Vader clenched his fist as the Millennium Falcon made the jump to
lightspeed.
"Hard for you defeat is- even when false."
Vader turned his head to regard the small Jedi Master at the threshold of the gallery.
"It was necessary."
Yoda nodded, "Right he was."
"Who?"
"Your son."
Vader was silent; he really didn't want to enter this frontier with the small Master.
"Told me he did," Yoda continued, "Good in you there is- believe him, I did not."
Vader still remained stubbornly silent.
"Prove him correct you have- by sacrificing the one thing that might have meant more to you than him- but I know now, does not."
Vader made a bitter laugh-like sound, "And what is that, Jedi MASTER?"
Yoda smiled, "Pride. The one thing that, in the first place, got you into this mess."
For a moment, Vader felt like Anakin again- standing helplessly before glaze of scrutiny delivered by this ancient Jedi Master.
"I do not wish for Luke to stand before the Emperor unprepared- you know as well as I what will happen."
"And what's that?" Leia and Han emerged from the shadows of the corridor behind Yoda- neither Jedi nor Sith were surprised by their presence.
Vader sneered beneath his mask, "He will no longer be the man you know."
Leia's face betrayed nothing- but her thoughts screamed to him.
She was afraid- not simply for her friend---- but for her brother.
Yoda looked up at Vader's emotionless mask as her felt the Dark Lord's realization.
Vader tilted his head, regarding the princess in a new light- HIS daughter.
Pride washed over him. The two most capable individuals in the galaxy- and they were HIS children.
What more could a father ask?
Well, for one, that they didn't neurotically seek his destruction.
Slowly- he moved towards her. She held her ground, watching his every move.
Finally he came to a stop- much closer than she was comfortable with- and he placed a gloved hand on each shoulder, leaning his face towards her's.
"I will NOT leave you brother to his fate, my daughter, we will all be together- as we always should have been."
The emotion that poured forth from him stunned her, and for that moment- all of her hatred melted away.
~
Luke chewed his lip.
He could SEE Coruscant.
He could FEEL the Emperor.
He hadn't counted on getting to the Imperial Center this quickly- he'd hoped his negative tweaking in the hyperdrive would have staled them longer, but Mara was a more capable mechanic then he'd counted on. He glanced at the said Hand; she was just getting authorization to land- and informed that she was to bring her "guest" straight to the Emperor.
Luke rubbed an eyebrow, great.
He looked over at Mara, determined not to give himself away, he spread his arms,
"Do I look okay?"
She looked him up and down, taking in his Vader-like ensemble. You look pretty damn good to me, she thought, and then replied, "I think the Master will be pleased with your chosen wardrobe."
Luke nodded, looking back out over the city rapidly growing larger in his view.
"It's beautiful," he whispered.
She looked over at him and smiled, "Ever the farmboy, eh?"
He scowled at her, "How'd you know-"
"I know more about you than you'd like."
He frowned. Once again- Great.
~
Palpatine rubbed his hands together- he could FEEL the young Skywalker coming to him. He closed his yellow eyes. The child held so much power- and most of his potential hadn't even been tapped into yet! What a waste it would be for him to be a mere Jedi.
This boy was meant for greater things.
He was meant for HIM.
Just then he heard the throne room doors part- and his young Hand entered with Skywalker at her side.
Palpatine frowned as he read Mara's mind- she had already become entangled in the young man's charm. Well, perhaps he would be able to use that. Skywalker himself was blank- he, of course, ALLOWED Palpatine to see his deference to him-and the Emperor knew very well it was false.
He smiled as Skywalker and Jade knelt, side by side, to him.
"Rise, Young Skywalker- Jade."
They rose together.
He first turned to Jade, "A job well done, my Hand. Now, leave us."
She bowed, he could feel her regret, but she slipped off nevertheless.
When they were alone, he turned his eyes back to the youth.
"Come closer," he hissed.
The young man immediately complied, stepping mere feet from the Galactic Emperor.
Palpatine smiled as he reached out and gently took Luke by the chin. The young man showed no fear- he simply gazed back into the Emperor's eyes.
The pale man turned Luke's face side to side slowly, taking in his every feature.
"I didn't expect you to be so beautiful," he said softly- too softly for Luke's taste.
He remained silent.
The Emperor smiled as he leaned closer, "Tell me your father's plans."
Luke's blue eyes looked at him innocently, "He plans for he and I to serve you- side by side- as father and son."
The Emperor smiled lightly- appearing to be pleased-when he suddenly tightened his grasp on Luke's face and pulled him forcefully closer- their faces were inches apart now.
Luke couldn't help but tremble- the overwhelming power of this man beginning to get to him.
"I KNOW that he plans to betray me," the yellow eyes bore into him, "the only question now is- how smart are you Skywalker? Are you intelligent enough to choose the winning side?"
Luke swallowed.
The Emperor leaned even closer- pressing his cheek against Luke's- he whispered in his ear,
"Your destiny calls, Young Skywalker. Will you answer its beckoning?"
Luke turned his head, ever so slightly, his left eye locked with the Emperor's right-and in this intimate pose they stayed frozen, until Palpatine smiled.
Through this one eye- his left- the side of darkness, the Emperor could read his heart.
He would not say yes---- but he could not say no.
[Ah-oh Luke! Don't let that breath knock you out! I bet he hasn't brushed his teeth in years LOL- OMIGOD, I just got the funniest imagine in my head-- -- can you imagine Palpy or Vader brushing their teeth?????? ROFL Someone should suggest it to the advertiser of Colgate. (Deep announcer voice) "If it can whiten the teeth of a Sith Lord- then it can whiten ANYTHING!"]
"Hard for you defeat is- even when false."
Vader turned his head to regard the small Jedi Master at the threshold of the gallery.
"It was necessary."
Yoda nodded, "Right he was."
"Who?"
"Your son."
Vader was silent; he really didn't want to enter this frontier with the small Master.
"Told me he did," Yoda continued, "Good in you there is- believe him, I did not."
Vader still remained stubbornly silent.
"Prove him correct you have- by sacrificing the one thing that might have meant more to you than him- but I know now, does not."
Vader made a bitter laugh-like sound, "And what is that, Jedi MASTER?"
Yoda smiled, "Pride. The one thing that, in the first place, got you into this mess."
For a moment, Vader felt like Anakin again- standing helplessly before glaze of scrutiny delivered by this ancient Jedi Master.
"I do not wish for Luke to stand before the Emperor unprepared- you know as well as I what will happen."
"And what's that?" Leia and Han emerged from the shadows of the corridor behind Yoda- neither Jedi nor Sith were surprised by their presence.
Vader sneered beneath his mask, "He will no longer be the man you know."
Leia's face betrayed nothing- but her thoughts screamed to him.
She was afraid- not simply for her friend---- but for her brother.
Yoda looked up at Vader's emotionless mask as her felt the Dark Lord's realization.
Vader tilted his head, regarding the princess in a new light- HIS daughter.
Pride washed over him. The two most capable individuals in the galaxy- and they were HIS children.
What more could a father ask?
Well, for one, that they didn't neurotically seek his destruction.
Slowly- he moved towards her. She held her ground, watching his every move.
Finally he came to a stop- much closer than she was comfortable with- and he placed a gloved hand on each shoulder, leaning his face towards her's.
"I will NOT leave you brother to his fate, my daughter, we will all be together- as we always should have been."
The emotion that poured forth from him stunned her, and for that moment- all of her hatred melted away.
~
Luke chewed his lip.
He could SEE Coruscant.
He could FEEL the Emperor.
He hadn't counted on getting to the Imperial Center this quickly- he'd hoped his negative tweaking in the hyperdrive would have staled them longer, but Mara was a more capable mechanic then he'd counted on. He glanced at the said Hand; she was just getting authorization to land- and informed that she was to bring her "guest" straight to the Emperor.
Luke rubbed an eyebrow, great.
He looked over at Mara, determined not to give himself away, he spread his arms,
"Do I look okay?"
She looked him up and down, taking in his Vader-like ensemble. You look pretty damn good to me, she thought, and then replied, "I think the Master will be pleased with your chosen wardrobe."
Luke nodded, looking back out over the city rapidly growing larger in his view.
"It's beautiful," he whispered.
She looked over at him and smiled, "Ever the farmboy, eh?"
He scowled at her, "How'd you know-"
"I know more about you than you'd like."
He frowned. Once again- Great.
~
Palpatine rubbed his hands together- he could FEEL the young Skywalker coming to him. He closed his yellow eyes. The child held so much power- and most of his potential hadn't even been tapped into yet! What a waste it would be for him to be a mere Jedi.
This boy was meant for greater things.
He was meant for HIM.
Just then he heard the throne room doors part- and his young Hand entered with Skywalker at her side.
Palpatine frowned as he read Mara's mind- she had already become entangled in the young man's charm. Well, perhaps he would be able to use that. Skywalker himself was blank- he, of course, ALLOWED Palpatine to see his deference to him-and the Emperor knew very well it was false.
He smiled as Skywalker and Jade knelt, side by side, to him.
"Rise, Young Skywalker- Jade."
They rose together.
He first turned to Jade, "A job well done, my Hand. Now, leave us."
She bowed, he could feel her regret, but she slipped off nevertheless.
When they were alone, he turned his eyes back to the youth.
"Come closer," he hissed.
The young man immediately complied, stepping mere feet from the Galactic Emperor.
Palpatine smiled as he reached out and gently took Luke by the chin. The young man showed no fear- he simply gazed back into the Emperor's eyes.
The pale man turned Luke's face side to side slowly, taking in his every feature.
"I didn't expect you to be so beautiful," he said softly- too softly for Luke's taste.
He remained silent.
The Emperor smiled as he leaned closer, "Tell me your father's plans."
Luke's blue eyes looked at him innocently, "He plans for he and I to serve you- side by side- as father and son."
The Emperor smiled lightly- appearing to be pleased-when he suddenly tightened his grasp on Luke's face and pulled him forcefully closer- their faces were inches apart now.
Luke couldn't help but tremble- the overwhelming power of this man beginning to get to him.
"I KNOW that he plans to betray me," the yellow eyes bore into him, "the only question now is- how smart are you Skywalker? Are you intelligent enough to choose the winning side?"
Luke swallowed.
The Emperor leaned even closer- pressing his cheek against Luke's- he whispered in his ear,
"Your destiny calls, Young Skywalker. Will you answer its beckoning?"
Luke turned his head, ever so slightly, his left eye locked with the Emperor's right-and in this intimate pose they stayed frozen, until Palpatine smiled.
Through this one eye- his left- the side of darkness, the Emperor could read his heart.
He would not say yes---- but he could not say no.
[Ah-oh Luke! Don't let that breath knock you out! I bet he hasn't brushed his teeth in years LOL- OMIGOD, I just got the funniest imagine in my head-- -- can you imagine Palpy or Vader brushing their teeth?????? ROFL Someone should suggest it to the advertiser of Colgate. (Deep announcer voice) "If it can whiten the teeth of a Sith Lord- then it can whiten ANYTHING!"]
