This was a challenge on the Luke/Vader-Writers site that I belong to entitled; 'Random Challenge of Doom.' It was written for fun and the people are a bit out of character. Please read and review. If this should offend anyone I do apologize. Thank You and enjoy.

P.S. I do not own these characters, nor will I in the future. This was written for fun and no money exchanged hands. George Lucas owns all the rights.

'HAPPY REBIRTH DAY'

CHAPTER 1

Eighteen and half-standard years had passed since Anakin Skywalker had died; from a certain point of view, and Darth Vader taken his place. Although they were one and the same, the person that was Anakin Skywalker had been all but vanished, leaving behind the second
most evil person in the galaxy.

Sitting in his meditation chamber Vader looked back on that unforgettable day. It had seen the end of the Clone Wars and the birth of a new Empire. It had also seen the end of the Jedi order,
with the exception of one Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was he that had caused the death of his one true love. And the pain of that moment had remained with him to the very day; the power of that pain made him who he was today.

Over the years he suffered many pains, but then ones that he remembered the most were the death of his wife, and the pain of having his body rebuilt before his very eyes. Why would his master put him through such pain? The only reason he could think of was to keep him connected to the dark side, and to continually remind him of how insignificant he was for not being…whole.

The constant reminder of his body's inefficiency to do what he wanted it to; having to adjust each limb, change filters… to depend on something for survival other than himself, was reason enough to keep him angry for a life time.

He hated this day remembering it made him angrier by the second. For every year, someone had sent him a basket of oranges. Always disguised but usually in the same type of packaging; the more puzzling thing was that he had no idea who was sending them. Sitting in his chamber he could not see them, but he knew that they were there. Hesitantly he reached over to the control board, and threw the switch that opened his chamber. Slowly the chambers upper half rose
into the air; swiveling around in his chair, the first thing that came into sight out of the ordinary was the package that he knew contained the basket of oranges.

" Where do these infernal packages come from!" he said in a raised voice, reaching over to the console he activated the switch and contacted the command center of his ship the 'Executor'.

"Yes Lord Vader…" came the voice from the intercom.

"Commander Vaashh… I want who ever is responsible for this package being in my chambers; to report to me at once!" Vader ordered, using the force to amplify his voice.

"As you wish my Lord I shall report to you at once." Came the reply from a voice now shaking with fear.

"It was you commander?" Vader asked with a little surprise in his voice.

"Yes my Lord, it was me knowing how much you like when these packages arrive I couldn't with a clear conscience have anyone deliver it but myself. Plus no one volunteered to do it when I asked, for some reason they like… living."

"I do not like the sarcasm in your voice… fortunately… for you, I've retired six commanders this week, therefore I shall spare you their fate and deal with this personally, send all information on the origins of this package to me, I want it here within the hour." Vader finished slamming the console shutting off his connection to the command deck.

"As you wi…" was all he got out before Vader shut off the link to his chamber. Commander Vaashh flipping the switch turned and began making his rounds about the command deck, along the way thinking to himself, "Now there's a surprise, as if we didn't know you were going to look into it personally anyway."

He'd done the same thing in the previous years, and came up with the same conclusion… the package was untraceable. Someone within his crew was bringing the packages aboard, and that someone was knowledgeable in the force and able to elude him, and leave no trace.

With very little to go on, he wasted his time searching for things and people he knew nothing about. Scrutinizing every little bit of information he could from what was virtually nothing; he had his crack troopers checking any lead they could find, exploiting every bit of information, no matter how small and after using all of his resources the answer was always the same… "Sorry my Lord but no such data exists," or "we found nothing my Lord."

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The room was large and elaborately decorated with art from hundreds of conquered worlds. Emperor Palpatine sat at his desk smirking; as he read previous reports of Vader's' progress in his never ending search for the mysterious person sending him the Oranges.

"Such an easy pawn to manipulate, I could do this forever." He said laughing aloud.

The Imperial guards dressed in a red, a modified version of stormtrooper armor; were standing at the entrance to his chambers whispering to each other that the Emperor was off his rocker… yet
again.

Resting his elbow on the desk Emperor Palpatine brought his hands up in front of himself tapping his fingertips together, he began to contemplate his next move, reaching down to the control center of his chair he contacted the other person behind his evil prank, Grand Moff
Tarkin.

"Yes my Emperor your wish is my every command." Tarkin said answering his page.

"Oh… stop schmoozing Tarkin, Be fortunate that you are still in my service; as most people end up feeling my wrath rather than benefiting from my mercy." Palpatine said annoyed.

"Yes my Emperor," came the answer but also saying barely audible, "I love you too."

"What! … What was that you said," Palpatine extremely annoyed that one of his minions would take such liberties in his presence.

"Nothing my Emperor I was just commenting to one of my subordinates here on another matter." Tarkin answered hoping that that would satisfy the impatient little rogue.

"Again you are graced with my mercy, but pray Moff that it does not end, For even though I value your knowledge and tactics, you are not irreplaceable." Palpatine returned smugly.

"As you wish my Emperor, I live only to serve you and your graces; now if I may inquire about the reason for this call?"

" Yes the call… I wish you to step up to the next portion of my plan, allow him to receive one name in his search that of… Luke Skywalker."

"And which plan is that my emperor, you have so many it's hard to keep track of them?" Tarkin asked pushing his luck.

"What plan!" Palpatine now, not just annoyed with Tarkin but visibly angry, "How can you forget what time of the year it is?" beginning to control his anger but wanting with every ounce of his body to ring the scrawny neck of Tarkin.

"Oh… the orange thing …Yes Emperor, I do recall the time of year; but don't you think you've taken this a might to far, I mean how many more countless lives must be lost on a prank?" Tarkin now was bringing a little seriousness to the conversation.

"My dear Moff Tarkin, even we diabolically evil Emperors must have fun too."

"And how should this name, Skywalker is it," now being sarcastic again, " to be mentioned to Darth Vader my Lord?" Tarkin asked already knowing the answer, which would be left up to him to figure out.

"Do not trouble me with tiny details by the time this conversation is over you will know that answer." Palpatine finished and immediately ended the transmission.

"Sheesh…" Tarkin said "You'd think he at least say good by or something, what a nasty little Sith he is today." he said turning to his subordinate.

Tarkin returned to his ready room went over to his personal computer and brought up the program entitled the "The Emperors Little Joke", clicking on the icon, he waited for the program to open.

"Ah… yes here we are," he said smiling down as the screen showed the full outline of the Emperors Prank. All it said was:

"Send Lord Vader a basket of Oranges on the Anniversary of his rise to power."

Nothing came to mind as he took the fifteen seconds to read and reread the Emperors plan, as intricate as it was. How he was going to give this information to Vader he had no idea. Getting up he walked over to the view port; looking out he whispered.

"This part is not going to be easy."