Plot: What if Vader wasn´t Luke and Leia´s father after all, but the real Dark Lord of Sith

Hugging his arms around himself Darth Vader watched the pair go with mixed feelings. He did not want them to come back. In a way he had forgiven Skywalker for his foolishness and he had to accept that there was truly nothing that would bring the past back. The good things anyway. His family. Gods, how Jade reminded him of his headstrong daughter sometimes! It was unbelievable. And he did not want that reminder for the rest of his life, as short as that rest was going to be. No, better for them to stay away, better for him to leave the memories as they were. Peaceful, with no darkness lingering anymore. He felt so empty, so useless. And still, he thought that he needed to hold on to his believes. The Sith had to remain a secret and their fate unknown. To not let them become nothing but a fire-side tale, all twisted around and deformed. Shaking his head the Dark Lord looked up at the bleak sky, full of clouds and mystery. The emptiness would not go away and his emotions were banging against the outside of his transparent prison, begging and shouting for admittance. But he would not back down, not again. He had let his feelings run rampant once and had left death and destruction in his wake.

If his secrets were to be revealed, ripping all of his deep wounds open once more, he did not know what would happen. To relive all that pain and grief and to see and hear them again so clearly, as if they were still here ... They were not! He had been a fool to believe that he coudl change anything. And the only one he hated right now was himself.

"And so you should." The voice of Exar Kun repimanded him.

"Hate leads to fear, fear leads to anger and anger leads to pain and suffering," Vader intoned softly, his eyes devoid of anything. "It is so true."

The other snorted contemptuously: "Jedi! But it is not you who has to suffer that torment!"

"And yet it is me. Where is the difference?"

"Focus on your anger, make it your shield, and then you will defeat the pain."

"A life full of hatred. That is not what I wanted."

"You wanted revenge for your people and you used the means available to you. Now I am asking you where you draw the line."

"Palpatine," the Sith hissed viciously. "I never should have trusted him."

"Too late for regrets." Bending down the ancient specter sought his gaze and reached out to cup his chin in his left hand. "I can feel your torment, my friend. And it is yours to decide what path to choose to end it."

Darth Vader jerked his head back, frowning. He did not like Kun touching him. But the Sith Lord continued caressing his face, obviously fascinated with the scars decorating it. "What do you get out of my choices?" the Dark Lord whispered, truly curious.

"All that I desire, my friend. And that is more than you can imagine."

"My power is of no use to you anymore."

Exar Kun smiled wickedly and shook his head, sending his long mane flying. "Your power is vast! You are the last Dark Lord of Sith!"

"As good as dead. You know all that! The Shanda is eating me up from the inside and here you are, mocking me!"

"Not at all." Suddenly serious the ancient one let go of him again. "Make your choice and you will survive. I know you will find the right answer."

"I trusted Palpatine and now I am supposed to trust you? Where does that leave me? Is there something even worse than being a fool?"

"I still am a Sith. I am one of us, not one of them, Lord Vader."

"I understand."

"So you do. Secrets are secrets until they are revealed or else forgotten. If they are forgotten, my friend, they become no more than a shadow of the past and in the end all you feared will come true. They will turn into a myth, just like me."

"And that we don't want, do we?"

"Exactly. I will leave you for now. By the way, I am pleased to see that you and Skywalker have made your peace."

"Are you now?"

"Yes, I truly am." The glowing specter vanished, leaving the Dark Lord alone again.

"Fancy that. I feel just the same." And Darth Vader realized to his own surprise that he really meant it.

Despite the circumstances Luke felt completely at ease, realizing that this was his first real mission as Jedi Knight. To protect the innocent from harm and to oppose evil where he met it. Strange, that he did not include Vader there anymore. Something had changed between them and it had started aboard that Imperial Star Destroyer. The young Jedi sensed that they had formed some sort of trust between them, as if his open approach had unlocked something in the Dark Lord, a need for understanding, maybe. Whatever it was though, it could not drown out the shadow of the Sith's impending death. He found that he could think of nothing else at the moment. They had left him behind and if he died now, all alone, the young man thought that he would never forgive himself for that. Just ahead of him Mara Jade was striding ahead purposefully, her eyes constantly tracking their surroundings and her hand on her blaster. She was right, they had their own lives to worry about. And they did not have much time. the sound of ground vehicles could be heard all over the plains and Luke did not doubt the shrewdness of Torlock's approach. The admiral could be certain that a Jedi would not hide in the face of such undisguised cruelty. That way he would be able to seperate the small team, maybe use one against the other, if he played this well.

"We do not have much time, he was right about that," Mara said suddenly and pointed East. Smoke was curling into the sky over there and Luke's eyes narrowed.

"Then we will just have to move faster," he replied and started jogging toward the horizon, where they would eventually find the town they had selected as their first and probably only target, by the look of things. "They will always have an edge with their ground vehicles, but I feel that we can make it nevertheless."

"Dream on," she said under her breath as she ran by his side. "Torlock wants us to reveal our position and then we are done for."

Luke pursed his lips thoughtfully and frowned. The admiral would catch up to them sooner or later in any case, that was, if they did not find a transport off planet. Chances were that the troopers had been so thoughtful as to land in a wide circle around the site where the three fugitives had touched own. The radius would be determined by an estimate as to how fast and far they could move. But where exactly would they have their ships? Or had Torlock grounded his own soldiers here to prevent any escape? Luke groaned inwardly. He could not be sure about anything, it seemed. A sudden smile lit up his face. If they could not predict Torlock's actions right now they had to move in such a way that they became forseeable. Which menat in essence that they would need to act the way he expected them to act. Stopping suddenly he caught Mara's arm. She turned her head to look at him, a gust of wind tousling her red mane and the light reflecting in her emerald eyes. Luke found himself smiling instinctively. But she only frowned at him.

"What?"

"Mara, I want you to go back to Vader."

"What are you planning?"

"If I show up alone Torlock will believe that we have broken up or something. I will warn the village and get them out."

"All on your own?"

"Well, that's the catch. You and Vader need to get us transport, a shuttle or something, where we could all fit in."

"The villagers too?"

"Torlock will not spare them, I am sure. He'll suspect them of helping us."

She looked at him quizzically. "Don't forget the supplies. And meet us at fourteen hundred east. Right?"

"Okay. Take care, Mara."

"You too."

She shook her head at his retreating back. It was a plan, yes, but only half-baked. And Mara had no idea how to make it work properly. His way he would likely get himself killed heroically and perhaps she and Vader would be able to blast out of here. And yet the former Emperor's Hand could see no possibility to get out of there alive at all. Maybe Vader could come up with something. In any case she had to move fast. Running back the way they had come Mara prayed that noone would spot her and kept to the small bushes and hills for protection as best as she could. Not before long though she was back where they had started from. The Dark Lord was already waiting for her. Standing tall amidst the thickets, the wind playing in his dark hair, he looked like some ancient god with those scars and cold blue eyes. He stared at her blankly at first, then moved to meet her.

"What is it? Where is Skywalker?" She spilled her story in record time and he frowned before his gaze locked on the horizon, where she suspected Luke was right now. "A daring plan," he said at last and shook his head gravely. "But you are right, one element of surprise is missing."

"And which one is that?"

"We need transport. But if Torlock has his troops grounded, we won't get it. We have no bargaining power, nothing to force him to come down from the heavens, so to say, save one thing: ourselves."

"You want to surrender?"

"Maybe we can take them out. You and I know Torlock. He likes to gloat. And if he wants us dead he'll want to watch, definitely."

Mara nodded. It sounded reasonable. "You are right. That's a chance, but what about Luke?"

"No, what about timing, that is the crucial question."

"I gave him four hours."

"Think you can last that long? It will take us at least an hour to find one of their hunting parties. And another three hours on the run after that."

She smiled at his earnest expression, then shrugged, wanting to hug him really. "For a dying man you sound pretty determined."

"Well, I do not want you to die too," he conceded and the young woman's smile faded.

"I am sorry for what happened."

"But grief won't change it. And it was not your fault, just mine. I was too blind to see the truth."

For a split-second she hesitated, but the grateful look on his face when she nodded in aquiesance nearly broke her heart. "But you have learned," Mara whispered and felt tears in her eyes. He wiped them away with a tiny smile.

"That I have. Come. We have a long day ahead of us."

Aboard the Millenium Falcon two Corellians were being very silent. Which was a feat in itself, but Corran and Han both were not looking forward to what they might find on Kuthan. As the ship hurtled through hyperspace toward their destination both hoped that they were not too late. But in the end Solo could stand the silence no longer. Turning toward his shorter companion he frowned.

"Think they are still alive?"

"One has to keep the faith," Corran replied ironically.

"Can't you sense Luke or something?"

The Jedi shook his head: "It is too far. Besides, I am far from being a fully trained Knight. Luke would have a better chance of sensing me than the other way round."

"I see. A pity. Now we won't know what is waiting for us out there."

"Well, we know one thing: there'll be an Imperial Star Destroyer." He grinned at Solo's sour expression.

"Yeah, yeah. I am just glad that Leia managed to talk Mothma into giving us an escort."

"Two corvettes versus one destroyer? All they can do is buy us time."

"Then let's hope that'll be all we need."

"Nah, we'll need much more than that if we are going up against Vader. Two Jedi won't be enough, I fear. Besides, it could be that there are two Sith."

"What?" Jumping up Solo stared at him in disbelief. "Two? And you are telling me now?"

Corran shrugged: "It is just an assumption, but we had better be prepared."

"You yourself said that we can't be prepared, so what's the point? Besides, I do not think Vader will give us much trouble."

"Why not? Because he didn't kill Luke yet? The man wiped out more troopers all by himself than a whole batallion could have managed. Remember what he did during the rebellion. The man is a psychotic killer. I mean, even my master thinks the same and he is a Jedi Master, for Force's sake!"

"I understand, I think. What you are saying is that if even a Jedi Master cannot spare compassion or forgiveness for that Sith then you can neither, right?"

"Exactly. The man is a criminal, you cannot deny that."

"Yes, yes. I know. And yet, Luke would not hang around with him if there wasn't something..."

"Vader could just be injured and Luke's waiting for us to pick them up. And then there is the possibility that it is Vader who wants that lift."

"You mean Luke might have become his puppet?"

Corran's features froze. That was indeed what he feared most, but thus far he had not dared voice his worries aloud. Hearing it now out of Solo's mouth felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dropped over his head. And once more he wished that he knew all of the secrets surrounding the Sith. That would have given him an edge and a clue as to how to approach Vader if his suspicions turned out to be true.

"Corran?"

"What?"

"Luke is a good by and he would not let himelf be turned that easily. Besides, he didn't sound any different from what I am used to. And I have known him far longer than you do."

"That is true. So let us just hope for the best, right?"

"Right."

Which would mean that hopefully when they arrived the Dark Lord would be dead and Luke unharmed, waiting for his rescue. But somehow Coran had the nasty feeling that things would not be that easy.

Walking into the silent village square Luke concentrated on his surroundings, letting the Force supply him with the information he needed. People were hiding from him, hidden behind the secure walls of their squat houses, but their nervousness permeated the very air and fear was strongest in that cloud of negative feelings. The young Jedi looked around carefully and lifted his arms to show that he bore no weapon safe a lightsaber. The sunlight was filtered through the smoke of the burning villages and towns around them. It was an eerie atmosphere, gloomy and hot and charged with violence.

"I will not harm you!" Luke called out eventually, hoping for any reaction. For a while nothing happened. "Listen to me!" he continued desperately. "The Imperial troops are attacking your towns at random. You have to get away now and warn your neighbors!"

Finally some sullen looking men edged out of one of the houses, their blaster rifles pointing straight at the young man standing in the middle of the square.

"Who are you?" one of them shouted.

"I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight," he replied, not without a hint of pride.

"The Jedi are dead." Coming closer the group eyed him suspiciously.

"Not at all. Please, there is no point to discussing right now. We are trying to get transport off planet."

"We?"

"I have called in reinforcements, but for now we have to gather as many as we can to save them."

"What about the Imps?"

Luke hesitated. He could not stand against them alone, but ... "This is your lives, your future. I suggest you fight for it. I can only protect you, I cannot defeat them on my own."

The obvious leader of the band stared at him, then nodded sharply. "It's a deal."

"Good," brightening up Luke smiled at them. "You will need supplies, and ground transport, if you have that. There is not much time so make it under an hour, all right?"

They mumbled something and went off in a dash to prepare their departure. Left all alone again Luke continued to make encouraging gestures and send soothing thoughts at the villagers who began scrambling around, men and women and children alike, all looking to him for guidance. It frightened him a bit to have that much responsibility placed on his shoulders, but then, he had better get used to it. He was Jedi and it was his duty to protect the helpless at any time. From farm-boy to leader of the band in record time. It made his head spin. But once everyone was ready there was only one goal left and he marched ahead of the small procession in the direction of the closest neighboring village determinedly. I just hope Mara and Vader can get what we need, he thought grimly.

It was three hours and two villages later and the crowd following the young Jedi had grown considerably. Detection became the most immediate threat now and Luke was getting tired from hanging on to the Force in an effort to map down his surroundings and avoid the Imperial troops. There had been a minor skirmish with some scouts and he could not be sure if they had managed to dispose of them in time. When the steady roar of ground vehicles became louder though he knew that they had lost. Ordering his people to spread out he thought hard on what to do. But time was not on Luke's side. All too soon the grey, armored vehicles arrived and white-clad troopers poured out of their great bellies like ants. In the matter of a few minutes the small band had been surrounded and Luke sighed deeply. He stepped toward what looked like the officer in charge coolly and held his head high. A dozen blaster-rifles swung around to center on his chest. He did not even notice.

"Skywalker? Luke Skywalker?" the metallic voice of the sergeant seemed incredulous.

"That's me." A sharp nod accompanied his confession.

"Saves us some trouble. Put your weapons down, all of you. And, Skywalker, if you so much as take a breath without permission those people over there are dead. Understood?"

Biting his lower lip the young man lay a hand on his lightsaber and for a second he considered attacking the troopers. But that would be foolish and would only get innocents killed with him. So he let the handle drop to the ground unceremoniously and did not resist when two troopers came over to bind his hands on his back. The villagers, emanating fear and confusion mostly, were herded into the dark bellies of the ground vehicles and the Jedi did not dare to question this move. Apparently he had judged Torlock right and those people would serve as hostages to keep him under control. Damn. It took another hour until they had reached their final destination and as Luke was hustled out into the open again he found himself in a square marked off by four huge vehicles and surrounded by troopers everywhere. The villagers were led over to stand on a hill and Luke could not help but notice that this position would give the troopers a very good aim at them.

"Skywalker!"

Turning his head at the sound of a familiar voice he saw Mara Jade grinning at him. Her arms too were bound behind her back too, but despite the circumstances she seemed pretty cheerful. Frowning at her the young Jedi let his eyes wander over the assembled troops until he found Vader, his black-clad form standing out easily among the storm troopers. His shoulders were slumped in defeat and he was deadly pale. Swallowing hard Luke took a step toward them. He was intercepted immediately. So he just stood his ground, waiting like everyone else. Finally the descent of an Imperial shuttle beat down on them harshly, battering some of the frightened villagers to the ground mercilesly. Not unexpectedly it was Admiral Torlock himself who left the ship and strode down the landing ramp purposefully, a cruel smile on his face. He was bearing down on the Dark Lord without breaking stride once.

Darth Vader looked up at the admiral wearily. The chase had been long and strenuous and it was hard for him to keep awake and not lose consciousness. Black spots had begun dancing in front of his eyes in an ever faster dizzying dance and the other's words reached him only through a haze of buzzing noises. His concentration was faltering but still he clung to Exar Kun's promise. That he could turn this around after all. But how, was the question. Mara Jade had stood by his side patiently, trusting him fully and he could not disappoint her now like he had disappointed his family and his people. Just once he wanted to succeed in protecting those he cared for, despite the cost to himself. At the beginning of the day he had believed that he could contain his strength, but he had overestimated himself badly. And now his false assumption was coming back to haunt him. Fool, he admonished himself and sighed.

"Lord Vader, we meet again. And so soon too," Torlock told him sarcastically. The Dark Lord did not answer. "You must admit that this strategy has proven effective. Of course I knew it would, seeing how your master used the same all those decades ago. A sly move, devious too. And you could not escape the last time either."

"But you get nothing out of it," Vader said at last.

"Oh, but I will. Your young friend here is almost ready, I believe."

The Sith snorted softly: "You think you could handle a Dark Jedi? Maybe you are not as smart as you think you are. He will not turn against his friends, under no circumstances. You lost and it is time you accepted that."

"Unfortunately your reasoning has some logic to it. Very well. Then I will have to stick to the original directive. Sergeant!" Torlock bellowed.

"Sir?"

"Have the civilians shot."

"As ordered."

"Now, Lord Vader, I believe we shall see who has misjudged whom."

He stood his ground stoically, telling himself over and over again that nothing he could do now, which was fairly little anyway, could save them. Why fight it? Because it was wrong. They would die because of him, the blood of even more innocents would be put at his feet for his being too cautious to interfere. What did he have to lose anyway? Nothing at all.

"Torlock," he whispered as the panicked screams of the fugitives rang over the hills when they realized the troopers' intent.

"Have you changed your mind, my Lord? Too late, I fear."

"There is a poem that accompanies life like a beautiful dream. I have had the honor to read the beginning and the end, but I fear that I cannot understand its meaning fully without studying the rest too."

"A poem? What the heck are you talking about?"

"It is about life and death, darkness and light. Quite moving, by the way."

"And what has that got to do with everything?"

"I have decided to read it further."

Charging at Torlock he managed to rip the blaster out of its holster on the first go and the sudden rush of adrenaline wiped the dizzy spell right off his mind. At his side he could see Mara Jade stare at him, disbelieving. A flick of his hand broke her bonds and those of Skywalker, whose face was a mask of sheer outrage and the young man's blue eyes were flashing dangerously at the troopers moving into position around the refugees. Once he was free the Jedi ran for them without thinking, and for a second Darth Vader felt a smug smile creep onto his lips. The Dark Side was strong in this one, very strong.

Then a blaster bolt hit his left shoulder and he was thrown around hard. Once he had recovered though the rage was back. Not the senseless destructive fury of the Shanda, but a righteous anger over a cruel and unjustified order that had nothing to do with warfare. He would not let the Imperials repeat here and today what they had done to the Sith. No way. Launching himself at the troopers with a wild roar he took aim with an expert eye and dropped to the ground hard just as the ground vehicle he had shot at exploded in a gust of super-hot flames. Shrapnel flew through the air with killing speed, but that did not stop him. Picking up another blaster the Dark Lord waded into the surviving troops while the crackling fire and the screams of the troopers and fugitives alike filled the air around him with a cacophony of confusion and pain. When he found Torlock his smile turned into a feral snarl.

"You cannot save them," the admiral hissed, his right hand covering a deep gouge cut across his belly. His head was a mass of charred flesh. Apparently the blast had hit him straight in the back. And it was true what he had said. Without the Force to aid him Vader stood no chance to get to the troopers in time. Gritting his teeth he put the barrel of the blaster to the other's forehead.

"This is not over yet."

He had reached the hillside at record time and even though he had no idea how he could get rid of the troopers Luke charged ahead nevertheless. He had to do something! An explosion suddenly rocked the ground underneath his feet and he turned around to see the backwash of the detonation reach out for the troopers standing there. Just a few minutes later another of the vehicles went up in flames and he thought he could make out Mara darting away just in time. Good girl. There was no sign of the Dark Lord. But then, as the fire lept hight, darkness spread out from the small valley like the ripples in a pond. Teeth chattering Luke tried to stand against it, but the feeling was overwhelming. It ran over the hills with the low roar of a million voices that changed suddenly into the high whine of a ship's engines. Luke looked up to see a familiar disk shape approach the battle-field. The Millenium Falcon! Finally! With a joyful laugh the young Jedi spun around again toward the troopers who had identified this new and more immediate threat. But unfortunately their only way of cover was to use the fugitives as living shields.

"No!" he shouted and made a dash for the hilltop.

"Skywalker!"

The voice stopped him cold. And all around all noises were cut off, the world falling silent. The crunch of boots over dry grass was the only sound that Luke could hear apart from his own ragged breathing. Coming up slowly the Dark Lord drew level with him and the Jedi stared at him torn between anger, fear and longing. There was such calmness and power about Vader that made Luke almost envious. But still, there was no disguising the strain on the older man's features and the scars running over his forehead and cheeks seemed to throb wildly. His pale blue eyes were void of anything as he stared at the fugitives blankly. Blood covered most of his torso, whether it was his own though the young Jedi could not tell.

"What do we do now?" he asked softly at last and nodded toward the nervous-looking troopers.

"Your friends are here. Best go and greet them," Vader answered in a hollow voice that sent shivers down Luke's spine. "Now."

Reluctantly he took a step back, then another, as the Sith advanced on the hilltop steadily, his body brimming with power and his mind humming with the haunting song of the Dark Side. Luke opened his mouth to call him back, but then thought otherwise. This was important somehow, he knew in a way that could not be explained. When he finally turned away though the sudden gust of darkness at his back froze the marrow in his bones. Luke ran. Halfway to the Falcon he whirled back to stare at the single figure standing atop the small hill. The refugees were running for the valley, eyes wide and mouths opened in silent screams. There was no sign of any storm trooper.

On the hill the Dark Lord's face was a mask of disbelief and pain. Blood was drenching his clothes, dripping to the ground from his fingertips as his hands clenched and unclenched as if he were searching for something to do or say. The young Jedi hesitated and stood there for a long moment, rooted in place. His thoughts were running rampant in hise head. They should call in reinforcements, but Han would have thought of that already, wouldn't he? And the refugees needed medical attention, as did he and Vader, too. Corran was on the Falcon. Corran, who thought that Vader was a psychotic criminal he needed to bring down under any circumstances. He could not allow that. Shaking his head fiercely to get rid of his dark thoughts Luke ran to meet the New Republic troopers pouring from the now lowered ramp of the ancient freighter. Han was standing there with them, Corran by his side. Both were staring at something beyond Luke's shoulder and he didn't need his eyes to know what they were looking at. What would become of the Dark Lord now? Only one thing was certain: They would not leave him here.

Gasping for air Darth Vader felt the force of the bonding slam into him, ripping him apart inside out as his power was restored to him. He had not felt like this ever since the Shanda ritual and this was even worse. His mind was drawn in every direction at once, searching tendrils of power connecting him to everyone on the battlefield. What he felt from Skywalker made his head ache. He raised his hands slowly, blinking at the dark blood flowing over his arms, the wet ground at is feet. He had not wanted this. Tears started mingling with the blood as he shook his head in despair. How could he do this? How could he betray those who had died because of him? His people. Andra. Nomi. The reaction had been almost instinctive and that was what had surprised him most. He had not even thought about the consequences. But the bond was sealed with blood and there was no turning back now.

Groaning softly he started walking toward the ship in the distance, unsure of what to do. If he surrendered he would likely die. And that he could not. Not anymore. But on the other hand he had the power to defeat the New Republic troops easily. If he chose to kill them now he would be free. Yes, indeed. And then? The refugees needed shelter, medical attention, food, clothes, whatever. And he could not provide that. Closing his eyes he tried to calm himself. Very well. If he had to become a prisoner again to fullfill his duties to them so be it. And who was he fooling anyway? He was far too tired from the immense blood-loss to do much. He dropped to his knees slowly, taking a deep breath. Suddenly someone was by his side, laying a thick, gray blanket over his shoulders. Only now did he realize that he was shivering.

"Thank you," he managed and Mara Jade dropped to her haunches next to him, trying to catch his glance. The Dark Lord turned his head away to look over at the ship. Skywalker was walking up to the two of them slowly, hesitantly, but Corran Horn did not seem to be held back by any restrictions. His face was a mask of cold rage as he came to a halt in front of them. Mara rose gracefully, but stayed at the kneeling man's side. The Corellian Jedi gave him a cold stare. He had his blaster trained on the Dark Lord's face and apparently he meant to use it.

"Luke, I want you and Jade to look after the refugees. Now," Horn barked sharply, but the young Jedi did not budge.

"Corran. I believe that you are making a mistake," Luke began, but was interrupted immediately.

"A mistake? I don't think so. Whatever he did here today means nothing compared to what he's done so far. Nothing."

Setting his mouth in a grim line Vader stared at the ground before looking over at Skywalker:

"You need someone to look after your wounds, boy. See to it. Take her with you."

The young man shook his head gravely: "No way. You need it much more."

"Not on this ship," the Dark Lord hissed and glared up at Horn angrily. It was not that what the other had said was not true. Not at all. But in another way it was also terribly wrong.

"Right," Corran snorted. "We have called in reinforcements. They will be here in a few hours. What happened anyway?"

Luke hesitated again. He was not even sure himself why exactly Vader had suddenly regained his power after he had been all but helpless only a few hours ago. "We were captured and Torlock wanted the refugees to die with us. We tried to prevent that and- . I am not sure what happened next."

"How about you?" Corran snapped, waving his blaster at the Dark Lord, who shook his head slowly. "Are you deaf or what? No? Very well. I don't really care anyway. Get up."

Luke winced at the sight of Vader staggering upright. His wounds had not stopped bleeding at all. Hissing something vicious at Corran the young Jedi pushed past him and practically dragged Vader over to the Millenium Falcon. Han was eyeing him doubtfully, but he let them pass without a comment. The only one protesting this course of action was the Dark Lord himself.

"Let go," he whispered angrily, trying to shake Luke off. He would not have it. Maneuvering his struggling charge into the small medical ward of the old freighter he shoved him into the single bunk.

"Stay there," Luke snapped. "Han! I need some help here. Can you work the equipment?"

His friend came running around the corner hurriedly: "Sure, sure. Stand aside, kid."

Han gave the Dark Lord a suspicious glance before he bent over him to work the controls of the emergency medical equipment. Turning to the sound of approaching bootssteps Luke's face turned grim.

"Get out, Corran," he said coldly, moving to block the other's way.

"Luke, what the hell do you think you are doing? I am not going to hurt him or anything."

He did not answer. But Vader's voice was clearly audible in the tense silence filling the small room: "He has every right to be concerned, Skywalker. But rest assured that I would not kill your friends, even if I wanted to."

"Nice," Corran snapped.

"Stop that, all of you," Han said sourly, giving each one of them an angry glare. "My ship, my rules. You, get back out there and help," he told Corran coldly. "And you," here he pointed at Vader. "If you so much as lift a finger against me while I give you this," he held up a sedative, "you are out of here and I don't care if you bleed to death or not. Understood?"

The three men nodded, one by one.

"Good."

Han pushed down the Dark Lord's collar and froze, a frown on his face. He stared at the vertical scar slashed down the side of the other's neck pensively before applying the sedative. Luke could feel that Vader was very grateful for Han not inquiring what that scar was and immediately decided to ask him about it later. Maybe it was a clue as to what had happened back there. But for now they had better leave him to rest.

Walking into the already crowded tiny medical ward Mara leaned against the doorway and let her eyes wander over the four men assembled there. Sykwalker was hovering next to Vader like a small, angry batham, his eyes flashing coldly at the one called Corran. She did not know the other, taller man, but his face seemed familiar. Some rebel or other, she guessed. Vader was apparently asleep, judging by the peaceful expression on his face and his closed eyes. She could feel the Force flow between all four of them, but the bond connecting the Dark Lord and Skywalker was most visible. An intricate line of silver to her eyes she could recognize an extension of the strange field she had been able to make out outside. She wondered briefly if the young Jedi could see it too. Suddenly he became aware of her presence and his features softened ever so slightly.

"Mara!" he said and nodded at her, inviting her to come closer. The man called Corran turned around and frowned deeply. Apparently he had seen nothing, but Skywalker's eyes went wide. He stared first at her, then at Vader and back. Hissing softly between his teeth he opened his mouth to speak, but Mara got there first.

"It is everywhere around," she explained. "All of the fugitives are part of the web."

"What web?" Corran snapped suddenly.

"You can't see it? Luke seemed bewildered. "But you are a Jedi, you should..."

Stopping himself short he gave Vader's sleeping form a pensive look. Then he went outside without another word. Corran followed him swiftly. The tall, dark-haired man was the only one left and he gave Mara a quizzical glance.

"What was that about?" he asked finally and she smiled at him before she replied:

"Secrets."

He shrugged and went to follow his friends while Mara sat down on the edge of the bunk to examine the sleeping Sith carefully. Her right hand moved almost unconsciously and pushed down the collar of his shirt carefully to look at the scars. Right after that she found herself unbuttoning the sleeves and studying the scripture snaking down his right arm. It looked strange, unfinished, and somehow familiar. Straightening his clothes again the young woman sat there for a long time, thinking. And one after the other the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Finally Mara rose and left too. Outside she found the New Republic troopers hurry around the battle-field in a frenzy, herding the refugees together as fast as they could. Which could only mean one thing: they were not out of trouble yet.

"Mara!" Luke waved her to his side.

"What is it?"

"We need to make a quick escape. There are two corvettes to one star destroyer and we better hurry before our escort gets blown up."

"Can we fit them all in that one ship?"

"There's still Torlock's shuttle."

"Right. You stay with Vader and I'll pilot that one."

"If you don't mind I'll get Corran to go with you. I don't trust him around Vader."

"Sure. No problem. Where to?"

"Coruscant. As fast as you can make it." He gave her a small smile. "May the Force be with you."

"Just make it quick."