Chapter 46 – Unlimited Power

Frustration spread inside him. For days now, he tried to track his family, but hit one dead end after another. With a growl, he destroyed the four training droids with a clench of his fist, which had already fallen victim to his overflowing fury earlier. Vader watched how the machines turned into sparking piles of scrap and slumped miserably to the ground.

"I'm not getting anywhere like this," he hissed in outrage, sending the remains of the droids crashing into the wall beside him.

He had found the connection in his head that his master had spoken of. And yet he ran into nothingness every time he tried to follow it. It was as if his children were hidden from him. But Vader would not give up. If he found Kenobi, he would kill him personally and watch that light go out of that monster's eyes. He would never let himself be oppressed again and let his family be taken from him.

"I see your search has not been successful yet." His master had entered the small training room unnoticed, his arms crossed in his long, dark robe while his hood wasn't covering his head for once. Palpatine was sporting a kind and fatherly smile, concern mirroring in his amber eyes.

Vader let his eyes linger on the man for a second, before letting them return to the destroyed droids. He sighed. "No master."

Palpatine hummed in acknowledgement and approached him. "How about a little spar? Maybe you'll be able to sort your thoughts afterwards."

A small smile crept onto his face. Blowing off steam was always a good option. "You're very welcome, Master."

So far, they hadn't had a chance to train together. Vader didn't know how his mentor would fight. But something told him that the man's old body was just a facade. Balancing his own lightsaber in his hand, he watched as Palpatine removed his robe and dropped it to the floor in the corner of the room.

The Sith took his position opposite him, neck and shoulders rolling, the hilt of his sword already tightly gripped.

As Vader readied himself, a question buzzed through his mind again, one he had not yet been able to answer yet.

Why did he have a lightsaber? And in addition, that of a Jedi. It made no sense. Slaves were not allowed to have possessions. Especially not a deadly weapon. Something didn't add up and gave him a headache the more he thought about it.

He blew out a breath and activated the azure blade. His master gave him a brief questioning look. "You are brooding, my boy."

Quickly refocusing on the present, Vader banished the thought from his mind. "I'm sorry. It was nothing."

Palpatine looked unconvinced, but nodded curtly. "Very well. Then let's begin."

A crimson blade snapped alive and merely milliseconds later he found himself blocking a flurry of blows which were too fast to be trackable by a normal human. His estimation was correct. Palpatine was disproportionately strong, each of his blows precise - and at the same time so deadly that Vader forgot they were just training. Somehow, being put on the defensive contradicted his innermost feelings, and that made the rage in him boil up again.

The Sithlord threw him a bared grin as he pushed him further back. "Yes, use your anger. It makes you strong. Without it, you don't stand a chance."

Letting out a roar, he summersaulted over Palpatine and swung at the old man's back. Again, his mentor just twisted and redirected the blade effortlessly.

Vader could not land a single hit. It was impossible and the frustration that swelled inside him became unbearable. He was better than this. Something told him that.

Use your anger. The words echoed on his mind. If he had enough of one thing in him, it was anger. Pausing for a moment, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The spark inside him became a blazing flame and Vader felt the fire burning in his veins as he channeled this new power.

"Yes, just like that, my boy."

Vader barely heard Palpatine's voice. He was too caught up in the maelstrom of power being revealed to him. He felt free. A grin pulled at his lips and he slowly opened his eyes. The amber of his iris glowed like the wild inferno inside him.

With a strength that made him feel like he had been reborn, his hand shot out and lightning shot from his fingertips, cracking through the air and filling it with electricity. The room lit up in blinding, bluish light.

Caught by a moment of surprise, his master barely avoided being roasted alive and jumped aside, lightsaber drawn behind his back. The man's eyes were sparkling with satisfaction and pride.

A low chuckle escaped the Sith's throat. "It's liberating, isn't it? So much power... and it's at your feet - waiting for you to use it." With a hiss, the red blade disappeared back into the hilt and Palpatine approached him, arms folded. "And believe me when I tell you, this is only the beginning. You just have to be willing to follow me."

Amber eyes traced the old man's features. This was his chance. Vader knew that this was his way to become invincible. To take back what should have been his all along.

"Teach me, master."

The Sith settled a bony and cold hand on his shoulder. "I knew you would make the right decision, my boy." He gave him a toothy smile. "Come with me, I think I can help you to find your children."

With that, the hand withdrew from his shoulder and he watched as Palpatine, without so much as a jerk of his finger, levitated his robe toward him and threw it over, the dark hood once again concealing his features. Without another word, he stepped to the door and Vader couldn't help himself but deactivate his still-lit lightsaber, hastily clipping it to his belt and following his mentor down the hall.

"Where are we going?", he queried as he finally caught up.

Palpatine wasn't looking at him as he spoke. "We're going to meditate together."

Vader had meditated for hours in these last days. Trying to find at least a trace of his children. His master now offering his support sent a spark of hope through him that he could get his family back soon.

They walked together in silence, only the clicking of their boots echoing from the walls. Again, Vader's thought began to drift. As they had fought, the weapon had felt foreign in his hands. As if it was opposing him. He possessed so much power, manipulated the Force according to his wishes, and yet the blade did not obey him.

Together they entered a small chamber which was bare except for two black mats in the middle of the room. Palpatine strode towards one of them and sat down cross-legged, placing his lightsaber in front of his legs.

Vader hesitated and stopped in the doorway, unsure if he should do the same as his master.

"Come on, my apprentice," the Sith hummed softly, his eyes already closed, "You don't have to be afraid of me."

A little stiffly, he moved to the still vacant mat and mirrored Palpatine's position. His lightsaber on the floor and his legs crossed.

"What worries you, Vader?" his counterpart asked after a moment of silence.

If he was honest, he didn't know if he should really bring it up. It was a silly thought, and yet he wouldn't let it go.

"It's just..." he began, unsure of what words to choose, "It's my lightsaber, Master. It doesn't make any sense to me. It's a Jedi's weapon. And it's puzzling to me why a slave like me would possess such a valuable piece."

For a brief moment, he thought he saw his master's features slip away before the stone mask returned. "You are no longer a slave, my boy. Remember that," Palpatine opened his eyes again and Vader found himself exposed to those piercing yellow eyes.

"This weapon," with his skinny fingers he pointed to the silver-black handle, "This weapon is actually yours. But you were never allowed to use it, it served to humiliate you. Only to remind you of what you could have been. If you had been a free man. Kenobi let you carry it when you accompanied him. After all, you had to look like a real Jedi, but still he always held you back. Made sure you would never develop your true power."

With disgust, Vader looked at the weapon at his feet. "Then why do I still have it? It doesn't feel right to wield it, and it reminds me of a past I'd like to forget."

The hilt was lifted off the floor and hovered now in front of his head. Palpatine was still watching him intently. "This weapon is your past as well as it is your future. It may reek of light for now, but you will corrupt it – and then it's going to bend to your will."

Vader's brows furrowed in confusion. "Corrupt it?"

A smile appeared beneath the Sith's hood. "Yes. Make the crystal bleed. Teach it your rage. Show it your darkness."

The weapon slid slowly into his palm and Vader heard the crystal screaming inside. It tried to sing a song of light, but the darkness that surrounded it threatened to swallow it. "Look here." His master closed his eyes again, raised his hands and his lightsaber rose and the sheath began to open. A blood-red crystal was revealed, which the Sith levitated with ease to eye level, while the remaining components once again sank to the ground. "Cyber crystals are naturally in tune with the light side of the Force. To make them a powerful tool, you must purge their insides of the plague of light."

Fascinated, Vader watched as red threads of smoke from Palpatine's fingertips reached out and enveloped the crystal. A song could be heard in the Force that sounded like a war march. Destruction. Rage. Infinite power.

"Go ahead. Try it," his master encouraged him.

A little unsure, he opened his own lightsaber with the Force and let the glowing blue crystal float in front of him. He had to drive the light out of this powerful construct. Then it would be his. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the crystal. Anger. Hatred. Fear. Vader released all his negative emotions. But the barrier of the energy source was strong. The crystal vehemently resisted the violent takeover. Gritting his teeth, he sank deeper into the dark side of the Force. Just when he thought he could break the crystal's will, it suddenly attacked and his head snapped back, eyes unseeing.

…hands gripped the railing of a hospital bed. One made of metal, the other flesh. On the bed laid the deathly still form of a man which he instantly recognized as Kenobi. The man wasn't breathing on his own. Instead, a tube ran down his throat which forced the oxygen into his lungs. A brace had been fastened around the jedi's head, keeping it in place. Bandages looped almost around every inch of the man's body.

With a trembling hand, Vader reached out and gripped Kenobi's arm. There was this sadness he just couldn't define.

"Come on, Obi-Wan. I need you," his own voice sounded barren and was laced with despair, "Palpatine's acting more strangely than ever. I don't know who to trust… I don't want to get near the man anymore, but he keeps requesting my presence. And I can't deny the chancellor his wishes." He let out a sigh. "The Force is so dark and cold, master. Please wake up…"

Suddenly he found himself back in his own body, the still blue crystal laying discarded on the floor.

What was that? Kenobi was not his friend. So why has he been concerned for him? It made no sense. Especially not that he was somehow afraid of Palpatine. His head began to ache and he rubbed his forehead absently. He would think about that later.

"Crystals often show twisted versions of memories and visions when you try to let them bleed," Palpatine's dark voice suddenly echoed to the silence, "Don't worry too much about. You can try again later."

Vader looked up and saw that his master still hadn't moved. The man's eyes were still closed, but the red crystal had been returned into the hilt.

Confused, he assembled his own lightsaber again and set it down onto the ground, dismissing it for now. "You said you wanted to help me find my children," he silently stated.

"Yes," hummed Palpatine, "I have a feeling that you have simply chosen the wrong approach."

Shifting uncomfortably on his spot, he didn't quite know what to make of that. "The wrong approach?", he asked tentatively.

"You tried to follow your children through your bond, didn't you?"

"I tried," he admitted defeated, letting his shoulders slump, "But their presences vanish into nothingness every time I try to track them. It's like they are hidden from me."

A snarl appeared on his master's face, barely visible underneath the dark hood. "That's what I suspected. We have underestimated Kenobi. He's shielding them in the Force. An exceptionally strong ability - but at the same time exhausting and tiring. I'm afraid unless he breaks down first, we won't find your children this way."

His words were not encouraging, and once again anger at Kenobi rose inside Vader. He should have cut the man's head off when he had had the chance.

"What do we do?" he growled, not even trying to hide his anger.

Palpatine chuckled at his student's obvious frustration. "Theoretically, it's very simple - if something is manipulatively removed from the Force, a kind of void is created. It's just a matter of strength to locate it."

"So we're looking for some kind of abnormality in the Force?" He actually hadn't thought about this before, but it made sense.

"Very accurate, Vader. Now I want you to concentrate. Reach for my mind, and then we'll go searching together."

Stiffly, he nodded and straightened his back. Then he closed his eyes and searched for his master's presence. It was easy to find, pulsating with strength and darkness.

Master and apprentice connected, the bond between them glowing in a blood-red light, crisscrossed with black threads.

Together they sank into the Force and searched the galaxy for this void - planet by planet. Hours passed and it seemed as if the search was hopeless. But then - a tiny disturbance, barely perceptible and yet so clear to the two.

They had found them.

Teeth bared in a grin; Vader opened his golden eyes.

Alderaan. Luke. Leia. I'm coming to get you.

So far, I still couldn't decide how I wanted this story to end. More of a good/happy ending or a bad/sad ending? If you have any suggestions, let me know :D