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If the Emperor had forsaken them, they were lost already. The battle had turned against the Second Imperium-and Brakiss had nothing more to lose.

He switched on his lightsaber again, held the thrumming weapon-and struck. The energy blade sparked and flared as it cut through the thick armor plating-nothing, not even Mandalorian iron or durasteel blast shielding, could resist the onslaught of a Jedi hghtsaber.

He sliced through the hinges. Molten metal steamed and ran in silvery rivulets down the side of the door. He chopped again, hacking out an entrance, tearing open the wall like a labor droid dismantling a cargo container. He stepped aside as the thick chunk of armor plate fell to the deck with a deafening clang.

Brakiss stood waiting, frozen with indecision, as the smoke cleared. He held his lightsaber up... and finally stepped inside.

He stared in disbelief. He saw no Emperor, no plush living quarters, not even any complicated medical apparatus to keep the old ruler ahve.

Instead, he found a sham.

A third red guard sat in a complex control chair surrounded on three sides by computer monitors and controls. Brakiss saw a library display of holographic videoclips taken over the course of the Emperor's career: the rise of Senator Palpatine, the New Order, early attempts to crush the Rebellion... recorded speeches, memos, practically every word Palpatine had spoken in public, plus many private messages.

Powerful holographic generators assembled the clips, manufacturing lifelike threedimensional images.

Brakiss stared in horror as it began to make sense to him.

The red guard lurched to his feet, scarlet robes flowing around him. "You may not enter here."

"Where is the Emperor?" Brakiss said, but as he looked around he already knew the answer. "There is no Emperor, is there?

This has all been a hoax, a pitiful bid for power."

"Yes," the red guard said, "and you have played your part well. The Emperor did indeed die many years ago when his last clone was destroyed, but the Second Imperium needed a leader-and we, four of Palpatine's most loyal Imperial guards, decided to create that leader.

"We had all of the brilliant speeches and recordings the Emperor had made. We had his thoughts, his policies, his records. We knew we could make the Second Imperium work, but no one would have followed us. We had to give the people what they wanted, and they wanted their Emperor backas you did. You were easy to fool, because you wanted to be fooled," the red guard said, nodding toward Brakiss.

The Master of the Shadow Academy stepped deeper into the chamber, his hghtsaher glowing with deadly, cold fire. - You tricked us," he said, still in the grip of incredulous horror. "You tricked me-me! I was one of the Emperor's most dedicated servants, but I served a he. There was never any chance for the Second Imperium, and now we are being destroyed here because of you! Because of poor planning. Because there is no dark heart to the Second Imperium."

Blinded by rage again, Brakiss flowed forward like an avenging angel, his lightsaber held high. The red guard staggered away from his controls, reaching into his scarlet robes to withdraw a weapon-but Brakiss didn't give him the chance.

He cut down the third Imperial guard, who fell smoking and lifeless onto the array of controls that had created the fake Emperor.

The illusion had cheated Brakiss, and the Shadow Academy, and all his Dark Jedi... everyone who had devoted their lives to recreating the Empire.

"Now the Empire has truly fallen," he said, his voice hoarse and husky, his face haggard. He was no longer calm, like a statue, no longer a well-polished representative of perfection.

Hearing a noise outside the chopped-o pen door to the isolation chamber, Brakiss turned to see a flash of red-the fourth and final member of the group of charlatans. Brakiss moved slowly, feeling stiffless and pain, utterly discouraged-but he could not let this last one get away. Ms honor demanded that the deceivers pay. Brakiss rushed after him.