DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS

I apologize in advance for the shortness of this chapter, but it is mostly a filler, setting up the next arc. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 17

Vader stared silently at the irritating form of Grand Admiral Thrawn. The dark lord's visage was more unnerving than usual as he stared down the Chiss. Thrawn was his usual emotionless mask, even in the face of the towering dark lord. His hands were clasped behind his back as he awaited Vader's voice.

"It seems you have failed me, Grand Admiral. Your arrogance has cost us a victory," Vader said icily.

Thrawn blinked. "My lord, the incompetence of these star destroyers-"

"Silence!" Vader boomed, the room shaking with his rage. "Do not presume to lecture me about the composition of your fleet. The Emperor's pet tactician should find a way to achieve victory, especially when he has superior firepower."

Thrawn stiffened. He hated that moniker. 'The Emperor's pet' was given to him all because he and his people were a long-kept secret that only Palpatine knew. He was an unknown that had entered the Imperial navy early in his life. Despite his undeniable skill as a tactician and fleet commander, he didn't get the respect he deserved until later in his career.

"Apologies, Lord Vader. It will not happen again."

Vader didn't move a muscle, only staring down the Chiss with his trademark expressionless gaze. "You had better not, Thrawn. The Emperor will not be able to save you should you fail a second time."

Thrawn breathed a small sigh of relief. Though he was an intimidating figure himself, the air around Darth Vader made it hard to breathe, especially when you'd failed him. Thrawn gave a small bow to the dark lord and turned to leave, but was stopped by his deep, resonating voice.

"For now, return to the Lothal system. Crush that uprising. The suffering of that planet will lure Ezra Bridger out of hiding."

Thrawn bowed once again. "As you wish, my lord."

Luke was in a positively good mood. The Pride of the Core was running at full capacity, thanks to the thousands of battle droids they'd recovered. Overall, the mission to Ord Mantell was a resounding success, but the men lost still weighed on his heart. Rex had reminded him that a commander's duty was to ensure the completion of a mission, but he also had a duty to his men. You reason with yourself and say you sacrificed this many men so you could save the lives of this many.

The Pride was in an uproar. There were men and battle droids rushing all about, stocking up on provisions, loading all of the batteries, and refueling. Luke had to skirt the edges of the corridors to avoid the jostling crowds. He grinned and endured many pats on the back from the clone troops that passed him, all wanting to congratulate him on his first successful mission.

He was on his way to his personal quarters when a whisper in the Force ground him to a halt. Turning his head, it seemed to emanate from his father's private quarters. Slowly approaching the door, Luke put himself on guard. When the door slid open, he nearly drew his lightsaber, but it would have been for nothing, as the room was unoccupied.

Stepping inside, he flicked on the lights as the door slid closed behind him. The whisper had become stronger, and was tinged with the dark side. It seemed to be originating from Anakin's desk drawer. Luke walked up to it and looked down. Holding his hand in front of it, he could feel the waves of emotion coming from this object. Gently pulling the drawer open, the only thing Luke saw inside was an old journal. Reaching down, he picked up the small book and studied its cover.

It was leather-bound and worn from years of elements. Luke surmised that it'd come from Obi-Wan's house on Tatooine. Thumbing it open, Luke sat down to read. The journal was filled with neat handwriting that befitted a man such as Obi-Wan. He read through the Jedi Master's history of the Clone Wars, often laughing at the side remarks Obi-Wan would make about Anakin and his padawan.

Luke's eyes widened and froze when he came to a page titled 'the Fall of the Jedi & Order 66.' Studying every word, his blood chilled to the bone while the heat rose to his brain. Hia anger ignited, the flames being fanned with every word he read. A single tear slipped out of his right eye when he read the last few sentences.

'He told me he hated me. The man I raised, and he hated me. I told him he was my brother, that I loved him. I left him there, mutilated, and burning. I could not bear to bring myself to kill him. I can only hope the elements took their toll, for I do not wish to subject him to a lifetime of pain. I have failed as a teacher. The destruction of the Jedi Order is my fault, my burden to bear. I only hope that someday, his offspring will right his wrongs. They are the future of our Order. They will bring balance where their father could not.'

Luke slammed the book shut and placed it into his jacket. Storming out of Anakin's room, he barely paid any heed to the troopers in his way. They wanted to stop him and converse, but quickly got the gist of his mood and made themselves scarce. Before long, the doors to the bridge of the Pride opened, and Luke marched right down the center, towards his father, who was laughing with Alpha.

Anakin turned and smiled at the presence of his son. "Hey, what is it?"

Luke produced the journal and held it in front of him. "What. Is. This?" he spat each word out, anger seeping through the cracks in his mind, tainting the Force all around him. Most of the officers on deck were feeling a sense of unease at the powerful presence of the boy.

Anakin looked shocked. "Where di you get that?"

"You know perfectly well where I got this. Why by the twin suns didn't you tell me?" Luke demanded.

Anakin raised a hand in an attempt to calm Luke. "Follow me," he said quietly, his long strides carrying him off before Luke could react. Alpha stared after them with a confused look before barking for his officers to return to their duties.

Anakin led the two of them into the large conference room, seating himself at the head of the table. He motioned for Luke to take a seat as well, but the young Jedi took to leaning against the wall, glaring at his father.

Anakin spread his hands. "What is it you think I kept from you?"

Luke looked dumbfounded. "Oh, wow, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you're the Sith Lord that's trying to KILL US!"

"Watch it," Anakin snapped. "It's not what it seems."

"Oh yeah? Then what is it, then? Go on, explain it to me."

Anakin sighed. Was this what it was like for Obi-Wan to train him? Taking a deep breath, he stared at Luke, judging the boy's body language and facial expressions, both of which were oozing complete anger.

"It is true that Darth Vader was once me. I learned the day I was brought here, so I've had time to process. But make no mistake, I've seen Vader's memories. I no longer exist in his mind. Darth Vader has consumed him completely."

Luke shook his head. "It's still you. You still did those things. You still brought about the destruction of the Jedi."

"YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT?" Anakin roared, causing Luke to flinch. This was the first time he'd seen Anakin's anger explode like this. His own paled in comparison.

"I've spent the last six months with this damned rebellion knowing that I caused the birth of the Empire in the first place. It may not have been directly me, but I still made those decisions, and would have again, had I not been pulled here by Master Yoda," Anakin said, placing his head in his hands.

It was then that Luke realized what a broken soul his father was. He'd lost everyone he'd ever known to come here and train his son. He would never see his wife again, or his old Master, Obi-Wan. He would never see any of his troopers again, and if he did, they were not the same as he left them. On top of all that, he had to live with the knowledge that he'd helped subjugate the entire galaxy, and had played a major part in destroying the Jedi Order. The only thing he had left to live for was Luke.

Luke stepped forward, taking the seat next to his father. He placed a comforting arm around Anakin as he felt the sobs wrack the tall Jedi's body. Over the course of several minutes, they gradually stopped, and Anakin sat up, his eyes red and bloodshot.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice only coming out as a whisper.

Luke nodded. "I forgive you. You had good reason to keep that from me. I only have one question. How can you be sure that you don't still exist somewhere inside of Vader? If we could turn him against the Emperor-"

"No," Anakin interrupted. "No. The Sith are evil. When one becomes a Sith, their entire identity is shaped by their new name. Their old personality ceases to exist, save for a few behavioral qualities. I saw it happen to Count Dooku, or Darth Tyranus."

"Alright, so how do we beat the Sith?" Luke asked.

Anakin sat up, rubbed his eyes, and sighed. "We continue your training. I fought Vader blade to blade. We were in a deadlock. With enough time, I'm sure that I can beat him, but it will require me to tap into my emotions. Its best if you aren't in the way when that happens."

"So what am I to do while you fight Vader?"

"Well, if Master Yoda is anything to go by, Palpatine will be decrepit by now. Even still, if Vader's memories are accurate, the old man could still pack a punch with some Force lightning. I'll need you to deal with that traitorous bastard while I fight Vader."

Luke nodded. "Well, at least now we have a plan. So let's do it."

"No, you're not ready. You've only just learned some control of your emotions. You still need to return to Master Yoda and complete your training as a Knight."

Luke dropped his head. He'd completely forgotten about Yoda, and his promise to return. Though he wished to remain with the fleet, he knew that his father was right. "Alright, so when do I leave?"

Anakin gave a small smile. "This isn't a punishment. I'm just making sure that you'll be ready when the time comes. There's no such thing as too much training."

Luke nodded. "I'll leave as soon as possible."

Vader breathed in through his nose, a feeling that he cherished due to its rarity. His hyperbaric chamber offered the only comfort in the entire galaxy left for a man like him: silence. His ability to meditate within its stark white walls without his cumbersome suit of armor gave Vader respite from his duties.

Using this time to meditate, Vader often allowed himself to stretch out with his feelings, a freedom he did not indulge in the company of others, least of all his officers. This was usually his time of peace and relaxation, but these last few months, something had been eating at his brain. That something had been the appearance of Anakin Skywalker. The dark lord wondered how it was possible for the long-dead Jedi to be here, two decades after his death.

No matter, he killed Anakin Skywalker in his mind, now he must kill him physically. He did it before, he will do it again. It did anger vader knowing that his son would be brainwashed against the Sith by the Jedi. Ideally, Luke would have turned to the dark side, and together, they would have overthrown the Emperor. But now, Skywalker, and no doubt Obi-Wan, would have combined their efforts to turn the boy against the Empire.

He was ripped out of his thoughts by the repetitive beeping of the transmitter. Grumbling to himself, Vader lowered his helmet and opened his chamber. The shrouded figure of his master appeared, prompting vader to drop to one knee.

"What is thy bidding, my master?"

The Emperor gave a short cackle. "Skywalker still eats away at your mind, my friend. Forget them, for I have a task for you. You will divert all of our remaining resources to the construction of our new Death Star. With its completion and new design, the rebellion will be crushed."

Vader bowed his head. "It will be done, my Master."

Anakin rolled out from underneath his fighter, dusting off his tunic as Luke approached in his full flight gear. "You all set?"

Luke nodded. "I am."

"Don't worry. Just remember everything I taught you about channeling your emotions and you'll be fine. Master Yoda is a great teacher."

Luke shrugged. "It's not that. It's just, I don't want to leave all of you."

Anakin waved a hand. "We'll be fine. The next year or so will be stocking up on supplies. We can't fight the Empire with what we have here, we need networks. By the time you get back, we'll be ready to go on the offensive."

Luke allowed himself a small grin. "I'll hold you to that, father."

Anakin gave a small salute as Luke turned to leave, climbing into the cockpit of his X-Wing. His pride swelled for his son as the X-Wing left the hangar of the Pride. Although somehow, Anakin knew that when they meet again, his son would be very different.