A Master's Longing

A.N: Timeline setting: Takes place before Vader heads to Malachor in 'The Former Apprentices

The report from the Fifth Brother caught his eye instantly. The Jedi of Phoenix Squadron had been encountered yet again, this time accompanied by Maul of all people. The three Inquisitor's present didn't stand a chance, he knew that.

But that wasn't he focus right now. Rather, another part of the report was.

She was on Malachor. His apprentice.

'She's not your apprentice, she is Skywalker's you fool!'

Darth Vader shook the line of thinking from his mind, expelling his darker tendency as he focused on the facts. Since he had encountered her aboard the rebel ships, Vader had been tracking her, using every resource he had to try and find her, to isolate her.

To bring her back to him, where she belonged.

'She betrayed you! She left you.'

Vader felt his own thoughts turn on him again, before her promptly reigned them back in.

"Shut up!" He spoke aloud, his now cybernetic hands coming to cradle his head in agony.

The very thought of Ahsoka Tano being alive confused him, yet at the same time filled him with a sense of longing, one that he should not have as a Lord of the Sith.

As Darth Vader, he should have wanted to destroy her, as he did the rest. Obi-Wan had betrayed him, mutilated him, and left him for dead. Padme too had betrayed him, siding with Kenobi.

But Ahsoka? What had she done that was so terrible to him? Sure, she had left him, but even now he understood why she had done so. He may have been upset at the time, but he understood, and in a way he admired her for it.

As far as he was concerned, she hadn't betrayed him like the rest. And now she was simply lost, looking for her own path.

Vader knew what she needed. She needed her old master by her side once more. She needed the comfort and the bond that would bring. Together, he would help her find herself, just as Sidious had helped him.

'She is a Jedi!'

"No she isn't!" Vader boomed in response to his own thoughts again. He fought an internal war, which was evident. One part of him wanted to destroy the Togruta, the other, bring her back to him.

And whilst he still had control of his body, Darth Vader would not let anybody some much as harm his apprentice.

His apprentice. That was what she was. His alone.

"Mine" He whispered once.

"Mine!" He said again, louder this time.

Standing from his seat, Vader moved to approach a desk he kept in his private quarters in his fortress on Mustafar.

Glancing down at the desk, his eyes were drawn to a small trophy like case, containing the lightsabers of various individuals he had killed.

But right now, those were not his concern. Shifting his gaze again, his eyes came to rest onto a podium, one that he had constructed himself to house a familiar set of cylindrical hilts.

He had found them of Mandalore, buried in a grave that bared the markings of his old clone captain. He had gone to see, gone to confirm what he hoped was untrue. Surely, she would have survived. The reports had to be wrong. She couldn't be dead!

And when he had found the grave, he knew. She had escaped, somehow. And no doubt she was in hiding.

He could have searched for her then, told Sidious of his assumption that she might still live.

Instead, he had kept it as a secret, swearing that when the day came that she re-emerged, as he knew she would, he would find her first, and bring her back to him.

"Mine!"

Reaching his hand out, Vader clasped the hilt of Ahsoka's lightsaber gently, lifting it up to inspect it.

It was strange touching it now. He had kept it for so long, hoping one day to reunite it with its owner.

Delving into the force, Vader sought out the signature of the kyber crystal within. It radiated dark energy now, as opposed to the song of the light it had sung before. When she had re-emerged from the shadows, he had taken it upon himself to corrupt the crystals within the hilts, bleeding them in preparation for her return to his side.

After all, he was only looking after his apprentice, helping her along, as he had done in the past.

"Mine!"

His hand continued to ghost along the hilt of the saber, before he gently pressed and held down the ignition switch, igniting the saber before him. A brilliant red beam of energy erupted from the tip, casting its glow around his private quarters.

Vader may not have been able to see anything in a shade other than red, courtesy of his helmet, but it was still a most beautiful sight to him. He imagined what his apprentice would look like, blade in her hand, the burning red contrasting against the scorching orange of her skin.

Swinging the blade gently from left to right, Vader allowed himself the enjoy the sounds the blade made as it moved through the air, the distortion of space around him being ionised by the swings, creating a low pitched whine.

Extinguishing the saber, he turned the hilt over in his hand once, before gently placing it back down on the stand he had built for it, next to her shoto.

Taking a step away from the trophies he had, Vader glanced down at the report once again.

She was on Malachor, and he was going to find her, and bring her back to him.

"Mine!"

'She is not yours, she is Skywalker's! You are not Skywalker!'

"MINE!" Vader repeated, bellowing it out aloud to no one but himself and his own mind.

His thoughts turned to an expedition he had once. It had merely been a matter of convenience that he had ended up on Shili hunting a traitor to the empire, but upon arrival, he had discovered a small village of Togruta in a valley surrounded by trees.

He had stood upon a hilltop, far enough away as to not be seen, but close enough that he was able to view everything. He had watched as the Togruta had interacted with one another, watched as the younglings had played with one another, enjoying the simplicity of their life.

Normally, he would never have been as compassionate as the watch such a simple event, but as he had he couldn't help but think of his Togruta. His Ahsoka.

His apprentice.

She had been taken from this life by the Jedi, and forced into servitude, much like he had been taken from his mother. Vader had wondered if she even remembered her parents. Maybe he could find them for her, reunite them.

"No, she is mine alone." Vader had reminded himself at that moment. "Only I can protect her now."

He had abandoned his observation shortly afterwards, heading off to deal with an imperial traitor.

But that hadn't stopped him thinking about her all the way.

And now, back in his private quarters, he couldn't help but think again. Was she taller now? Did she have longer lekku? How skilled was she with her lightsaber? Had she mastered the duel blade technique that he never could? Would she still call him 'Skyguy'? Would he still call her 'Snips'?

All the questions shot through his head. He should never have been so fixated on her. She was a remnant of her past that she should forget.

But she was also his apprentice. His alone.

Vader's comm link then sprung to life.

"My Lord, your fighter is prepped, as per your instructions."

The voice of one of his servants broke his train of thought, and Vader snapped back to reality.

It was time to go to Malachor.

"Excellent work, I will be there momentarily." Vader replied, before cutting the channel.

Glancing back over to where he stored her lightsabers on their own separate pedestal, Vader allowed himself to smile beneath his mask, a rare feat these days. To be honest, he couldn't remember the last time he had ever smiled. Probably when Padme was still alive.

"I coming Ahsoka. You won't be alone for much longer."

And with that, Vader pivoted on his heel and exited his quarters, bound for his ship.

Bound for Malachor.

Bound for his apprentice.

"Mine!"

Author's thoughts

So, creepy Vader much?

I have said numerous times that I don't agree with how Filoni and the team picture Ahsoka and Vader's relationship. As far as I am concerned he has no reason to hate her. In fact he has more reason to hate Padme after ROTS that Ahsoka. Unlike both Obi-Wan and Padme, Anakin's last conversation with Ahsoka was entirely positive, at least so we have been told by Filoni. If it had been an arguement or something, then maybe he would have reason to hate her.

And thus this one shot was born. I have always felt that in regards to Ahsoka, Vader should have an obsessive possessive feeling about her, desperately wanting her back by his side, which is something I tried to portray here with Vader being extra creepy, without it coming across as some sort of dark infatuation with her. (unless you want to think that of course, in that case, more power to you)

Hopefully this one shot is successful in getting across what I wanted, even if it is a little dark. Poor Vader just wants his 'Snips' back. And those that have read my AU knows how that went. :'(

Anyway, next one shot will be fluffy, I promise.

As normal, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:

Travis Middleton: Glad you liked the first one shot. Showing how Maul has changed and contrasting it to how he once was was great fun. In this AU he owes a lot to Ahsoka, but he can't be dependant on her forever, as he figures out in the one shot.
Hope you like the insight of Vader.

Mysterious Guest: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the one shot. Maul and Yoda talking was great fun to write. Poor Maul having to deal with Yoda of all people. Yoda was no doubt having great fun.

Chiara Polairix Edelstein: I'm glad you enjoyed the first one shot, as well as the ideas I have revealed so far. The Kallus one will be fun when I get round to it.
You don't need to ask my permission to write your own one shot within my AU if you want to. Go right ahead. My only real rules would be no splitting up established pairings (Kanan and Hera, Ahsoka and Kaeden) and no character death, unless it is an OC of your own.