Chapter 4 – Mangled
Unsure what to do with herself, Leia interlocked her fingers over the back of her neck as she paced back and forth in the main hold of Fett's ship. The room was sparsely furnished, the dozen or so wooden crates the only thing she could sit on in lieu of actual chairs. Loose-hanging netting was attached to the ceiling, supposedly for storage space, yet nothing was actually stored up there at the moment. The only feature of the cabin which wasn't dilapidated and covered in dust was a shiny metal cabinet pushed up against the back wall. Bored, Leia approached the cabinet and ran her finger down its surface.
"I wouldn't open that if I were you."
Startled, Leia spun around to see Fett entering the main hold followed closely by Rex.
"Why not?" she asked.
"That's the weapon's locker," Rex said as he wearily sat down on a pile of crates and rubbed his bald head.
"Not befitting of a princess," Fett added and Rex snorted in laughter.
Leia crossed her arms in front of her chest in indignation. "You think I can't handle a weapon?" she asked haughtily.
"Can you?" Rex asked.
"I'm a Rebel! Of course I can."
Rex held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry, your highness," he said with a chuckle. Leia couldn't tell whether he was being facetious or not.
"Where are you taking me?" Leia asked, deciding to steer the conversation away from this subject.
"Tatooine," Fett said as he leaned against the wall next to Rex and crossed his legs. "We've got to collect our bounty."
"Wait a minute, you don't mean Han, do you?" Leia asked, eyes widening as she remembered why Fett was on Cloud City in the first place. "You can't do that!"
"Oh no?" Fett asked, blasé as he rested his hands behind his head.
"He's my… friend," Leia said.
"It sounded like he was more than that," Fett commented.
"I… I don't know," Leia stammered. "It doesn't matter! You can't give him to the Hutts!"
"I've been hired to do so," Fett said, no longer looking at her as he stared straight ahead.
"But I thought Luke was what you really cared about," Leia pointed out.
"Luke?" Rex asked, perking up. "Who's Luke?"
"I'll tell you later," Fett mumbled.
Rex turned to her, his head tilted curiously. "Who are you talking about?" he asked.
"Don't –" Fett began to interject, but Leia answered anyway.
"Luke Skywalker," she said. "He's my friend."
Rex's face paled. "Say that again?" he asked, voice a bit hoarse.
"He's my friend," Leia repeated, perplexed.
"No, his name," Rex said, shaking his head.
"You heard her right, Rex," Fett said.
Rex spun his head toward his taciturn partner. "Skywalker?" he said incredulously. "You mean to say –"
"Yes, Rex," Fett interrupted. "And I'd rather not discuss this in front of company," he added, gesturing to her.
"But –"
"Rex. Enough."
Rex stared back at Fett with his mouth hanging open. Leia watched the pair closely, intrigued and befuddled by their reaction. What was so significant about Luke's last name? Could this have to do with Vader somehow?
"You know what this means, don't you?" Rex finally asked.
"Of course I do," Fett said tartly. "And I will discuss it with you later. Why don't you go wait in the cockpit?"
Rex blinked a few times before nodding. "Fine," he said, getting to his feet. "But you owe me an explanation."
"And I will give you one," Fett said coolly.
Rex stared at Fett for a few moments longer before lowering his head and walking away. Once he was gone, Fett pushed himself off the wall and began pacing the width of the cabin.
"Don't do this, Fett," Leia pleaded, choosing to disregard Rex's fascinating reaction to Luke's name for the time being. "Han's a good man, he doesn't deserve this!"
"I don't care what anyone deserves," Fett said, glancing at her.
"I'll pay you! Double what the Hutts are offering!"
"It's not about the money," Fett told her as he spun on his heal and began another lap.
"It's not?" Leia asked, confused.
"I have a reputation to uphold, Princess," Fett explained. "I told Jabba that I would bring Solo to them alive, and that's exactly what I plan on doing."
"But –"
"No buts!" Fett roared, stopping abruptly and pointing a finger at her. "You should be grateful. I saved your life."
Bubbling over with indignation, Leia clenched her jaw and bit down hard on her tongue. Exhaling slowly out her mouth, she forced herself to calm down. "I merely wanted to make another suggestion," she said cautiously.
"I already told you, I don't want your credits," Fett snapped.
"No credits," Leia said, raising her hands. "A counteroffer, that's all."
"Counteroffer?" Fett repeated.
"Yes," Leia affirmed. "I take it you don't care what happens to Han after you turn him over to the Hutts, do you?"
"Of course not," Fett scoffed.
"Then why don't you let me try to bargain for his freedom after you collect your bounty?"
Fett was silent for a moment as he considered this proposition. "There's no bargaining with the Hutts, Princess," he told her with a hint of derision. "Jabba's been calling for Solo's head for three whole years. There's no sum of credits you can offer them to change his mind."
Leia furrowed her brow and looked away. "I have to try," she said. "Han… I can't abandon him. He needs my help."
"Are you not listening to me? Jabba would kill you, or worse."
"I have to do it," Leia said resolutely.
"No!" Fett bellowed, fists clenched.
Leia frowned at his insistence. "Why do you care so much?" she asked. "This affects me, not you."
Fett uncurled his fingers as he shook his head. "You and I still have work to do," he said. "Skywalker is mine, remember? We need to rescue him from Vader."
"You can't be serious!" Leia exclaimed. "That's impossible!"
"So you're willing to risk it all for Solo but not for Skywalker?" Fett asked. "Why is that? Do you care about him more?"
Flustered, Leia felt her face redden at this question. "I… no, I don't. Of course not, but –"
"You owe me, Princess," Fett interrupted. "I held up my end of the bargain. Until Skywalker is free, your wellbeing is still my concern."
"So what, am I your prisoner now?" Leia called after the bounty hunter who had made to leave the cabin after this comment.
"You're my partner," Fett said, turning around in the doorway. "Deal with it." With that, Fett stormed away down the hallway and out of sight, leaving a deeply frustrated Leia in his wake.
"Are you sure, my lord? That doesn't seem like something Fett would do. He's a bounty hunter, not an assassin."
"Do not question me, Admiral Piett," Vader said.
Luke glanced up to see the admiral blanching with fear at Vader's remark. He and Piett were on Vader's flanks, a few feet behind as they struggled to keep up with his long strides. Having been unable to apprehend Fett, Vader had dragged a dazed Luke to his shuttle and departed Bespin with haste. Now they were aboard Vader's flagship, the Executor. Eyes followed him as they made their way off the bridge and down the sleek black hallways into the ship's hull. No doubt, everyone recognized him as Luke Skywalker, the destroyer of the Death Star and most wanted man in the galaxy.
"Forgive me, my lord," Piett said in a squeaky voice.
Vader took a turn down a corridor, his cape sweeping the floor behind him as he carried on. "Dispatch a company to Tatooine," Vader ordered. "Fett will be there attempting to collect his reward. Find him."
"Yes, my lord," Piett said quickly. "Right away, my lord."
"Leave us," Vader said with a wave of his hand.
Piett hesitated. "Forgive me, my lord, but it would be imprudent of me not to ask," he said, side eying Luke.
Vader sighed as he came to a stop at an elevator at the end of the corridor. Turning around, he glared down at Piett. "Skywalker does not concern you, Admiral," he said. "He is my responsibility."
Piett gulped and nodded his head vigorously. "Of course, my lord," he said.
Vader took a step toward Piett and pointed a finger at his chest. "Nobody is to know about this. I will inform the Emperor myself," he said. "If I learn that you told anyone about this, you will end up like your predecessor. Is that clear?"
"Absolutely, my lord," Piett said, looking as if he was about to faint. "Not a word to anyone."
"Good," Vader said. "Now go."
Piett didn't need any further encouragement as he spun around and walked away as speedily as he was able. Luke suppressed a smirk at the sight. He wasn't sure whether he was horrified or amused by what had just happened.
"Come," Vader ordered, characteristically laconic. The elevator door opened and Luke followed Vader inside. The ride up to the top floor of the ship was particularly awkward as neither father nor son felt bold enough to say something, much less look at each other. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vader wringing his hands. It was oddly endearing.
Finally, the elevator slowed and the door slid open. Vader stepped off first and walked away without waiting for Luke to fall into stride. "These are my private quarters," Vader informed him as they passed half a dozen empty rooms. Luke paused to glance in one. A spectacular window dominated the opposite wall, granting one a panoramic view of space.
"Wow," he whispered to himself. He took a step inside, eyes wide as they scanned the length of the massive window.
"Do you like it?"
Luke spun around to see Vader watching him from the doorway. He was about to tell him that he did when he stopped himself. What was going on right now? Darth Vader was giving him a tour of his quarters and Luke hadn't stopped to think how odd that was.
"You are uncomfortable," Vader noted. Luke blinked a few times and remained silent. Vader contemplated him for a few moments before reaching up to remove his helmet. "Is that better?" he asked, face now visible.
"What do you want with me?" Luke was finally able to ask, his voice hoarse since he hadn't spoken in what felt like hours.
Vader frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"You're going to take me to the Emperor, aren't you?" Luke asked, oddly apathetic to the prospect.
Vader shook his head. "I have no intention of doing that," he said.
"You don't?"
"Absolutely not," Vader said.
"Then… what?"
Luke stiffened when Vader took a step toward him. He faltered at this reaction, the outstretched hand lowering back to his side. "I don't need anything of you," he said. "You are my son. That is enough for me."
"I'm not your son," Luke said at once, Vader flinching at the trenchant retort. "My father's name was Skywalker, not Vader."
Vader's eyes turned stormy and Luke feared that he had gone too far. He regained his cool, however, exhaling slowly as he looked away. "Kenobi lied to you," he said, voice even for the time being. "He wanted you to hate me."
"Why shouldn't I?"
He wasn't being critical. Luke's question was entirely genuine. He didn't want to hate his father, especially not after having idolized the man for his entire childhood. He wanted Vader to convince him, to turn him.
After a few moments of contemplation, Vader nodded. "I will show you," he said, turning around and beckoning Luke to follow. Luke obliged, exiting the room and back into the featureless black hallway. He and Vader walked side by side this time as they made their way toward the octagonal door at the end of the corridor.
"What's in there?" Luke asked. He was beginning to feel more comfortable with speaking to Vader. The lack of a mask certainly helped in that regard.
"You will see," Vader said, a ghost of a smile creeping at the corner of his lips. Coming to a stop in front of the door, Vader leaned down the control panel and entered a series of digits. Once he was done with that, he stood back upright and looked into an optical sensor. Luke watched curiously, perplexed as to why Vader insisted on having so much security when nobody would dare visit his quarters regardless.
The door opened as eight curved panels retracted from the center. Vader extended his hand, allowing Luke to walk in first. He did so, head craning upward and mouth falling open in awe as he crossed the barrier into a massive, domed chamber. "What is this room? Luke asked, voice echoing loudly.
"My stasis chamber," Vader told him, the door sealing shut behind him with a clang which reverberated about the room.
"Stasis chamber?" Luke repeated, glancing back at Vader who was watching him with his hands behind his back. "What's that?"
Vader didn't answer right away as he bowed his head and walked past Luke toward a gradual flight of stairs. Following after him, Luke looked up to see a complicated-looking apparatus descending from the apex of the ceiling toward an elevated platform in the center of the chamber at the top of the stairs. A flat metal panel was fixed with four mechanical arms with claws. Reaching the apparatus, Vader turned around and placed his back firmly against the panel.
"I meditate and heal myself in this room," Vader explained, tilting his head back into an indentation in the panel as he fastened a strap around his torso.
"Heal yourself?" Luke asked. "What do you mean?"
Vader didn't respond. Instead, he snapped his fingers, the four arms springing to life at the command. Luke watched in awe as the mechanical arms targeted each one of Vader's limbs. There was a high pitched squealing sound as the arms unscrewed the bolts which fastened Vader's suit together. Once they had finished, the arms pulled away and Luke gasped in shock.
"Pathetic, isn't it?" Vader said.
"Your limbs –"
"Prosthetic, all of them," Vader told him, glancing down at his limbless body. His legs terminated above where the knee would have been. His arms were slightly different, one cut short at the elbow whereas the other had been severed at the shoulder. The muscles of the former were atrophied and a web of blue veins could be seen beneath the pallid white skin.
"What happened?" Luke asked, only then realizing that this question may have been insensitive.
Vader didn't seem to take offense, however. He met Luke's gaze, his eyes glowing. "This is what Kenobi did to me," he growled.
"No," Luke said at once. "Ben wouldn't…" He trailed off, recalling the incident in the cantina on Mos Eisley when the Jedi had casually chopped off a man's arm with a strike of his saber. "Why would he do this to you?" he asked.
"Why didn't he just kill me, you mean? I can only assume because he wanted me to suffer."
"He wouldn't want that," Luke insisted weakly.
"Wouldn't he?" Vader asked.
Luke fell silent as he looked away from Vader's mangled form. He was ashamed, but looking at Vader's body made him feel sick. Master Yoda would have been disappointed in him. What was it he had said? Something about us being luminous beings, not flesh. Then again, Yoda would have been disappointed in him for many more reasons than one right about now.
"It is time you learned the truth," Vader told him, prompting Luke to look back up. "The full truth."