Author's Note: Gosh, I love you guys so much! Thanks for all the frequent reviews and the constant support! You guys are just wonderful! I do hope, though, that you're reading the first person tidbits right at the beginning of the stories. I think you'll find that if you piece them together, when the story is further along of course, the real story can be found. It's like a separate storyline, but not. So, you should really pay attention to those. C; Other than that, gosh, I'm so honoured and flattered by all the attention and love this story is getting. Huge thank you to WildHorseFantasy, ILDV, Alderaan Girl, froovygirl, Ethyrin Kairos and Mireilles3 for reviewing! Even though I don't often reply to your reviews (super bad habit, I'm so sorry.), your reviews mean the world to me! I almost gave up on this chapter, I kinda was waning on inspiration, but re-reading some reviews gave me A New Hope (I can be punny). I love you guys! C: Just a heads up, though. This chapter will cut back and forth between Luke and Vader, and I'm sorry about the choppiness, but please bear with me!
Disclaimer: Don't own, probably never will.
Ten
Whatever came over me, between tears and laughter, in that first ray of joy, I don't know. But it was the voice of the Emperor that brought me back. You could not blame him. He was so codgerly, as we say in private. But I held no fear.
There was a fluttering. A faint, beating of light deep within the darkness. A soft glowing that grew as Luke continued to talk. He could feel it, shaking and trembling, deep within the husk of a man that carried the genes of his father. So slight, so delicate, so frightened... but there.
/...and so Windy and I were cruising along Beggar's Canyon in my skyhopper, trying to bullseye womp rats, but I somehow crashed, which now, looking back on it, doesn't make any sense, because I guess I'm something of a pretty good pilot-/
/You underestimate yourself greatly, my son. You're much more than "something of a good pilot"./
Vader's voice was quiet, tremulous with emotion that he had never dreamed the faceless demon could have.
Not Vader.
Father.
/I...thanks, I guess. I mean, Uncle Owen always told me that I was going to get myself in an accident, and I just proved him right. I learned to take his advice pretty soundly after that. Of course, that's when the Sand People showed up, and Windy and I had to make sure the Jawas didn't steal the skyhopper. We would have been stranded in the middle of nowhere.../
Rumbling seemed to echo across the link, rattling his bones with...
...amusement?
/It's very good that you managed to escape unharmed. Though, the statistical probability of being beset by both groups of Tatooine natives is near astronomical. You certainly have your way with luck, Luke./
Luke sat for a moment, trying to siphon out the meaning of Vader's cryptic words. Another faint rumble, closer to a snort. And it hit him.
/Hey! Not you, too! I already get enough teasing from Han!/ And then, in spite of himself, a smile crept across his face, mirth bubbling up from where he had sealed it away.
And then he was laughing.
And his father was chuckling softly from across the stars.
And for the first time, Luke felt the overwhelming fear slip, just a bit.
A snaking ray reached across the endless parsecs that divided them, stretching thin, hardly a thread. Luke tentatively reached out to touch the sliver of light.
And he was drowning.
Drowning in an ocean of desperation, fright, terror and...
And...
Love.
Force, vape it.
Love.
There were no words for the love that flooded over him in that instance.
It was a love that kissed every injury better with a kind word. A love that held fast through nightmares. A love listened to problems and helped solve them. A love that cheered for every victory. A love that stayed up late making model fighters. A love that never doubted, never lost faith. A love that saw every flaw and loved each imperfection. A love that never fell short, gave out or failed.
A love so powerful, so deep, so heart-wrenching. Something deep within him cried, ached for the flickering coruscation.
/Oh, fa-/
There was nothing.
Nothing to touch, nothing to talk to.
Not even shields.
It was as if Vader no longer existed.
As if he had so wholly and completely rejected his ties to his son, nothing more remained of the bond. As if the dark side had completely overcome him, completely destroyed the flickering glow that had been buried within him.
But no... that couldn't be it! That light! It had glowed! It had been so strong! He had touched it! He had felt the strength and depth...and...and love! Love that poured across the stars for him! So why... why had Vader... his father...
Luke clenched his fists, his teeth gritting against specks of silt. Jedi didn't feel like this, Jedi didn't feel like breaking every tree in the forest until he felt better. Jedi didn't want to chase after that kriffing monster who had fathered him and throttle him for –
Deep breath.
Release it to the Force.
Anger is the path to the Dark Side.
Deep breath.
There is no passion. There is peace.
Deep breath.
Release it to the Force.
A deep sigh through his nose.
The red tint of rage faded, the cool hues of blue mist and green underbrush filling his vision. It had been so easy. It had been so easy to listen to that dark whispering that clouded around the back of his mind, the wraiths fed by the characteristic fear that accompanied his thoughts of Vader.
His skin grew clammy. He forced a laugh, turning to the fretting droid besides him.
"Oh, Artoo, don't worry about me. I'll be alright. I'll have to be more careful when looking for Yoda this time though." The droid whistled worriedly. Luke gave a weary laugh.
"I know... I have to be careful when talking to him. But, Artoo... he didn't try and turn me to the Dark Side... he just listened to me ramble on and on. What is he trying to do?" His voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. "I felt it. I felt the Dark Side. It was so easy, I was afraid... and angry... and it was there. I don't know why he turned... but..." He closed his eyes, the hand resting on the dome of the astromech trembling with unspoken feelings. He forced a sad smile for the little droid. "Anyways, I've got to get going. I'll contact you when I get there. Don't worry too much, okay?" The droid warbled indignantly, and Luke laughed.
"I know! I'll be safe this time, promise!" One last pat on the metallic shell, and the boy disappeared into the misty forest once again.
He sensed the dark tendrils of energy before they reached out. The Emperor was growing anxious. The crushing darkness reached out for him.
And he realized it in a jolt. He was still bonded to Luke.
No, no no no.
The Emperor was absolute in the darkness, as firmly ingrained in the Dark Side as Yoda was in the light.
Luke didn't have that absolution of will.
Not my son, too!
And he severed the tie.
Instantly, his nerves burned, his skull throbbed, his blood pounding relentlessly within the remnant of his body, roaring in his ears. Rasping breaths echoed off high durasteel walls. The Emperor probed at his shields, opening the link between master and apprentice. The agony that flooded across the bond pleased him greatly. Pain was the way of the Dark Side. Pain would wipe the light from his weak apprentice.
/My apprentice, I have sensed a shift in the Force./
/A-A shift, my master?/ Even the mental voice in which he spoke strained and quivered in distress. Amusement trickled through the link, a soft chuckle from the decrepit Sith Lord.
/Yes, my foolish apprentice. A shift. Towards the light./ The mirth vanished as he snapped at Vader, irritation plain.
/Skywalker./
/Perhaps. I was concerned, Lord Vader, that perhaps you were weakening in your power in the Dark Side./
/That is hardly the case, my master. The Dark Side is as strong in me as ever./ Palpatine snarled. Vader grit his teeth.
/Then prove it, Lord Vader. Destroy Skywalker. As strong as he would be in the powers of the Dark Side, I have foreseen that he will refuse to turn, resulting in our destruction. Destroy him, and I will...overlook your failure./
Silence.
Palpatine waited.
Too long.
Summoning dark energy, he focused on his silent apprentice, gave a faint smirk, and without hesitation, sent Sith lightning raging across the bond. At first, the only noise was a faint grunt. So he increased the voltage, waiting until Vader's screams were ringing in his mind. Palpatine tipped his head back, revelling in the sound of helplessness and submission. And turned the voltage up more.
What have you been hiding from me, my apprentice? He probed at his mind, expecting to be met with little resistance.
He hit walls harder that durasteel.
Frowning, he increased the voltage yet again, hearing Vader's screams grow hoarse. The walls remained sturdy. Finally he relinquished, the shroud of the Dark Side trembled around his unconscious apprentice.
Silence.
Vader slowly came to.
Silence.
/...yes, my master./
The trip to Yoda's remained mostly uneventful, with a few unintentional stumbles into the bogs, and after a few hours, the small hut emerged from the thick mist. Luke breathed out a heavy sigh. It had taken long enough wandering through the Sith accursed swamp. But, if it meant answers... anything was worth it. Answers. Finally. A deep breath. He stepped forward, crossing the final few paces to the little abode.
The door creaked open with a whisper of a push, silence hung in the heavy, muggy air.
"Master Yoda?"
Silence.
Luke crept through the door, wading through the empty rooms. Searching, looking, desperate to find the wise master.
Soft, rasping breathing.
"Here, I am." He spun, eyes seeking, scanning for the source.
Hidden mostly by thick woollen blankets, Yoda lay curled on the small cot, large ears drooping slightly.
"Answers, you seek." His voice crackled just so, the gravelled voice tainted with age. Luke knelt beside the bed, hands balling the thick blanket between his fists.
"Yes, master Yoda. When I was on Bespin, I confronted Vader...and he said some things. Things I know in my heart are true." Yoda gave a soft, warbling hum.
"Told you the truth, did he?"
"Yes, master Yoda. But master, there is good in him, I have felt it!" A soft sigh came from the cot.
"Lie to you, Obi-Wan did not. Told you the truth as he believed, he did." Yoda closed his eyes. "Your father, Anakin Skywalker was. Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker is not." Luke shook his head.
"But Master Yoda, I have felt the good in him. My father...my father is still in there." Large, bulbous eyes reopened.
"Felt a shift in the Force, I have. Right, you may be. Old, I am becoming, and rest, I must. If some good in Vader, there is, then save him, your final trial will be. If not, defeat him, you must." Luke sank back, nodding slowly. Echoes of the sheer love that had spilled from the core of his father echoed across his mind. Frantic determination seized him, and he lunged forward, seizing the gnarled hand of the old Jedi.
"I will save him, master Yoda." The passion in his voice was unbecoming of a Jedi trainee, but at this point, it didn't matter. A tired smile pulled at wizened lips.
"Much like your father, you are." The grandmaster chuckled softly as Luke flushed at the passionate statement. Yoda's eyes slipped shut once more. "Sleep now, I will. Go. Save your father, you must." The embarrassed blush that burned up his neck faded into a smile.
"Yes, master!"
Admiral Piett paced in front of a battalion of troopers, in front of a small crowd of suspicious characters that had been rounded up, in front of a silent spaceport. Vader, once again, had not contacted anyone, nor had he returned, behaviours so very uncharacteristic of the commander. In the back of his mind, the nagging concern that Vader had been ambushed clawed, gnawing relentlessly. For half a moment, he contemplated sending a squad out to check up on his commander, or at the very least, comming him. But the unspoken threat that intoned his words was enough to keep him quiet. So, turning brusquely on his heels, he continued his silent pacing, listening to his footsteps ring above the whimpers of captured rebels.
His comlink rang. His private number.
Hesitantly, he answered.
"This is Admiral Piett, speak quickly, I am quite occupied at the moment." A long silence. Piett began to wonder if some child had accidently dialled his number.
"Admiral...it seems that...I require your assistance." The unmistakable baritone rumble of his commander hissed across the comm. Ignoring the fine beads of sweat pooled on his brow, he stood smartly.
"How may I be of service, milord?" A momentous pause, nothing but the rasping breathing of Darth Vader filling the static.
"It seems that I...am indisposed at the moment, and I require assistance. I shall send you...my coordinates. Do not take any troops with you...if at all possible." Piett understood. With a voice near a whisper, he replied.
"Of course, milord." And ended the call. Despite his volatile nature and deadly respite, Vader was one of the better superiors he had served. If not the best. The man (machine?) was a brilliant tactician, expecting only the best from his underlings, requiring nothing from them that he wouldn't expect them to do. Unfortunately, his one weakness was his overwhelming presence stifled any coherent thought the men and women serving him had. Damn it, he himself was guilty of it, too. Thank whatever deity or higher power that he had figured out that pre-planning speeches and having automatic responses could ad would save his life. His thoughts running rampant, he turned and hurried from the spaceport following the coordinates.
That fear that ruled him changed all at once. He could name the year, date, hours, even minutes of the incident. The memory played in his head so frequently, he worried that it would interfere with his ability to perform his duties. It was late, most of the crew rested on board the Executor, and Piett had been running last minute errands before turning in when he walked into Vader. Tripped over, would be a better verb, he mused quietly, his pace quickening. The man (machine?) was sprawled on the ground, and from where he stood, the sparks and loose circuitry glowed faintly in the dim light. At first he had frozen, unable to think, unable to breath, unable to stop the string of nonsense he had babbled frantically trying to apologize. No reaction. And then...then he realized what was wrong. The usually harsh breathing hissed in faint wheezes, the giant body remained motionless. And he had asked, quietly, if the man was alive. The faint, rumbling laughter that had shaken itself from the shell of a man seared into his memory.
"Hardly, Admiral. It seems I have neglected my duties and the Emperor has been displeased with my performance." Another shaking chuckle. "I suppose this is well deserved punishment." Piett stumbled for words.
"Milord, excuse me if I speak freely, but I find it difficult to believe that the Emperor has reduced you to this state." Damnit, he just had to speak his mind. He was surely dead, Vader would never forgive him for that, insubordination, Darth Vader did not forgive, he –
"Many...are not who they seem, Admiral. It would do you well to...remember that." Piett nodded slowly.
"How may I help you, milord?"
Piett frowned and hurried. If Lord Vader was in a similar state, he needed to hurry before locals saw him. The things that would do to the reputation of the Empire! The frown deepened, and Piett broke into a slow jog.
And then he saw him.
He smiled grimly.
Just like last time.
The dark helm tipped towards him, the soulless black sockets boring right to his heart. Then slumped against his chest with a shuddering sigh.
"Admiral. I would be...most grateful for your assistance." Piett gave him a grim smile.
"Of course, milord."
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