Prologue

Emperor Palpatine entered his personal chamber aboard Darth Vader's newest flagship, The Apparition. The room, complete with a meditation chamber, remote view-port and personal com station, had been included to fill the Sith Lord's personal needs. Scanning the room, he turned to his personal assistants and nodded. With a bow, they exited, leaving him alone save for two Royal Guards flanking the door.

Approaching the com station, the summoning switch activated, as if on its own. An image of Admiral Saxton flickered on.

"Yes my Lord," he said with a respectful bow.

"Instruct Lord Vader he is needed in my chamber," he commanded.

"Right away my Lord," Saxton said with another bow before flickering out.

The Emperor retreated to a throne of elegant design by the view-port. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. Slithering tentacles of dark energy stretched forth, exploring the chamber and the rooms beyond, until he had probed every corner of the massive ship. Satisfied there was no danger of sabotage during their journey, he let his thoughts drift elsewhere.

He could sense the disturbance a moment before it occurred. Opening his eyes, he grimaced, not from pain, but from annoyance. Someone or something, not for the first time, was intruding his conscience mind; or to be more precise, they were taking control of his basic functions. He twitched as he struggled to shrug off the parasitic being, but to no avail; he was unable to free himself from this intruder's influence.

Lord Sidious sat helplessly as his head forcibly turned, his eyes scanning the room of their own free will. He had become a spectator in his own body. Were it not for his strong connection with the Force, which enabled him to project his mind elsewhere, he felt he would go mad.

It took a being strong in the Force to possess the body of another, much stronger than he had previously believed possible. As far as he had been able to determine from his studies, no Sith Lord or Jedi had ever achieved such a feat. There were instances of limited control of course, the so-called 'Jedi Mind Trick' being one example. But to take over the body of another, to inject oneself into their very being, impossible; or so he would have previously believed.

Using techniques he had long ago mastered, he shielded his thoughts from this other, determined to give as little information as possible. This, at least, was something his intruder had never mastered. While its thoughts remained sporadic bursts of confusion, 'Happening again… the men in red are watching me… must wake up', its emotions were as easy to read as a children storybook. Fear and confusion flooded his conscious mind with almost overwhelming power. However, he took no consolation in the fact that the intruder's confusion seemed to increase with each incident.

'It does not know how it is doing this, or how to make it stop,' he observed. 'This could become a most dangerous situation indeed.'

As with the previous incidents, this intrusion seemed to last longer than the time before, and the unwanted influence of the other seemed to be growing stronger. If these attacks persisted much longer, he was afraid the results could be catastrophic; though just what that could entail, he could not fathom.

The door opened and Darth Vader entered the room. Sidious could feel the terror of the intruder increasing upon sight of his apprentice.

'What is that… man or machine... strange breathing... sees me!'

Darth Vader paused as he entered, clearly sensing the disturbance. An instant later, the snap hiss of his lightsaber was accompanied by the extension of his crimson blade. Vader moved towards his master, though his confusion at what was transpiring was evident in his slow, deliberate steps.

"Master…"

"Do not come any closer!" Vader could hear his master's command in his mind though no word had been uttered. "There is nothing you can do to help."

Vader paused, obeying the command. The royal guards had begun moving to assist the Sith, their weapons at the ready. Vader turned to them and lifted his hand in a command to stop. "I have this under control," he instructed. "Get back to your post and make sure no one else enters the chamber."

Sidious could feel himself thrashing and convulsing as the other struggled to break the connection. A guttural scream began deep in his throat, and grew in intensity to a raging roar that filled the chamber with deafening agony.

The convulsions stopped an instant later, the scream having purged itself of sound. Stillness filled the room as neither Sith, guard or machine dared to move. If not for the sound of Vader's breathing, Sidious would have believed time itself had stopped.

"Ahhhh!" This yell was not released by the intruder, but rather by Sidious himself. A moment later, the Sith was violently thrown as if by an invisible hand. Landing in the middle of the chamber, he struggled to lift himself as his apprentice ran to his aid. For the moment, the intruder was gone.

"Just as the Force has polar sides, the light side and the dark, polar beings are there also. These beings, though opposite they may be, through the Force a powerful bond they share." - Yoda

Chapter 1 - Nightmares

Brian Hughes sat up gasping for breath. Sweat trickled down his forehead, stinging his eyes. Slowly his heart rate began to steady. He looked at his alarm clock. 3:23 showed in bright red letters.

It was only a dream, wasn't it?

Images flashed through his mind; cold and unpleasant images representing a world he did not know. A large, gray room with machines; their function and purpose he could not fathom. Mechanical sounds both foreign and familiar buzzing in the atmosphere, strong with the smell of crisp ozone and stale, filtered air.

Two men, if you could call them men, dressed in red, with featureless helmets and weapons of some sort, flanked a mechanical door like sentries or guards, never moving.

Then there was the man (machine?) in black. Tall, much taller than Brian, and wearing a dark and skeletal mask, this man scared him beyond anything he had ever known.

That breathing...

He clenched his eyes and took in a deep breath. In his mind he could hear the rhythmic mechanical sound emitting from the dark man.

For months Brian had been having these nightmares, each getting worse than the last. It had now come to the point where the dreams seemed so real that he began to question whether or not they could be. His therapist, Dr. Cromwell, seemed to think they were his subconscious' way of dealing with a traumatic experience from his childhood. Brian disagreed. His childhood was happy, with a close, loving family. Just last week he had been visiting with his parents, neither of whom could recall a single experience in his 28 years that would have traumatized him. Despite their disagreements, Dr. Cromwell insisted that he could reveal the true source of the dreams through a series of hypnotic treatments. Brian's first session was in five hours.

After tossing and turning for an hour, Brian decided to get up. He showered and ate a bowl of cheerios while watching a late night rerun of the Jerry Springer Show. The topic was 'So I Married My Cousin'.

If anyone should be having nightmares due to traumatic childhoods, it should be these people.

Brian arrived at Dr. Cromwell's office at a little before eight-thirty. Sarah Hunter's face lit up as he entered the reception area.

"Brian! Good morning!" She said, flashing him a big smile. "How have you been sleeping? Any better?"

Brian shook his head, embarrassed. "No, not really," he said sheepishly.

"That's too bad. I'm sure Dr. Cromwell will be able to help," she said in a motherly way.

Brian was always embarrassed when Sarah asked him about his sleep. Technically, she was not supposed to discuss such things with the patients, but they had known each other since high school. Brian always had a secret crush on her but had been too shy to ask her out, and then they had lost contact after graduation. When the nightmares became bad enough that he needed psychiatric help, he had been pleasantly surprised to find her working as Dr. Cromwell's receptionist. They caught up through small talk during his visits and that was when he revealed he had been having trouble sleeping.

She had been hinting that she would like him to ask her out but he was too embarrassed. How could he ever earn her love and respect if he was a patient of the doctor whom she worked for? Besides, he was pretty sure she would lose her job if they dated. Sarah was currently finishing a degree in teaching at the local University and would not need this job much longer. He promised himself that as soon as he was cured he would ask her out.

The phone on her desk rang and she answered. A moment later she hung up and looked at Brian.

"The doctor's ready to see you now," she said with a smile. As Brian got up and headed for Cromwell's door she grabbed his arm, stopping him. "I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need someone to talk to, no matter what time it is, I mean I'm up late most nights anyways." She placed a small piece of paper into his hand, smiling. "My number."

"Sarah I don't think that's such a good idea," he said.

"Well hang on to it anyways, just in case."

He nodded and put into his pocket. "Okay Sarah. Thank you."

Cromwell was sitting behind his desk when Brian entered the plush office.

"Good morning Brian. Have a seat."

Brian sat down in a chair adjacent to the desk.

"How did you sleep last night?" Cromwell asked.

"I had another nightmare. It was similar to the ones before. I think they're getting worse."

Cromwell nodded thoughtfully. "I suspected they would. Hopefully today we'll get to the root of your problem. Are you ready to begin?"

Brian nodded.

"Just lay down on the couch and we'll get started."

Brian got up and went to the couch. Laying down, he closed his eyes and sighed. Cromwell pulled a chair close to the couch and sat down.

"Brian, I want you to relax. Clear your mind of all thought. I want you to hear only my voice. Imagine you are on a staircase with ten steps. With each step you will feel more relaxed. Brian, I want you to walk down that staircase and to find the bottom. When you reach the bottom you will be the most relaxed you have ever been. Are you at the bottom?"

"Yes." Brian sounded a million miles away.

"Good. When I snap my fingers you will remember your last dream." He snapped his finger and Brian gasped. "What do you see Brian?"

"A big room," Brian said, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Brian, I want you to remember that no matter who or what you see they cannot hurt you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Brian whimpered. "I don't like being here. I'm scared."

"I know Brian, but everything is okay. Tell me about the room you're in."

"It's gray. There are machines by the wall to the right of me. I am sitting in a kind of chair, almost a throne. The two tall men in red are by a mechanical door across from me."

"Are they the same men you've told me about? The men with the masks?" Cromwell probed.

"Yes. They are looking at me like they can hear me speak. I think they're wondering whom I'm talking too. They seem almost frightened of me."

Brian's breathing began to labor and he twitched in fear. "The man in black is coming!"

"What man in black?"

"No," Brian said, his voice rising in a kind of shrill. "I don't want to see him. Please don't make me."

"Brian it's okay. Remember, nothing can hurt you."

Brian began to fidget, shaking his head back and forth, his face wincing as if in pain.

"What is it, Brian? What do you see?" Cromwell asked.

"The door, it's…it's opening! It's him! He's here! I don't want to be here!" Tears began to stream down his cheeks.

Darth Vader ran to his master's chambers; the disturbance in the Force he had felt earlier had returned. Sidious had refused to explain the incident and Vader suspected it was due to the fact that his master did not know himself. Sith's very rarely admitted their weaknesses; apparently his master's had now been exposed. How Vader would use that information would require much meditation on his own part.

As he entered the chamber, his master was sitting in his throne, thrashing as he had before.

"He's here! Please, I don't want to be here. I want to leave!"

Vader stopped. The presence of the other person, the stranger, emitting from his master through the Force was much stronger than before. Never had he experienced the strange disturbance that was transpiring before him. Somehow this strange presence had taken over his master's body completely. Lord Sidious was gone.

He turned to the royal guards. "Leave!"

They seemed to hesitate, unsure of how to proceed. Raising their weapons, they stood their ground. "I'm sorry Sir, but only the Emperor may command us to leave."

He raised his hand, snatching their weapons from their grips. The door opened automatically and they flew into the corridor. Slamming the door closed, he activated the locking mechanism.

"Who are you?" Vader demanded, turning back towards the stranger. His lightsaber flew to his hand and ignited.

His master shook his head, whimpering inaudibly.

"Tell me who you are!" Vader commanded, approaching, his lightsaber in ready position.

"My…my name is Brian. Please don't hurt me! I didn't want to come here, my doctor made me!"

Vader paused, not sure how to respond. "What have you done with my master? Where is Darth Sidious?"

The imposter began sobbing hysterically. "I…don't…know! Please don't hurt me!"

'This is getting me nowhere,' he bitterly thought.

"If you won't tell me where he is voluntarily," he threatened, "then you force me to use more unpleasant methods of persuasion."

"No! Please! I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt me!"

Cromwell was worried. He had been trying to bring Brian back and so far nothing had worked. He watched helplessly as his patient no longer responded to the doctor's promptings, but instead, pleaded with someone who existed only in his mind.

"Brian, can you hear me? When I snap my fingers you will wake up and will remember nothing that has happened. Do you understand?"

"No! Please! I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt me!"

Cromwell snapped his fingers but to no resolve. Brian was trapped in his own mind.

"Brian! Can you hear me? Respond!"

Brian's eyes shot open. Cromwell could have sworn they glowed a yellowish hue for a split second.
"Brian?" He asked hesitantly.

Brian looked at Cromwell and smiled.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel," he paused for a second, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. "I feel younger."

"Younger?" Cromwell had a puzzled look on his face. Brian's voice seemed lower, raspier.

"Yes. Where am I?" He began sitting up. He looked around the room as if he'd never seen it before.

"You're in my office. Don't you remember anything?"

"Oh yes, I remember much. But you, I don't remember you, or your," his eyes scanned the room again, "office."

"I'm afraid you've suffered a complete psychotic break. I'm going to have to commit you to a psychiatric hospital immediately."

"Oh, but I've never felt better in my life!" Brian began getting up.

Cromwell got to his feet and blocked Brian, putting a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave. You'll have to stay here with me."

Brian looked at the hand on his shoulder and then into Cromwell's eyes. A chill ran up his spine.

Without explanation, Cromwell flew across the room, crashing into a bookshelf before settling to the floor. He watched helplessly as the door to the office opened and Sarah stepped in. She looked at the doctor and then at Brian, clearly confused as to what was going on.

"Sarah," he gasped, barely audible, "you must leave now."

"Brian?" She asked confused. "What happened? What did you do?"

She began walking towards the doctor when Brian raised a hand. As if lifted by some invisible force, she flew out the door. He could hear her moaning in the other room.

Soon the world began to spin as consciousness slipped from him. The last thing Cromwell remembered was Brian leaving his office.

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat in great concentration. His mind was clear of all thought and emotion. The Force flowed through him in gentle currents. His breath was shallow and his heart rate low. Time had slowed down and the universe opened before him. The heat in the windowless room did not disturb him. He could not hear the sounds of womp-rats fighting for food in the distance. For him there was no distraction. He was at peace.

Five years had passed since settling in the outskirts of the Dune Sea on Tatooine. In that time he had learned to view the Force as a companion in ways he had never known possible. Much of this was greatly due to the fact that he had very little human contact during his exile. Since leaving young Luke Skywalker in the ward of his step uncle Owen and aunt Beru, the only time he spoke with anyone in the farming community was when he needed to barter for food and supplies in exchange for what ever services he could provide. After revealing most of the truth about Anakin's seduction to the darkside and his role in the fall of the Jedi, the Lars had banned him from their homestead, fearing he would bring a similar fate upon Luke. The rest of the farming community, skeptical of new comers to begin with, would only make exchanges if he promised to keep these deals a secret. Needless to say, his life was the very definition of exile.

The only friendly contact he ever had was with his former master, Qui-Gon Jinn. After falling in battle with the Zabrak Sith, he had managed to overcome the limitations of death and return as a manifestation through the Force. They had many long conversations on the mysteries of the Force and on young Luke's important future. Qui-Gon also gave instruction on becoming one with the Force. Obi-Wan learned to find meaning and purpose in every action. From this instruction he learned to have compassion for all walks of life, even those whom he had overlooked in the past. There were no pathetic life forms. All played an important roll in the Force.

Through his meditation, Obi-Wan could now see the whole universe. All forms of life, from the tiniest molecules to the greatest stars hum their own music, creating a great symphony that is the Force itself. Much of it, however, was shrouded in darkness. The Sith had managed to grow in power, engulfing all life with their hatred and greed. Corruption ran rapid in all systems, unwittingly fueling the Sith's power and creating a dark cycle that grew stronger with every rotation. The Jedi had managed to keep that darkness at bay; but now, with only a handful of the Jedi alive, the darkness grew wild and untamed. That does not go to say that Obi-Wan could not see light. There were bright spots to be found. Good and compassionate hearts beat their own unique rhythms, creating a melody as sweet as any fruit found on Naboo. One day that light would over power the darkness.

Obi-Wan's eyes opened, a puzzled look upon his face. In an instant, much of the darkness he had seen vanished. Something had changed. He could still feel the darkside's influence on the universe, but it had weakened. Something had happened, but what? Had Anakin somehow come back to the light? Had he renounced the ways of the Sith, realizing the horrible mistake he had made? But that's impossible, isn't it? Once the path of the darkside you take, no going back there is. Yoda had lectured that point over the hundreds of years he instructed Jedi, and Master Yoda was seldom wrong. But had he not been wrong about overcoming the limitations of death? Had he not he admitted that he still had much to learn? If he was right, and Vader was still a Sith, then had the Emperor died?

Reaching out with the Force it was impossible to tell. The taint of Sidious and Vader still resonated in many parts of the Galaxy. It would take years, possibly centuries after their deaths, for their taint to disappear. There was only one way to know; he would have to investigate. If one of the Sith had died then Obi-Wan and Yoda had a chance of killing the other before they found a new apprentice. If they acted quickly then they could reverse the damage the Sith had caused.

Obi-Wan began to pack for his journey. He would first head to Mos Eisely and see if he could find out anything from the space travelers in port. If need be, he would find transport off world where he would investigate further. He would need a disguise. He was a wanted man and it would not be wise to wear his Jedi robes in a spaceport filled with pirates and bounty hunters. He would also need money. Finding a transport, if necessary, would not be cheap. He had some money for emergencies but was not sure if Republic credits had been replaced by an Imperial currency. He hoped that it would take longer then five years to get a new currency in place. There were hundreds of thousands of systems after all. Any such process would be slow, requiring a gradual integration.

"I suppose I'll find out soon enough," he said as he headed out the door.

Sarah's head was killing her. She had no idea how long it had been since Brian had somehow thrown her across the reception area. How did he do that? The half-hour radio program she had been listening too was still on; no more the ten or fifteen minutes could have passed. Sitting up she felt a wave of dizziness pass over her. Feeling her head she found a large knot on the back of her skull. I probably have a concussion. She reached up and grabbed her desk for support. After taking in a deep breath she began to stand. Another dizzy spell came on and she nearly fell down. After a moment she began to walk towards Cromwell's office. Inside she could see him lying in the same place she had last seen him. Rushing to him, she bent down slowly. She could see his chest rising and he had a strong pulse.

"Thank God," she said.

"Dr. Cromwell, can you hear me?" She gently patted his face. He moaned but remained unconscious. "Dr. Cromwell, please wake up." Nothing.

She stood back up and made her way to his desk. Reaching for the phone she dialed 911.

Primitive. That word played in his mind over and over as Sidious explored his new world in his new body. He could see hundreds of large and bulky vehicles that traveled on air-inflated wheels, and used combustible fuels that polluted the air in nauseating carbon gasses. Surrounding the streets, buildings stretched only a few hundred feet above the surface and yet seemed to be unstable. 'They would never last more than a few centuries.' Once he even thought he could see a flying machine that relied on wings and turbine engines to pull the bulky aircraft off the ground. Surly they had the resources to build better technology? To make matters worse, this planet seemed to be solely populated by humans! Some other, more primitive species he could understand; but to see humans living with such limited knowledge of the workings of mechanics and physics was baffling.

Rude. That was another word that came to mind. Walking on a paved walking area near the buildings he encountered many people who would push him curtly out of their way. They were constantly rude to each other as well; the primitive vehicles constantly cut in front of each other, causing the drivers to shout what he could only assume to be profanities at each other. If he were not so severely outnumbered, and so unfamiliar with the weapons these primitive people possessed, he would have made an example of them all.

Another thought crossed his mind that made him laugh in delight. 'If ever there were a people that needed a strong ruler, these insects would be it.'

He reached out and grabbed the arm of a man rushing past him.

"Hey, watch it buddy!" The man huffed. "What's your problem?"

"Who is your leader? Who run's this pathetic planet? Where can I find him?" Sidious asked sternly.

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't have time to talk to crazies." The man attempted to pull away but the Sith Lord's grip was amazingly strong.

Sidious' face contorted in to a vicious scowl. The man keeled over grabbing his stomach and began coughing harshly, spitting blood onto the sidewalk. People gave them a wide berth as they walked by, trying to ignore the disturbing scene. Sidious was amazed at how these people did not seem to care that this man was dying.

He bent over and whispered into the man's ear. "Do you want the pain to stop? I think you do. I can feel the fear in you. Tell me what I want to know and you'll not feel pain anymore."

"I'll tell you anything, please just stop whatever it is you're doing!" The man begged.

"I'm waiting."

"Our leader is the President of the United States! In Washington D.C.! Please make this stop!" He begged.

"Very well," he said. He stood up and reached out his hand, making a fist. The man let out a shriek and collapsed. He continued down the sidewalk.

"Hey! I think this guys dead over here!" Someone shouted behind him. "Someone call 911!"

Sidious ignored them all. He had a President to find in a place called Washington D.C.