"This is such a stupid idea", Feral huffed and crossed his arms.
"Why?", his brother Savage wanted to know. "You're the one who always says we should stick together."
"Well yes, but I mean three of us." He gestured to Maul, Savage and him, sitting in a round in the lounge of the Vigilance, Maul's main ship.
"Why?", the Sith apprentice asked testingly. "Vader belongs to us too, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, but he's our Master, not our brother. Don't you guys think there's anything wrong with that?"
"It might sound weird at first but if you think about it, it really isn't", Savage said, very sure of himself. He was getting more excited as the conversation went on. "Alright, he's cruel and crazy and sometimes downright creepy but think about how much we learned thanks to him, how much he helped us to grow. He saved our lives countless of times in battle. We owe it to him."
"But it would be... awkward! Incredibly so."
"For us, maybe", Maul admitted. "But I think he would appreciate the gesture. I don't know about you but if it pushes me higher up in his good graces and puts him in a fine mood, I'm totally for it."
"Well, if you put it that way..."
"Ha! I knew you'd agree", Savage said. "So, now we just have to plan it."
"Wait, you haven't done that already?", Feral wanted to know.
"Of course not, why would I ask for your help if I had?"
"I thought you just wanted me to be there for it!"
Maul shook his head at their childish bickering. "I don't think either of us is qualified to do the planning", he decided. "It's not like we can throw a giant party. We need the help of someone who knows him well."
"You mean better then us?"
"Who are you talking about?"
Maul smirked. "Isn't that obvious? I'm talking about the Mother."
Understanding dawned on the Zabraks faces just as the red holo image of the Executor's artificial intelligence appeared in their middle. The Vigilance was currently trailing the Executor on their way to the next battle so they were close enough to receive her signal.
"Somebody called for me?", the Mother asked, striking a pose with one hand at her hip as she flashed a smile at the Zabraks. The system was constantly monitoring every part of every ship in its range so of course she knew what they had been talking about.
Maul repeated it anyway: "Yes, Mother. We need your help in planning Darth Vader's birthday."
Feral stifled a groan at how wrong that sounded, which in turn made Savage snicker.
"We missed his last one since he was busy conquering Dantooine at that time but now we're all together and relatively free."
The Mother struck a thinking pose even though her processing power probably allowed her to have a million plans and scenarios at hand within a second.
"Well, you're a right that a big party wouldn't suit him. He would, however, appreciate a great get-together of all his friends and family."
"Okay, so... that's us and... well..." Feral made a helpless gesture, Vader didn't really have that many friends.
"How about Dooku?", Savage suggested tentatively.
"That guy can ruin any party", Feral protested. "Besides, he's only enduring our Master for a lack of other choices."
"But Vader would enjoy messing with him and seeing him act all awkward because the situation is so absurd", Maul thought aloud.
"I'll put him on the guest list then", the Mother complied.
"If we invite Dooku, we can also invite Ventress", Savage noted.
Maul made a face. "You know, that's disgusting."
"What?"
"You and that... woman. I mean, you really can do better."
"Brother", Savage answered with a predatory grin, "you have no idea how hot she's in bed."
"And I don't want to find out!"
"Good! More for me."
"Guys, let's get back on topic, shall we?", Feral urged them. "If we invite both, I'm afraid it would come out more like a military meeting. There wouldn't be much else one could talk about when there're only Sith."
"If I could offer my advice", the Mother cut in. "Any birthday party would be absolutely useless without Anakin Skywalker Junior on board."
There was an awkward silence.
"Well... sure but how would we get him to attend?" Feral asked at last.
"Oh", the AI said with a sadistic little smile, "don't worry about that. I know just the thing. I'll make him attend. Him and his Padawan and while we're at it, the senator they're both so fond of as well."
"And how do we keep them all from smashing in their heads?", Savage asked skeptically.
"That's simple", the Mother claimed. "We'll just add my sister to the list."
"You have a sister?"
"Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother. She's on good terms with both of them and thus they'll want to behave around her."
"Wait, I think I met her once", Savage said, scowling. "Isn't she that chick that lives on Tatooine? You're telling me the Master is still keeping in contact with her?"
"Oh, yes. I'm exchanging letters and video calls and lots of pictures on a monthly schedule. She would be absolutely delighted to visit. If you bring her up early, she might even take over the catering and presents and other traditional birthday stuff."
"Damn it", Savage cursed. "I haven't even thought about presents!"
The Mother rolled her eyes with a smug smile. "I know. That's why you need me."
"Very well", Maul said and stood up, "his birthday is in three weeks. We have another major battle before that but I think it's possible to bring Shmi Skywalker here in eight days at the earliest. Mother, how much time do you need to get the Jedi here?"
"If I can get him within my long range transmitter range, it'll take him up to three days. I can time it more precisely if I'm closer. I don't have to be in the same system but I shouldn't be touring the Outer Rim either."
"Then we have to find a reason for Vader to take you there. That could be a problem if we want to keep this a secret..."
"A secret?", the Mother asked confused, turning towards Maul. "You mean keeping information from him?"
The Sith fidgeted a bit as her gaze grew cold and, dare he say, suspicious.
"It's a human thing", he tried to explain. "The surprise will make the pleasure even greater for him."
The Mother didn't look convinced.
"Look, of course we have to tell him about Shmi. You can say you received a call from her or something that she wants to visit, he won't deny her that. It's just the party and Skywalker that we'll keep from him."
The red image still scowled. "But we will tell my sister the whole plan, won't we?"
"Of course, we need her help after all."
The AI relaxed a bit. "Very well, I suppose her loyalty is sufficiently confirmed that she wouldn't take part in any plot that aims to harm my Master."
"And ours isn't?" Savage muttered slightly offended.
She ignored him. "I'll think up a reason why we have to go to the sector in question. If nothing helps I can fake an emergency call from one of the council members and later pretend I've been hacked." She sniffed a bit as if the mere prospect that she could ever be hacked was an unequaled insult.
"Then I will go and get Shmi when the battle is over. I think I can remember where she lives", Savage offered.
"I'll talk to Dooku. If he gets a message from a computer, he might just refuse", Feral said. He then looked pointedly at Darth Maul. "That leaves you to pick a present. It will be enough if we just say it's from all of us, won't it?"
"It's the gesture that counts", the Mother agreed.
Maul scowled a bit, fully aware that his brother had dumped the most difficult mission on him. However, he did have an idea what to get his Master so he didn't object.
The tasks thus distributed, the Mother blinked out of existence and the Zabraks got to work. They wanted to make that day perfect for their Lord!
Three weeks later...
Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan were on Naboo, once again on duty to protect Senator Amidala. The planet's economy had been one of the most influenced by the refusal of the trading guild to exchange goods with it and so Padme had agreed to meet with their leader, Nute Gunray, to possibly start making business again. The offer had been unexpected to say the least and the Jedi Council had suspected it might be a trap by the Separatists. After all, Gunray was known for his hatred for the Senator. That was why they had insisted to send a Jedi guard with her. Their first choice had been Obi-Wan but he was still in hospital, having quite nastily been cut up by General Opress in a random battle. It wasn't anything too serious but enough to chain him to the bed for a couple of weeks. That's why instead of the usual duo of Anakin and Obi-Wan, he only had his Padawan with him this time.
The three of them entered the building where they were to meet the Neimoidian, passing line after line of security droids. Anakin was tense the whole time but didn't pass so much as a glance to the robots.
"Anakin, is everything alright?", Padme asked hesitantly. In front of Ahsoka, she had to be careful how to voice her concern.
"It's nothing", he answered. "Just had a bad night."
More then a bad night, in fact. He had been plagued by nightmares of a grueling nature. When he closed his eyes, he still saw the pictures flash by. He was running through empty gray corridors, his heart thumping loudly in panic. There was a scream - a terribly familiar cream. It was his mother, crying out for him, screaming for help. She was hurting but he couldn't help her, couldn't find her. Every time he thought he'd arrived at the source of the terrible noise it would move farther away.
The dream had been so vivid, unlike anything he ever had before. At once he was assaulted by a wave of guilt. It had been ages since he'd last contacted his mother. Vader used to play intermediary for them but of course after the war started, he stopped getting messages from her.
She shouldn't be in danger. She should be safe on Tatooine with her new husband. Yet Anakin couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't. He'd heard that some Jedi could see the future, that the force revealed things to them that were to come and he was terribly afraid that his dream had been such a vision. He was afraid his mother was in danger, somewhere out there and she needed his help but he wasn't there.
Padme took his hand gently and he could see the worry in her eyes.
"It's going to be alright", he told her with a forced smile. At least, he thought it would be. The force wouldn't send him a vision about his mother being in danger when Padme and him were about to walk into a deadly Separatist trap. Or would it?
Suddenly he began to sweat. If both his mother and Padme were in danger - which disaster would the force warn him from? He couldn't effort to lose either of them. He absolutely couldn't stand the mere idea of having to choose.
They had reached the end of the corridor, which opened into a wide meeting room. The walls were lined with droids but there was not a single living being present.
"What's going on?" Ahsoka exclaimed as the doors closed behind them, her hands already on the hilts of her lightsabers.
"It's a trap", Anakin muttered darkly, drawing his own weapon. But as he ushered Padme behind him and regarded the droids, waiting for them to attack, nothing happened. The droids remained unmoving. The lights at their heads were glowing, indicating they were not shut off but neither did they attack nor did they answer when he questioned them.
"Master, look!", Ahsoka finally said. She pointed at the table in the middle of the room. There was a small gray headpiece lying on top of it.
Anakin inched closer slowly. He grabbed the headpiece and clipped it to his ear, scowling and never leaving the droids out of his sight.
"Who is there?", he asked into the microphone.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the headpiece came to life, apparently reacting to his voice. There was hard, labored breathing to be heard from the other side.
"Who is there?!", he demanded to know again, slowly getting angry.
"Anakin? Anakin, is that you?"
The blood froze in his veins. He knew that voice. It was his mother and she sounded panicked.
"Mom?", he whispered, barely daring to take a breath.
"Anakin, I don't know what's going on!" There was a sob and the Jedi felt an unfamiliar rage rise inside of him at the thought of someone hurting his mother.
"Where are you, mom?"
"It's so dark - I'm hurting so much - what's going to happen to me? Anakin, I need you. I'm scared!"
The rage rose tenfold, almost swallowing the tiny flame of genuine fear springing to life in his heart.
There was a mechanical hiss on the other side and the voice was suddenly cut off. Soon it was replaced by another voice though, a cold and mocking one.
"Anakin", it said with dark amusement and he recognized his father's voice at once. "Come and join us for tea, will you?" The words were followed by a dark chuckle before the line went dead.
Anakin had gone pale. The hand gripping the headpiece closed without him noticing until the metal was crushed, leaving behind sharp bits that dug into his skin.
"Anakin? What's going on?" Padme asked, utterly alarmed by now.
"He has my mother", the Jedi knight choked out, barely keeping the rage from taking over his actions. He wanted to destroy something, he wanted to kill something.
"That bastard dares to threaten my mother!"
He felt a light touch at his arm and flung around, ready to strike at whoever dared to get close to him. It was Ahsoka, staring at him with wide eyes. There was something in her gaze he had never seen before. It was fear. Never had he seen her like this, not on the battlefield, not in the face of mortal peril, never. She had adopted his fearless nature, moving at her target with precision and determination. Now she looked scared and she looked scared of him.
With a growing sense of dread Anakin realized that the dark side was surrounding him, swirling like a stream caught in a whirlpool. Like stars and planets being sucked into a black hole that was his soul.
Anakin took a deep breath and struggled to reign in his emotions. He couldn't afford to lose control. His mother being in danger was terrible but he still had two other loved ones to take care of. He couldn't just forget about them and he knew that he would. He would forget his reason for fighting if he ever gave in to that power.
"I have to go and save her. I'm sorry, I just have to", he said, looking apologetically at Padme. "Ahsoka will take you back to Theed. This trap was meant for me only, they'll let you pass."
"But Master! You can't go alone!", Ahsoka protested.
"You have to protect the Senator", he told her with his best strict glare. "That's a command."
But Padme crossed her arms with a determined look. "Well, I think she's right. You shouldn't go there alone. This isn't an official mission, Anakin, he's obviously planing something. We're going with you."
"Absolutely not!"
"There's nothing you can do against it. You can tell Ahsoka to stay with me and protect me but if I choose to look for this woman, she'd be obliged to come and help me."
Ahsoka perked up, grinning at the Senator and thanking her with her eyes.
"Padme - senator, I might be able to make a deal to get her out of there but my chances are significantly lower if my father has the lives of three people to blackmail me with!"
"That's exactly what we're afraid of", Ahsoka said quietly. "You, making a deal. I can look after myself. Have you forgotten how many times I already saved your life in war, Master? We're supposed to be a team and I'm not letting you down."
Time was running short and the two women wouldn't budge no matter what Anakin said. Finally he just threw up his arms and relented.
The door opened again to let them through.
"Were are we going?"
"We'll take a ship up to space. I'm pretty sure she's in a ship so someone will likely come and pick us up once we're out there."
Anakin threw away the useless headpiece. It wasn't a commlink with any sort of transmitter attached that he might be able to track a signal from. The message had to have been recorded, which only made him more anxious. How long ago had his mother been captured?
The group was up in space one hour later, just flying around in the general vicinity of the planet when suddenly gravity shifted as the giant body of the Super Star Destroyer Executor, Darth Vader's flagship dropped out of hyperspace. Anakin didn't even have time for an evasion maneuver before his ship was caught in a tractor beam. He didn't doubt that they'd be half way across the galaxy again before anyone on Naboo noticing the ship could call for reinforcements.
Mentally bracing himself, the Jedi stepped out of the ship. There was no welcoming committee, neither droids nor humans. The hangar was completely empty, which immediately set off his inner alarm bells. Of course he already knew it was a trap but this was just creepy.
Anakin and Ahsoka both had their lightsabers drawn and Padme raised a blaster as they slowly inched forward.
"Anakin? Anakin!" The voice of a female called out in fright, seemingly coming from everywhere.
Anakin whirled around, searching for the source of it.
"Anakin, where are you?"
He was able to pinpoint a general direction from which the voice seemed to come and immediately started sprinting there.
"Master, wait!", Ahsoka called and followed him with a curse on her lips.
Anakin came to the first junction, wildly looking around. He thought he saw a flash of movement to the right and there was another desperate sob. He took off again, the two women trailing after him.
Rational thought had flown out of the window. He should have realized that something was off. He should have realized that while he heard his mother's calls for help, he never heard the sounds of footsteps, neither from her nor from her captor. He was led on a wild chase through the whole ship by sound only. It reminded him so much of his dream, his vision and he was terrified of what he would find at the end of it.
The Jedi suddenly came to a stop, having hit a dead end in a bare room. There was nothing here except for a lone chair in the middle of it, illuminated by harsh neon light. There was a person sitting on it but it... wasn't really a person. It was just the image of a person, a translucent red image - a perfect copy of his mother.
Anakin inched closer carefully, his mind not understanding the pictures his eyes supplied.
"Mom?", he asked tentatively.
The red image smiled at him. "Hello, Anakin."
It was her voice. Anakin felt his knees weaken and he unconsciously lowered his lightsaber, the hilt suddenly feeling so heavy in his hand. The image reminded him eerily of something. Something his Master, Obi-Wan had once told him. He'd told him about how Qui-Gon Jinn had visited him, first in his dream, then during day time. How he'd been nothing but a shade, a translucent image of his former self. A ghost carried by the force to further torment him.
"Are you...", he choked on the words, unwilling or unable to actually get them out. "Are you... dead?"
His mother blinked at him in surprise for a moment but her smile never faltered.
"Of course not, silly", she answered. "I can't die. Vader made sure of that."
Wait... what?
The mother stood up and, still smiling, came closer.
"Master", Ahsoka whispered warningly, trying to get him to back off but Anakin couldn't take his eyes off the red image.
"Your father is waiting for you, Ani. We're going to celebrate!" She exclaimed, a ridiculously happy smile spreading on her face. The same mouth that was now smiling brightly at him had called for help desperately just a minute ago and he couldn't fathom just what the hell was going on.
"Celebrate?", he asked weakly. Maybe he was loosing his mind after all.
"Of course, Ani. It's a surprise! Happy birthday!"
There was sudden swish as the metal wall behind the chair began sliding down, revealing the large room behind. In it there were all the people Anakin had expected to see. His father, the three Zabrak Generals, even Dooku and Ventress, all dressed in their formal black Sith robes. But something was wrong because they were holding glasses of champagne and sparkling wine and talking amiably and there was a giant freaking cake on a table in the middle of the room. His mother was there too but she wasn't red and translucent and neither was she bound or gagged or anything like that. In fact, she was smiling quite happily and seemed to be in the middle of cutting the cake. When the wall was down, all of them looked over and similar looks of shock and confusion passed over Vader's and Dooku's face as they saw him.
"Anakin!?", Vader exclaimed, looking as stumped as Anakin felt. "What are you doing here?"
Behind him, his very much solid mother Shmi was smiling and waving at him happily, apparently completely unharmed.
Anakin had absolutely no idea what to say.
XxX
AN: Yay, we broke the 500review barrier!
I think 'multiply' is gonna be the favorite word of the month for some of you guys. I got the feeling you're in for some more hilarious scenes so here it is, Darth Vaders birthday party. It started out as a filler but I turned it into an important part of the story where groundwork is being laid for future disasters. A cookie for the first one to recognize the signs ;-)
