At Vader's Right Hand

The Empire's Time...

Castor sat on a log on the surface of Endor, watching the stars above.  Luke walked up behind him.

"I found these on Vader's armor.  They look like datachips," Luke said as he handed the chips over.

"They are.  Vader told me what they were, just in case.  The one with the red strip has an emergency login for his castle.  The green one allows access to his armor and life support specs.  The black one is one he told me to take it should he die.  Naturally or otherwise.  He said it led to a vault where he kept his secrets.  Even Palpatine didn't know about it," Castor said.

"Then you need to go there.  The Alliance leaders are sending you with a special operative.  Castor, meet Mila Traike, daughter to Emperor Bastun Traike of the Galaxitronian Empire,"  Luke said as a dark-haired woman approached them.  Castor raised an eyebrow as he was barely taller than she was.

"Commander Durk, I'm honored to meet you.  I hear that Vader is dead?" Mila said as she shook Castor's hand.

"Yes.  I'm ready to serve the Alliance however possible," Castor said.

"Well, I overheard you talking to Luke about Vader's vault.  I'll go to ensure the recovery of artifacts," Mila said.

"Yes, Ma'am," Castor said with a at-ease salute.

As they went to the stolen Imperial shuttle, Castor drew his verification login for activating the shuttle.  Mila sat in the pilot's seat.  Castor crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, but I always fly," Castor said.

"Sorry, more experienced.  Get me the coordinates," Mila said as she flipped the switches and the shuttle lifted off.

"Eh...ever been to Geonosis?  We need to go to a abandoned Geonosian temple compound.  Seems deserted, according to Imperial records," Castor said.

"I've been a long time ago," Mila said as they jumped into hyperspace.

The desolate world of Geonosis was littered with wreakage from the Clone Wars and the Imperial occupation.  The Empire had attempted to wipe them out, but a Rebel cell known as the Ghost Crew found a Geonosian who had a un-hatched Queen.  Since then, the population slowly repopulated the planet.  Castor slid his desert gear over his armor as Mila put her mask on.  Castor turned on his sonar setting to see through a heavy sandstorm.

"Commander, which way to this temple?" Mila asked as Castor pointed at a giant structure a few hundred feet away.

"According to the Republic records, Jedi Generals Kenobi and Skywalker confronted a Geonosian Queen and undead Geonosians here.  It's rumored some still exist down there," Castor remarked.  He shoved open a rock door, leading into the catacombs.  He flipped his lights on and looked around as Mila turned the night vision on mask on.  "I don't recall Vader ever coming here.  Plus, there's almost zero signal down here.  How he has a data vault here is beyond me,"  Castor said as he crouched and shifted some dirt in his hand.  "I've got fresh DNA, well recently placed anyways.  Look sharp."

As they walked down dark halls, nothing was heard but the soft clink of Castor's armor and metal on Mila's robes.  A shrill cry was heard as Mila ignited her lightsabers.  Castor pulled an electro-staff from his back and extended the emitters.  Several grayish-blue Genonosians stumbled from deeper in the tunnel.  Mila channelled the Force and sent a whirlwind of sand at them, shredding their undead flesh.  As more appeared, the duo stood back-to-back.  Castor swung his staff, decapitating a zombie and impaled its body.  As he recovered, a zombie jumped him, and he swiftly grabbed it in a headlock and swiftly jerked its head, ripping it from its shoulders.  Mila tossed him a lightsaber.

"Watch the blade," Mila said.

"Armorweave bodysuit.  I fought way to many Jedi to be that stupid," Castor said as he used the weapon like a sword.  Mila clearly knew he had never fought with a lightsaber, but she could see he had used a sword of some type.  Pieces of undead littered the hall as the last of the mob stopped coming.  Castor held the lightsaber out to Mila, who shook her head.

"It's not mine.  I found it and just kept it as a spare.  Keep it," Mila said.

Castor clipped the hilt to his belt and kept walking.  Eventually, they reached a metal door.  Castor saw a ID verifier and scanned his retina.  It denied access.  He reached into his belt and drew the chip he got from Luke and held it up.  The seal hissed and the door opened.  Castor drew a pistol and crept in.  He peered around a corner and froze.  Apparently, Vader's vault was more or less a storage facility.  Castor saw a shredded corpse he recognized as his secret apprentice Galen Marrek, or Starkiller.  He also saw replacement parts for his armor and cybernetics, some of which looked like prototypes for better functions.  Mila gasped as she saw a rack with lightsabers hanging from it, numbering at least a hundred.  Castor found a database terminal and entered his pass code, which it accepted.  He typed away as Mila stood behind him.

"What are you looking for?" Mila asked.

"When Vader died, he confessed he had discovered he was a clone of Anakin Skywalker.  The data he found, it's in the database.  I just need to find...got it.  The exact planet is incripted, but I found the system.  Uploading the data and I'll have my HUD running it," Castor said as he got up and turned to leave, closing the door behind Mila.

When they reached the surface, Mila received a message from Rebel command.  She blinked twice at the news.

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Across the galaxy, a Alliance Cruiser patrolled around a nebula, which was a possible hiding place for Imperial stragglers.  A Duros, an blue-skinned humanoid, sat a chair till he heard a distress beacon.  Before him was the face of the leader of Imperial Special Forces unit Inferno Squad.

"This is Commander Iden Versio of Inferno Squad.  We give up," Iden said.

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Castor made his way through the cruiser to find Iden Versio and her squadmate Del Meko following General Lando Calrissian.

"Iden, didn't expect you of all people to defect.  What happened?" Castor asked as Lando showed him live feed of the destruction of Vardos's atmosphere.   His eyes went wide as he started tearing up.

Iden shook her hands.  "Don't worry, Castor.  We got Silena and Ky offworld.  They're aboard the Corveus.  You just missed our fight on Naboo.  The Empire is burning planets that we'd the most loyal to the Empire.  I'd say we have to fight the Empire quickly.  But we have no idea where the majority of them are.  Alliance intel is saying they are looking for a research facility owned by Palpatine.  We don't have anymore," Iden said as Castor's HUD beeped.  The location was theirs.

Castor showed the location to Lando, who nodded and went to brief the rest of the Alliance where to rally at for a final battle.  Castor turned back to Iden.  "It it over.  Iden, you were right.  The Empire's time has come."