Chapter Five: The Fall of the Empire

The Borg armada slowed to impulse and paused just outside of the Coruscant star system as they detected exactly what they were up against on long-range sensors.

Long-range scans indicate one hundred and eight Imperial vessels stationed around designate planet: Imperial Center. Combined firepower poses 42% risk of defeat. All vessels begin construction of multi-kinetic neutronic mines. Isoton yield will be 20,000. Time until mines are constructed: 1 hour, 42 minutes. Continue approach to target at low impulse and scatter all enemy sensor frequencies. Time until arrival: 2 hours, 14 minutes. The Collective must grow.

XXXXXX

Correlia…

As requested, Colonel Veers met Vader in the comm room as the Dark Lord set up the frequency that would put him in contact with his master.

Former master now, Vader reminded himself bitterly. If the Borg don't deal with you first, I will, for lying to me about my children.

Nevertheless, he knew that he had been out of contact with Palpatine for far too long. The man would want a report, and would not be pleased at having to wait so long for it.

Veers saluted as he entered the room. "Lord Vader."

Vader turned around to acknowledge one of the very few officers that ever managed to genuinely impress him. "Report, Colonel."

"I'm afraid I don't have good news, milord," Veers answered stiffly, and Vader knew the man feared retribution for his failure. "My task force was intercepted by a pair of enemy vessels that broke off from an attack group that appeared to be headed for Imperial Center. The two vessels alone tore apart our forces like it was nothing. The rest of the fleet sacrificed itself to ensure I could escape and warn the Emperor of the coming danger."

"So you never made it to the Death Star," Vader stated coolly.

"No, milord," Veers answered, swallowing thickly.

Vader lifted a finger towards the colonel, who barely suppressed a flinch. "You were likely not informed of the full strength of the enemy, and you had the foresight to attempt to warn the Emperor of approaching danger, so I will forgive you for this failure. This time."

Veers saluted again, visibly relieved. Vader very rarely gave second chances. "Thank you, milord."

"As it so happens, I am about to contact the Emperor," Vader continued. "I will add your information to my report. You are dismissed, Colonel."

Veers bowed crisply and turned to leave. He was stopped, however, by Vader's parting words.

"And Colonel. Due to…extreme circumstances brought about by our new enemy, the known Rebel sympathizer Viceroy Organa is here. He is not to be arrested, for the time being. Also, there are two individuals of note here that I want you to provide the best care for. The Viceroy's…daughter…" Veers noted the strange, uncertain pause, but wisely did not comment. "…and a boy named Luke Skywalker."

Veers's eyes widened. "S-Skywalker, sir?" Could he be…

"Yes," Vader responded. "He is the son of Anakin Skywalker. And so, as it happens, is Leia Organa his daughter. They are crucial to the future of the Empire, especially if, Force forbid, the Home Defense Fleet is unable to overcome the Borg assault."

Veers gulped. He had a feeling this was information he was not supposed to share, and was not certain he should even know.

"I am only telling you this, Colonel, because I sense you are a man I can come to trust, if you continue to perform as admirably as you have in the past. Ensure that the children of Skywalker are provided for, and let Viceroy Organa be for the time being. However, make sure to keep an eye on all of them, and if Organa contacts the Rebellion, I want to know. That is all, Colonel."

"Yes, milord," Veers said with another bow.

The colonel swiftly left Vader to deal with the Emperor. He had a lot to do in the meantime, and a lot to think about on top of it.

Vader stood there pensively for a moment after Veers had left. He was taking a risk revealing that information to Veers, he knew. Though he would not outright ask questions, he would certainly be thinking about what relationship could exist between Vader and the children of Skywalker. Veers was a smart man; it was quite possible he could connect the dots. But he also knew that, if he did, he would be wise enough to keep it to himself and not bring up the matter again unless Vader allowed it. He also could sense that the man had his own doubts about the Emperor, but was firmly loyal to the Empire itself and what it stood for.

With that settled, he sent the transmission, making sure to keep his mental shields in place, and soon the imperious, hooded figure of Emperor Palpatine loomed over the Sith Lord as he bowed.

"Lord Vader," Palpatine began, a displeased glint in his poison-yellow eyes. "I've been waiting quite some time for you to reach me."

"Forgive me, my master," Vader apologized without looking up. "Many situations arose that required my attention, including the new enemy in our midst."

Palpatine chose to let it drop for now as he replied, "Yes…there is a disturbance in the Force."

"I have felt it."

"This new enemy threatens everything we have worked so hard to build," Palpatine went on slowly and deliberately, measuring each word as he always seemed to. "I am told they seized the Death Star, and are even now approaching the heart of the Empire with a fleet of their ships."

"I was recently informed by Colonel Veers that he was unable to halt their advance," Vader answered, a part of him unsurprised at Palpatine's foreknowledge.

"As I suspected," Palpatine spoke. "I underestimated their strength before. But rest assured, I shall not again. I have gathered over one hundred Star Destroyers to aid in the defense of Imperial Center. With such firepower stacked against them, not even these so-called 'Borg' will stand a chance. In the meantime, Vader, I want you to go to Fondor and oversee the finishing touches to the Executor. We will need its power if we are to liberate the Death Star from their clutches. I leave that operation in your hands while I deal with the Borg here."

"It will be done, my master," Vader bowed lower.

"The Empire will survive, Lord Vader," Palpatine assured him. "Perhaps that will disappoint you, but I will…"

The Emperor, however, was abruptly silenced as a new voice took over, one that made Vader's head shoot straight up, his eyes widening behind his mask at Palpatine's increasingly-distorted outline.

"WE ARE THE BORG. LOWER YOUR SHIELDS AND SURRENDER YOUR SHIPS. WE WILL ADD YOUR BIOLOGICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DISTINCTIVENESS TO OUR OWN. YOUR CULTURE WILL ADAPT TO SERVICE US. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE."

And then the signal was lost, and Vader could only stare in shock.

XXXXXX

Palpatine cursed as he lost the connection. He then attempted to contact the fleet and tell them to engage, only to find that he was unable to reach them either. He flipped through all the frequencies, and was met only with silence.

The Borg had jammed all communications, even the most secure ones.

Forcing down the twinge of fear he felt, the Emperor stood and stared out the window of his balcony, watching the distant fleet outside the atmosphere take position as the planetary shield came online.

Palpatine breathed a heavy sigh and steeled his resolve.

The Dark Side would not fail him.

It couldn't.

XXXXXX

The Imperial fleet was still scrambling in an attempt to restore communication when seven Borg cubes appeared out of nowhere, their massive bulks looming threateningly over the much smaller Star Destroyers. The Borg wasted no time in striking the first blow as each vessel fired a large glowing torpedo at the tightly-clustered Star Destroyers.

The ensuing explosions were massive, and in the span of a few seconds, no less than twenty-seven Star Destroyers had been completely vaporized, while dozens of others were heavily damaged. The surviving vessels began to spread out to minimize any future volleys as the Borg armada closed in, diving right into the heart of the Imperial formation. Thousands of turbolasers hit each cube from every direction, pounding against their powerful shields as they spread out to engage other Imperial ships. The assimilation cubes even initiated a certain subroutine, and from each one emerged a smaller scout sphere that circled around their host cube, adding to their firepower.

Pretty soon the battlefield became eerily reminiscent of the Separatist attack years ago during the Clone Wars, with Star Destroyers and Borg vessels interspersed amongst each other, turbolasers, torpedoes, cutting beams, and disruptors filling the vacuum of space between them. Imperial fighters swarmed out from the underbellies of the Star Destroyers, surrounding the cubes like tiny mosquitoes as they pelted their surfaces with every weapon they had. Bombers strafed the tops of the cubes, dropping their payloads to little effect. The Borg shields were far stronger than those of the average battlecruiser.

Star Destroyer after Star Destroyer was rendered inert as the Borg ships assaulted their most vulnerable areas with almost surgical precision, ignoring shields as they sliced bridges off the towers and sent torpedoes hurtling into their exposed engines. The warzone was now littered with countless Star Destroyer wreckages, alongside a handful of Borg spheres that had succumbed to the Empire's firepower.

Eventually, however, the Imperial defense began to pay dividends as several of the Borg cubes lost their shields, the turbolasers tearing gaping holes in their tritanium hulls. Soon enough, all the spheres had been destroyed, and two of the cubes imploded from the continued barrage.

But it wasn't enough.

Because the Borg had jammed their communications, the fleet couldn't coordinate an attack strategy, and were being picked off faster than they could believe. Even as another cube exploded, its fragments smashing into the nearby Star Destroyers, the rest of the fleet had been reduced to a fraction of its former strength.

And then the boarding parties arrived.

Hundreds of Borg drones beamed onto each surviving ship, engaging the startled crews in a brutal firefight. Pretty soon the remaining two dozen or so Star Destroyers went inert as the crews were forced to turn their attention towards the boarders, while the four surviving but heavily-damaged cubes began to scan the surface of the planetary shield, ignoring the remaining fighters that were doing everything in their power to draw the Borg's attention away from the planet.

Then each cube pinpointed the source of the shield and fired a series of torpedoes down onto the surface, phasing through the shield like it wasn't even there. In no time at all, the shield dropped, leaving Coruscant exposed and vulnerable.

XXXXXX

From his balcony, Palpatine watched the entire spectacle unfold with genuine terror. All his planning had been for naught. Even the Empire's finest had proven inadequate against the Borg's might.

He abruptly heard a shimmering behind him, and the Emperor whirled around as dozens of Borg drones beamed into his chambers, their lifeless eyes boring into his own as they advanced.

"FOOLS!" Palpatine roared as he launched a wave of Force lightning at the drones.

They soon went down, their circuitry sparking and their skin smoking. At that moment, his Royal Guards burst in as one of them cried, "Your Majesty, we need to get you out of here! They're overwhelming the Palace!"

Palpatine nodded. No sense sticking around for a lost cause. But before they could leave, more drones beamed in, the Royal Guards forming a defensive perimeter around their master. "Protect the Emperor!" they chorused as the drones approached.

Force pikes flashed and crackled as the Guards fought back against the drones, several of them going down with smoldering chests. But the Borg quickly adapted, their shields protecting them from further harm as they descended on the helpless Guards, which were forced to resort to crudely bludgeoning the drones with their weapons. Soon they all went down, each injected in the neck. Snarling, Palpatine activated his lightsaber as he growled, "You will not have me!"

His lightsaber, however, was stopped by the drones' shields, and he swore as he used the Force to backflip out of reach as they tried to grab him. He then showered them with more Force lightning, and soon they too collapsed.

So Force lightning is the only thing I can use against them, Palpatine thought to himself.

But before the Emperor could make his escape, something happened he could never have expected. His vision went white as he felt himself almost…dematerialize. It was a strange and frightening sensation, as he was conscious as it happened. Before he knew it, his vision returned, and he found himself in completely unfamiliar surroundings cast in an eerie green lighting.

His brief moment of surprise was all the drone behind him needed.

Palpatine cried out as he felt a prick in his neck before he whirled around and Force-pushed the Borg drone against the wall hard enough to kill it. He rubbed the puncture wound feverishly as he felt a tingling sensation begin to spread through him. The Force was screaming in warning…

He could feel thousands of hateful little devices surging through his body, and Palpatine exerted every ounce of power he had in an attempt to force them out. But they were multiplying too quickly. He could hear a dull, distant murmur in the back of his head, the Dark Side crying out in fear for its champion.

Palpatine unleashed Sith Lightning in every direction as he screamed, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!"

Sparks flashed everywhere as drones and machinery alike short-circuited. Fear began to overwhelm his anger as he felt a servo burst through his scarred cheek, slick with his blood. The murmur was growing louder, and Palpatine realized his movements and consciousness were becoming more sluggish.

"No…! I will not…succumb…!" Palpatine hissed, activating his lightsaber and bringing it up to his neck.

He was abruptly hit with a stunning bolt from an approaching drone, and Palpatine was knocked flat on his back.

He could now hear it.

"RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. YOU ARE NOW DRONE DESIGNATE: FOUR OF NINE, SECONDARY ADJUNCT OF UNIMATRIX 01-B. PROCEED TO GRID 36 OF SUBJUNCTION 12 TO RECEIVE UPGRADES. YOU ARE PART OF US NOW. DON'T RESIST."

Palpatine, First Emperor of the Known Galaxy, tried to scream, but found that no sound could escape his throat. The last thing he felt before he was well and truly shackled to the hivemind was overwhelming terror as he wondered how the Dark Side could have failed him.

XXXXXX

Locutus and the Queen stirred, an overwhelming sense of satisfaction coursing through their bodies as they felt Palpatine's addition to the Collective.

Locutus grinned. "Oh…such knowledge he kept from us all. To think he had manipulated both sides of the Clone Wars just to gain power. Perhaps the Galaxy deserves to know the truth of their beloved Emperor and his pet…"

The Queen shared his smirk. "The Force is of great interest to us…With all that he knows, we shall attempt to harness its power for the Collective. Safeguards can also be implemented to protect ourselves against it."

Locutus took a deep breath and closed his eyes, smiling. "The Borg have won a great victory today. Perhaps a…celebration is in order."

The Queen flashed a sultry smirk; after the announcement that would shake the foundations of the galaxy was made, they would indulge in physical forms of pleasure.

XXXXXX

All those sensitive to the Force could feel the shift at the fall of Palpatine.

The Dark Side was afraid, the Light uncertain.

In the Dagobah system, Jedi Master Yoda 'hmm'ed grimly. "A great disturbance, there has been. Fallen, the Emperor has, but in his place, rising, a greater evil may be. Uncertain, the future now is…"

Hidden on a remote, unknown planet, Ahsoka Tano, former padawan of Anakin Skywalker, furrowed her brow in concern. "What happened?" she asked herself quietly as she tried to make sense of the churning currents of the Force. "It feels like…the Dark Side has been weakened. But…why is the Light afraid…?"

On Corellia, Obi-Wan was startled out of his meditation when he felt the Force shift dramatically as the Dark Side lost its hold over Darth Sidious. And then, the discordance rose, the sense of panic and fear bleeding into the Force from Coruscant. Hundreds, thousands, millions, one after the other he felt them ripped from the embrace of the Force and shackled to an oppressive, artificial parody, the all-consuming will of the Collective. It made Obi-Wan feel violently ill; this was assimilation. The complete robbery of self, the enslavement of not just body, but mind and soul, the victims cut off from the Force's comfort forever, so long as they remained imprisoned within the Borg's consciousness.

It was the most heartbreaking, horrifying feeling Obi-Wan had ever experienced. It had even managed to eclipse his enduring guilt over being unable to save Anakin from himself before it was too late.

"Qui-Gon was right…" he breathed. "The Borg have ended Sidious, and with him, the Empire as we know it. But…I fear this is no victory for the galaxy…"

And so too did Darth Vader feel the fall of his Master. His breath hitched; he couldn't believe it. They had done it. The Borg had actually done it. He didn't know what to think. Satisfaction? Perhaps. Rage? Only because Vader had not dealt the blow himself. And yet…

Yet Sidious's fate was so utterly fitting. Now he would be a slave, like the people of his galaxy. He was no Emperor; he was now just another faceless drone in the Borg hivemind.

But Vader knew this presented a huge problem for the Empire, and the Galaxy at large. Palpatine knew every single thing about the Empire, its capabilities, and its many secret projects.

Which meant that the Borg now did too.

If they were going to have any chance of surviving this new war, a great deal of change was needed.

Which, despite everything, presented Vader with an opportunity. Only he could fill in the power vacuum left behind by Sidious before an ambitious Moff or Admiral could. And that meant, Vader thought with relish, that he had the chance he had been waiting for with every ounce of what little patience he had to clean house in the Imperial hierarchy. The Borg would deal with the Hands and the idiotic sycophants of the now-defunct Senate. Vader would focus on the Navy.

But first, he had to prepare for his crowning speech.

Vader swept out of the comm room to collect his witnesses.

XXXXXX

Bail Organa could not hide his shock at the news. "Coruscant…has fallen?"

"And with it, the Emperor and a significant portion of the Imperial High Command," Vader clarified. "They are all part of the Borg now."

Organa sank heavily into a chair, rubbing his face as the implications for his own faction set in. Mothma…she was down there…The Borg struck two blows today in one swing…

Obi-Wan looked stricken, hunched over as he stroked his beard. "I can still feel it happening. Trillions of people…I can feel their fear right before they are ripped away from the Force. This…assimilation, as you call it, is more terrible than anything I could have imagined…not even Sidious deserved this."

Hanson sighed from where he stood, his Borg implants making sitting down a more uncomfortable endeavor than it was worth. "With your Emperor assimilated, it means the Borg now know everything he did about the Empire. Every secret he's kept from you all will now be used against this galaxy. You've already lost the first battle of what is going to be a very long and difficult war."

That did nothing to ease the tension.

"So what now?" Leia asked hoarsely, overcome by the gravity of the news and its repercussions, standing near her adoptive father.

"In light of recent events, I will now take up the mantle of Emperor," Vader declared in a no-nonsense tone. "I, as Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army and the Emperor's apprentice, am next in line for the throne, though Sidious never anticipated me gaining it."

"If that is the case then, Lord Vader, uh, Your Majesty," Veers said, standing at attention, "the people must hear from their new leader. Imperial Center's fall will come as a great shock to them."

Luke scoffed. "I bet most of them will be celebrating in the streets."

He ignored the withering glare of Colonel Veers, but was abruptly chastised by, of all people, Obi-Wan. "Luke! Do not take pleasure in this knowledge! What happened to the Emperor is now happening to the entire population of Coruscant. This day is no victory, my young Padawan. Rebels, Imperials, and innocents alike have been stolen from the Force, and may never be able to return."

Luke settled down, looking far paler than before, and did not see how Vader bristled at Obi-Wan referring to his son as his Padawan.

"If the Emperor's gone, why should the Empire continue on without him?" Leia demanded. "The Empire is evil!"

"The Emperor was evil," Vader sharply retorted. "But so too was the Senate you so desperately clung to. You forget, my daughter…" Leia bristled at this, while Bail's breathing hitched briefly. "…that I was witness to the corruption and ineffectiveness of the Republic during my years as a Jedi. There was pointless bickering and squabbling, and nothing ever got done. It was painfully easy for the Emperor to take advantage of it."

"And how is the Empire any better?!" Leia snapped angrily. "With the blatant suppression of freedoms and rights all across the galaxy, the continuation of the slave trade with the Empire's official endorsement, and all the Moffs who replaced the Senate who mistreat and torture the people they were tasked to look after without restraint or fear of repercussion, not to mention that monstrosity you call a battlestation?!"

"All of which was permitted under Sidious's rule," Vader agreed plainly. "But not under mine."

Leia was surprised into silence.

"I was loyal to Sidious only because I thought I had nothing and no one left after the death of my wife at my own foolish hand," Vader declared with authority. "But I am loyal to the Empire because I believe in what it was meant to stand for: stability and security."

"And what, exactly, do you intend to do as Emperor, Lord Vader?" Bail asked suspiciously.

"A great deal that the Emperor was simply too greedy to permit me to do," Vader answered. "I will explain it all in the broadcast I am about to make on the Holo-Net."

"An inaugural speech," Leia grumbled bitterly, folding her arms.

Vader regarded the comm table they were gathered around. "Colonel Veers, is the link set up to transmit across every channel?"

"Yes, sir," Veers acknowledged crisply.

"Good," Vader replied, stepping forward. "Now…"

However, the Holo-Net console flashed to life abruptly without his input, and all of them were met with a face all but Luke found familiar.

"Tarkin?!" Leia exclaimed, recognizing the man despite his Borgified appearance.

"So he too was assimilated," Vader mused.

Hanson shook his head grimly. "No…watch."

Vader then realized that Tarkin's characteristic smug grin was still on the Grand Moff's aging face. What is this…?

"Greetings, people of the galaxy," Tarkin declared, and on every planet, inside every hotel, house, and cantina, those very people looked on with bated breath, waiting for whatever he had to say. "I am Locutus of Borg, once known as Wilhuff Tarkin, Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire. I come to you bearing news about your beloved Empire. Just moments ago, the Borg Collective laid siege to the core world of Imperial Center and emerged triumphant. The Empire is no more. Your Emperor has joined us as a humble servant who shall continue to further serve the glory and perfection of the Borg."

At this, the holo-image changed from Tarkin's face to a most disturbing sight: a de-robed Emperor Palpatine propped up on a surgical table, with Borg devices growing from his cheek and balding forehead. His eyes were unblinking and emotionless even as a Borg drone began sawing off his right arm. Leia gasped and put a hand on her mouth in shock and revulsion. Veers and Luke recoiled in sheer horror. All the others regarded this with grim-faced disgust and shock.

"At this very moment, he is enhancing us," Tarkin's voice continued. "Perfecting us. He has become part of something greater than himself." They all cringed as another drone punctured Palpatine's left eye with a device, disturbed that he wasn't even reacting to the mutilation of his body. "And he has entrusted us with knowledge it is time for you to know. Hear now the truth of the Empire, and the source of its weakness."

At that, Vader and his entourage collectively braced themselves. The Borg, it seemed, were not planning on playing fair.

"Sheev Palpatine of Naboo is, and has always been, a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Sidious. He was apprenticed to another Sith named Darth Plagueis, once the Muun known as Hego Damask, until the Trade Federation blockade on Naboo, which had been engineered by Palpatine himself to make him Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Your Emperor played both sides of the Clone Wars as the benevolent Supreme Chancellor for the Republic and Darth Sidious for the Separatists, pitting them against one another as he consolidated his power, fooling you all into granting him more and more executive powers until he had already become Emperor in all but name. And then, when he no longer needed the Separatists or the Jedi, he had them all executed by his new Sith Apprentice, while at the same time, he successfully achieved his dream of resurrecting the ancient Sith Empire of old under his rule from the ashes of the Old Republic and the Jedi Order. His new apprentice was someone all of you were familiar with both during and after the Clone Wars, under different names and reputations." Vader steeled himself for what he knew was coming. "Anakin Skywalker, the Hero With No Fear, whom you now know as…Darth Vader."

Vader could feel the Force ripple as the entire galaxy reeled in shock at the reveal of his true identity. Every civilian, every Imperial, every Rebel.

But Tarkin had more to say. He raised his arms as though addressing a crowd.

"The Galactic Empire was, and always had been, built around lies. It was never meant to address the instability of the Republic. It has never cared about safeguarding its citizens. The Empire existed solely to satiate the greed of Sheev Palpatine. You were deceived, as was I. But the Borg have shown me a better path, one that opened up the truth, and the possibility of a new future for the galaxy. I embraced the Borg Collective freely and of my own will. They have perfected me as I have perfected them. But the quest for perfection never ends. There is always room for improvement. I ask you, plead with you, as a messenger of a brighter future. Join us. Join the Collective, and we will truly put an end to the chaos and instability that has plagued the Galaxy for countless centuries. We will usher in a state of unity and equality never before seen. We will become perfect, and learn to put aside our own petty desires and work towards a goal far greater than ourselves."

At this, Tarkin lowered his arms and affixed the Holo-Cam with a sinister glare. "Darth Vader, I now speak directly to you, and whatever Imperials you may have already gathered to resist. The march of progress cannot be halted. Fighting back will only result in a needless waste of life. To you, and anyone who is thinking of resisting, I give you a fair warning. Resistance…is FUTILE."

The cold glare of the former Grand Moff fizzled out as the Borg cut the transmission, and total silence enveloped the room, saved for Vader's omnipresent mechanical breathing.

"Well, you can't deny the man makes a fine speech," Hanson sourly noted, not quite comprehending the severity of what he had just heard, given that he was not native to this galaxy.

Veers looked utterly shaken as he uttered, "M-my Lord…is…is w-what Tarkin said true?"

Instead of answering the officer, Vader turned towards Hanson and demanded, "He was assimilated, yet he seemed to be in full possession of his faculties. How is this possible?"

"He has assumed the position once filled unwillingly by Captain Picard," Hanson replied grimly. "Locutus…a sort of…spokesperson for the Collective, and the personal plaything of the Borg Queen."

"Queen?" Vader repeated. "They have a leader?"

Hanson shook his head. "Not exactly. The Queen is…basically a physical manifestation of the Collective consciousness. She exists to help guide the Collective's objectives and ensure that it runs smoothly. It could be compared to the queen of an insect colony. She, besides whoever willingly becomes her Locutus - her King, essentially - is the only member of the Collective one could consider an individual."

"What would happen…if we were able to kill her?" Bail ventured.

Hanson frowned. "It would not, I'm afraid, destroy the Borg. As I said, she exists as part of the Collective. If her physical body dies, her consciousness will still remain, awaiting a new body. For her death to truly cause damage to the Borg, you would not only have to kill her, you would also have to do it in a way that would simultaneously disrupt her connection to the Collective. She has been killed twice, that I know of. The first time, she perished aboard the Borg ship that assaulted the Federation and assimilated me. That did not cause any major structural damage to the hivemind other than the loss of that vessel, as she purposely ordered the vessel to self-destruct to prevent the Enterprise from hacking the ship's systems. The second time was when she was thrown into plasma coolant while she was on board the Enterprise-E, several hundred years in the past and unable to make contact with the Borg living during that time. That merely deactivated the drones that had accompanied her, as there was no Collective outside of those drones."

"Is there any way we can disrupt her connection?" Leia asked.

"We must trust in the Force," Obi-Wan sagely replied.

Veers rolled his eyes. "And how will your mystical ways help us, Jedi?"

"As loathe as I am to admit it, he is correct," Vader spoke up. "Though it would be difficult. The Collective is capable of detecting and defending against telepathic intrusions."

"They've assimilated a number of telepathic species over the years that helped them adapt," Hanson explained. "Not to mention the Queen herself was originally a member of a powerful telepathic species. If you want a shot at her, you would have to do something that would force the majority of the Borg's attention away from defending the subspace network that keeps them interlocked, and even then, your only chance would be to strike at the Queen herself. Trying to influence the Collective once inside would only buy her time to retake control. She is very strong-willed."

"And where would this Queen be hiding?" Vader asked.

"Now that they've taken over that battlestation of yours, she has likely entrenched herself there, though she does have a personal flagship, a unique diamond-shaped vessel, much smaller than a cube but larger than a sphere. She will sometimes use it, but only if she wants to personally oversee the assimilation of a particular planet, which is rare."

"We will have to consider a plan for that," Vader responded. "But for now, I have to do damage control."

With that, Vader began his transmission, assuming his trademark stance of standing tall with his hands partially tucked in his belt. "People of the Galaxy," he began in typical no-nonsense fashion. "You have all just seen the message delivered to you by what has quickly become the direst threat our galaxy has ever faced. I regret to inform you that every word the traitor Wilhuff Tarkin spoke was the truth. Imperial Center has fallen. The Empire was never raised with good intentions. The Emperor manipulated us all to see it rise, from the foolish Jedi Order, to the incompetent Republic Senate, to the Confederacy of Independent Systems itself. And…I am…once was Anakin Skywalker. But that name is dead to me."

The sudden, almost unnatural hitch in Vader's artificial voice did not go unnoticed.

"I, more than anyone, was taken in by the Emperor's lies. He told me that the Dark Side could save…someone I cared about. I was desperate enough to believe him. But my efforts ended only in…her death. At my hand, no less, so mad was I with my newfound power. Betrayed by one whom I had once called brother…" Nobody noticed as Obi-Wan suddenly stiffened, a look of decades-old sorrow lining his aged features. "…and believing myself betrayed by…her…I struck out of rage. Instead of saving her, I killed her. I should have died that day, but the Emperor would not allow it. Thus I continued on as his enforcer and his apprentice, believing my Master was all that I had left. It was not until the Borg began their incursion that I was proven wrong."

Luke and Leia glanced sharply at each other, both suddenly dreading where Vader was going with this.

"For nineteen years I believed I had not only killed…my wife…but that in doing so, I killed our unborn child. This, the Emperor told me the day I was entombed in this mobile coffin. But the Emperor was just as deceitful to me as he was to all others. He lied. Before she perished…Padmé Naberrie Skywalker gave birth to a boy and a girl. Twins. And then, hoping to use them against me once they grew…" Both Kenobi and Organa flinched guiltily at this. "…the traitorous survivors of the Jedi Order separated them and hid them away. But despite all that has transpired, I have them at my side once more. But this matters little in the face of the more pressing issue.

"The Borg have struck a costly blow against the Galactic Empire. Palpatine is gone, but I endure. Thus, so shall the Empire. I thus assume my place as your new Emperor. With that, I immediately declare the following proclamations."

All of Vader's witnesses glanced among one another briefly before Vader continued.

"All Imperial involvement in all aspects of the slave trade is hereby withdrawn, effective immediately."

Leia's jaw threatened to drop to the floor.

"Furthermore, slavery is now officially illegal in all corners of the Galaxy. All criminal organizations are strongly advised to free their slaves and remove their chips within the next six standard months, or there will be…severe consequences."

Luke's eyes widened in awe.

"Secondly, I officially rescind all laws preventing non-humans from holding positions of power within the Imperial military. It was an unnecessary limitation on our potential as a galaxy-wide authority."

Leia and Bail could hardly believe their ears.

"Thirdly, there is now a galaxy-wide military draft. One man or woman from every family between the ages of eighteen and fifty must enlist to serve in the Imperial Army. No exceptions."

That didn't bode well for families with Rebel sympathizers. Veers in particular was unsure how to regard this new development as he thought of his son.

"Fourthly, until the Borg presence is annihilated from our galaxy, a ceasefire is officially in effect with the Rebel Alliance. Against an enemy such as this, the galaxy can only survive through unity and cohesion, though the Empire will tolerate no Rebel attempts to sabotage us from within."

None of the gathered witnesses could have imagined this in their wildest dreams.

"Finally, with the discovery of my legacy, I now officially declare Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa as my heirs to the Imperial throne."

Luke and Leia both forgot to breathe for one stunned moment. And then they both simultaneously cried out in high-pitched, disbelieving voices.

"WHAT?!"