Vader's Angel
By: wertman25
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Star Wars…. Or Anakin Skywalker… Which is a pity…
Author's Note: Hi, guys. Please forgive my major delay with updates. As some of you know, I did get COVID back the beginning of January 2021 and it wasn't good. To be quite frank, while in the hospital I said my prayers cause I truly thought my life was over. I'm just starting to recover now – a full year later -, but I still have a ways to go before I'm completely healthy again… This obviously means my "hobby" writing, my professional writing, and my whole life has been put on hold. I'll give updates when I can, but please accept this as a token of my thankfulness. I'm trying to get motivation to write again because unfortunately, on top of it all, during this madness, my laptop finally quit on me as well so I lost everything… Things are being recovered, but it will take time – and my healing comes first above everything else. I'm hoping somewhere in between, I can find my inspiration to write as well, as I seemed to have lost that in the craziness of things... but hopeful to be able to continue. Thanks for messages, thoughts, prayers, and healing vibes… but most of sticking with me through the years. It's meant more than I can say.
(For those of you following the publication deal, everything has been placed on hold until I'm completely better. And I am currently updating previous chapters to fix the story! I hope that I will be able to update again soon.)
Vader knew he was late as his ship began to make its final descent towards the landing platform back at the main base. The negotiations had taken far too long and there had been far too many unforeseen delays that had left him extremely behind schedule. Vader despised lateness. He despised it almost as much as he despised imbeciles in his ranks… and yet, here he was, Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces… late to his own meeting. The blasphemy of it was even beyond him.
He still had so much to do and crucial preparations to make before the classified members of his army could arrive to Felucia. Confidentiality was Vader's top priority. He had to ensure everyone's safety and loyalty if he was to persevere with his plans accordingly. No one could ever know that the men in question were ever here, especially if they proved themselves to be as faithful to his command as he thought them to be. All that would require was a series of traitorous undertakings against his own Empire for the greater good of its future.
It was the future of his Empire that he had to think about now. The life in which he had dreamed about since beginning his training as a Sith all those years ago. To finally sit on the throne that was already rightfully his... to rule the galaxy that had perpetually denied him… to watch as the loyal apprentice, at long last, ascended to the rank of master. All that stood between him and that life now was a few cut wires, a bit of sabotage, and a very important meeting… but there was a very limited amount of time remaining and their window of opportunity was closing quite quickly.
A weaker commander, perhaps even a wiser one, may have called the entire operation off and devised another plan of action, but Vader knew that he could not afford such a luxury. It was quite literally now or never. Another opportunity such as this one would never arise again, and that simply meant that this covert mission could not fail. Vader knew the importance of it. He knew what he was risking and the countless dangerous consequences looming if they were to fail… He was ready for it. He would not fail.
Failure was not an option. There was no other choice than the path laid out before him. Like all of his choices in life of endless crossroads had finally converged into one single path forward. It was like his whole life was boiling down to this single moment… to what was happening here and now… to what he had been waiting for… and yet… a large part of his mind remained in the humid jungle… with her.
The senator had been an asset to the negotiations overall, but Vader would be lying if he didn't admit that there had been certain negativities to her accompanying as well – such as his preoccupied mind and her never-failing ability to put him behind schedule.
It had been foolish… reckless even, but he couldn't say that he regretted his decision. Not entirely anyways… but part of the Sith remained sullen that he had taken her along and allowed her to divert his mind with such trivial distractions during such a vital moment.
What a fool he had been. What a fool he was!
He was better than this. He knew he was better than this. He was much stronger than the man that had mindlessly took the senator into the jungle. There were far more important matters at play– at stake than what concerned Senator Amidala… and yet, it had taken every fiber of Vader's being for him to leave her behind– for him to make the decision to leave her in that jungle without him.
Even if it was only momentarily.
The odds were that Aphra and the senator would make it back to the base unharmed, exactly according to his plan… but those odds weren't guaranteed when he wasn't there with them. Aphra was a skilled fighter, Senator Amidala, too… both were experienced and spirited women whom could hold their own against countless affairs… but neither of them held the ability of the Force and therefore were just as helpless as any other simpleton in the eyes of the Sith.
Limited basic training and subpar blaster fire were no match to the ability of the Force and his lightsaber, which meant that the women's odds were significantly lower without his aid. But just how low? He had to fight the urge to contact 3PO to ask. He knew the exact odds would probably come out to be extremely lower than what he would have liked, meaning the women were most likely walking targets out there in that murderous place.
There were any number of countless terrible things that could go wrong without his watch. A predatory creature could be on the hunt and the senator could simply be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Felucian tribe could ultimately change their minds and retrace their steps down the trail to counter attack the women without as much as a single warning shot. The main question would be, if that were to happen, was if the tribe would shoot to kill or simply take prisoners. He hoped for the latter since a rescue mission would be far better than the recovery of a body… but knew he would slaughter the entire tribe either way. Aphra included.
There was, however, also the possibility of slightly less drastic things going wrong, which would simply result in a delay of their return, rather than imminent death of never returning. The senator could trip and hurt herself, resulting in Aphra having to carry her back to base. Or the women might even take the wrong turn and get lost in that force-forsaken jungle. He hoped that if that happened it would be a delay of a few hours and not a few weeks since any extended amount of time out in that place could lead to any number of worsening possibilities. Dehydration. Starvation. Injury. Infection. Death.
Vader's stomach bottomed out as his mind continued to ramble, causing the Sith to fight himself to simply make his brain shut up. He almost had half a mind to turn around to retriever her, but he wouldn't let that weak part of him win. No matter how frantic the idiotic part of his mind was for leaving her.
Get yourself together, he commanded himself, calling upon the darkness to silence the weak man within. What was happening now was of far greater importance than his imbecilic concerns about some expandable senator.
He almost believed his own lie. But only almost.
He fought against the bitter taste in his mouth at the thought and turned his attention back towards the planet. The night sky had already begun to take its darkest shade of blackness, the only true light within the darkness illuminating from the glowing vegetation of the planet's forests and the twin full moons high in the night sky. The exterior lights had been switched off to the landing platform below, as had many of the lights around the rest of the base, making everything nearly invisible within the darkness – impossible to see for anyone that didn't have Vader's keen eyesight anyways – which meant most of those in accounted for were blind within the dark.
The ship descended towards the ground with less than expertise precision, much to Vader's annoyance, the pilots having trouble guiding the ship into proper position without a true line of sight or clear visual within the darkness, and the addition of their night vision through their helmets doing very little to assist the pilots' in their quest of a smooth descent as the ship continued to buckle and sway towards the ground.
Usually, at the very least, the lights of the base would shine onto the platform to create some type of visual in the darkness, but now with as many lights out as possible for the needed precautions of the full moons, it was like lowering into an endless blackhole – at least making it the perfect cover for the covert mission to unfold without witnesses to their arrival. The darkness of the cascading night was perfect for the classified officers and troopers to arrive inconspicuously. It would work to his advantage quite nicely, but Vader just hoped that Aphra and the senator would be out of the darkness soon… though he pushed the thought away as quickly as it had formed in his head.
The ship shook violently as it touched down onto the platform, but Vader ignored their poor piloting errors and made his way for the exit. Normally, he would have wringed their necks for such deficient skills, but he simply didn't have the time. He was down the loading ramp before the pilots even had time to cut the engines, the base uncommonly quiet as he strode out onto the dark platform.
His lieutenant waited just beyond the loading dock, almost hidden within the dark corner, waiting for the Sith like the perfect assistant, ready for Vader's every command. Vader fought to hide his limp as he made his way across the platform toward Fletcher, but the task was harder said than done. Vader had done as much as he could as far as healing himself, but his body still ached and his muscles fought against every movement. His leg would need to be properly examined by a medical droid or physician for complete care and diagnosis, but that would have to wait until later.
"Lord Vader," Lieutenant Fletcher said, stepping out from underneath the awning and falling into line beside the Sith Lord as they walked away from the platform. The man knowing better than to comment on his leader's tardiness and instead focusing on getting Vader the facts related to the mission ahead. "I disabled all monitoring around each of the platforms and I made sure that all of the current personnel stationed here are preoccupied with readying the base for the gala. Commander Thomas is waiting for your commands now, sir, but I must inform you that the monitoring to the main base is still fully functional. "
It was a pleasing report overall, but it still meant that there were proper preparations that had to be completed before the commander and officers could arrive. Again, striking into the time that Vader already knew was dwindling.
"Leave that to me," Vader replied, picking up his pace as much as he could due to his bum leg. His muscles convulsing with each step and sharp needles puncturing into his limb with every movement, but the Sith refusing to yield for such fruitless pain. "Make contact with Commander Thomas and tell him to begin his approach in twenty standard minutes," Vader ordered, channeling much more energy than usual into making his voice sound stern. "I will meet you at dock three for their arrival."
If Fletcher heard the unusual discomfort in Vader's voice, he did not acknowledge it. The man choosing, quite intelligently, to stick to the task that he knew Vader demanded of him and not get caught up with any insignificant elements that held no real importance. It made Vader wish he had twenty men just like him.
"Very good, milord," Lieutenant Fletcher replied without delay, bowing his head before turning and heading off in the opposite direction towards the other landing bay as directed.
Vader didn't waste a single moment as rounded the corner and continued towards the security control room on the other side of the base. Time was of the absolute essence and there was not a single moment to lose. The pressure which he had felt building in the cockpit of the ship was dreadfully tangible on the ground. Like the icy breath of death sending chills down his spine, Vader could feel the frigid sting and the harsh pressure of his awaiting imminent future. He felt the ruthless weight of what was to come and how it barreled down onto his shoulder's like a crushing heaviness to his back…
The torment and apprehension that it all caused would have been enough to make any man pull back– to make any man flee and reassess his decisions… but Vader was no man and he would not be deterred.
The Lord of the Sith would not be shaken like some petrified quarry. He would not shy away from what he truly desired. Darth Vader would not show a single ounce of hesitation in his moment of pending triumph. That would be exactly what his master would want and Vader would be damned if he gave that old fool anymore submissive satisfaction. He was done being his master's puppet. He was done being an apprentice to the lesser man. Vader was ready to kill Sidious and ascend to the throne of the Empire as his own master.
With the Force as his ally and the strength of his unmatched power, Vader knew that no one could stop him. He knew that he was the one who was in control– that he was dominant force to be reckon with. This was the beginning of the end…
But the passing of each precious second rang in his ears like the concussive waves of seismic charges as they shattered everything in their wake. It was absolutely deafening.
Keep it together, Vader told himself, pushing all the pessimistic thoughts away as he focused on his singular goal. One step at a time. One moment at a time. He could not afford to get ahead of himself.
The Emperor was a smart man, but Vader knew he was smarter. Much like the cracks that his master had constructed within the senate to gain power, Vader knew that Sidious had created them within Vader himself to keep it. A type of fail-safe that Sidious had orchestrated from the time Vader was a small boy to keep him as a compliant apprentice to Sidious' whim for as long as possible.
The thing was, that limit had been reached. Far earlier than his master had foreseen.
And that alone would be master's undoing. That alone would be the reason for Sidious' fall from power. His master always thought his plans to be impregnable… Oh, how wrong he was.
A moment later, Vader rounded the corner into the very last hallway in the west corridor at the extreme end of the base. There he saw the door in question, coming to pause before the large gray hatch as the security droid at its entrance turned to face the Sith.
"This is a restricted area," the droid announced without regarding to whom he was speaking to, his glowing red eye focusing onto the Sith for a long moment, before his internal computer software recognized him and the light immediately turned green. "Clearance granted," the droid changed his tune, the door immediately unlocking and sliding open from behind him. "Welcome, Lord Vader."
Vader ducked into the small room without a word as the security droid moved out of his way and closed the door behind him. Dozens of class-two droids continued to monitor their screens from their stations as Vader paused just inside the doorway, taking note to all the monitors and where exactly each cam broadcasted from. Vader had already concluded fairly quickly that it would be far too dangerous to turn off all of the droids or even cause some sort of base-wide blackout, knowing it would trip too many alarms and root too much suspicion. The last thing Vader needed was an investigation, especially before a high-profile Imperial event or while conducting a top-secret gathering.
So Vader moved towards the droids who monitored the east side of the base, taking particular interest to the ones that observed near landing bay three and all adjacent areas which lead directly to the nearby conference room.
Six of the twelve droids in question would need to be shutdown to be able to proceed with the meeting without having any monitoring or documentation of their little visit. Commander Thomas and his troops would be able to land without detection and move within the adjacent halls without any record of them ever being there. It would just take a small little glitch on Vader's part, to have the droids shut down for at least a small while. A malfunction of that size, being as small as it were, would hardly be suspicious, but it would be sometime before maintenance would be able to address the issue.
It almost made Vader wish that the senator's droid was still functioning to aid him in such work, the sassy little contraption always seeming to have a knack for creating some sort of trouble. Much like his mistress, Vader concluded, almost with a smirk.
Stop thinking about her, the Sith growled to himself, angered that he had allowed the woman to plague his mind once more… but Vader continued to struggle with the task.
He stepped towards the closest droid and used the Force to open a small compartment on its chest, effortlessly changing the code within until the droid begin to flail and spark before eventually falling into a dead pile of smoking bits on top of its monitoring station.
Vader repeated the process five times over until the entirety of his chosen section of the east wing had gone blind, every screen black and each of its monitors burning on top of their control panel.
The last thing he did was erase any trace of him entering the security booth, making sure the recording looped over any evidence to cover his tracks until the system would be reset. He knew it would be sometime before anyone responded to the malfunction, due to all hands being redirected to assist with the final push of readying the base for the gala, but Vader made sure to jam the door too for good measure. He knew that a similar report had been filed in the past and at the very least, the additional problem would allow him extra time that he currently felt was diminishing.
"I was never here. Erase your memory banks of the last twenty minutes," Vader told the security droid as he exited the room, the droid immediately nodding his head and doing as Vader had asked of him, slumping towards the wall as his systems began to erase the data from hard drive.
When Vader was pleased, he turned back and headed towards the landing platforms, careful to use an innumerable amount of random routes that would be intractable if someone were to look. Eventually, in some attempt to guide any future onlookers off his trail, Vader headed towards the direction of his chambers, momentarily considering actually stopping there to check to see if the senator was back and safe.
At least until he came to his senses.
Really!? How idiotic had he really become? A proper and pointless idiot, it seemed.
Get it together, he told himself one final time, finally turning towards the direction of the landing platforms and pushing the senator far away from any of his conscious thoughts.
But just when she was pushed into the farthest recesses of his mind, a middle-aged officer passed by, his mind replaying the memory of Senator Amidala at lunch. Vader could see the senator clearly within the officer's mind from where the man sat in the cafeteria, forced to re-watch as the other man gawked at the woman– even becoming aroused by her mere presence. Trying to hide his hard-on as he rubbed himself beneath the table in some sort of effort to continue his arousal… all while examining her bright brown eyes… her flawless white skin… the way the Imperial cadet uniform seemed to fit so tightly over the curves of her body… over the roundness of her accented bottom… or the peaks of her perfect breasts… imaging what her skin would look like underneath the thin fabric… what it would feel like… what is would taste like…
Vader blocked out the fantasy with an irritated huff, channeling energy that he did not have to spare into not breaking the elder man's neck. Force, Vader had half a mind to slaughter every single living being on this base. He hadn't been joking when he had admitted the fact to the senator. As if sensing her mere presence had not been enough, nearly the entire room had been imagining doing obscene things with her – of all manners of ways — all quite loudly for Vader to hear… and see.
The memory brought a new wave of hatred anger and jealousy burning through Vader's veins, his teeth grinding painfully against each other due to his locked jaw, concerned that he may even actually snap at the next person that imaged his senator in their mind.
The presence of the senator – of a woman – had sent nearly every male in the vicinity of the Imperial base into a primal rut. Like somehow her feminine scent of reeking estrogen had been enough to set their testosterone levels ablaze. Even Piett seemed to have a crush.
It was frustrating and annoying… Not to mention, downright maddening.
If he was being honest, seeing her under so many men's bodies in one setting, being projected so loudly and clearly into his mind. He had half a mind to take her right there in the cafeteria in front of all his men. He wanted them to hear her sweet moans and need for his body. He wanted to strip her down and touch her in only the way that he could. In some form of primitive way to stake his claim on her. To make it clear that she was his and his alone. To show them just how intimately her body knew his and demonstrate that he was the only one that would be allowed to touch her.
But then again, Vader didn't want any of those men to see a single inch of her. He wanted to blind them all so that they were unable to see. The skin she had been showing had been far too much. Even being in her graces was far too much. She didn't belong in those men's minds. She didn't belong near any of them.
She doesn't belong with you either, another voice whispered. Vader ignored it. That was yet another something he wished not to recall. A something he'd like to forget.
It took every fiber of his being to remain just like he had earlier in the day, like the usual composed Sith, whom seemed to be the lesser version of him nowadays. But his mind had been made then and there while he stood in the cafeteria – his decision, after all, falling into line with her earlier requests – that he was taking her with him on his mission. Vader knowing, above all else, that he wasn't leaving her alone and unattended. Not with those lustful men.
The senator was smart and resourceful, but her judgement was highly impaired when it came to the opposite sex… he was living proof of that. She didn't need to know that their little excursion was sparked simply due to his jealousness and anxiousness getting the better of him. She wanted to spend time with him outside of their normal circumstances and she had. It fell in line with what they both wanted. Two birds, one blaster, as Vader would call it.
"Lord Vader," Lieutenant Fletcher said, as Vader stepped out onto the platform, saluting his commander before gesturing towards his com. "They're on their way, my lord."
"Good," Vader replied, turning back to the mission at hand as he came to stand between Fletcher, Piett, and a sole trooper on the empty platform. "Give the order for them to land as soon as they come out of the atmosphere. Have them turn the lights to ship off completely. Make it clear that we must stay in the boundaries of the east wing."
Fletcher nodded immediately. "Very good, milord." He bowed before he took a few steps away, grabbing his comlink from his belt and forwarding the order to Commander Thomas.
The pressure that Vader felt on his shoulders seemed to lesson as he watched his lieutenant relay the information to his commander. Something seeming to ease his nerves about the situation, knowing he had good men on his side. This would be done quickly and quietly. In and out without any problems.
And what followed from here...whatever it was that would come next…it would be tricky and difficult, that much he was certain of… but it would be worth it.
Suddenly, a tidal wave of anxiety slushed into the air, screaming through the Force like thick sludge that Vader felt all too clearly. Out of the corner of his eye, Vader saw as Piett glanced towards him, looking for someone that was not there and how concern grew within his eyes. For a few moments, Piett's hands twitched at his sides, his mouth opening and shutting like a strange play thing until he decided to ask the question that seemed to be eating the younger man alive.
"F–forgive me, milord," Piett finally spoke, his voice shaken as he took a cautious step closer to the Sith. "But I couldn't help but to notice that you returned without Senator Amidala…"
The Sith nearly combusted hearing the statement spoken aloud into the air, for a second believing the man to be nervous about the events to come, only to realize a moment later that Vader had misinterpreted the man's distress completely. Piett wasn't concerned for himself or what he was doing. His loyalty was quite unshaken in that manner. Instead, the man was concerned for the well-being of the senator!
Had this woman truly sunk her claws into every man in his army? Piett's concern was not welcomed for the senator. His voice was laced with concern that Vader did not appreciate, nor did the Sith care for what his captain was insinuating. What did these men not understand? She was his!
As quickly as his ease had manifested, it evaporated even quicker as it seemed no one would allow him to forget about Senator Amidala. Not even for a few moments.
Vader turned to Piett, not even caring if the man could literally see his glare beneath his hood. "That is none of your concern." Vader snapped, his voice laced with enough ice that the other man knew not to speak further.
Piett immediately sunk into his boots, looking away from the Sith and remembering his place. Vader thought about reprimanding the young captain for speaking so out of terms, but his attention was pulled elsewhere as he felt the shift of his lieutenant's emotions through the Force. The man suddenly having his own spike in anxiety and Fletcher's issue immediately taking full priority over Piett's crush.
"Shit…" Fletcher muttered, quite uncharacteristically, under his breath, almost without meaning to speak the statement aloud.
"What is it?" Vader asked, coming to the man's side as he felt Fletcher's anxiety turn to slight panic. He followed Fletcher's gaze towards a landing ship at the adjacent platform across the bay. A high-ranking Imperial transport, but not the one that had been expecting.
Fletcher hesitated for a single moment longer, until he got his emotions under control, then he turned towards Vader with perfect composure, except for the slightest amount of irritation, and kept his voice low. "That's Commander Kellin's ship, sir."
"He's a full day early," Piett added, coming to stand beside them, before he added under his breath the smallest addition of, "Typical."
Vader shared his men's dislike for the commander in question and couldn't help but to sigh, hearing the news. Of course, things couldn't just go smoothly and according to plan. There always had to be something. Though, he supposed he should be thankful that it was only Kellin and not some other competent idiot that had decided to arrive really. Say, like Tarkin. Then they would have real issues.
Commander Kellin was lazy and stupid. One of the many men in the Imperial army that had gotten to his position and superior rank through family inheritance and political corruption. Not through dedication and hard work. He was as brainless as a gungan and as thick as a bantha. A mole, really. Hardly a true threat.
But Vader didn't want to take a chance. The more important guests weren't due to arrive until later, but the issue remained that Kellin would know the difference between Vader's uninvited guests and the true partygoers. Kellin would know that Thomas was not a guest in attendance and after sticking his enormous nose where it did not belong, he would inevitably conclude that Vader was up to something... or would at the very least make it seem that way.
Even worse, Vader knew that Kellin would be one of the rats that would scurry back to his master to simply accidently mention the smallest addition of the few extra men at the party, tipping his master off to things Vader had no means of sharing with him, in excessive hopes of falling into the Emperor's favor.
"A small dilemma," Vader finally spoke aloud, making sure his voice revealed no hesitation so that his men's concerns were soothed. The last thing he needed was anymore unease within his ranks, especially during a top secret mission that required all his men to be on their top performance. "Kellin is obsessed with mining in this region. Have Captain Rolick give him an immediate tour, that should be adequate for the amount of time that we need."
"Very good, milord." Lieutenant Fletcher replied, grabbing his comlink and making it so. Almost immediately, Captain Rolick was on the platform, waiting for the commander to disembark. And just as Vader had predicted, Kellin was only too thrilled to join the captain on a personal VIP tour of the facilities. How predictable.
Vader made sure to make himself scarce during those few moments, less he should be spotted, until the commander had disappeared out of site.
The Sith reappeared just as the next ship began to make its approach. The transport nearly invisible within the dark, only the sound of its thrusting engines being the only indication of an approaching vessel.
The pilots wasted no time getting the ship onto the ground as quickly and quietly as possible, much to Vader's approval, and it seemed like seconds after the touch down, Commander Thomas disembarked the craft, followed by another congregation of men.
"Lord Vader," the commander spoke, coming to a pause before the Sith as he lowered his head in respect. "It is an honor to see you, my lord."
Vader had taken considerable measurements over the years to condition his men to respect him and even earn that respect in return, but he found that he didn't care for it now. "You may dispense with the pleasantries, Commander…" Vader began, immediately turning to walk towards the entrance of the building. The less they remained in the visible public areas, the better. As their chance of being seen by someone important was quite more conspicuous out in the open then it would be in one of the secluded conference areas. "We have much more important matters to discuss and very limited time to do it."
Thomas immediately fell into line beside the much larger Sith while the rest of the group filled into sperate groups behind them. Piett taking the officers to the right, while Fletcher took the troopers to the left. Vader and Thomas remained in the center, breaking off into small groups to draw less attention to themselves.
"I agree, my lord," Thomas answered as they stepped into the building, the rest of the group doing the same at the opposite entrances behind them, each of them taking a different path to the same location.
"Where is the fleet?" Vader asked, deciding to get straight to the point. They did have limited time, after all, and Vader wanted to make sure all of their issues were addressed and all of their tracks were covered.
"We left the fleet near Cato Neimoidia, just as I reported, sir."
"And your transport?"
"Just as you directed, milord. We came out of hyperspace near the asteroid belt and stayed there until we were called upon."
"Good," Vader answered, circling around the corner towards the way of the chosen conference room.
For the most part, the hallways remained empty, completely devoid of life, but just as Vader had expected, two unfortunate life forms found themselves in his way. They walked by a low ranking officer and staff worker, both of whom flinched at the sight of the Sith, almost dropping the floral arrangements they were carrying for the gala. And although Thomas seemed to hesitate at the sight of the pair, Vader paid them no mind. They were low enough in rank and class that the two wouldn't know the difference. To them, these additions to the base were just early arriving partygoers.
"They are of no concern," Vader spoke lowly, just as the two were out of sight, in some sort of attempt to keep the commander's nerves steady. "We have to act quickly and quietly," Vader continued. "Before anyone important recognizes you or realizes you're missing."
"Understood, milord," Thomas answered, quickening his pace to keep up with the Sith's much longer strides.
A moment later, Vader and Commander Thomas reached the conference room door at the same time as Captain Piett and the other officers, Vader ducking inside the small door as the rest of the men followed suit and took their places around the room. After another moment, Fletcher arrived with the troopers and before Vader knew it, the small room was jampacked with twelve of his most loyal men.
He took a deep breath to savor the moment. To look out over the sea of men that were knowingly joining his side in what would no doubt be a battle for the Empire. These men would soon be traitors to the Emperor's Empire by being here… but they were to be the spearheads of Vader's reign. These were the men that Vader wanted by his side as he took the throne. By being here, these men were pledging their loyalty to him. They were signifying their role at his side as leader. They were accepting the risks and fighting for him anyways, consequences be damned.
This was it. This would set into motion the plan that he had plotted since he was just a boy. It all came down to this. The first steps of the beginning of the end for his master.
It was like intoxicating flames throughout his body, a type of dark arousal that the Sith couldn't help but devour. Vader made sure to stand tall, reaching to his full height to achieve maximum intimidation across this room. "This meeting never happened," Vader began with a threat, careful to make sure that everyone in the room knew the weight of his words. "By staying here, your pleading your alliance to me and all the consequences that will come with that decision."
Sure enough, every man in the room stood fast to where he stood, never once wavering beyond a slight change of their breath or a small tighten of their fist. Even Piett, who was sometimes naturally inclined to some sort of panic, seemed to hold his composure, even nodding his head to confirm his allegiance to his Supreme Commander.
"I will make this clear here and now, Lord Vader," Commander Thomas said, taking the liberty of speaking for the entire room as he took a step closer. "Our allegiance is with you, milord. We are faithful to our commander."
Pleased with the response from around the room, but choosing not to bask in his small triumph, Vader turned to look at the trooper to his right. T8-888, as he recalled. The trooper that he had spoken to earlier on his star destroyer. Next to T8-888, stood one of the troopers who had accompanied Thomas on his journey. This trooper had obvious experience, his armor decorated by war and his Force signature quite different than his brothers who stood throughout the room. This was the man that Vader wanted to speak to. The one that had had his eyes on the ground and experienced the insurrection first hand.
"Captain," he said, calling the particular trooper out from the rest. "Give me your report, trooper."
The trooper immediately snapped to attention, bowing his head with respect before he took a step closer. "CT-7567," the trooper addressed himself. "Also known as Rex, sir." Rex took the liberty of taking off his helmet and holding it in his grasp, looking to all his brothers around the room before addressing the Sith again. "I think I speak for all the clones here, sir, when I say that we've fought in many battles. We fought in the Clone Wars, in your hunts for the Jedi, and now tracking down those traitorous rebels…" He took a deep breath, shaking his head, almost like the memory was painful. "…but I have never seen anything like this, sir. Never in all my years."
His dedication was something to be admired, and Vader found himself fascinated by this particular clone. He was outspoken and resolute, not unlike Vader himself, and Vader found that he believed every word out of this clone's mouth with full conviction.
"What exact did you see, trooper?" Vader pressed, needing to hear every detail of what had happened in his absence. "What happened on Skye?"
The trooper's face changed from neutral to irate as he spoke again. "The Emperor is messing with our forces," the clone said simply, pleasing Vader by cutting right to the point. "A man with no military background is interfering with things that he has no experience in and my brothers are paying the price."
Vader nodded, processing the trooper's words. Somewhat surprised to hear such bluntness about an Imperial leader from a clone. "So, because the Emperor interfered, the Rebellion was lost by our troops on Skye?"
Once again, the trooper's face twisted, suddenly insulted by the comment. "The Rebellion wasn't lost on Skye!" Rex answered quite passionately, slamming his helmet onto the table as he gestured to the other troopers. "We weren't even detected! The Rebellion had no idea we were there. We had that entire base bloody well surrounded. We could have blown them off the map if we just had the order."
"And our fleet was undetected as well, milord," Commander Thomas added from where he stood in the corner. "We took every precaution to keep all of our forces hidden from their scopes. It was just as I had reported to you. We had eyes on them at all times and were monitoring the situation from our location. Beyond a few small transports, there was no large movement in or out of the planet."
"So I recall," Vader growled, his hatred for his master doubling by the second, knowing now that the end of his hunt had been just within his reach and his master had been the one to deny him of such an accomplishment.
"It was mutiny, sir," Rex said, Commander Thomas nodding in agreeance as the trooper spoke. "Without a doubt in my mind."
"Damn right! Agreed!" came a chorus of agreeance from around the room, each one of the troopers making their support known and some of the officers even nodding with the statement, surprising even Vader with their compliance with one another, knowing that sometimes the officers held prejudice against the troops for the simple fact that they were clones.
If they were all in agreeance, then there was no doubt in Vader's mind that it was exactly what they had called it out to be. Mutiny. But why? What did his master have to gain by sabotaging his own troops? By allowing the Rebellion to live on? What was the old man truly up to?
"I made it clear to you that I felt the same, Lord Vader," the commander continued, stepping closer to the trooper to show his unwavering support. "The Emperor has lied to us. He has lied to you. The Rebellion is on Skye. I have no doubt of it."
"I believe you," Vader replied, making sure that his men knew they had his support, just as he had theirs. But the point remained that even if he did believe them, he still had to make sense of why his master would make such a tactical error. Why would the Emperor interfere with such a vital military engagement when he never had before? What was so different about this? Wasn't the end of the Rebellion exactly what the Emperor desired? "But what does the Emperor have to gain by making this move?" Vader wondered aloud, truly hoping that one of his men could figure out the answer and find some sort of ulterior motive.
His question was answered only by silence. The troopers simply standing at silent attention while most of the other men looked anywhere but in Vader's direction, while the few that did, looked completely and utterly deflated.
"I don't know, sir," Commander Thomas finally spoke aloud, the officer truly unsettled that he couldn't offer his commander a solution. Even Fletcher and Piett shook their heads in obvious disappointment, wishing they could offer something up to answer the lingering inquiry.
It wasn't until a small chuckle broke through the draining silence that Vader felt the smallest bit of hope, his eyes immediately turning towards the chuckling trooper in the back of the room. Reaching out through the Force, he couldn't detect the reason, but was surprised to see that it seemed that something was amusing to all the troopers… and Vader was very inclined to figure out what.
"Isn't it obvious?" the chuckling trooper in question asked as all eyes turned towards him. "It just… it's all the troopers are talking about, sir."
Vader found his interest piqued, although it was muddled with irritation as he as forced to pry for the information that he desired. "And I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts, trooper."
"He's keep you away from us, sir," Rex answered in the other trooper's place. "Away from the fight, I mean."
That was an interesting statement. A bold one, too. Something that Vader hadn't taken into consideration. "What do you mean?"
This time, it was Rex's turn to laugh. "Seriously?" he asked, seeming to be quite flabbergasted at the question. "We have hardly seen you in weeks, sir. Sure there has been a few encounters here and there that have required your presence, but overall, you've been missing from the battlefield."
Vader frowned at the comment. Missing from the battlefield? That was another bold statement to make. Vader had been absent more than usual, sure, but he hardly thought that he was missing. His destruction on Dantooine was proof of just how present he was. Though, the lack of care taken on this particular mission on Skye also justified the trooper's argument. If Vader would have been in direct command he would have never allowed his troops to be pulled out so close to victory. He would have never allowed so much disorder within his ranks. Maybe the trooper was right…
But did they think he really had a choice in that matter?
"I've been given other missions for the time being," he decided to answer simply, not admitting to himself or the others in the room that he truly was the puppet and not the master... yet. "I'm there when I need to be, but I cannot be at every battle."
Rex frowned as he took a step closer. "I meant no disrespect, sir," the trooper said just as quickly, swinging his arms across his chest to defuse the building pressure between them, "but that's exactly my point. The Emperor is keeping you away from the battles unless absolutely necessary. He's preoccupying you."
Preoccupying him? That was yet another interesting statement… and surely one that he couldn't ignore. His interest was most definitely piqued.
"What could the Emperor possibly gain by that?" Vader pressed, not truly meaning to speak the question aloud, but nevertheless wanting to see if the troopers had an answer to that question as well.
Except, this time, his question was answered by the shake of heads. "I don't know, sir," Rex answered truthfully. "I wish I did, but the only true guess I have is so that he could make changes to his army without your interference."
Vader nearly laughed, thinking of his master doing anything of the sort. As if the old man would even know where to begin! "The Emperor wouldn't bother with making any military changes. That's why I command the Imperial armies." Cause the man hardly had a clue.
"But he has been making changes," Rex countered. "You said it yourself. He's calling shots that he never had before. We've all seen it."
"And now, you're not even the one on the ground," Commander Thomas added and Vader growled at the reminder.
"Tarkin," he hissed, sicken by the name.
"Yes, sir." Rex nodded. "Tarkin hit the ground and immediately we were replaced by bloody human squadrons and told to evacuate the area." Rex paused, completely enraged by the thought. "All of us know those bastards don't know their own ass from a gundark." He laughed even harder at the thought. "They couldn't even hit the broad side of fully grown dewback, let alone a desert womp rat."
Vader didn't share the trooper's amusement of the situation. "Yes," he managed to acknowledge, breathing in his irritation as he felt his beautiful army all apart. "The other trooper said as much."
"Respectfully, we were waiting for you, sir," Rex continued. "We were even told you were coming… and then that bastard Tarkin showed up, and the Emperor made the official report of the planet evacuated."
Vader sighed, unable to take much more of the true traitorous information. "And what is your point besides irritating me, trooper?"
The trooper shrugged, quiet for a moment, before he said, "What better way of keeping Lord Vader away from a battle then making him believe there's no battle."
Once again, Vader was fascinated by the trooper's insights, craving even more. "And you think the Emperor would risk losing the Rebellion to simply keep me… preoccupied?"
The trooper shrugged again, dismissing the fact. "I dunno, sir," he admitted with a wave of his hand. "It doesn't make sense to me neither."
"But he didn't lose the Rebellion," Fletcher finally spoke up from where he stood in the room, waiting till he had Vader's full attention before he spoke again. "Lord Vader. He didn't lose the Rebellion. He only made you believe he did." He paused, gesturing to the troopers. "The clones said it themselves. He never pulled forces out, he just interchanged them."
"And for what purpose?" Vader pressed, thankful that others in the room were beginning to use their heads.
Fletcher took a moment to think, silent for a long few minutes before he began again. "You said it yourself, Lord Vader. The Emperor would never interfere with your battle plans. He trusts your judgement on those too much… but the trooper is right, too. For some reason, he doesn't want you on the ground. He must need the Rebellion for something and he must need you for something, too."
"Of course," Commander Thomas continued off the same train of thought. "The Emperor has no intention of letting the Rebellion escape, my lord. He changed the troops, but not the orders. They Rebellion is still guarded by Imperial forces, but for some reason, the Emperor needs you to believe they are gone. He needs you not to act."
"Yes, we've established this," Vader growled, irritated that the same information was being tossed around the room, but not truly deciphered. He reached out to the Force, trying to make sense of it all, but was answered only in clouded darkness.
How typical in his moment of need.
"What about Senator Amidala?" a quiet and hesitant voice offered up, the youngest of the men finally bringing something to the table.
If only it would have been something intelligent.
Vader frowned, almost rolling his eyes at the question. His teeth grinding together painfully as he turned to face Piett, who had once again brought the senator to the forefront of his mind. "And what of Senator Amidala?" he almost hissed, debating within himself if there was something he could do to make his captain get over his little crush before Vader strangled one of the more competent men in his army.
"W–well…" Piett hesitated, feeling the Sith's glare on him, but suddenly standing tall despite his previous uncertainty. "What is her role in all of this?"
Vader let out another irritated huff, sick of pointless topics rearing their heads into this conversation, but nevertheless flattering Piett's train of thought. "As I told you before," Vader answered, fighting to keep his cool at the ridiculous question. "Senator Amidala is a witness and a key asset to finding and destroying the Rebellion."
Piett frowned, his face morphing with suspicion and a large questioning brow. "But we found the Rebellion, sir."
"The Emperor doesn't know that."
"But he does, sir," Piett argued, a sudden fire to his words as he even found the audacity to point at the Sith. "He knows that we found the Rebellion, my lord, but he doesn't want you to know that the Rebellion is still on Skye cause that would mean the senator was useless. What if he doesn't want you to know that the Rebellion is still there so you don't question the reasoning for the senator still being here."
A cold feeling sunk to the pit of Vader stomach, unfortunately, no longer able to deny how the officer's words seemed to make sense. He couldn't ignore it any longer. The entire situation was peculiar. It was unusual. It was… not right. Why?
Just like before, the Forced swirled around him in a way he could not ignore. The whispers within his mind turning to high-pitched screams and the hints that had been dropping around him for weeks coming to the forefront of his mind.
He couldn't hide from the ortolan in the room any longer. He had to address one of his deepest fears, and at the very least, make some kind of sense of it. Was it truly possible that the Emperor knew of his and the senator's relationship? Vader couldn't believe that could be the case. His master would never condone such behavior and if the old man did ever figure out about it, his master would never allow it to continue. Especially without some sort of punishment for Vader's disobedience.
So it had to be something else. There had to be another component that they were missing. But what? What was the Emperor to gain by keeping the senator alive? Keep her with him?
"It doesn't matter," Officer Ersono spoke, before Vader could follow his thoughts through to conclusion, the smallest man in the room pushing between the troopers to stand in the off-center of the small circle. "She's a member of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor. We should get rid of her while we have the chance."
A vastly different array of responses filled the room through the Force as the suggestion lingered within the air, growing in weight with each passing second until it seemed that every opinion was screamed out extremely loud all at once. Some men agreeing with the statement, while some others were highly against it.
Vader found himself unbearably in the middle, unable to speak as the conversation continued without him.
"No!" Officer McConnel cried, pushing Ersono backwards so that he was able to face the man directly. "That would be a waste! We should interrogate her to see what she knows!"
Ersono laughed, making it clear that he thought such a suggestion to be ridiculous. "What more do we need, McConnel? We have the Rebellion! She is useless!"
Piett shook his head, moving past a trooper to his left so that the arguing men could see him. "If we get rid of her now, then we won't figure out the Emperor's plan. We need her alive," Piett argued back, hot emotion on his tongue as his eyes flickered to Vader for a long moment, although Vader didn't know why, before turning back to Ersono.
"And if Lord Vader was to disregard one of the Emperor's direct commands, there is a chance and not that unlikely, that the Emperor may conclude we are onto him, " Thomas added, but Vader wanted to hear no more.
"Silence," Vader hissed, finally able to find his words before the argument could continue any further. The room immediately falling quiet upon his command and staying that way for a long moment until he spoke again. "I am not clueless as to not realize the Emperor is up to something," Vader began, speaking carefully so his men understood him well. "The Emperor has a plan," Vader said, addressing the entirety of the room. "It is clear to me now, but we must be patient. We must wait for our window of opportunity."
"Opportunity? You mean to attack the Rebellion, sir?" another trooper in the back pressed, all of the clones seeming only to have one goal in their mind, but Vader needed them to think bigger.
"No," Vader replied, trying to think all the information through and make all the clones understand. "Not yet. We cannot allow the Emperor to know that we are aware of anything."
His answer caused a shred of anger and disappointment to spread throughout the room like wild fire, especially among the troopers. "More waiting?" Another one of the troopers spoke up, truly at his wits end... but Vader felt his fear beneath the cover of anger. "If we wait any longer, sir, he's going to kill us all off and replace us with damn human squads!"
"I won't let that happen," Vader said firmly, looking around the room as he finally announced his proposal for the future. "The time has come for a new leader to take control," Vader stated, throwing his shoulders back and holding his head high. "One far young and more powerful."
Gasps echoed from around the room, the few members of the congregation who had yet to piece together the puzzle, finally realizing the true meaning behind the summon. And those who were in the know, sharing the same look of readiness as the true topic of the conversation made its way to the position of prominence in the conversation.
"…You mean?" Officer Ersono asked, almost unable to fathom the idea.
"Yes," Vader replied, uncaring. "It is the way of the Sith for the apprentice to one day rise up and overthrow his master." He paused turning back to the only hesitant man in the room. "And that is exactly why I have called you all here."
Ersono couldn't help but to visibly gulp as the full weight of the situation came to rest on his shoulders, but Vader was pleased to feel nothing but dedication from the man and his want to please his commander.
"Gentlemen," Vader continued, beginning to pace the small length of the room that had remained open for him. "The time to act is not now, but it is coming. I need men that I trust to be by my side." Vader paused, already knowing their answer, but needing to ask it anyway. "Are you with me?"
"We are with you, my lord!" Piett and Fletcher said in unison, being the first to salute him and pledge their loyalty, only to be followed by Thomas and the rest of the officers next. Soon, the whole room had pleaded their unwavering support to Vader, just as he had expected, promising to be by his side in thick and thin, until he rose to power… or died trying.
"You are all doing the Empire a great service," Vader decided to end with, before channeling his power of the darkness to make every man fell the cool breath of death through the Dark Side. They did almost immediately. Every being fidgeting where they stood and fear glazing over their eyes. "If anyone is to disobey me," Vader whispered, his words like the same ice they felt in the air. "I promise to make sure it is the last thing you ever do."
This threat hung in the air like a deadly weight, creating the usual respectable fear that Vader craved. But strangely, he found that the panic lasted far shorter than usual. The men seeming to come to terms with his threat quite quickly, which he assumed only confirmed their dedication to his side was unwavering. A good thing, he supposed, but nevertheless uncomfortable.
"And what of the senator, my lord?" Piett asked, breaking the silence, and now Vader truly had to assume that the man was simply doing it to get on his nerves.
"Until the Emperor has been defeated, the senator is under my protection by his command," Vader answered, not wanting to press that particular matter any further. "No harm will come to her."
Something about his answer made Piett fidget uncomfortably, a strange emotion rolling off his body, but again, Vader couldn't decipher why. "And if he commands you to get rid of her before he is defeated, my lord?" Piett asked, almost without looking his commander in the face. "What then?"
Not for the first time in the conversation, Vader found himself unable to find words. Yet another forsaken question finding its way into the discussion. Except, this time, Piett was right. What then?
"Then she will be disposed off like the traitor to the Empire that she is," Vader answered, the words pouring out of his mouth without him as very much as thinking, but even as he said the words, he didn't know that he would be able to do it… But what scared him even worse was that he knew that he could.
Silence came over the group again, as Vader seemed lost in thought, only really coming to when he realized that Piett was staring at him. Fletcher, too. Both looking at him with the same strange and concerned expression. What was a matter with his men?
"And that will be that," Vader continued, for some reason, finding himself uncomfortable. Taking a quick moment to regain himself, as he addressed the room again. "So we're at agreeance then," he said, leaning against the table so that he could address each one of the men. "We're going to overthrow the Emperor."
Vader watched as Piett escorted the cluster of Imperial uniforms away from the conference room and towards the direction of the landing bay. It was just after eleven standard hours on the planet, meaning most of the base was in their beds, and it was safe to walk the halls without further repercussions. It was now just up to the pilots to get the classified group off the planet and back to the fleet without any further detention. Then they would all be home free.
"The Empire will live on," Fletcher said from beside Vader, both men watching as the men disappeared before Fletcher turned his full attention at his commander. "We'll need a plan, sir."
"Leave that to me," Vader said simply, and Fletcher accepted that as his only answer.
They stood in silence for a long moment, until Vader felt like Fletcher was about to combust. "Lord Vader," Fletcher whispered, his voice unusually quiet– even hesitant, obviously something on his mind. "I don't mean to be the barer of bad news, sir, but I can't help but to think…" He paused, a deep frown overtaking his features, even his eyes growing nervous. "We kept talking about the Emperor's plan and I can't help but to wonder, wouldn't the Emperor expect us to tell you this information? I mean, wouldn't he suspect your royal troops to fill you in?"
"I would suspect." Vader answered, for the first time admitting that they were still too many steps behind Sidious.
Vader sighed, feeling the weight of the pressure once more on his shoulders, a deep chill running down his back. He turned away from his lieutenant and moved towards the window. "Leave me," he said and as usual, Fletcher took no insult to Vader's bluntness, simply giving his respects before leaving Vader to his peace.
Vader stood alone within the corridor for a long few minutes, simply staring out the window at the never-ending array of constellations as he tried to dissect all of the information in his brain. He watched as the Imperial transport rose into the night sky and disappeared into the stars. A bad feeling rising in the pit of his stomach.
This moment was supposed to be a grand one– dare he even say exciting, in a sick and twisted way. He should have been thrilled! Even, celebratory… But Vader didn't feel any of those things. He just had a bad feeling.
He had a bad feeling that he was being played, that he was still just a puppet being strung along by his master for the old man's sinister purposes. Even when he thought he was acting in his own interest, it seemed like his master had his slimy hands there for some sort of control. Was it Vader that even had the idea to conduct this effort in the first place? Or is that what his master wanted him to think? Cause if this truly was the start of everything he had dream for, then why did he feel so sick?
The Force swirled around Vader, penetrating him, whispering to him… It truly was the beginning of the end, that much he was certain, but the question remained: Was it his time that was short? …Or his master's?
Suddenly, he wasn't sure.
You are weak, a voice inside his head whispered and the monster roared outraged.
No! He wasn't weak! This is exactly what his master had wanted, but Vader would not be deceived! He would fight his master and win! Vader would rise up and take the throne! He would rise up and rule the galaxy! He was the most powerful Sith ever and Sidious was no match to the full power of Vader's Dark Side!
Yes. Vader was done being at the Emperor's beck and call. He was done being a pawn in anymore of Sidious' games. Vader wouldn't let that weak fool inside of him win. That boy was dead and the Emperor could no longer control him. He was Darth Vader. Lord of the Sith. And the Sith knew what he was capable of. He knew what he wanted. He could do everything that he ever dreamed. Perhaps, that meant he could even change the future too. Maybe he wouldn't need to burn. Maybe the senator…
Suddenly, Vader sensed a familiar presence, and once again was forced to cut his thoughts short before following them to much conclusion. He felt her eyes on the back of his head, as she, no doubt, crawled out of one of the nearest ventilation shafts.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were dead," he said without turning towards her, using the few extra moments to morph himself back into the confident Sith that he needed to be.
When he was sure all his emotions were hidden, he turned to face her, eyeing Aphra from where she stood in the shadows just across the way. He fought the urge to point blankly look for the senator, knowing she wasn't there, but still his nerves seem to shatter.
Aphra wouldn't dare disobey him and come back, but that didn't mean she would do exactly as he asked either.
"Hey, Daddy D." Aphra said with her usual cheeky smile, even going as far as to wink an eye at him. "How was that meeting I wasn't invited to?"
He chose to ignore that. "Where's Senator Amidala?" he asked, making his way down the hall, knowing that Aphra would follow.
The woman rolled her eyes, for whatever reason – which he didn't care for, skipping up to him as she followed him down the hall. "In your room," she finally said, at the exact moment that Vader had reached out into the Force and felt her there. "Safe."
It was enough to soothe some of Vader's nerves, but just barely. "Good," Vader replied, his brain able to switch to more important matters.
He walked slowly forward, careful to remain in the sections of the hall that were blind. When he had first called upon Aphra originally, he had much more different ideas in mind, but now, if he was being honest, everything had changed. Even he had changed, but that just caused for a slight modification to his plan.
"Aphra," he said seriously, pausing in the hall and turning to face her. " I need this to be extremely off record, not even my men know that you're doing this for me."
Aphra paused before him, the woman's lips pressed upwards with interest… but Vader could see the frown pulling at her face. "Sounds interesting," she answered back, twirling a long finger through his black locks. "What you have in mind?"
Vader turned and began walking again, waiting until the small woman caught up before he spoke, "I need you to do some research for me."
"Research?" Aphra frowned, confused and surprised. "Action is usually my thing. Yours too.
"I'm well aware," Vader answered. "But I need someone I can trust. Someone that isn't connected to the Empire. Someone capable."
"And you thought of me?" Aphra posed with false flattery. "Excuse me while I blush."
Vader ignored that, too. "I don't have to tell you that something is happening," Vader continued. "The Emperor is up to something."
Aphra snorted at the comment. "When isn't he?"
"It's different this time," Vader tried to explain, almost not being able to find the correct words himself. "Senator Amidala–"
"The pretty one."
Vader sighed. Another claw sunk into yet another one of his men… or women, as it were. Did this women have no bounds?
"She has been under my care for some time now. I want you to figure out why." Vader paused at the window, looking at the stars another moment, before he turned back to Aphra. "She recently went to the medical facilities on Coruscant. The reasons surrounding the visit were questionable at about at best."
Aphra frowned. "You want me to look at her health records?" She almost sounded insulted. "I'm not an errand runner, Daddy D. Make an appointment."
"I've tried," Vader said, grabbing Aphra's arm as she began to turn away. "I haven't been able to get anything from anyone there, and I realize now the Emperor has been preoccupying me so I wouldn't be able to check personally."
That seemed to pique Aphra's interest. "The Emperor is keeping you away from a medical facility?"
Vader nodded. "Among other things."
A smile broke across her face, Vader knowing she was hooked. "That's odd," she said, her smile widening. "That's really odd."
"Mhmm," was all that Vader cared to say, deciding to press the details while he had her attention. "The facility is the first place I want you to start, but if you find any other leads for more information, you may follow them." Vader began to walk again, Aphra on his tail, only pausing when him and Aphra had reached an outside platform that was used strictly for maintenance. "I know this mission may seem inconsequential, Aphra," he said after a long silence. "I know that's not our usual agreement, but the old man is up to something. I need you to figure out what."
Vader held out his hand, holding out a bag of Imperial credits, which made Aphra's smile grow. "You can count on me," the tiny woman said with a false salute before she grabbed the bag and jumped onto the railing.
"Aphra," Vader said, before the woman disappeared, her tiny head turning back before making the leap. "If you get caught, I won't be there to save you."
Aphra nodded, pulling her goggles down from her helmet before she jumped into the night. Vader didn't bother to look, but he heard as she hit a tree somewhere below, climbing downwards until her boots hit the jungle floor. It took a few minutes for her footsteps to disappear into the jungle and even become too soft for even Vader's ears to detect. The sound of her vanish boots being replaced by the small sounds of Felucia's nightlife as the animals of the planet sung to the twin moons.
Vader leaned against the guard rail as he listened to them, thoughts once again swirling within his mind about what was to come. Had this finally begun? Was this truly the beginning of the end? Would the future change?
If the future would change – perhaps, everything would change. Not just his master. Not just his fate… but everything. He hoped that it did… because he knew that if it didn't… his time was short. The senator's too.
Like on Tattooine, he thought of her demise and it brought a sickness to his stomach. More so than when he thought about his fate of lava and fire. That he could handle, but for some reason, the idea of her lifeless body... not so much.
And although he knew it was weak and foolish... for the first time in his life, Vader didn't know what to do. So he did something he told himself he would never do again. Something that Sith's could not afford...
He hoped. He hoped that it would be different. He hoped that he could change his fate. He hoped that he could change his future.
He lowered his head against the cool railing and for the first time in a very long time, Darth Vader simply hoped.
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed! Drop a review! :)