Frozen - Chapter 6

"What," the mechanical voice grumbled, "did you tell my Admiral? He was looking at me like I had grown a second head."

Luke was standing up in the shuttle, one boot up on a seat as he leaned forward to look out the small viewport at the stars and the planet below. The soft rumble of the small craft's engines hummed in the space. The back of the shuttle held two rows of escort Stormtroopers who sat facing each other

Skywalker flashed a wry grin at the black clad warrior seated on the large bench against the front of the passenger area. "Oh, he asked me if I had enjoyed my stay. I told him that the women were friendly, the accommodations were high class, but you had some strange trophies. I figure he'll believe me for a few days, but by the end of the week he won't know what to think."

"You have a strange sense of humor my pilot."

"Thank you, my lord." Both men could feel the rush of surprise in the Stormtroopers at the 'Rebel's' expressed loyalty to the dark lord. Skywalker smiled as he continued to look out the viewport as the shuttle dropped through the atmosphere towards the planet.

The clouds parted, revealing a huge estate on the coastline, surrounded by forest. Gardens and tended fields of grass made a barrier between the wilderness and a huge stone castle that was set on a bluff, overlooking the sea. The walls of the castle shone of white marble. Spires reached for the sky, and the shuttle headed for the large open landing field paved with white marble flagstones off on one side.

"So this is home." Skywalker said, and immediately felt another rush of surprise from the Stormtroopers.

"Yes." Lord Vader rumbled. "I think you'll like it."

The shuttle landed, and the Stormtroopers marched out, arraying themselves as an honor guard. Lord Vader strode out, cape billowing as Skywalker followed. The Stormtroopers stayed with the shuttle as the Dark Lord and his guest crossed the landing field to the waiting castle guards and attendants across the flagstones.

None of the staff at Vader's castle had contact with the outside. It was common knowledge that once you were transferred to the castle, every person, regardless if it was a Stormtrooper or a housemaid, ever left. None of the Stormtroopers on the shuttle ever expected to see the Rebel pilot again as they filed back into the craft to ride back up to the Executor.

/

The shuttle was heading back up to the ship as the Stormtrooper unit commander called out "Full At Ease." Several of the troopers sighed in relief as they all pulled off their helmets.

"Damn nine, did you see that? He broke him!" One of the troopers hissed at his partner beside him.

"T6-168, that was the spookiest thing. Geeze, I bet he's turned that boy into a personal slave." T6-169 whispered back as he shuttered in his uniform.

"He seemed happy enough about it." Another trooper whispered.

"I dunno, you weren't on my side, you didn't see that mark." T6-168 hissed.

"Huh?"

"He had a welt on his neck, right under the collar, right here." T6-168 pointed at the side of his neck covered by his bodyglove. "Who knows what he looks like under those fancy clothes. He could be covered in bruises."

"Pipe down you gossiping old maids!" The unit commander yelled, "or you can put your helmets back on!" The shuttle quieted for the remainder of the ride.

/

The two figures reached the waiting house staff as the shuttle behind them rose into the air and left. Rows of house guards stood at attention, their uniforms matching those of Imperial Stormtroopers, except for the black diagonal stripes patterned across both shoulders. Behind them, close to the large wooden doors stood several men in red and black livery.

Darth Vader reached the first row of Stormtroopers, and the uniformed men by the door knelt. They did not rise until Lord Vader had reached them and motioned for them to do so.

The leader of the group bowed again and said, "My Lord, I was not aware that you were bringing more staff." The man was almost questioning in his tone, his voice was thin, but not annoyingly so. He had short brown hair that was beginning to thin by his temples, brown eyes, and a wire thin body.

"Security reasons, Gerone. And he's not staff." The mechanical voice grated.

"Ah. A guest then?" Gerone was disbelieving. Lord Vader never brought guests. Not that certain people didn't visit, but that was even a more guarded secret than the castle's location.

"No." The voice was stern, but it dared Gerone to continue guessing.

The thin man looked Luke up and down, noting the blond hair and the blue eyes. A creeping suspicion began to form in his mind, which he quickly suppressed. It wouldn't do to have his hopes squashed again.

The respirator hissed again, saying a single name, "Luke Skywalker."

Eyes widened and knees bowed, paying homage to the returning heir. A ripple of surprise and elation flew through the assembly. Luke blinked, stunned. He turned around, sensing the changed mood in the guards around him.

"Son," the mechanical voice whispered, "they can't get up until you tell them to." Luke looked at the still kneeling men.

"Oh." Luke breathed. "How do I do that?"

Vader made a motion with his hand, and Luke copied it. The men rose, a strange emotion burning in their eyes.

"Come, Luke," Vader said, voice somehow amused, "I want to show you something. And they need time to prepare your rooms."

"Yes, father." Luke dutifully followed Lord Vader into the castle.

/

Maids, real, human maids, in black and white uniforms, pulled protective sheets off furniture and cleaned surfaces. A few were bringing in fresh linens and opening the wide glass windows to let in the fresh air. Gradually, a richly furnished room in black and red with dark wooden paneled walls was being revealed.

Two men stood in the middle of the maelstrom of activity, grins plastered on their middle-aged faces. The shorter one, salt and pepper hair topping a round face, turned to his rake thin companion.

"He found him Gerone, he found him."

"Yes, Vincent, he did. I knew he would, it was just a question of when." The thin man was very sure of this fact.

The first man sighed, patting his growing midsection. As the years had gone by, he had found it harder and harder to keep the weight off. His wife's excellent cooking didn't help. "And a question of weather or not he would still be worthy."

That had been the biggest fear. That somehow the Jedi would have managed to put the baby in a situation that would warp him as he grew. When the word had come that the boy had been located, but in the Rebellion, the entire castle staff had almost gone into mourning. Only when Lord Vader revealed that his son did not know who he was, did hope manage to renew itself.

"Yes, that was a concern. But I'm not worried about that anymore. Lord Vader used none of the code words he had given me to warn me of any difficulties. I suspect our young master may need some time to adjust to his new life, but everything is going to be fine."

Vincent frowned, "he wasn't wearing a lightsaber."

"True, but he had just gotten off the shuttle from the outside. Lord Vader may not have revealed his son's identity to the crew of his warship. Not all of them can be trusted, you know." Gerone's confidence could not be swayed. "He was probably still considered a prisoner. You don't arm prisoners."

"You're right." Vincent nodded.

"Now, you finish up here, I'm going to see if our lord needs anything. I know he'll want to explain everything in more detail to me tonight, and I need to call my wife and tell her I'll be home late."

Vincent chuckled, "one of the few times she'll be happy about you coming home late, I'm sure."

Gerone chuckled back at his long time friend as he headed out the door. Things were looking up, they were indeed.

/

Han Solo glared at Mon Mothna, his shoulders shaking with anger and grief. "Are you saying I'm lying?"

"No." Came the calm reply. "I am not. But our resources are spread quite thin Captain, and sending a team back to Hoth to verify Commander Skywalker's death is risky and would provide very little return."

"I owe it to the kid. If my dream- if our dreams- are correct, then I need to know." Solo was throttling down his anger, trying to remain rational.

The older women sighed. "I understand Captain, I assure you I do. And I will admit, unlike others, that the dreams could be real. While Skywalker only had some Jedi training, the limits of his powers were never well defined."

"But you still won't help."

"I can't." The women had to put up a hand to restrain Solo's further protests. "I can not risk sending a team. However, I will authorize fuel and supplies for you and two X-wings, if you can find volunteers, to verify for yourselves. Will that do?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Relief flooded through Solo, this was better than he had hoped.

"And Captain Solo," the woman began to look very earnest. "Look very carefully, and keep an eye out. The probability that the Empire still retains some guard at our old base is still quite high."

"I understand." Solo saluted as he left.

As the doors swished shut, the still figure in the back of the room shifted. "Was that wise?"

"Yes general, it was. Solo follows his heart, not his mind. His loyalty to our cause stems directly from that. He does not fight the Empire for moral or intellectual reasons, but because he loves his friends. While the heart is passionate, it is also fickle. So, I must indulge him."

The general snorted his derision.

"General, that passion is invaluable. Solo does everything he does with everything he has, he holds nothing back and cares for no odds. Very useful. He will search Hoth with more determination than any team I could send, and he will either confirm his fears or lay every doubt we have to rest."

"You have doubts?"

"Yes, I do. The half of the squad that disappeared did so without a trace. That makes me nervous. To lose half a dozen men in a pitched battle, yet no one saw it happen? They fought, they split up to head for their ships, and they never reached space. It is possible they were ambushed."

"And what if they were, and Commander Skywalker is in some Imperial prison?"

"We shall decide that when we know. I watch for trouble, general. I don't go looking for it."