Chapter 14 – Coming to Terms
Arkus had truly never known such frustration in his life. 'Impossible, impossible woman!' he seethed mentally as he stormed down yet another deserted corridor of the seemingly endless station. For once he was glad for this monstrosity Tarkin had constructed, for if he had come upon another person and noticed even a sidewise mental glance directed at him, he would have rent that individual into a hundred pieces. Having to later explain that action to Vader would have been most unpleasant. As it was, the dark aura of malignant energy that Arkus projected around himself was more than sufficient to convince any would-be travelers of these corridors to seek alternative routes.
Though nearly an hour had passed since his temper had violently exploded, Arkus was still shaking with rage, consumed by an inner fury yet to find an outlet. The scene in his bedroom kept replaying in his thoughts and maintained his agitation at this nearly unbearable level. He could not get the Princess's words out of his mind.
'So she would prefer Vader's brutality to my companionship?' Arkus asked himself in a surge of hate-filled rage. 'Well, if pain is what she desires, I can certainly provide that!' The image of her begging for his mercy, for just one more chance, sprang forth in Arkus' mind, giving him some satisfaction. But this feeling was immediately countered by an internal objection that refused to allow him to indulge himself in this manner. The resulting conflict drew his anger back in on himself and caused his blood to boil yet again.
Releasing a terrifying scream of intense frustration, Arkus suddenly broke his stride to momentarily focus his anger and delivered the uncaring bulkhead a resounding blow. The explosion of pain he received in response reminded him that this was not the first time this day he had inflicted such abuse on his hand. Already bruised and tender knuckles screamed in protest, but that went unnoticed as a bone in the back of Arkus' hand snapped under the compression force and dislodged to tear cruelly through the surrounding tissue.
"Gah!" Arkus howled as he drew his injured hand back to cradle it with his left arm. Holding his breath while still managing to curse aggressively through clenched teeth, he backed up to lean against the opposite wall. He made no attempt to shunt the pain away, but rather allowed it to pulse through him unhindered. Pain was something Arkus understood, was intimately familiar with, and was something he could use. He welcomed it now as means to gain control of his emotions and chose to revel in its sensation.
After the initial blast of intense pain passed, Arkus released his breath in a heavy exhale and slid the rest of the way down the wall to settle on the floor. Only slightly calmer now, he looked viciously down at his complaining hand and slowly brought it out in front of him to focus on the injury. Though the glove prevented a visual inspection, the extent of the damage was immediately evident to him through the Force. Arkus quickly located the errant bone and used the Force to slide it ever so slowly back into place, hissing in satisfaction as the waves of agony rose up to beat against his wrath. He then focused the Force again to brace the set bone just long enough for him to yank the glove off.
Arkus immediately doubled over with a suppressed scream and again cradled his hand as he spent the remains of his anger battling the excruciating consequences of this last punishment. As the pain slowly dissipated into a tolerable throbbing, he relaxed back against the wall again and saw his surroundings with a clearer outlook. He realized then that he had no idea where he was, that he would not be able to retrace the steps of his blind charge through these corridors even if he searched his memory intently using the Force. Nor could he remember snatching up the bottom component of his mask that he now felt re-affixed to his face. In fact, very little had registered in his mind after the moment his temper had exploded.
A sting of concern for the Princess shot into his conscience as Arkus quickly replayed in his mind the events from their argument. After a moment he convinced himself, with some relief, that he hadn't harmed her but had instead chosen to take his wrath out exclusively on the wall as he had just stupidly done again. Cursing himself in frustration for having incapacitated his preferred hand, he looked down again to inspect the damaged appendage.
Arkus knew he was capable of healing those injuries with the Force. He had easily accomplished such deeds multiple times in the past, but doing so always required a deep state of calm. The darker emotions that dominated his current mindset would interfere with the process and likely slow any progress to an unacceptable pace. Not wishing to have his fighting abilities inhibited for longer than absolutely necessary, he determined that his only alternative was to seek outside assistance. Muttering in disgust at himself and the upcoming humiliation he would have to endure, Arkus stood and headed for the nearest medical bay.
****
Vader relaxed back into his meditation chamber as he felt his son's temper finally settle into a more controlled state. While the specifics of the incident that had set Arkus off were unknown to Vader, he knew the underlying cause as surely as if similar events from his own past were simply being re-enacted. Arkus was in the first stages of love for this princess, or rather the more powerful version of love that the dark side had to offer, obsession. Her predictable rejection of his attention was the likely source of this outburst, and matters were not likely to improve for as long as she held information that was needed by the Empire and fatal to her cause.
What had been surprising and most encouraging was to feel Arkus fight against the instinctive hate that normally surged out from him when he felt even the least bit slighted. This tendency in the boy had been a source of concern for Vader for some time now. Hate, while an incredible source of dark power, would eventually consume anyone foolish enough to tap its strength too often, and it was all too seductive of an emotion for a Sith. Vader had learned to control it long ago, and now there was very little that could inspire that emotion in him. Arkus too would need to learn to control it and soon, before it forever enslaved him to its destructive path, the path of the Emperor.
Vader had been working to guide the boy away from dwelling on this emotion ever since the moment he had first noticed it upon his return to Imperial Center to find him a slave to those despicable priests, but Arkus continued to meet all of his efforts with scornful rejection. The Emperor's poisoning of the boy's mind was too complete, and his scars ran too deep to be overcome in just the few moments Vader was allowed with son. Yet this girl had inspired Arkus to rein in his hate on his own. Did the boy even realize he had done it? It made little difference whether he did or not. The fact that it had occurred at all spoke volumes for the level of Arkus' attraction to her, though it was unlikely they could ever be together no matter how desperately the boy wanted it. The girl was simply too absorbed in her Rebel sympathies.
In this way she very much like Padme, stubborn and headstrong to the point of self-destruction when fighting for her beliefs. Princess Organa even physically resembled Padme to a certain extent with those same determined brown eyes, soft features and luxuriant hair. Reminiscing on his own lost companion, Vader could easily understand his son's growing attachment to the Princess. He might even give his blessing to the union if circumstances were to change - she would likely be very good for Arkus if her viewpoint could be miraculously altered. For now, while the Empire's interests in the girl were being attended to, Vader had to ensure that Arkus maintained control of the situation without causing undesirable collateral damage.
The Emperor had indeed created an interesting situation for his senior apprentice to handle while simultaneously testing the loyalty of Arkus. However, Vader was uniquely qualified to understand these particular circumstances and was confident he could use them against the Emperor. He had only to choose the right moments to approach Arkus and provide the necessary insights to guide his son along the proper path to enlightenment. One such a moment was in the process of developing now. Vader would wait just a few hours more before he went to his son to allow the boy some time to ponder his dilemma with the Princess.
*****
Arkus lay back in the medical cot, trying without success to initiate a healing trance while the bacta wrap on his hand worked on repairing the damaged tissue. The constant, throbbing stings of the bone knitters had proven quite useful in keeping his agitation level under control, but now with nothing to distract him, Arkus' thoughts kept drifting back to his current situation with the Princess. There was absolutely nothing calm to be found in that line of thinking.
Why had she dared to so openly provoke him? Didn't she know the danger she was flirting with? No, of course she didn't know. No one ever did until they experienced first hand what the Force was capable of when wielded by a competent master. Better for her to learn this lesson now with him rather than later with the Emperor or Vader. They would have no patience for her impudence.
The more important question was how had she managed to anger him so? It wasn't really what she had said, Arkus knew. He had expected some resistance from her given the ordeal she had just been through, and he had been prepared to handle that. Perhaps it had just been the unfathomable level of her stubbornness to choose to suffer under Vader rather than give him any chance at all to open her eyes, to even listen to him. She had meant that declaration wholeheartedly. Arkus had felt that rejection down to the depths of his soul.
He could understand the Princess rejecting him as a symbol of an Empire she despised. She saw the Empire's power being used to control the lesser beings of the galaxy in a manner often accompanied by suffering and believed this to be criminal. What she didn't understand was that pain and discomfort were the only things that all creatures understood, responded to, and learned from. For this reason, inflicting such punishment was a necessary component of establishing power and maintaining discipline, especially when the objective was to bring order to a naturally chaotic galaxy.
Arkus could show her that the same level of suffering had existed in the Old Republic as a result of that government's abject failure to maintain control. The only true difference with the Empire was that now the authority was in the hands of those powerful enough to command obedience and to direct swift and proper punishment at those deserving of it. Clearly such responsibility required extensive use of the Force, for that was the only way to gain the power and insight required to rule. That level of power required a great deal of strength to control and wield effectively. The Jedi had been too weak and shackled by the enforcement of an absurd moral code that did more to restrict and control beings than anything the government ever did. Only the Sith had the necessary strength and the will to use it. Only the Emperor had mastered that strength.
These were the arguments Arkus had been prepared to present to the Princess, but she had been unwilling to even open a dialog with him. The utter revulsion he had felt from her was now directed at him personally for his participation in her torture. He never should have agreed to conduct a second session with Vader, but he'd had little choice. Vader would never have released her to him without proof that his own methods would not work. Now because of Arkus' manipulation of her dream, she saw him as evil, though she could not possibly understand the nature of that word.
Arkus felt a spike of hatred as his personal reference for evil came to mind. Cassius. One who had taken great pleasure in torturing the helpless purely for amusement and for the gratification generated by exerting such control over another being. Arkus had rid the galaxy of that scourge by a method fitting for such a cretin and saw no evil in himself for having taken great pleasure from it.
Nor had the Emperor seen Arkus' action as evil or even deserving of punishment. Of course, to the Master, even Cassius had not been evil but simply a teacher of a series of lessons that Arkus had needed to learn before being inducted into the Sith Order. One such lesson had been that there was evil to be found in everything and everyone, and its definition depended greatly upon one's point of view. This was the lesson Arkus now knew he had to teach the Princess, if he could just get her to listen.
The wave of frustration that washed over him with that thought was suddenly joined by another annoying sensation. Vader was approaching with the objective of having yet another discussion. 'What now?' Arkus thought in aggravation. 'More lectures on manipulation?'
Exhaling sharply, Arkus rapidly sat up and began moving to get out of the cot when he felt his hand being dragged back by the bulky weight of the bacta wrap. He looked down in annoyance and waved his arm in the direction of the medical droid that had detected his movement.
"Get this off of me," Arkus ordered the droid, intent on freeing up his fighting hand and getting out this medical bay. He would not appear weak before Vader.
"But sir, several more hours of treatment are needed for the injuries to be repaired," the droid protested as it began moving forward to encourage Arkus back onto the cot.
"I don't care!" Arkus shouted in agitation. With his revived anger, he rapidly accomplished with the Force what the droid had hesitated to do, shredding the wrap's seals and spilling bacta across the floor in the process.
The droid, perplexed by the sudden disintegration of the wrap, barely reacted in time to dodge the various components Arkus threw off of his hand. "At least allow me to fit you with a portable device," the droid offered helpfully when it became apparent that the patient was leaving.
Arkus gave the droid no response but hastily stomped out of the medical bay, flicking the residual sticking fluid from his hand as he went. He made it only out of the bay's main corridor when Vader's imposing form appeared before him. Determined to keep this conversation as brief as possible, Arkus refused to slow his pace even as the other Sith stopped to wait for him.
"You should have reported by now," Vader stated with a hint of a reprimand in his tone as his son approached him.
"I'll report when I'm ready," Arkus snapped back, shifting his path to push past Vader.
Picking up on the boy's determination to give no useful response and finding his own patience nearly exhausted, Vader decided it was time to end his passive acceptance of Arkus' disrespect. He waited until Arkus was nearly upon him and was turning slightly to avoid physical contact before moving to block the hallway completely. The elder Sith then pushed hard against Arkus with the Force to abruptly stop his forward progress and prevent a collision.
"You *will* answer me!" Vader commanded his son with enough Force influence to make any normal man stand at attention.
Arkus was caught completely surprised by Vader's actions, having first failed to detect his father's intentions to stop him and then failing again to anticipate the power that would be placed behind such an effort. Forced to take a step back to maintain his balance after running headlong into Vader's shove, Arkus' defense against the mental pressure Vader exerted behind his order was somewhat delayed. He winced momentarily in discomfort until he was able to focus his anger and apply adequate counter-pressure to relieve the strain.
"What progress have you made with the Princess?" Vader demanded, pushing harder against Arkus' wall to communicate this was in no way a stalemate before backing off to allow the boy a chance to reply willing.
Arkus applied more energy to battling Vader's attempt at forcing him into submission, growing more shocked and almost alarmed at the amount of power Vader was bringing to bear against him. He was preparing an offense of his own, thinking the two of them were finally coming to blows, when the elder Sith suddenly backed off. Hardly relieved by Vader's withdrawal, Arkus instead began to grow suspicious that this had only been a mild demonstration of previously concealed strength. His father only forced issues when he was certain he would win, otherwise preferring to bide his time until another opportunity presented itself, and Vader was clearly not backing down here. With this in mind, Arkus eyed the other warily and chose to concede rather than enter a fight without a clear understanding of his opponent's capabilities.
"You know there has been none, or you would not inquire," Arkus responded with the first hint of grudging respect for his father. He braced for a sharp reply or a sense of disapproval from Vader but was surprised to feel only a wave of satisfaction from his father followed by a glimmer of... 'understanding? Understanding of what?'
Confused by this unexpected reaction, Arkus continued just a bit defensively. "She never should have been interrogated," he stated firmly. "It was a waste of time and has only made her will stronger. That mistake will take time to overcome before she is open to alternative reasoning."
"Time is limited," Vader warned evenly. "The Rebel's will not stay at their current base for long after losing contact with their spies. If you are unable to deliver the location soon, Tarkin will take matters into his own hands."
"And you will of course defer to him," Arkus snapped bitterly, unable to contain his disgust for the Governor and the station that man was given.
"Only because he is right," Vader countered with some tolerance for his son's frustration. Experience would teach Arkus the need and the place for such pawns as Tarkin. For now it was important that the boy not misinterpret concession as a sign of weakness or deferral of power. "This girl is our strongest link to the Rebels and our best chance at destroying them with a single blow. Fumble this opportunity and you'll be explaining your actions to the Emperor."
Arkus drew back at the threat behind Vader's words, knowing full well the consequences he would face from his master for failing in these circumstances. "Just leave me be. I'll handle it," he acknowledged in a subdued voice.
"See that you do. The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am," Vader added for further motivation, though the taunt was also aimed at painting Arkus' revered mentor as the true source of the command forcing such strain on his relationship with the Princess. Unfortunately, this subtly would take much more time to sink into the boy's thick skull. After waiting a moment to ensure his last words would remain fresh in his son's mind, Vader moved aside and gestured for Arkus to continue on his way.
***
Arkus departed as soon as Vader moved to permit it, shuddering involuntarily as he shook off the residual sensation of Vader's presence. He had never felt in his father the overwhelming power that had emanated from him just then, power that so closely resembled the cold, domineering, yet thrilling touch of the Emperor. The implication made Arkus more than a little nervous.
All throughout that conversation Vader had clearly indicated that he was indeed controlling circumstances here and had chosen for reasons of his own to continue to indulge Arkus for the time being. What his father had not mentioned was that he would face punishment of his own from the Emperor for this if Arkus failed to deliver the location of the Rebel base. Arkus knew Vader would not risk this if he didn't have ulterior motives and alternate plans to cover for the possibility of failure. This was not unexpected, but that little demonstration of power Vader had conducted made Arkus realize he may have completely misjudged and underestimated his father. He had no idea what Vader might have planned.
Three times he had encountered Vader on this Death Star, and all three times Arkus had been at a disadvantage - first tired from the journey, then exhausted from the interrogation, and now handicapped by his injured hand. Arkus did not want these conditions to continue, especially given his new understanding of the situation… or lack there of. Flexing his hand experimentally as he walked, Arkus felt the stiffness and lack of full range of motion that indicated strained tendons and ligaments still required attention. As urgent as the matter with the Princess was, he first had to regain full use of his hand.
Arkus turned to head back to his quarters to find the peace he would need to start a healing trance but then stopped dead in his tracks when he recalled that the Princess was now residing there. He still had no idea how to handle her, and the aggravation that would result from confronting her again was the last thing he needed. Yet he still did not wish for her to be returned to her cell where Tarkin might feel more apt to harass her. Shaking his head in bewildered frustration, Arkus realized that the cursed woman had managed to make him an exile from his own domain.
He just stood there for a moment, swearing under his breath in exasperation, before finally turning toward the only sanctuary he knew he still had - his fighter. He had sought escape with that ship ever since he had first conceived of the design and had always found contentment in its presence, even if it had only been in his mind. That ship was his, the one thing he truly owned and controlled. Its physical existence was his reward from the Emperor for overcoming Cassius. It was his right of passage.
He stopped again when he entered the hanger and surveyed his beautifully lethal fighter with great pride. He yearned to take it out amongst the stars where they could both spread their wings and be free of the bonds that held them in place. However, Arkus knew he could not do this now, not with Vader demanding results from him. Nor would he be able to do any meaningful work on it with only one good hand, but he could seek refuge in the cockpit.
Not bothering with the access ladder, Arkus nimbly jumped up to the open hatch and settled into his seat with a satisfied sigh. Caressing the controls with a lover's hand he sought his peace in memories of soaring through the test flights, of watching targets disintegrate in a ball of fire before him and accomplishing maneuvers with a speed and agility TIE pilots could only fantasize about.
However, these were not the only memories that came to him. Interspersed with the glory were recollections of the price that had been paid to create his dream. He saw again the long nights he had spent secretly working in the dark with archaic computer resources or making sketches by hand on any scrap of paper he could purloin when he became desperate. He could remember scrambling to cover his work and smothering any sense of pride or satisfaction every time Cassius had approached, lest his project be discovered and destroyed.
Then the horrible moment when Cassius did finally uncover his secret replayed in his mind. He felt again the horrified dread at the coming consequences, then relived the feeling of helpless submission and acceptance boiling way before a rising fury he had never known before or since. He saw once more the gruesome mess that had once been a man and then lay twitching at his feet in the wake of the violent release of his temper powered by years of pent up anger and hatred.
Cassius, over and over again the image of that man sprang forth in his mind accompanied by the cold sensation of the evil he had embodied. Over and over the final confrontation played out until the fury threatened to overtake Arkus once more. These were memories he had believed were long ago forgotten and burned from his mind. Now this recent reflection the Princess had inspired in him had brought them back, and he could not forget them again.
"No, damn it!" he shouted, pounding both fists into the console.
Again the pain in his hand flared up, and again Arkus found some release in the sensation. As his emotions settled back to their previous level of agitation, he realized that he was in a vicious circle that would continue to spiral out of control unless he found an escape somewhere. But everything he had tried had failed or made it worse. So what was left?
He thought back to the solace the Princess had sought during the interrogation. She had found her serenity in the beauty and happiness of her childhood memories of Alderaan. Perhaps he could tap into this calm as well. Recalling the scenes her mind had played before him, Arkus once again immersed himself in the gentle flow of her memories. This time he did not seek to study them or find weakness, but just strove to feel the sensations she had recalled. Wrapped in those caring and sincere emotions, a strange warmth entered his soul, and he drifted quickly off into a deep trance of incredible peace.