"WHAT?" Vader yelled in shock, tilting his head up to see what had hit him. He couldn't believe it. He had wiped out every rebel aircraft he had aimed at, except that one, the x wing with the pilot who was so strong with the force. Even so, he had had him in his sights and was pushing the button to take him down too when this jolt came from nowhere! Vader felt his ship spinning at a high speed, out of control. Through dizzying spins, he saw his wingman hit the side of the trench and explode. There was only one quick view of the ship that took him from behind, but he was too busy saving his own life now to consider it. Pulling from all his knowledge of flight, and the force itself, Vader struggled to stop his spinning Tie fighter. No one knew this vehicle better than him, he had designed it. Now he only had a few seconds to...what was that?! It can't be! But it was. As his craft spun round and round, he saw something he couldn't rightly register as true- the enormous, powerful Death Star, the ultimate weapon it had taken the Empire twenty years to finish, was gone in a flash of tiny sparkles of light. Completely disentigrated. Gone.

Vader was reeling from that, but still had to maintain his composure long enough to steady his ship. He pulled on the controls again with all the strength in his metal arms, and the force within him. Ah, there. He could feel the spinning slowing. Now he could maneuver it properly. He straightened it out, right side up, flying in the correct direction. He let out a sigh of relief that overrode his breathing mechanism. He looked out the window. Nothing but stars. Behind him, there was only Yavin. The Death Star did not exist anymore.

He searched his overloaded mind to make sense of it all. So the Death Star was destroyed. He could feel in the force the loss of all the life on board, some he regretted would be no more, others, like Moff Tarkin, he was glad to be rid of. He felt no remorse for this thought. After all he was a Dark Lord of the Sith, why should he? The thought did briefly cross his mind that his master, Emperor Palpatine, would be most displeased with this and somehow blame him. But no, this was Tarkin's fault! He, Darth Vader, was out in his TIE fighter doing all he could to stop the attack, and if those inside were too inept, that was not his fault. He thought of those who had called the Death Star the ultimate power of the universe, and how they had scoffed when he told them it was insignificant compared to the power of the force. He gloated now, knowing he was right. It was the force that had destroyed the Death Star, the force being used by the pilot of that rebel X wing.

Then, as he had a peaceful moment to reflect now that his fighter was no longer in danger of crashing or spinning helplessly into deep space, thoughts flooded his troubled mind. 'Who was that pilot? If all the Jedi are gone, and only two Sith remain, who is this who is so strong wtih the force, and how did he become that way? I must find out.' Staring out into the empty black space with only a few stars ahead, something else came to him. His memory now replayed the scene from his dire situation a short while before. He retrieved the image of the ship that shot him from behind as he pursued the force sensitive pilot. It was a Corellian freighter, a common design, but most recently seen on the Death Star! Inside his mask, he snarled his mouth and gritted his teeth. His hands clenched into fists of rage. "OBI WAN! That was the ship that carried Obi Wan onto the Death Star!" So it must mean something that a person connected so strongly to the force was connected to his old master. Obi Wan was now dead, and by his own hand, much to his satisfaction. But, could it be, his legacy was not gone? Who was this person who shot at him, and why was he helping the pilot who was using the force, and why had he transported Obi Wan Kenobi to save Princess Leia? How were these things connected? Was Obi Wan training some new Jedi, was that possible? As soon as he found a safe place to take his TIE fighter, he was going to have to investigate. This was bigger news in the force than Vader had known of since the Jedi purge years ago after he became the Emperor's apprentice. There was a new disturbance in the force, he could feel it. Things were about to change, and he was going to be involved.

Vader flew on, out of the area of Yavin. He was sure that now the Imperial cruisers anywhere near would soon mount an assault on the rebel base there, but they did not need him. He had witnessed the end of the montrosity called the Death Star, and barely escaped with his life. A shiver went through every remaining human part of his body to realize just how close he came to his end. Had he been on the Death Star, he would now be one with the force. Had his out of control aircraft gotten much closer to the explosion, he'd have gone with it. He was also very fortunate to spin out of the trench at the angle that he did so he did not suffer the same tragic fate as his wingman who hit the side and blew up. He wasn't just glad to be alive, he felt there was some significance in this, a reason for him to be alive. Why was he spared? Was it all chance, or did the force have something else in mind for his life?

He did not look forward to meeting with the Emperor. He feared his wrath. He would delay this inevitability as long as possible. He entered Coruscant airspace amid gloom, rain and heavy clouds that now reflected the mood of the Empire itself. While far from defeated, it had suffered a major setback. The Death Star had taken twenty years to complete and was lost in a second. Vader landed his Tie fighter and entered the Emperor's headquarters with much dread. His boots stepped heavily and slowly toward what he wanted so badly to avoid. He was just going to have to deal with it. The Emperor was the one being in the universe he could not do away with because it suited him, though there were times when that thought did enter his mind. He did not deny to himself that sometimes he was weary of calling someone else 'master' and would dispose of the old Sith Lord and rule for himself. With a new apprentice. Until now he had no prospects for this, since he had not found anyone else who was of the force. Until now. Though he knew this new pilot was a rebel, it was not impossible that he could be turned, as he had been. Time would tell if this was going to be an option. For now, he had to do all in his power of the force to keep Lord Sidious from reading his thoughts and feelings on this matter.

Vader entered the Emperor's throne room, his home base when he was in Coruscant, which seemed to be most of the time now that he was older. He looked up at the familiar form, the craggy old hands clutching the arms of his chair, hood hiding the hideous face and rotten teeth. Vader often wondered why Sidious did not seek to wear a mask to conceal his grotesque face. It was not always a welcome sight for Vader. He sometimes held his master in contempt. He was doing so right now as he angrily and resentfully bend to one knee and lowered his face before him.

"You may rise, Lord Vader."
"What is thy bidding, my master?"
"Lord Vader, I am distraught at the loss of our powerful weapon at the hands of rebel scum. Can you explain to me how this occured, since you appear to be the only survivor?"
Vader didn't know what to say. He knew what he wanted to say, that he had been right about the force being stronger than technology, but to do that would reveal to Sidious that another force user was alive and active in the galaxy. He wasn't sure he wanted to do that yet. It was not to his advantage, and his own advantage always came first.
"Master, one of the rebels was able to make a lucky shot into the reactor and it exploded. It was a fluke, that's all. It does not diminish the power of the Empire. This will not happen again."
"Again? It will take us years to reconstruct a new Death Star, though now that we know how it will not take as long as before. We will begin within days, I still retain the original plans. Lord Vader, why is it you were not aboard when it was struck? Did you flee in fear? You always held too much fear for your own good."
Vader was raging. His blood boiled hotter than it had since Mustafar. Inside his mask, his blue eyes turned to Sith yellow as they stared at the older Sith Lord with much hatred. Vader was glad that his face was covered by the mask so that the Emperor could not see the rage and contempt in his eyes and on his face.
"No, Master, I had left the space station in my custom Tie fighter with two wingmen to cover me. We had seen on the screens that several rebel fighters had broken off from the main group and were heading for the area where our Death Star was most vulnerable. I took it upon myself to lead the fighter squadron against the rebel attack. In doing so, I put my own safety at risk. I had destroyed many rebel fighters before that last one was able to get off his shot of unusual good fortune. I had him in my sights on my computer when..." he paused a second, trying to think if he wanted to tell the whole story to the Emperor or not. No, he did not. Another thought quickly came to him. He was using his targeting computer. The other pilot was using the force. That made the difference.

But he was not going to mention this, he would keep it to himself, but consider it and store the experience away for further reference. The Emperor noticed his gaze drift away to the window and could tell Vader was lost in thought. He shouted to him."Well?"
Vader snapped out of his daze and faced his master again. "I almost had him, but he shot a second before I did. Please accept my deepest apology for my failure." He lowered his head again.
"What a pitiful excuse for losing our prize possession! If you were not so important to me now that Tarkin and so many others are lost, I may just punish you greatly."
"Yes, my master." The words stuck hard in his throat. He was so tired of bowing down and kissing up to Sidious,but it did not serve him well to admit it now. His time would come. "I am sorry, my master. I did all I could. I will continue to do what I can to serve you and to speed up construction of a replacement space station."
Sidious managed a gnarled smile. "Perhaps I have been too harsh. I admire your attempt to stop the rebels, you did not have to risk yourself in air battle the way you did. If you had remained on board, you would also be lost. The force wants you to remain among the living, Lord Vader, I have searched my feelings and know this to be true."
Vader knew it too, but not for the same reasons Sidious was thinking. He had done well to conceal his thoughts from him, now he must continue or all would be lost.
As Vader was taking his leave, Sidious called out to him again. He turned around to face the Emperor. "Lord Vader, this event has been a crushing blow not only to our Empire, but to my health. I will be leaving here today for a few days at a spa back home on Naboo. In that time, make it clear that I am not to be disturbed, by anyone. I need to recuperate and use the force to help heal my physical form."
Vader was having a hard time controlling his thoughts, afraid Sidious would read them. 'Sick, is he? DIE you old bastard, and leave me free to rule the galaxy' No, he must perish that thought from his mind, it must not be sensed. The Emperor must have no doubt in his mind as to his loyalty to and approval of him. This is the way it must remain for now.
Sidious continued to speak: "Do not feel this a time of vacation and relaxation for you, Lord Vader. No, there is much work for you to do. I will leave it to you to oversee the gathering of information about this rebel attack, who was responsible, and how we can destroy them. I will expect a full report upon my return."
"Yes, my master." Vader did not regret this assignment, so he did not struggle to say the words this time. He would now be able to discover who this force sensitive person was, without interference from Sidious. Vader felt very pleased, and couldn't wait to get started.He followed Sidious to the spaceport and bid him farewell as he went on board. Vader stood and watched as the ship flew away. As soon as Sidious's spacecraft disappered through the heavy clouds above, Vader ran to begin his investigation.