The Ho’Din were oblivious to what had happened. One of them was bending down to the Dark Lord to rasp in Basic, “Lord Vader, would you happen to know the location of the D’ian Orchid Vines from Sen III? We have heard of their famed sweet aroma, a scent potent enough to-“
Vader’s moment of surprise was broken. The Ho’Din gasped and backpedaled as Vader’s red lightsaber blade snapped into existence right in front of his small green nose. “I regret that this tour must be canceled,” Vader boomed sarcastically. “I have the Emperor’s business to attend to.” With that, he moved swiftly into the maze of vine-covered walls and pillars where Ashka Boda had vanished.
“Cod ee say oo pay a loto!” one of the astonished Ho’Din said, reverting back to his native language.
“Sate Pestage ray indee pako a gammon!” His companions shook their head tresses in indignation, staring after the Dark Lord.
Vader quickly discovered that his moment of hesitation had cost him his quarry. Boda was gone. Reaching out with the Force, Vader confirmed it. The Jedi was no longer in the garden at all. Vader made his decision quickly. It was enough that a Jedi was loose on Coruscant, but this one seemed to hold the secret of immortality itself. If that was true, then a dangerous game was beginning, and another important player now had to enter it. He knew he had to inform the Emperor immediately.
Sequestered within the jagged dark towers and walls of his Castle near the Palace, Darth Vader dismissed his Noghri guard and activated the holographic communication platform he used to speak to his Master. There was a blank period of waiting, as usual, during which Vader composed himself in the proper kneeling position, down on one knee, with his face lowered.
The first image to appear was not that of the Emperor, but instead that of his Grand Vizier, the wizened Sate Pestage. “Greetings, Lord Vader,” Pestage said politely. “It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that the Emperor cannot be disturbed at this time. He is in a deep meditative state, and he expressly asked me to deal with matters on his behalf, as they arise. How may I be of service to you?”
Vader rose out of his kneeling position, and leaned towards the hologram. He hated dealing with an intermediary when he had such urgent news to convey. He resolved to cut through the bureaucracy as only he could. Lowering his voice to its most sinister level, Vader addressed the Grand Vizier. “Your instructions do not apply to me. I will speak with the Emperor immediately. It is a matter of great importance. If you should decide to be an obstruction to me in this, then we shall find out how much the Emperor will miss your services…when he awakens.”
Pestage’s normally serene face betrayed the smallest twitch, a relative victory for Vader. The Grand Vizier’s next words were merely a face-saving gesture, Vader knew. “I am certain, Lord Vader, that our Master requires both of us to serve him. Very well, I shall inform the Master of your request presently. But before I leave you, there is the small matter of a complaint I received from a group of Ho’Din dignitaries this morning. Perhaps you would care to shed some light on this-“
Vader abruptly cut off the transmission, wishing he could see Pestage’s face as he did so. The elderly Grand Vizier annoyed Vader with the way he pampered and protected the Emperor. It was satisfying to face down the shifty old courtier for once. The true measure of Vader’s victory was in the gratifyingly short time it took for the face of Palpatine to waver into the space in front of him. The Emperor’s hooded face was much larger than Pestage’s had been—it towered over the Dark Lord who once again knelt before it. Vader was used to this display of his Master’s towering ego, and paid it no notice.
Palpatine spoke first, glaring down at the Sith Lord. “What is so important, Lord Vader, that you need to defy my orders to tell it to me?”
Vader raised his head to meet the Emperor’s bright yellow eyes. “I have seen a Jedi, my Master, in the Palace itself. What is more, he was one of the Jedi I personally killed during your Purge. His name was Ashka Boda. Somehow, he has survived his own death, and come here for reasons unknown.”
The Emperor’s annoyance was replaced by a look of grave interest. He said nothing for a long moment, during which Vader studied his Master’s looming face. Palpatine’s reaction was all the proof Vader needed that he had done the right thing by bringing the matter swiftly to his attention. Of course, any Jedi sighting was a matter for great concern. The current belief was that all of the Jedi had been killed, some by Vader, some by Palpatine, and the rest by Imperial forces. Still, it was always possible that some were in hiding, waiting for the right time to emerge. The presence of a Jedi in the Palace itself was disturbing proof of that. There was no telling how much harm he could do while free; the Emperor would certainly want him dead or captured.