Chapter 13
Luke and Leia managed to return to the festivities without raising suspicion that they had been involved in the escape of Darth Vader. Of course it wasn't long before it was discovered that the Dark Lord had indeed escaped. The bodies of the four dead soldiers brought a new level of outrage and hatred for the Empire, as had the apparent abduction of the elderly Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi who had disappeared with the Dark Lord.
General Dodonna had strongly suspected that Leia was involved in the escape of Vader, but he had no proof. He had checked the security holos from that afternoon when the escape had been affected, but the camera showed nothing, it having been dislodged somehow, no doubt during the scuffle that took the life of the four soldiers.
The footage of the scuffle that had resulted in the death of the four rebels shocked the general. It was clear from the footage that Vader had been provoked, that the rebels had taken sadistic pleasure in taking cheap shots at him. The Dark Lord had obviously snapped and had unleashed his enormous power to retaliate. Dodonna shook his head, confused by what all this meant. Clearly Vader could have killed all ten of the men who had apprehended him; but he had not. He could have resisted arrest quite easily, and yet he had not. And the holos clearly showed that he did nothing to harm the men who had imprisoned him until they had brutalized him first. Who would not fight back under such circumstances? Granted, the manner in which Vader had retaliated had been a hundred times more lethal than the manner in which he had been attacked, but after all, he was a Sith.
Dodonna had not been able to stop thinking about what Obi-Wan Kenobi had told him, how Darth Vader had once been Anakin Skywalker. It hardly seemed possible that the sinister black masked menace had once been the dashing, heroic young Jedi. Wait a minute…Dodonna thought. Skywalker? Isn't that the name of the new recruit? The one who destroyed the Death Star? Could there be a connection?
"General, we're ready to commence," Dodonna's young aide told him as she poked her head into his small, makeshift office.
"Very well," he replied. "I'll be right there."
Imperial City-Coruscant
The galactic Emperor Palpatine had not reached the position he had by being merciful. No, indeed it was his ruthlessness and cold-bloodedness which had seen him hold the position for two decades. As Vader had suspected, the late Governor Tarkin had indeed sent a complete report to the emperor before the Death Star had been blown into stardust. Palpatine's initial reaction had been one of shock to his apprentice's treachery. Darth Vader had been a dutiful servant for two decades, and Palpatine knew exactly how to keep him subservient. Early on in his service to the emperor, Vader had been far more emotional, far more demonstrative of his grief over his dead wife. But Palpatine had bullied that out of the Dark Lord. He had used the images from Vader's tortured mind to torment and punish him whenever he dared to as much as think of her in his master's presence. Vader had learned his lessons well, enduring the agony both physical and psychological frequently until he was conditioned not to even think of her name in Palpatine's presence. Once he'd been broken, Vader had proven to be a faithful servant, doing his master's bidding without question. Until now.
It seemed unthinkable that Vader would act against his master's wishes, and blatantly disregard orders issued to him by his superiors, namely Tarkin. But he had. Not only that, he had aided the traitor Organa in her escape, the security holos were full of it. What was it about this princess that made Vader throw away everything to save her? Why was she important to him?
"Your majesty, Vyrr Zhar-Khan is here to see you."
Palpatine looked up at the aide, shaking himself from his dark ruminations. "Send him in," he commanded.
Vyrr Zhar-Khan was one of the most notorious and efficient hired guns in the galaxy, and Palpatine had used his services on many occasions. There was something more about this young man that Palpatine had noted though; he was Force sensitive. Granted, the young man had never received any training, nor had he been shown how to wield his latent powers; but they were there nonetheless. His aura sparkled with the promise of tremendous strength, a source of virtually untapped potential. A fine apprentice he would make, Palpatine reflected as the young man was shown in.
"You sent for me, your majesty?" Zhar-Khan drawled in his thick Hapan
accent.
"Yes, I did," Palpatine replied. "I want you to find out the name of the Rebel who destroyed the Death Star," he told the young man. "Moreover, I want you to find out all you can about the Princess Leia Organa of the house of Alderaan. I want to know everything you can about her, including any possible connections she may have to my former apprentice, Darth Vader."
Zhar-Khan raised one dark eyebrow. "Former apprentice?" he asked.
"Yes," Palpatine replied. "I have placed a bounty on his head so high every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for him," he gloated. "He will pay for his treachery," he said, more to himself than to the young man before him.
"Anything else, sire?" Zhar-Khan asked.
"No," Palpatine replied. "Return to me in one month's time, Zhar-Khan. Do you hear me? One month."
"Now, my lord, have I ever let you down in the past?" Zhar-Khan asked with a smile.
Palpatine was not amused by the dashing young man's attempts to be charming. "Get out," he simply said, dismissing him brusquely.
Zhar-Khan bowed with a great flourish and then left.
Don't fail me, Zhar-Khan, or your head will be the next to have a bounty on it.
Rebel Base-Yavin System
Luke, Han, and Chewbacca entered the huge ruins of the main
temple. Luke could feel his palms growing sweaty, his mouth dry as the moment drew closer.
Han looked at him and grinned. "You're not nervous, are you kid?"
"Me? Nah," Luke replied, yanking at the collar of his jacket. "Not a chance."
Han merely smiled, knowing better.
The fanfare began, and the three heroes started their way down the long aisle towards the dais, where Princess Leia stood, looking radiant in a flowing white gown.
Hundreds of troops, lined up in neat rows watched as the heroes proceeded down the aisle. Banners were flying, the atmosphere formal and dignified.
Luke and the others solemnly marched up the long aisle and stood before Leia. General Dodonna and several other dignitaries were seated to the left of Princess Leia. She rose and placed a gold medallion around Han's neck. He winked at her, causing the princess to almost lose her composure. She then repeated the ceremony with Luke, her twin, who merely smiled up at his sister. They both bow respectfully to the princess and then turned to face the assembled troops. The mood of formality was shattered by a spontaneous and boisterous round of applause, followed by cheers and loud shouts of approval. Leia could help but laugh.
Luke turned back to her and gave her a wink before he and Han returned to the assembled troops to receive their congratulations.
Leia watched part of her wishing she could join her brother and their friend, but realizing that her position made it inappropriate. She was a princess, after all. But am I really? She thought, reflecting on her true parentage. As much as I love Bail Organa, he is not my real father…
"Quite a celebration," General Dodonna commented as he came to stand beside Leia on the dais.
Leia turned to him. "Yes, and deservedly so," she replied. "It was a resounding victory."
Dodonna nodded, his eyes on the troops before them. "You may have heard that our prisoner managed to escape," he told her, his tone of voice not changing at all, as though he were discussing the weather.
Leia did her best to appear shocked. "What?" she replied. "You mean Vader?"
"Who else do you think I mean?" Dodonna retorted, looking directly at her. Leia, however, kept her cool.
"Your tone is quite inappropriate, general," Leia said in her most regal, royal manner.
Dodonna was properly chastised, and bowed his head to her. "Forgive me," he said. "But it is quite a coincidence, don't you think, that he managed to escape only a short time after you were protesting his arrest. Curious." He said no more and walked away. Leia kept her face impassive, realizing that he was no doubt watching her closely for a reaction. And he shall have none, she thought to herself as she watched her brother shaking hands with the other pilots.
Subterrel Sector- Wild Space
Darth Vader found himself in a reflective, pensive mood as he and Obi-Wan made their way to Polis Massa. Vader had reasoned that it was a logical place to start, since it was the last known location of his beloved Padmé. From there, he had no idea where to go. But Obi-Wan had made a valid point: he would not get far so long as he wore the all too recognizable mask of Darth Vader.
Vader had never once considered that his injuries were repairable; his master had told him that they were not, and he had taken him at his word. But Sidious had also told him that Padmé had died at his hand…it seems in your anger you killed her… And that was a lie. A lie that I have spent the past two decades grieving over….a lie that changed the course of my life…
"Anakin, do you read me?" Vader heard Kenobi's voice over the comm..
"Do not call me that," Vader replied tersely. "That is not my name."
Kenobi was silent for a moment before responding. "I'm preparing to make the reversion to sub light," he said at last. "Polis Massa is approaching."
"Acknowledged," Vader replied.
Vader and Obi-Wan landed their craft on the landing platform outside the medical facility. Polis Massa was a unique outpost, a gravity controlled series of facilities built on a group of asteroids in the Subterrel System in what was usually referred to as Wild Space.
Kenobi remembered the outpost well; he had brought the unconscious Padmé Amidala Skywalker here after his fateful duel with Darth Vader on the planet of Mustafar. Fearing for her life, as well as those of her unborn children, the physician at the medical facility had induced labor. Padmé had endured a painful, physically traumatic labor and delivery, her emotional condition only serving to augment her already delicate physical state.
Vader climbed out of the fighter and looked around. So this is where my children were born, he thought.
"This way," Kenobi said. "They will no doubt be surprised to see you, so let me do the talking, alright?"
Vader nodded, anxious to get to the truth of his wife's fate. If that meant following Kenobi around and letting him call the shots, for now, then so be it.
Kenobi entered the facility, the Dark Lord close behind.
"This way," Kenobi said, indicating a blast door that led to the administrative wing.
No one could have prepared the administrator of the facility, a rather mild-mannered man by the name of Runali Vullen, for the sight that met his eyes when the door to his small office opened. He stood up, half expecting to be arrested and taken into custody when he saw the infamous Darth Vader enter the room. He was accompanied by an elderly man who wore the robes of the now extinct Jedi Knights.
"W-w-what brings you to our remote outpost, Lord Vader?" Vullen asked with an appropriate degree of groveling.
"I have come for information about a patient of yours," Vader replied without preamble. "You will tell me all you know about Padmé Amidala Skywalker."