[I really apologize for making Rogue Squadron into a makeup party- I'll try
not to let it happen again—but when a group of men want to cross-dress,
what's one to do?]
Vader stalked through the giant palace hallways, the glistening arcaded ceiling arched hundreds of feet above him; his heir walked serenely at his side. After their announcement from the Executor, statues of Palpatine began to fall all over Coruscant and "Hail Vader" banners rose. Father and Son considered it an invitation back to the planet. The gilded giant tilted his head to observe his son.
"What of your Rebel friends?"
Luke continued next to his father, not missing a step.
"After that little broadcast- they'll be here within days."
Vader looked down at his bewildering son.
"To join us?"
Luke smiled; a secret amusement ran through his blue eyes.
"To kill me."
Vader looked ahead and nodded.
"Do you feel like nerf or chixqien for dinner?"
Luke stopped in his tracks, turning to his father.
"Father. Within a dozen hours we need to execute a near impossible feat--- to perfection. The fate of the GALAXY depends on it. "
Vader cast a sidelong look at his son.
"Nerf, of course."
Luke smiled and nodded, "My thoughts exactly."
~
Mon Mothma was still staring at the vidport screen several minutes after the broadcast had ended. She rubbed her face and finally turned to the other members of the Alliance High Command surrounding her.
"Well, there goes the Alliance," she whispered.
"What are you talking about?" an officer in the corner asked.
She stared down at the table, "We've already lost a considerable amount number of allies do to Skywalker's---" she trailed off, unwilling to admit their grave mistake in judging their hero so harshly. "But now--- with that address, those loyal to Skywalker and what he stands for will give Vader a second change- for the sake of his son."
The room was silent.
"As individuals- we must all make this choice as well."
Quietly Mon Mothma slipped away, leaving the people she'd addressed to their thoughts.
Many would be gone come morning.
~
Piett smiled to himself, "I can't believe it."
The officer next to him looked up, "Sir?"
Piett turned, an uncharacteristic smile spread across his face, "There is word that the Rebel Alliance is all but dissolved. Only unorganized independent cells remain. The High Command has disappeared."
The bridge was deathly silent for several moments.
Suddenly a voice called out from one of the stations, "THE WAR IS OVER!"
The bridge erupted in hoots and cheers.
Piett merely smiled, his men deserved this.
Finally the Empire would be whole again.
~
Han surveyed Coruscant below them. It looked normal enough- but they weren't foolish enough to buy that---- even if they were foolish enough to show up there.
"How the hell are we gonna get clearance?" Han looked up at Leia with his question.
She shrugged and reached for the comm. unit, "Call Luke."
"WHAT?"
Leia started punching numbers.
"Look, Sweetheart, if you just think we can call him up and say-"
"Skywalker." The comm. crackled.
"Ah, hey kid- you think you could get us some clearance?"
"Platform 2A. I'll meet you there."
When Luke signed off Leia smiled as Han avoided her eyes, "What were you saying O' wise Captain?"
"Quiet Princess, I'm concentrating here."
~
Luke stalked out of his quarters towards the door. He didn't want to talk to his father, something about him had changed. The man he had spent the last few days with- even the man he'd had dinner with last night (as awkward as it was) had vanished, and was replaced by--- something very dark. There was something Luke felt he was missing, and it made him uneasy. He moved past his father.
"Where are you going?" Vader's rich voice purred.
"Out."
"Something troubles you, Son."
Luke turned, "I'm going to meet Han and Leia and whomever they brought with them." Why was he suddenly so reluctant to give his father information? It was almost as if the Force were warning him---
"No. Something else."
Luke licked his lips impatiently. Should he address this now? Well, what better time, he thought, a squadron worth of allies were about to land. His eyes narrowed.
"What troubles me, Father, is the apparent ease in which we were able to dispose of Xizor and Palpatine."
"You doubt our abilities."
"No."
"You do not doubt Xizor's death." Vader made a point not to ask question- merely make statements; he knew where his son was going.
"No. I killed him," Luke paused- uncertain if you could jump this ledge, "but the Emperor---"
Vader rose thunderously, "I AM THE EMPEROR!"
Luke stared at his father unmoved as Vader stepped closer and leaned over him dangerously, "You – doubt — ME?" he hissed.
Luke looked up, his eyes hard in conflict, "Do I have reason to?"
Vader turned away, retreated back to his desk. Luke watched him with wide- eyes. The shadowed doubt within him vanished as he felt the truth pour forth through the Force.
"You betrayed me!" he screamed and backed towards the door, "I came to you! I TRUSTED you—and you BETRAYED me!"
Vader did not move, his mask suddenly more inhuman to Luke than it was on Bespin. The face of a monster stared at him.
"You are not my father," he whispered. As Vader extended a hand to silence him he shook he head, "No-- Not my father."
Luke stopped as his back met a surface, but not the wood surface of the door as he had expected— he turned---
To face Palpatine smiling down upon him.
This was not the Palpatine Luke had seen on the holovid- this man was young, regenerated.
The man's smiled deepened as he leaned closer to the young man, "The death you felt was very real," he whispered, "Unfortunately for you- it was merely the death of a former body—not my first and certainly not my last."
He gently kissed Luke's forehead, "Thank you for dissolving the Rebellion for me. You are truly a worthy servant."
Luke paled as he stared blankly into the wall. He didn't even feel Palpatine wrap his arms around him and lead him back towards his father.
Vader stalked through the giant palace hallways, the glistening arcaded ceiling arched hundreds of feet above him; his heir walked serenely at his side. After their announcement from the Executor, statues of Palpatine began to fall all over Coruscant and "Hail Vader" banners rose. Father and Son considered it an invitation back to the planet. The gilded giant tilted his head to observe his son.
"What of your Rebel friends?"
Luke continued next to his father, not missing a step.
"After that little broadcast- they'll be here within days."
Vader looked down at his bewildering son.
"To join us?"
Luke smiled; a secret amusement ran through his blue eyes.
"To kill me."
Vader looked ahead and nodded.
"Do you feel like nerf or chixqien for dinner?"
Luke stopped in his tracks, turning to his father.
"Father. Within a dozen hours we need to execute a near impossible feat--- to perfection. The fate of the GALAXY depends on it. "
Vader cast a sidelong look at his son.
"Nerf, of course."
Luke smiled and nodded, "My thoughts exactly."
~
Mon Mothma was still staring at the vidport screen several minutes after the broadcast had ended. She rubbed her face and finally turned to the other members of the Alliance High Command surrounding her.
"Well, there goes the Alliance," she whispered.
"What are you talking about?" an officer in the corner asked.
She stared down at the table, "We've already lost a considerable amount number of allies do to Skywalker's---" she trailed off, unwilling to admit their grave mistake in judging their hero so harshly. "But now--- with that address, those loyal to Skywalker and what he stands for will give Vader a second change- for the sake of his son."
The room was silent.
"As individuals- we must all make this choice as well."
Quietly Mon Mothma slipped away, leaving the people she'd addressed to their thoughts.
Many would be gone come morning.
~
Piett smiled to himself, "I can't believe it."
The officer next to him looked up, "Sir?"
Piett turned, an uncharacteristic smile spread across his face, "There is word that the Rebel Alliance is all but dissolved. Only unorganized independent cells remain. The High Command has disappeared."
The bridge was deathly silent for several moments.
Suddenly a voice called out from one of the stations, "THE WAR IS OVER!"
The bridge erupted in hoots and cheers.
Piett merely smiled, his men deserved this.
Finally the Empire would be whole again.
~
Han surveyed Coruscant below them. It looked normal enough- but they weren't foolish enough to buy that---- even if they were foolish enough to show up there.
"How the hell are we gonna get clearance?" Han looked up at Leia with his question.
She shrugged and reached for the comm. unit, "Call Luke."
"WHAT?"
Leia started punching numbers.
"Look, Sweetheart, if you just think we can call him up and say-"
"Skywalker." The comm. crackled.
"Ah, hey kid- you think you could get us some clearance?"
"Platform 2A. I'll meet you there."
When Luke signed off Leia smiled as Han avoided her eyes, "What were you saying O' wise Captain?"
"Quiet Princess, I'm concentrating here."
~
Luke stalked out of his quarters towards the door. He didn't want to talk to his father, something about him had changed. The man he had spent the last few days with- even the man he'd had dinner with last night (as awkward as it was) had vanished, and was replaced by--- something very dark. There was something Luke felt he was missing, and it made him uneasy. He moved past his father.
"Where are you going?" Vader's rich voice purred.
"Out."
"Something troubles you, Son."
Luke turned, "I'm going to meet Han and Leia and whomever they brought with them." Why was he suddenly so reluctant to give his father information? It was almost as if the Force were warning him---
"No. Something else."
Luke licked his lips impatiently. Should he address this now? Well, what better time, he thought, a squadron worth of allies were about to land. His eyes narrowed.
"What troubles me, Father, is the apparent ease in which we were able to dispose of Xizor and Palpatine."
"You doubt our abilities."
"No."
"You do not doubt Xizor's death." Vader made a point not to ask question- merely make statements; he knew where his son was going.
"No. I killed him," Luke paused- uncertain if you could jump this ledge, "but the Emperor---"
Vader rose thunderously, "I AM THE EMPEROR!"
Luke stared at his father unmoved as Vader stepped closer and leaned over him dangerously, "You – doubt — ME?" he hissed.
Luke looked up, his eyes hard in conflict, "Do I have reason to?"
Vader turned away, retreated back to his desk. Luke watched him with wide- eyes. The shadowed doubt within him vanished as he felt the truth pour forth through the Force.
"You betrayed me!" he screamed and backed towards the door, "I came to you! I TRUSTED you—and you BETRAYED me!"
Vader did not move, his mask suddenly more inhuman to Luke than it was on Bespin. The face of a monster stared at him.
"You are not my father," he whispered. As Vader extended a hand to silence him he shook he head, "No-- Not my father."
Luke stopped as his back met a surface, but not the wood surface of the door as he had expected— he turned---
To face Palpatine smiling down upon him.
This was not the Palpatine Luke had seen on the holovid- this man was young, regenerated.
The man's smiled deepened as he leaned closer to the young man, "The death you felt was very real," he whispered, "Unfortunately for you- it was merely the death of a former body—not my first and certainly not my last."
He gently kissed Luke's forehead, "Thank you for dissolving the Rebellion for me. You are truly a worthy servant."
Luke paled as he stared blankly into the wall. He didn't even feel Palpatine wrap his arms around him and lead him back towards his father.