I bet many of you are surprised to see this and once again between the first and second chapters of Dark Angel.
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Vader blinked sleep back and he held his daughter close as the shuttle came in for a landing.
It had been a bad night for his little angel. She was cutting another tooth and had a bad dream. She had refused to sleep in her niche in case the 'Shadow' came for her again. So he had let her sleep with him for the rest of the night. She had kept waking him up with her kicking in her sleep and crying. She had even woke up a few more times telling him 'no go'.
She had slept for good when he fed her at 0400 hours. She took comfort when he held her close so she could hear his heartbeat. It might have helped that she was drinking at the same time.
He felt the shuttle land and readjusted his hood so no one would be able to see just how tired he was.
"Go to the quarters that we will be staying in and search it for anything that could be of threat. Once you have done that wait for me there." He told the Noghri, Rigalish clan Rigoth, who stood not too far away.
The Noghri nodded; staying silent.
He carefully repositioned his daughter as they walked down the gangplank of the shuttle. His Master wanted him to visit the Death Star and see how it was progressing.
He used to like Tarkin back during the Clone Wars but that had faded when Tarkin complained more than once to the Emperor about him 'shirking' his duties. The man complained if he took time to put his child in his quarters and he complained if she was in the same room with them. He just couldn't win with Tarkin.
He noted that Tarkin wasn't in the hangar to greet him. Instead there was some commander that he didn't recognize waiting for him with some troops standing in a ceremonial formation
"Lord Vader, it is a pleasure to have you here," the commander greeted him brightly. Vader fought the urge to roll his eyes. This man was clearly trying to smooth things over and he was in no mood for cheerfulness.
"Grand Moff Tarkin is waiting for you inside his office," the commander continued helpfully. Vader was quickly growing to dislike the commander. Boot-lickers disgusted him.
It also didn't help that he would rather be sleeping.
"I can assign someone to take you to his office," the commander offered. Vader fought the urge to strangle the man. One would think that he was some visiting dignitary in need of coddling instead of one of the most feared man in the galaxy.
"I know the way." Vader said coolly.
The commander gave a curt nod and stood aside.
Vader started to walk past him when his daughter leaned over and grabbed at the commander's hat. She succeed in knocking the hat off. To the commander's credit he didn't even flinch; in fact he bent over and collected his hat and, smiling gently, placed the hat on her head.
His little angel squealed in delight and clapped her little hands together.
"Dada, hat!" she squealed.
Vader nodded at the commander; making sure that approval was evident in his eyes.
The commander smiled, bowed and smartly marched off.
Well it seemed that he had misjudged the man. Dealing with Tarkin had to be eroding his ability to see good in anyone under that barve. He should relieve Tarkin of this commander. Anyone that showed kindness to his little angel should not be forced to serve under that slime known as Tarkin.
Smiling under his face veil he walked out of the hangar. His little angel laughed as she played with her new hat.
It didn't take him long to reach the area where Tarkin's office was and strode in without pressing the chime. With men like Tarkin it was best not to let them think that they had power over you because they would try to use it. It would not hurt to remind the arrogant, stupid barve that Lord Darth Vader bowed only to the Emperor and no one else.
"Lord Vader, it is an honor to have you here." Tarkin said. Vader nearly rolled his eyes. Tarkin was acting as if he hadn't slighted him by making him come to the office.
"I am here to see how the work is going." Vader said flatly; cutting straight to the chase or they could be here awhile exchanging meaningless small talk.
His little angel wiggled in the effort to get down.
"Down!" she cried.
Vader scanned the office with his eyes and seeing that there wasn't anything in the Moff's office that could hurt her, he set her down.
Tarkin glared at her. "Shouldn't you be holding her?" he nearly growled.
"She is a toddler, I doubt that she has plans to steal top secret military documents nor do I see any way for her to injure herself with anything in here." Vader snapped.
Vader's eyes swept the holos on Tarkin's desk and noted that there were very few of Lady Tarkin and their children. Most of the holos were of designs of future star destroyers and other powerful starships. Vader felt his respect for the man drop another welding. He had little respect for a man who didn't value his family. Vader had loved his wife and would have proudly displayed her holo if it wouldn't have gotten him expelled from the Jedi Order. Looking back on it maybe he should have done it anyway and to Chaos with the consequences.
"The work on the Death Star is progressing as well as can be expected." Tarkin said. "There have been some difficulties but the engineers are overcoming the problems."
Vader listened with half an ear. It was always the same thing with Tarkin. 'Everything is on schedule' 'the problems that we do have are being fixed'. The Death Star was already months, years, behind the original schedule. To be fair though it had been behind when Tarkin had inherited it from his predecessors..
He watched from the corner of his eye as his daughter reached for one of the models of a Super Star Destroyer on the shelf behind Tarkin. She had a few models back home and on his ship, so he knew she would not harm them.
Tarkin noticed a moment later, but Vader was shocked at his response. Instead of moving the model or asking her not to touch it, he turned and slapped her hand.
His little angel squeaked in pain "No hit!" She ordered the Moff. "Use words!"
Vader used the Force to pull his daughter away from the shelf and Tarkin. He knelt and his little angel rushed into his arms. She buried her face into his neck, coming close to knocking her new hat off.
He knew she was confused by Tarkin's reaction since he never hit her; he only swatted her rear end for purposeful, warned, disobedience.
"Bad!" she declared angrily after she had calmed down, pointing at Tarkin.
"Lord Vader, I insist that you never bring your brat into my office again." Tarkin spat.
"One would think that with children of your own, you would understand that for some years they will touch anything they please." Vader said coolly.
Tarkin glared at him. "That's what nannies, governesses, and nanny droids are for," he sneered. "I suggest you acquire one if you cannot keep your brat reined in."
Vader stood, straightening to his full height, his tone icy with suppressed fury. "Have care how you treat my daughter Tarkin. I am the Emperor's heir and she is mine; you will treat her with the respect that comes with her position. She may one day be your Empress and I would not wish to be in your boots should you make an enemy of her."
Tarkin's face reddened. "I would rather be blown to space dust than have her as my Empress!" he spat.
Vader took a step towards Tarkin, holding his daughter a little tighter. "Choose your words carefully Tarkin. Some words have a way of coming to pass." With that Vader spun on his heels and marched out of Tarkin's office, headed for his temporary quarters where he could calm himself. The Emperor would be most displeased if he strangled Tarkin. The man was the most efficient overseer this project had had so far even if he was pompous and arrogant.
He entered his temporary quarters, nodded to Rigalish and entered the sleeping area. Once inside he set his daughter on the bed before laying down. Part of him hoped that Tarkin would learn his lesson as far as Lady Vader was concerned. But a bigger part of him hoped that this would be the beginning of something bigger.
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