Chapter 1: Obscure Encounters

Darth Vadar

Rage.

His head tossed back against the head rest in contemplation of his next moves. His room was dim and dark except for the mission hologram in front of him and the large window revealing the port of his master's ship slowly coming into view. To his side rested a machine slowly releasing pressure of its inner workings. It was moments like this where unwanted scenes crept between the spaces of silence to begin their torment. Painful memories decided to creep during his minute of rest and infiltrate his mind yet again. Rest and sleep were luxuries he no longer was afforded as the hate fueled him these days. He was plagued with thoughts of a previous life that lay in the balance of being forever destroyed and swallowed by the darkness. Suppression and meditation with the darkness was key yet, he was finding it difficult as of late to suppress everything that made him weak.

He breathed in heavily enjoying the renewed capacity of his fully functional lungs. He focused on filling them up with air and released slowly from between his lips. His yellow rimmed eyes opened to look down at the black helmet that embodied everything he stood for. He looked into the socket of the eyes where he saw his own malevolent reflection. A dark sinister expression sat permanently on his face and grew in intensity the second that he took in his own likeness. His short curly hair had managed to grow back along with the layers of skin that covered his body from the skin grafts, extraterrestrial treatments, and natural development he had undergone. His face resembled that of which it used to with scars that were a bit too deep to fully heal reminding him that he still had quite a distance to cover. Even know he sat in his chair outside of the abandoned oxygen chambers inhaling through a mask placed on his face feeding him clean filtered oxygen at different levels until his body could handle particles within the oxygen itself such as carbon dioxide and the minor pollutants that plagued the air outside of his confinements.

How he had fallen. His enemies had once brandished lightsabers and pointed lazar guns to his face in the heat of battle. They threatened to end his life and exact revenge before meeting him and facing his wrath which guaranteed death. Now he struck fear in the hearts and clouded the souls of his enemies with doubts. His eyes stared at the offending machine listening to its inner system churn. A snarl ripped from his throat at each pump of oxygen in orifice. He had been reduced to be held at the mercy of a natural element that supposed to be a survival necessity for his species. Ripping off the mask in fury he tossed it away watching the air filter into the room. Cords hung loosely at his side and vapor rose up through the room. A loud shrieking noise was heard from the disruption as he focused on cutting it off with his mind. It beeped once before it was silenced. He gripped the handles of the seat making an effort to focus on breathing normally without assistance.

Anger consumed him until he felt it leaking through his pores and settling over the flesh of all those that resided on his current vessel. He sneered at the thought that he had been summoned by his master for an impromptu meeting with details of a particular mission that needed his specific expertise. He wondered about the capabilities of the army the Emperor was building and questioned the intelligence literally every day of the overall group and operation. He found himself surrounded per diem by incompetence.

He began to see the truth behind the balance between good and evil for he may have gained the raw power and manipulation of the dark force but he also lost the intelligence of his peers finding that they were instead replaced by mindless beasts that operated more like young ducklings than seasoned warriors. Golden eyes flickered onto the screen where he mapped the entire region with notes of his enemies last sighted. His gloved fist hit hard on the banister with frustration at being in his particular predicament. He had far more important things to do than be in the presence of the weak. He needed to be out securing his position on the playing field and building his own army.

It was of no secret that his Emperor trusted him as much as he trusted Obi wan with a knife to shave his five-o-clock shadow. He found himself going on random missions and constantly being forced to prove himself loyal to the dark side. His hands were drenched in blood and his body swam in it on a daily. Soon the Emperor's life force would drip down his bare hands. The Emperor thought he was so clever to have additional resources should his first attempt at immortal legacy fail him. Should 'He' fail him, there were more Darths being prepared to handle his dirty work.

His chest rose heavily until it became painful and his lungs constricted choosing not to inhale the toxic air any longer. Dots appeared on his vision and the room began to spin. He clutched his seat harder trying not to be at the command of the weakness of his body begging for the pure oxygen to fill it once again. He inhaled repeatedly trying to take in air yet he coughed the poison out and his chest seemed to convulse. His body naturally reflexed for self-preservation to be rid of the impurities of the air into his barely healed lungs. Soon he began going into the ritual of a coughing fit. His body bent and rocked in his seat with his hand reaching back out towards the mask shakily. His fingers caught the straps of the mask and he pushed it onto his face forcefully. With his mind he released the oxygen machine and listened as it began to work. The white wisps of vapor filled his lungs once again. He inhaled deeply several times with distaste and a resurge of anger that could be felt throughout his ship and suffocated even his own heart. He still coughed yet slowly he felt his body find homeostasis but the peace that was supposed to come with it never came.

Silence once again raptured him. His eyes looked up on the hologram to see they were approaching his master's ship. His lips stayed in disdain for a while as he listened to the sounds of them landing in the hold. He looked towards the window he had getting the last view of space before he had to see an image he loathed more than anything in the world. His gloved fingers gripped the helmet in his lap tightly. He freed his mind of all thought and of all knowledge choosing to bury everything under layers and layers of abhorrence. The Emperor would be sure to try and peek but he will be met with darkness as always. With a firm grip he took off the oxygen and placed it back on the machine. He once again turned it off and proceeded to pick up his helmet. Very slowly he placed it on himself and secured the attachments and cut on the features of his heavy suit. Taking a stand he inhaled allowing the air to filter into his lungs. Clutching his fist he immediately shut down everything in his room. With a flick of his wrist the door parted and he marched out with the intentions of letting the sheep know that the wolf was inside the pin.

Kleio

The sound of a music wept in the confined space of steel walls and stale machined air circulating. It buzzed and broke through the love affair she was having with Beethoven and Ludwig. She could feel that very affair coming to an end with the approach of an oppressive force onto her mind. Moonlight Sonata she imagined was created as a parting gift from her visionary lovers as it already was filled with remorseful piano notes. The old hologram played in the background orchestrating her thoughts into very clear and concise order.

Her delicate fingers lifted gently and began to write down the occurrences that she had witnessed that morning. The ink bled onto the paper in a whimsical cursory that she perfected since she was a child and could be plagiarized by no one. Her hand steadied on the crisp thick paper and dragged her ink pen across the book's surface. Words easily shaped and synchronized with the sounds of the music's lament about a love lost. The sadness from the truth in her words poured into every blot that was absorbed and once again rang free.

Somewhere between the C-Sharp and the D minor her thoughts wondered and took a look at how she came to be. Her life growing up was one filled with art and the eloquences of those that like her in her home of Naboo. Her house was praised by many and filled with women and men of the arts that have dedicated themselves into preserving life in its most unbiased and purest form. With each new note stroked on the piano she descended further into her mind. Her contemplations fell into a madness that became toxic by the minute. She could feel its sickness soiling her heart and like a disease, it chipped at her conscious bit by bit.

She swallowed and looked to her right to glance outside of the window at the vastness of space. It stretched before her seemingly endless with very little hope of a bright shining star or celestial galaxies that poured hope and possibility into her spirit. Nothing but minor lackluster patrolling vessels sullied her view of the very beginnings of life. Ample amount of space for growth and positive resurgence was mutilated in less than hours by the Galactic Republic. Her violet eyes softened seeing one vessel in particular creep slowly into port. The vessel she knew held a being so lost yet held the fate of her own that day.

Choosing to not stray from the path of a muse, she lifted her pen and hovered over the page gently. She had grown much since her days as a simple youth basking in the glory of rhetoric, pastel paints, and lines of musical thoughts that danced with her and the other eight girls. Her hand no longer quivered in fright in the air or shook with uncertainty. Her hands followed the knowing path and dedicated her life as the purveyor of truth and history.

She had made this promise upon her coronation and even bore the golden seal of the owl pendant around her slender pale neck. Its symbol of truth and wisdom echoed throughout the entire empire of her importance not just to the Emperor but the universe. Under the new rule of the Galactic Republic, it was made very clear that there was absolutely no room for mistakes or foolery. Much to the ire of her and her peers, the arts had suffered immensely under this new regime. Gone from court were the Muses that specialized in various natures. Gone was the music in the public courtroom, the art seminars, and grand publishing's of poetry. According to the new regime under his esteemed Empower Palpatine, these things were frivolous. They served no greater purpose but to distract the people from the realities of the world. A hindrance he could not afford under the new construction of his empire. Yet, she found it very interesting that the great man himself found the time to indulge in the desires and sins of his flesh.

She thought she would die instantly when the news poured into her chateau on Naboo. All of her fellow sisters and artist fellows were warned of the advancing dangers that threatened to rip them apart. It wasn't long before her home was pillaged and she was taken prisoner for questioning regarding the royal family. One by one she watched as her sisters suffered and the light dimmed in their eyes. Every day, one of her sisters was lost to her as she sat in a room of darkness without sight yet seeing everything. It wasn't long before the news of her particular talents reached the ears of the Emperor.

She found herself unchained and made to walk on weak legs to the hold where her eyes saw the face of evil. Since then she had been transported to various locations including to the planet of Coruscant where before her eyes she watched the famed and illustrious Jedi temple crumble and burn into ash. That was of course after it had been excavated and the very few loyalists that decided to fight for their sanctuary were killed ruthlessly. Tears poured down her face as she was forced to document every second of pain and deadly act served by the Emperor and his army of demons. And of course the Emperor would look at her and watch to make sure every detail about the moment was forever immortalized into the newly created Chronicles of the Palpatine Regime.

She once thought that evil had no use for the truth believing to be such a beautiful entity to be only embodied by the good. She had sense grown up from such fantasy laden beliefs. Even the dark side valued the truth especially when they needed a path to follow so that they do not become consumed by their lies that they feed to others. And so she would sit among people, watching events, and activities of the Emperor and record all that she had seen and all that she knew to be the truth.

Her violet eyes flicked to the hallway where she could feel the presence of a visitor was approaching. She knew her time to meet the one known to have no soul was imminent. Gently she placed her pen down and began the procedure to clean her instrument. She stood and walked over to the hologram. The music was almost done and she waited patiently for her love to finish his confession. He struck the final note and very gently she shut off the console. Taking her pen, she laid it lightly down on a plate for later cleansing before reaching over in a wooden case and getting a new one. She quickly prepared it for use and placed it securely in the wooden case she had received from her house mother.

Her feet carried her to her writing table where she the case down. She very quickly closed the book she had been writing in and rubbed its spine lovingly. She tapped it with her finger and watched it shine white before fading. Opening the book she smiled noting that the ink had vanished from sight. With a gentle sigh, she moved towards the bookcase where she placed the notebook among the archives of her work. She looked at the many volumes and chronicles of various occasions and she frowned noting its notably smaller size compared to the original predecessor in her home on Naboo. Her hand ran through her long ombre purple, black, and blue hair shaking it gently. Her eyes trailed over the white comforter on her bed and the white walls that surrounded her. If not for the giant wall with the view of space she was sure she would die of starvation of the worst kind. Her magenta eyes landed on her long white writing desk that sat a few inches off the white carpet. She moved over to the desk and placed her pen down next to the book she would take with her.

Her body was wrapped in a soft blue cotton wrap dress. A far difference from the violent red and burgundy tunics and cargo pants pushed upon her since she was employed. Today, she felt a bit…curious. An odd sensation it was to feel something besides pain, fear, and above all nothing. It was safer she had learned to feel nothing. Nothing allowed the darkness to slip in and become consumed by hatred and rage. She tapped her chin wallowing in the sensation of interest a bit more before focusing on quieting her mind, heart, and spirit. The sensation of chance swelled in her throat at the summon on the way to notify her of her presence required in the receiving room. She stood with her things in her hands ready to step forward before an oppressive aura pushed on her soul with such might she nearly buckled. Gripping the wall with fright she stood shakily gathering her will to not be overcome. A silent prayer went up to the heavens accompanied by a cleansing breath. She refused to be manipulated or made to bend to the will of others especially the darkness. And that stood for the being that hid his face shuffling away from the truth that is.

She opened the door before the arrival of her transport slightly shocking him a bit. Her intense soul gazing violet eyes looked up at him and she nodded in understanding. "We shall not delay in meeting."

Her feet carried her silently down the steel cold halls of the ship towards her Master's receiving chambers. Her items were clutched into her hands tightly while trying to concentrate on containing the contents of her stomach from spilling. The dark force felt stronger with each step she took towards her destination. Men ran pass her while a few robots could be seen delivering small parcels to different rooms. Things beeped around her and the sounds of doors opening and closing could be heard. She focused on her own breathing trying very hard not to let the dark spirits put her into a fearful state. Her mind needed to be clear and her heart hardened for she knew not what horrors she would document this day.

She soon found herself to be alone and in front of two doors that had become to only constant in her life. With the sound of pressure releasing, the doors opened and she entered the large room silently. This room was filled with a chill and menacing aura that soaked even into the small fibers of the seating inside. A large black chair sat in front of a grand window overlooking the vast plains of space. A black holographic technologic table sat in the center surrounded by smaller black chairs. A large bookshelf lined the steel dark wall on the right side adjacent to a small black table with a water glass and pitcher. A rather odd sound was coming from her right upon entry. Very quickly she bowed to the Emperor with respect holding his new chronicle to her chest protectively. "Ah rise, great muse. You are just in time." The emperor spoke with a much noted raspy voice. Gone was the familiar human facial shapes from the old days of council. Now sat the harsh lines and mutated bone structure of man consumed by the darkness until the very atoms of his body bled black.

She did as she was told and lifted gracefully from the ground. Her eyes trailed daringly up to look at the Emperor who held out his hand for her to take. Very lightly, she placed her own pale hand into his and was brought over to stand in front of the devil's advocate.

'So this is the man that strike fear in the hearts of many. The man that has fallen so lowly it is said that even angels can't save him.'

Her eyes took in the black façade that she had seen rarely for she wasn't allowed to document their more private conversations between the master and protégé. The tight breathable material covering his muscles was blocked by the large breathing apparatus and the armor covering sections of his body. A long black cape covered him clearly stating exactly where he saw himself among the regime. Her form bowed lowly to him silently before standing back up straight stiffly. She stood with her head bowed to both men before moving to her work station in the corner. Her body functioned on autopilot setting down her tools and getting her body situated to begin recording the conversation and events taken place.

"You bring a woman?" He questioned breathing heavily through the technology that supported his lungs. He watched her open a large book and prep her writing utensil in ink before beginning to stroke lightly among the pages.

"Ah." The Emperor stated holding his finger up. "You cannot tell me you do not remember the famed women of the arts on Naboo?" He strolled over to the young woman with the hair of a newly formed universe bursting of blues, blacks, and purples. Her purple eyes simply stared almost lifelessly up at him while holding her palm elegantly in the air above the ink pot.

"This woman is-was…" He paused to look at her with a sick smile. "One of the famed nine muses of the great Temple of Mnemosyne in Naboo." He spoke clutching her shoulders tightly. The rough coldness of his soul flowed to his fingers and sunk into her skin. It took everything within her not to shiver violently and revolt. "Hand chosen by the cosmos to possess a most unique ability and thus named after her ancient predecessor. This is Kleio, official scribe to the empire." He stated showing off the many books lining rows and rows on the shelf towards the wall adjacent to them.

The woman simply bowed her head again out of acknowledgement showing no signs of pride, disgust, fear, or anything. Her aura confounded him in a sense. She was in the presence of a man who shrouded himself daily in darkness to the point that his very soul was owed to it. However, her being was simply neutral neither dark nor light. Her pale skin shined eerily iridescent underneath the glow of the lights in the room. Her powder blue dress added to her ethereal look, an odd choice seeing how every dressed to show power or place within the empire. She simply wrote again in the book and placed her utensil in the ink pot. "I am Kleio, daughter of the arts and proclaimer of history." She spoke monotonously. "Today marks the first day of the new chronicle of the great Darth Vader, I presume?" She asked looking towards her master with affirmation.

"Indeed." He spoke clasping his hands in front of him before moving to take a seat across from the two. "I have had her record every fine detail of the building of this fine Empire. She is better than any hologram messenger ever could be. I will leave nothing unturned or unrecorded. And this includes you Darth Vader. I have had the journey and history of every member of my council and army recorded along these shelves since her admission into my services. You see she has fine taste in music, poetry, painting, and even botanic gardening but she holds a far prestigious gift that even I couldn't have destroyed." He spoke crossing his fingers before him to stare at the young maiden with a calculating glower. "You see she has the ability of hindsight, meaning she can see into the past and she records it as it. The record is untainted and truthful as is witnessed." He smiled sinfully to look at Darth Vader. "And to make this gem shine even brighter, she cannot record a lie." He laughed genuinely enamored by her peculiar talent.

Kleio sat as still as stone listening to him seemingly gloat about how one step further the entire empire was simply because it now had the ability to know everything that was happening among his people. She listened and noticed he failed to mention a few important facts regarding the limitations of her powers. She knew it was intentional for the Emperor was a very calculating and clever man despite his dark outlook on the world and proper order of things. It was in moments like this she felt shame. Shame, for her existence and life that was enhancing the dark forces control. She very swiftly wrote the date in the corner and returned to making small notes on the bottom of the page waiting for when she would be asked to begin recording. She felt the shill of the dark gaze upon her giving her approval to write and away her fingers went.

"I have your new assignment, my most loyal subject to the darkness. You are to take Kleio with you where she will record your triumphs and sacrifices for the Empire. I would have you stay here and for her to write it however, we are pressed for time and resources these days." He stated darkly. "Nonetheless, this shall pass. You are to complete your missions and return to Kleio every so often for a recording of your activity." He noted looking at the fresh line of chronicles on the bottom of the shelf. His face turned to her with a creepy smile before adding. "And you Madame. You are to report to me monthly of your notes. And this will also serve as your reward for greatly serving your empire." He stated as if bestowing a great luxury to her.

She smiled tightly although it lacked excitement and luster. "I'm truly honored and I will serve well." She robotically spoke.

He nodded and waved his hand at her. "Good. Pack your things, you leave now."

She carefully put away her ink pot and pen in its fine casing. She grabbed the book and closed it tightly before standing. She glided towards the doors and bowed to them both before making her way out of the room and into the hallway. Both men watched the doors close before one of them spoke.

"And do make sure nothing unfortunate happens to one of my most prized possessions. There will be…dire consequences." He spoke eyeing the young man warningly. His eyes practically glowing among the darkness of the room.

Darth Vader bowed before turning to leave the chamber. His hard feet beat against the steel of the ground. It took everything he could to control his raging temper and anger these days. Constantly, he felt as if he was being tested. Little by little he could feel the thread of his patience break piece by piece. The doors closed behind him and men stood attentive alongside the walls guarding the Emperor. His fist clutched tightly at the extra unwanted responsibility added to his plate. In addition to all the other nonsense in his life, he just had to be burdened with that of a woman. A woman that was all-seeing of his wicked feats. He smirked underneath the heavy weight of his mask at the thought. He would give the little twit then everything she wanted to know. And surely, the darkness behind his actions will be so great that even she will be corrupted simply from recording it.