"A Two-Edged Sword," which was mistakenly published as "Two-Edged Sword," is a short story authored by Karen Traviss and can be found in Star Wars Insider 85. Serving as a sequel to "In His Image," both stories were later compiled in the paperback edition of Legacy of the Force: Betrayal.
The narrative centers around Darth Vader and Palpatine as they train clones to become members of the stormtrooper corps, while simultaneously delving into Vader's internal struggles with feelings of betrayal and paranoia. The story takes place around 18 BBY.
The story begins with Vader on Yinchorr, overseeing the training of Sa Cuis clones in the art of lightsaber combat, alongside the Emperor and Imperial lieutenant Erv Lekauf. In addition, Dark Jedi, including Sheyvan of the Emperor's Hand, are also cloned and trained. Upon returning to Coruscant, Sheyvan and the Cuis clones stage a mutiny aboard Palpatine's shuttle.
Vader arrives at the scene of the uprising and overhears Sheyvan proclaiming Palpatine's inevitable betrayal of them all. Disregarding this warning, Vader collaborates with Lekauf, Pepin, and Nele to breach the bulkhead using flamethrowers, after which Vader plans to personally eliminate the remaining rebels. During the assault, Lekauf is injured by a burst of flames and receives bacta treatment. After entering the bulkhead, Vader confronts and defeats Sheyvan in combat. Lekauf recovers from his injuries and returns to his family on Coruscant, with his wounds serving as a reminder of Vader's past.
Lekauf's bravery deeply impresses Vader, prompting him to order the creation of more clones based on Lekauf's genetic template.