By lying still and listening quietly to the conversation of the others, Palpatine learned several useful things about his new environment. Anakin and his companions had been hiding in this cave for several days. It was one of several places of refuge that they had found in the hills. Because the Jedi Legion hunted them relentlessly, they were forced to change their location often. In each hiding place, one of them kept watch while the other two slept. Palpatine had not felt the need for sleep yet, but from the others, he gathered that once a being became acclimated to this new realm, it was necessary to rest periodically. This need followed the cyclic darkening of the alien sky. But the darkest it ever got was a sort of gloomy dusk. This did not stop the Jedi Legion from searching.

Presently, Yoda and Kenobi settled down to rest in sandy areas of the cave. Anakin came over to Palpatine and unceremoniously took him by the arms to haul him to his feet. Palpatine endured the indignity without comment. Anakin's time would come.

"You will keep watch with me," ordered Anakin. Without another word, he strode gracefully across the stone floor and began to climb a natural stone stairway. He lit the way with his Force-created ball of light. When he disappeared up around a bend, he took the light with him. For a moment, the cave was alive with shadows, then it was plunged into darkness.

Palpatine cursed to himself as he gave in and followed, stumbling across the cave floor in the blackness. He found the opening of the stairway by feel, and slowly climbed it until he found Anakin sitting at the top. The former Sith Lord had doused his light, but there was a dim illumination coming in from the sky. This was another entrance to the cave, but it was fully covered by a pile of boulders. Gaps between the stones had been left so that a watchman could look through. Palpatine stepped into the small room and checked one of the gaps. The view of the surrounding hills was excellent due to the elevation.

"Find a place to sit or stand," said Anakin. "It's going to be a long watch."

"Are they out there?" asked Palpatine quietly.

"I don't know," said Anakin. "They're Jedi...we're Jedi...we all know how to hide from each other very effectively. Both sides can neutralize any use of the Force to search. It's sort of ironic, but it really comes down to them physically looking for us."

"Have they located you before?"

"They have come very, very close...but...no."

"Anakin," said Palpatine after a while, "there is something I have been meaning to ask."

"Ask, if you must," he said stiffly.

"Where are your scars, old friend? Where are the marks that the dark side left on you? I still carry them, yet you do not."

Anakin looked at Palpatine in the gloom. "Is that all?" he murmured. "I can answer that easily enough. This is not the same kind of universe that we lived in before. The rules are different. Time is different here, and thoughts have power. The way you appear outwardly is based on the way you see yourself inwardly. You can change the way you look by concentrating. You don't have to look like the diseased individual that you are, but I cannot deny that your face is the perfect reflection of your soul."

Palpatine frowned deeply. "I suppose that it is only fair that you speak to me as frankly as I spoke to you earlier. But you may wish to restrain your derision of your former Master. The time may come when I can once again make you pay for every word of disobedience."

Anakin stared out into the quiet silver dusk. "That time is finished," he said simply. After a pause, he added, "We should be quiet. There's no sense making it any easier for the hunters."

Palpatine stared at Anakin for a while, but the Jedi only peered steadily through the rocks. Then the fallen Emperor settled down at his own gap in the boulders, and contemplated Anakin's words as he gazed over the shadowy hills. If what Anakin said was true, then it was possible to rid himself of his age-ravaged frame, just as if he were transferring into a youthful clone body on Byss. There was, of course, only one way to find out. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Before, on Byss, he would burst free of his shriveled, cast off shell, and awaken in a strong, new, glorious body. When he looked into a mirror, he was always pleased with the results. He remembered the pale golden skin tone which echoed the color of his bright yellow eyes. He saw his clear, unlined face, lean and aristocratic in form. His forehead was high, and his head was crowned with a soft, well-groomed crew-cut of blonde hair with a widow's peak. Beneath his long straight nose, there was a sensuous mouth and a strong chin. The overall impression had been one of seductive power. It had been powerfully attractive to his concubines in any case. The one thing that did not change was the piercing, disturbing quality of his yellow eyes. It was an unheard of color for humans, but no one had ever dared to suggest publicly that the Emperor might have had alien blood in his family tree. To Palpatine, their source was unimportant. He simply enjoyed the way they made people uneasy.

And so, he had the image of his young clone firmly in his mind. It had not been his real appearance at age thirty, but the science of cloning had enabled him to make all of the aesthetic modifications he desired. He opened his eyes. At first, he thought that nothing had changed. His roomy black robes were still the same. Then he slid his hands out of his sleeves. They were smooth and young. He smiled, and he could feel the difference in his face. It had worked. The youthful Palpatine met the aged Anakin's eyes in the dimness.

"Well done," said Anakin. "It matches your ego."

Whatever reply Palpatine might have made was lost as Anakin hissed, "Shhhh! I saw something moving down the slope. We may have to leave in a hurry. Go and wake the others. Tell them the Jedi Legion may be close."

Palpatine stood, and moving much more vigorously than before, he quietly felt his way back down into the darkness. Halfway down the stairs, he realized that an opportunity to hurt his enemies was upon him. He was out of sight of Anakin, and Kenobi and Yoda were asleep. He continued downwards as quietly as he could. Quickly, he decided that Yoda should be his target. He gave little thought to Yoda's reputation as a Jedi Master; he was only a Master of the weaker light side. Besides, Force or no Force, the ugly creature would be defenseless while asleep. The diminutive alien had earned Palpatine's wrath. How dare the little thing suggest that the Emperor could not have destroyed him? One blast of Force lightning could have reduced the pacifistic lizard to a green smoking stain on the ground. Or, if he had wanted to be thorough, a single shot from the Death Star could have annihilated whatever planet the alien had been hiding on. Sadly, he had neither weapon on hand at the moment. But primitive weapons worked just as well. There were large stones on the ground, were there not? That was just the thing to crush a wizened green head into a ruin of blood, pulped brains, and jagged shards of bone. The Jedi Legion might soon be upon them, but they would find that the Emperor Palpatine still knew how to deal with those who dared to defy him. As he died, Palpatine would be able to hold the image of Luke Skywalker's murdered Master in his thoughts. And who was to say he could not take one or two of the Jedi Legion by surprise, and send more enemies ahead of him into oblivion?

Palpatine reached the bottom of the stairs, and padded quietly to the center of the cave. His eyes adjusted to the faint light from above, and he spotted a stone twice as big as his head, not far from where he stood. With his new young form, he should just be able to lift it. He wrapped his hands securely around the stone, and raised it from the cave floor. A few pebbles clattered, and he froze, but neither Kenobi nor Yoda stirred. Then he took careful, soft steps until he was standing over the sleeping Jedi Master.

It's been a long time since we last met, Yoda, he thought. Was it in the Senate Rotunda, perhaps? For the longest time, you were working to train Jedi, and what did it get you? You knew what I was, and still I destroyed all your students. All except one. And that one destroyed me. Were you proud of your young Skywalker for that? Are you dreaming of him now? Foolish little creature. Your kind does not challenge me and survive. I told you I would kill you for training Skywalker, and now I am going to keep my promise. If only Luke were here to see this. Perhaps someday I will be able to tell him about it. And now, old Master...you will die...

Palpatine raised the heavy stone high, and hurled it down at the sleeping Yoda's head. But the stone did not come down. Stubbornly, impossibly, it hung in the air, its position firmly fixed. Palpatine pulled on it with all his strength, but the stone did not budge. He had no effect on it whatsoever. Wildly, he looked down at Yoda. The Jedi Master was awake, lying on his back looking up at Palpatine.

Calmly, Yoda spoke in his gravelly voice. "Strong is your anger," he said, "but not that strong. You do not attack me alone, Emperor, for my ally is the Force. A strong and vigilant ally it is, as you should know."

Palpatine continued to pull on the stone, frantic, his handsome face consumed with rage. Suddenly, the stone lifted even higher, while he held tightly to it. For a moment, his feet began to leave the ground, and he was forced to let go of his weapon. The stone turned gracefully in the air, and moved into a position above Palpatine's head. He gasped as it lowered towards his upturned face. Without warning, it was hurled at him. Leaping backwards, he avoided the missile, but landed painfully on the cave floor. The stone impacted heavily and split apart as it crashed where Palpatine had stood.