Chapter 8
Frissa looked around, and then noticed with a surprise that the door of the little cell was wide open, and that the light from the corridor was stemming in. She got a little up wandering, and than she decided with hope that the imperials had realized their mistake and that she would be let free.
These wishes were diluted however when she heard the sound of stormtroopers approaching, and Vader's familiar shape appear at the door, completely black against the light, and shading most of it as he entered the room.
"Hello" she said
"I take your medical condition has improved, your highness." Vader said quite impersonally.
"I feel a bit better." She acknowledged.
"As I was saying before you collapsed, your father has sent a request for your exhibition. I am afraid he appears to think you are not alive any longer." Vader said
"Well, you are close enough on that." Frissa managed a smile
"You have no idea how close" Vader retorted moving sinisterly around the small room. Frissa paid no attention.
"If you are able to stand up, follow me. I shall take you to the link that will unable your father to see you. You will not be allowed to communicate with him however. Do not make a scene."
Frissa looked at him, having absolutely no idea what he was talking about. He did sound convincing however, so she decided it would be better to try to get up, instead of having the troopers drag her. She put her feet on the floor, but she realized that she still felt wobbly in her head.
"I think I need some help." She said softly, half smiling at him. He did precisely what she expected him to.
"Hold my arm" he said, offering it to her. She put her hand on it and got up, staggering a little.
The entire audience with the king went very quickly. Vader menaced him politely, than he showed him his daughter. Frissa had seen the king on the holonews before, so she recognized him at once. The king, however, had never seen Frissa in his life, but he did do a very nice public display of emotions, including crying a little. Frissa could not hear him, because the sound was cut off, and than Vader pushed her away from the display.
That was when Frissa realized what happened. The king was obviously playing some sort of game, and she was going to be the sacrifice. And when Vader continued speaking to the king as if everything was right, she realized in a panic that she had gotten caught in the middle of a political power play, in which none of the opponents were willing to identify her true identity. She now knew she stood no chances.
"Meet our demands by the end of the month, king, or your daughter will suffer a faith I am sure no father desires for their child." Vader was saying.
The king answered "Most revered high councilor Lord Vader, we are more than eager to comply to your desires and assure you of our readiness to fulfill them. We do however need to discuss this among ourselves." The king answered, in the fashion of his people, agreeing first, and than saying what he really meant.
Vader answered in a cold voice "Discuss. Decide. The deadline is known to you, now." And the link went out.
Ten days later the response arrived. The king sent a long and elaborate message, claiming at the end that he needed more time to discuss this, that the matter was not entirely in his hands, and that he was subject to the council of the noble in his home-planet. Vader, who had by than received strict orders not to prolong this any further, dismissed the plea, and gave the king an ultimatum of 24 hours for the final response.
Vader had not seen Frissa during that period. It had began to bother him that she had such a strong anchor in his thoughts. Besides, she had to die. Vader was not too keen on showing mercy, but this time sparing her life was just not an option. The emperor had ordered death in any circumstance, and the girl should have been killed as soon as the mistake had been realized. Now, Vader was trapped. Concealing the girl's true identity, and Vader was certain that was her true identity, he had deceived the emperor. The price for such an outrage was extremely high. In Vader's case, it would mean complete annihilation. The emperor should never imagine that his foremost servant was capable of such deceit. Vader could be nothing but honest to his master, for such were to be the bonds between them, and if the emperor realized that his belief in the nature of these bonds was unsustainable, Vader would loose immediately his master's trust.
The position that he had gotten himself in now was one of the most dangerous yet, Vader realized. It was a brink from open rebelling. Certainly it all began with a tiny mistake, but now the whole thing became of such proportions, that if the emperor could just not find out that Vader had been keeping a secret like this. The girl had to die, one way or another.
This sickened Vader. He tried not to think about it, but every once in a while, when the thought floated back into his mind, the need to kill Frissa made his stomach turn in a funny way. He realized after a while he felt anxious about it, and after some time he decided that it would be best if he had someone do it instead of him. He would just order her to be shot. It would be quick, she needn't even know about it. And after a while he would forget about it, as he forgot about anything.
Frissa looked around, and then noticed with a surprise that the door of the little cell was wide open, and that the light from the corridor was stemming in. She got a little up wandering, and than she decided with hope that the imperials had realized their mistake and that she would be let free.
These wishes were diluted however when she heard the sound of stormtroopers approaching, and Vader's familiar shape appear at the door, completely black against the light, and shading most of it as he entered the room.
"Hello" she said
"I take your medical condition has improved, your highness." Vader said quite impersonally.
"I feel a bit better." She acknowledged.
"As I was saying before you collapsed, your father has sent a request for your exhibition. I am afraid he appears to think you are not alive any longer." Vader said
"Well, you are close enough on that." Frissa managed a smile
"You have no idea how close" Vader retorted moving sinisterly around the small room. Frissa paid no attention.
"If you are able to stand up, follow me. I shall take you to the link that will unable your father to see you. You will not be allowed to communicate with him however. Do not make a scene."
Frissa looked at him, having absolutely no idea what he was talking about. He did sound convincing however, so she decided it would be better to try to get up, instead of having the troopers drag her. She put her feet on the floor, but she realized that she still felt wobbly in her head.
"I think I need some help." She said softly, half smiling at him. He did precisely what she expected him to.
"Hold my arm" he said, offering it to her. She put her hand on it and got up, staggering a little.
The entire audience with the king went very quickly. Vader menaced him politely, than he showed him his daughter. Frissa had seen the king on the holonews before, so she recognized him at once. The king, however, had never seen Frissa in his life, but he did do a very nice public display of emotions, including crying a little. Frissa could not hear him, because the sound was cut off, and than Vader pushed her away from the display.
That was when Frissa realized what happened. The king was obviously playing some sort of game, and she was going to be the sacrifice. And when Vader continued speaking to the king as if everything was right, she realized in a panic that she had gotten caught in the middle of a political power play, in which none of the opponents were willing to identify her true identity. She now knew she stood no chances.
"Meet our demands by the end of the month, king, or your daughter will suffer a faith I am sure no father desires for their child." Vader was saying.
The king answered "Most revered high councilor Lord Vader, we are more than eager to comply to your desires and assure you of our readiness to fulfill them. We do however need to discuss this among ourselves." The king answered, in the fashion of his people, agreeing first, and than saying what he really meant.
Vader answered in a cold voice "Discuss. Decide. The deadline is known to you, now." And the link went out.
Ten days later the response arrived. The king sent a long and elaborate message, claiming at the end that he needed more time to discuss this, that the matter was not entirely in his hands, and that he was subject to the council of the noble in his home-planet. Vader, who had by than received strict orders not to prolong this any further, dismissed the plea, and gave the king an ultimatum of 24 hours for the final response.
Vader had not seen Frissa during that period. It had began to bother him that she had such a strong anchor in his thoughts. Besides, she had to die. Vader was not too keen on showing mercy, but this time sparing her life was just not an option. The emperor had ordered death in any circumstance, and the girl should have been killed as soon as the mistake had been realized. Now, Vader was trapped. Concealing the girl's true identity, and Vader was certain that was her true identity, he had deceived the emperor. The price for such an outrage was extremely high. In Vader's case, it would mean complete annihilation. The emperor should never imagine that his foremost servant was capable of such deceit. Vader could be nothing but honest to his master, for such were to be the bonds between them, and if the emperor realized that his belief in the nature of these bonds was unsustainable, Vader would loose immediately his master's trust.
The position that he had gotten himself in now was one of the most dangerous yet, Vader realized. It was a brink from open rebelling. Certainly it all began with a tiny mistake, but now the whole thing became of such proportions, that if the emperor could just not find out that Vader had been keeping a secret like this. The girl had to die, one way or another.
This sickened Vader. He tried not to think about it, but every once in a while, when the thought floated back into his mind, the need to kill Frissa made his stomach turn in a funny way. He realized after a while he felt anxious about it, and after some time he decided that it would be best if he had someone do it instead of him. He would just order her to be shot. It would be quick, she needn't even know about it. And after a while he would forget about it, as he forgot about anything.