[Short Stories] - Dark Emperor 6(9)

Belatedly, Palpatine realized he had not asked who Anakin’s companions were. In the new light, he had his first look at them. At Anakin’s left side was another old man who wore similar Jedi robes, brown where Anakin’s were gray. Next to this white-bearded Jedi was a tiny green-skinned alien with long pointed ears protruding from his wrinkled, bald head. Palpatine knew them both at once.

“So, you have brought him,” said Obi-Wan Kenobi.

“As much as I hate to admit it,” said Anakin, “this old despot is our last hope.”

“A great pity it is,” said Yoda, frowning, “that there is not another.”



Empatojayos Brand floated in front of the ranks of his Jedi Legion. Behind him were the hills into which the Emperor Palpatine had fled. Brand was a cyborg, and the only remaining human parts of him that were visible were his eyes and nose. Below his nose there was only a round droid body with mechanical arms. This survival suit was a reminder of his years as King of the Ganathan people, as well as of the day when Vader had hunted him and destroyed his ship and his body. Now that he had departed the physical world, the suit was purely a mental construct, entirely his choice to wear. He could represent himself in his young, undamaged body if he wanted to, but the droid body suited him after so long. It contained most of the history of his life, and he did not want to give it up.

Levitating just as he had before his death, Brand addressed the hundreds of Jedi before him. He was proud to be their leader. They revered him for his great deed in removing the Emperor from the galaxy forever. But Brand knew that in the crowd were Jedi much greater than himself. It was to his great honor that they had chosen to follow him.

He looked over the ranks, pausing to make eye contact with those he knew well, or those he had come to know here, after his death. He saw Jem and Rayf from Ossus, two young warriors who had perished in the final struggles against Palpatine. There, too, were the twins, Denin and Vila, who had done their work so well in their role as scouts. Brand saw the aged, insect-faced creature known as Jedidiah, who had won Brand’s admiration with his tale of sacrificing his own life for Luke Skywalker’s. It reminded Brand of his own sacrifice in the Fortress of Modon Kira on Onderon. Then there was Dev Sibwarra, the young man who had helped save Luke during the Battle of Bakura. Brand knew some of these beings had, like him, encountered Luke Skywalker during their lives. They had played a small role in the rise of the only remaining Jedi Master, whose light would lead a new generation of students to serve the Force.

But these were just a minority of the Jedi gathered here. Most of the Jedi had died before Luke Skywalker had ever learned about his destiny. But Brand had something in common with them, too. They were victims of the Emperor’s Purge, slain by Palpatine’s heavily armed assassins, by his puppet Sith Lord, or by the dark Emperor himself. They had remained here in this realm to watch the fate of the galaxy after their murders, hoping against hope to see the disaster somehow redeemed. And now, they had a chance to do something none of them had ever expected. They had the opportunity to decide the final fate of the Emperor, their destroyer.

“Fellow Jedi!” cried Brand. “The Emperor Palpatine is indeed in this realm, as I told you he would be. When I died, I imprisoned his very essence and carried it with me as I crossed over. I was separated from him, but I knew in my heart that he would still come here. Now we have found him! Denin and Vila have seen him with their own eyes, as he emerged from the Bowl of the Mists. Now he is finally ours to deal with. We have our plan, and all the players are in position. Are all of you ready to play your roles in bringing about the Emperor’s end?”

Hundreds of voices, human and a multitude of other species, cried out in affirmation.

“Are all of you ready to do what we have agreed to do?” cried Brand. “It will be difficult for some of you. I know how you feel. But we are Jedi! This is, and forever will be, our way! Are all of you with me?”

Again, every voice shouted agreement. Although Brand’s mouth was gone, he smiled in his heart. Then he turned and began to lead his army into the hills, in search of the Emperor.



“What are you two doing here?!” Palpatine snarled at Obi-Wan and Yoda. “Didn’t the Jedi Legion want you?”

Kenobi let out a troubled sigh. “Yoda and I are here,” he said tiredly, “because of our loyalty to Anakin. We cannot stand by and let the other Jedi destroy him for his crimes as Darth Vader. Such a punishment is too extreme. He was my student and my friend before he was Vader. I can do nothing less than stand by him now.”