Fanfic #98 An Inquisitive Inquisitor by BalerionTheDrake(StarWars)

This fanfic is a si oc into Star Wars after the death of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. I really like this fanfic because it takes a concept I haven't really thought before and runs with it. It also has an evil mc, which I don't really see much of.

Synopsis:

The Second Death Star has been destroyed in a climatic battle with the Rebel Alliance. Both Emperor Palpatine and his fearsome enforcer, Darth Vader, are dead. Already, the Empire the two founded is beginning to crumble into ruin. Warlords begin to form their own breakaway fiefs and the newly proclaimed New Republic seeks to establish its primacy. It is a time of chaos in the galaxy. For someone who was crippled by the status quo, opportunity awaits.

Rated: M

words: 48k

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/an-inquisitive-inquisitor-star-wars-si.803737/reader/

Here's the first chapter:

39:3 GrS.

Theed City, Naboo, Chommell Sector.

Imperial I-class Star Destroyer: Adamant

-----

The Emperor was dead.

It was impossible. Unreal. A figment of some coward's imagination. A statement made in defiance of the natural order of the galaxy.

But the Emperor was dead. I'd felt it. Every Force sensitive in the galaxy had felt it, so immense was the death echo Palpatine caused. The echo had only grazed myself when it had rampaged through the Chommell Sector but that mere touch had resulted in an actual seizure that I had spent the better part of the day cycle recovering from. I had only come into contact with the illustrious Emperor five times in my life, four being during my Inquisitorius training and the final when I had been given my mission and posting just after Yavin, and I have seen why he was considered the strongest Dark Sider in history. Now I knew that he had been suppressing the true extent of his power. The realization was infuriating, humbling, and intoxicating.

"My Lord, it appears the rebels have fully occupied the capital city." A male voice, the distinct annotations of an Eriaduan accent obscured by his helmet's vocalizers, broke my meditation. I opened my eyes and briefly ran over my surroundings. Confirming that I was still in my meditation chambers, I rose from the mat I had been sitting on and turned to person who had roused me.

Brik Atten, 32 galactic standard years old, a native of Eriadu, graduate of the Academy of Carida and the Commander of the 666th Regiment of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps. He and I had what I would describe as a good working relationship, especially for two people in the middle to high echelons of the Imperial Military. As in, we didn't actively despise one another and seek to undercut every move the other made. I rarely saw him without the distinct Stormtrooper helmet on, so his exact looks always managed to elude me.

"And the local garrisons are doing what exactly to deal with this situation?" I asked, already preparing myself to hear the next in a long list of military incompetencies.

"They report that they're dealing with uprisings in the Hinterlands, it appears the local non-humans are raising a ruckus." Atten replied, the sheer disdain in his voice unable to be repressed by his helmet. Stormtroopers, especially the officers, hated the Imperial Army; saw them as inferior to the Corps in every way. "And will be unable to divert additional manpower to aid us."

'And this was just supposed to be a refueling stop.' I repressed a choice comment on the abilities of Naboo's garrison and exited the mediation room, Commander Atten falling in behind me, not saying a word. This was why I liked Atten: the man knew what he was about.

The pair of us walked through the neat and clean corridors of our home Star Destroyer, using lifts to get to the bridge section. I left Atten outside my chambers and ducked into the dim room. It was bare of all individuality, as was standard for most things created with the Imperial ethos in mind, the only personal touch being the blood red banner of the Galactic Empire on the wall opposite my cot, and the armor stand my outfit rested upon. Oh, there was some more trinkets of my trade laying around, various amulets, robes and engraving tools on a workbench. A multi-tool for electronic repairs and training droids I had either borrowed or made myself. Not much to be impressed by if you were a common person.

But for me, the room was alive with the Force. The energies bound in my amulets sang to me of blood, death and shadows. The Dark Side imprints on my armor welcomed me like a loyal pet, sniffing the air as it sensed a new hunt was brewing. The piece de resistance, however, was the innocuous cylinder with a crescent hand guard that rested on a patch of black cloth under the Imperial banner. A lightsaber. Mylightsaber. That weapon had stuck with me since the first day it had been issued to me, some four years ago. I walked up to the armor stand, and started doning the articles.

First I slipped the armored jacket on then moved onto the oval shaped breastplate that covered my chest and the upper areas of my stomach. Then the two shoulder guards that had a white version Empire's sigil painted on. Next I grabbed the armored belt, which had spare power packs for my saber, and tightened it into place. I was already wearing the boots and hip guards, so I skipped those on the armor rack and slip my hands into the matte black gauntlets. Finally, the flared helmet with a thin red visor running horizontally across it like a scar. My vision took on a red tinge before the internal HUD activated and the color disparity evened out.

I reached out my right hand and, tapping into the well of power that is the Force, summoned my saber. The machined durasteel cover making a satisfying thump as it hit my hand. I took a moment to reflect that only now, bedecked in matte black armor with dark grey synthweave clothes, with the end result making me look like a walking shadow, and a mass produced lightsaber on my hip, did I feel whole. For a few brief seconds I was able to ignore the burning inferiority that had been cultivated over nine years at the Citadel, along with knowing that my learning was deliberately being sabotaged all for the amusement of him. That feeling felt good, for it being over so soon.

~~~

I strode onto the Adamant's bridge like I owned the place, and I did. The entirety of the Adamant, its crew and its Stormtrooper detachment had been placed under my authority two years ago.

"Captain Masal, bring us into low orbit and order all hands to combat stations." I ordered the aging naval officer who had flanked my when I entered. Commander Atten I had sent down to the Stormtrooper Quarters to get the men ready for battle.

"Have the AT-STs ready to deploy alongside us and detail three squadrons to air superiority over Theed, the garrisons are reporting some kind of local fighter group. Any situation updates?" I continued to rattle off commands in a droll tone, with my helmet somehow managing to give it a sinister tone. A minor planetary rebellion was never anything to get my blood pumped up and ready for action.

"Yes m'lord. The Queen of Naboo has declared alongside the rebels and has added her Security Forces to the rebel's strength. That is most likely where the starfighters originated. There is also an urgent communique that just came through from High Command m'lord." Masal told me. "It is designated as a Fleet-wide message."

I hummed in thought. "It can wait until we put the riff raff down captain." I eventually decided, ignoring the nudge sent to me. "Dispatch the fighter squadrons now, but tell them to avoid the Royal Palace, I have a feeling that's where the most fun will be."

~~~

A pair of TIE Fighters screeched over the city that had recently been the site of so many spontaneous celebrations in the wake of the results of Endor being broadcasted through the HoloNet to the galaxy at large. An N-1 starfighter, newly added to the rebel's numbers when the reigning democratically elected queen(such an oxymoron) cast her lot with them, swooped in from the cloud cover to strafe them. The TIEs saw the diving fighter and swerved apart, the N-1's strafe slamming, instead, into the residential block the TIEs had been above. The spurt of pain and death from that missed attack was absorbed to fuel me. Quickly turning upwards, the TIE's accelerated to attack speed and attacked the N-1 from below. The Naboo pilot obviously had no experience in real combat, because they had neglected to complete the 'zoom' part of their boom and zoom attack and were promptly eviscerated by the retaliatory volley from the TIEs.

The entire encounter lasted no more than thirty seconds but thanks to the destruction it caused, my power started to rise as I absorbed those growing ambient bursts of the Dark Side. This was why I liked battle. All the pain, death and chaos it caused would stir up the Dark Side into a feeding frenzy and I would be there to drink it's offered cup of power like an espresso shot. It was no substitute for true attunement with the Dark Side, but it gave you that little bit of extra umph.

"We're approaching the causeway to the Royal Palace m'lord." The pilot of the Sentinel-class shuttle informed me over the vessel's comms. The Adamant had the standard Star Destroyer complement of Lamba and Sentinel shuttles in its vast hangars, so when they were all in use, like now, the combine shuttles were easily able to carry half of the 666th into battle.

"Has the advance gunboats secured our landing zone?" I asked, shuffling my way to the landing ramp of the shuttle, the armor clad Stormtroopers of the 1st Battalion moving out of my way.

"Yes m'lord. Recon Company transmitted confirmation just as we entered the city limits." The pilot answered, coming off as distracted but that was due to the nervousness he felt as flying so low to stone structures my casual mental scan of him told me.

"Then bring us in pilot." I ordered him before turning to the eighty some Stormtroopers standing at attention behind me. "Men! In the name of the Empire, kill them all!"

A single, guttural roar that promised violence answered me. Then I felt the bump of the shuttle hitting the ground, the landing ramp opened and we rushed down it.

The bright blue sky of the local sky met us and the sun was shining down on greenish metal roofs. It would have been picturesque had it not been for the red streaks of blaster fire ripping down the wide street. The rebels had barricaded themselves inside palace as evidenced by the crude structures piled in front of the entrance. My men had formed a much more military version of a barricaded based around the Delta-class assault ships that had formed the breach head and were trading blaster fire with the rebels, albeit they were using heavy repeaters.

Was it overkill to use an entire Stormtrooper regiment to pacify a single city you ask? Definitely. Would it do the job of pacifying the rest of the planet without me having to disperse the regiment around the world? Yes it would.

Splitting off from the Stormtroopers I had ridden down here with, I headed over to the command post that Recon Company had established. On the way there, Atten joined me.

"Status report Captain Zeffo." I said, leaning into my more ominous vocal tone.

The captain, his scout armor contrasting starkly to standard stormtrooper armor, saluted me before beginning. "We've identified various rebel mustering points in the western, eastern and northern quadrants of the city. The largest group seems to be the ones holed up in the Royal Palace, we've picked out royal guards, non-humans, and armed dissidents." He used the holotable to show these mustering points exact location.

Looks like the gungans have come out to play then. Combine them with the royal guard and this lot might have managed to hold out until the Alliance found their way to Naboo. Shame the 666th had been in orbit when they instigated this whole shebang.

"Split into battalions." I handed out orders. "And clear the city of all hostiles, wait until the AT-STs deploy though." I looked behind our position and was able to see the next wave of shuttles coming in for a landing, behind them the more bulky silhouettes of walker carriers.

"Take your men off the landing zone and mount up on the speeders to secure the perimeter around Theed" I addressed Zeffo. "I don't want any rebels slipping away from the city once we begin our purge."

"And the palace m'lord?" Zeffo asked. I tapped down some irritation at the man. He was new to the 666th and probably didn't have that firm a grasp on how I led the unit.

"I'll be taking care of the palace captain." I replied. "Remember, this city will be pacified by sundown. Commander Atten, on me."

Up and over the barricades went 1st Battalion, using the buildings and outcroppings on the edge of causeway as cover from the rebel's fire, Afterall, they didn't have a way to deflect blaster bolts. I, on the other hand, very much did. Blaster deflection wasn't my strong suit, but I was proficient.

So moving like I was out for a midday stroll, I advanced on the palace; my right hand firmly grasping my lightsaber in preparation to bat away the first shots sent my way. The 1st Battalion was taking advantage of their heavy repeaters and rocket launchers to take out the more exposed rebels. Surprisingly, I was able to make it about two thirds of the way down the causeway before a sharp-eyed rebel was able to spot the man dressed like a living shadow strolling up on their position. The first two or three shots completely missed their mark, but the fourth was on target and was redirected into the ground by a red blade of plasma. I felt a brief spike of panic mixed with terror from the rebel held position and fell into a combat stance, my legs ready to propel me forward and my saber held in a downwards diagonal guard.

The rebels had gotten over their shock, because they sent a veritable wall of blaster fire directly at me. Too much for me to block but not enough to stop me. I bolted forward, calling on my connection to the Force to move faster than was possible for any normal sentient. My new speed sent me straight into the blaster bolt wall approaching me, but I was able to deflect a hole in the onslaught and make a straight dash to the main barricade. I could dimly sense the 1st Battalion making their own charge to the sides of me.

I bounded up the stairs, still deflecting what bolts were sent my way, until I reached the base of the rebel's barricade. It's hasty construction now very obvious. It wouldn't stop me, nothing could.

So I pooled the Force in my hands, allowing the Dark Side to rush around me. I held the power back until it felt like it would burst free of its own accord, and then unleashed it on my inanimate target. The barricade ceased to exist as it collapsed inwards, yells of panic and pain coming from those who had been too close. Refusing to let the rebels get a moment to collect themselves, I rushed into the breach. My lightsaber seeking blood.

The Dark Side started up its familiar war drums as I got stuck into the midst of the rebels, wide arcing Sarlacc Sweeps cutting down the rebels like a scythe. Deeper and deeper I cut into the rebel's ranks, the power the Dark Side gave me enabling strikes of greater power. Gungan warriors with their vibropikes raised at the ready where eliminated with sun djem strikes. Royal Guardsmen found their blasters swiped in two, followed shortly by themselves. I was the wrath of the Empire made manifest, I was power. I was the dreaded Inquisitorius that haunted the nightmares of rebels and dissidents for decades. I was free for the first time in nine years from the Emperor, Vader and even the higher ranked Inquisitors who had crippled my potential my hoarding all but the most elementary of knowledge to themselves.

This freedom high carried me all the way to the throne room and its occupants, my blade slicing and dicing any who dared get in my way with my stormtroopers dealing with those I didn't and clearing the rest of the palace. Soon I met with the Queen and divested her of her office, along with all of her ranking officials.

After that it devolved to pure mop up in and around the city as the few rebel groups that had survived or evaded my roving men were dealt with. True to my statement to Zeffo earlier, Theed was under Imperial control before sundown and handed back over to the local garrison shortly thereafter. Parsing over other reports, the rebellion was dying out planet-wide, as news of the 666th storming Theed was broadcasting over the HoloNet. Then we packed up and returned to the Adamant, and I was finally able to look over that message from Imperial High Command.

It ended up being the official proclamation that Palpatine and Vader were dead, along with the destruction of the Second Death Star above Endor. That part was quickly followed up with the 'news' that one Sate Prestage, some fairly useless advisor of the Emperor back at Imperial Centre, had ascended to the newly created -and entirely legitimate the message assured- post of Interim-Emperor. He called for all loyal Imperials to rally to him and for the Grand Moffs, Moffs, Grand Admirals, Admirals and what have you to travel to Imperial Centre with all due haste to formulate a counter strategy against the Rebel Alliance. In the time since we had deployed to Theed, another message had arrived from Admiral Blitzer Harrsk stating that, basically, that he was not accepting the authority of Prestage and some other things that boiled down to him going rouge and forming his own empire to rule.

The formal news of Endor was disseminated to the troops. They were devastated, especially the 666th. The Stormtrooper Corps had taken it as a point of pride since their founding that they were under the direct command of Palpatine and were fanatically loyal to him as a result of their training. I came to the conclusion that we might not be leaving Naboo for a bit longer. That was good, it allowed me the pretense of being as grief stricken as some of my underlings while I plotted my next steps. Nine years, ever since I had been picked up by Inquisitorial Seekers on Alsakan and realized the hell I had been placed into wouldn't be ending anytime soon, I clung to this knowledge: that Palpatine's day would soon be coming and I would be free. I would forge my own victory in being free of the restrictions of the Inquisitorius and Palpatine's rule and my chains would be broken.

I'm fairly sure that Zsinji would soon break away, and most of the major warlords would start forming their breakaway states alongside him. The orderly galaxy Palpatine had ruled over was about to be thrown into chaos.

And Chaos is a ladder.