A Sith Carol
Discalaimer: I didn't invent Star Wars or any Dickens tale. I just thought it might be fun to put them together!
Well this is a crossover between Star Wars and a Christmas Carol with Darth Vader taken the place of Scrooge. Well, for anyone that has read both and I suppose it is possible, one can see similarities between the two, both apparently evil but both with a bit of good in them just waiting to get out! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, please Read and Review if you have a moment, preferebly during the holiday season.
A Sith Carol
The place was Coruscant. The time was Yuletide. Well, Yuletide as a seasonal celebration throughout the Galaxy on 25th December according to the old calander. It was cold and snowing. This particular part of Coruscant for reasons did have a seasonal climate and did get cold in Winter. This was in a city called London and due to policies and an odd coincidence had the same look as another city called London in England in Victorian times.
A few children were playing in the snow. 'Hey, lets put a really big nose on that snowman!' cried one, laughing. He did and the snowman had a few more clothes upon him and some twigs that made him look quite realistic. The child, Fred Cratchit, laughed and ran, sliding and skating in the snow in obvious enjoyment. He was a small boy, under 10 and he was excited as was the others and everyone else by the prospect of it been Yuletide tomorrow. He then threw a snowball at his Dad that was passing. His father, Bob Cratchit laughed and threw snowballs back at his son.
Fred ran around and danced in delight. In fact, he nearly slipped over and had to balance himself rapidly. His mother dashed out to him. 'Oh, Fred, you haven't tied up your scarf right, let me do that!' and tied his brightly coloured scarf right around his neck. She also offered him a little snack, a hot chiplet on a stick which he ate gratefully. His mother gave him a great big kiss on the cheek.
'Oh, mum!' complained Fred and ran off.
Fred ran on and rode a toboggan along the ice smiling as he did so. Then he skated along the pond jumping along. He cuddled a dog that he knew who was covered in snow and barked joyfully. Fred asked one of his friends, 'Hey, wouldn't it be great to see Tiny Tim today, I am so fond of him he is such a friend of mine!' as he whirled around in the cold air.
'Have patience Fred, you will be seen him tomorrow at Yuletide feast!' cried his companion dancing along with him. Before them, they saw a band playing Yuletide music and they approached it and both generously put down a few pennies at the band whose lead violinist nodded a thanks to them and changed the music they were playing in reply.
All around them and throughout the City, Yuletide was in full anticipation. Horse drawn carriages galloped along the cobbled streets, pigeons covered in snow flew between the stone houses, people walked along the pavements, men in their suits and bowler hats, women in their flowing and colourful dresses. People shouted, on shop windows various items were for sale.
'Oh, I haven't a care in the Galaxy!' cried Fred.
'Well, steady on, the Galaxy is a bit dark out there in some parts you know!' said his older brother.
'Is it? No one ever told me that!' said Fred a little puzzled for a moment.
At this very time a ship was travelling through the stars of space. Nothing too unusual about that, but this one contained Han, Luke, Leia, the Wookie, Chewbacca, The Droids, Threepio and R2D2 and Lando Calrissian. Nobody was moving much, in fact most were resting. 'Beer anyone?' said Lando, putting his black hand to a bag of tinned alchohol. There was no reply.
Just as Han was saying, 'There is nothing now that can go wrong!' a laserbolt hit the ship called the Millenium Falcon. 'Imperials, right behind us!' he cried and the Falcon had to make a quick increase in speed to escape from the firing. In fact, if it wasn't for R2's talent in keeping the stabilizers to a reasonable balance, the ship would have been destroyed in the attack.
Lando pulled the light-speed operator. 'Here we go!' said he and the Falcon sped onto lightspeed and escaped the approaching Imperial Destroyers just in time. As Lando pointed out. 'Well, that was a close call. Looks like your old girl needs some work on her when we reach our secret location then Han!' he sighed as this wasn't for the first time.
Fred was enjoying his snowball game 'Hey, theres someone else here!' cried he as a figure emerged from one of the alleyways. He threw a snowball at hit, hitting the figure in the head. A metal head. A dark metal head. A dark large metal-armoured figure with a black mask and one that breathed heavily as he walked. This was Darth Vader.
Fred had never met Vader before but was nervous as a clearly angry Sith lord beckoned before him. Vader looked at him long before speaking. 'Can I ask the meaning of this frivolity and why aren't you labouring for the glory of the Imperial Empire?' Vader finally asked at the terrified young boy whose companions had all fled at the revelation of Vader.
'Well, I'm playing a game!'
'A game!' thundered Vader. 'Why so?'
Fred gulped nervously, 'Because... it's Yuletide!'
'YULETIDE! BAH HUMBUG!' Vader dangerously growled. 'If there is one thing you should know annoys me, it is Yuletide. If it wasn't for the fact that we have been busy recently my Master and I would have abolished this ancient holiday!' and for the fact that it was pretty popular amongst his subjects and they couldn't really afford to offend too many of his core support, but Vader didn't admit to this.
He simply picked up the unfortunate Fred, threw the boy to the ground in the snow and walked along as Fred gratefully scarpered. Vader thought, 'Yuletide, honestly that old festival!' the beginning of it wasn't known, but people throughout the empire liked to use it as a holiday. Vader didn't approve of this. He made his way to an office he often used when not campaigning.
Vader walked through the door of his old-looking office. For the 2nd most important person in the galaxy, his office was really poky and of an ancient design. Well, this was one of the consequences of having to spend much of your money on the military and to neglect other matters, even one's own office. Still, it was good to be thrifty, the Empire wasn't rich! Thought Vader even so he banged his head on one of the overlying doors which hurt even for a Sith lord.
He looked at his assistants Bob Cratchit's office. It was extremely small, cold in the snow, Cratchit was wearing coat and scarf indoors with one tiny fire which Vader considered a frivoloty. Despite this Cratchit was smiling at Vader. 'A merry Yuletide, Mr. Vader!' he smiled at him. Vader gave him one of his looks through his mask in reply.
'Just carry on working unless you want to be transferred to a labour camp!' snarled Vader. He sat at his desk and looked outside at the signs of Yuletide on the streets. Vader was easily annoyed and everyone's distraction by Yuletide was one of the things that was winding him up considerably at the moment. Someone, he thought, would soon get the pleasure of a Sith neck throat squeeze, thought he.
Vader decided to change out of his armour. He could sometimes do this. Underneath a black suit when taken of was a figure of an old man. A very old, grumpy man who seldom smiled apart sometimes when he received money or work. He snarled and said again, 'Yuletide, bah humbug!' took out an old quill and started working. He did have computers, but with the recent hacking activity a lot of his work was back to old-style pen and paper.
Out in the Galaxy, the Rebellion had been defeated. At the cost of millions of lives. And a considerable degree of expense of resources. Some of it's leaders were in hiding, but they would surely be caught soon. But one consequence of the struggle was that the Empire had to spend most of it's resources on the military. And it's own ruling class. Therefore much of the Galaxy had technically gone backwoods. In Coruscant, due to the scarcity of fuel which was taken up by the military and other material, people had gone back to using old animal-drawn travel and fires for heat and other matters and for this reason, much of Coruscant had an eerily look of Victorian England.
Those of the upwardly mobile middle-class in the Galaxy that is. Much of the Galaxy lived in slavery or on one of the Imperial labour worlds. A fortunate few that had influence in the Empire did live in the luxury that this entailed, but they didn't live in this part of the Galaxy. Vader could have been one of these, but to be fair to him, he genuinlly didn't want to waste resources as he saw how stretched the Empire was out there in the Galaxy.
There was a knock on his door. 'Come!' said he briefly.
Two portly and cheerful gentlemen entered, brushing snow of their jackets onto Vader's office floor. Vader glared at them both. They looked suspiciously cheerful to him. And he wasn't surprised to find the reason why. 'Why, Mr. Vader, firstly let me wish you a merry Yuletide!' Vader didn't even look back at him. 'And while we are here, I am wondering if you would like to make a small donation!'
'WHAT! Why should I do that?' Vader thundered at the unfortunate fellow.
'Well at this time of year, it is traditional that those with influence and money spend a little thought and consideration on those lest fortunate than themselves.' Vader was looking like he didn't think much of those lest forunate than himself. With a heroic or stupid lack of self-regard, the man continued, 'So I was wondering if you'd like to make a donation!' and waved a tin beneath Vader's nose.
With a use of the Force, a mystic, semi-magical power that only Vader possessed as far as anyone knew as by this time all of the Jedi knights had been slaughtered he waved his hand and the men flew out of the door of the office onto their backsides. 'Do not ever mention yultide to me! I am sick and tired of everyone's obsession with this old festival. Get out of my office and never return!' Vader waved his stick at them as the two fled.
Vader decided it was time to change back into his Sith Lord gear. It was getting late and despite Imperial victories he was in a bad mood. Well, at it happened Sith philosophy encourage bad moods and rage as ways of harnessing the dark side of the force so this was common place. He heard another knock on his door, it was his assistant, Bob Cratchit who was just leaving.
'Ah, my lord, I hope you are not expecting me in tomorrow!'
'Why should I not expect you in tomorrow,'
'Well, because its ahhhhhh!'
Vader has a suspicion of what Bob was about to say, he used the force to trap Bob's windpipe, stopping Bob breathing. As Bob gasped and clutched his neck Vader thundered, 'I would advise you not to mention the word Yuletide which I believe is about to enter your lips unless you want this to be the last words you ever speak! Well!'
'But, Sir, it's Yuletide and I need the day off!'
Vader couldn't believe this, 'I am too soft on you people. Very well. But come in early tomorrow to make up!'
Bob breathed a hasty thanks and departed. Vader returned to his home which he kept in a similar manner to his office. Barren and bleak. Vader didn't spend any money on himself, he didn't have much use for luxuries. The night drew in. Vader did have a little room in his home were he did have some advanced technology. He had a message from the Emperor of the Galaxy.
On a video screen Vader saw the figure of a hideous, hooded man with a skull-like face and a black robe. His Master. The Emperor said, 'Greetings my friend. Scouts have reported a Rebel base on the world of Pickwick. We need to gather forces for an assault. Come to my chamber in the next day or so when it is convenient for you. All the best!' This looked like the final victory, thought Vader.
As he retired for the night, Vader thought he could hear a noise. Yes, there it was again distinctly. Vader used his infa-red vision to see into the black night of his home. A figure emerged. A ghostly figure. That of his old Jedi tutor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. A tutor he has slain, actually, this was Obi-Wan's ghost. Vader raised a metal fist to wave the figure away.
'Not a chance!' said Obi-wan. 'I am using force techniques you haven't dreamt about! But I won't be here long. I am making a final effort to save you. And possibly the Galaxy for that matter. I am not a vision or a dream as you might be thinking. I am here to tell you that you will receive two visitors from the spirit world tonight. Maybe they can raise the goodness in your misbegotten soul! Ahhhhh!' Obi-Wan's spirit moved towards Vader, surrounding him and covering the Sith lord in ghostly dust. Vader cowered in terror. Then he looked back. It was a simple night again, the ghost had departed.