Anakin preferred to run from his thoughts and let them chase him than to risk their catching up. He strolled the base frequently, watching the stars blur as they jumped in and out of hyperspace. It was beautiful, and sometimes he felt more at peace with the stars than in front of the Rebels.

He wore the suit when he wanted to be alone. They didn't talk to him when he looked like the murderer they knew he was.

Today, though, the Rebels had grown their courage overnight, and some even dared sit next to him at the library table and watch him stack and reorganise what little holocrons remained. He had no plans to do what half of them had imagined in visceral detail, but it was slightly amusing to watch them approach him like puppies, sniffing at the air.

He kept his focus on the holocrons. Alphabetising them, watching years of culture he'd torn down. Most of them couldn't manage to hold his interest. Training, tutorials, records. Nothing that mattered anymore.

Though, there was one. Of Obi-Wan, a recorded lecture he'd given to the younglings on using the Force to augment their physical abilities. He looked so much brighter, then. His eyes weren't lit by the holo, but by the audience, and perhaps most importantly, by the absence of his.

The holocron had looped five times now. The Rebels fear had turned into confusion and then, slowly, into a mix of sympathy and pity. He let its clasp snap back, and set it next to the others, nestled deep enough to be lost from sight entirely.

But his wistful feelings were soon overpowered by someone else's. A strange sort of elation, a deep and combined happiness. On the days Anakin was most proud of, he and Obi-Wan could often share this. But who, now, was so consumed by it?

His son. He could sense no-one better than his own family.

Anakin approached with care and a deliberately slow pace.

"You sense that?" Han's voice, nervous. "Force, it's your dad." And since when had he had any belief, any faith in the Force?

"He's probably just curious to see what's going on, Han. I really doubt he wants to kill you."

"I never said that!"

"You thought it."

There was a muttered, "Did not," which Luke disregarded entirely. He was too busy laughing.

"Vader's gonna murder me," Han said. "And I have absolutely no idea how to defend myself, because someone thought it would be a good idea to play hologames instead."

"What, defending yourself can't wait two hours?"

"Not now it can't! Vader's here, and now I'm gonna die. Thanks, kid, you've been a great help."

"He'll probably be happy to see we're skiving off basic training. He always tells Ben it's boring and useless."

"That'd be because it is."

"You don't even know how to shield your mind, Han." A snort. "It's not useless. Boring, yeah, of course, when is it not? But useless? Do you want people prying into your thoughts or don't you?"

"No, I don't, really, I swear. Not an appealing plan of action."

A sigh. Then, "Father's not going to kill you." And a crash. "No, don't try to hide the hologame board, what are we, twelve? Father is about the first person to try that kinda thing, when it comes to training. Hells, if he were here earlier, he'd probably have brought the blasted thing out and insisted we play it."

"I'm not hiding it! I'm strategically placing it to the side. What your dad can't see can't hurt him."

"Except for the fact that he can see, Han. Stop it, I've trained you for about a half a day. You can't go sneaking around Darth Vader with the knowledge the average four-year-old Jedi would know. What're you, crazy?"

"Yes. Now help me hide this board, or so help me, we're all gonna lose our oxygen supply."

"You're jumpy."

"For good reason!"

"Invite him to a game instead, if you don't want to make him mad. Or give him some of that Corellian whisky."

"Damn, that's a good idea- quick, where's the decanter?"

"Force save me, Han, sit down."

"You gonna make me?"

And then Anakin understood.

Despite what Han believed, he hadn't felt even a fleeting shred of anger. That they could find happiness in this war was a blessing, not a curse.

Still, he was curious to see Han's reaction to his presence. An old, tired Sith could have some fun, right?

"Working hard, are you?"

Luke skittered away from the doorframe and left the sensors to shut it automatically, so Anakin wedged his hand through the gap. The ship wasn't old enough to lack safety functions, and quickly reopened the door, revealing a desperate Han Solo trying to push the hologame board out of his frame of sight.

"We've just been training," Han said. "And I wanted a quick break, y'know, stuff gets to you after a while."

A mischevious smile, invisible within the suit. "These are all excuses I have heard before, Solo." A bead of sweat rolled down his neck, and Anakin resisted the urge to burst into laughter. Quickly, he added, "Y'know, even I was more creative back when I was a padawan. I once told Obi-Wan I'd been too busy 'intercepting important Separatist communications' to practice my Shii-Cho. He didn't believe any of it, 'course, but I tried anyway. I kept up the guise of the 'newest comm interception prodigy' for six months before Obi-Wan finally told me to just quit it."

"That's the, uh, first form, isn't it?" Han asked. "Luke said it was used a lot for training."

"So he has been teaching you!" Anakin clapped his hands together, sat down in the corner seat, and hummed thoughtfully. "Oh, this reminds me of my days training Snips. She hated it at first, just wanted to go out and fight. Then she saw Jar'Kai. You pick your favourite form yet?"

"I started just an hour ago," Han returned.

"I'd be interested to see your progress," he said, with a great deal more honesty and sincerity. "No pressure. Keep up your Dejarik game. Just use one of my excuses if anyone asks; it teaches strategy. Really good strategy. Which is integral to the Jedi way."

"You're more terrifying when you're talking like a normal human being," Han said.

"Good to know," Anakin replied, and waved. "I'll let you two go back to your 'training.' Congratulations, by the way. Half the time, I think you two deserve each other. In the best way, I mean."

Han stared, but Luke just snorted loudly. "Thanks for the input, Father. I'll let you know how Han's doing after two hours of practice."

"Have you heard the news?" Anakin asked, and Obi-Wan looked up from the flimsi he wasn't reading with a single eyebrow raised. "Obviously not. Luke's with someone. Guess who?"

He closed his eyes again, but his mouth curled up in a smile. "It's young Han, isn't it? They certainly fit together well."

"We could've had that," Anakin said.

"Not with the Council."

"We could've left the Council, saved them the trouble."

Obi-Wan set down the flimsi, eyes calm but prying. "Would that have led us to happiness?"

"It would've saved us so much time, Master. So many lives."

"This," Obi-Wan gestured to their room, the entire base, "is better than not trying at all."

Anakin pried through data outside of the Jedi archives when he got desperate. It kept him occupied, and stopped Ahsoka from sending him suspicious looks, and equally as suspicious Rebel babysitters. They could sit around and watch him sift through transmissions until the ship shifted to night cycle, but he would make no play at entertaining them. He'd had enough of being the loyal company dog.

Still, their curious eyes were discomfiting, distracting. And their chatter grating.

For all his faked childhood stints in enemy interception, he had learnt through the years to pick out those who lacked the sense to keep their mouths shut. He knew what channels in the Empire would contain blabbering, mindless bucketheads, and they weren't Main Command. Comms between friends, coworkers, those were where they truly talked. Never in the eyes of an Administrator, but in the eyes of their equals.

Before his defection, he'd had them immediately silenced. Oftentimes, personally. An unwitting traitor was a traitor all the same. But here, now, they were useful. Not little bugs, but people with lives. Fools, but sentient. Feeling. And he could take advantage of all of it, where he'd been so limited under Imperial command. Palpatine blinded him in the Darkness, but now he could use it to see. He had both sides of the Force at his fingertips, and that lent him more power than the Jedi - or the Sith - had ever considered.

Vader was particularly pleased by this. The part of him that was still Anakin was fascinated. If he was meant to enact Balance, then it could only follow that he should become it, as well.

"You," he said, pointing a gloved finger at one of the more skittish of his guard. "Tell me, does the Alliance have anything on Imperial signal decryption? Or will I be forced to do all of it myself?"

The Alliance did, in fact, have something on Imperial signal decryption. They produced it almost instantly, as if to appease him, and yet still watched over his shoulder. Not that this bothered him any. He had no plans to do anything worth their disapproval. He could sense them, their courage in the face of fear, and he respected them. They chose this life. He would do anything in his power to make it easier for them, now. They'd become his people. As vigilant as they liked to be.

As promised, the channels were overflowing, cluttered to the brim with information. The babysitters let their keen eye dim just slightly.

He skimmed through the unimportant chatter, tuning his ear for key phrases, things that might give away carefully-hidden enemy secrets.

And there it was. Just sitting there. A holomessage, from some Imp, to one of their family members. A tired-looking Mirialan boy, his face scattered with small little diamonds, like freckles. From the sound of it, he was talking to his sister. But there was something empty in the way he looked that caught Anakin off guard.

"I mean, I knew I never should've taken the job, Ziira, but I thought it'd be good for me. The other Mirialan here, there's something up with her. I don't know, it's strange, and if I'm completely honest with you, it's scaring me a bit. She looks like someone dragged her here against her will, like- like she wants to claw her way out, or something. She's crazy, I'm telling you. They make you crazy here. They have labs for it, and everything. All sorts of experiments. It's- I'm so tired, Ziira. I just want to go home. But at this point, y'know, I have this terrible feeling- this terrible feeling they won't let me."

The holo flickered off, and flashed the words "END TRANSMISSION.", before going silently back to its usual passive scanning.

Ahsoka rushed her way to the table, and Anakin was so completely used to people appearing from nowhere, that, at this point, she couldn't raise a hair on his head. She did, other times, when she held a blade to his throat, perhaps. But sneaking around in the shadows was what he'd taught her, back in the day, in case she'd ever needed it.

She hadn't, truly. But it seemed that had changed during her time away from the Order. Free from it.

"Another Mirialan? With the Imps?" Her fingers gripped the edges of the library table. It was durasteel, but he had no doubt in his mind she could shatter it like glass if she felt the inclination.

"Are we going to focus on the irrelevant, or the interesting, Ahsoka?" A small smile, in his words. He lifted the helmet from his head, so she might stop looking at him like- like, well. What he was, and all he could have been. "I'd consider lab experiments a bit more important than every-day interactions between species."

"Did you not hear what he said?" Ahsoka had paled, slightly, just bringing her skin a whisper closer to the colour of her markings. It was over quickly, but her concern set him on edge.

"About the Mirialan? What's so important about-"

"You know what Mirialan chose the side of the Empire, Vader. I'm sure you were very pleased to see her again."

Offee. That one. Oh, yes, he'd known her. Known that she'd liked to keep to herself, and that wasn't something she planned on changing at any point in the near future. "Barely. She spoke probably once when I was around. Yeah, real chatterbox, right?"

"If she's still with them, if they've used her to fuel their research-"

"Well, we're going to check it out, right? We'll find out for sure, then."

"Of course we are. But do you know what this means? They've got more of them. Gods, they must have so many."

"Can't be worse than me, and look where I'm sitting right now! They'll come 'round."

"She won't."

"Gonna test that theory? Or are you just gonna sit around thinking about testing it?"

"I need a ship," she said, and hurried towards the docking bay.

There was a ship, of course. There was always a ship. Ahsoka called them all to the docking bay, and held out a holomap.

"It's in Wild Space," she said. "It may contain something that could win - or lose - us this war. But it also may kill us. Nobody in the Empire has ever let slip what they keep there."

"And we're going?" Luke asked. He spun the map around, curious, but not threatened. "With enough backup, we'll make it through, I'm sure of it."

"Yes, we're going. If you agree."

"We all do," Leia cut in. "As you can clearly see." She gestured to the eager, intrigued faces of the remaining Jedi, and Ahsoka nodded.

But there was a warning in her eyes. A concern, running deep. She seemed uneasy. "We'll need to be careful. If the Mirialan's there."

"We may still yet escape her," Obi-Wan said. "If we're able to time it right."

Ahsoka scoffed. "If." Then, a sigh. "This isn't going to be a breeze."

"Oh, we know."

They knew. Immediately.

Wild Space wasn't daunting, but interesting, worthy of his curiosity. But it was also dangerous - incredibly dangerous. There were no patrols, Imperial or otherwise, to scour these fields of space. Even scavengers rarely went in without an entire fleet, and they never stayed long.

Unexplored space was a threat. Unworn paths through the forests of stars meant more hazards along the way, and the long-abandoned ships floating here and there promised they wouldn't be unchallenging. It surprised him, that the Empire would be so daring as to build a station here, though it was likely it wasn't their choice alone. The Mirialan. Offee. The other Inquisitors. They all had far too much influence over High Command.

For all the Empire denied the existence of the Force, they'd managed to clear enough room in their roster for an entire division dedicated to solely that.

"Well, I can't say I've done this before," Han said. Anakin stood over him at the helm, determined to check for any signs of engine failure, signs that they were pushing the hyperdrive beyond its limits. Getting stranded here was a death sentence.

"There's a first time for everything," he replied, and Han's eye twitched.

"Can't say no to new experiences."

Luke slipped in from behind them, and put a hand on Han's shoulder. "We can do it. We've just gotta work together to, uh, not die."

"That was very reassuring, Luke, thank you."

"Nobody works together better than we can," Luke said, like this was a dare. "Bet you they don't."

"The power of teamwork is what's gonna get us out of this, is that what you're saying?"

"The power of not being uncoordinated is gonna get us out of this," Luke corrected. Han opened his mouth, then closed it.

"Fair point. But don't get too cocky, kid. We've got a long way to go."

Luke raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Then let's enjoy the ride. You got anything besides Dejarik on this ship?"

The base was small, barely a whisper of a thing, hidden like a grain of sand in this vast wasteland. Scans showed the engines, the life support, anything necessary, working in perfect order. Everything unnecessary was peeling back at the edges. Not that there was much to peel back, looking at it. There were no identifying marks on the station's hull, and Anakin had a strong feeling there never had been. If the Empire truly cared about its image here, they'd have sent a team out to repaint their sigil in as bright a colour as possible. This was purposeful stealth.

"What a miracle. They're actually hard to find," Anakin said.

"Are they even alive?" Han sighed. "No, no, don't answer that. I know it doesn't take much to keep yourself breathing, even barely. This place is just..."

"A dump? Hardly a reflection of its importance? Yeah, that's the Empire's idea of subtlety." Anakin smiled. "Cute, isn't it?"

It was a monstrosity. Calling it cute would be like calling a Krayt dragon domesticated and soft-hearted. It was an ugly grey, it looked half-pieced together like one of his mother's quilts, and it dripped with the scent of danger. That it blended into the background without further study only proved its vitality.

"It's gonna be locked down tighter than Palpatine's a-"

"Yep," Anakin interrupted, loudly. Han smirked, but spared them the fate they'd have suffered from hearing the end of his sentence. "But, hey, what can't we break through, right? Obi-Wan once got himself locked up in high security prison because the Council felt like it. And convinced me he was dead. Thanks for that, by the way, Master."

"I'm sorry. Duty to the Order had to be my first priority in the Wars." He sighed. "I may have the abilities of a spy, but I certainly don't have the resources. We've no idea about the uniforms, mannerisms, or rules in place at this station. We can't infiltrate it by disguise."

"I might-"

"Anakin, I am sorry, but news in the Empire travels fast, even to outposts in Wild Space. They'll know Vader's no longer on their side."

"Yeah, okay. But they won't recognise me without it, right? Or maybe I could just intimidate them into opening-"

Obi-Wan scoffed at this.

"Fair point," Anakin said, with a sigh. "If there's anything worth keeping in here, the Stormies would lay down their lives to keep the Alliance from entering. Even if Darth Vader demanded they unlock their doors."

"So we're going to have to play the unrecognisable, unimportant lackey game," Ahsoka said. "Some of us have our faces painted on Imperial Wanted Posters." She eyed Obi-Wan, and then Anakin himself. "Some of us don't. Not yet, at least. Soon, definitely, but that's for later. Take advantage of what anonymity we have left now."

"So, no hints of Vader." Anakin hummed. "Better prepare with some meditation, huh, Obi-Wan?" But Obi-Wan wasn't smiling. Instead, he looked curious.

"You insist the part of you that was once the Anakin we knew is gone, yes?"

Anakin tilted his head. "I'm not the same as I once was."

"How good are you at pretending?"

"After Vader? Very."

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes. "It might work. Stealth is preferable, but we can utilise your skills as a last resort."

"Skills?"

"How much of Vader's Darker side can you hide, really? Does it truly take meditation?"

"Not so much anymore," Anakin offered. "I tip when I'm angry, or when I talk to people I'm, uh, 'not particularly fond of'. But I can usually hold it off. I have to be exceptionally caught off-guard to fail at that."

"Good," Obi-Wan said, steepling his fingers together. "Vader has no face, to them. Only a voice, a way of speaking. If you temporarily conceal the Dark in you, they'll have no way of figuring out who you are. Steal a uniform, look and feel the part, and you'll be free of their suspicion."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Temporarily?"

"We are not asking you to hide who you are, Anakin. Only that you attempt... a less direct method of approach."

"Can do, Master." He paused. "And, thank you."

Author's Note: VADER IS SO PRETENTIOUS. WRITING IN HIS POV MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A FAUX-INTELLECTUAL, I-DON'T-NEED-GLASSES-BUT-I-WEAR-THEM-ANYWAY, STUCK-UP PRAT. Oh God, can you ever get too into the minds of the characters you write? Someone save me, please, holy shit, before I start insisting I'm too good for Starbucks and need quality green tea to properly focus my mind. Not that I have anything against quality green tea. That's the good shit, right there.

Tbh, though, I'm p much 200% sure I can write on doughnuts. As long as it's food, and there's caffeine. What is college, what is life? What is healthy eating? What are healthy habits? What is not writing at 2 in the bloody morning oh god look at the time fuck?

Enjoy. I hope. c: