The Spider and the Storm

"I sense anxiety in you, my old friend," Palpatine said after a beat. "Your thoughts are troubled." That was putting it mildly. Tarkin made no attempt to look surprised; Palpatine knew by now that the Governor had deduced his and Vader's allegiances lay with the Dark Side.

"I confess I received some disturbing news," Tarkin replied, making a concerted effort to relax into the large chair. Oversized though it was, the back was high and the arms curved inward slightly so that its occupant was almost enveloped by the upholstery. "As I'm sure Lord Vader has made you aware. But it has not affected my duties; Project Stardust is proceeding on schedule."

"I have no concerns about Project Stardust." Palpatine frowned; a sliver of the old paternalism he had used so effectively during his time as Senator and Chancellor slipped into his voice. "It's you I am worried about, Wilhuff."

A pause; Tarkin was assessing him from under hooded lids. His guard had gone up as he heard the shift in tone, and the Emperor adopted an open expression on his ravaged face. Sulfur-yellow eyes met aquamarine, unblinking.

"I am well," Tarkin said finally, passing the ball back into Palpatine's court--a challenge: Tell me what you think is wrong with me.

"Discovering the treachery of a loved one came as a shock, understandably. Such a reaction is natural." Though Palpatine did not look at his apprentice, his thoughts bared themselves to him, inviting him to seek out the parallels between Skywalker and the Grand Moff. "The worst betrayals are the ones we do not expect. I do not begrudge you your fury, Governor--it's a righteous fury, after all. The Admiral did wrong. But I implore you not to blame yourself--"

"I do not blame myself, your Majesty--"

"--You will let me finish, Governor. I implore you not to blame yourself for the actions of your son. Lord Vader tells me he was manipulated by the Atoan priestess--" Here there was an alarmingly sudden flash of rage from Tarkin's mind, and Palpatine smiled inwardly. There was his in. "--and that she coerced him into siring a child. Young Admiral Tarkin committed treason because he followed his heart too closely."

Palpatine paused for breath; his voice was no longer accustomed to such extended use. Tarkin took in a breath to speak, but he held up a hand.

"You may say your piece in a moment; I beg your patience." Another second, and then the Emperor continued. "What happened on Atoa was not your fault, Wilhuff, and it pains me to hear that you are tormenting yourself with 'ifs' and 'should haves.' I wish to see your mind set at ease before these feelings do affect your duties." He settled in his chair.

Tarkin was sitting up straight in his chair, no longer hiding his discontent. "With all due respect, your Majesty," he said, "I believe your concern is misplaced. My sleep has been...sporadic, granted, but I have coped with worse. Your attention is appreciated all the same. My primary concern is that trust may have been lost between the three of us because of Admiral Tarkin. I assure you--"

"Nonsense," Palpatine scoffed. "Have you not proven yourself to be invaluable to the Empire, Governor?"

"Well--"

"Do you suppose I would have granted you the rank of Grand Moff if I thought your son's actions in any way reflected your own sentiments?"

"No, your Majesty."

"No." Palpatine drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. "Put any such thoughts out of your head at once; you're grasping for reasons to make yourself nervous." He noticed Tarkin bristle a bit at that; the man did not appreciate being spoken to as if he were a child. "Now, I have a proposal for you. Will you hear it?"

"Of course, your Majesty."

Vader, having no desire to interrupt their conversation, listened intently from behind his expressionless mask. He caught on quickly to the Emperor's tactics- to which he was no stranger. The mention of the priestess sparked anger in his own mind- he was sure that Palpatine noticed. He knew what had transpired there, and he'd known of the witchcraft used to manipulate them both. Vader himself had been twisted by her tricks. His jaw set beneath the mask. She was an abomination. He did not regret killing her for what she had done.

The treason committed had been put to rest as it should have been. He chose to believe that now.

Vader saw a flash of anger alight in Tarkin's eyes as well at the mention of her, and that familiarity steadied his nerves. His old stubbornness and ire for a moment washed away the withered, worried form and revealed who he was when not tormented by his own mind.

Eased slightly, he relaxed in his seat and continued to listen intently. Tarkin's friendship was one he did not want to lose, and if this matter was finally put to rest, as it should have been years ago, perhaps times would be as they once were.

Tarkin nodded his assent, and Palpatine proceeded with a crooked smile.

"It is my understanding that a few Atoans remain on their planet--supporters of the late Lady Saro, I wouldn't wonder. They have existed without the outpost's knowledge, meaning they are actively trespassing on Imperial land. Far be it from me to divert the Grand Moff from more important duties, but perhaps the Atoans are planning to sabotage the outpost..."

"You're sending me on another excursion?" Tarkin asked, a glimmer of humor in his tone. "A diversion?"

"Think of it as going on leave," Palpatine corrected. "For your health. You don't look well, Wilhuff, not at all." The man was wavering between exhaustion and jumpiness; with the amount of caffeine in his system it was a wonder he hadn't keeled over from a heart attack. And yet, he kept his composure well. The only hint that he might be high on caf was a slight tremor in his hand as he reached up to scratch his nose. "Take a vacation; do something you're good at, something you enjoy."

"This is very generous of you," Tarkin mused. "But--"

"I am not suggesting it out of the goodness of my heart," Palpatine interrupted yet again. "I am ordering you to dispatch the remaining Atoans so you can put this issue to bed. You may be coping now, but I see what lies ahead--you're already getting sloppy. People have noticed your appearance. If this continues, how will you hold onto what you have?"

Tarkin was silent; his gaze had turned sullenly away.

"Eat some food, get some sleep, and have a small fleet ready to go to Atoa in the next two days. I am not asking."

"Your Majesty." He gave a small nod.

Palpatine softened his gaze. "You are an asset, Wilhuff; I would hate to lose you to past grief. See to it this is sorted within the next month, and do not disappoint me."

Tarkin took that as his cue to leave; he got to his feet and gave another little bow. "You have my word, your Majesty." A pause as he grappled with his pride. "I am sorry to have caused you and Lord Vader any concern. As I said before, I've dealt with worse in the past."

"So you have." Palpatine remained seated. "Governor?"

Tarkin had turned toward the door, but he pivoted on his heel. "Majesty?"

"Who was it that uncovered the truth about your son for you?"

"Ah." Tarkin gave him a tight smile. "A Dathomirian Nightbrother by the name of Sirejj. I took him off the hands of Lord Vader's inquisitors when this all began; he proved to be a good bodyguard and skilled in whatever magicks they teach his kind. I kept him around and asked if he might look into matters for me on Atoa. He did so."

"And where is this Nightbrother now?"

Tarkin was silent for a moment. "I must admit," he said finally, "that in my shock I failed to tie up that particular loose end. He is lost to me."

For a moment, Vader sat in stunned silence before rage shot through him like a blaster bolt. Tarkin has specifically told him the slinking Dathomirian been dispatched. One more lie he’d failed to remedy. Vader instinctively leaned slightly forward in his chair, his hands resting on the armrests and his fists gripping them with enough strength to break bones. Had not the chair been predominantly metal, he would have broken it already.

He'd been so so close before to snapping his neck. If that damned wife of Tarkin's hadn't gotten in his way, Vader could have possibly prevented this entire Atoan escapade. He would have split the Dathomirian's mind into a thousand shards if it meant uncovering what he was after. The realization that that cowardly trickster was still creeping about the galaxy somewhere filled him with fury that he struggled to contain.

A thought crossed his mind. It had once before, when Tarkin had first told him he knew the truth. Whoever revealed those secrets to Tarkin must have done so by some trick of the Force or other witchcraft, either Atoan or Dathomiri. There was no reason to believe the wielder of those spells had not seen all of what had transpired.

“He lives?” Vader asked, making a great effort to veil the venom in his voice.

Tarkin looked to Vader again, a pensive expression on his face. "As far as I know," he replied. "As I said, he is lost to me. Last I saw him, he was alive and stranded. He had no ship when I left Atoa."

"Then he may still be there," Palpatine mused, "though it is more likely he found passage off-world and has disappeared. This is exactly what I mean when I say sloppy."

Tarkin bristled. "It was a moment of weakness; it will not happen again. I'll find him for you in addition to this other assignment, if you wish it."

"That won't be necessary. I expect Lord Vader would be all to eager to take on that particular assignment."

"That matter will be dealt with swiftly." Vader seethed. He was already sorting through the inquisitors he would send to Atoa. He would not step foot on that world again himself, but he would readily search the rest of the galaxy to find the Nightbrother and end his lineage once and for all. "Perhaps the Governor and I will snuff out the remainder of two civilizations simultaneously."

"Your eagerness is commendable, Lord Vader," the Emperor said with a small smile. "Governor, you are dismissed to make the necessary preparations for your journey. See to it no more of these loose ends are left."

"You have my word, there will be no more Atoans when I am finished," Tarkin said grimly, his gaze lingering on Vader for a moment before he turned and strode out the door.

Palpatine watched the door hiss shut, then turned to Vader. "The Dathomirian. You've encountered him before?"

"When I visited Eriadu to question the would-be assassin one year ago. I sensed some trickery, but was prevented from carrying out a full investigation." His anger was more evident now that Tarkin was no longer there. "If I had been allowed to uncover his sorcery then, we would not be dealing with the present issue." He hesitated a moment.

"I have no reason to believe that this Dathomirian pretender did not see every moment of what transpired on Atoa." Vader hissed through clenched teeth. Thinking of it brought enough turmoil to mind, but the thought of another being knowing that information...

"Then he must be found and eliminated." Palpatine stroked his chin. "Governor Tarkin may need an eye kept on him, as well. It does not sit well with me that he concealed his investigation from us for so long." He turned. "Why was the Dathomirian not dealt with on Eriadu?"

"The primary concern then was that he would turn on the Governor. It was his wife who prevented me from questioning him. She did not wish for me to deprive them of their "bodyguard" it would seem." He shifted in his seat slightly. "After that encounter, he was always with one of them. Hiding in their shadow." The Dathomirian had the stench of fear about him the entire time they'd been there. He would not be difficult to find. "Had I known then what his true intentions were, I would not have allowed him to leave that world alive."

"Lady Tarkin..." The name rolled off his tongue as he curled his lip. "A thorn in my side even now." She had proven impervious to his charms the first time they'd met, she only twenty-five and hefting a tiny toddler on one hip. Her gaze had been full of distrust, and his best efforts to win her over had fallen on deaf ears. The woman was too wise to the tricks of politicians. Her husband, thankfully, had taken whatever cautionary words she said to him later with a grain of salt.

"I would not put it past her to shelter him," he mused. "I do not know what Governor Tarkin has shared with her, but you can be sure she will not see Admiral Tarkin's death as justified. We will have to be wary of her and her people, I think."

"Her people must be handled with great care. If we suspect trouble from her..." Vader mulled that over for a moment. "She would be an unfortunate enemy. She has enough power and influence to be difficult to overcome." He foresaw visiting the Lady Tarkin to be a terrible idea and that it would be best to hunt the Dathomirian elsewhere. They had no proof she was even involved, but Palpatine made an excellent point.

"We'll keep her at arm's length for now," Palpatine decided, "but I will ask Colonel Yularen to assign a member of the ISB to her case. I want her observed closely. And you? I don't expect you'll be pursuing the Dathomirian personally; who is it you plan to send?"

Spoiler

Oooh there's an in for Killian!

Spoiler

yesss also it might mix him up with a bunch of her enemies as well if he really opens that can of worms. Maybe we can tie in the assassin subplot and have him inadvertently discover who is sending them? If we want to go that direction. Theres a ton of potential here.

"I have one of my inquisitors in mind. He is one of the more experienced and lethal members of my hunters." The Inquisitor he had in mind he felt was plenty capable of dispatching the Dathomirian. He would have to learn of his tricks, but as tricky as he was, the Nightbrother was no Sith. He was a nothing- a scavenger from a dead world who only knew as much as he could gather from the bones of his civilization. He feared the Sith, and that was their most powerful tool. He would not be difficult to subdue.

Spoiler

Perfect!! I can have another assassin go after Thalassa soon if you want, then.

"See to it." Palpatine's voice was blunt. "Go, Apprentice. I will send for you again when I have need of you."