Chapter 10
Vader tried to ignore the bad feeling in the back of his mind. The feeling may be warranted by the situation, but it wasn't helpful. Luke was sick and currently stuck in the middle of a battlefield. A battle that was not going in the Empire's favor. The Vanquisher could have easily taken the Rebels but not this entire planet's military. Not until more Star Destroyers arrived, anyway. He was facing a dangerous flight to get Luke, his friend, and the droids to safety. Perhaps he would be taking them into more danger than he was taking them out of.
All this knowledge filled him with fear and anger, the very emotions that energized the dark side. The Vanbanese droid armies didn't stand a chance against him. As he and the troops fought their way through one wave of droids after another, the odd organic solider began appearing in the mix. Vader made equally short work of them.
During a break in the fighting, the stormtrooper sergeant left his position and appeared on Vader's flank.
"Lord Vader, the troopships have landed! Reinforcements are heading for our position."
That was his exit cue. "Very well, Sergeant," Vader said. "Hold your position here."
"Yes, sir."
Vader turned back towards the center of the forest, hacking a stray tree branch out of the way with his lightsaber. If Luke was not exactly where he had left him, he was going to have a nervous breakdown. Perhaps he should have left more than just the stormtrooper commander to guard him. He should have left a whole platoon.
When he arrived at the scene, he found Ben was sitting on the ground with the two droids on either side. Luke was pacing up and down while the commander stood watch. His son turned as soon as he heard him, and, for a moment, Vader saw pure relief on his face. It was surprising, considering his earlier accusations.
"Rejoin your legion, Commander," Vader said, addressing the stormtrooper. "I will be returning to the Vanquisher."
"Yes, sir."
Vader looked down at Ben. "Can he walk?"
In response, Ben climbed to his feet. He wavered slightly, causing Luke to reach over to steady him.
"It's okay, Ben. We're leaving now."
The boy appeared very pale. He started to sit down again, but Luke quickly pulled him back up. "Come on, you don't want my father carrying you."
That did the trick. He opened his eyes and stood up unassisted.
Luke gave Vader a look of concern. "Where's the ship?"
"In the clearing. Keep close behind me and stay alert."
Vader led the group back to the path through the trees, lighting the way with the red glow of his saber. The droids came next, helping Ben, while Luke followed last. His son still carried the blaster.
When they reached the ship, Vader waited at the bottom of the ramp for the others to board first.
"Come along, Artoo," Threepio said, climbing up the ramp. "The sooner we get away from this dreadful place, the better."
Ben followed the droids, holding on to the ship's edges as he climbed the ramp.
Luke was about to get aboard too, but he stopped on the ramp and met Vader's gaze. "You're worried," he observed.
There was no point denying such a thing to his Force-sensitive son.
"We will be flying under heavy fire."
"Come on," Luke said. "It'll be easy! You fly in space battles all the time."
"Yes, but not with my son in the passenger seat," Vader said. "That puts a different perspective on the situation."
Luke dropped his gaze, clearly understanding what he meant.
"Do you think Ben's going to be okay?" he mumbled.
"As long as we reach the Vanquisher."
Luke gave a small nod and then disappeared into the ship. Vader followed.
"Hey," Luke said, squeezing past the droids, "there's only two seats!"
"I didn't know you had Ben with you," Vader said. "Even so, if this ship was any larger, we wouldn't have the necessary speed or maneuverability to make it through the combat zone."
"Combat zone?!" Threepio said.
"Shift over, Ben," Luke said, attempting to occupy half of the passenger seat.
"Sit back to back," Vader said, sitting down in the pilot's seat. "Put the seat restraints around both of you." After starting the launch cycle, he opened a comm channel to the ship. Admiral Wern answered.
"Lord Vader."
"Admiral, what is the status of the space battle?"
"More Vanbanese ships incoming, sir. Our TIEs are outnumbered but holding their own."
"How long until reinforcement?"
"The Striker will arrive in 34 minutes, sir."
Vader glanced at the boys. Luke seemed bright enough, but Ben was slumped forward with his eyes shut. Perhaps it would be wiser to make their run for the Vanquisher after the Striker arrived. But he had no knowledge of this illness infecting Luke and Ben. It could be serious. There was also a danger at their present locale posed by the Vanbanese droid armies.
"I am returning to the Vanquisher," Vader said. "Alert the TIE squadrons."
"Yes, sir."
Vader disconnected the comlink and made sure the shields were at full strength. A green launch light was flashing on the console.
"Why did you attack the Vanbanese armies in the first place?" Luke asked. "I thought they were fighting each other, not the Empire."
"They attacked us," Vader said, retracting the landing gear and pointing the ship upwards. "We arrived in system just as the Rebels destroyed the mine. The Vanbanese must have assumed the explosion was the result of orbital bombardment from the Vanquisher."
They were now presented with a very good view of the overhead space battle through the front viewscreen.
"Can't you explain everything to the Vanbanese leaders?" Luke suggested.
Vader glanced at Luke one more time, making sure he and his friend were secure. Then he accelerated into the sky.
"Luke, people who wage endless civil wars are not good at listening. Their government - if it could be called that - did not respond to our hails."
"You should keep trying. They have to answer eventually. People would listen to you."
They had barely reached the upper atmosphere when the scopes started flashing numerous warning lights. The sky faded into the blackness of space.
"I do not have the time to start negotiations," Vader said, reaching for the Force. "I am otherwise engaged with retrieving my reckless offspring who should be on Coruscant."
Six hostile fighters flew towards him, and one tried for a missile lock. Vader immediately swerved to the left.
"Oh no!" Threepio said as laser fire flashed in front of them. "This is why I hate space travel!"
"If I was on Coruscant, Threepio would still be a prisoner of the Rebellion!"
"You put yourself in incredible danger."
"That's better than your solution," Luke said. "Leaving him for dead! You're heartless!"
A Vanbanese fighter roared over the top of them, brushing the top of the shield.
"Artoo, plug into the computer and man the rear gun," Vader said, looping around.
Artoo whistled his compliance.
"I can do it!" Luke said. "The controls are right here!"
Despite his son's brave words, Vader could sense fear.
"Artoo is more than capable," Vader said, gripping the trigger. He blasted a Vanbanese fighter out of their path and did likewise with the two that replaced it.
"Look out!" Luke said, pointing wildly. "You nearly hit that TIE."
"He was in the way." Vader glanced down at the scopes and saw the irritating TIE explode under enemy fire. A pointless loss. It was one thing to expend their forces fighting the Rebellion. Quite another to have to fight this miserable planet, which, according to their last surveillance report, was not in the possession of a significant starfighter fleet. Or a vast droid army, for that matter.
Vader swerved to avoid a flaming piece of wreckage, and the Vanquisher appeared in visual range. A haven among the chaos. Luke shook Ben by the shoulder.
"Ben! Are you awake? You're missing the space battle!"
"Hmmm?" Ben blinked.
"Leave him," Vader said, blasting another fighter into dust. "Why did you drag him into your reckless scheme in the first place? Trying to get yourself killed is bad enough."
"I didn't know this would happen," Luke mumbled.
Artoo fired a volley of shots over the rear thrusters, causing a Vanbanese fighter to break off their attack. Unfortunately, another two were coming in on the left, causing Vader to temporarily abandon his run for the Vanquisher. It seemed he would have to swat a few more pests.
"How did you get here in the first place?" Vader asked. "Did you take one of my ships?!"
"No! Stars, first your Rebel accusations and now this! You always think the worst of me."
"A consequence of having my trust in you proven to be misplaced," Vader said. "Many times."
Luke didn't reply.
"It wasn't Luke's idea to come here," Ben mumbled. "It was mine."
Vader hadn't realized Ben was even following the conversation. A fighter attempted to shoot him down from above, but he used an old trick from the Clone Wars and engaged the reverse thrusters. The ship fell into his sights and made a satisfying explosion.
"I find that very unlikely," Vader said, glancing at Ben. The boy had his hands over his eyes. Probably for the best.
"Don't bother, Ben," Luke said. "It won't change anything."
"I asked Luke to come with me," Ben said, his voice wavering. "I was trying to find information about my mother."
Much to his surprise, Vader could sense truth from Ben. Laser fire streaked overhead, forcing Vader into a ninety-degree evasive dive.
"Oh, stars," Ben groaned. "I'm going to be sick!"
"Are there sick bags in this thing?" Luke asked, feeling desperately for the storage compartments.
"Of course not."
"Then get to the Star Destroyer!" Luke said. "There's a gap! Go! Go!"
Vader accelerated forward, weaving to avoid an enemy lock. Artoo released a volley of fire in all directions, deterring any hopeful enemies. Vader breathed out with relief when the distance to the Vanquisher dropped below a klick.
"We are now protected by the Vanquisher's guns," Vader said, flying over the bow.
"Hang on, Ben," Luke said. "We're nearly there! One minute, I swear!"
Ben was silent.
"Please, just tell me when we've landed!" Threepio moaned.
The entrance to the hangar bay was underneath the ship. Vader attempted to make the turns gentle, aware of the way Ben was hunched forward with his arms around his stomach. When they bumped down on the hangar bay floor, Artoo triggered the boarding ramp and detached from the computer.
"I can't hold on," Ben whispered.
"Don't worry, I'll go get a bucket," Luke said, jumping out of the seat.
"Luke!" Vader reached out to stop him, but his son was already on the boarding ramp. The droids clambered out after him, eager to be free of the confined space.
"Thank the maker," Threepio said. "Safety! I thought we were scrap metal for sure!"
Vader squeezed between the seats and walked down the boarding ramp. At the bottom, he found Admiral Wern and ten stormtroopers waiting to greet him. They were all staring from Luke to the droids in utter astonishment. Luke had an expression like he'd stepped into his school assembly in nothing but his underwear.
His son did look a ridiculous sight under the bright lights on the hangar. There was mud and grass caked from his hair to his boots. The droids didn't look much better. Little did the admiral know this wasn't anything unusual for Luke.
Admiral Wern eventually tore his gaze away and acknowledged the presence of his superior.
"Welcome back, sir." He glanced sideways at Luke once again and then forced himself to focus. "The Emperor has requested you speak to him at the first opportunity."
"Oh, great," Luke mumbled.
"Admiral," Vader said, "this is my son."
The admiral defied possibility by appearing even more surprised.
"We spoke on the holocom during that Bal mission," Luke said. "Remember?"
"Oh ... yes ... pleasure to finally meet you in person," the admiral said. He offered Luke his hand.
Luke glanced down at his own dirty hand. "Um, you probably don't want to touch me."
"His presence here will remain private," Vader said.
"I understand, sir."
Vader and Luke turned at the sound of footsteps on the boarding ramp. Ben stumbled down, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He tried to look at Vader but couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he hung his head and mumbled in the direction of the floor.
"Sir, I'm really sorry ... ship needs cleaning. I'm so sorry."
To say that Ben looked unwell was a vast understatement.
"Admiral, have my son and his friend escorted to the medcenter immediately," Vader said. "I will speak with the Emperor."
"Yes, sir."
Vader could only hope this conversation would be brief.
The first half hour in the Vanquisher's medical center was a mess of noise and confusion for Luke. Ben simply lay on the bed and accepted any needle the medical droids wanted to stick in his arm, clearly too exhausted to make any protest. An entire squad of stormtroopers stood around the room, getting in the way of the medical officers and making Luke feel very self-conscious. Especially when they didn't give him any privacy while most of his clothing was removed.
The medics talked to the med-droids but only spoke to him or Ben when they wanted information. One of them, whom Luke understood to be the senior officer, kept leaving the room every five minutes to take holocom calls. His mouth was dry with thirst, but the droid who was supposed to be bringing him water had vanished. The medics were so busy saying long technical words that Luke didn't want to interrupt over something as insignificant as a glass of water.
"Ben," Luke said quietly, leaning towards the neighboring bed. Ben had his arm over his eyes, shielding himself from the overhead lights. As with Luke, they'd removed all the clothes from the upper half of his body, revealing the full extent of the rash. He really did look non-human. "Ben? You awake?"
Ben made a groaning noise.
"Are you okay?"
Only another unintelligible noise followed. He seemed drowsy. Luke knew he wasn't going to sleep himself, no matter what drugs they injected. It took all his willpower to remain sitting on the bed.
Abruptly, all the noise and bustle in the room died away. A familiar breathing sound reached Luke's ears, and he felt unexpected relief. He hadn't realized how much he wanted his father here.
The senior medical officer was already giving him an update. Luke concentrated on every word, eager to learn just what was going on.
"Sir, we have a positive identification on the virus. It originated on Vanbane among our mine personnel and spread to the local communities. The first known case was five months ago."
"Is there a cure?" his father asked.
"Yes, the local Vanbanese have a natural antibody that overcomes the virus in most cases. The meddroid at the mine used this antibody to develop a drug and vaccine. Unfortunately, all local supplies of the antiviral drug were destroyed along with the mine, but I've made contact with the Imperial City naval medcenter. They diagnosed a case of this virus there two days ago. As a result, they have drug supplies and are arranging transport as we speak. My recommendation is to transfer the patients to a ship and meet them halfway."
Luke watched as his father glanced at Ben. "Is there a need for haste?"
"In its advanced stages, the virus will cause permanent disfigurement and eventual death."
Luke felt his throat grow tight.
"Is there any danger of an outbreak among the crew?"
His father sounded as tense as Luke felt.
"No, I do not believe so. The virus is highly contagious, but only for one day after initial infection. From the information obtained from your son, both boys are past this phase."
His father turned and gave Luke the look of imminent interrogation. He strode across the distance between them and stood directly in front of him.
"How long have you known about this virus?"
"We didn't know it was a virus! Ben first noticed the rash four days ago. It was the day after ... hey, wait a minute! It was the day after you returned from your secret mission! You went to Vanbane!" Luke's thoughts couldn't keep up with his voice. "You gave it to him ... he gave it to me ... I gave it to Lev! Lev must be the officer in Imperial City with this crazy disease!"
"If I had caught this virus, I would know by now," his father said. "I would be in a later stage than your friend."
"During the contagious phase, it can survive in the fabric fibers of clothing," the medic said. "Then it enters the body, causing the rash. It is possible to carry the virus without contracting it."
"You are the only way it could have gone from the Vanbane mine to Coruscant," Luke said. "You grabbed Ben by his right arm, and that's exactly where the rash started. Ben touched my back to get my attention in the arcade ... that's why the rash was on my back. Lev touched my shoulder while I was talking with him that night. You must have touched someone on Vanbane who was infected." Luke pointed at his father's right glove.
His father didn't argue any further against this idea. He turned to the medic. "Ensure they are dressed for space travel. I will make arrangements for their departure."
"Yes, sir. I will liaise with the Imperial City medcenter and finalize the rendezvous coordinates."
"Contact me when they are ready," his father said. "I will be in the hangar bay."
Luke stared after him as his father left the medcenter. This was getting scarier by the minute. He glanced over at Ben, seeing his friend was now asleep. Perhaps it was for the best that he didn't hear about the permanent disfigurement and possible death.
A short time later, Vader stood in the hangar bay, watching as technicians completed pre-flight checks on the designated spacecraft. He'd already thoroughly checked the craft himself, reluctant to leave his son's safety in the hands of others.
Yet, that's precisely what he was about to do.
"Sir."
Vader turned to face the pilot. He was still fully suited, having just been recalled from the battle outside, but he had removed his helmet.
"Commander. I am entrusting you with a vitally important mission."
"I will not fail you, my lord."
"We have two dangerously ill children on board. I need you to fly them to a rendezvous point where they will be transferred to a medical ship. I, along with the rest of Black Squadron, will cover your departure to the hyperspace jump point."
"Yes, sir."
Vader hesitated. This was the difficult part.
"One of these boys is my son."
This pilot was normally the picture of military discipline. But his expression faltered at this information.
"I ... I understand, sir."
Of course he didn't understand. He was wise enough not to have children himself, given the life expectancy of his occupation.
Vader's comlink began beeping. He switched it on and it lit up with an image of the senior medical officer.
"We are ready to transport the boys to the hangar bay now, sir."
"Send them over," Vader said. "We are ready to depart."
Ben stirred when two med-droids began shifting him onto a hover-stretcher. "We're going somewhere?"
"Coruscant. I think," Luke said, relieved to see his friend wasn't in a coma.
Ben groaned, and one of his hands strayed to his stomach. "Your father will kill me if I ruin another ship."
"Don't worry," Luke said, grinning. "That other ship was naval property. Now if you threw up in his Eta-2, then he might kill you. But I know we're not taking that because it only seats one person."
Ben lay back and closed his eyes. "I feel terrible, Luke. This thing is seeping into my brain."
"You're gonna be fine," Luke said, as much to reassure himself as Ben.
"If I don't make it, you can have all my hologames."
"What kind of stupid talk is that? You're going to make it, Ben."
"Yeah, but if not ... tell my father I'm sorry. For everything. And I love him, and I hope he is happy with whatever-her-name-is."
"Ben -"
"You're a really good friend, Luke."
Luke sighed.
"Even if you are a Rebel sympathizer," Ben added.
Luke grinned. "And my father is your worst nightmare, remember."
"That too."
The droid started pushing the stretcher towards the door. Luke stood up and tried to ignore the dizziness. The boots he was wearing were a little too big, which didn't help his balance. They'd destroyed all his old clothes and provided ill-fitting replacements. Regardless, he managed to walk upright beside the hover stretcher.
"You're a good friend too, Ben. Honestly, I think I would have gone insane by now if I didn't have you to remind me what normal is."
"Thanks," Ben mumbled. "I think."
They didn't continue the conversation when they entered the corridor, as they were joined by medics and the entire squad of stormtroopers. Fortunately, the medbay was next to the hangar, meaning they didn't have far to go. They were taken to a small, streamlined ship with engines half the size of its length. Luke hoped it was as fast as it looked.
His father was waiting by the boarding ramp with a suited pilot. As the medics loaded Ben onto the ship, Luke walked over to find out what was going on.
"Luke," his father said, gesturing towards the pilot, "this is Commander Premil."
Luke gave the pilot a disinterested glance, too preoccupied to bother with politeness. Then he spotted the pilot's callsign patch. "Wait, you're Black 2! Wow!"
The pilot's lips twitched slightly, like he wanted to smile but didn't dare. "Pleased to meet you," he said.
"As you will no doubt learn during your journey, he is a keen pilot himself," his father said to Commander Premil. "Ignore any requests for a turn at the controls."
"Yes, sir."
"Wait a minute," Luke said. "He's flying us to the rendezvous? What about you?"
Before his father could answer, the medics left the ship and came forward to report.
"Sir, the first patient is secure. A medical droid will remain on board with monitoring equipment. Both patients have been given mitorazine, an immunity booster with sleep-inducing effects, so expect them to be drowsy." The medic gave Luke a curious glance. "I'm surprised this young man is still alert."
Luke frowned. They actually thought he'd sleep with all this going on? A familiar presence tugged at his mind, and Luke felt his father assess his condition through the Force. Whatever he sensed, it was clear from his subsequent tone that he didn't like it.
"We will leave immediately. Luke, board the ship."
"No! Wait!" His tone resulted in shocked glances from the bystanders. "I mean, I need to talk to you," Luke amended, trying to keep his tone more respectful. It still came out sounding more like a demand than a request. "Can we have some privacy?" he suggested finally.
The medics and the pilot looked at his father. He raised his hand and waved them on. The pilot turned and boarded the ship, while the medics half-ran for the hangar exit.
"You are fortunate you are sick," his father said, staring down at Luke.
"Would it kill you to tell me what's going on?" Luke said, annoyed. There was a headache forming above his eyes, which didn't help his mood. "Why are you staying here? What about the droids?"
"I have no choice. The Emperor has decreed Vanbane must be punished for their defiance. The fighting will not end until the entire planet is under Imperial control. I am going to fly cover with the rest of Black squadron to allow your ship to escape." His father paused. "Black 2 is the best pilot on this ship, aside from myself. I trust him to fly you safely to the rendezvous."
It sounded to Luke like his father was trying to reassure himself, rather than him. It would never have occurred to Luke to question Black 2's piloting abilities.
"The droids?" Luke repeated, in case his father had forgotten.
"They are undergoing security checks. I will bring them with me when I return to Coruscant."
The idea wasn't reassuring.
"It is in my own best interests to return your droids to you, Luke," his father said, clearly sensing his feelings. "If today is anything to go by."
"When are you going to return?" Luke asked.
"I cannot say."
This exchange was followed by an awkward silence. Luke stared at his boots, imagining how much different this conversation would be if he was Ben talking to Ben's father. There'd be a hug, for one thing, and reassurances that everything would be okay. Ben's father would never leave a sick Ben in the first place.
"Well, goodbye, then," Luke said, turning away. He half-expected his father to stop him and make some apology, but he remained silent.
Luke stopped at the bottom of the boarding ramp and looked back.
"A Rebel wanted me to join them. He made a really good argument, too. I was tempted. Especially since I thought you'd killed the droids. But I said no."
Luke didn't wait for his father's reply.