Thanks for the reviews! They keep me writing, or maybe its coke, either or, or possibly those Doritos that I occasionally eat when I am typing, perhaps I should no longer talk about food, okay I got it, sword fighting. It is awesome, well there you go, the wise words of Sith Master2019, man I should shut up.

Chapter 7: Darkness, Death, and Training

Darth Vader set foot on the bridge of the Devastator only an hour after delivering Luke to the Emperor, it was still in orbit of Coruscant. Everyone looked at him when he stepped on the bridge and strode over the long metal slab over the two control pits. Commander Ozzel jumped when he heard Vader's breathing behind him. He turned from the viewport and bowed to his commander.

"Commander Ozzel, see to it that we are primed for hyperspace. Tatooine, I must see how Griff's search is going.

"Yes Lord Vader." Ozzel said and saluted. The man was extremely stupid, the only reason he was not a low class laborer was because of all the victories he achieved in battle but in all of them he was either simply lucky, his fleet was ten times bigger than the enemies, or he was slightly coordinated and they were not. The only reason Vader had kept him on the Devastator was for simple command purposes in Griff's absence. And he was the third highest ranking person in Vader's fleet, the list started with Vader himself and went down to Griff, Ozzel, and Captain Piett.

But ranking was unimportant. Vader gazed out of the bridges viewport until they took off into hyperspace.

XxX

Vader had arrived at Tatooine fifteen minutes ago. When he had contacted Griff on the Accuser the admiral seemed particularly nervous about something and insisted talking to Vader in person about the hunt for Princess Leia. Vader stood annoyed, drumming his leather gloved fingers on the sill of the viewport. Finally he sensed Griff's presence enter the bridge and he turned to meet him as he walked down the slab of metal above the pit. When he reached Vader he bowed revealing his sweaty neck.

"Milord," He began sounding nervous. "We found the princess…"

Vader completely did not understand his nervousness. "This is good news Admiral, do you have her?"

"No."

Now Vader thought he understood and was not happy about it at all. Griff had a perfect reason to be nervous.

"No?"

"She escaped sir, she was being pursued by a lone scout trooper and she got away in a cargo transport."

"Admiral you have failed me."

"I know Lord Vader but if you could just give me another chance!"

"No!" Vader shouted. Crew members glanced up nervously. "The price for failure is death Admiral. You have failed me for the first and last time."

"But Lord Vader…"

Griff said no more after that. Vader raised a hand and curled it into a fist. At the same time Griff felt himself being lifted off of the ground, but his neck with nothing but invisible hands hoisting him up. Vader kept choking him, cutting off his oxygen supply, he sputtered and gasped for air, his face turned blue and his eye bulged out, finally his struggling ceased, his arms felt to his sides and his legs hung limply. Vader let him go and he fell to the ground. All eyes were on him now.

"Shoot him out of the airlock." Vader said and he strode across the metal slab and over to Ozzel. "Commander Ozzel, you are in command now. Do not fail me."

And with that he turned and walked off the bridge.

XxX

Sidious's image just smiled when Vader told him of the Princesses escape.

"It seems she is far more clever than I would have thought, to outsmart Admiral Griff. Tell me Lord Vader, who is in command now."

"Admiral Ozzel."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! He will not be in command long Lord Vader, I assure you."

"Master I am not sure you are taking this seriously enough."

"How fortunate am I, to have another apprentice who feels it is appropriate to lecture me?"

"I am sorry master."

"It is alright Lord Vader. You may express concerns you have."

"I am worried, master, if the Imperial Senate were to find out it could create sympathy for the Rebel Alliance and turn more and more to their cause. That will not make my job any easier."

"I understand Lord Vader, but the Imperial Senate has no real power. Most of them are still senators serving from the Old Republic, they will be dealt with in time. I no longer need them now that the Death Star is close to completion. But now I think it may be better to just assassinate Organa, rather than try getting information from him."

"Perhaps."

"We will wait and see Lord Vader. Return to your duties."

"Yes master."

XxX

Weeks Later

The Emperor had begun to train Luke weeks ago. In short it was bittersweet. Everyday Luke felt more and more power coursing through his veins, but everyday the more power he gained the less he cared for things. He no longer regarded the lives of storm troopers or red robed guards, he killed them on a regular basis for… fun. He no longer cared if his aunt and uncle died or lived, he could probably kill them himself given the chance.

The power scared him, but mesmerized him; it was like nothing he had ever felt before. The Emperor was an excellent trainer Luke thought, mostly because he was extremely strict and his punishments hard a brutal. If Luke said he could not do something, or did something that displeased the Emperor he was chained to the wall and mercilessly zapped with Force lightning. But then the Emperor always healed him to keep training but still Luke tried to avoid the lightning. He half trained Mara Jade at the same time. In simple Force powers like he was doing Luke. This was just the initial training, he made it clear Luke would go further with Darth Vader's tutelage and Mara would not.

He occasionally made them practice together, or sharpen fighting skills by handing them each a vibro blade and making them duel. Luke found himself looking at her occasionally, the way she moved, her fiery red hair, and other things. He caught her, once or twice staring at him as well, but the Emperor had not noticed either of them, or if he did he didn't care. Today was Luke's last day of initial training. Mara was not yet done, the Emperor had expressed glee with Luke learning so fast, he said he had learned to do in weeks what many can not accomplish in months, even years.

Luke walked into the Emperor's throne room again, wearing a jet black tunic and pants, and covered with a black robe. His hood was raised, shadowing his hair and eyes which now looked like the Emperor's. A red brimmed yellow.

Luke walked up the steps, his black leather boots made no sound. When he reached the top he found the Emperor's chair turned, facing the window. It turned as he bowed, the Emperor smiled and walked up to him.

"Rise." He said as he always did, extending the word and rolling it with his raspy voice. Luke stood up. "Your initial training is complete. I present you with this."

He produced a small silver cylindrical tube out of s pocket in his robes. A lightsaber, he pressed its red activation button, with a snap-hiss the blade extended. Blood red. Sidious handed the hilt to Luke. He took it and flipped the weapon a few times. It hummed as it cut through air.

He bowed slightly in thanks. "Thank you my Emperor."

"Keep your thanks, now you must finish your training under Lord Vader." The Emperor replied. He waved one of his clawed hands and two red robed guards walked up, and stopped next to Luke. "These two guards will show you to a shuttle. I have Vader's location already primed into its nav computer. Go to him, he is over seeing the production of a new weapon while his spies search for clues concerning the Rebel Alliance. I will alert him that you are coming, he knows he is to train you."

"May I ask something my Emperor? What weapon is Lord Vader overseeing the production of."

The Emperor smiled. "The Death Star."

Insert dramatic Imperial Star Wars music here. Oh and also insert deadly lightning lancing past the emperors window. YES very dramatic especially in a movie. Yes I can almost hear the music now.