Star Wars: Thrawn - Chapter 5

16 BBY - "The Resolute II"

Onboard the Imperial Star Destroyer 'The Resolute two', Eli Vanto slowly opened his eyes, sitting up and rubbing them gently. For the past two years, ever since he had refused the role of a military attaché to Moff Ghadi, Vanto had been assigned with Thrawn, now a Senior Lieutenant, to this flagship, led by Colonel Wullf Yularen. Vanto knew the decision could jeopardize Thrawn's career, yes; but the last thing he wanted to see was Thrawn fail under Ghadi's watchful eye, as Vanto had guessed back on Coruscant. 

Slowly, Vanto stood up, walking towards the nearby sink. Turning the tap on, Vanto cupped his hands underneath the running water, splashing his face a few times so as to further wake himself up. All of a sudden, though, Vanto heard the alarms of the Destroyer beginning to blare. He looked up towards the ceiling lights, confused. Why are the alarms blaring...? Vanto asked himself. Normally, they would come on if the ship was under attack, but he couldn't hear any rumbling from outside. At that moment, the doors to his quarters hissed open. "Ensign Vanto." Senior Liuetenant Thrawn said. Vanto turned his head, seeing Thrawn standing in the doorway, arms folded behind his back. Behind him, Vanto could see several Officers and TK-Troopers scrambling back and forth in the hallways, some barking orders at each other as they ran.

"What's going on?" Vanto asked. "Why are the alarms blaring!?" "Colonel Yularen tasked me with taking you to the bridge." Thrawn replied. "We have just arrived on Coruscant, and all Imperials need to be alerted of the sight that lies before them outside." He continued. Coruscant? Vanto asked himself. Why there? Was the planet burned to glass or something? Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Vanto followed Thrawn outside his quarters, following him down the hallway and into the turbolift. Upon entering the bridge, Vanto saw Colonel Yularen standing in front of the window; outside, Vanto could see Coruscant's surface from afar, it's vast city glistening amongst the stars, as it always did.

"I have brought Ensign Vanto, as you requested, Colonel." Thrawn said, gesturing for Vanto to walk closer to the window. Vanto walked slowly towards Yularen, with Coruscant's surface coming more and more into view. Once the planet fully came into view, Vanto's eyes widened with shock; before his very eyes, a bright, emerald crater was seen in the middle of the planet's crust, where Vanto knew The Imperial Palace to be located. "What happened!?" He asked frantically. Yularen sighed heavily, hanging his head low. "I received word from Moff Trachta that The Imperial Palace was just under attack." Yularen replied. "He and the other Imperials on the planet at the time did everything they could to defend the building...   But, unfortunately, the attackers released an unknown bioweapon that wiped out most living beings within the Palace's vicinity."

Vanto's eyes darted to Thrawn, who kept his composure, in spite of the fact that Vanto knew he was just as rattled by the news as he was. He looked back at Yularen, struggling to hold back the panic in his heart. "Did the Emperor survive?" Vanto asked. "That, I cannot say." Yularen replied. "The last time I spoke with Moff Trachta after the attack, the Emperor was severely injured by the bioweapon. And, as of right now, he is being escorted to a safer location by Trachta, alongside Lieutenant Laurita Tohm and Lord Vader." He continued. Thrawn's eyes widened with curiosity at that last name; he had been serving the Empire for over three years now, but only in whispers had he heard the name 'Vader' been mentioned by other Imperials. Mostly out of fear, but also out of admiration and respect, at certain times.

"Well, what do we do now?" Vanto asked. "Surely we have to hold a briefing with Imperial High Command about this." He protested. "I've attempted to contact everyone in Imperial High Command I am aquatinted with already." Yularen replied. "From Governor Tarkin to the ISB, and even the Inquisitorius. As of this moment, they are all either too busy in other parts of the galaxy, or I have not received any form of a response." He continued, shifting his attention to both Vanto and Thrawn. "For the time being, the two of you are dismissed, while I will assess the situation on the planet." Yularen then said. "I will inform the two of you on if and when a briefing of this matter is to be held." Without saying another word, Thrawn and Vanto both walked away from the bridge, re-entering the turbolift and heading back down to Vanto's quarters.

As the lift descended downwards, Vanto's eyes darted towards Thrawn, whose face bore a look of confusion; something Vanto had never seen, in his three years serving as Thrawn's aide. "You seem puzzled, Lieutenant." Vanto commented. "Is it about the attack, or is it about something the Colonel said?" He then asked. "The latter." Thrawn replied. "I have only heard whispers of one of those who is currently escorting the Emperor to safety, and yet, I do not seem to know anything about..    It." He continued. "Is it Lord Vader that you speak of?" Vanto asked. Thrawn gave no answer, instead exchanging a nod. Vanto sighed heavily, his eyes darting up towards the turbolift lights. "It surprises me that you haven't heard much about Lord Vader, aside from certain whispers." Vanto said. "He was introduced to the Empire shortly after you joined The Imperial Academy, as the Emperor's second in command." He continued. "Some speculate that he was a Jedi who left the Order and took on a new identity, given how similar his methods are to theirs. But aside from that, nobody knows who, or, dare I say, what he used to be."

Thrawn's eyes widened with shock upon hearing this; only now could he understand why other Imperials spoke of him with such fear in their hearts. The fact that nobody knew who Vader was, aside from the fact that he was the Emperor's enforcer and possibly a former Jedi, terrified him deeply. Could this 'Lord Vader' be Jedi Skywalker? Thrawn soon began to ask himself. Did he survive The Clone War, and take on a new identity...? Just then, the turbolift doors hissed open, and Thrawn followed Vanto outside, past the frantic TK-Troopers and Officers scrambling by. Thrawn, however, could not shake the thoughts and questions he had about Vader from his mind, based on what Vanto had told him. More specifically, the questions he had about individual that Vader used to be, before he was the Emperor's second in command. 

16 BBY - "The Successor"

Onboard his flagship The Successor, Headmaster Saul Gentis stood at the bridge window, his gaze fixated on the Hyperspace tunnel outside. All had been proceeding as Gentis had planned; his bioweapon, Aorth-6, had just been unleashed upon The Imperial Palace, which marked the death of the Emperor, as far as Gentis knew. In the time since his victory, Gentis had scoured through several classified Imperial files, and discovered a top-secret project of Palpatine's known only as 'Stardust'. Previously, he had interrogated Galen Erso, the mastermind behind the project, and then his close friend, Commander Orson Krennic, both on the same bridge. But no matter how hard he tried, Gentis couldn't get either one of them to crack, which was why he was going to visit the project's construction site himself.

Just then, the ship dropped out of Hyperspace. Before Gentis's eyes, there was something round and circular orbiting the ocean world of Narkina V, where his prisoners were being kept; the object was about the size of a small moon, just as it's schematics had stated. Though it appeared to have a long way to go before it was complete, possibly decades. The doors to the bridge then hissed open, and Gentis turned his head, seeing his son Caul walking towards him. "What brings you here, son?" Gentis asked. "I'm receiving an incoming transmission from Colonel Yularen, father." Caul replied, handing Gentis a holoprojector. Gentis took the holoprojector from Caul's hand, before locking eyes with his son. "Leave me." He ordered. Caul nodded his head, quickly exiting the bridge. Once the doors had shut, Gentis activated the holoprojector, seeing a hologram of Colonel Wullf Yularen appear on the face of the device. "I suppose you have seen what has become of The Imperial Palace, Colonel?" Gentis asked.

"Indeed I have, General." Yularen replied. "The last I heard from Moff Trachta, the Emperor is in critical, yet stable condition, thanks to whatever was unleashed on the Palace." He continued. "I have attempted to contact everyone I know about the situation, but nobody has bothered to arrange a briefing." Gentis could barely hold back a smile; since he had unleashed Aorth-6 on The Imperial Palace, he had gone out of his way to hunt down every Imperial he could. Most of them were imprisoned on Narkina, under his orders, while a select few had been executed in the cargo hold. "Interesting..." Gentis said. "One would think someone like Moff Ghadi or Governor Tarkin would call all those in the Empire back to Coruscant for a meeting." "I trust you intend on holding said briefing?" Yularen asked.

Gentis nodded his head. "Are there any other Imperials onboard your flagship I should take note of, Colonel?" Gentis asked. "Senior Lieutenant Mitth'raw'nuruodo, and his aide, Ensign Eli Vanto." Yularen replied. Only then did Gentis let his smile creep through; he had heard much about Thrawn since his graduation from The Imperial Academy three years ago. Specifically, his involvement with the Dromedar incident, and how he had cost the Empire so much in the form of several Tibanna Gas canisters. Though he and Thrawn were soon to be enemies, Gentis couldn't help but feel ecstatic to see him, and how much he had risen through the Empire. "Meet me in the Narkina system, Colonel." Gentis said. "We will discuss the attack in my office onboard my flagship. I will await your arrival shortly." He continued, deactivating the holoprojector.

16 BBY - "The Resolute II"

Inside Vanto's quarters, Thrawn sat on the bed, staring down at his faint reflection in the metal tiles. He couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes; the Emperor was in critical condition, possibly dying if he wasn't dead already. The Empire, at this moment, was crumbling and it's leaders were vanishing with it. Thrawn briefly looked out the window, gazing off into the Hyperspace tunnel outside. By now, Yularen had arranged to meet with Saul Gentis, Headmaster of The Imperial Academy, in the Narkina system to discuss the attack on Coruscant, and was on his way there. "Hopefully Gentis has some bright ideas on what to do..." Vanto remarked, pacing back and forth near the exit door. "And I do hope the Emperor isn't dead, like Colonel Yularen seems to think." He continued.

Thrawn's eyes soon darted towards the exit door, seeing it hiss open. Yularen stood in the doorway, guarded by two TK-Troopers. "We have arrived." The Colonel said. "Headmaster Gentis will expect the three of us to board with his ship." Immediately, Thrawn and Vanto both stood up, following Yularen to the hanger bay. There, the three of them entered Yularen's personal shuttle, and took off, exiting the hanger. As they flew towards Gentis's flagship, however, something next to the world of Narkina Five caught Thrawn's eye; the object was round, yet skeletal, still very much under construction. By the looks of things, the object was no bigger than a small moon. "Colonel..." Thrawn said. Yularen turned his head slightly. "Yes, Senior Lieutenant?" He asked. "What may that object be outside?" Thrawn asked in reply, pointing to the object.

"That is a question...    For another time." Yularen replied, shifting his attention back towards the cockpit window. Soon enough, the shuttle touched down in the hanger bay. Outside, Thrawn saw Gentis standing just inches away from the craft, with several TK-Troopers and Imperial Officers standing behind him. Yularen was the first to stand, exiting the ship, alongside Thrawn and Vanto. As soon as Gentis came into Thrawn's line of sight, a smile crossed the Headmaster's face. "It's good to see you during these troubling times, Colonel Yularen." He said, shaking Yularen's hand first. His eyes soon darted to Thrawn, who stood on the right of Yularen. "As it is to see you, Senior Lieutenant Thrawn." He continued, shaking Thrawn's hand. "Though I see your aide is still an Ensign, correct?" Gentis asked, his gaze shifting towards Vanto.

"Yes, sir." Vanto said, biting his lip. "Now..." Gentis began, peering directly into Yularen's eyes. "I trust you're aware of what has become of the Emperor?" He asked. "Moff Trachta informed me that the Emperor was in good hands after we spoke." Yularen replied. "Though I do fear he may have already passed on since then." He added on. "It was most tragic indeed to learn of what happened on Coruscant." Gentis remarked. "Followed by what is becoming of the Empire and it's core leaders.." Thrawn folded both of his arms behind his back. "Although, I do have the answers you must be seeking as to what has become of your precious ISB." Gentis said. Yularen shot him a confused look. Thrawn's eyes darted to all the TK-Troopers in the hanger bay, seeing four of them walk up towards Gentis, holding their blasters with ease. 

"Where are they?" Vanto asked. Gentis's smile grew wider, his gaze shifting towards Vanto once more. "Narkina." He calmly replied. Thrawn's eyes widened, only now realizing something; it was Gentis who attacked Coruscant. Gentis who left the Emperor in critical condition, and Gentis who was now rounding up all within the Empire...      Including Thrawn, Vanto, and Yularen. Before the Senior Lieutenant could reach for his pistol, however, the four TK-Troopers opened fire on him and the others, stunning them. Gentis watched, as Yularen, Vanto, and Thrawn all collapsed to his feet, unconscious. "You poor fools..." Gentis whispered under his breath, turning to the TK-Troopers behind him. "Take them all down to the prison." He ordered sternly. "I don't wish to spoil the fun for Moff Tarkin too soon." He continued.