Chapter 62:
Vader stormed towards Atrox's quarters, rapidly rebuilding the mental barriers surrounding that part of him that was Anakin Skywalker. His fury was mounting rapidly as he approached.
Darth Atrox turned towards the entrance to his quarters as he once again sensed Darth Vader approaching instead of the man he had felt earlier. Just as the door slammed open from Vader's fury, Atrox knelt in the center of the room. "It is good to see you again master. For a moment I actually believed that you had turned back to your Jedi ways."
Vader's response was a blast of Force lightning, hurling Atrox across the room and slamming him into the wall. Vader advanced until he stood over his son, and reached down and dragged him by the throat to eye level. "I am the Dark Lord of the Sith." Vader snapped, coldly. "The Jedi and their feeble arts no longer have any hold over me. Nor is it your place to question my methods, apprentice."
Atrox immediately started to look down, away from his master's eyes. "Forgive me, master," he whispered.
Vader held him there for a moment, as if judging whether his apprentice was appropriately contrite, then released him, allowing him to sink back to his knees. "Is everything in place for the mission, Lord Atrox? As Jade so kindly reminded me a few moments ago, we depart in less than four hours."
Atrox again averted his eyes. "Not yet, master. I was... trying to help you earlier... before..." He trailed off, the hurt his master caused still painful for him.
"Compassion for each other is all that is keeping our family together right now," Vader said, allowing a touch of warmth to seep into his demeanor. "However… under no circumstances should you show that same compassion to our enemies."
Mara stormed through the door at that moment, furious and suspicious both at once. She glared at Vader, distrustful after what she had witnessed, and angry at him for causing her master further pain.
Vader eyed her, briefly, then looked Atrox in the eye. "Do not fail me, apprentice. I expect the team to be assembled for briefing on the mission in two hours."
Atrox locked eyes with his master. "As you wish, master," Atrox said coldly, yet softly.
Vader nodded, once, allowing a hint of pride and approval into his eyes, then turned on his heel and left the room.
Mara at once approached her master, anger giving way to concern. "Are you alright? I felt your… confrontation."
Atrox's burning eyes met Mara's own as he began to flood her with his love through their bond. "At least my beliefs are solid... as is my will... it seems that my master's is not as... concrete as my own." Atrox muttered softly.
She embraced him, tightly, reflecting her own love through him. "What are you going to do?" she asked quietly.
"I will not betray my father." Atrox said sternly, pride radiating off of him. "No matter how much he hurts me," he added softly, returning her embrace just as tightly. "For right now I am going to spend some time with the love of my life... as well as my child."
Mara smiled, and kissed him, pushing away her concerns for the future as well as her anger towards anyone who would hurt her lord and master.
Atrox returned her kiss, deepening it, completely enveloping her with his presence, his love for her. I love you, Mara Jade...
Vader paused amid his preparations for the mission, annoyance and disgust filling him as he sensed the emotions emanating from his son. Apprentice… he growled through the Force, the simple word ringing through his mind in warning.
Atrox ignored his master's warning for a few more moments as he continued to kiss Mara, then hesitantly ended it. He could already sense her annoyance with Vader and smiled, teasing her. "We will have more time after we complete the preparations, my love," he said with a smirk on his face.
She scowled. "After the preparations, there's the mission, and after the mission, there's interrogations and executions, and after that, who knows what else that belligerent turncoat will cook up," she muttered, resentment simmering inside her. Acting on impulse, she forced contact with Vader's thoughts, issuing a warning of her own. You will give me time with him before you leave, or I will make time myself, and you will not like it, I assure you.
Vader flooded her presence. You are approaching treason... Jade, he snapped icily.
Her eyes narrowed. You're one to talk, Vader… or should I say Anakin Skywalker? Your son would find your talk of redemption most disturbing.
Vader's fury at Mara's remark was unmistakable. If you were not pregnant with my son's child, I would kill you myself, and make the vision come true on my own! Vader roared inside her mind.
Vader's words filled her with a cold rage. You don't even bother to think about what you're saying, she snarled. Lord Atrox would consume you, and everyone else he loves, and the galaxy itself would die. If the Emperor taught me nothing, it was to weigh carefully one's actions and their consequences. You do neither.
Vader cast aside all pretense of control, enraged by Mara's condescension and the comparison to Palpatine. Her warning resonated deep inside him, however, and the cracks in his self-control allowed Anakin to assert a measure of restraint over the storm raging inside.
You are not worthy of his love, she accused, her tone permeated with hatred as she turned the words he had so often used against her back upon him.
But I have it anyway. Vader responded coldly.
For now, she sneered. He has already been far more patient than you deserve. She cut off contact with him, pushing it from her mind completely, and turned back to Atrox, who had been watching her, sensing her confrontation with Vader. "The preparations can wait," she said firmly. "We've been interrupted enough."
"Indeed, we have," he said softly, embracing her. "How is the baby?" he asked.
Her hand dropped to rest on her stomach as she gently reached out to touch their child's presence in the Force. There had not been a quiet moment to check on their baby in some time, or indeed for their family to spend any time at all together, and though she was always dimly aware of its presence, it was still so faint that it often seemed to blend with her own. Tentatively, she caressed the new life inside her, and stiffened, shock and confusion rippling through her.
Atrox's arms tightened around her, worry coursing through him. "What's wrong?"
She didn't answer right away. Finally, she said in a low voice, "N-nothing. They… they're fine." She looked up at him, her eyes guarded. "They're fine."
Atrox's tone softened, but was still puzzled. "What do you mean... they're?"
She looked away again, a hint of nervousness creeping into her voice. "We have… twins."
Atrox smiled. "That's wonderful news, Mara," he said as he tightened his embrace.
She forced herself to relax in his arms, pushing down her worry and fear until later.
Atrox kissed Mara's forehead. "If you are nervous... you could always talk to my mother. I'm sure she could give you some... tips. Or there is always the rebel in captivity if you need to vent on someone, my apprentice." He chuckled as he thought of someone under Mara Jade's anger.
She swiped at him, playfully, a little of the fire coming back into her eyes. "That's your solution to everything, isn't it, Skywalker," she retorted.
"If I were in a good mood... I could... let you... practice your skills on one of the guardsmen... if you wanted," he said, smirking in return.
"And are you in a good mood?" she asked softly, lifting her head to meet his eyes.
Atrox looked into her eyes, teasingly. "I just found out that we are going to have twins... of course I am in a good mood." He paused. "However... you need to convince one of them to do something that would warrant the punishment..." he chuckled.
Her eyes glittered mischievously. "I'm sure I'll think of something… later." She reached up to touch his face, gently. "I'm not ready to let you go yet."
He reached back in return to touch her face. "Nor am I ready to leave," he said softly.
She looked up at him, burning his features into her memory, feeling even more keenly the fact that she was forced to remain behind when her place was by his side. "Promise me you'll be careful," she whispered.
"This is for the better, apprentice. You are with twins, I will not put them, or yourself into danger... let alone something either of you can accomplish on your own." Atrox said sternly as he burnt her features into his own memory. "Besides, I am always careful."
She snorted, softly. "The day you're careful is the day I hang up my lightsaber," she retorted, pushing aside her concerns for the moment.
"If losing my life means that you get to live another day, then I would gladly lose it... to protect you." Atrox muttered softly, not realizing he was saying it.
"What kind of life would it be without you?" she demanded, eyes flashing angrily. "What makes you think I would want to live another day, if it meant I would never see you again?" She pulled away from him, tears springing unbidden to her eyes as she fought to force them back. "What kind of life is it with only half your soul?"
"Yo- you're right. I- I'm sorry I said it in the first place, Mara." Atrox said softly, turning away and starting to walk out of the room and into the fresher, closing the door with the Force as he did so.
Mara caught his sleeve, stopping him from closing the door on her. "Skywalker, wait." She hesitated, suddenly reluctant to admit her feelings. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose control like that. But I… I love you, and I'm afraid, afraid of losing you, and not knowing if you're alive or dead."
"You would know... you would feel it in the Force," Atrox said softly, before turning around to meet her gaze. "I love you too, Mara... more than anything," he continued, embracing her.
She held him tightly, tears glistening in her eyes. "But if you're down on that planet, I won't be able to feel you," she whispered. "I won't know if you're safe."
"I'll keep an open comm link for you," he said with a smirk, teasing her, but was also being serious.
"And have the Rebels find it?" she retorted, matching his tone.
"By the time they do... I would have changed the frequency... and would have the Rebel near me in my clutches," he said darkly.
She shook her head, but chose not to argue with him. "Just… come back to me… come back to us," she said softly. "We need you."
"I will... I assure you, my love," he swore. "Now... what do you intend to do about your one... guardsman?"
A smirk slowly formed on her face. "I think I have an idea. But it can wait till after you leave."
"Very well." Atrox said with a chuckle. "Perhaps... you can vent your... worry into him."
She cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. "Perhaps… but you owe us more time when you make it back safely. Without interruptions," she added, darkly.
"Plan on it," he replied, matching her tone.
Leia sought out her mother, sensing her emotional turmoil and also that she was alone. She found Padmé still in the shuttle, weeping softly as though her heart would break. Leia sat down beside her mother and wrapped her arms around her, trying to comfort her.
After a while Padmé's sobs subsided, and she murmured, "At least I know he's there somewhere. Even if I can't see it."
Leia sighed, sharing the pain her mother felt. "He's fighting, mother. I can sense it... we all can sense it. He will be redeemed... although Atrox could be a problem."
Padmé winced. "Luke. Perhaps… perhaps seeing his child will change him… if my sacrifice does not," she added, under her breath.
"Don't say that!" Leia said fiercely. "Our family will crumble without you as surely as it will be destroyed with Mara's loss. You are all that has held us together over the past month, and you're key to saving father from destruction. You… you saw what happened to him when he thought you were gone." She faltered, unable to continue.
"I know." Padmé's voice was quiet, grave with the responsibility she bore. "Perhaps things will change again. That is all we can hope for."