Luke grunted in pain as he took an involuntary step back, his lightsaber arcing through the air to block his fathers red saber from slicing him in two. His shoulder flared in pain as he fought against the weight of his fathers blow, but he did not concede as a drop of sweat traveled down into brow and into his eye.
Vader's soulless black eyes stared down at him, although Luke did not need to see his face to know the look his father must've had in that moment.
His eyes stung as he gritted his teeth and thrusted all of his upper body strength into pushing the Sith off of him before he took a step to the Sith's right and began to try and chip away at his fathers defenses, although Vader was able to parry every single blow, it was obvious that he was beginning to struggle as his vocoder began to emit strange noises that Luke could only guess were grunts.
After a few strong blows, Vader finally seemed to get the upper hand as he side-stepped out of Luke's way, allowing the youth to fall forward from the weight he had thrust into his blow. The young Jedi stumbled as he tried to regain his footing, but those few seconds was all that Vader needed to escape his sons attacks.
Luke cursed as he finally caught his footing just in time to roll out of the way of his fathers red saber before he delivered a swift kick to Vader's knee, causing the Sith to fall to the floor as he cried out in pain. Vader hit the floor hard, but he did not try to get up as he leveled his head off the floor to stare up at his son.
Luke exhaled deeply before he drew his lightsaber and took a step forward. He held the blade down to his fathers neck, just a few centimeters away from ending his life. Neither one said anything for a few moments as the sound of Vader's mechanical breathing along with Luke's tired heaving was all that could be heard.
"Impressive," was all Vader said after a few moments of silence. "Most impressive, my son. Your skills have improved much since we last fought."
Luke deactivated his saber and held a hand out to his father.
"I've been training," said Luke simply as he helped his father to his feet. "I'm not the same person you fought with on Bespin."
"Indeed not," replied Vader after a few moments of silence, "I am most surprised. It seems as though we can forego saber training altogether and focus on your acceptance of the dark side."
Luke scoffed, "do you think it will really be that easy?"
"Once your eyes have been opened to the power of the dark side you will thank me," replied Vader.
Luke said nothing for a few moments of silence before he clipped his lightsaber to his belt and shrugged his jacket back on while Vader watched.
"There is something bothering you."
"The only thing bothering me right now is you," replied Luke irately.
"No, there is something else. You have been distracted all day."
Ever since Vader had come to fetch his son for saber practice, Luke had been a foul mood that only seemed to be worsening as the day continued. Vader was able to sense enough from his son to know that it was not anger directed at him, but rather remorse over circumstance, something beyond his control.
Vader knew that feeling quite well…
Luke paused, uncertainty flooding his blue eyes before he sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat before he turned to look at Vader. "Master Yoda is one with the Force. I felt him go early this morning."
Sadness rolled over Luke and into the surrounding Force. It made Vader nauseous.
"I am hardly surprised by this," replied Vader, "I knew he would not long survive his fallen Order."
"That's all you have to say?" asked Luke.
"What else do you expect me to say?" asked Vader with a hidden scowl. "I do not mourn for Jedi traitors, my son. He should have died a long time ago."
He would be lying if he said he wasn't pleased to know that one of the remaining remnants of the Order had finally perished. Perhaps with Yoda gone, they could finally truly weed out the remaining Jedi as well their minute hold over the galaxy once and for all.
Whatever knowledge Yoda possessed with him when he died would be lost forever.
Luke gazed at his father for a few moments as Vader reminisced about the implications of Yoda's death before his eyes fell to the floor in obvious defeat. It was obvious that Luke had formed a close attachment with the old Jedi, just like Anakin had with Kenobi once upon a time. It was no wonder that he mourned his death, but Vader would not allow his son to wallow away in sorrow and grief for the very same person who told Anakin Skywalker to rejoice in his wife's death.
"You should not mourn for him either. According to him, this would be a reason to rejoice," sneered Vader.
"He shouldn't have died alone," countered Luke, ignoring the obvious distaste that his father held for Yoda. "I should've been there."
"Your place is here with me," replied Vader as he strolled past his son, "the sooner you learn that, the better."
"I am not your slave," replied Luke, his tone harsh and his gaze cold, "and I will not give into you. I'd die before I ever let that happen."
"You are more than welcome to leave if that's what you wish, but as soon as you do our deal is off. As long as you are here with me of your own free will then you will do as I say without question," said Vader simply. "If you want your friends to remain safe, then I recommend you learn your place."
Luke said nothing as Vader turned on his heels and marched out of the room, his anger at Luke's insolence and ignorance threatening to boil to the surface at any moment. He had thought that dealing with his son would be easier than this once he made the conditions of their deal apparent, but still, the boy continued to be stubborn. There was anger and there was hatred in the boy, but it was locked away deep underneath the blinding light that Luke never once let down.
The boy was so grounded in the light that it would take a lot more than just threats to win him over.
But what? What could Vader use to manipulate his son into finally joining him once and for all?
His son was stubborn and prideful, but he was also kind and compassionate, especially when it came to those he loved, much like Anakin Skywalker had been once upon a time. Compassion, which Vader had once defined as unconditional love had been his weakness, and it would seem as though it was Luke's as well.
Vader froze as the memory of his wife standing before the Senate bombarded his mind. He remembered that day quite well as she pleaded for the Senate to take action in aiding refugees from the Outer Rim. He hadn't been there when she was delivered her heartfelt plea, instead he had been camped out in the mud and rain with Kenobi and Ahsoka while trying to fight the Separatists for control of some backwater planet he couldn't even remember the name of, but that wasn't enough to stop him from watching via the Galactic holo-news channel.
"Our compassion is our strength. Never our weakness," she had said from the podium, her voice loud and unconstrained as she pleaded with her fellow Senators to join her cause in aiding the refugees displaced by the war.
He had never once missed any of her Senate hearings and speeches, no matter how boring they were or occupied he was with the war. Not even one.
Vader closed his eyes as he pushed the memory as far into the recesses of his mind as humanly possible. He would not allow himself to dwell on the thought of her and he certainly would not allow her memory to be intertwined with that of the image he had planned for Luke.
"Lord Vader," came Piett's voice as he saddled up beside the Dark Lord, ultimately interrupting the Sith's train of thought. "I have an issue to discuss with you."
"What is it?" asked Vader as he turned to face the Admiral, eager for the distraction from that of his dead wife and his stubborn son.
"We have received a transmission from Admiral Reimer. She wants to know what you will have done with the prisoners being held onboard," he said before adding: "She has offered to take them off our hands if that is what you wish. She's already dealt with the Rebels her fleet captured during the assault."
"Let her deal with them," said Vader with a nod, "she seems quite eager to deal with them herself. She must have something in mind for them."
"It is her intention to have them all sent off to work the mines on Kessel and a few other planets. I just wanted to inform you in case you had something else in mind, Milord?"
"I am done with the interrogations, although I cannot say that I found anything of use from any of them," said Vader as he sighed, although it was not enough for his vocoder to register. "Their usefulness to me has expired. Tell Admiral Reimer she is free to do with them whatever she pleases."
"I'm sure she'll be quite delighted to hear that, Milord," said Piett with a nod. "They'll be shipped off first thing tomorrow."
"Is there anything else you wish to discuss?" asked Vader with a tilt of his helmet.
"Er, yes I suppose," said Piett as he tugged at the collar of his uniform. "I am curious as to what your plans for Skywalker are. Do you plan on executing him or-?"
"What happens to Skywalker from here on out is entirely up to him," said Vader simply, albeit careful not to give Piett too much information. He trusted the Admiral, but he knew that the Emperor was as clever as he was spiteful. He would need to take extra precaution when it came to his son.
Piett nodded, although Vader could tell that there was something bothering the man as he looked down at the floor, his hands stiffly locked behind his back.
"You are against this idea," said Vader. It wasn't a question but rather a statement.
"I do not like deceiving the Emperor," said Piett, boldened in his statement as they both came to stop before turning to face one another. "I must ask Lord Vader, what your plan is for lying to the Emperor about his presence here."
"Do you question my loyalty, Admiral?" asked Vader as Piett shook his head.
"Of course not, Milord. But I fear I must ask for the safety of both myself and my crew. I feel I have that right seeing as the very same Rebel who singlehandedly murdered millions onboard the Death Star and who severely crippled the military power of the Empire is currently roaming about this vessel freely and unhindered. Not only that, but the fact that we are supposed to hide this from the Emperor does not bode well with me, Lord Vader," said Piett as Vader's nonexistent eyebrows shot up in surprise.
He was not angered by the Admirals words because he could see the validity in them. The Admiral had a reason to be wary and cautious and his concerns were legitimate and reasonable.
"Skywalker is of no concern to the Emperor and his presence onboard is not a liability. The Jedi poses no threat to you or anyone else onboard this vessel and is here of his own free will. He is welcome to leave at any given time if that is what he chooses."
"Yet you still wish to keep his presence here with you a secret," pondered Piett as Vader nodded.
"You and I have worked closely together these past few months, have we not?" asked Vader. "Surely you are not a fool, Admiral. You know Skywalker is my son."
"I had my suspicions," admitted Piett truthfully. "Your dedication in finding him always seemed a bit more personal than him just being a Jedi. And now that I know the truth, I must ask if that is the reason why you have not informed the Emperor about him?"
"You are neither right nor wrong in that sentiment," replied Vader as they continued with their walk down the corridor. "The Emperor and I have a complicated relationship, as I'm sure you've recognized by now. I cannot simply hand my son over to him right now, although my loyalty to the Emperor remains unwavering."
"So, you wish for me to continue this charade? To turn a blind eye to his presence here and lie to the Emperor on your behalf?"
"I do not wish it, I command it," replied Vader as he looked down at the Admiral once again. "You are an asset to me, Piett. I do not wish to go through the hassle of replacing you."
Piett stiffened, "I see."
"It was never my intention to put you in this position," continued Vader. "But this is what must be done. My apologies if I have offended you."
"No apologies needed, Milord," replied Piett with a nod. "Skywalkers presence onboard this vessel will be kept secret until you say so. I trust you know what you are doing, and I trust that you will not compromise this ship or its crew."
"Your loyalty in me is not misplaced," said Vader as they approached the door to his private quarters. "We will talk further on the topic of Skywalker another day, but for now, It would be best if you kept a close eye on the crew. Monitor all private and official holo transmission to ensure that the crew is not spreading gossip about Skywalker. My threat still stands to anyone caught trying inform anyone on the outside of his presence."
"And what of the Emperor?" asked Piett, causing Vader to pause.
"What about him?"
"What will you tell him when you speak with him?"
Vader frowned from beneath his mask, "the Emperor does not wish to speak with me currently, not until I have located the Jedi."
"Really? I forgot to mention it you, Milord, but a few minutes ago he asked to speak with you privately in your quarters," said the Admiral sheepishly, a little appalled that he had forgotten all about the Emperor.
"I see," said Vader, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his belly.
Vader scowled from behind his mask. What could the Emperor possibly want with him besides information on the mysterious Jedi? A weight began to form in the Sith's belly as he nodded.
"Thank you, Piett. We shall talk again presently."
Piett bowed his head, "yes, Milord."
Vader turned and made his way towards his quarters, an uneasy feeling weighing him down as he tried quell his overactive imagination. His Master had no idea that Luke was with him nor would Vader make any sort of reference to his sons presence on the Executor. The only reason his Master would be calling would be to inquire further about his search for the Jedi.
Surely, that had to be the reason.
No sooner than Vader had settled himself in his private quarters did his master's face ripple into view, prompting Vader to take a knee as he held his gaze downward. He did not dare look up at his Master.
"Ah, Lord Vader," greeted Palpatine, his voice calm and even sounding somewhat pleasant. "It is good to see you, old friend."
Vader scowled but made no motion to raise his head. "You wish to speak with me, Master?"
"I would like to know where you are in your search for the Jedi, but that can wait. I am more concerned about you, my dear apprentice. Doctor Ahari tells me you missed your last appointment with him and Vaneè tells me you have not returned to Mustafar for your bacta treatments in some time," he said with something akin to worry in his beady yellow eyes.
Vader frowned at his master's sudden concern over his health.
"I have not," admitted Vader truthfully. He had skipped his last appointment with Dr. Ahari to remove the dead skin from his body as well as to have the mechanical parts in his throat and trachea checked nor had he undergone any sort of bacta treatment recently. He had been too busy trying to find his son and squashing whatever remained of the Alliance to properly look after his own health.
"Perhaps I am working you too hard," said Palpatine, "you mustn't neglect your health for my sake, friend."
"My health is of no concern to me now. Only what you command of me," replied Vader as he tried not to let his master's strange behavior perplex him too much.
"Of course, your loyalty never ceases to amaze me," said Palpatine with a smile, although there was something tedious in the way he looked down at Vader. "You deserve a break from your hard work. You should come see me sometime soon, after you've found that Jedi of course. You can finally come see the technological wonder we've constructed over Endor. I'm sure you would be quite impressed with it, just as I am."
"The Death Star is complete?" asked Vader. The last time he had received any sort of word about it, it was only in the early stages of development, nowhere near complete. That was only a few short months ago.
"Near complete," said Palpatine, "just a few more short weeks and we'll have full control over our galaxy once again. The Alliance will have no choice but to surrender to us once we demonstrate our power and might."
Vader frowned from beneath his mask. It wasn't possible to stabilize and refine the kyber crystals needed for such a massive weapon in that short amount of time. It had taken Galen Erso years just refining the kyber crystals to the point where they could be used as a superlaser, and that before construction of the actual station had begun.
"You've found a way to stabilize and refine kyber crystals faster than Galen Erso did," replied Vader, a heavy pit forming in his stomach at the news.
"We can thank Dr. Zett Obfanteri for that one," said Palpatine, "it is a wonder what young, ambitious minds can do once they receive scientific funding. You've been so busy hunting down that Jedi you haven't been able to see it for yourself."
"I am sure it is quite impressive," replied Vader.
"Oh, it is. You can come see for yourself, once you've found that Jedi of course."
His Master was growing more and more impatient for him to find that Jedi and Vader knew that his Master would not stop until he had his hands on that Jedi, whether Vader helped him or not. He had promised Luke that he would not go after the Jedi or the Princess as part of their deal, but Vader knew deep down it had been foolish to make that agreement with Luke. His Master wanted that Jedi and every day that Vader failed to apprehend him his Master grew suspicious of him.
He did not want to lose Luke's trust, but Vader was running out of options.
Perhaps this would be the push that Luke needed to give in to his anger and his hate…
"We are putting forth every effort to find him, Master. I will not disappoint you. You will have him," said Vader as he closed his eyes.
"I am sure you are doing all that you possibly can to find him," said Palpatine, "after all, you are my faithful apprentice. Surely you would never betray me, not after everything I have done for you."
Vader seethed from beneath his mask. "My loyalty is to you and this Empire. No one else."
Sidious smiled, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards in a grotesque grin that never failed to send shivers down Vader's spine.
"Excellent."
As soon as the holo-feed was turned off did Darth Sidious lean back in his chair, the maniacal smile that he had given Vader only moments before wiped clean off his face only to be replaced with a frown.
He had known Vader for years at that point, ever since he was a green-eared little boy with dreams and aspirations and a past that would never stop haunting him. He had shaped Anakin into the Sith known as Darth Vader and he had done it so subtly and in such a way that he knew Vader would never truly be able to escape his control. And yet something about his apprentice was putting him on edge…
Sidious drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the armrest of his throne as he tilted his head, his gaze traveling from the floor over the red-cloaked Imperial guards.
Of course, his control over Vader had been waning recently. He wasn't a fool and he certainly wasn't blind. Ever since Vader had discovered that his child by Amidala lived, he had grown distant from him and Sidious knew exactly why. Vader now knew of his deceit and Sidious was well past the point of trying to cover for himself once again, not with Vader so firmly under his control.
Or was he? Just how much control over Vader did he have at that point?
Perhaps he had underestimated just how fiercely possessive Vader was, especially over his own child.
Of course, thought Palpatine as he started to slowly piece together a puzzle that had been right in front of him this whole time.
Of course, Vader would never stop looking for his son.
It made sense that Vader would disobey him in light of locating his son rather than the Jedi. His apprentice was no fool either and he knew that his Master would grow tired of him one day and seek to replace him with another younger, stronger candidate. Vader was beginning to reach the end of his usefulness and even he knew that, which meant he would need to find some way to overthrow him and take his place, and soon.
Of course, Vader could never accomplish such a feat. Not with his health in such bad shape which would mean that he too would need an apprentice. A young and vibrant apprentice who was strong in the Force-
Sidious grinned despite his apprentice's betrayal because it meant that he finally had the bargaining chip that he needed. If Vader really did have Luke with him, then that meant that he could use Luke as a pawn, a bargaining chip to get exactly what he wanted. With Luke at his side, he would have full control over Vader once more not to mention a reason for that Jedi to finally come out of hiding, killing two birds with one stone.
The grin on the Emperors face deepened as he lifted his gaze out to the millions upon millions of twinkling stars that shone brightly against the backdrop of space, knowing full well that all of it would be his for the taking.
999
With a hard twist, Luke rolled the TIE fighter to the right to avoid the simulated weapons fire from Vader's TIE fighter. Things were a lot different from the first time Vader had pursued him in a fighter. Then, it had been his first time in a snub ship and he'd been in the equatorial trench of the Death Star intent on that things destruction. Now, as then, Vader was not finding him to be an easy kill.
Luke grinned as he sensed his father's annoyance and burgeoning admiration. His piloting skill had improved considerably since that first wild flight in an actual fighter. Back on Tatooine, Beggar's Canyon had been a fun challenge, but nowhere near as difficult as flying in combat. He'd been quite proud of his piloting skills when he'd first joined the Rebellion, but now he knew that those skills, such as they had been, had needed a lot of improvement.
"You won't be able to score a hit on me Father, and you know it." Luke taunted in a smug tone.
Luke intended for Vader to become angry, to make mistakes, mistakes that could then be capitalized on.
Vader was not only angry, he was irate, but his was a cold, calculating rage that fueled his drive. No longer was he brash, and recklessly impulsive when angry, now he was deliberate and methodical in his actions.
AN: Please forgive me for taking so long to post. Life has certainly been throwing me a curve ball lately. I just finished my first semester of college, so there's that! I've already started working on the next chapter, although I don't think it will get posted until January, or at least until after the holidays!
Thank you all for your lovely comments and support and once again thanks to my beta for doing a wonderful job :)