It is said that the Coruscanti night is never truly dark. The lazer-sharp lines of brilliantly-lit vehicles moving through the atmosphere, the jewel glow of apartment complexes, nightclubs with their raucous eye-popping beacons, and the far-off industrial centers pulsing in the fiery furnace of commerce add to the luminous scatter of energy that permeates all but the darkest of corners. Even in the lower levels, the light-molten movement of beings rushing about their petty concerns beats with color and illumination and life.

But there was one who despised the light, who grew strong in the darkest of shadows, who delighted in decay and deception and death - the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious.

As he stood before the huge window in the Supreme Chancellor's office, Sidious ignored the bright, ever-changing abyss that lay before him. He did not see the glory of the Coruscant night; he did not think of the sentients who inhabited this planet and filled the night with light or of all the myriad worlds beyond. Beauty was irrelevant and the living beings insignificant insects, pawns in an endless hunt for power and more power. Unimportant lives and foolish dreams. He could crush them with a wave of his hand... and often did, to his great satisfaction.

Rather he ignored all that radiant splendor and turned inward, gazing instead at his reflection in the glass. His own politician's face smiled back at him. It was a lie, of course, a grandfatherly configuration of mouth and eyes, of kindness and concern - a mask that hid the truth behind a kindly old facade.

He chuckled softly at the irony. No one who knew the Supreme Chancellor would dare imagine that he could be a Sith Lord - not the gentle man, not the soft-spoken reasonable one that was trying to keep the Republic from flying apart with his bare hands. No, the masses would always be fooled. Their complete inability to comprehend that they could be duped by a smile and a nod was so immensely satisfying.

Then he turned his gaze out beyond the smoky reflection and towards the brightly-glowing Jedi Temple. There, too, was the culmination of deception. The gradual squeezing of the Jedi until they were on the verge of collapse, the way they squirmed and wiggled as they lay dying on the hook of Senate funding. It was all too delicious. It would be but a small matter to finish them off but not yet - not until he was sure that everything would be destroyed in the coming fire.

Of course, there was one minor problem in all this. The Bendu.

That do-gooder band of worrt-slime had managed to pull themselves out of the swamp and was threatening to upset his plans. That would never do. He would not allow it.

He blamed that discarded Jedi trash, Jinn, for the Bendu coalition. He had met the man a few times while still Naboo's Senator and knew he was trouble. Rogue and used to going his own way, Jinn had been disgustingly difficult to control. So it had been easy enough to arrange for the misfit to be discharged from the Jedi in the first of many dismissal sweeps. Light side filth. That Jinn had not gone into oblivion like a good little Jedi rankled and to have organized the Bendu - well, it was not to be tolerated.

Now he had that dung-mucked renegade in his grasp. He had but to close his hand and the fool would be dead. That it would be the Jedi to execute Jinn was not lost to him. The irony was glorious.

But he was growing impatient. His troublesome fool of a Jedi agent knew that he had wanted Jinn dead when he was brought back to Coruscant but there had been no word even though Jinn had arrived hours ago. Simpleton. Did that Jedi peasant think that he would overlook this?

He needed Jinn dead. Well and truly dead.

Jinn had a nasty habit of evading death - too many times to leave it to chance or time. While the Bendu coward lived, it was always possible that something could go wrong. And surely his associates were planning a rescue, trying to free their leader before his execution.

Sidious frowned at the thought. He would not be foiled again. Jinn must die - tomorrow would not be soon enough.

But before he could contemplate this further, from beside him the soft chime of a hologram feed echoed into the office. On the secondary projector plate, he saw the small shimmering form of his apprentice kneeling before him, waiting patiently.

Of course, he knew that Lord Maul had succeeded again. It went without saying that he did not fail; it was not an option. But it was satisfying to know that he could rely on his apprentice to carry out his orders - as long as those orders were explicit. Maul was capable enough, a true killing machine, but skill in diplomatic treachery was not one of his strengths. There would come a time when he would be forced to kill the Zabrak, when he found another more capable of carrying on the Sith dynasty. But that time was not now, not while Maul was still useful.

With a simple wave of his hand, Sidious motioned for his assistant to rise. "Lord Maul, how fares your hunt?"

Hi apprentice looked well satisfied. "The list of former Jedi shortens with time but the scum are growing more inventive, my Master. The last pathetic fool took longer to kill than I had anticipated and he had enlisted several bounty hunters as... diversions."

"I assume you handled it with your usual style." Sidious could almost envy him. The taste of Jedi blood, the agonized cries as they were torn apart was a distinct pleasure but one he had not indulged in for many months.

"Yes, Master." With an amused sneer, the Zabrak held up one shredded tentacle before tossing it aside. "Broiled Jedi makes a fine dish and I forced his... friends to eat their fill before I destroyed them."

Sidious chuckled at that, nodding his approval. "Most inventive. Perhaps when you return, we can discuss seasonings..."

Maul inclined his head in acknowledgement and then shifted abruptly in the transmission light. Apparently, there was much to relate. "The Bendu have become troublesome. Their influence in the Outer Rim is spreading."

"I am aware of it." The older man merely nodded. It was old news.

Stubbornly, Maul growled, "They are also sheltering the Jedi trash on Naboo. Their numbers grow daily."

"So my agent on the Council informs me. It is of little consequence. Their weak-minded fool of a leader will be dead in the next day or so. The Bendu will be in disarray when they learn of it and vulnerable for a time."

That should have been the end of it but when Maul sunk his teeth into a topic, he was as tenacious as a boar-wolf. "Master, it is rumored that Windu has already taken over. He could be a threat to us."

Sidious shrugged off his concern. "He is a wily opponent and strong in the Force but he has a fatal weakness. He is contaminated with compassion. It will be his undoing and theirs." Looking out toward the Temple for a moment, he huffed in contempt. "The Bendu flounder around, helping the poor and defenseless even while they are being hunted. Fools. When they could have such power. They deserve their fate."

"Master, we have an opportunity. I will be on Naboo in a few days to kill Jinn's harlot and that whelp of his. Do you wish me to... chastise Windu? I would enjoy showing him the true meaning of the Force." Black and red tattoos tightened in anticipation. Maul seemed almost too eager to begin the hunt.

Sidious frowned at his apprentice. But perhaps there was the reason for his persistence. The young fool had never really learned subtlety or true patience. He knew that Maul wanted to kill Windu - the Jedi Master had been one of the finest swordsmen of the Order and it would be a mark of skill to defeat the dark-skinned one in battle. But his underling needed to learn that there was a time and place for everything. "No, leave him for the moment. I am not ready for that ragtag band of ruffians to be exterminated as yet. Soon enough."

Unbelievably, Maul did not drop the subject. "Master, gutting the woman and pup will offer some sport but I hunger to kill more than just a few pathetic Force-blinds..."

Ice-shards of contempt sliced the air. "Are you challenging my orders, Maul?" Sidious watched as his pathetic lifeform of an apprentice realized his mistake.

The Zabrak tried to backpedal furiously, unwilling to anger him. "No, my Lord."

The Master stared at him for a few heartbeats more. He wanted to make sure there would be no misunderstandings. He could not afford for his long-term plans to be disrupted by simple blood-lust. "Good. That would be most unwise. Do not go beyond the bounds of your assignment."

Maul sent him a look of veiled hatred but he nodded acceptance, nonetheless.

However, the Sith Master could not leave it like that. Much as his apprentice was capable of killing indiscriminately, he was also more efficient when plans were laid out before him. The reality was that it was all growing so tiresome with Maul - a true Lord of the Sith would be more subtle - but he would play along for a while longer. But not too long. Perhaps the time for a new apprentice was growing near after all.

Nodding graciously, Sidious sat down in his chair and, steepling his fingers together in a fine show of deep thought, he said, "Slaughtering large numbers at a single location would only stir them up into a frenzy and alert them to your presence on Naboo. One or two deaths may make them wary but they will scurry around like milte-fleas and do nothing. Weak-minded fools."

Maul did not blink, just stared at his Master's face with rapt attention. When there was no interruption, the Master of the Dark continued, "A Sith would seek vengeance - that is our strength, using the anger and the power of the dark side to destroy our enemies. But instead, the Bendu will be crippled by their fear and their pathetic attachments and try to shield their families first. You will be able to slip through their defenses with little problem."

"It will be the perfect time to do more damage," Maul pointed out. But when he saw Sidious's disapproval, he grew apprehensive. "Apologies, Master, but it would seem the correct action to take. They are vulnerable and would be easily overcome at that moment."

A deep sigh. "For that moment, you are right. But that is a short term goal and the Sith deal in deception that may last a lifetime or beyond. The Jedi dismissals are a perfect example. They are being destroyed without any knowledge of it. They can't even fight back. But the beginnings of our subterfuge runs back a hundred years or more. Patience is key."

"I still have much to learn from you, my Master."

Maul appeared almost humble but even Sidious knew it was a lie. His apprentice was probably plotting something of his own. He would need to find out what it was before it came to fruition but it would not be prudent to allow Maul to know that he was aware of it. Deception within deception.

He tucked away the idea and turned back to the lesson. "Think, Lord Maul, of how the Bendu will react. They will find nothing and eventually they will go back to their own affairs. But the fear will remain." He chuckled softly, "And when the fury has died down, you will return to Naboo to destroy more of their most cherished ones - the children and those without Force powers."

"Children..." The contempt in Maul's voice was clear.

"Children are the most vulnerable and the ones that they would shield most strongly." He spread his hands wide and leaned back in his chair, a smile of contemplation on his grandfatherly face, but that smile grew hard and hungry as he thought of the final destruction of the Bendu. "Their fear will grow as we slowly pick off their families. They will have to stop their pitiful attempts at helping others and concentrate on defending their own kind. After that, it will be a simple thing to turn those relying on the Bendu for assistance to hatred. Then will be the time to strike - when they no longer have allies and nowhere to go."

The apprentice nodded his eager approval. "Their demise is guaranteed, no matter what they do."

"Just so." He sat up straighter, staring stern and certain at his fool of a servant. "So you see, Lord Maul, yours is an important mission after all."

"I see that now, my Lord. I will not fail you."

With that, Sidious appeared to relent, his face morphing once more back into a softer, more genial facade. But his words still had the sting of an hill-adder's bite. "I know you will not. But, my apprentice, use this opportunity to play a bit. Be inventive. I wouldn't want their deaths to be swift. Or painless."

The red and black demon's mask snarled into pleasure. "You will not be disappointed, my Master."

"I depart for Geonosis tomorrow to meet with Count Dooku. Apparently he did not take your suggestions to heart and continues to circumvent my orders." A flash of angry yellow in those blue eyes as Sidious nodded toward the cityscape beyond. "When I have finished with that simpering buffoon, we shall see how the Bendu are faring and what else needs to be done."

"Yes, Master." But the meekness of Maul's reply sent alarm bells ringing in his head.

It was becoming obvious that it was time to watch his foolish apprentice more carefully. Surely the gundark wasn't going to try and kill him. He would lose and badly. "A new day is dawning, Lord Maul. Soon we will rule the Galaxy and the Jedi will be no more."

"I await that day, my Master."

The Zabrak spoke with humility, in layers of subservience. But beneath those layers bubbled a lust for ultimate power. That and treachery were the ways of the Sith, for both the Master and the apprentice - a balance of death and life that could change at any moment. And Sidious would make sure that he would not be the one to die.

"As do I, my young apprentice, as do I."

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Apparently today he was surrounded by fools, first Maul and now this smirking worrt-slime. Darth Sidious was not pleased but he hid his distaste in false smiles and flattery. "Ah, my friend, it is always good to hear your voice. I take it all went well today in Council."

The cloaked figure's hologram flickered, blue haze in the half-light of a Coruscanti night. His Jedi puppet was preening in triumph. "Yes, my Lord, very well. Kenobi brought Jinn to us in chains, just as you predicted."

Of course, Kenobi would do his duty to the Jedi Order. The Jedi lout was nothing if not predictable, contemptibly so. It also made him very easy to manipulate. But Sidious did not say that. Instead, he nodded genially toward his unwise pawn. "That must have been an auspicious time for you, my friend. I know that you have long sought revenge on Jinn and now to finally achieve it... the taste of victory is always sweet."

The low voice of the Jedi Councilor was drenched with satisfaction. "Sweeter than the finest wine, my Lord. He is now enjoying our best accommodations - the punishment cell in the belly of the Temple. Sentencing will take place tomorrow."

The Sith Lord nodded at the news. To put Jinn in that cursed cell was just too entertaining - he had long been a troublesome insect and the thought of him suffering the mental torment of the damned was almost a profanely erotic experience. "Good, good. From what you have told me, the evidence for the death penalty was quite clear. After all, the deliberate murder of those poor mine owners must demand the ultimate price. Don't you agree?"

By the hesitation in the reply, it was clear that the news was not good. "Yes, my Lord. Unfortunately, the evidence may not hold up to scrutiny."

"You assured me that all was arranged." Mildly said but an undertone of brutal ire slithered through the ether.

It was not wise to fail when a Sith Master demanded results and his muck-slimed little reptile knew it. The blue figure stuttered in burgeoning fear. "I... I.. my Lord, apparently Kenobi's young pup was quite clever and found the slice. They are working on the data crystals now to determine if the evidence for murder is sufficient or if those charges will have to be dismissed."

Sidious looked almost lazily at the shimmering form. "That was rather sloppy of you."

Shivering for a moment, the Jedi began to make excuses, the words spilling out, rushing past each other as if to stave off any thought of torment for a job not done. "The foolish child was lucky, nothing more. However, we have ample proof of the other charges, carrying a lightsaber, harboring runaway slaves, starting a renegade Temple. He will go to prison for a long, long time. And who know what will happen to him there..."

The Dark Lord of the Sith looked straight into his puppet's dark eyes, sending hellfire warnings with a single glare. He would not tolerate failure again. There were a thousand painful ways to destroy a living being. He would enjoy cutting this rsshak apart, slowly and with the savage skill of experience.

"Yes, who knows... and who knows what will happen to you if he doesn't die. Tomorrow."

The fool did not realize the danger and continued to argue. "My Lord... so soon? It is not possible without evidence and I cannot condemn him without the approval of the Council. Even if everything went well and he was sentenced, it would take weeks to arrange the execution."

His voice ice-cold, the promise of obscene torment increasing with each word, Sidious spat out his displeasure. "I told you when we started this that I wanted him dead when he reached Coruscant. He has long been a thorn in my side. I tire of it."

"But my Lord..." His informant's wavering bravado was beginning to collapse into panic.

"I have given you power and slaves and wealth. All I ask in return is Jinn's death."

"Please, my Lord...." The panic was full-blown now. The Jedi had experience with Sidious's unshakable thirst for perfection and did not wish to repeat it.

"Little trifle, do you think you are dealing with your simpleminded Jedi Council? I want results, not excuses."

The worthless slug was practically stuttering in terror. "My Lord, how... I would be discovered. He's in that cell with Kenobi and they are constantly being watched by holoscans. There is even a Bendu spy here among the Jedi. I can't get to him. It's impossible."

That caught his attention. He knew that it was merely a useless diversion from the pressure that he was putting on the Jedi traitor but it could upset his plans if the Bendu discovered his existence. "A spy? Where did you learn of this?"

The relief in the Councilor's face was palpable. "That little idiot of a Padawan overheard Jinn talking to Kenobi about it. She reported it today in session."

He pretended a mild disinterest but he needed to know who to kill. This could become a large problem if it got out of hand. "The name of this spy?"

"She did not know. Apparently, even Jinn doesn't know who it is, just that they are sending confidential information to the Bendu. Lists of the dismissed ones and where they can be found."

The dung-mucked Jedi seemed almost as upset about this turn of events as Sidious himself. That would be all to the good - there was nothing like the incentive of harsh discovery to move things along. "That would explain the growth of the Bendu recently."

The fool was still babbling. "Yes, my Lord. You see why I can't kill Jinn while he's in the Temple. Once he's condemned to prison, it should be easy to arrange. And I don't understand why you are insisting that he die so quickly. Surely, it would be better if it was quietly done and away from the Temple."

How dare this minion, this slave dictate his actions. It took all the power of the dark to keep Sidious from tearing through the transmission and shredding the filthy fool into steaming meat and blood. "You assume too much. It is very simple, my Jedi friend. I need him dead and I need him dead before noon tomorrow. Or I will kill you. And I don't recommend dying at my hand - it can be messy and very painful. Do I make myself clear?"

It was with grim satisfaction that Sidious watched the traitorous slug shivering with dread as the fool realized that the Dark Lord of the Sith never made idle threats, that it was kill Jinn or be killed, that there was no place in this universe far enough to hide if he was not obeyed.

And there was only one response that was acceptable. "Y... yes, my Lord. Very clear. Jinn will die tomorrow. As you have instructed."

With that, the Sith Master was all false smiles and satisfaction. "Good. When you have completed that task, contact me. Together, we will celebrate the death of an enemy and the beginning of a new day for the Jedi."

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Once long ago, within the vast commons of the Jedi Temple, there had been places of tranquil contemplation, of joyous gardens and aching beauty, of serenity and silence. But they were gone now. The gardens had turned to commerce factories and the serenity to despair. Dust and decay and the spider-shrouds of long disuse gathered into the hallways and discarded rooms; corners choked with debris and everywhere was the cloying taste of oppression.

But beneath the dirt, hidden in the dusky corners, all was not as it seemed.

From deep within the Jedi complex, the electronic whisper of automated recording equipment finally clicked off. The secret transmissions of blue-lit energies had been captured once more on holograms and stored for future need. But now the future was fast approaching and two who knew and hoped and planned for the coming storm had heard it all.

They had been friends for most of their lives and more than friends in recent years, co-conspirators in a war of words and money and terminations, fighting in clandestine ways to try and stave off the utter collapse of the Jedi Order. In the early days, after the first wave of dismissals, they had been both numb and astonished at the swiftness with which the Order had been changed. But it soon became apparent that it was not just the Senate's monetary manipulations that caused the reversal. The very Order itself was under seige.

That had not changed over the years but as they tried and failed and tried again to stem the tide, they learned to be devious, concealing their motives, manipulating those around them so that they could keep the Jedi as pure and true and unsullied as possible in these troubled times. More often than not, they lost but they kept trying, even when their methods were less than clean.

But now the endgame had begun; the latest news was disturbing but not unexpected.

Tall and strong and, for the moment completely incensed, the younger of the two paced back and forth, furious energy in the walk, anger blistering the air. The Zabrak were known for their fierce temper and Zak Xacor, Councilor and head of the Jedi Order's Hunter Group, was no exception. "They are going to kill Jinn in the next few hours. We cannot let this happen. It is completely...."

The brown robes of the elder were almost black in the half-light and, hunched down as he was next to the recording terminal, little of the body could be seen. The steady voice of reason seemed to emanate from the very Force itself. "You are too impatient, my friend. How else can we get our enemies to come out into the open unless we allow them access to Jinn?"

Dark eyes challenged that statement and there was an appalled tremble in Xacor's raspy voice. "Access? Are you willing to sacrifice him for this? Trest, you know he is innocent of the murders. And probably the other charges as well."

In the intervening years when selfless service and the joy of helping others should have been foremost in every Jedi's heart, instead there had been only a scramble to remain a part of the Order, no matter the cost. The scars of that ran deep. But, at least, the older Jedi was still compassionate enough to sound ashamed. "I know that, Zak. But we will not be able to do anything until we have proof positive that these reske'ta slime are indeed traitors to the Jedi."

In the shadows of the crowded room, frustration bubbled out. Stressed almost to the breaking point, Xacor slapped one large hand against the grubby wall in anger; the sharp sound echoed like blaster fire. "But we know who they are."

From beneath the huddled robes, the voice only carried murky sorrow and red-tinged regret. "Yet without clear-cut proof, it is merely our word against theirs. We have to make this legal if we are to succeed."

Xacor sent his friend a saber-sharp glare and then, turning away for a moment, lifted his shoulders in defeat. "I know that you are right but it has been too long. It is time to end this."

One white paw pulled back the dark cloak and the liquid eyes of Jedi Councilor Trest Sle'fey stared after his fellow conspirator. There had been many such discussions over the years and it was only now, as the end neared, that the Bothan was willing to admit, "I, too, grow tired of the charade."

There was utter weariness in Xacor's voice and not a small amount of despair. "We should have taken back the Jedi years ago. Told the Senate to go to hell and followed the will of the Force, not the will of some mindless bureaucrat. Now we are almost powerless to prevent the collapse of the Order. I'm not sure that we can succeed even with proof."

Sle'fey reached out and gripped Zak's arm for a moment in sympathy. He knew that the Zabrak needed to be reassured, he needed to gather that anger and release it into the Force, he needed to regain serenity and soon. It would not be wise to slip when they were so close to the end. "My friend, the darkness has been gathering for decades. You know this. We have all felt it. But, I promise you, by this time tomorrow, it will be over. We will have taken back what is ours and begin to restore the Order to its roots. I have seen it."

Xacor just sighed and sat down next to now-silent equipment and swiped at his face. It had been a long night and tomorrow would be... demanding. "The future is always in motion, Trest." Then he shrugged and, turning away, began to play with the datacrystals that Kenobi had given them. "But you were always much better at the Unifying Force than I. I only hope you are correct." The clear stones clacked loudly as he rolled them restlessly in his hands. "You know who else we will have to move against."

The older Master nodded, his fur flat with distaste. "Yes, the list is long. But I believe that if we cut off the head of the nexu, the entire group will collapse."

"Or we will." Xacor sent a challenging look toward his co-conspirator, daring him to disagree.

But Sle'fey did not. He knew that they were poised on the edge of the abyss; one false move and it could be disastrous for them and for the Order. "Yes. I feel that, too. A great deal is riding on the next few hours."

"I will just be glad when it is over." The clattering stones grew quiet under Xacor's fingertips. Looking down at the datacrystals for a moment, he shook his head at the memories of what had happened today. Sounding thoroughly disgusted, he said, "That session in the Council chamber left me nauseated and unclean."

Plucking the crystals from Xacor's hand and laying them aside for safe-keeping, Sle'fey looked no happier about it. "I did not want to hurt Obi-Wan any more than you did. But it was necessary to lull our enemies into a false sense of victory."

"He may not be aware of it but I consider Obi-Wan a friend. He is certainly a finer man that I could ever be. And..." The Zabrak closed his eyes as if to shield himself from the reality of what they had done. "To treat him that way, to treat both of them that way. You may still hate Jinn..."

Sle'fey just shook his head. "I forgave him a long time ago. But I've had to keep up the facade. So did you. If we are ever to see our way clear of this mess..."

Xacor glanced away into one of the murky corners and far from the sympathetic gaze of his friend. He knew that he did not want kindness, not now, not when others were being punished for doing the honorable thing. "But to allow both of them to be put in that perverted cell even for a single hour. It is not right."

"Obi-Wan will understand."

The look he shot Sle'fey was pure disbelief. "I'm not so sure he will. We've been using him as bait now for years, trying to draw out the traitorous scum. And he's been accepting it - all the punishments, all the pain that we have allowed to be inflicted on him. When I think of it..." Xacor began to pace again, his face a mask of scowling energy and shame.

But as he passed his old friend, Sle'fey caught at his sleeve, holding him still and trying to make him see that they had no other choice. There had been no choice when they realized just where the Jedi Order was going, no choice except to fight it with whatever means they had. "We have been following the will of the Force just as he has. What else was there to do? With that filthy lying fraud focused on Obi-Wan, we could hide what we were doing more easily."

Xacor knew this but it didn't make it any easier. "I know. But we can't... the Order can't afford to lose him. But I'm not sure we won't when this is all said and done. He may never forgive us."

Letting go of his friend's tunic, Sle'fey looked away, ashamed to meet Xacor's accusing eyes. "You may be right. But Obi-Wan will do his duty. He is Jedi, no matter how much he denies it."

"Let's just hope that he remains so or all may be lost. Tomorrow then ... "

Sle'fey nodded and began to shut down the room's sophisticated electronic systems. There was no time left and still much work left to be done before the momentous day. All must be made ready.

But, for just a moment, as he gathering up the datacrystals, he paused to look into their pure depths. The knowledge held within those faceted stones could save them all. But it would never erase the disgust that he felt, knowing that he had allowed two innocent men to be tortured to save the Jedi Order.

He only hoped that when all was said and done, it would have been worth it. But now was not the time. Looking at his ever-steadfast friend, he could only shrug wearily and sigh, "Tomorrow."