Meanwhile from the former Separatist world of Munnilist the Munns had rebuilt a droid army in secret and had caught the Empire off guard and the Imperial fleet was destroyed in an ambush by more ships of the former Confederate Navy led by the recently returned Admiral Trench a skilled tactician and veteran of the Clone Wars who led the invasion of Dantooine while another army landed on nearby Entralla and the major Imperial financial planet Mygetto with a new fleet of ships. They were headed by the viceroy of the Trade Federation Sentepeth Findos who named them the Confederate Remanent and its capital was Munnilist its navy grew to a formidable force soon it was a quarter of the size of the Imperial Navy.

The Avenger exited hyperspace behind the blockade. In a dream Shawn saw himself surrounded by battle droids and Ventress with one of her sabers raised and she said "poor boy I'm afraid your time is over" then she slashed and Shawn was jolted awake and his breathing fast and sweat beaded on his forehead. He sensed someone was near and saw Mara was sitting there looking at a datapad and she said "you were twitching a lot" Shawn stood up and said "how long were you there?" She replied "well you were out for three days so lord Vader sent for me on Tatooine and I was sent here to watch over you" Shawn was surprised when she said three days, three days no it was just several hours,

Mara stood up and set the datapad down and said "come on lord Vader's expecting us" and Shawn followed her out, as they went in the elevator Mara said "what's that around your neck?" Shawn was at first surprised but figured it must be sensed easily because of its power and said "how'd you know? Mara replied "well I sense it's power for one and two you kept clutching it as is I'd want to take it" Shawn smirked and said "what would you?"  Mara said "hmm I'm not sure cause I'd like to not be mumbling about needing stitches if I don't get kisses"

As they walked out he said "that was my song "Mara said "you were talking some other stuff didn't hear most". Then the elevator opened up in the hanger and they got in their ships and flew to the Executor. As they flew Shawn sensed conflict elsewhere in the Galaxy and decided he'd ask Vader about it, he landed next to Mara and got out and they headed up in the elevator towards the bridge. As they headed up Shawn rubbed his eye and it hurt a little.

Mara looked at him and said "what's wrong with your eye?" Shawn held up his lightsaber and saw in the reflection that the iris of his right eye was a yellow color with a red tinge surrounding it. He put his lightsaber down and said "nothing it's nothing" then the elevator arrived at the bridge, they walked down to the end at the window where Vader stood "my lord shall we commerce firing?" Admiral Piet said and Vader replied "not yet the enemy fleet has doubled in size".

Vader then turned around and said "Hand Mendes what has happened to your eye?" Shawn replied "I don't know" Vader put his hand to Shawn's chin and turned his head a little to the side and said "it seems a Sith spirit attempted to commune with you but you refused and that's what happened" then he let go and Shawn walked to the window and in the reflection saw it more clearly and asked "is it permanent?" Vader said "no it'll go away within a week". That soothed his worries until then a large fleet came out of hyperspace next to them and the admiral said "lord Vader enemy fleet has left hyperspace".

Vader said "fire all cannons and launch fighters!" Then ten Providence class ships came out of hyperspace on the right and quickly destroyed one of the star destroyers. After five minutes Vader said "full retreat call back the fighters and set course for imperial space" the fighters returned and the massive ship turned around and headed away into hyperspace with only five star destroyers of the original fleet of twenty. As it headed through the vortex Shawn was struggling to comprehend what had happened and if it would mean wider rebellion against the Empire, also he needed to get to Leia and ask if it was them or not

Then Vader asked Piet "damage report admiral?" Piet said "we've sustained damage to the hyperdrive and will have to stop soon and lost over fifteen cruisers" Shawn heard this and didn't understand how the Empire had been caught by surprise so fast without warning and then Vader said "set course for Naboo I must speak with my master".

As the remnants of the fleet exited hyperspace the ship shook and then the power went out. then the artificial gravity went out and Shawn floated in the air along with the crew who struggled to hold onto something, he pushed off the roof and flew to ten back where Mara and Vader were and the weightlessness was both fun yet disorienting at the same time. Grabbing onto a bar he said " what happened?" Piet said "the damage sustained to the hyperdrive affected the main power as well" Vader said "imitate auxiliary power", one of the crew pressed a few buttons and the gravity came back on.

Landing on their feet Vader said to Shawn and Mara "come with me" and they followed him down to the hanger where many ships were damaged but the Strings and a single shuttle had been spared. They boarded the shuttle and went down to the planet below, Shawn sensed someone he knew was near and it wasn't a dark energy but a kind one,

They landed at Palpatine's Retreat outside Theed and exited the ship greeted by a two lines of stormtroopers. They followed Vader into the fortress and Shawn felt the talisman get warmer and it made him jump almost, then a large pair of doors opened and there sitting in a revolving chair facing the massive window was Palpatine. Vader stopped and they knelt as Palpatine rose and walked over to them "what have you to report lord Vader? He said and Vader replied "the droid fleet forced us to retreat from Geonosis and we lost fifteen star destroyers".

Palpatine replied "I have foreseen more conflict arising as another fleet of the former confederacy was launched an offensive from Munnilist with the infamous tactician Admiral Trench". The name sounded terrifying and Vader said "I thought Trench was killed during the Battle Of Christophsis by Anakin Skywalker", Shawn noted the way he said the name with a sense of disdain yet as if he knew it.

Palpatine said "no he survived and now commands a formidable force headed by the traitor head of the Trade Federation and calls it the Confederate Remanent" Vader asks" what shall be done master?" Palpatine replied "show them the might of the Empire and use this little conflict to dismiss any other rebellious fanatics". Then he said "Hand Mendes rise"

Shawn stood up and Palpatine pushed his chin up and looked at his eye and said "how long has this been there?" Shawn replied "since I got back from Korriban" Palpatine backed up and said "it seems a Sith spirit has latched onto you do you know who it is?" Shawn replied "yes a Sith Lord called Darth Malgus".

The name hung in the air for a second before Palpatine said "be weary of him he led the Sith into near extinction" then walked back to his chair and sat down and they all rose and left the chamber. Shawn sensed someone he knew was close and looked to the right and saw Leia was outside tuning some sort of instrument that looked like a guitar,

"Excuse me lord Vader" he said as Vader was talking with some sort of dignitary and walked outside. "Come on you piece of work" Leia said tuning the strings and Shawn walked over and said "may I see that your highness?" Leia looked at him smiled and said "oh hello Shawn nice to see you" and handed him the instrument and said "it's a Nabooian instrument of some kind". Shawn tuned the strings and struck a couple cords until it was tuned and said "here I'll play one of my songs but don't tell anyone on Earth about it".

Leia said "alright" and Shawn began playing Imagination,

"oh there she goes again every morning is the same"

"you walk on by my house I wanna to call out your name I want to tell you how beautiful you are from where I'm standing"

"you got me thinking what we could because I keep craving craving you don't know it but it's true "

"can't get my mind to say the words they want to say to you"

"this is typical of love can't wait anymore won't wait I need to tell how I feel when I see us together forever"

"In my dreams you're with me we'll be everything I want us to be"

"And from there, who knows maybe this will be the night we kiss for the first time"

"Or is that just me and my imagination".

He stopped and sensed Leia was awestruck and she said "that was the most beautiful song I've ever heard" Shawn smiled and said "thank you" but then she said "what happened to your eye?" Shawn held it and said "I don't know something happened on Korriban" and as soon as he said that the talisman lit up and he tried to hide it as it meant one thing.

Leia was force sensitive