Piett clenched his hands into one great fist at the small of his back as
his commander strode down the ramp of his shuttle to the deck of his
flagship. The Executor had been part of the force that dealt with the
small rebel insurrection that had recently appeared- and had gotten away.
He tried to keep his breathing steady- if Lord Vader's mood hadn't improved since he'd last left the ship--- then he was dead.
Vader was half way down the ramp when a second figure emerged. One clad entirely in black- like the giant before it. The slight form followed behind the Dark Lord, and upon reaching the deck- fell into step beside him. As the dark pair approached- Piett recognized the smaller man- he sucked in his breath.
Either the boy is insanely brave - the Admiral thought,
Or Luke Skywalker really is the Son of Vader.
Piett nodded in respect to both the Dark Lord and the former rebel commander, Well, at least tantrums would stop now.
Vader looked down at the Admiral, "A public address is to be made- see to it."
Piett nodded, and turned on his heel. As he made his way to the communications room he felt the creeping feeling that whatever this public announcement was-
It would change everything.
~
Vader straightened Luke's collar for the umpteenth time. Luke smiled at him.
"Father, it's FINE."
Vader brushed an invisible piece of lint from his son's shoulder.
"This MUST go perfectly."
Luke laughed, "Don't worry."
Vader snorted, "Worry? I haven't the word in my vocabulary- concern is more like it. Those rebels are entirely too unpredictable."
Luke grinned, "Hey! I'm one of those rebels."
Vader paused, and looked at him, "No you're not- but you have developed some of their bad habits."
Luke laughed.
"Who would have thought that of all places-- you end up walking into my office on Coruscant?"
Again, the youth favored his father with a smile, "Well, that was the idea."
Vader shook is head, "If not for my regulated heartbeat," he tapped his breastplate, "I might have had a heart attack."
Luke shook his head with a smile, "No, no, Father. A much grander death awaits you."
Vader smirked, "Touché."
~
"LEIA!"
The sound of Han's roar sent the princess screaming down the corridor- she slid onto the bench next to Han before the vidscreen.
"What happened?" she panted.
"Vader's giving a public address."
"Ah, shit."
Han looked at her, raising an eyebrow.
She scowled, "I've been hanging out with you too long."
He smirked, pulling out his commlink.
"Wedge?"
"Yeah?"
"You getting this feed alright?"
"Loud and clear. It doesn't look good- huh?"
Han shook his head, "I hope the Kid hasn't gone and gotten himself into trouble again."
Wedge laughed, "Han, you know that 'Luke getting into trouble' is the mother of understatements."
"Yeah, I know. That's what I'm afraid of."
The Imperial emblem on the screen flashed, and a blood red curtain appeared with a simple elegant podium before it.
"Looks like it's show time, Wedge- we'll compare notes after."
"Yeah," came the reply, and the commlink went silent.
Han watched the screen- unblinking- waiting for the dark giant to appear-
He was disappointed- very disappointed.
Luke stepped up to the podium- glancing quickly around the room.
Leia lit off a colorful curse.
"Well, at least we know he's alive, Sweetheart."
Leia clenched her fists, "He won't be the next time I see him," she growled.
Han wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Luke began to speak.
~
Luke set his jaw- he had no piece of paper before him- but he knew what needed to be said. Suddenly his voice rang out, the conviction of his our tone nearly startling him.
"Citizens of the Empire, fighters of the Alliance, neutral states---- I come before you today to ask--" Luke paused as he heard a distant yet familiar voice in his head, 'I ask you- no, I beg you to help us.' Luke felt a sadness flow through him- and he allowed it to surface in his eyes- "No, to beg that you heed my words without judgment, and consider what I have to say," he took a deep breath through his nose- his jaw remained set in his pause. "For twenty years have we fought and shed one another's blood- the blood of our families- and the blood of innocents. It is time our differences be settled. It is time that we join together to create a galaxy that is peaceful, unified, and ordered. This was once the vision that was the Empire, but this vision was masked and corrupted by the late Emperor- The very Emperor who passed late last night-" he paused to let that revelation sink in, "And in his wake we shall come together and create a government that does not feed on tyranny and oppression- but on the will of the people." He reached a hand out and placed it on the outer corner of the podium- extending towards his audience, his eyes swept the room "I'd like to present to you- your new Emperor- who, now free of the control of Palpatine, will erect a government of gold, a government of the people." He swept his prosthetic hand towards the curtain behind him as his father emerged, "I'd like to present- Emperor Vader."
Vader stepped up to the podium in his full glory. His trademark appearance still with him- but with it were traces of gold- making his once fiendish facet--- almost angelic, like a fallen angel.
Are you an Angel? Luke blinked as the small voice spoke in his head -different from the other, but somehow it had the same familiarity, what the hell was that?
The past, he heard his father's voice now.
The shimmering new Emperor began to speak.
"Good people of the galaxy." The room fell silent at his words. He had replaced the piece of his faceplate that had created the menacing voice he had donned the last twenty years. He voice was still rich, just simply--- more charismatic. "My son has spoken perfectly my wishes for the future. We have been given the opportunity to end the suffering this war and oppression has wrought- and begin anew---"
~
Leia turned to Han as Vader spoke, she didn't care to hear the rest of what he had to say- she could easily guess. "What should we do?" He voice was barely a whisper. Han stared at the floor a long moment before looking back at her, "Do you trust him?"
"Vader?"
"Luke."
It was Leia's turn to stare off at the wall, "Yes." She breathed.
Han took each of her hands, their eyes meet, "Then I say, we go to him."
Ten minutes later- the Millennium Falcon and the Rouge Squadron vanished into hyperspace-ready to follow the Son of Skywalker to paradise-------- or oblivion.
He tried to keep his breathing steady- if Lord Vader's mood hadn't improved since he'd last left the ship--- then he was dead.
Vader was half way down the ramp when a second figure emerged. One clad entirely in black- like the giant before it. The slight form followed behind the Dark Lord, and upon reaching the deck- fell into step beside him. As the dark pair approached- Piett recognized the smaller man- he sucked in his breath.
Either the boy is insanely brave - the Admiral thought,
Or Luke Skywalker really is the Son of Vader.
Piett nodded in respect to both the Dark Lord and the former rebel commander, Well, at least tantrums would stop now.
Vader looked down at the Admiral, "A public address is to be made- see to it."
Piett nodded, and turned on his heel. As he made his way to the communications room he felt the creeping feeling that whatever this public announcement was-
It would change everything.
~
Vader straightened Luke's collar for the umpteenth time. Luke smiled at him.
"Father, it's FINE."
Vader brushed an invisible piece of lint from his son's shoulder.
"This MUST go perfectly."
Luke laughed, "Don't worry."
Vader snorted, "Worry? I haven't the word in my vocabulary- concern is more like it. Those rebels are entirely too unpredictable."
Luke grinned, "Hey! I'm one of those rebels."
Vader paused, and looked at him, "No you're not- but you have developed some of their bad habits."
Luke laughed.
"Who would have thought that of all places-- you end up walking into my office on Coruscant?"
Again, the youth favored his father with a smile, "Well, that was the idea."
Vader shook is head, "If not for my regulated heartbeat," he tapped his breastplate, "I might have had a heart attack."
Luke shook his head with a smile, "No, no, Father. A much grander death awaits you."
Vader smirked, "Touché."
~
"LEIA!"
The sound of Han's roar sent the princess screaming down the corridor- she slid onto the bench next to Han before the vidscreen.
"What happened?" she panted.
"Vader's giving a public address."
"Ah, shit."
Han looked at her, raising an eyebrow.
She scowled, "I've been hanging out with you too long."
He smirked, pulling out his commlink.
"Wedge?"
"Yeah?"
"You getting this feed alright?"
"Loud and clear. It doesn't look good- huh?"
Han shook his head, "I hope the Kid hasn't gone and gotten himself into trouble again."
Wedge laughed, "Han, you know that 'Luke getting into trouble' is the mother of understatements."
"Yeah, I know. That's what I'm afraid of."
The Imperial emblem on the screen flashed, and a blood red curtain appeared with a simple elegant podium before it.
"Looks like it's show time, Wedge- we'll compare notes after."
"Yeah," came the reply, and the commlink went silent.
Han watched the screen- unblinking- waiting for the dark giant to appear-
He was disappointed- very disappointed.
Luke stepped up to the podium- glancing quickly around the room.
Leia lit off a colorful curse.
"Well, at least we know he's alive, Sweetheart."
Leia clenched her fists, "He won't be the next time I see him," she growled.
Han wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Luke began to speak.
~
Luke set his jaw- he had no piece of paper before him- but he knew what needed to be said. Suddenly his voice rang out, the conviction of his our tone nearly startling him.
"Citizens of the Empire, fighters of the Alliance, neutral states---- I come before you today to ask--" Luke paused as he heard a distant yet familiar voice in his head, 'I ask you- no, I beg you to help us.' Luke felt a sadness flow through him- and he allowed it to surface in his eyes- "No, to beg that you heed my words without judgment, and consider what I have to say," he took a deep breath through his nose- his jaw remained set in his pause. "For twenty years have we fought and shed one another's blood- the blood of our families- and the blood of innocents. It is time our differences be settled. It is time that we join together to create a galaxy that is peaceful, unified, and ordered. This was once the vision that was the Empire, but this vision was masked and corrupted by the late Emperor- The very Emperor who passed late last night-" he paused to let that revelation sink in, "And in his wake we shall come together and create a government that does not feed on tyranny and oppression- but on the will of the people." He reached a hand out and placed it on the outer corner of the podium- extending towards his audience, his eyes swept the room "I'd like to present to you- your new Emperor- who, now free of the control of Palpatine, will erect a government of gold, a government of the people." He swept his prosthetic hand towards the curtain behind him as his father emerged, "I'd like to present- Emperor Vader."
Vader stepped up to the podium in his full glory. His trademark appearance still with him- but with it were traces of gold- making his once fiendish facet--- almost angelic, like a fallen angel.
Are you an Angel? Luke blinked as the small voice spoke in his head -different from the other, but somehow it had the same familiarity, what the hell was that?
The past, he heard his father's voice now.
The shimmering new Emperor began to speak.
"Good people of the galaxy." The room fell silent at his words. He had replaced the piece of his faceplate that had created the menacing voice he had donned the last twenty years. He voice was still rich, just simply--- more charismatic. "My son has spoken perfectly my wishes for the future. We have been given the opportunity to end the suffering this war and oppression has wrought- and begin anew---"
~
Leia turned to Han as Vader spoke, she didn't care to hear the rest of what he had to say- she could easily guess. "What should we do?" He voice was barely a whisper. Han stared at the floor a long moment before looking back at her, "Do you trust him?"
"Vader?"
"Luke."
It was Leia's turn to stare off at the wall, "Yes." She breathed.
Han took each of her hands, their eyes meet, "Then I say, we go to him."
Ten minutes later- the Millennium Falcon and the Rouge Squadron vanished into hyperspace-ready to follow the Son of Skywalker to paradise-------- or oblivion.