Unveiled Relations

Prequel: Impact

The TIE fighter, badly damaged from the explosion of the nearby space station, hurtled towards the small planet below. Its pilot, the Sith lord Darth Vader, swore as he struggled with the sparking controls. The force of the blast had sent the small fighter too close to the planet for its weakened engines to fight the gravitational pull, and now Vader tried only to make his landing as gentle as possible.

As he neared the treetops, he attempted to level the ship's trajectory but succeeded only in adding a rapid spin to the fighter's already erratic course. One of the wings snagged on a particularly thick branch, simultaneously tearing the wing off and slamming Vader against the control panel. The TIE, now quite mangled, dropped through the trees, constantly colliding with the heavy wooden limbs. The air filled with the shriek of rending metal and the acrid stench of smoke. The ship finally crashed to the ground, ejecting Vader through the long since shattered view port. The Dark Lord landed in a graceless heap a few meters away from the burning wreckage of his ship and was still.

When he came to, the first thing he became aware of was the pain. His chest burned in a way he recognized as broken ribs and his head throbbed within its encasing metal helmet. He could feel neither his right arm nor left leg. The remaining limbs were responsive but painful to move.

After a few minutes of steadying breaths, Vader rolled himself onto his side and dragged his body across the dirt and rocks. He pulled himself towards the closest tree, using the Force to assist when his strength began to give out. When he reached the tree, he leaned himself against the damp trunk and began to assess his wounds.

The right cybernetic leg was disconnected at the hip. The left was crushed from the ankle down. Right arm was disconnected seven centimeters below the shoulder. Shrapnel in the left arm. At least three broken ribs. Possible concussion.

A list too long for Vader's liking. At least he had no internal hemorrhaging. If he did, he would be in even more pain than he was now. He hoped.

What bothered him most, though, was the intravenous tube in his right arm. It was his only means of taking in nutrients, and it was completely severed. The other injuries, though problematic, could be dealt with, but without that tube he would starve within days.

Vader tested his communicator, only to find it crushed from his ungraceful landing. Releasing a heavy sigh, he realized that he could do nothing but wait for a search party to find him.

Refusing to admit defeat and accept his helplessness, he started feeling inside his chest with the Force. Locating one of the broken ribs, he began to slide it back into place. The rib pinched a nerve and sent fire through his body. Gasping in pain, his concentration broke and his tendril of the Force released the bone, which thankfully slid into place. After recovering from the shock, he continued setting the ribs, having nothing better to do. He found four more, which all eased into place with far less pain than the first. Finally finished, he succumbed to his exhaustion and fell into a deep but uneasy slumber.

A pair of Alliance soldiers made their way through the forests of Yavin, grumbling to each other. The battle of the day before had sent numerous TIE fighters crashing into the planet, and teams of soldiers had been sent out to find as many crash sites as possible and collect any surviving pilots. These two were one such team.

Approaching the column of smoke one of them had spotted some thirty minutes earlier, the pair slowly made their way towards the clearing created by the downed fighter. They were in for the surprise of their lives when they found not another dead pilot like the previous three crash sites they had found, but a wounded and unconscious but very much alive cyborg in the form of the Sith Lord Darth Vader.

A/N: A short prequel to an upcoming fic. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be uploaded, but once it is, I will try to update regularly.

I welcome any feedback you would give. Constructive criticism is highly appreciated. Thanks for reading!