The Search (episode)/text

This roost was once Ezra’s. It was a comm tower - its full name being LothalNet comm tower E-272 - and was once used for a discontinued Lothal-based HoloNet subsidiary, LothalNet. After LothalNet was shut down, it was later used as a space traffic control center - and then abandoned once more advanced technology came to Lothal City. Sabine stood at the large open-space area in the center of the tower, and behind her was her finished work. A mural, showing depictions of her, Ezra, Kanan, Hera, Chopper, Zeb, Loth-cats and Loth-wolves. It reminded her of when they were all together, fighting for each other, fighting for the greater good.

Kanan was dead. Zeb had gone back to Lira San. Hera and Chopper were with the Alliance now, finishing off the Empire. Ezra was… gone. Not gone for good (as far as she knew) but gone. He was away, somewhere far away from here. Sometimes, she heard his voice as she slept. Calling out to her - calling for a savior, as if he’d been captured. But it was he who was the capturer, not the captured. Ezra had captured Thrawn. She was jolted out of her thoughts of Ezra, after hearing the clank of metal on metal from behind her. Sabine turned around, and saw a figure she never thought she’d see at this time, here, on Lothal.

“Sabine. It’s time to go.” Ahsoka Tano spoke, her montrals towering high above her head. She was wearing a flowing white robe, and holding some sort of staff, of an unknown metallic substance but with some sort of fabric wrapped around it. At the top was a small two-dimensional circle, Lothal’s sun glistening through it. A gold-winged convor fluttered to her shoulder, the one she’d seen following Ahsoka around all the time.

“To find Ezra.” Sabine said, her voice resonating in the empty room. Other than that, it was quiet. The wind was blowing at Ahsoka’s robe. “I think you can explain… everything else on the way.” Ahsoka gave a small smile, and Sabine walked across the durasteel floor to the T6 shuttle Ahsoka had parked along the balcony. The convor entered the ship first, then Ahsoka, and then Sabine. It was roomy within, a large open space led to the cockpit. In that open space was a small, artificially-lit tree that served as the convor’s perch, and a cage that contained a white-haired, two-headed rat. Ahsoka put her staff up against the side of the doorway leading to the cockpit, hung on a small knob.

“Before you ask, Sabine, that is a lahar. I found it on a world in the Unknown Regions, Yahdiin. It was home to a school, run by a Jedi librarian by the name of Jocasta Nu.” Ahsoka sat down in the pilot’s chair.

“Is this librarian still alive?” Sabine asked. Ahsoka emitted a sad sigh.

“Unfortunately, no. She was killed by Vader on Coruscant during the Jedi Purge.” Ahsoka said. The shuttle lifted off, jolting as it did. It was evident that this specific shuttle was aged. If Sabine knew her starship history correctly, this model of shuttle was used by the Jedi Order. “It was Luke Skywalker that brought me to the school, after I escaped Malachor.” Sabine sat down in the co-pilot’s seat.

“Luke Skywalker… the Luke Skywalker who killed the Emperor?” Ahsoka nodded. “How… how did you meet him?”

“I attended the festivities on Endor.” she replied. “We talked about our relationships to Anakin - my Jedi master, his father. He told me about the school he found on that world, he couldn’t get everything there, so I did. Most of it is in storage on my main ship, which is in repair on Chandrila.” she said, contacting the two X-wing pilots who served as her escorts. They were hovering nearby. “You two boys can go return to home base, I don’t need an escort anymore.”

“''Affirmative, General. See you around.''” one of them responded, and the two flew off in a different direction, likely to return to one of the more major Alliance bases in the sector. Ahsoka’s convor glided into the room, landing on the ship’s dashboard. The convor stared at Sabine for a few moments, and Sabine could see so much wisdom in the bird’s striking emerald green eyes, and it cocked its head slightly.

“Morai.” Ahsoka said softly. The convor turned to her. “What do you see?” The convor chirped lightly, and Sabine was quite surprised to learn Ahsoka could interpret it. After a few seconds. “The Unknown Regions. Makes sense.” Ahsoka turned to Sabine, just as they entered hyperspace. “Morai… is a special convor. She is the spirit form of the Daughter, an embodiment of the light side of the Force. She has watched over me ever since I encountered the Daughter during the Clone Wars.”

“I wish I knew more about the Force.” Sabine said. “Can you teach me, anything? I only want to understand what it means, how it works… and if it can help me.” Ahsoka nodded, and Morai chirped.

“Everyone is Force sensitive, but some more than others. That is how they would choose Jedi to train, based on their sensitivity to the Force, how well they could feel it. The Force flows through every living thing, and sometimes through non-living things, and binds the galaxy together. I can sense, that you are sensitive to it - it is rare among Mandalorians - just enough to feel it. To hone it.”

“To use a lightsaber?” Sabine asked. Ahsoka pulled her two lightsabers out from beneath her robe.

“I could teach you.” Ahsoka said, then smiled. “I will teach you.” Ahsoka stood up, and as did Sabine.

~

By the time they had arrived over the picturesque world of Chandrila, Sabine had learned the basics of lightsaber combat. Ahsoka’s lightsaber module had allowed them to turn their power to be almost harmless - only light burns were possible. Ahsoka had allowed her to use the shoto at first, then later the full lightsaber to get the full experience. The New Republic Fleet sat above the planet, its teal oceans glistening in the sun. It was a miracle that the Empire had not destroyed the world during the war, especially with how its senator, Mon Mothma, had been so outspoken against the Empire’s atrocities. On the other hand, other places in the Bormea sector had not been so lucky. The Bormea Sector Post-Imperial Government had been put in place following the collapse of Coruscant’s control of the galaxy, capital located at Chandrila, but had not lasted long. It had been integrated into the fledgling New Republic, as its main governmental sector.

The Second Galactic Senate had been put into place - and its Chancellor was Mon Mothma. They seemed… more competent than the old Republic.

“Unidentified spacecraft, state your name and purpose.” came a voice from the comm.

“General Ahsoka Tano, here to retrieve my personal ship from repair.”

“''General Tano! You’re free to land.''”

Ahsoka smiled. She was well-known, then. It wasn’t a surprise to her, Leia had likely spread the story of her doting “aunt” from her childhood. She was known as Fulcrum back in that time, and had worked all the time with Bail Organa. The T6 shuttle slowed down as it approached the beautiful capital, Hanna City. The city was located along the coast, and from their vantage point, they could see dozens of families parked out along the coastline, enjoying the waves.

It was a getaway from the horrors beyond Chandrila, where not everything could be so perfect. Ahsoka maneuvered the shuttle into a docking bay at the Hanna City Spaceport, rented out by her but paid for by the New Republic military. Next to where she landed the shuttle was a Paladin-class corvette, a design not used in centuries. Sabine showed mild surprise on her face, and Ahsoka chuckled.

“Doesn’t look to be in the best condition, right? Well, it is. I had some mechanics do some work on it, and now I think it’s up to par with most high-speed corvettes. It’s called the Harmonious Star, but when I found it in a junkyard on Manda it was the Crucible, a Jedi ship. Used to transport younglings around. I once was in it back in the Clone Wars.” Ahsoka said, picking up the lahar’s cage and Morai’s perch with the Force and taking the staff in her hand. Sabine and Ahsoka walked over to the newly-identified Harmonious Star, any evidence of repair workers gone. They were long done with their work. “Alright, once I get these things back in the ship, we can leave. The Unknown Regions is our target, first and foremost.”

“So it’s just us?” Sabine asked. Ahsoka shook her head.

“No. We’ll have some help.” As if on cue, Luke Skywalker walked into the docking bay, beaming. The astromech R2-D2 was rolling up behind him, as was the protocol droid C-3PO. Ahsoka smiled back, and jogged up to him, engulfing him in a great hug. “You got here right on time, Skyboy.” Luke cringed at that nickname, but Sabine had no idea what it meant. “Sorry. Force of habit.” They broke apart, and everyone stood still for a moment. R2-D2 rolled up, the blue-plated astromech whizzing as it saw one of its oldest companions. “Oh, Artoo, am I happy to see you!” C-3PO walked up.

“Ah, Mistress Tano! It has been a while since we have seen each other,” Threepio said. Ahsoka rolled her eyes, but pat the gold-plated droid on his shoulder nonetheless.

“Yep, Threepio. I’m sure you’ll be able to translate whatever we need translated.” Ahsoka said.

“Oh, yes! I’ll have to remind you - I am fluent in over three-” Ahsoka quickly put her hand over the protocol droid’s equivalent to a mouth, preventing what she’d had to hear over three million times. The group re-entered the Harmonious Star.

“Looks better than the last time I saw it.” Luke said, and Sabine almost felt his voice. It had so much pride and experience in just nine words. Something about it inspired hope, that they would find Ezra. “You have done work, then?”

“Some. It’s certainly full of junk still, though. Although I don’t like to call it junk, it’s all stuff that’s much more important than plain-old junk.” she said. Luke chuckled, and Ahsoka’s mind froze. The laugh, even if he’d never known his true father, was so similar. It emitted the same warmth she’d felt whenever Anakin had laughed.

Oh how she missed him.

“So, Mister Skywalker, why’ve you decided to come along?” Sabine asked, as they walked down the hallway from the entrance ramp to the cockpit. Ahsoka entered first, the ship’s engine roaring to life. Sabine almost jumped back from the sound, but controlled herself against the noise.

“When Master Tano here -” Ahsoka cringed at the name, bringing back memories of the Order, and certainly not good ones, “- told me of an alive Jedi, I knew I had to seek them out. I’m planning to rebuild a new Jedi Order. I’ve already found a suitable location, and an old Jedi Temple relic.”

“The Great Tree, right?” Ahsoka interjected. “A force-sensitive uneti tree that once sat in the Jedi Temple’s garden, but I assume after the Empire took over it was moved.”

“Palpatine was studying it on a base in the Outer Rim.” Luke responded. “There were only two small seedlings of it, I took one, and Shara Bey took the other. It’s safe, growing outside my current residence in Hanna City.” The Harmonious Star entered Chandrila’s upper atmosphere, and R2-D2 brought up a navigational holomap, displaying a detailed map of the galaxy. The astromech zoomed in on their target area, locations deep within the Unknown Regions. Places only known through word of mouth, stories passed on through generations. Lost worlds, worlds of mythical proportions, temples and castles, and places the Force was the unchecked power.

But with the Force came the dark side. Those who worshipped it and those who used it to destroy life. Ahsoka closed her eyes, steadied her thoughts - and saw it.

''An endless ocean, wreckage that didn’t belong on such a beautiful planet, floating through deep blue seas. A storm, rolling towards the survivors - yelling, screaming out for help - as the darkness approached. This was no regular storm, Ahsoka realized, this was something far worse.''

The Harmonious Star entered hyperspace to a distinct set of coordinates that Ahsoka had punched in, not even knowing what those coordinates were. Sabine and Luke stared at each other, as Artoo whizzed - he was excited for an uncharted adventure. Ahsoka kept her eyes closed. Deep in meditation, focusing all of her thought on her ship, and on that ship’s destination. She could feel the hyperdrive, for all of its mechanical pieces, she had made sure that there was organics. Something to allow her, in her deepest meditative state, to influence it. There was a certain plant, the connas, that was sensitive to electricity. It helped her connect.

“You will find what you search for, but not what you truly seek.”

Luke sat down, in the large open space near the center of the ship. At one point, the room had been the site where Jedi initiates crafted their first lightsabers, on their return trip from Ilum. He’d heard what had happened to Ilum, once a pristine world of ice and the Force, now barren of its resources and a smoldering wreck of its former existence. It had been strip-mined to its core, all of the kyber crystals lost to the Imperial war machine.

Sabine Wren walked up to him, and sat on the same plush couch he had just sat down in. “So. You’re the son of Anakin Skywalker. Darth Vader.” she questioned. Luke sighed.

“I knew you’d ask. I won’t deny it. But, from the stories Ahsoka has told me, Anakin was once a good man. An honorable man.” he answered. “What do you think of him?”

“What the galaxy thinks of him now. Y’know, Luke, there’s only a select few that know Skywalker and Vader were the same person. I only know of us three, and likely the New Republic’s higher-up government. I only know what I’ve seen. A cyborg monster, and it’s hard to believe there was a human person down beneath that armor. But… if I had seen Anakin during the Clone Wars, I likely would’ve had a different opinion of him. I know Ahsoka did.” Sabine replied. “She did. She and Rex are the last ones alive who knew him during the war. As in… knew him. Fought alongside him.” Luke said solemnly, then stood up again, and walked towards a large nook in the wall, lined with cabinets. At the center, between boxes of Ahsoka’s trinkets, was a deactivated architect droid. “An architect droid? These things… they’re ancient.” “I’ve never heard of them.” Sabine said. “What did they do?” “They were Jedi builders, helped the initiates construct their lightsabers.” Luke replied, “Artoo!” he called out. The astromech rolled into the room. “I need you to hook this droid up to a power source.” Artoo squeaked an “affirmative” then dragged the droid over to an outlet. A cord poking out of the outlet connected into the architect droid’s back side, and it took a few moments as two yellow sensors were revealed, shining dimly. “Who is there?” the droid spoke, its head turning to see Sabine and Luke. It was evident that the droid was in need of an oil bath, as its movements were clunky and seemed almost straining for a droid. “I do not recognize you as younglings.” Its sensors focused in on the lightsaber hanging at Luke’s belt. “You are a Jedi…” Luke could hear its droid brain whirling and whizzing, likely searching through its databanks to find a match to the lightsaber. “I cannot find a match… but the design is similar to that of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s third lightsaber… who was not a youngling at the time, but did come to me for materials to construct it near the end of the war. It is not a complete match. Who are you?” “Luke Skywalker… and it’s been twenty-four years since the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan Kenobi has been dead for five years.” he replied. The droid’s head swiveled downwards. “That is… sad to hear.” the droid said, its tone melancholy. “Skywalker… Anakin Skywalker.” “Anakin Skywalker was my father.” Luke replied. The architect droid looked up again.

“Father? Having children was against the Jedi Code…”

“Hah. The Jedi are gone. There’s only a few alive that I know of. Ahsoka Tano, Ezra Bridger, me.” The droid sat up properly, although with some difficulty.

“I believe I have not introduced myself, Luke Skywalker. I am Huyang, and I have served the Jedi Order for almost four millennia. I thank you for reactivating me, although I fear I serve little use now, that the Jedi are gone. And of those three names, the only one I recognize is Ahsoka Tano.” The droid flexed its hand, making sure it still worked.

“Huyang, I plan on creating a new Jedi Order. If… you can help us, that would be wonderful. However… there is an issue with that. Ilum has been mined dry of its kyber crystals. There will have to be a new source of them.” Huyang groaned.

“There are many appropriate mining locations, although Ilum was the best. Please, plug me into the ship’s databanks, I must find a suitable location.” Luke helped Huyang up, and he began to walk towards a large computer terminal, located within the outcropping containing the lightsaber modules in their cabinets. Huyang plugged himself in to the ship, and then sat down on a crate. “I am downloading everything I can… every location. Here… here is one. It was hidden away from the knowledge of the galaxy for centuries… deep within the Auril Warp, in Wild Space. Adega. Wait… what’s this…”

“What did you find?”

“The… coordinates of a lost world. Within the Deep Core, hidden in nebulous remnants…” A star map appeared, dominating the room, likely from a projector within the ceiling. “Here,” Huyang said, pointing to a small dot near the center of the galaxy. The map zoomed in, “is Tython.”

~

Ahsoka, deep within her meditation, felt the ship exit hyperspace, and slowly opened her eyes. A world covered in almost endless azure oceans was in front of her, dotted with massive storms and small, green islands. Certainly what she’d seen in her vision. She could hear the calls for help again, echoing in her mind. The ship veered downwards, towards the planet. C-3PO walked up to her, standing and staring out the viewport.

“You’d better sit down, Threepio. We’re gonna have a tough landing.” she said, as the Harmonious Star roared into the atmosphere. The drop out of hyperspace seemed much to close, but that’s what she’d get with the Force guiding the hyperdrive. She maneuvered the ship through dense fog - towards the only island she could see. A tall crag jutting out of the ocean, but with a valley at the top. A perfect landing spot. Rain pattered against the viewscreen as the Harmonious Star glided to the landing spot. Ahsoka walked down the hallway, turning into the main storage room.

“We’ve arrived, Luke, Sabine.” She noticed Huyang, staring at a star map zoomed in on the Deep Core. “Huyang. I didn’t even realize that he was somewhere in here.” Huyang turned to her.

“Padawan Tano! It is good to see you.”

“I’m not a Padawan anymore, Huyang. Nor am I a Jedi.” she replied. Huyang hummed, but didn’t seem to want to continue with the questioning. Sabine, Luke and Artoo walked towards the ramp. Ahsoka pressed the gray button that lowered it - and soon they saw the rain pouring down on the island.

“Artoo, you should probably prepare your scanning systems now.” Luke said. “We need to find any sources of energy on this planet. That’ll lead us to Ezra, and probably Thrawn as well.” Artoo beeped and rolled out into the rain, a small antenna with a satellite dish poking out of the top of his dome. Luke stood at the top of the ramp, wind blowing against his robe. Behind him, Huyang hobbled toward them, having unplugged himself, however Luke still saw the light glow of the star map.

“Tano, I have found our location on the star map…” he said, and Ahsoka turned around. “We are on Lexicon, a world of fortune tellers and mystics, witches and wizards…”

“Sounds like a great place to be. Any information on the nearest settlements?” she asked back, and Huyang shook his metal head.

“No. The map is… outdated, to say the least. The last time this planet was charted was during the Dark Age of the Republic, nearly fifteen centuries ago. The Calimondra family ruled this place, and they were a family of Sith. Safe to say, Jedi were not welcome here.” Huyang said. “But… a large island is not far from here.” Ahsoka turned around at the sound of R2-D2’s excited buzzing.

“Did you find something, buddy?” Luke asked the droid. R2-D2 beeped happily. “Well, that nearby island seems to have an anomalous energy signature. Could be our targets calling for help.” R2-D2 rolled back on to the ship. Sabine was ready with a towel to clean off the rainwater, and the ramp closed behind them. Ahsoka walked back to the cockpit and pulled the ship up, taking a hard 90-degree turn in the direction of the island. She could see bright lights through the fog, and could hear the deep rumbling of purrgil. One of the whale-like creatures emerged from the fog, and emitted a deep, guttural sound before departing upwards.

“Purrgil are highly intelligent creatures,” C-3PO said suddenly, “they are quite interesting to see up-close. Although-” Before C-3PO could continue to talk, Ahsoka put her hand over his vocoder. The Harmonious Star drifted towards the lights, and it became clearer what they were coming from - a Star Destroyer. Not just any Star Destroyer, however, it was the Chimaera. Thrawn’s flagship.

The Harmonious Star landed within a large hangar bay, and was greeted by a group of stormtroopers standing out by the ship’s exit. Ahsoka quickly ran to the ramp, with Sabine and Luke standing by it.

“Stormtroopers are outside.” Ahsoka said. “Do not attack them - I feel that they may be our allies for now.” Sabine nodded, and lowered the ramp. Standing at the bottom was Thrawn himself.

“I’ve been expecting someone… looking for me. Do not worry about the guards, rebels.” he said, turning back towards a doorway leading further into the flagship, the three rebels and Artoo following along. They followed Thrawn, careful to keep an eye on the stormtroopers flanking them, and ended up in a long entry hall to his own office. On either side of them were pedestals holding up strange and exotic artifacts, each likely with their own history and purpose. Thrawn was a collector - Ahsoka had searched through the Rebel Archives that had been transferred into a massive Chandrilan data storage facility. The Archives had also been gifted with a vast array of information from the Jedi Archives, courtesy of an unknown donor. To this day, Ahsoka had no idea who had the access and ability to take Archive information. Jocasta Nu was long dead, and as far as she knew, she was the only Jedi alive during the war to still live today.

Standing at the other side of the room was Ezra Bridger.

“Ezra!” Sabine said, and ran towards her friend. Thrawn moved out of the way as Sabine quickly engulfed her friend in a massive hug. They hadn’t seen each other for over five years. “Oh, I’m so happy to finally see you again…” As the two reunited, Thrawn walked over to Ahsoka.

“Ahsoka Tano. A pleasure to finally meet you.” he said, holding out his hand for a handshake. Ahsoka reluctantly obliged. “And Luke Skywalker… I have heard much about your actions during the war. Don’t worry. This isn’t a trap. I have no reason to trap you. The Emperor is dead… but his will lives on.” he said. A door slid open to their left, and Thrawn motioned for them to follow him in. A state-of-the-art holotable sat at the center of the table, the room considerably lighter-colored than the dark Star Destroyer.

A hologram of a tall, cylindrical structure with a large telescope attached to the top, facing outwards.

“This is an example of one of the Emperor’s observatories. He built them… for a reason I don’t entirely know. Information regarding the observatories was withheld from me, it was only to his closest allies on the Imperial Ruling Council. I do not even believe Darth Vader knew their purpose. I believe he constructed one on this very world, I believe it to be named Lexicon. I hope you can aid me in finding it, I understand that you are both sensitive to the Force, yes?” They both nodded. Thrawn hummed. “Unfortunately, I am not, and so I cannot use it the way Jedi and Sith could.” Thrawn turned off the holotable.

“I’ll help you.” Luke said. “But… why are you helping us?”

“I was never truly with the Emperor in the first place. I was a spy, sent by the Chiss Ascendancy to ascertain the Empire’s power. Now that the Empire is gone - I only need to tell the Chiss leaders about the power of the new government in its place.” Thrawn finished, and the entry door slid open again. The three left the room. Ezra and Sabine stood in the hall, both beaming ear-to-ear.

“Hello, Ezra.” Ahsoka said, and the boy ran into the Togruta’s arms, hugging her tightly. “I said I’d come find you. And I did.”

“Thank you so much, Ahsoka.” Ezra replied, eyes shut tight. Ahsoka let go of him, then turned to Thrawn.

“I will need somewhere quiet to help you find this place, Grand Admiral. Residuals of Sidious’ force signature should not be that hard to find.” Ahsoka said, and Thrawn directed her to a large open room, dimly-lit by nightbloom flowers. The flowers glowed a deep violet color, and Ahsoka immediately felt serenity.

“I had it installed as a place to relax. I meditate as well, if you were not aware. I have no attunement to the Force, but I certainly want to keep a clear mind.” Thrawn said. Ahsoka sat on a circular carpet at the center of the chamber, closing her eyes, and letting the Force flow through her. Thrawn observed.

Behind them, Sabine, Ezra and Luke talked, Luke giving the details of the mission.

“And… we trust him?” Sabine asked. Ezra nodded rapidly.

“I trust him. He’s already told me that he knows some of the Emperor’s darkest secrets, and one is… quite interesting.” Ezra replied. Sabine raised one of her eyebrows, but Luke just stared over at Thrawn and Ahsoka, making sure the Chiss didn’t try anything. Instead, he sat down. Luke emitted an inquisitive “hm,” before turning back to Ezra and Sabine. Ezra was about the same age as him, and Sabine was two years older. “There was a reason that the Emperor created the Death Star, and it was related to the observatories. He didn’t know why. However, some members of the Imperial Ruling Council are still alive, in particular Mas Amedda.”

“I know about that.” Luke said. “He’s hiding on Coruscant. There have been multiple attempts to contact him, since technically he is the de facto ruler of the Empire now. They want to end this war peacefully. One of the highest-ranking Ruling Council members was already captured and is in prison on Chandrila, Sate Pestage.”

“Oh. So when we go back there, we can see if he knows anything. Unless we find something at these observatories.” Ezra responded, and the three looked over at Ahsoka and Thrawn - who were both standing and walking towards them.

“The observatory is on a steep mountain to the north. This Star Destroyer won’t be able to maneuver there. We’re taking my ship.” Ahsoka spoke as she walked over to them in the chamber’s main entryway. They returned to Thrawn’s office, where he gathered a blaster pistol from his desk, and followed them back to Ahsoka’s corvette. R2-D2 observed carefully, not familiar with Thrawn but very familiar with the stormtroopers standing guard.

The Harmonious Star lifted off, floating off to the north. Through the fog, there was a light, sitting high upon a cliff.

“There it is.”

~

Within the Government District of Hanna City was the Hanna City Senate Hall, the home of the Second Galactic Senate. While the many diplomats and emissaries from various galactic governments squabbled over what to do with the Imperial remnant states, a lone man stood outside. His name was Ars Dangor, the prelate of the planet Sancture and of Imperial Ruling Council. Dangor was one of the Emperor’s highest aides.

Dangor knew that Chandrila was the hub of the New Republic, and himself, a high-ranking Imperial, would be immediately detained upon arrival at the Hall by the Senate Guardsmen. But, Dangor was a realist. He valued his own survival over loyalty to a dead man. If the New Republic provided him with safe haven, from any Imperial assassins or dissidents in general, he would tell them everything. The Emperor’s secrets would no longer be secret. He smiled as he walked into the eerily quiet plaza in front of the grand entrance, the only sound the flowing of water from a fountain to his left. He stopped, just as the guardsmen noticed his presence. “Guards. Take me to the Chancellor.”