Chapter 16 - Shattered

Tarkin was working his jaw to contain his irritation as he stared out from the overbridge of the Death Star to watch the station revert to real-space. Despite the time that had passed, there still had been no report of progress from Darth Arkus' efforts with the Princess, whatever those efforts might involve. According to the guards stationed outside the Sith's quarters, Arkus had not even been with the Princess in more than a day, having returned only recently to apparently dine with her. Though it had irritated Tarkin no end, he had kept his bargain with Lord Vader and allowed the younger Sith to keep the girl. He had not interfered while a lieutenant was made a servant for this traitorous princess, and he had not opposed the luxuries that were granted her.

"We have entered the Alderaan system," Admiral Motti announced, then began drawing back as an unexpected scowl appeared on Tarkin's face.

This news should have delighted the Grand Moff, for the glory that would come with his planned demonstration was only moments away, but it required the presence of Princess Organa to have the full effect Tarkin was seeking. He would have already commanded a security detail to escort her here had it not been for Lord Vader's request that he be the only to handle all interactions with Arkus. Now Lord Vader's continued absence and the lack of response to the communication call that had been placed to that Sith Lord's quarters had stretched Tarkin's patience past his limits. He no longer wished to waste additional time and effort hunting down Lord Vader just to retrieve the Princess from Arkus. The Grand Moff was done with this game.

"Have Princess Leia conducted here at once," Tarkin commanded.

"As you wish," Motti replied crisply, gesturing to a handy lieutenant to carry out the order.

***

Leia's initial swoon over Arkus' appearance began wearing off as she applied reason over her emotions. She was trying to convince herself that he was a Sith and this was likely a trick, but she couldn't quite the break the spell. Still transfixed by his intense stare, she stood frozen as he began moving toward her.

As she focused harder on suppressing the longing she felt in her heart, Leia was suddenly jolted by a frigid blast that sliced ruthlessly through her essence, freezing the blood in her veins. The rise of unbridled fury that accompanied the chill confused her already bewildered senses until she realized that this was not her own emotion, but rather that of her companion. Arkus' expression had changed from youthful openness to a vicious scowl, his eyes gone from mesmerizing invitation to coldly cruel in an instant.

Leia gasped sharply in terror, believing wholeheartedly that this demon was coming for her in response to her fighting his seduction. She sought what escape she could, rapidly backing as far away as the wall behind her permitted, but realized she was trapped and defenseless. With her heart in her throat, she steeled herself for the coming death.

But Arkus didn't come for her. Instead he abruptly changed the direction of his movement and charged toward the main door with such speed that Leia thought he would surely collide with it. Then the door was opened from the outside just an instant before he reached it. Leia did not see who was attempting to enter, but she heard their groans following a hard thud as Arkus flung his arm in their direction and stormed out after them. The door closed immediately behind him, and Leia was left alone again, horribly shaken by her intimate brush with Arkus' dark anger.

***

Still engaged with Leia's eyes from the bedroom door, Arkus felt the slight waver in her emotions that signaled she had recovered from her initial shock of seeing him unmasked. Their connection in the Force was still strong, though, keeping them open to each other. He began moving to join Leia at the table, forming the opening words of their dialog in his mind, but his anticipation was disrupted when his senses suddenly flared a warning. The guards outside his door were coming for Leia, to take her from him.

~NO!~ he mentally screamed at Vader as his most primal instincts responded with an instant rejection of this intrusion.

The surge of dark power that spawned from his emotions severed his fragile connection with the Princess and drove thoughts of her out of his immediate concerns. Intent on seeking retribution for this interruption, he greeted the guards behind the opening door with a Force blast powerful enough to throw the first man back into his companion and then slam the both of them painfully against the opposite bulkhead. Arkus held them fast there against the wall and charged after them to deliver the punishment his anger demanded.

Bursting into the corridor fully expecting to confront Vader there, Arkus was surprised to find it deserted save for the two shocked and terrified guards. He had simply assumed his father was behind this, but the lack of his presence indicated otherwise. Vader would have come in person if he had wanted to take the Princess, not used these pathetic puppets. That meant Tarkin had to be the one behind this, (repetive) and there would be hell to pay just as soon as Arkus fully understood the situation.

His fury temporarily curbed by his need for knowledge, Arkus decided to allow these pawns before him to live a few moments longer. He rewarded the first guard to catch his attention by pushing that man harder against the wall and lifting him off of the floor with the Force. To provide additional motivation for this man to answer him, Arkus gripped the other guard with a Force chokehold and allowed him to drop freely to the ground to flounder around, gasping desperately for air.

Addressing the pinned and trembling guard with a deadly gleam in his eye, Arkus demanded icily, "What is the meaning of this?"

***

Darth Vader knew they had entered the Alderaan system and expected Tarkin to ask for the Princess at any moment. He was already walking toward Arkus' quarters in anticipation of that request, expecting to have some time to discuss matters with his son before removing the boy's prize. Arkus would not respond well to Tarkin's interference, and it would take a great deal of care to convince him to agree to this. Even so, Vader could not have hoped to have a better situation with which to work on his son. He was not the one disrupting Arkus' plans with the Princess, but rather Tarkin. While the Grand Moff could be easily controlled, all actions would eventually have to be explained to the Emperor. This was one point even the boy understood, and Vader would use it again to turn Arkus' frustration toward his worshiped master.

~NO!~

His son's angered scream exploded within Vader's mind and gave the elder Sith a clear indication of the boy's intention to seek deadly vengeance. Vader's own anger surged in response. Obviously Tarkin had gone and done something stupid to warrant such an outburst from Arkus. Now his careful planning for this discussion with the boy was for naught, and he would instead have to intervene quickly to prevent Arkus from doing something rash. Increasing his pace, Vader turned the last corner to find his son tormenting and demanding answers from the men who had been guarding his quarters.

"Stop this!" Vader ordered, putting enough Force energy behind the command to get the boy's attention.

Arkus responded by releasing the guards and wheeling violently on Vader. "I told you I would handle the Princess!" he snapped angrily, the fury rising again as he confronted his father.

"And I warned you that Tarkin would soon take matters into his own hands," Vader thundered in reply. "You wasted too much time. Now you must let Tarkin play his game if you expect to get her back when he is through."

The last bit of Vader's reprimand was not completely lost on Arkus, but it wasn't enough to rein in his outrage over this incident. Threat or promise, it made no difference at this point. "I had her ready to break!" he protested vehemently.

"Then submit your complaint to the Emperor," Vader waved off the objection. "I will not continue to run interference for you with Tarkin."

Arkus fixed his father with a malicious scowl, communicating that he was more than willing to handle Tarkin himself if Vader was incapable.

"Don't underestimate the Emperor's faith in Tarkin," Vader admonished his son more calmly, shifting easily into the role of patient advisor. "This is not the time to press the issue. The Emperor expects to have the location of the Rebel base at once. He will not tolerate delays."

Arkus' temper drew back sharply at the reminder of the Emperor's wishes and the serious reprisals awaiting those who failed him. While he felt no compulsion to submit to Vader, Arkus knew he had little legitimate reason to obstruct Tarkin's plans, likely no reason at all the Master would accept. Even so, he was still unwilling to submit Leia to Tarkin's thug like techniques.

"Her presence is required on the bridge for a demonstration. She will not be harmed," Vader explained, guessing his son's thoughts.

Arkus relaxed more at those words and the truth he sensed in them. He knew his opening with Leia had already been ruined. If this demonstration involved what he suspected, then perhaps he could use it to start over with her. Arkus continued to glare at Vader, but calmed by these thoughts, he withdrew his aggressive mental stance.

Interpreting this settling of Arkus' emotions as the closest thing to acceptance he could expect from his son, Vader immediately opened the door to the boy's quarters and entered the front room. He found Princess Leia sitting uneasily at the conference table, flinching noticeably at his entrance. He, in turn, was taken aback to see her dressed so. 'No wonder the boy is so upset,' he thought. Apparently Arkus had been making progress with her after all, but it was too late for that now.

Vader turned back to the corridor to locate the quivering guard Arkus had been questioning. "Escort the Princess to the bridge," he ordered.

The guard immediately snapped to fearful attention at having been noticed again and then walked cautiously around the two Sith Lords to carry out his orders. Vader and Arkus silently stared at each other while he bound the hands of the unresisting princess and escorted her out into the corridor. The guard hesitated a moment there, looking at Lord Vader for any further instructions, then quickly complied with the Dark Lord's gesture for him to continue on ahead.

Vader waited until the guard and the Princess were out of earshot before addressing his son in a softened tone. "You cannot protect her from herself," he said sympathetically.

The emotion embedded in Vader's words shocked and confused Arkus more than the words themselves and caused him to momentarily forget his anger as he tried to comprehend this statement. There was that communication of understanding again, this time accompanied with a flash of past personal pain. Arkus would have believed it to be just part of another ploy, but he could sense the sincerity in his father's feelings. He was still contemplating the possible meaning of this when Vader chose to break the awkward silence.

"You may join us on the bridge to observe," Vader permitted his son in his usual grumbling manner. He then quickly departed to follow the guard and Princess.

Still baffled by his father's behavior, Arkus remained standing in the corridor to ponder what had just transpired a moment longer after Vader left. Then dismissing the lingering confusion as inconsequential, he turned his thoughts back to Leia and went to hastily retrieve his cloak from the bedroom. He would indeed observe this demonstration and see to it that Tarkin suffered if so much as a hair on Leia's head was displaced.

***

Leia offered no protest to the shaken guard that entered Arkus' quarters to bind her hands. While Arkus' outburst had scared her senseless once more, Vader's appearance had put a much deeper fear into her heart. The only explanation she could divine for these events was that the interrogation was about to continue. She began using the few peaceful moments left to her to bolster her strength and defiance once more.

As the guard escorted her out into the corridor, Leia saw another guard unconscious on the floor and caught the combative look Arkus had fixed on Vader. She was not at all surprised when Vader simply waved her and the guard on their way without immediately following. The two Sith Lords were obviously not done expressing their differences. Leia wondered briefly what that exchange might involve and hoped that Arkus might be creating enough of distraction to buy her and the Alliance the time that was needed. However, it did not take much time for Vader to catch up with her, and it appeared to Leia that Arkus had chosen not to follow.

Leia's unexplainable regret at Arkus' absence was soon overtaken by surprise when the turbolift she had taken with her escorts opened up to a wide and busy corridor. She immediately suspected that this was not the way to the detention block. Approaching her new destination with cautious curiosity, Leia's confusion was answered when she saw the form of Governor Tarkin staring out a viewport with his back toward her.

An officer began to address Tarkin, but as the Governor turned to acknowledge him, he noticed Leia's approach and waved the other man off. Leia summoned her most haughty and biting attitude to greet the Governor and quickly took the initiative before she had even reached the man.

"Governor Tarkin," she scoffed caustically. "I should have expected to find you behind this. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."

"Charming, as always," Tarkin responded with a twisted smile, not the least bit affected by her attempt to rile him. Reaching forward to take Leia's chin in his hand, he roughly tilted her head up and to the side as if inspecting her.

Leia responded by jerking backward to rid herself of Tarkin's touch and immediately shot him a defiant glare, drawing confidence from a new sensation in her heart. In that brief moment of contact, Leia felt more than Tarkin's hand on her face - she also felt a chill in her soul similar to the one she had experienced in Arkus' quarters, though it was more subtle this time. She knew in that instant that Darth Arkus was indeed near, watching over her once more.

Darth Vader also caught the wave of his son's irritation through the Force. Arkus had done nothing to hide it, but rather seemed to be broadcasting the emotion as a warning. Vader replied by projecting his own warning against rash action. He did not wish to coerce his son into obedience, but he would do what was necessary to prevent the boy from creating an incident that would draw the Emperor's attention prematurely.

Tarkin was as oblivious to these telepathic communications as he was to the cloaked source lurking just outside the bridge blast doors. He released the Princess's chin when she jerked away and returned her glare with a mocking smirk. "Since you appear to be properly dressed," he began, "I thought you might enjoy participating in a ceremony that will make this battle station fully operational."

Tarkin took a moment to step away and draw the Princess's attention to the impressive sight of his overbridge with a sweeping gesture. "Today will herald the beginning of a new era of Imperial technical supremacy in the galaxy. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now."

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin," Leia countered, her voice dripping with contempt, "the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station," Tarkin snapped back at her. He approached Leia again, waving a finger at her with a look of sick anticipation gleaming in his eyes as he continued. "In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that will be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base," he moved away once more and gestured toward the viewport, "I have chosen to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan."

The words struck Leia's courage with a crushing blow as she gave the planet framed by the viewport her first inspection and recognized it to be her home world. Her heart plummeted and her soul trembled at this threat, causing her hardened defiance to evaporate in a wisp. "No!" she pleaded, her eyes wide with horror. "Alderaan is peaceful. We have no weapons. You can't possibly..."

"You would prefer another target, a military target?" Tarkin raised his voice harshly. "Then name the system!" he demanded.

Leia gasped at the ultimatum placed before her, unable to comprehend the full magnitude of the ramifications to follow her decision. So many lives dangled in the balance of the next few moments. She had no idea how to proceed.

Tarkin refused to give the Princess even a moment to regain her composure. Striding threateningly toward her, he pushed her back into the solid form of Darth Vader with his approach and pressed in on her until their faces nearly touched. "I grow tired of asking this," he said with cool malevolence, "so it will be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?"

Leia felt utterly trapped, physically between two imposing and evil men and mentally between two equally dark choices. Staring longingly at her beautiful home, she could see only one path that would save the lives of all she held dear. "Dantooine," she offered, locking eyes with Tarkin for just a moment before dropping her head in shameful submission. "They're on Dantooine."

Tarkin beamed with her admission. "There, you see, Lord Vader? She can be reasonable," he crowed.

The Governor then turned his attention to Admiral Motti. "Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready," he ordered.

"What?!" Leia shrieked in shock.

"You're far too trusting," Tarkin patronized her with great satisfaction. "Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but don't worry. We will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough," he promised.

"No!" Leia's voice trembled in horrified dread. Desperate to try anything to stop this calamity, Leia charged toward Tarkin, but Vader grabbed her shoulder and dragged her back. Pinned there, she could do nothing but watch in hellish anguish.

**

Darth Vader doubted the Princess could do any damage to Tarkin, but he didn't want her creating distractions from the coming demonstration, either for him or for herself. As crude of a weapon as this station was, it did promise to be a tangible and immediate threat to the less insightful citizens of the Empire. Its impending use on Alderaan, a focal point of support for the growing Rebel Alliance, was about to deliver a serious blow to the Rebellion's financial and political resources and send a clear message to other less prominent and more expendable systems. Such a victory for the Empire was worthy of the Dark Lord's full attention, even if he found this ceremony to be an arrogant display designed to feed the egos of Tarkin and Motti. As for the Princess, being forced to witness this manifestation of the chaos and destruction that resulted from her rebellion would serve as a much-deserved punishment for the foolish girl. Perhaps this time she would learn a lesson.

So Vader held the Princess fast against his chest, ensuring that she too would have an unobstructed view to the fate of her planet as he prepared to assess the effectiveness of the much-touted Death Star's superlaser. In such physical contact, the waves of escalating panic flowing from the girl in his grip found their way into Vader's essence and stirred the dark energies that dwelled there, creating a sense of anticipation that he couldn't quite explain. The feeling focused his attention all the more as the Force whispered promises that this would more than just another tiresome demonstration of the latest Imperial technological achievement.

***

Darth Arkus remained hidden just outside the bridge, carefully positioning himself to be able to closely follow all that transpired between his father, Tarkin and Leia. Just focusing on Leia's situation caused the Force link between them to be re-established and drew his attention to her rather than her two tormentors. He reveled in the powerful resolve radiating from her and began to increase the strength of their connection so that he might provide support in return. Then that slime Tarkin had the audacity to grab her face.

Arkus immediately conveyed his irritation in a warning to Vader through the Force, though some of it inadvertently crossed over to his stronger connection with Leia. Vader's response was the expected admonition pressuring him to stay back, but Leia's reaction was more surprising. Instead of the fear his dark emotions had caused in her earlier, this time she seemed almost reassured by his touch. She was expecting him to keep her safe.

Arkus' anger dissipated in response to Leia's confidence. He settled back and simply listened in slight annoyance as Tarkin bragged about his creation, then in amusement as Leia threw it back at him. He knew that Tarkin was building up to destroying a moon or planet, hoping to intimidate Leia into surrender, but even Arkus was stunned when Tarkin finally revealed his intended target. Alderaan.

His own surprise was overwhelmed by the shock wave he received from Leia. He felt her spirit quiver in terror and felt the torment in her heart as Tarkin presented his ultimatum. Arkus suppressed his own reaction, not daring to communicate anything to Leia that might affect her decision. He sensed she could not condemn to destruction the Rebellion, which she saw as the only hope the galaxy had against the Empire, but neither could she sacrifice the billions of lives of her people. She hesitated for a tortured moment, sorting through her emotions. Then with her spirit seemingly crushed, Leia uttered her answer in resignation.

Arkus knew it be a lie even before the word "Dantooine" formed on Leia's lips. He quickly checked for Vader's reaction, but if his father detected the deception, he seemed indifferent to it. Tarkin was immediately satisfied with the answer, too convinced of his prowess to contemplate the possibility of failure.

Even so, Arkus immediately sensed that the Governor had no intention of keeping his word with Leia. He tried bracing himself for the reaction sure to come from her, but was nevertheless rocked by her mental scream of protest at Tarkin's order to Motti. Her mind was instantly filled with desperate thoughts of all those she loved whose lives were about to end. These images burnt their way into Arkus' thoughts as well, coursing through his mind in a flurry of frantic emotions screaming for mercy.

Most of the images held no relevance for the Sith and their cries were easily brushed aside as he fought the compulsion to be drawn into Leia's pain. These people were all traitors to the Empire or pathetic beings unworthy of his notice; their suffering meant nothing to Arkus. But there was one image, seemingly so insignificant, that he did relate to and could not ignore. One trivial creature from her life whose imminent destruction pierced his callused defenses to hit a resonant cord with roots buried deep in his own past, sparking a memory from his earliest days as a slave to Cassius. The overpowering sense of alarm and mental anguish emanating from Leia so closely resembled the turmoil felt by a young boy that had been him, and its sensation now fed Arkus' torturous memories until the hellish nightmare was resurrected in full. His spirit twisted in the throes of this memory as his body tensed in horror and caused him to mentally scream out "NO!" in unison with Leia.

There was nothing he could do to prevent the coming destruction, just as there had been nothing he could do so many years before to prevent the slaughter of the one creature that had given him comfort, his one light an otherwise unbearable existence. Immobilized by the vivid emotional torment replaying from his past and by Leia's mortified dread at was to come, Arkus watched helplessly as the green hued tributary beams fired from their geometrically arranged positions to collide at the focal point. The super-laser blast was formed in perfection and lashed out to impact the beautiful jeweled planet in its path. A moment's touch from that laser was all it took for the energy transfer to blow the planet apart in a magnificent explosion, shattering two worlds.