DISCLAIMER: I do not own Star Wars or any of its associated characters, worlds, or races. I am making no money from this work, nor do I claim ownership of anything other than the story. This work is purely for enjoyment. So, enjoy!

SPOILER ALERT! This takes elements from all 6 movies. Be forewarned if you have yet to see Revenge of the Sith

Categories: Action/Adventure/Sci-fi/Angst

Primary Characters:

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Luke Skywalker/Dark! Luke

Princess Leia

Han Solo

The Souls of Demons

By Pyxelle

Chapter 3

"Emperor Palpatine." General Torren said through the holographic communication device. Even through the electronic reproduction, his face was tight with fear. "I…I regret to inform you that we have lost contact with Lord Vader's shuttle."

"What?" the Emperor hissed.

"Was he attacked?" Darth Eivel asked beside the wizened emperor. His voice was sharp.

"There was no evidence of an attack, Lord Eivel. But we have had no contact with him for over forty-eight hours now, and scans of the system show no sign of his shuttle." The General hesitated. "He insisted on going to the surface alone, your Highness. It is possible that he was captured."

"Lord Vader would not allow himself to be captured, General," the Emperor snapped. "Continue your search. I will check on your progress later…personally."

The hologram flickered and died. Eivel shook his head. "I sense something is amiss, Master. I can't feel Lord Vader at all. Even his death should have caused a ripple in the Force – but it's as if he's disappeared. I can't explain it."

"I agree, Lord Eivel." The Emperor regarded him with eyes that blazed red from the power of the Dark Side. "The time has come for you to prove your skills, my young apprentice. You must seek out Lord Vader and return with him. I must know the truth of this."

Lord Eivel bowed deeply, a tight, satisfied smile on his face. "I am ready, my Master. I will not fail you."

OoooOoooO

"I can't believe it," Anakin whispered, flexing his fingers in awe. It was the first time he had felt the sensation of air against his palm in over two decades. "It's incredible."

"Thank you, Master Skywalker," the Jenuiite medic bowed its opalescent head deeply. "We are most pleased you are satisfied with the results."

Anakin looked up at the medic from the medical bed he was still lying on. "How long was I under?"

"Three months."

Anakin stared at the medic incredulously. Had he really been at the Jenuiite Genetic Center for that long? It couldn't be possible! "Were there complications?"

"Not exactly," the Jenuiite continued. "The damage to your body was extensive, Master Skywalker, and even the organic systems that still had partial functionality were dependent upon cybernetics. If I do say so myself, we have never faced such a challenge in genetic reconstruction."

"Three months." Anakin's voice was soft. "I've lost another three months of my life…"

"We did warn you about the risks, remember, and that included an unpredictable recovery time."

"Yes, you did warn me…and I have not forgotten any of the risks." That was true enough. There was a reason hyper-accelerated genetic reconstruction was illegal. Too many things could go horribly wrong. Even the Emperor had deemed it too dangerous to be available to the public. "Speaking of…" he didn't really want to ask. "How did the post-procedure tests come out?"

"We are very happy to tell you that we found no genetic abnormalities caused by the reconstruction process, major or minor. Neural tissue is stable. We found no inconsistencies in the brain scan taken after the procedure from the one before." The Jenuiite shook his head slowly. "Quite frankly, I was amazed. The odds of having such a complete success in a case like yours, where not only did we have to recreate almost sixty percent of your cells but also had to do it from tissue twenty years after the damage occurred…well, they're literally astronomical."

Anakin took a deep breath in relief…and surprised himself by releasing it in a laugh. He had not felt this free in years. Goosebumps tickled his skin, another sensation nearly forgotten. "A mirror," he asked suddenly, pushing himself up so he was sitting. The goosebumps traveled along his skin to prickle his back. It was a wonderful feeling. "Do you have one?"

The Jenuiite smiled indulgently at him. "Yes, of course." He waved one graceful chalk-white hand. "It is right behind you."

Anakin turned around, and his breath caught in his throat. His heartbeat, an alien sensation in body that had not relied on a human heart for far too long, pounded loudly in his ears. "In the name of…"

The image that stared back at him seemed to be the figure of a ghost. Blue eyes stared back at him, wide with awe, staring out from beneath a fall of soft brown waves. Anakin traced the lines of his face, the skin smooth and unscarred. He looked no older than Luke was. He was the very image of himself as he was before that fateful day he had pledged himself to the Emperor.

"How…?"

"During the regeneration cycle, the Reconstructor analyzes the DNA structure and recreates the cells exactly as they were in the prime of the subject's life – for a human, we aim for approximately twenty-three Galactic Standard years. It is a risky procedure, as you know, and can only be performed once…perhaps twice in the life of an individual." The Jenuitte tilted his head. "It would not have made sense to artificially age the cells to your true age."

Anakin couldn't drag his eyes away from the phantom in the mirror. "Why not?"

"Organic tissue is not replicable indefinitely, Master Skywalker, not even at the micro-cellular level. To artificially age the cells would shorten the lifespan of the subject significantly. No one can cheat death, after all."

A wry smile touched Anakin's lips. "No," he said, remembering that in his arrogance that was exactly what he had thought he could do. "I suppose not."

"Your new ship has also been prepared per your request, Master Skywalker," the Jenuitte said. "You can leave at any time. And of course, per Center policy, all records will be destroyed once you leave, though I would recommend at least a week's stay. It will take time for you to become accustomed to your new body."

"No." Anakin shook his head firmly, finally tearing his gaze away from the mirror. "I've wasted far too much time already."

"Very well, Master Skywalker." The Jenuitte bowed and walked out, which left the soft sound of Anakin's breathing as the only noise left in the room. He closed his eyes, enjoying the simple act of breathing, the gentle sound so different from the heavy gasps of his respirator.

I'm human again, Anakin thought, a fierce joy seizing him. Obi-Wan, thank you.

It had been his old master who had led him here. He hadn't said as much, but Anakin believed he was not just trying to save his old apprentice from the Dark side, but he was also trying to atone for his own actions on Mustafar. There wasn't a response, but Anakin hadn't really expected one. Thank you.

Anakin swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Every action seemed so strange to him, so unreal, and yet so familiar. He couldn't help the elation he felt. He was human again! He leapt from the table – and promptly fell to the ground as his legs collapsed under him.

"He wasn't kidding about this body," he said aloud as he struggled to his feet. Anakin's limbs felt alien to him, as if they belonged to someone else. He stood shakily for a moment, a wide smile on his face. He didn't just look young, he felt young, as if the last two decades had been a terrible nightmare that he had only just now awoken from. Anakin took one step forward, and then another. His body was starting to respond to him, and he reminded himself that it was his body, recreated from the genetic memories residing in his cells. He turned slowly.

A wave of dizziness threatened him, and without thinking he reached out to the Force to steady himself. He had barely touched it when he drew his mind back with a snap.

The Dark Side beckoned, seductively whispering it's siren song in his mind. Anakin wasn't ready for that yet. He would have to face it, he knew, if his plans were to succeed…but not just yet.

It would take time for him to relearn the control of the Jedi…and to resist the dark passions of the Sith.

But he had no time to waste here. Anakin waited for the dizzy spell to pass, and when he felt he could safely move without being in danger of falling, took to his feet again. He needed to get to his ship.

Anakin knew he had to hurry. He had to find the location of the Rebel base…and Leia…before Darth Eivel or the Emperor did.

Everything depended on it.

OoooOoooO

"There is no evidence of Darth Vader, Lord Eivel," Captain Vesra said quietly. "We tracked his homing beacon here, but it seems that the shuttle had been scrapped for parts some time ago. There was not even enough to determine if Lord Vader had still been on that ship."

"And the salvage crews?"

"They claim no knowledge of where the shuttle came from – but that is not surprising. These types of deep-space riff-raff seldom tell the truth about anything."

Eivel smiled thinly. "Perhaps they would be more forthcoming if I spoke with them in person," he said softly. "Captain, I-"

The sudden touch on the tapestry of the Force was light, so light that Darth Eivel almost missed it. Only his extensive training over the past year allowed his finely attuned senses to catch it. The slight brush on his mind caused him to shoot from his seat in an instant. The Captain's eyes widened in fear as Eivel opened himself to the Dark Side of the Force, breathing it in, focusing the anger and frustration he had felt these past few months into a tight beam of power.

"Lord Eivel?" The Captain's voice was tremulous.

"Captain!" Eivel snapped his eyes towards the starship Captain, a cold satisfaction filling him at the fear in the Captain's eyes. He had found that the merest hint of the Dark side allowed to show in his eyes was usually enough to control his officers. He very rarely had to discipline any of them, and that was how he liked it. Over the past year his officers had come to learn that the worry that they had felt due to Darth Vader's angry habit of disposing of poor command material – permanently – was something that they didn't have to be concerned about with Darth Eivel. He had been a compassionate man before his training, after all, and he didn't see the point in wasting talent. "Repeat your scans. Has anything changed?"

The captain did so with hurried fingers. Numbers scrolled past in a whizzing blur.

"No, my lord."

"You're certain?"

"Yes."
Eivel paced for a moment, his hands clasped behind his back. He had felt it, he knew. Vader's touch on the Force was distinctive, and even for that brief moment he was certain he had felt his father – although, there was something different about it that he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Captain, bring up the star charts of this region. Holographic display."

Planets and stars exploded around him as the holographic display burst into life. Eivel walked among them, his path seeming almost aimless, the illusion heightened by the fact that he had closed his eyes before he had even begun to move. "Father. Show yourself to me," he said softly, his voice nearly imperceptible. "Father, I'm searching for you. Help me."

There was no response. Eivel let his mind travel along the Force to where the brief disturbance had momentarily flowered. His hand traced along a holographic planet as his mind focused deeper and deeper into the Force.

"Here," he said abruptly, his eyes snapping open. "What is the name of this system?"

Captain Vesra swiftly checked his star charts. "That would be the Jenuitte system, Lord Eivel. An unaffiliated planet."

"Unaffiliated?"

"They have no Imperial Presence to speak of, though they are registered in the Imperial Database, and our latest intelligence shows no indication of a Rebel presence, either. The Jenuitte focus on genetic research, my lord."

"Genetic research?" Eivel frowned. "What sort of research?"

"Varying. Mostly minor cosmetic procedures." Captain Vesra coughed and looked at Eivel in some embarrassment. "It's a sort of 'beauty spa,' Lord Eivel. Many of the wealthier Outer Rim inhabitants go there to, ah, try and restore their youth."

Why would Father go there?

"Set a course for the Jenuitte system, Captain," Eivel ordered. "Estimated time of arrival?"

"Two days, my lord."

Two days too long. "I want to be there in thirty six-hours at the latest, Captain," Eivel said in his customary quiet voice. "Do I make myself clear?"

Captain Vesra nodded briskly. "Perfectly, my lord."

Eivel ignored the orders his officer began issuing as he walked away from the Captain. None of this made any sense. He had been searching for months, and now, at a strange planet at the very edges of the Outer Rim he was sure he had sensed his father, however briefly, before Vader's mind was pulled from the entwinement of the Force.

What was happening here? Had his father been captured by the Rebels? Eivel couldn't believe that they would have left him alive. He was simply too dangerous. But nothing else came even close to making any sense.

And there was the strange resonance he had felt…he was certain it was Vader, but the sensations hadn't felt right. But the contact had been too fleeting to know just what it was that had confused Eivel so thoroughly.

"Lord Eivel?"

Eivel was ripped from his thoughts by the voice of the Captain. He turned slowly, "Yes, Captain Vesra?"

Vesra's eyes darted back and forth. "I just wanted to know what you wanted to do regarding the information we received about Princess Leia. The coordinates of her location were transmitted this morning. Shall I forward them to your quarters?"

"That would be fine, Captain." Eivel gifted the Captain with a rare smile, and the officer visibly relaxed. Eivel's officers might know that their lives were secure as long as they were competent…but that didn't make the times when he did have to discipline them any easier on them. He had once been a compassionate man, true, but he was also now a Sith Lord.

And while Vader had a reputation for killing his officers, Eivel had developed one for keeping his alive…even when they might have preferred otherwise.

Eivel left the command deck to go to the peace and security of his quarters. He ignored the Stormtroopers that walked the corridors. The times when he had fought them in the Rebellion seemed vague and distant now, though he could remember it with crystal clarity.

I have a responsibility. Being my father's son forces me to accept that responsibility. A society this large must have order, it must have control to keep it from destroying itself. The Rebels were idealistic, and hopeful, but naïve. They couldn't see how they were plummeting the galaxy to a certain endless age of civil war.

Darth Eivel saw it now. And as he had learned to control the Dark Side, he had found that the balance he had once hoped to achieve was insignificant. What was important was that the Empire would survive, and that the people could rest secure in the knowledge that they wouldn't be destined to wallow in centuries of bloodshed. Tight control was needed for that, Eivel knew, though it had been difficult for him to accept at first. He had come to learn the one great truth that the Jedi could never have understood – that with extreme power comes responsibility greater than that of mere mortal men – and to do that responsibility justice, one could not afford the luxury of morals. The galaxy needed guidance, not platitudes, and the immense power afforded by his abilities forced Darth Eivel to assist the Emperor in that guidance.

His father had taught him that.

Father, I will find you. Eivel sent the thought into the nether realms as he entered his quarters and sat on a low cushion. He harbored a great deal of anger for his father, and felt a strange hatred towards him for revealing these truths that Eivel would have been happier not knowing…but he also had a bond with him that he couldn't deny. He would do everything he could to bring Darth Vader back to him.

Father!

OoooOoooO

It took all of Anakin's willpower not to call out to Luke in return. He closed his eyes as his son's voice danced across his mind, the familiar cold burn teasing the edges of his consciousness.

"I'm sorry, Luke," he whispered into the emptiness of the cockpit. Anakin tried to push his son's entreaties to the farthest regions of his mind, focusing instead on piloting the small, light ship the Jenuitte had procured for him. It was intoxicating to once again be flying under the power of his own body, with no cold machinery or lifeless synthetics to interfere.

He didn't really know where he was going, or exactly how he was going to find Leia. He only felt that time was of the utmost urgency, and that however much he wanted to see his son he had to resist. He couldn't face the Sith right now. Anakin knew he didn't have the control, or the strength…Luke would destroy him.

Father, I will find you.

Anakin physically shook his head trying to rid himself of Luke's voice. There wasn't time for him to be so distracted now.

Father!

"A Jedi must be in control of his emotions, or they will control him," Anakin recited softly into the cockpit. "He must let the Force flow within him. Fear, anger, aggression - these lead to the Dark Side. Do not submit to fear. Be at peace with the Living Force."

Repeating those mantras taught to him at a very young age calmed Anakin somewhat. He could still feel the raw power of his son's mind searching the tapestry of the Force, but the serenity even these simple child's exercises brought him helped him to ignore it. For the first time since Anakin had initially felt Luke brush his mind, he felt he could endure it.

Father, I've found Leia. I'm going to bring her back to me, back to us. We need you. Please, respond. Leia and I need you.

Anakin's grip on the controls slipped. Luke had found Leia? But Anakin hadn't even had the chance to look yet! It wasn't fair! How was he to save his children when he had nothing and no one to help him?

It was an impossible task that Obi-Wan had given him. One lone man, however powerful in the Force, couldn't defeat the Emperor, and after being under the control of Palpatine for so very long it was unthinkable that Anakin, of all people, could manage it. He was placing Luke in danger by the very thought of rebellion. Surely his former Master did not want Luke in such jeopardy. The Emperor could very well decide that any of the Skywalker line could destroy him, and eliminate the threat completely – by ensuring the deaths of both Luke and Leia.

Fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…and hate leads to the Dark Side.

"I can't do it, Master Yoda!" Anakin shouted to the phantom voice in his head. Obi-Wan was asking far too much of him, as he always had, and the frustration he had felt so often in his youth filled him. "I can't risk Luke and Leia's lives!"

Is not their lives that are in danger, Yoda whispered in his mind. Their souls, in peril are they.

"I can't let them die!" Anakin screamed into the empty cockpit. He wished that he had never seen the phantoms in the house on Naboo. "How can I honor my vow if it will mean their lives?"

Remember Padme, my brother. Obi-Wan's presence washed over Anakin. Remember the anguish in her eyes when you broke her heart. Imagine how much more sorrow she would feel to know that her two beloved children had fallen into darkness. Imagine her pain at their damnation by your hand.

Flashes of that terrible day flickered in the screen of his mind, of Padme's tear-stricken face and his own towering anger as he had used his power to destroy the very one he had sworn to save. Her pleading that had fell upon his deaf ears then was all he could hear now. Leave all this behind while we still can!

Anakin's resolve steeled. Obi-Wan was right, damn him. Padme would not have wanted him to save their children's lives at the cost of their souls, however painful that would be. She had always done her duty, had always stayed true to her ideals. "I will not falter, Master." He said quietly, his frustration fading like a bad memory. His fear was still great, as was his anger at himself for creating this ungodly situation, but he would not allow it to control him again. He would be strong.

For Padme. For the children that were all that was left of her.

"Arfive," Anakin said. "Are there any Imperial cruisers in the vicinity?"

The R5 unit whirled and beeped. A readout popped up on his screen.

An Imperial cruiser was within two days' journey. Course projections indicated that they were heading to the Jenuitte system.

"He found me," Anakin said aloud, not being able to stop the fierce pride he felt at Luke's ability. "One small brush with the Force and he found me."

Anakin flipped the navigational display on. "All right, Arfive. Set a course back to the Jenuitte system…but only to the outer planets. We'll find a moon to stay on when we get there."

The droid bleeped disapproval. "Yes, I know that they can't support life," Anakin explained patiently. "I'm not planning on building a summer home there, Arfive. I just need a place to hide until the Imperial cruiser passes into the inhabited zones."

Anakin couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him at the electronic scolding that comment prompted. Astro-droids could be so touchy. "Yes, I am planning on boarding that cruiser. There's information on it that I need. But I don't want to risk running into Luke, Arfive, any more than you want to tangle with a battle droid."

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "He'll go down to the planet personally to search for me, I feel it. Nothing less would satisfy him after he felt my mind on his. I'll board while he's occupied on the surface, get what I need, and be out of there before anyone –even Luke – knows I was there."

The R5 unit called a low noise of displeasure followed by a sharp series of beeps. Anakin laughed again, a bittersweet sound.

"Yes, Arfive," he said, the ghost of his smile still hovering on his lips. "I have been called arrogant before."

Beep!

"Such language!" Anakin said sharply. "I have to go, Arfive. I need to find Leia before Luke does, and the only way I can do it is by getting those coordinates off his ship. Otherwise I'll never find her in time." The smile faded completely. "I wish there was some other way, but I can't risk it. I have to get to Leia before Luke does."

Anakin felt strongly that without Leia, he would never be able to draw Luke back from the Dark side. If Luke or the Emperor found her first, if they succeeded in turning her to the Dark side, any hope Anakin had would be lost. With his sister by his side, Darth Eivel would be unstoppable, and once Leia learned to control her comparable gifts, they would be a force of incredible power. Anakin would have no chance against them, and his failure would be complete.

"Let's hurry, Arfive," Anakin told the droid grimly. "I want to find a very deep hole to hide in before that cruiser reaches Jenuitte."

He only hoped that wherever he found, it would be shelter enough.

There was no way that Anakin was prepared for a confrontation with Darth Eivel. He needed to make very sure that didn't happen.

Anakin sped faster.

End of Part 3

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