Well, I change my planning for the next couple of chapters. Don't worry,
though. I think you'll like it like this.
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~
White surrounded him. Seamless white. No edges or indentions.
Perfect...unlike the universe he lived in. People who were after him because of money or involvement with the Empire always followed him with annoying closeness.
But this white retreat gave him rest and relaxation. Outside this little room, in what could be called his home, work was done almost at a frenzied pace. Food was constantly being served it seemed, though he seemed to lose his "taste" for it. Rations so far from Coruscant left much to be desired, not that he would know the difference.
But here, here he was safe from those quirks of humanity. Here he could relax and be one with his thoughts. Here he felt tuggings of emotions suppressed throughout the day. Here he thought of flying sand and blue skies. But peace never lasted for long.
"Lord Vader? Caption Blanser is here."
Peace never lasted...
"Send him in."
~ * ~ * ~
Darth Vader was not the calmest of men, nor did he try to be. Anger was his release. It gave him power and forced people to respect him. No one could deny his power and strength. And if they did...they were no longer an issue.
But if he didn't have some control over his emotions, he couldn't get anything done. If there was nothing he could change about a situation, why should he go on a rampage because of it? If an officer disobeyed him, he could remove the officer. If an earthquake occurred on a planet he was going to and happened to destroy the spaceport, what could he change about it?
But, at the moment, nothing was going wrong. Vader had been successfully sending missions to several Outer Rim locations where Rebel activity was concentrated. But there was something that he didn't expect in one of the reports.
On Tatooine (oh, how he despised that place), a local kid had been recruited to take the stormtroopers to the needed areas. But the kid kept on helping them. On a planet like Tatooine, where the Empire was despised, the boy was likely to be ridiculed about his support. The boy must have amazing courage if he can stand up to all those taunts that he must receive.
Yet, that was not what surprised him the most.
His name surprised him. The boy used the codename *Skywalker.* He found that unusual. Vader was a legend of a sort on Tatooine for his pod racing, but that was over 25 years ago, and he doubted people would recall that single race. Vader had tried searching through a database for Tatooine, but as could beexpected with a Rim planet, his name didn't come up. Vader had wondered what to do. Then the idea came to him.
He would send an officer. Not one of too much importance, but one who would gladly do anything for Lord Vader. The officer would lead a battalion of stormtroopers to a designated site to dispose of Rebels, but he would also ask this *Skywalker* questions concerning who he was.
Now he hoped Blanser would do his job.
~ * ~ * ~
Luke sat impatiently in his speeder, reminiscent of the time he first met the stormtroopers. But now he wasn't looking for a job, instead he was waiting for his job to arrive. All he had been told was that an Imperial Star Destroyer commander would meet him and he was to guide him wherever he requested.
Luke tapped his foot impatiently on the floor of the speeder. Then the familiar tinny voice crackled through the air. "Skywalker?" Luke turned around and stared at the helmet.
"Yes," he replied, calm and maturely. The stormtrooper analyzed him for a moment.
"By BL-224, subsection 63, you are to assist any Imperial officer and guide him around the city, as commanded."
Luke answered in almost the exact terms he did four months ago. "By subsection 64 of the same bi-law, I am to be compensated." At first he responded just to make sure he was going to be paid, but now it almost seemed as if it were a greeting between old friends.
The tinny voice gave what Luke thought was the standard reply. "You will be fairly compensated with 300 credits."
Luke almost responded by saying 250 credits, before he realized that they had raised their normal price. "Done," he squeaked out. Now he truly knew that this was an important person. 300 credits! He should keep this trend going! But before Luke could start gloating about his fortune, the commander strode out.
The man was of a smallish build. He had fair hair and brown eyes that would have been considered beautiful if on a woman. He had an air about him of extreme confidence, but beneath the surface was the fear of failure. Luke gazed coolly at him for a moment before getting out of his speeder. On the inside of his jacket, a new blaster rubbed against him. The "clean up" jobs had been increasing and Luke had started wondering about his safety. Twice had he been shot at and only his sharp reflexes saved him. He had bought it earlier from a reputable store. It only cost 3,000 credits, less than what he had expected. Luke doubted he would use it soon, but he would rather be safe.
"You are Skywalker?" asked the commander. Luke nodded simply. "Today, you will direct us in your speeder where we need to go," so far, the normal routine, thought Luke, "and you are not to get involved in our activities. I am Captain Blanser." The strictly monotone voice paused for a moment. "You are now going to direct us to Drixolass." The captain turned sharply on his heal and walked back to where the remainder of the stormtroopers where. Luke wondered what the captain had done to deserve coming to Tatooine.
"Drixolass," Luke murmured. He had never heard of that place before...but, it was in the southern part of the city, right outside of the outlaw territory, like most of the other places he directed the Imps to. He started up his engine and began to take off. He wondered what was being done there.
~ * ~ * ~
Luke stood outside the building, waiting for the stormtroopers to finish their "job." As any good commander would do, Captain Blanser was standing outside next to Luke. The job would probably take about fifteen minutes, so Luke just stood there, thinking about the day. Blanser interrupted his thoughts.
"Skywalker, is that even your real name?"
Luke jerked at the sudden conversation, but quickly gained control. "Yes, it's my family surname." Why hide the truth? The Imps would likely find out if they looked hard enough.
"But there aren't any other Skywalkers on Tatooine," commented Blanser. Ah, so they already had searched for him.
"My parents are dead; I was raised by my aunt and uncle."
"Do you know what your parents did?" What was it with these personal questions?
"My father was a freight pilot who died during the Clone Wars and my mother was just a common house worker." Blanser nodded, then looked at the building where the stormtroopers were. He suddenly turned back to Luke.
"How are your aunt and uncle related to your parents?"
Luke was seriously wondering now what Blanser was trying to get at. Maybe they just wanted to make sure he was a legal guide or something... "My uncle is my father's step-brother." Blanser nodded once more.
"Ah, here they come," Blanser said after a moment's silence. The stormtroopers came out carrying several items, but what they were, Luke couldn't tell.
Blanser directed Luke back to his speeder. "Guide us back to the meeting spot." Luke drove back to the main street, wondering the entire time what had actually happened.
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~
I know a lot of people begged me to put Piett in, but he's overused, and I think Vader likes him, so he would just send him to do the dirty work. I didn't make Vader go because it just wasn't the right time. The next chapter is hopefully going to be and awesome chapter. Please leave any comments!
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~
White surrounded him. Seamless white. No edges or indentions.
Perfect...unlike the universe he lived in. People who were after him because of money or involvement with the Empire always followed him with annoying closeness.
But this white retreat gave him rest and relaxation. Outside this little room, in what could be called his home, work was done almost at a frenzied pace. Food was constantly being served it seemed, though he seemed to lose his "taste" for it. Rations so far from Coruscant left much to be desired, not that he would know the difference.
But here, here he was safe from those quirks of humanity. Here he could relax and be one with his thoughts. Here he felt tuggings of emotions suppressed throughout the day. Here he thought of flying sand and blue skies. But peace never lasted for long.
"Lord Vader? Caption Blanser is here."
Peace never lasted...
"Send him in."
~ * ~ * ~
Darth Vader was not the calmest of men, nor did he try to be. Anger was his release. It gave him power and forced people to respect him. No one could deny his power and strength. And if they did...they were no longer an issue.
But if he didn't have some control over his emotions, he couldn't get anything done. If there was nothing he could change about a situation, why should he go on a rampage because of it? If an officer disobeyed him, he could remove the officer. If an earthquake occurred on a planet he was going to and happened to destroy the spaceport, what could he change about it?
But, at the moment, nothing was going wrong. Vader had been successfully sending missions to several Outer Rim locations where Rebel activity was concentrated. But there was something that he didn't expect in one of the reports.
On Tatooine (oh, how he despised that place), a local kid had been recruited to take the stormtroopers to the needed areas. But the kid kept on helping them. On a planet like Tatooine, where the Empire was despised, the boy was likely to be ridiculed about his support. The boy must have amazing courage if he can stand up to all those taunts that he must receive.
Yet, that was not what surprised him the most.
His name surprised him. The boy used the codename *Skywalker.* He found that unusual. Vader was a legend of a sort on Tatooine for his pod racing, but that was over 25 years ago, and he doubted people would recall that single race. Vader had tried searching through a database for Tatooine, but as could beexpected with a Rim planet, his name didn't come up. Vader had wondered what to do. Then the idea came to him.
He would send an officer. Not one of too much importance, but one who would gladly do anything for Lord Vader. The officer would lead a battalion of stormtroopers to a designated site to dispose of Rebels, but he would also ask this *Skywalker* questions concerning who he was.
Now he hoped Blanser would do his job.
~ * ~ * ~
Luke sat impatiently in his speeder, reminiscent of the time he first met the stormtroopers. But now he wasn't looking for a job, instead he was waiting for his job to arrive. All he had been told was that an Imperial Star Destroyer commander would meet him and he was to guide him wherever he requested.
Luke tapped his foot impatiently on the floor of the speeder. Then the familiar tinny voice crackled through the air. "Skywalker?" Luke turned around and stared at the helmet.
"Yes," he replied, calm and maturely. The stormtrooper analyzed him for a moment.
"By BL-224, subsection 63, you are to assist any Imperial officer and guide him around the city, as commanded."
Luke answered in almost the exact terms he did four months ago. "By subsection 64 of the same bi-law, I am to be compensated." At first he responded just to make sure he was going to be paid, but now it almost seemed as if it were a greeting between old friends.
The tinny voice gave what Luke thought was the standard reply. "You will be fairly compensated with 300 credits."
Luke almost responded by saying 250 credits, before he realized that they had raised their normal price. "Done," he squeaked out. Now he truly knew that this was an important person. 300 credits! He should keep this trend going! But before Luke could start gloating about his fortune, the commander strode out.
The man was of a smallish build. He had fair hair and brown eyes that would have been considered beautiful if on a woman. He had an air about him of extreme confidence, but beneath the surface was the fear of failure. Luke gazed coolly at him for a moment before getting out of his speeder. On the inside of his jacket, a new blaster rubbed against him. The "clean up" jobs had been increasing and Luke had started wondering about his safety. Twice had he been shot at and only his sharp reflexes saved him. He had bought it earlier from a reputable store. It only cost 3,000 credits, less than what he had expected. Luke doubted he would use it soon, but he would rather be safe.
"You are Skywalker?" asked the commander. Luke nodded simply. "Today, you will direct us in your speeder where we need to go," so far, the normal routine, thought Luke, "and you are not to get involved in our activities. I am Captain Blanser." The strictly monotone voice paused for a moment. "You are now going to direct us to Drixolass." The captain turned sharply on his heal and walked back to where the remainder of the stormtroopers where. Luke wondered what the captain had done to deserve coming to Tatooine.
"Drixolass," Luke murmured. He had never heard of that place before...but, it was in the southern part of the city, right outside of the outlaw territory, like most of the other places he directed the Imps to. He started up his engine and began to take off. He wondered what was being done there.
~ * ~ * ~
Luke stood outside the building, waiting for the stormtroopers to finish their "job." As any good commander would do, Captain Blanser was standing outside next to Luke. The job would probably take about fifteen minutes, so Luke just stood there, thinking about the day. Blanser interrupted his thoughts.
"Skywalker, is that even your real name?"
Luke jerked at the sudden conversation, but quickly gained control. "Yes, it's my family surname." Why hide the truth? The Imps would likely find out if they looked hard enough.
"But there aren't any other Skywalkers on Tatooine," commented Blanser. Ah, so they already had searched for him.
"My parents are dead; I was raised by my aunt and uncle."
"Do you know what your parents did?" What was it with these personal questions?
"My father was a freight pilot who died during the Clone Wars and my mother was just a common house worker." Blanser nodded, then looked at the building where the stormtroopers were. He suddenly turned back to Luke.
"How are your aunt and uncle related to your parents?"
Luke was seriously wondering now what Blanser was trying to get at. Maybe they just wanted to make sure he was a legal guide or something... "My uncle is my father's step-brother." Blanser nodded once more.
"Ah, here they come," Blanser said after a moment's silence. The stormtroopers came out carrying several items, but what they were, Luke couldn't tell.
Blanser directed Luke back to his speeder. "Guide us back to the meeting spot." Luke drove back to the main street, wondering the entire time what had actually happened.
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~
I know a lot of people begged me to put Piett in, but he's overused, and I think Vader likes him, so he would just send him to do the dirty work. I didn't make Vader go because it just wasn't the right time. The next chapter is hopefully going to be and awesome chapter. Please leave any comments!