourth a small knife.
A "murderbot" indeed.
Vader crushed the droid with the Force and flung the remains down the hall. "On your feet, Chief Retwin," he ordered sternly.
"R-right, sorry sir," Retwin said as he stood up. "It's just..."
Vader tilted his head.
"Magnetized wheels. Them being on the ceiling like that? That's...that's new," Retwin explained with a troubled tone. "It was alone though. A scout. We should move before the swarm finds us again."
Vader continued following after the man, his large gait keeping pace with Retwin who was trying to walk fast without running.
And Vader could see why, as they passed the corpse of a dead trooper. By the dried blood around him, the death was not recent.
These halls were a no-man's land, an area between the fighting faction and the lunatics, a place where anyone traveling alone risked running into a group of their enemies. With these narrow halls, only quick thinking would avoid one being shot.
It wasn't long before they came to the end of a hall. Or rather, to a closed blaster shield that blocked the wall.
Retwin walked over to the wall and picked up a wrench of all things from the ground. He then proceeded to use it to knock on the sealed door.
He felt Vader's stare and shrugged. "The terminal on this side got destroyed, so we have to knock to get back inside," he explained casually.
And what if their foes were the ones knocking? Vader didn't voice this question, but he was sure it was an obvious concern.
The blaster doors opened to reveal a rayshield blocking the path, answering that problem on its own.
Past the energy barrier were four troopers behind small barricades. One had a minigun and another a rocket launcher on his back.
More importantly?
"Lord Vader?! Is that really you!?" the Stormtrooper exclaimed in excitement and disbelief.
Vader might no longer consider himself Anakin Skywalker, but there was no denying he was still fond of the remaining clones of 501st.