Mustafar
Darth Vader's Castle

Grhan stood watching Kendy and Luke embrace. He was full of emotions. They ranged from shock to sadness. Between the two existed confusion, frustration, fear, and disappointment. He was feeling pretty much everything he would never wish to feel towards his Master. Kendy's immediate reaction seemed out of character for her. She wasn't usually so quick to accept a story and dismiss her doubts.

After a long embrace, Luke and Kendy parted and stepped back from one another. Luke appeared a little embarrassed, but Kendy put her hand on his forearm and squeezed it for reassurance. Luke leaned back on the edge of the control counter and crossed his arms. He could feel everything Grhan was feeling. He knew and understood his apprentice very well by now.

"I'm sorry, Grhan," Luke said. Grhan didn't reply. He stared down at his feet; shoulders slumped, arms hanging loosely by his sides.

"Grhan?" Kendy said.

"Grhan and I will have to talk in private, Kendy. I've… well, I imagine you have a lot of questions about this, including why I didn't tell you before?" Grhan looked up and stared at Luke, his brow furrowed. "You have a right to know why, and deserve the chance to ask me questions... Jedi-to-Jedi." Grhan nodded.

Kendy was growing irritated with Grhan. His lack of sympathy disturbed her. Grhan should know what not having a father means, and he had his mother. For stars sake, Luke first saw his mother in an image fifteen minutes ago! she thought. Kendy chose to save her choice words for Grhan until later when they were alone.

"I think we need to see if our friends are still here, " Luke said.

Grhan had eyed something earlier that warranted a closer look. He pressed a button on the HoloScreen. A white background emerged. Grhan then surveyed a set of 12 identical buttons in a block on the arm of Vader's chair. He pressed the first one. A live video feed of the Castle's entrance appeared. As Grhan cycled through the images, the last button was of the area around the capsule. The perspective was from atop the capsule looking outward. He pressed the same button a second time, and the view changed, same perspective towards the right side of the capsule. He continued until they'd seen four separate views covering the entire room.

Luke noticed something on the first view. "Grhan, could you go to the front view again?" Grhan pressed the button. A second later, Luke nodded. "Well, I'm going to reach out and see if I can feel the creatures nearby." All three of them held their breath and Luke began his search. He felt nothing. He extended his reach as far as he could and found stillness. "We're clear."

Luke placed the black receptacle box in his belt pouch and removed the hilt of his lightsaber. He took a long, last look around, his eyes finally falling on the chair. If only I knew what you felt and thought as you sat in that chair. Did you ever think about my mother? Why didn't you know about Leia and me? Why did you turn to the Dark side and leave all of us behind? I want to know. I wish I didn't, but I do.

Kendy broke the silence. "Ready?"

"Kendy, please stay beh-"

"Behind you!" Kendy snapped as she rolled her eyes. Grhan took a tiny step back and looked surprised. Blast! I didn't mean to do that. She softened her voice. "I will, Grhan. I promise." She smiled at Grhan and took his hand. He responded with a small squeeze, but his expression was forlorn.

Luke pressed the activation button and a loud hiss escaped as the seal broke. Kendy continued to cycle through the camera views. She worked her way around the house to the outside the Castle. She remembered she'd been called back to the capsule before she had a chance to rearly look through the room where she found the HoloDisk. There were numerous items there - and another chair.

"We have to go to the room where I found the HoloDisk." She was back in the battle mindset – calm, cool and collected - readying her blaster rifle as she spoke. "There is more there. I was hurrying and only got a quick glimpse of the space, but there were more thints in there. A lot more."

Luke gave it a quick thought. "I want you and Grhan to go straight back to the ship. I'll check it out and meet you there."

"No," Grhan said. "We stick together now. Those things could be anywhere."

"Which is why I want you two to go to the ship. Whether it's three of us or one, if they return, they'll overwhelm us. Better only one of us suffers that fate than all three. Besides, you can provide cover using the ship's defenses if you see them headed this way. It's at least a chance."

"I'm taking Kendy to the ship, then I'm returning, Master. Please do not insist I don't." Grhan had the look that Luke always bemused him. It wasn't defiance. If Luke insisted, Grhan wouldn't argue. Luke decided not to insist.

The ramp of the capsule was now down and they exited. Kendy caught the fleeting glint of something flying by in the air. She turned back to see Luke's hand was closing on an object he quickly placed in his pouch. As they exited the capsule room, they moved with speed and weapons at the ready. Luke parted from the group down a hallway that led to the room Kendy described.

Luke entered the room and took in the scene. It had a single large chair, clearly designed to accommodate Vader in his suit. Something in the room felt familiar to Luke. He felt connected to something, though it was vague. Elusive. He moved to each surface, finding sealed, ornate boxes lining the shelves. Some were quite heavy. Luke wanted - needed – to take these with him. How? There has to be a way, he thought.

He decided to walk along the shelves and focus on the connection, then realized the pull was behind him. It was the chair. Luke went to the chair and stood there staring at the seat in which his father last sat. He moved on instinct, and turned to sit in the chair. The size was a little overwhelming. Each arm had a small button on its surface. Luke depressed them both, and covers over the ends of the arms retracted into the arms, revealing a variety of buttons and controls. Luke surveyed the options, then pressed the top right button on the right arm. A 2 meter x 1.5 meter HoloScreen emerged from the surface of a cabinet directly in front of the chair. Luke pressed a smaller, green button and a video began playing on the HoloScreen.

He could see the brunette woman with Leia's eyes reclining on the pillows of a large couch in a room with ornate furnishings and artwork. A view of Coruscant's skyline could be seen through the ceiling high windows that filled nearly the entire width of the wall in the background. It was very high - clearly a view from a higher floor in a very nice building. Into the room walked Anakin Skywalker. He knelt down and put his cheek on her belly.

"Ani, what are we going to do? I'll be showing soon."

Luke gasped. My mother's voice. I can see and hear my mother. Luke felt an ache building in his throat. His heart was racing. He tried to center himself, but it was as if a lifetime of loss, grief and unanswered questions were flooding into him from all directions. He felt powerless to resist.

"We're not going to do anything right now except enjoy being together. This baby is a blessing. For tonight, let's feel nothing other than gratitude."

"I've missed you Ani. It's been so much harder this time with you so far away and for so long. Hearng rumors you'd been killed - fearing you'd never know..."

Padme's voice cracked as she ran a hand through Anakin's hair. She reached out for his shoulders and pulled him up to face her.

"If I lost you-"

"Do not fear, Padme. If I have to go to the Council and lay my fate in their hands, I will. But I will not abandon you and our baby. If I have to make a choice, I know what I will do." Anikan kissed Padme sweetly and they embraced. "Now, I want to spend every moment we can talking about happy things - like how beautiful you are."

Padme smiled and laughed – a soft, light laugh. Luke's heart leapt at the sound.

"Artoo, make sure you get this on video to remind Ani he thinks I'm beautiful when I'm as big as the Temple."

A set of familiar beeps and whirs startled Luke. "Artoo was with my father?" Luke whispered.

"Oh, Mistress Padme, it's a disaster! The caterer forgot the jogan fruit for the cake."

Threepio? Luke could barely believe what he was seeing.

"Threepio, when I created you, I seem to recall making your ability to reason and problem solve better than most sentient creatures. How about you and Artoo head out and get some jogan fruit."

The view moved closer to Anakin, and the end of a metal arm with a grabber came into view. It scooped credits from Anakin's outstretched hand. The droids left the room, arguing over who was in charge. That was the end of the video.

Luke was smiling even as warm tears threatened to spill over. Then the loss of the connection hit him like someone kicking him in the chest. He paused to catch his breath and began to search the chair for data cards or cylinders. He realized he was growing frantic. It had been quite some time since he felt such a loss of control without an immediate desire to regain it. He wanted the feelings to last. He wanted to know his story. He wanted to be there with his mother and hear her beautiful voice. He was desperate to know his mother's "Ani" – his real father. He was just as eager to share this discovery with Leia.

Luke took a deep, cleansing breath. It was time to go. He sat back on his rear-end and made a decision. I'm taking this chair.

Luke cleared his throat and commed Kendy. "Kendy."

"Here Luke. Grhan is heading back."

"Move the Gazer as close to the entrance as possible. Lower the rear hold loading ramp. We need to secure a load for safe transport. It's on its way there."

"Copy that. Moving Gazer now. Lowering rear hatch and preparing cargo nets for stowing the load."

"Keep an eye out for trouble while you're out there," Luke added.

"Roger that." Kendy replied.

Grhan was approaching the room and marveled at the scene. All sizes of ornate, jeweled boxes and ornamental items were being telekinetically moved through the doorway. He slid into the room around the items and saw more objects on the shelves still needing a nudge. Seconds later they were following Luke and his parade of treasures through the door.

Outside, Kendy repositioned the Gazer to rest as near as possible to the entrance. When items began to move through the open doorway, Kendy felt like she'd now seen everything. A few minutes later the objects were resting in the cargo hold with Kendy moving the ones she could manage behind netting with straps for secure storage.

A shrill shriek came from somewhere in the distance. "Wait here!" Luke yelled at both Kendy and Grhan. He had to amplify his voice to be heard over thundering waterfalls of lava nearby. The winds were picking up as well. All were reminders of the wisdom in keeping this trip as short as possible. Kendy listened, but Grhan - not so much. Luke ran back into the Castle, Grhan right on his heels. Luke un-hilted his lightsaber, and Grhan followed his example without understanding why. When Luke re-entered the room he barely slowed. He slid on his knees to the base of the chair. He couldn't see where it was secured to the floor. One firm, Force enhanced push revealed there were no wires or cables exiting the chair. Grhan could see the urgency in his Master's actions.

Luke was conflicted. He couldn't tell if the source of the videos came from the chair or were stored elsewhere. Grhan watched as Luke moved to the cabinet around the HoloScreen and ran his hands across the surface. He stopped when he swiped over an almost imperceptible depression. Luke returned to the chair and surveyed the controls, eyeing the symbols imprinted on several larger buttons. Luke depressed the one with a small line and arrow. His instincts paid off, as a square section on the surface of the cabinet rose quickly until it was approximately a half-meter tall. Inserted all along the four sides of the block were seventy-two small, silver cylinders.

"Master - I'll get the chair! You get the...things!" Grhan didn't wait for a response. The chair was in the air and on its way out of the room.

Luke used his light saber to cut a circle around the base of the cylinder block. There were black cables running from its base into the darkness below. Even with the glow of his lightsaber he could not determine where they went. He lifted the cylinder case out of the cabinet and pulled the cables until they resisted. He realized he had no choice. He took his lightsaber and slived clean trough the cables.

Two minutes later Luke entered the cockpit to find Kendy in the pilot's seat. She started to rise, but Luke gestured for Kendy to stay where she was. "You have the ship," Luke said.

"I have the ship," Kendy replied. She was glad to find Luke was too distracted to see the smile she let slip.

He sat in the co-pilot's seat and pulled out the HoloDisk he'd retrieved in Vader's chamber. Grhan commed from below to say he had secured everything in the hold. After a quick survey for sealed hatches and ramps, Luke nodded at Kendy to begin their ascent away from Mustafar.

They were well beyond the Castle Towers and rising when Luke turned the HoloDisk over. The image of his parents appeared, but Luke was not watching it. His eyes were scanning the skies below them – searching for…something. Kendy was going to ask him, but before she got the chance she got her answer. In the distance and closing fast were a flock of the horrific black monsters. Kendy was confused at first, then alarm bells went off - in her head and on the console.

"Fire?!" she yelled at Luke.

Luke shook his head and calmly said, "No."

Luke was staring at the beasts, completely unrattled, as they came within 50 meters…40 meters….30 meters… "Luke! Can I fire?" Kendy yelled with urgency. Luke shook his head and was breathing slow and steady. None of this made sense to Kendy.

Grhan entered the cockpit and gasped. "Blast! Fire, Kendy! Fire!" Kendy looked back at Grhan and emphatically shook her head, pointing at Luke. They were 10 meters out. "Kriff!" Grhan lunged for the firing controls and went flying backward throough the cockpit door, landing 5 meters beyond on his back-side.

Kendy was frozen in place, one hand covering her mouth. Flying alongside the Gazer, beginning approximately 2 meters out from both sides of the cockpit, were dozens of the creatures. Kendy looked at Luke who was holding eye contact with the largest of the creatures. It had a wingspan of at least 5 kilometers – twice the size of any other. Its expression was calm, like Luke's. After 30 or so seconds of silence, Luke nodded and the creature...nodded? It nodded at Luke! Kendy couldn't believe her eyes. The creatures began peeling away from the Gazer. Kendy leaned over the console and looked down, watching the black monsters dive like missiles through the smoke and haze unail they were no longer in sight.

Grhan had returned the cockpit, intent to confront his Master, when he witnessed the exchange between Luke and the giant creature as Kendy did. He was now ashamed at the anger and lack of trust he exhibited toward Luke. Luke turned to face him, then stood. Grhan couldn't look him in the eye. Luke left the cockpit without saying a word, taking the HoloDisk with him.