The Calling was irresistible. It was a Calling that was near impossible
for a Skywalker to resist- the Vader within very much wanted out. A clawed
hand reached out and brushed a lock of hair from the young face of the
sleeping form. Palpatine smiled, the Calling is as irresistible to a
Skywalker as a Skywalker is to Him- and Vader, of course. To his credit
Vader was getting closer. Palpatine's sneer deepened. Vader was
uncharacteristically willing to give up much of his style for this boy.
Smiling down at the child he whispered, "And that, my little one, is quite
an accomplishment on your part--- We shall see just how much he will
sacrifice for you."
Luke shifted in his unnatural sleep, elating another brush of the Emperor's hand.
~
Han, Yoda, and Leia sat huddling around the small table of the Falcon's gallery attempting to think up the perfect plan for rescuing their friend/apprentice/brother from the clutches of the Emperor. The mental slate was still blank. Leia yawned, unconsciously glancing at her mediating father in the corner, his still and peaceful form ever-diffusing danger. She smiled at that. Put Threepio in that suit and you'll have worlds trembling- that is, until he spoke.
She began to look away-just as he landed gracefully on his feet, turning to the group, his cape eddying dramatically behind him.
"How long?" Leia frowned, was that panic in his voice?
Yoda immediately jumped onto the table to be in better speaking proximity with the giant.
"What see did you, Anakin?"
Vader shook his head, as if to clear it.
"Luke."
Leia and Han jumped to their feet- just as Han remembered Vader's waking question and made for the cockpit.
Leia looked up at her father- the question in her eyes.
Vader glanced aside and then back to his daughter, as if in contemplation,
"The Emperor knows."
Leia covered her mouth in horror as Han rushed back from the cockpit,
"Chewie says it'll be 16 hours tops- if we make a few adjustments we can make it in ten."
Vader looked at the smuggler, regarding him in a new light. He'd always wondered what this ship's secret was- and he'd just discovered it--- Her captain.
"Come then," Vader said simply and started for the hyperdrive compartment.
Han's eyes widened, "HEY! If you think I'm letting you TOUCH my ship you have another thing coming."
Vader did not turn, nor slow.
Leia touched Han's arm, "For Luke."
He set his jaw and nodded, then set down the corridor after the Dark Lord- repeating "For Luke" under his breath the entire way.
~
Mara Jade leaned against the stone rail of a balcony of the Imperial Palace looking out over the city. It had been hours since she'd been dismissed from her charge- yet thoughts of him still lingered in her mind. She growled in frustration. This is dangerous, she berated herself-but she knew it was more than merely dangerous-it was treasonous. Until he joined her Master- he was the enemy--- NOT to be lusted over. She saw his wet, naked chest again in her mind's eye. Sith.
She shook her head violently trying to clear the image-to no avail.
She set her jaw. She was falling apart. A mere boy should not cost her loyalty to her Master. She was a failure.
A single tear slid down her cheek as she pulled herself to stand on the railing. Her emerald eyes closed- she drew a deep breath----- and she fell.
Coruscant opened beneath her.
~
Luke rubbed his eyes and sat up. He glanced around the room in panic, untangling from the silk sheets he pulled himself from the bed. He reached out with the Force-no one was in the room.
"Lights."
He looked around -wide-eyed at the royal quarters he'd been given. Jade was right, he thought, I AM a farmboy.
Jade.
He felt her. He smiled, she was coming closer.
And closer.
He frowned, her movement was unnaturally fast.
And closer-
"MARA!"
He ran to the balcony, looking up as he did so- immediately finding her falling form.
Clenching his eyes shut he desperately reached out to catch her.
He didn't know why- but he just couldn't let her die.
He reached for her- she slowed, but not nearly enough.
His fingers dug into the stone railing, his head bent between his arms.
"I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE!" he heard himself scream-
And a power he'd never before felt erupted within him.
He could have stopped the cosmos if it were his will to do so.
Jade landed gently in his arms.
~
Han stepped back into the gallery wiping his greasy hands with a rag. As he emerged he glanced at his modifying partner.
"Where the hell'd you learn to do that?"
Leia frowned, "What?"
Han looked over at Leia, motioning to Vader with his thumb, "We'll make it to Coruscant in 6 hours now."
Her eyes widened, "You used the Force?"
Vader laughed, "Gods no, I used to be the best mechanic on Tatooine--" he paused and shrugged, "But that was when I was nine."
Han dropped the hydrospanner in his hand and joined Leia in exclaiming, "Nine?"
Vader sat- and Leia moved to sit across from him, suddenly unable to extinguish the curiosity within her of her father's past.
"You lived on Tatooine?"
He nodded.
Han sat. "So you were stuck farming like Luke?"
Vader shook his head, "I was a slave."
Both Han and Leia's eyes widened again, "A slave?" Leia whispered.
Han pressed his lips together, "That explains a lot."
"Oh yes?" Vader couldn't hide the amusement in voice
"The antislavery laws- the slaver ships you personally wiped out-"
"One small revenge my Master allowed me of my own accord."
Leia's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean, your 'own accord'?"
Vader looked away from his daughter's burning eyes, "Do you really think me proud of what I've done?" he asked quietly.
The group fell silent, and in this silence Vader grew very uneasy. That was NOT something Vader would say---- but Anakin would.
He smiled as he pictured Luke- blonde hair, blue eyes---- Anakin's son.
His head snapped to attention the same instant as Yoda's.
Luke.
His black-gloved hand reached out desperately, "Luke, NO!"
The power of his son's breach into the Dark Side knocked him violently to the floor--- He sat, curled up like a child, and whispered,
"Please Son," his respirator hissed between words, "Don't leave me."
Luke shifted in his unnatural sleep, elating another brush of the Emperor's hand.
~
Han, Yoda, and Leia sat huddling around the small table of the Falcon's gallery attempting to think up the perfect plan for rescuing their friend/apprentice/brother from the clutches of the Emperor. The mental slate was still blank. Leia yawned, unconsciously glancing at her mediating father in the corner, his still and peaceful form ever-diffusing danger. She smiled at that. Put Threepio in that suit and you'll have worlds trembling- that is, until he spoke.
She began to look away-just as he landed gracefully on his feet, turning to the group, his cape eddying dramatically behind him.
"How long?" Leia frowned, was that panic in his voice?
Yoda immediately jumped onto the table to be in better speaking proximity with the giant.
"What see did you, Anakin?"
Vader shook his head, as if to clear it.
"Luke."
Leia and Han jumped to their feet- just as Han remembered Vader's waking question and made for the cockpit.
Leia looked up at her father- the question in her eyes.
Vader glanced aside and then back to his daughter, as if in contemplation,
"The Emperor knows."
Leia covered her mouth in horror as Han rushed back from the cockpit,
"Chewie says it'll be 16 hours tops- if we make a few adjustments we can make it in ten."
Vader looked at the smuggler, regarding him in a new light. He'd always wondered what this ship's secret was- and he'd just discovered it--- Her captain.
"Come then," Vader said simply and started for the hyperdrive compartment.
Han's eyes widened, "HEY! If you think I'm letting you TOUCH my ship you have another thing coming."
Vader did not turn, nor slow.
Leia touched Han's arm, "For Luke."
He set his jaw and nodded, then set down the corridor after the Dark Lord- repeating "For Luke" under his breath the entire way.
~
Mara Jade leaned against the stone rail of a balcony of the Imperial Palace looking out over the city. It had been hours since she'd been dismissed from her charge- yet thoughts of him still lingered in her mind. She growled in frustration. This is dangerous, she berated herself-but she knew it was more than merely dangerous-it was treasonous. Until he joined her Master- he was the enemy--- NOT to be lusted over. She saw his wet, naked chest again in her mind's eye. Sith.
She shook her head violently trying to clear the image-to no avail.
She set her jaw. She was falling apart. A mere boy should not cost her loyalty to her Master. She was a failure.
A single tear slid down her cheek as she pulled herself to stand on the railing. Her emerald eyes closed- she drew a deep breath----- and she fell.
Coruscant opened beneath her.
~
Luke rubbed his eyes and sat up. He glanced around the room in panic, untangling from the silk sheets he pulled himself from the bed. He reached out with the Force-no one was in the room.
"Lights."
He looked around -wide-eyed at the royal quarters he'd been given. Jade was right, he thought, I AM a farmboy.
Jade.
He felt her. He smiled, she was coming closer.
And closer.
He frowned, her movement was unnaturally fast.
And closer-
"MARA!"
He ran to the balcony, looking up as he did so- immediately finding her falling form.
Clenching his eyes shut he desperately reached out to catch her.
He didn't know why- but he just couldn't let her die.
He reached for her- she slowed, but not nearly enough.
His fingers dug into the stone railing, his head bent between his arms.
"I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE!" he heard himself scream-
And a power he'd never before felt erupted within him.
He could have stopped the cosmos if it were his will to do so.
Jade landed gently in his arms.
~
Han stepped back into the gallery wiping his greasy hands with a rag. As he emerged he glanced at his modifying partner.
"Where the hell'd you learn to do that?"
Leia frowned, "What?"
Han looked over at Leia, motioning to Vader with his thumb, "We'll make it to Coruscant in 6 hours now."
Her eyes widened, "You used the Force?"
Vader laughed, "Gods no, I used to be the best mechanic on Tatooine--" he paused and shrugged, "But that was when I was nine."
Han dropped the hydrospanner in his hand and joined Leia in exclaiming, "Nine?"
Vader sat- and Leia moved to sit across from him, suddenly unable to extinguish the curiosity within her of her father's past.
"You lived on Tatooine?"
He nodded.
Han sat. "So you were stuck farming like Luke?"
Vader shook his head, "I was a slave."
Both Han and Leia's eyes widened again, "A slave?" Leia whispered.
Han pressed his lips together, "That explains a lot."
"Oh yes?" Vader couldn't hide the amusement in voice
"The antislavery laws- the slaver ships you personally wiped out-"
"One small revenge my Master allowed me of my own accord."
Leia's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean, your 'own accord'?"
Vader looked away from his daughter's burning eyes, "Do you really think me proud of what I've done?" he asked quietly.
The group fell silent, and in this silence Vader grew very uneasy. That was NOT something Vader would say---- but Anakin would.
He smiled as he pictured Luke- blonde hair, blue eyes---- Anakin's son.
His head snapped to attention the same instant as Yoda's.
Luke.
His black-gloved hand reached out desperately, "Luke, NO!"
The power of his son's breach into the Dark Side knocked him violently to the floor--- He sat, curled up like a child, and whispered,
"Please Son," his respirator hissed between words, "Don't leave me."
