Summery:
Darth Vader thought he had learned the price of power
He was so wrong.
AU set six months before ANH
'Force speak '
*Thoughts*
Disclaimer : Don't own it or make money for this. I write for fun.
Chapter 2: Facing the truth.
Vader's POV:
I was in no mood for any of Tarkin's foolishness the next morning. Apparently, despite the heinous vision of the night before, I had managed to get some rest. Not nearly enough of course. It was enough to restore some of my 'normal' strength. Add to that, my fury at Sidious latest game, I did not doubt that I would find someone to kill. Those around me knew it and it was only a matter of time before one fool snapped what little control I had at the moment.
It was one of the communication officers. The fool couldn't tell me anything about the nature of the message, only that it came from Tatoonie and was of a personal nature. I didn't even bother to choke him, but used the Force to rip the information from his mind. The fact that it seemed to be a message from Owen Lars only aggravated me further and I snapped his neck with one hand before throwing the corpse across the room. "Having a bad day Lord Vader, " Tarkin sniped from behind me.
"It is nothing that need concern you, Tarkin" I snarled as I faced him. "Indeed? Well whatever has you in such a mood would normally be quite entertaining. However, since you seem quite ready to wreck the place, I think you should return to your quarters," Tarkin said. Then added as a afterthought. "That wasn't a suggestion." The crew around us stiffed as if waiting for my reaction. And I was quite ready to give it to them. The fool! Tarkin seemed to know that he had pushed to far, and the coward that he was, shoved his position in my face. "I doubt that the Emperor would be pleased to hear from me, " he sneered.
I said nothing, but turned and left the area. I'm certain Tarkin realized how close he came to being crushed when the bulkheads around me crumpled inward. Back in my main room I remembered the message. Personal nature? Owen had made it clear to me that he had wanted nothing to do with me the last time I had been to that blasted dust ball.
I called up the message from the main computer. It was audio only but I expected nothing less. What I didn't expect was to hear Beru's voice instead of Owen's. "Lord Vader, forgive me. I have no right to contact you, especially after this. But you are the only one who may be able to help. I don't know how to explain this any other way, but that we've been raising Padme's son in secret. But now Luke's been taken by the Emperor. Owen told me that I was wasting my time and would probably get us both killed, but I don't care. Luke's been like a son to us both and we've raised him the best we could. I've wished to contact you but I feared the Emperor more. Please Lord Vader, you are the only one who can probably find Luke and save him from the Emperor. Owen is in a detention barracks at Anchorhead. Frankly I could care less what happens now to us, I just want to make sure that Luke is safe."
The message shut off as I sat paralyzed. Either Sidious had gone to great lengths to reinforce the vision of the night before or.. my Angel had survived Mustafar long enough to give birth to our son. My son! The terminal beeped at me and I realized there was more. Beru had managed to smuggle out a copy of Owen's interrogation. How in the name of the Force had she managed that? A Jedi probably. But I ignored that possibility in favor of watching and trying to find out more.
Lars sat on a stool, his head cocked to one side and his eyes wide. He'd been beaten, and I was disturbed to realize that some of those bruises had to been gotten in my son's defense. "Name?" an off camera officer asked?
"Ooowen Lars," my 'stepbrother' managed to stutter. Obviously they had given him a truth serum. "Relation to the Force Sensitive?" Owen seemed to freeze then answered wearily, "He's my nephew." "His name, please?" The officer came into the camera view with that question. "Luke Skywalker, damn you!"
The officer backhanded Lars and then pulled a holo projector out of his belt."This is the Force sensitive you speak of, yes? You do know that sheltering a Sensitive is punishable by death?" Something seemed to break loose in Owen and he lunged at the officer screaming,"You know that's my nephew! And he's just a boy. Where did you TAKE HIM?" I froze the scene, my eyes only for the picture. It WAS the boy from my vision.
It seemed that this was the last piece that was needed. For as soon as I accepted the truth, Luke's pain came at me full force. And the Emperor had to be torturing him again, for I felt the effects of lightening across my back. My mind could not form a coherent thought as I staggered over to the hyerbraric pod.
Perhaps I was moving on instinct, but I knew then that Luke was in danger of dying. I had to do something NOW. But what? Take a shuttle to Imperial Center and confront my 'master'. Sidious had already proven that he could withstand any attack by me. All I would do is force Luke to watch his father die in front of him. I wanted to howl with frustration but the only thing I could seem to do was to shut everything out and join with my son mentally. If my son was dying, I would be with him in his final moments and then let the rage I would feel take Sidious out, even if I died also.
