Last time, the Rebels made great progress after a two year struggle to retake Alderaan. In the shadow of that victory, however, the Jedi had a terrible realization: somehow, Palpatine has returned despite Anakin having struck him down back in Part 4. Despite Anakin's destiny to bring balance to the Force, the Sith remain and the Dark Side holds.
What happens next? Let's see.
The Jedi Council are, obviously, terrified at this revelation. The ghost of Qui-Gon appears to tell them that, yes, the vision is quite real. Palpatine has somehow managed to cheat death, though Qui-Gon has no idea how. Unlike his own method, taught to him within the Netherworld of the Force, Palpatine does indeed have a physical presence in the galaxy as they saw in the vision. Clearly, it is a power deeply steeped in the Dark Side. As Palpatine once told Anakin, it is an ability that some consider to be... unnatural.
Regent Tarkin, meanwhile, has put a full stop to the implementation of the clones from Kamino and has instead gotten into full conscription as Amedda was doing before. Rather than voluntary, as in the original timeline, he uses his power to initiate a draft. Worlds that resist are severely punished, compounding the issues earlier with the mass riots. Regardless, the Imperial Navy is soon very much staffed enough to recoup their losses and an armada descends on Alderaan. The two years of fighting and struggle are all for naught as Tarkin's forces, now with Amedda behind bars, are free to annihilate their enemies - military and civilian alike.
Mace (as well as other Jedi) leads a valiant effort in defending the planet during the evacuations and, while everyone of our main cast does make it away, Alderaan is ransacked by the Empire. The few who remain on the planet are put to the yoke and the Rebels and the Jedi are forced to scattered - their first big victory against the Empire having been taken from them wholesale. Morale craters badly for the Rebels and the Jedi alike.
It is as they are fleeing that the Jedi learn that Tarkin has taken full control of the Empire. Obi-Wan brings up the realization that Mas Amedda, former Grand Vizier and Regent of the Empire, was likely taken into custody in a coup. If he were still alive, then perhaps they could break him out of his prison and get intelligence on where Palpatine might be. Through the Rebel spy network, they are indeed about to confirm that - yes - Mas Amedda is alive and being held in a high security facility on Coruscant.
At the moment, though, they're in no position to do that. On the run from Alderaan, they have no chance of getting anywhere near Coruscant. That is until a familiar individual makes herself known - Tialna, who was fighting on Alderaan, suggests another stealth mission to the planet as in Part 5. While some of the Council are less than fond of the idea, there is little debate as the benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks. Mas is the only link that they have to finding out where Palpatine might be. Mace and Tialna take to a new ship, affectionately called Pathfinder II. Tialna's brother Lunn takes the place of Ram on their mission, an apt reminder of those they have lost along the way.
The trio make their way to Coruscant, actually managing to sneak onto the planet and, with a few Jedi Mind Tricks, Mace and Lunn are able to steal some Clone Trooper armor and pose as two of the troopers to infiltrate the prison while Tialna gets onto the roof and accesses the security grid to open the way for the pair.
Mace and Lunn make their way into the high priority cells and, after locating Mas Amedda's cell open it and find...no one. The Chagrian is nowhere to be found! Compounding this problem are the Stormtroopers finding Tialna on the roof at her access point, cutting them off from outside help. Unfortunately for Mace and Lunn, they soon find themselves face to face with two Inquisitors who have been sent by Trilla to retrieve Mas as well...and soon, an entire firing squad of Stormtroopers led by none other than Regent Tarkin himself have put them all at blaster point. It is then that Mace realizes, to his horror that:
"It's a trap!"
. . .and that's where we're leaving off for now. I know, I couldn't stop myself from doing the joke. Nevertheless, this is a bad situation Mace and company have found themselves in. The Inquisitors are here, Tarkin is laying a trap, and it looks like they're going to have to come up with something crazy to get out of this one.
. . .so, how will they get out of this one? Keep an eye out for Part 16!
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