A set of old, iced cracked steps leading downwards laid before Vader. They led deeper into the icy cove. Vader almost slipped when he took his first step. He slowed down and recollected himself. He grazed his pointer finger on the stairs and noticed how easily his finger slid. The stairs felt as if they were polished just recently, though no one had been in here since the Jedi fell.

Chandeliers hung from the celling shined light to brighten his way.

He stepped slowly, taking caution with each step. Even though the path down was treacherous, Vader did not deter. He did not let his goal out of sight. This whole time he thought of his old master and how he would feel when he killed him. It was what got him through the storm, and it is what will get him through whatever was in this cave.

It Vexed Vader that he had to be back here, back in the essence of the Jedi. "Everything always brings me back to them," he said. "To the Jedi."

Everything around him was made of ice, which didn't surprise him. The planet was practically made of ice.

Not another sound came from inside the cave during the time he had been walking. Not a roar, not a scratch. Only Vader's breathing endured. He would wheeze, and it would echo, he would wheeze again, then it would echo.

After about ten minutes, he still was descending downward. After thirty, he was at the bottom. He looked back behind him, knowing well that that was the easy part. He looked around, eyeing all corners, the ceiling, the ground below him, and the massive gateway in front of him. It led to the start of the cove, where all the crystals were.

He stepped through, and his eyes immediately widened. There were hundreds and hundreds of crystals all around him: on the sides of the walls, hundreds of feet above him. They were everywhere. "Where do I begin?" Vader asked himself.

He sat onto the floor, crossing his legs and his arms. His eyes shut slowly, and he began meditating. He connected to the force but felt nothing. He tried again, but this time, he used his pain, torment, and his hatred to conjure up anything he could use to find his crystal, but again, he saw nothing. All he saw was the blackness that ensued when he closed his eyes. He grunted and opened his eyes, looking around, eyeing all the crystals that laid in their resting place, and closed them once more. When he saw the darkness once more, he stood up.

He strolled slowly down the icy halls, eyeing as many crystals to find his own. He felt nothing. When he was Anakin, he had known he found his crystal when the force was calling him. Now, he felt nothing but emptiness.

The tunnels went on forever. They zig-zagged left, then right, then left again. Vader found this redundant. He came upon two tunnels, one leading left and the other leading right. He chose right. He entered through the tunnel, leaving the light from the cave behind him.

It was dark and Vader could see nothing. The tunnel was barely taller than he was. He stepped cautiously, not wanting to get caught on a rock or anything else that might be lying on the floor. After a few minutes of walking, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. He stepped through but as soon as he did, he stopped. He felt the force calling to him but it was coming from all around him. He didn't know what it was trying to say.

"GRRRRAAAAAAWWWWWW!"

A giant ice troll broke through the ice below him. Vader was plunged to the back wall. The troll was twenty feet high.

He stood up quickly and attempted to dodge an incoming punch from the giant monster but was still struck by it.

He staggered up, caressing the three new cracks in his suit. His breathing was heavy but was sounded out by the troll's screaming. Its eyes were filled with rage.

Another punch came at Vader, and he attempted to dodge it but was hit once more. He was expecting to jump at least twenty feet but got no further than four. Again, he forgot he was only half a man. He wasn't agile anymore.

The troll picked Vader up and threw him against the wall multiple times then onto the ground. Vader dragged himself to his feet but was immediately grabbed by the giant monster. He squeezed Vader. It felt as his insides were being crunched together. His suit was breaking into pieces. His surroundings started to darken. He tried to push himself out of the beast's grasp, but the beast only squeezed harder.

Images of his past began to flurry his mind. Tatooine, when he left his mother. Coruscant, where he indirectly killed Mace Windu. The Jedi Temple, where he trained day and night to become a Jedi Master but was declined its rank in the end. Padme's home, when they used to have dinners just by themselves. No war. No bickering senators. No Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan… Obi-Wan! His anger and resentment skyrocketed. He screamed in rage, force pushing the giant off of him and into the ceiling. Vader watched as his body slowly hit the floor.

They both stood up simultaneously and charged at one another. The troll threw a punch while at the same time Vader extended his hand, stopping the punch. He turned his hand upside down, causing the troll to get onto his knees. Vader walked closer and closer to the troll using the dark side to forcibly bring the troll down to Vader's level. It was staggering, struggling. It's once rage like eyes had turned into fear as Vader stared it down until finally, he cracked its neck.

The beast fell onto the floor, lifeless and limp. Vader stood atop it, celebrating in his victory over the monster.

*Crack* *Crack*

Cracks began to form around him and the now-dead monster. Before Vader could react, the floor gave away; plunging him and the corpse of the troll hundreds of feet downward.

There was nothing Vader could do. He was falling. Air brushed against him, and he could see the ground coming closer and closer. The dead body of the ice troll plunged below him, his weight causing him to fall faster than Vader. This gave Vader an idea.

He guided himself over the troll, and when the troll hit the ground, Vader fell atop of it. He stood up without a scratch, other than the ones he received from his fight with the ice creature. His breathing was shallow and his left cybernetic leg had been damaged.

In front of him stood a tall waterfall. It was clear and pure; it was beautiful. Below it sat a pile of rocks, on top of them sat a crystal.

The force called to him. It startled him. He could feel the fear that crystal held. Its anger. Its torment. It had been down here all alone for eons waiting for someone to find it. There was a crack going through the middle. It was imperfect, like Vader.

Vader knew this was his crystal. Just like when he was a youngling, it called to him. He smiled. He was one step closer to killing his master. "Finally." He took it from its resting place and made his way back to his ship.


Proxy sat with his head down on the edge of the ship, awaiting his master's return. It had been a full rotation since he saw him and he started to wonder whether or not he perished trying to get his crystal. "What a way to go," he mocked. "Dying trying to get a stupid crystal!"

"Proxy."

He jumped up, "My—My Lord! I didn't see you coming!"

"Start the ship."

"Yes, my Lord!" Proxy ran inside while Vader followed slowly behind him. He took the ship into orbit.

"Master?" Vader said, bowing. Sidious sat in his chair in his black robe.

"Lord Vader. Have you found your crystal?"

"Yes, I have." Vader took the crystal out of his pocket, showing his prize to his master.

Sidious let off a mischievous grin, "Good. I am very proud of you, my apprentice. Now, all that is left is to craft your lightsaber."

Vader froze. If his master could see his expression right now, he would belittle him. Mock him for forgetting the most important step; the actual construction of his lightsaber. He was so proud of his achievement that it blinded him from everything else. "Yes, my Lord. I will come to Coruscant to construct my new lightsaber."

"No."

"No?" he asked.

"You have everything you need on your ship. After you construct your lightsaber, go and find Kenobi. Make sure you bring him back alive."

Vader bowed once more, "Yes, my master. But what do you mean I have everything on the ship?"

Proxy entered the room, and both Sidious and Vader turned to him. At that moment, Vader knew what his master meant.

The transmission cut off and Proxy asked, "Where to next, My Lord?"