One week later

The Admiral of the Executor, Firmus Piett, stood on the bridge of his ship nervously waiting for Lord Vader to find what he had left on his desk without him knowing. If Lord Vader did ever find out the culprit was him, he'd loose his job and life faster than Admiral Ozzel lost his life and job. Of course, Lord Vader already knew that a commanding officer (Piett) had something to do with Skywalker's escape a week ago, coincidentally around the same time Lord Vader's TIE fighter started playing "It's A Small Universe After All" on repeat once it powers up. ( Firmus Piett had an feeling that Skywalker had something to do with it, but also knew that he could not even think about it around Vader because then he would know and that would be… bad.)

The doors to the bridge opened and heavy, ominous breathing filled the air. Piett turned to face the approaching figure, saluting and wiping his mind of what he had been thinking of (it was the only reason he was still alive). Vader's rage and determination at… something (Piett knew exactly what the something was) filled the bridge and stifled the air as if it was a solid as he stalked towards the Admiral, who's only coherent thought was 'Oh no oh no oh no oh no'.

"Admiral," Vader nearly growled. "I need security scans to be run on the area around my quarters. Scan for those who can in and out of the area and if there are any weaknesses one could exploit. There is a Rebel on the ship and know how to enter the most secure room on the ship. Find the impostor and report them to me immediately."

At this, Lord Vader turns and stalks right back out, not even waiting for Admiral Piett's response.

The Admiral did not breath a sigh of relief as he ordered people around to fulfill Vader's order, specifically the handful of people who he knew would keep his secret. The evidence would have to be covered up even further and then manufactured to make it look like someone other than him, and those particular crew members would not suffer from this. But this is war, and sacrifices must be made, but they must not be made in vain. Alderaan could not be in vain.

A thought hit him, and Firmus allowed himself a tiny smile as he wondered how Vader would react to being told Luke Skywalker put the message in his room (not like it was true, but Vader didn't need to know that). Of course, he would have no proof, but Skywalker's pulled crazier stunts in the past.

The man formerly known as Anakin Skywalker, currently known as Vader, sat in his chamber and contemplated the letter he received through a worrying, and unresolved, system. The sheet of paper laid on his clean, black desk, bearing words that have haunted him for 2 days, holding a message that gave him both hope and fear. It read thus:

"Hope you liked the new surprise. I know it had us TIEd up in fits of laughter, especially after all the rumors we so graciously spread about you. We have a deal we think you'll find agreeable. You'll be able to come meet L Skywalker on Tatooine at the Lars farm in 2 weeks at dusk and stop the pranks against your person. They will continue if you do not show up. Your choice.

Sincerely,

The Pranksters"

Obviously, they knew how to reach both him and his son, that he knew the Lars (which means they knew who he had been), that Luke Skywalker and he were related, how to remain completely anonymous with an extraordinary skill, and that they knew how to use the force, but not like how the Jedi used to use it. Their methods were too unorthodox.

The cyborg had two choices before him that he had to ponder carefully. On one hand, he loved hated the relentless pranks that has pushed everyone's sanity near the edge. It started with the color pink appearing in places it shouldn't, resulting in deaths of corrupt officers and at least two droid insignias have been found in places where, like the hot pink, it shouldn't be able to appear (like his armor. How that happened, he still has no idea). Finally, the personal pranks against Darth Vader himself that have singled him out for ridicule and driving him insane so that he would have no choice but to go meet them. Could he really risk going since it, logically, had the potential to be a greater risk than the pranks themselves?

And yet… this was an offer for him to basically meet his son outside of a battle. He could finally see his son face to face… or mask, as it may be.

But what do the pranksters want from Vader? This cannot be done by their goodwill (he can't ignore the word 'we' that appeared). Vader hated that he felt blind going into this, and the Force was not offering any help to clear the situation up. He would be walking in without facts or motives or any idea of what they would want from him. He already serves one tyrannical master; he does not want to serve (and then get rid of) another one.

But to see his son… it is tempting. Vader decided to meditate on the subject further to try and gain more clarity before he made a decision.

Unknown to him, Qui-Gon Jinn watched as he slipped into the Force and helped guide him to the light, knowing that would be the only place he would get the answers he was seeking. He would help these twins reunite their family despite the ruling of Yoda, because he cared about the kids and he was already dead? What could the Jedi do? Kill him? Block him out of their meetings? Like he cared. Watching Palpatine suffer from the pranks the twins played on him was way more entertaining anyways.

Piett was finally relaxing in a small, little used lounge with a cup of water, reflecting on the past week. From him helping save Luke twice from Vader's grasp, to Vader nearly finding out just how much he helped the kid, to Vader's TIE fighter being pranked, to the letter his contact asked that he deliver to Vader and the subsequent hunt for a culprit, it might just be the most… interesting week of his life. He knew he didn't ask for the easy route when he asked his fried to get him in contact with the Rebellion, but Alderaan must be avenged, and slavery must be stopped.

He put a corrupt Imperial on the chopping block, taking down three birds with one stone: getting Vader off his back, getting rid of a corrupt Imperial, and opening an area for a rebel/ rebel sympathizer to come in. He was surprised Vader bought it, but the man has been subtly changing the past few days. Maybe he had been just as eager to get rid of him as Piett was.

Deep, rhythmic breathing filled the room suddenly (as if Piett summoned the devil), pulling Piett out of his thought and jerking him to attention. He shoves his thoughts from earlier out of his mind, not really wanting to be caught. Vader walked slowly into the room and sat down opposite of Piett at the same table.

"Sit, Admiral Piett."

Piett nods firmly, sitting down with precision, and not letting his surprise cross his face.

"I need you to use the secrecy I know you posses to help me with a mission that no one can know of. Do not worry, the cameras and mics in this room are disabled, we can speak freely. I need you to cover my absence, which will last around 2 weeks at most. Can you do it?"

Vader spoke with a softness that was so unlike him that it broke Piett's ability to keep a straight face as he let his eyes widen. Whatever the message did to this man was enough to turn him from a homicidal war machine into something more like a human, and he didn't know how to feel about it.

After a minute or so of just staring at Vader, Piett cleared his throat, and said, "I can do that sir. What should I tell the Emperor should he call?"

"That I have gone to hunt the Rebels by myself since I suspect that there are moles in my crew."

Piett nodded and accepted his task by Vader, knowing that he really did not have another option at this point. (He pushed down fears of Vader knowing that he worked with the Rebellion. Now was not the time.)

"Thank you, Admiral," Vader said, still in a surprisingly gentle tone while he stood. "You are the most competent man I know."

He headed for the door, but turned back toward Piett, and then said, "I know now that you let Luke Skywalker escape from your grasp twice. Thank you for taking care of my son."

He walks out of the room, leaving a shell-shocked Piett who just had three questions answered to him in that small sentence: 1) Vader's relationship with Skywalker, 2) that Vader knew of his deeds and possibly of his true allegiance, and 3) that Vader did indeed have a change of heart.

Not knowing how to handle the revelation, Piett ordered some whiskey. After that conversation, he needed a stiff drink.

As Piett drank a whole bottle of whiskey in under half an hour, Qui-Gon put his bucket of popcorn to the side and turned to an intruder of his enjoyment of his prank.

"Obi-Wan, I know you do not agree with what I did. I do not need-"

"I did not come to lecture you," his former student interrupted him with a raised hand. "I doubt it would work if I tried, at this point. I came to tell you that the twins have noticed the shift in the force and are asking questions. Do you want to tell them what you've done, or do you want them to wait till they meet their father?"

"Let them wait," Qui-Gon replied, turning back to the now hammered Admiral. "This is so much more fun."

1)I do not own Star Wars

2)Stay safe from the diseases going around my friends!

3)Sorry for taking too long to update. My computer went wonky and I haven't had time to work much on this because of college. I did not forget

4)I do not have a beta and am not really looking for one. I am writing because I enjoy it. Maybe I'll go back and rewrite somethings eventually to make them fit with the story that has evolved from this.

5)If y'all have any ideas for father, son, daughter pranks to play on the galaxy, please tell me! The Skywalker family is about to be reunited and y'all have had wonderful ideas so far.