Part 1

Vader passed through another wormhole, landing in an underground tunnel. His ship would have been unable to travel through this tunnel due to the electromagnetic interference from the surrounding structure. All of a sudden, he could sense the presence of an extremely strong Force-sensitive, an individual with power comparable to that of the Sith Lord. Vader made his way down the massive tunnel. After travelling for half an hour, he turned around a corner and saw a stationary ship.

Four people ran out of the ship, one of them is whom he seeks. The four look back as a bomb impacts the ship, rendering it utterly useless. Vader moved quickly towards the four. Five flying machines with tentacles zoom towards the ship's remains and its previous crewmen. As the people began to flee again, one of them stopped and turned to face the robots.

The Dark Lord could sense that he is about to channel the Force from within. Even an untrained Force-sensitive, no matter how strong, is unable to properly use the Force. As the machines closed in on their targets, Vader raised his arm and grabbed them with the Force. The four crewmen watched as the robots were crushed into four separate balls. They noticed Vader and raised their weapons, ready to defend themselves if necessary. He continued towards them as another ship of the same design made its way to them as well.

Vader stopped in his tracks, contemplating his next move. His only recourse is to go along on the ship, to study this Force-user. As the others boarded the ship, crewmen appeared and trained their weapons on Vader. With one hand raised, Vader used the Force to snap all of the weapons as if they were toothpicks. He walked onto the ship, with no one capable of stopping him.

Part 2

The ship, known as the Hammer, was currently traveling to the underground city of Zion. Vader sat alone with his thoughts in the common area, his breathing the only audible sound in the room. A door opened and two people walked in. The first is Captain Roland, commander of the ship. The second is the force user known as Neo. Captain Roland took a seat across the table from Vader, Neo remained standing.

"Lets begin, shall we." Roland said, "Can I ask you what your name is?" No reply came from Vader. Roland continued, though slightly annoyed by the lack of a response. "It's quite strange for someone to be walking around in the tunnels all by themselves. How did you come to be down here?" Still, no answer came from Vader. "Look, I am going to need some answers to explain to the council what happened down here."

"You are not worth my time." Vader stated.

Captain Roland stood up from his seat, forcefully placing his hands on the table. He leaned forward, instinctively creating a dominant stance. "I am the captain of this ship," Roland said, quite irritated by the disrespectful behavior. "Now you will show me respect and answer my questions, or so help me God I will drop you into the first bottomless hole that I can fi-" Roland was abruptly cut off as Vader performed a Force choke on the captain. He then raised the captain off the floor. Neo could only watch, gripped with fear at what he was witnessing. Roland was slowly turned to face Neo.

"I will speak with him." Vader said coldly. "You however, will leave us." The captain fell to his hands and knees when the Sith Lord released his grip.

Rising slowly to his feet, Roland made his way out of the room. Turning back around, the captain faced Neo. While massaging his throat, the captain spoke. "If you need anything, we'll b-," The door slammed shut in Roland's face with Vader's skills in the Force.

Neo was left in the room with Vader now. In this moment he wished with all of his effort to be in the Matrix. At least there he could stand a chance against this potential enemy.

The Dark Lord raised his arm, open palm facing the seat Roland had previously occupied. Seeming to have a mind of its own, the chair moved away from the table just enough to indicate to Neo that he should take the seat. Hesitantly, Neo sat down across from Vader.

"Alright, I guess I will take over for Captain Roland now." Neo said with a slight quake in his voice.

"No," Vader replied, "that will not be necessary. Instead, you will answer the questions that I have for you."

"Okay," Neo said. He could feel his heart rate quicken with every passing moment that he spent with this person.

Vader brought his hands together on top of the table as he leaned forwards. "Down in the tunnels," he began, "as the machines pursued you and your compatriots, you felt something didn't you. Something that you hadn't felt before."

Neo gave it a quick thought and soon realized what he was being asked. "I did," was his only reply.

"Describe it for me." Vader told him.

Being able to focus on something else gave Neo the opportunity to calm his nerves. "Well, I could feel this sensation running through my body." He looked at his hands on the table. "Then I could feel my friends, I could feel the energy in the tunnel walls." He opened his hands and looked at his own palms. "I could feel the machines coming for us." Neo raised his hands to eye level. "I don't know how I knew, I could just feel that I could grab hold of the machines and rip them apart from the inside out." Neo looked back up at Vader. "I almost did."

"And do you know what that feeling, that sensation was?" Vader asked. Neo could only shake his head. "That was the Force," Vader made a fist with his left hand. "The most powerful energy in all of existence. It connects everyone and everything. I could sense your strong connection from the moment that I entered your universe." That last statement left Neo puzzled. He opened his mouth to speak, only for Vader to cut him off by opening his hand and facing his palm towards Neo. "We will discuss that later."

Neo soon realized the opportunity before him. He was no longer scared. "What you're saying is, you can fight the machines with your mind." Neo said.

"Indeed" Vader replied.

"My people," he said, looking Vader in the eyes, or at least, the eyes of his helmet. "they have been at war with those machines for longer than anyone can remember. We are forced to live down here, deep beneath the surface."

"But with your help," he said with more hope in his tone, "and if you're willing to teach me how to use this Force, I know that we can finally put an end to the war for good."

"Perhaps," was the Sith's only response.

"What?" Neo asked, slightly taken aback by the statement.

"Perhaps I can help your people, but I will expect something in return." Vader said, knowing fully well how this would go.

Neo gave it a thought, wondering if a person like this, someone who would use an entire society as a bargaining chip, was worth making an alliance with. But this was the first ray of hope that his people had in an untold number of centuries to be free of the machines.

"Anything you want can be arranged." Neo said, hoping that this person's demands could be met.

"First," Vader said while holding up a finger. "I am expanding my empire across the multiverse. Your people will bow before me as their emperor."

"I'm sure that they will be more than willing, as long as you can destroy the machines. If you do, I will support you." Neo said.

"Good," came Vader's reply, "Because that leads to my second and final condition." He said, now holding up two fingers. "You," Now he had one finger pointing at Neo. "You shall join me as my new apprentice. I will teach you the ways of the Force and we shall rule the multiverse."

This was all striking Neo very suddenly. He only cared for the liberation of his people. Now he was being offered the chance to be second in command of an empire, an offer which he cared nothing for. But he knew that he must do everything that he can to save his loved ones. Neo took a deep breath, doing his best to commit to the necessary decision at hand..

"Alright, I will join you as your apprentice. As long as you help my people." Neo said

"Good," Vader replied.

"Are you sure that you're powerful enough to stop the machines?" Neo asked, giving it one last consideration.

The Sith Lord stood up straight, raised his open hand to chest level, and closed it suddenly. Every loose item and Neo were sent flying across the room. Vader had used the Force to immediately stop the ship and keep himself in place at the same time. Neo looked up into Vader's mask, only hearing the Dark Lord's breathing.

Part 3

The Hammer had reached the surface, emerging from a tunnel just outside of Machine City. Neo and Vader climbed to the top of the ship and looked out across the dark expanse. It was clear to any that saw it that the sun had not touched this desolate landscape in eons. The day had been just as chaotic and life altering as when he originally learned of the Matrix.

First this random stranger appeared out of nowhere, showing magical abilities. Second, Bane had started attacking people on the ship, eventually revealing himself to have had his mind entirely altered by the, now rogue, program, Agent Smith. Vader had quickly disposed of him. Now they were in sight of the end to the war between man and machine.

Vader raised his left hand and aligned it with his right shoulder. He swept it out in front of himself, releasing a wave of Force energy directed at the city.

Once it reached the city, it began to uproot, knock over, and rip apart every structure and machine within its path. Everything was ripped apart inch by inch, with nothing to slow down the wave. Flying robots were dispatched to attack the ship. Once they get close enough Vader caused them to explode with the Force.

Neo watched as the wave completely dismantled the structure containing all of the humans used to power the machines. 'Just another casualty of war' he reasoned to himself. Soon the wave struck the Central Core and ripped it to shreds, sending metal and circuitry flying off. Now with the Central Core gone, the machines fell to the ground, "braindead", while also completely destroying the Matrix.

Even though he witnessed it for himself, Neo still could not believe what had happened. In one literal swoop, Vader exercised his godlike power and destroyed the machine city.

"Come, you have much to learn." Vader said as he headed back into the ship