Chapter 60 – Subservient

Author's Note: WARNING for manipulative Sidious.

~ Amina Gila

Vader is careful not to mention anything of his plans to the others. He doesn't do anything which might betray them either. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka would probably never fully understand, and they would try to stop him. He cannot allow that to transpire. If they asked… he might give in, and – and if it's true what Sidious told him about how he might be able to cheat death and bring his mother back, it's a chance that Vader thinks is worth taking.

He can feel the tension in the air as the gunship transports them from the Temple towards freedom. While he hasn't discussed plans with the clones, he senses that the entire 501st is planning to aid in their escape.

And he's right.

The gunship flies up to the flagship of the Legion in question, and once it's inside, once they've disembarked into the hangar, he can hear the debate amongst the clones as they try to figure out what to do next. Vader scans them, pinpointing Del and approaching him. "Captain, you and your brothers, whoever wishes to leave, should go to the following coordinates." He lifts the stolen comm, rapidly entering the numbers he memorized into it. "You should meet up with Death Squadron there which is now being controlled by Rex and others in the 501st who have been captured."

"What about you, sir?" Del asks, visibly hesitant.

Vader shakes his head. "There is something else to which I must attend first. May I have the Jedi starfighter here? It would be… easiest."

"Come back," the clone requests.

"Of course," Vader promises. "I would never leave you, never leave Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Tell them – tell them that I'm sorry once you've made the jump to hyperspace. And I – I require a diversion so I may leave."

Del understands, of course, what it is that Vader is asking, and he sends one of the other clones to offer a tour to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

"Aren't you coming?" Obi-Wan asks, frowning, looking back at Vader when he doesn't move to follow them.

He forces himself not to twitch and to remain totally relaxed so that he betrays nothing in his posture. "I need to oversee the evacuation first," he replies, meeting their gazes. "I will see you soon." Tachi – Siri – watches him warily, scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes, but she turns away, following Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

Vader only waits until they're out of sight before he races across the hangar, sliding into the Jedi starfighter and letting his hands run over the controls as he gets a feel for the ship before pulling out of the hangar. He waits there, watching as the Star Destroyers, all three of them, make the jump to hyperspace before hurtling downwards towards the surface, trying not to think about how he felt the jolt of horrified realization from Obi-Wan as they were taken to safety.

Somehow, he isn't surprised that Obi-Wan figured it out on his own, probably all of it, and he suspects that the only reason they were even able to escape was because the clones hesitated to fire on their brothers. He can't blame them for that; Rex and the others are much the same.

The Dark Side still burns through him as he flies towards the Works, towards the place that Sidious has hidden there. They will meet there, and then… he doesn't know what next. He doesn't think he's strong enough to go up against the Sith Master yet, and besides, Sidious will probably see it coming. No, Vader needs to first try and prove his loyalty, no matter what that will take, and then, when Sidious is distracted, Vader will stab him in the back.

Sidious has to be destroyed, and after losing his mother, Vader refuses to put anyone else in harm's way if he can do something to protect them.

He idles there for a time, and it's a couple hours, at least, before Sidious finally arrives, striding into the room, hood shrouding his features, the Dark Side whispering malevolently around him. Vader instantly feels the fear claw its way up his throat, and not for the first time since he came here, he questions if he should have left, should have run while he still had the chance.

Now, he merely walks forwards, dropping to one knee in front of his master. "Master," he murmurs, saying nothing more; he has nothing more than he even can say. This is – this is his place, much as he hates it. He has always wanted to leave, but on some inner level, perhaps he always knew this was inevitable, this final breaking point, this final trigger which pushes him over the edge and into the Dark.

"I am… pleased to see you here, Lord Vader," Sidious replies. "Come. Rise." He stands obediently, feeling both anxious and apprehensive. He can only hope that this wasn't a mistake.

"I am certain by now that the Jedi know the truth about me," the Sith Master continues, "But I do not believe they would ever so rash as to attack me or try to assassinate me when they undoubtedly also know about the inhibitor chips in the clones." Vader remains silent, uncertain what he should even say, or if he is even meant to say anything at all. "The Jedi will not come for me now, not yet, but there is much danger in other places. I have reason to believe that Dooku is attempting to undermine all of our plans. He has let his judgment be clouded, and he seeks to destroy me before we have our Empire secured. He has forgotten the rules of the Sith."

Vader knows well what Sidious means. One of the first lessons he learned was that the apprentice is to show loyalty to the master so long as the master shows no weaknesses.

"Wouldn't you agree?" Sidious queries slyly.

Vader swallows. "It is true, my master," he confirms, subdued. If coming here was a mistake, it's not one he can back out of anymore. He has to see it through to the end.

"Hm. I am aware that Lord Tyrannus has undoubtedly been filling your mind with doubts about me and with teachings from his Jedi past that he should have forgotten. He has never been a good Sith, but you? You are, you will be, everything that a true Sith Lord could and should be," Sidious continues.

Slowly, bit by bit, his words slither into Vader's mind, and he… questions. He questions what he really needs to do now, what the true path ahead really ought to be. When he was with Dooku, it was easier to go along with him and make plans for his vision, and it seems that the same is true for when he's with Sidious. But then again, that isn't really surprising. It's always been true. He… struggles with assertiveness, with trying to figure out anything on his own.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Oh, you needn't worry about being sent to eliminate him," the Sith is quick to assure. "I know that it will not be easy for you to cast off your bonds to those in the past, but it is of no consequence so long as you do not lose sight of the path ahead. There are sacrifices which must be made, and when this is over, once we have destroyed the Jedi together and established an Empire that will reign supreme and bring peace, justice, and order to the galaxy, you may seek out your… family."

Vader blinks. Once. Twice. And again. He… what?

"I… can?" he asks, dubiously. Isn't that against everything he has ever been taught?

"So long as you remain level-headed, yes, you may," Sidious answers, his amusement flaring into the Force. "Do not be so surprised. It is not… unheard of for Sith to have… families. It is not something that has been the case in recent times, but in the past, it was so."

He nods, slowly, almost feeling stupid for not having thought of it sooner. Of course, Sith used to have families. There was, once upon a time, an entire Sith Empire with hundreds of Sith. It only would be natural for them to have spouses, children, siblings, parents.

"I know this is… challenging for you, my boy, but your path will be clearer as time goes on," Sidious assures him. "You have only now begun to truly tap into your power. I will help you, guide you so that you will not be lost by what is now at your command."

Vader inclines his head. "I thank you, Master." He doesn't know what else to say, and there's a quiet voice in the back of his mind screaming that he's making a mistake, that he needs to leave and go back to everyone else. But no. He has to do this.

Sidious beckons to him, walking deeper into the building, and Vader falls into step at his side, following him and wondering. Wondering what he will be expected to do now. Wondering where the future will take him now that he's made this choice. Wondering if he's made a horrible mistake. They stop outside a well-shielded room which contains numerous Sith artifacts and holocrons; Vader has been inside before, once, and he remembers being intrigued by it all, no matter how dark and foreboding it seemed.

He isn't surprised when Sidious opens the door and steps inside, motioning for him to follow. He does, of course, feeling a mild surprise when Sidious stops in front of a Sith artifact that Vader knows, though he is uncertain of its purpose or function. It was something that he – and Sidious – obtained on a mission when he was younger. It's one of the few, or not so few, memories he has of his master when Sidious wasn't angry with him or hurting him. If anything, he had been… unusually mellow, then, and more encouraging than usual.

"You must remember this?" Sidious inquires, lifting the object with the Force.

"Yes," Vader agrees, eyes darting between his master and the artifact.

"It was during my quest for it," he informs him, turning to look it him after setting it down once more, "That I discovered of a gateway on Mustafar. The Force nexus there, if tapped into, can be used to create a doorway between the living and the dead."

Vader's breath catches in his lungs when he realizes what Sidious is saying. "Mom," he whispers before he can stop himself.

Sidious' expression seems almost… indulgent, something akin to fond, but not actually fond since Sidious isn't fond of people. "Indeed, but it is not easy. You must be certain of yourself, of what you want if you are to succeed. If you have even the slightest doubt, failure is inevitable."

"I – I understand. I – thank you, Master."

"It is what you desired," Sidious replies, laying a hand on Vader's shoulder. He can't help the flinch, but he doesn't pull back either. "You are power, my boy. Raw, unchecked power." His grip tightens, and Vader can feel the greed in it, the possessiveness. Mine, the Dark Side seems to whisper all around the Sith Master. You are mine.

It's unsettling, terrifying even. It's not something that Vader wants from Sidious.

Despite himself, he remembers something, a moment in the not-too-distant past, and he yearns. He wants it again, and he wants more.

"How? Please, Master, tell me what –" Embarrassment. Fear. Regret. "Sorry."

"No, it's – it's okay, Anakin." Obi-Wan squeezing his hand, his touch warm, gentle, grounding.

"I'm not upset," Obi-Wan had promised, touching his face with utmost care. "I would have been proud to raise and train you. It had been my dearest wish for years that I be able to train you as a Jedi, not because of my promise to Qui-Gon, but because you deserved the chance to fulfill your own dreams."

The hug they shared, Vader – Anakin, whoever he was – clinging to Obi-Wan desperately, seeking comfort against a world that had brought him so much pain. "That – knowing that you really think that… It means a lot to me, Obi-Wan. I love you too, you know. You're part of my family." And Obi-Wan held him then, protectively, offering a grounding calm that he only ever found with his mother.

He desperately doesn't want to call Sidious 'master', doesn't want to use that title, and be reminded of slavery, of the Sith. He wishes for a universe where he could have learned to use the title 'master' as an honorific and think of home instead of captivity. (He wishes he could have been a Jedi; he hates what he's become.)

If Sidious senses Vader's conflict, he says nothing, merely radiating pleased feelings into the Force. "I will begin your training in earnest tonight and every night. Until then, I want you to meditate. Think on what happened, on what you have done. Focus on your passions. You will gain strength and power, and through that, victory. The Force will free you."

"I don't feel free," he blurts out without thinking, regretting it a moment later, cringing inwardly at having said something like that to Sidious. He has become far too accustomed to being with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. "I – I mean –" he stutters, internally panicking.

The hand on his shoulder tightens again in a parody of comfort. "I know you don't," Sidious replies, "And you have Dooku to thank for that."

Vader stares at him, wide-eyed and shocked that the Sith Master really said that. It's not true. It's not, of course, but he can't help but wonder what lies Sidious will craft now to explain his statement. He doesn't know if Sidious senses his confusion or disbelief or merely sees his surprise, because he continues speaking, "It sounds difficult to believe, and I'm sure it is, but I can assure you that it is the truth. You would have learned freedom if you had embraced the Dark Side as I had hoped you would, but Dooku held you back. He does not and never will understand the Dark as you and I can. A Jedi does not make a good Sith, and you have never been a Jedi."

"He didn't," Vader protests weakly. "He always – he said he wanted me to be strong. He tried to help me."

"Hm. Well, he did an abysmal job at it," Sidious tuts, turning, his black robe swirling as he does. "Come with me."

It's not as if Vader has a choice, so he follows silently, feeling even more conflicted than he has before. He is well aware that Sidious has never been… fond of Dooku training him. He accepted it because he was the Chancellor and was unable to do it all himself, but he often expressed his dislike of it, if only privately. And Vader – Vader has no idea what to do, what to think about all of this. e He a

Sidious guides him to another room that has ornamental flooring in some pattern Vader can't quite make out due to the dim lighting. "Come," he says lightly, waving a hand. "Kneel. You can meditate here. This room is well-shielded; the Jedi will not sense you here."

Cautiously, Vader does as he is told, kneeling in the center of the room and reaching for the Force, for the Dark Side, pulling it even closer and letting it wash over him. A shiver snakes down his spine as Sidious' footsteps move around him, but he forces himself not to look, instead focusing on centering himself in the Force. He nearly jumps when Sidious crouches in front of him, but only nearly, because he sensed the movement before it happened, and the Force did not warn him of danger.

The Sith's yellow eyes are cold as always, but there's something different about them now, something… possessive, hungry.

Vader's breath stutters in his chest as his master – not his master – reaches out, cool fingers touching his face. It's strange and wrong, and he doesn't like it, but he knows better than to visibly react. Sidious got his name for a reason, and he excels at mind-games. Vader knows he's being played, and he does not, for one moment, trust this false affection and strange kindness, but he also knows that he's very much at the mercy of this Sith. And he knows that he probably won't even realize it as Sidious works him over for such is the nature of his games.

"Stay here." It's phrased more like a request than a command, which only makes it more off-putting. "Wait for me. I will return tonight, Lord Vader, and your lessons shall begin. It is high time for you to step into your role as my true and one apprentice." Sidious reaches up, lightly brushing a curl of hair from Vader's forehead, and it makes him want to throw up. He hates being touched by people he isn't close with, and he especially hates being touched like this by Sidious, hates that the Sith Master is acting as if Vader is so dear to him when it's not true.

If Sidious can sense Vader's feelings, he makes no mention of it, and nor does he show it. Instead, he stands, taking his time and looking down on Vader for a moment before turning to leave. "I would destroy that comm if I were you," he adds as if its an afterthought. "It would not be good for the Jedi to track you here."

And then, he leaves before Vader has a chance to even rasp out a strangled, "yes, Master," like he knows he should. And nor does he have a chance to point out that there's no conceivable way the Jedi could locate his stolen commlink; it's not as if it has a tracker. Vader already checked. He had kept it in case he needs to contact someone.

But now…

He lifts it into his prosthetic, staring at it for a moment before deliberately crushing it between his metal fingers, letting the pieces fall to the floor. If he truly becomes desperate enough that he wants to contact someone, he can always find another way. The lightsaber at his hip is heavy and not his, but he leaves it there, no matter how strange the light of it is. It calls for someone who will not respond, and perhaps later, he can rebuild it. His own saber is probably still at the Temple, if not destroyed, and he doubts he'll ever see it again, so he'll need to make a new one.

But until he is ordered to do so, he will stay here and wait as his master has instructed.

"The Force will free me," he whispers under his breath, letting the darkness between the stars themselves wash through him, lighting up his veins with power, raw and unchecked. If nothing else, Vader can trust the Force to free him. Dooku promised he would, a long time ago, but he also promised that he would free his Mom. He didn't. And she's dead now. Vader may not fully blame the Count, but he is still… angry. It is too easy to be disappointed by people.

But the Force? The Force created him. It will never let him down. It is a comfort in the dark, a shield against the light. It is… everything.

The Force shall free me.

Vader isn't certain of anything in his life anymore, but he trusts that. He has faith in that, and if he holds onto it, he will endure.

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