Chapter 42:

Padmé led the way back towards Vader's quarters, when Atrox stopped in his tracks. She turned to look at him, questioningly, and he said, "He's not there. I sense that he's… in the throne room."

"Very well. Lead the way, then." Padmé quirked a smile at him. "I haven't entirely sorted out where everything is in here, yet."

Atrox smirked, and began to lead her towards the throne room, when his master contacted him. I would see you alone, my apprentice.

As you command, master. He paused, and turned to his mother. "He wants to see me… alone."

Padmé nodded, understandingly, but also concerned. "Be careful. I'll be in your father's and my quarters, if I'm needed for anything."

Atrox gave her a nod, and they parted ways. Atrox quickly arrived at the throne room, and brushed past a med tech just leaving. He frowned at that, but entered the room and knelt before Vader's throne.

Vader spun his throne around slowly to face his apprentice's kneeling form. "I have a gift for you, my apprentice. A… fitting reward for your loyalty." He rose, and brushed the hood back from Atrox's head, placing a circlet on his brow. It was of ornate design, and fairly dripping with the dark side. Atrox frowned, puzzled as to what its purpose was, and attempted to glean an understanding of it from his father's mind, but strangely could not feel him at all.

Vader used the Force to summon both Atrox's saber staff and his lightsaber to his hand and put them inside his cloak. "You should consider yourself lucky to be alive, my apprentice. However… it is time for your punishment and I assure you it will be most… painful." Vader said coldly as he suddenly ignited his lightsaber, and with the same movement sliced off his son's right hand just above the prosthetic. Atrox cried out in pain and his face contorted in agony, and he tried to draw on the Force to further his power and relieve the pain. It would not come to him. When he tried to touch it, it was gone; the Force had abandoned him.

Mara suddenly froze in the middle of her meditation. Atrox was gone—she couldn't feel any trace of him. Panic settled in her heart, and she rushed out of the room, making a beeline for the throne room. She stopped outside it just as Atrox's agonized scream penetrated the doors, and she tried to push them open, only to find them sealed.

At that moment, Vader began blasting Atrox with powerful Force lightning, and sneered, "Touching. Your… apprentice is outside my throne room, trying to get to you. She will fail… you are on your own, my apprentice. Perhaps that will finally get it through your head that not only are you my son and the Prince of the Empire… but you are my apprentice… and you serve me… and only me!"

Atrox convulsed as the lightning lanced through him, and screamed again. He couldn't draw on the Force to ease his pain, not this time. It took him a few moments for Vader's words to register, and he tore his gaze up to glare at him. "Yes… master."

After a few more moments, Vader stopped the lightning, and walked over to his son's side, standing over him. "We should do something about your… wound, my son. It wouldn't do for it to become… infected." He helped his son to his feet, and brought him towards the throne… where he plunged his son's wrist into a bucket of sterilizing fluid.

Atrox screamed as the most intense pain he had ever experienced shot up his arm, his whole existence becoming sheer agony as his father held him in place, forcibly. Atrox forced his head to lower into a submissive posture and pleaded for the pain to stop. "Master… I… su-submit…… myself…… completely to… your… will!"

Mara brought all of her power up against the door, determined to open it. It wouldn't budge. She eyed it, briefly, knowing that it, like the rest of the throne room, was lined with a double thickness of cortosis ore. It would take far too long to cut through it. She fought down her rising panic and desperation as she heard his screams redoubled, eyes racing up and down the walls, searching for something, anything that would allow her to access the room. Palpatine had made it nearly impregnable; there were no ways of entering the room besides the great double doors. Perhaps… perhaps she could peel back the outer layer of durasteel, and then blast the cortosis ore off with a grenade, or even a blaster. Grimly, she drew her lightsaber. It would be a delicate, time-consuming process, but she couldn't just sit here helplessly. If she could keep herself busy, perhaps she could keep the terror inside from taking control. Perhaps.

Vader smirked, pleased with his son. After a few more seconds, he released Atrox, letting him collapse onto the floor, holding his maimed arm close to his body, instinctively. "I am glad you have finally determined where your loyalties and obedience lie, my apprentice."

After several more moments of bearing the pain coursing through his body, Atrox pulled himself up into a kneeling position in front of his master, lowering his head in submission. "I am loyal completely to you, my master."

Vader gazed down at his son for a moment, then lifted him to his feet and helped him walk out of the throne room.

The doors flew open, and Mara was there, lightsaber ignited and a fiery look in her eye. "What have you done?!?" she hissed at Vader, eyes bright with anger, as she advanced.

Vader glared at Mara, one hand resting on his lightsaber hilt, the other dragging Atrox along. "It would be wise for you to stand down if you are to have a… relationship with my son here, otherwise one or both of you could be… damaged."

Atrox looked Mara in the eyes and said softly, "Stand down, my apprentice. This is not a fight you can win. However, harness your anger, let it flow through you, become closer with the dark side of the Force!"

Mara looked at Atrox, pain in her eyes, torn between her desire to do as he asked, and her need to avenge him. Finally, she deactivated her lightsaber and returned it to her belt, her anger simmering beneath the surface. She trailed after Vader, wanting to keep a close watch on Atrox, and muttered, "One of us already has been damaged."

Vader continued to drag Atrox up to his quarters and entered them, waiting for Mara to enter before turning back to her. "Not for long, girl… here you will witness your master's potential in the Force." He turned back and waited for Padmé to enter the room, keeping a firm grip on Atrox's forearm.

Padmé came in when she heard Vader's voice, then gasped when she saw her son's condition. "Luke! What happened?" She rushed up to them, trying to pull Atrox to a seat.

Vader held him back, firmly. "He will recover… my love." Vader told his wife softly, before returning to everyone else, while removing the band on his son's forehead. "Now you all will witness the power of Darth Atrox… in case there is any doubt of that now." He turned to his apprentice, and reached out to him with the Force. You know what I expect of you… my apprentice. Afterwards… you may… proceed your relations with that… woman.

Atrox's eyes narrowed. The Force was with him again, he could feel the dark side flowing through him once more, but he wasn't sure if he could replicate the feat he had accomplished before. Another person was one thing, himself, quite another. He looked at Mara, though, and resolve filled him. He began to draw the Force into himself, enormous amounts of it, very quickly, letting its raw energy channel through his whole body. The lacerations from his punishment began to heal almost instantly, his eyes burning brightly with concentration as he pushed his limits to the edge.

Padmé's hands flew to her mouth, as she watched her son demonstrate his incredible power, beyond anything that his father had done, despite Vader being immensely strong in the Force.

Finally, Atrox released the Force, stumbling forward in exhaustion. He caught himself just in time, determined not to show weakness in front of his father, and turned to look at Mara, who was by his side in a moment, looking up into his face with concern. He met her eyes, briefly, and reached a hand up to touch her face. His right hand. She took it, gently turning it over in her hands, awed, as he stared up at his father, questioningly.

Vader nodded towards Atrox. "Very good, my apprentice. To reward you, I am allowing this… relationship between you and your apprentice to continue. You have done well." He then turned to Padmé and gently asked her, "What do you think of your son's power of the Force… his ability to bend the Force to his will?"

Padmé went up to her son, and looked into his face, searchingly, before hesitantly taking his newly healed hand, still stunned by what he had done. He squeezed her hand, and smirked at her, confirming, "Yes, it's real." He wrapped his other arm around Mara's waist, wanting to keep her close to him.

Vader turned back to look at his apprentice. "The rest of the Desert Sands unit has arrived, my son. At your discretion, seek out Admiral Solo. Train your apprentice; demonstrate your full potential to her," he said, smiling darkly at both his son and Mara.

Atrox's eyes glittered as he considered his father's orders, and he smirked. "What do you call what I just did?"

Vader smiled back at his son and responded, "It does not matter. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities, some of which are considered to be… unnatural. With the amount of power you possess, my son, you are capable of doing anything. Bend the Force to your will, make it serve you."

Atrox nodded, completely understanding and agreeing with Vader's words. "Yes, master." He turned to look at Mara, and their eyes met, briefly, before he turned back to his parents and said, "If there is nothing else you require, my apprentice and I have things to attend to." Mara gave him a look that said, Not until you've had some rest, farmboy, and he smirked at her.

Vader nodded towards the entrance to his quarters, "You are free to go… my son… just remember to close off your bond when you are attending to your… activities."

Atrox raised an eyebrow, but merely said, "Yes, father." He turned and left the room, drawing Mara out with him.

Padmé sank into a chair, overwhelmed by the day's events, and sighed. "I can't believe he… I mean, what he's done is incredible. I've… never seen anything like it."

"Neither have I." Vader said, sitting next to his wife, wrapping his arms around her, bringing her closer to him. "Our son is the greatest Sith Lord of all time! Even greater than the Sith of old. Wait until he finally discovers what he is truly capable of!" He paused, turning to look at her face, "Just think of what his offspring's power would be like."

Padmé lifted her head from where it had been resting on Vader's shoulder, and looked at him. "Is that why you changed your mind about… about Mara?"

Vader looked directly into Padmé's eyes. "It is why I am willing to… tolerate that… woman."

Padmé tried to keep the sadness out of her voice. "I had hoped that you tolerated her because it makes Luke happy. He's had so little real happiness in his life."

"I don't trust her Padmé. We were always… plotting to get rid of one another. The fact that Lord Atrox is… happy right now… could be short lived."

Padmé suddenly realized that her husband truly was trying to protect his son, in his own way. She squeezed his hand, tightly, and said, "We can't keep our children safe forever, Ani… no matter how much we want to protect them from heartbreak or disappointment."

Vader's eyes never broke away from Padmé's. "Embracing those emotions would make him more powerful with the dark side of the Force. I allow this because my apprentice has earned it and because… because I cannot really stop him unless he wears that band all the time."

Padmé laughed, and said, "He reminds me so much of you." She allowed her fingers to trace along his cheek, feather light. "You weren't going to let anyone stand in your way, either."

"No, I wasn't." He paused, searching her eyes, "The last time I asked you to rule with me…" he trailed off, not wanting to remember what happened the last time.

She shivered as memories of that day came unbidden to her mind. "I was so… afraid. I came there for reassurance, I wanted you to hold me and tell me you would never do those things Obi-wan told me about. But… you did… and then…" her voice broke, and she buried her face in his shoulder. After awhile, she continued. "After that, I was afraid your love for me had died, that Vader had so consumed the man I loved that he no longer cared for me. I… was afraid to face you again," she admitted, "afraid of what Palpatine would do to the twins. I'm sorry for deceiving you, but I was so lost and confused…" She looked up at him, anxiously, afraid that he might be angry with her, afraid she might have hurt him by her admissions.

Vader's expression darkened with anger, anger at Padmé for saying the things she did. His fist clenched, and he almost spoke, but stopped when he saw the look on her face. Fear… Padmé was afraid of him. His Padmé. Tenderness and love and… compassion overwhelmed his anger, and he reached out to draw her close to him, gently. "I never stopped, Padmé. I thought about you every day; you don't know how much I have missed you. I love you Padmé, more than you know. But… can you really love the Dark Lord of the Sith?" he asked, locking his eyes with hers.

Tears began to fill her eyes, as she looked into his. "I will always love you, no matter what you call yourself. Just… don't be angry with me if I'm not… if I have trouble getting used to the… the changes."

Vader cupped his hands around her face. "It will take you time to get used to these adjustments, my love, but I know you can do it."

She didn't answer. Her eyes closed slowly as she pressed her cheek into his palm, his touch soothing her fears away.

As soon as the doors to Atrox's quarters were sealed, both Atrox and Mara's lips became locked in a deep, fiery kiss. Atrox's hands began to run up and down her back, beginning to untuck her shirt. She broke their kiss for a moment, long enough to whisper in his ear, "Watch that Force bond, Skywalker."

He smirked, and sealed off his bond with his father, sensing before doing so that his father was too… distracted, at the moment, to notice. He then returned his attention to Mara, kissing her neck, briefly, before breaking their embrace to discard her shirt. Mara's very being was electric under the caress of his hands, and her own began to pull on his dark cloak, letting it fall to the ground. His tunic soon followed, but by that time, they had reached his room, and the door slid shut with a hiss.