Title: Vader's Quest Chronicles

Summary: Darth Vader learns that he has a son and the search begins

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Star Wars is the property of George Lucas. No disrespect is intended with this story.

Notes: The story has now moved firmly into ANH

When he had told Tarkin that the Princess was arrogant and pushy, he didn't know the half of it. That chick had a mouth on her! And stubborn! She hadn't been afraid of him, either. Organa had certainly raised some daughter there. Though Vader would bet that she hadn't learned those names at her father's knee -- even Padme had known better curses than had Bail Organa. Leia had more than likely learned them from her recent acquaintances among the Rebels. His ears still burned from a few of the choice things that she'd called him -- whew! Was Tarkin in for a treat! Despite himself, Vader began to chuckle -- just wait! He wanted to be there when she faced Tarkin -- though the man could use some choice words himself to his troopers, the Grand Moff was more than a little prudish in speaking to women. His imagination sent Vader into another round of chuckling as he followed his retinue onto the Death Star. Yes, Tarkin's reactions would be... interesting. Interesting, indeed!.

Princess Leia was still mouthing off to his troopers as Vader watched them lead her away to the detention level.. And she hadn't repeated herself much, either -- she had really picked an extensive vocabulary of obscenities! Too bad she wasn't his daughter instead of Organa's -- he would have been proud to have fathered that spirit. But he would never have condoned that vocabulary, not even in his son. If Palpy didn't order her termination, and if she weren't a Rebel, he might consider her as a good match for his son -- if and when he ever located the boy. He certainly wasn't on Tatooine, if he ever had been. And, unfortunately, he couldn't ask Owen now, either. His troopers -- Vader's Fist -- had gotten somewhat overzealous in searching for the droids that only might be carrying plans for the Death Star. Vader felt badly about that -- he hadn't thought to caution leniency for the Lars family. But then, who'd have thought they'd trace the droids to his stepbrother's homestead? Was that coincidence or planning?

And where were the blasted droids now anyway? A protocol droid and an R-2 unit couldn't last long alone on Tatooine ... the cursed sand would ruin them in mere days. Only frequent oil baths and maintenance kept droids functioning at all amidst the sandy sea.

And apparently, a 'Ben Kenobi' had been one of those assorted hermits he'd dismissed so casually a few months back. Ben -- Obi-Wan? If so, he had refrained from using the Force for two decades. How? Vader couldn't imagine life without the constant casual use of his powers. Maybe a few days... but twenty years? He would never know for certain now -- all trace of the hermit was gone from his desert sanctuary -- Vader's men had found only assorted anonymous trash discarded by him. Kenobi and some teenage kid had hired a smuggler to transport them and their droids off Tatooine just a jump ahead of Vader's Fist. But then they'd gone to hyperspace and disappeared. Too bad there hadn't been time to attach a tracking device. But at least now the Empire would be on the lookout for their ship -- they couldn't disappear forever.

If this 'Ben Kenobi' was Obi- Wan -- and Vader felt it likely that he was -- was the kid his newest Padawan? How long had he been training him? It couldn't be long, for those disturbances in the Force were fairly recent. But... how old was that kid? And they had felt Anakin was too old? This kid had to be at least twice that old! Wait a minute...

Never really good at casual everyday math skills, Vader did some careful mental calculations: Twice Anakin's age when he began training would be about twenty; it had been twenty years... Was that kid my son? Has Obi- Wan been training my son to be a... JediThe nerve of that man! Just wait, Obi- Wan, he vowed, I will be the death of you! He is supposed to become Sith, not Jedi! Boy, is Palpy going to be ticked off -- and he'll blame me, like he always does...

Then Vader brightened. At least, this kid is the right sex, right age, and the right species. This might pan out, after all. And with that thought, he joined Tarkin in the control room.

"Come on, Tarkin, not me! Can't one of the officers interrogate her? I've had enough of that girl's foul mouth to last me the rest of my life! Her curses could strip the finish from a Star Destroyer! I'm sure she never learned any of that language from her parents -- they are nice people. Do I have to interrogate her?"

Tarkin chuckled. "Yes, Vader you have to do it; I can't spare any men right now, if we are to get this satellite to Alderaan space. Just set her up to... ah... curse at the interrogation droids. You can tell your Master you were there; you don't have to say for how long." With a small smile, he turned back to the controls, confident that Vader would do his duty. Surely, the girl couldn't be all that bad; she was a Princess, after all, gently raised, and had served as a Senator; she knew proper behavior. Vader must be letting his dislike of the child -- for she was awfully young for the roles she had assumed -- to be guiding his opinions; he had once described her as 'pushy and arrogant.' She'd calm down and listen to reason when treated with the courtesy and respect due her position. Despite a lifetime of associating with Palpatine, Vader really does have no idea of diplomacy and tact.

Tarkin fancied events would transpire better under his own handling.

For a wonder, she was silent. Had she finally exhausted her vocabulary, wondered Vader, or had fear stilled her tongue? For he had seen that same look in the eyes of another pretty young woman long ago -- terror, and directed at himself. He didn't really want her to fear him, just to be quiet and cooperate with the interrogation. Maybe silence was her latest tactic; however, the droids would get answers from her. No one resisted successfully, no one. He turned abruptly and left; the door closed behind him, as the interrogation began.
"What? She said nothing? How can that be? No one resists the interrogation!" Tarkin could not believe his ears.

"She cursed nonstop, sir, that is all," answered the man before him. With a wave, Tarkin dismissed his informant, then turned to Vader, incredulity in his eyes.

Suppressing a sneaking admiration for the girl, Vader agreed that it was highly unusual, to say the least. "Only a few have done so, most were trained in use of the Force, and had many years of experience in masking their thoughts. The answer must be that she really does know nothing."

Tarkin emphatically shook his head. "Oh no, my friend, as a leader in the Resistance, she knows plenty. How she has managed to beat the interrogation, I don't know, but perhaps the knowledge she is to be terminated will loosen her tongue!"

"Tarkin, no!" Vader was shocked. "She is a Senator!" Besides, ordering terminations was his job, not Tarkin's, and then usually on orders from the Emperor.

Tarkin shrugged. "We have already informed her office that all aboard the Tantive IV perished -they think she's already lost to them, anyway. Her termination will merely make our statement truth." His smile did not reach his eyes.

Vader gave a short bark of laughter. "Tarkin, you are as cold as Palpatine! I did tell you to issue that statement about the shuttle, didn't I? I had forgotten. But do we really need to terminate the Princess?"

"Eventually. But until we get time to attend to it, she can rot in a cell in the detention block, for all I care. However, she first will answer my questions!" He turned to a pair of guards. "Bring the Princess to the control room. She can witness our ceremony to activate this battle station!"

Vader nodded. "So we have a target? You don't mean... Alderaan? I knew that Palpatine was angry with them, but to destroy the planet? I never thought that even he would go so far. My Sith Master is ruthless, but to annihilate millions of innocents at once, just to prove a point..."

Vader fell silent as he heard voices in the corridor. Uh-oh, he grinned. The Princess has regained her voice... and refreshed her vocabulary as well. He stole a glance at Tarkin; he wanted to see the man's face when he heard Leia's language for the first time. Behind his mask, he grinned in delight. Tarkin's face showed shock, distaste, and consternation as he realized that this was the 'gently reared' Princess he meant to treat with courtesy and respect.

And Leia was in fine form; Vader recognized a few of the epithets as having been earlier hurled at himself. Catching sight of Tarkin, she momentarily paused, looked from him to Vader and back and opened her mouth. Vader awaited the onslaught, but was disappointed. When they came, the words, while insulting, were mild. "Governor Tarkin. I might have known I would find you holding Vader's leash. I thought I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."

Tarkin matched her tone. "Princess Leia. Charming to the end. You don't know how hard it was to sign the order for your termination. But first, I want you to be a guest at a ceremony making this battle station fully operational."

Leia fixed her eyes on the planet framed in the viewscreen -- Alderaan. "You can't! Alderaan is peaceful! We have no weapons!"

Tarkin looked at the Princess with hard eyes, steel in his voice as he snapped, "Where is the Rebel base? You want to save your people? Then name the Rebel base!"

Leia tilted her head to see around him, eyes wide and staring. Vader grasped her upper arms, supporting her as she trembled in terror. Indecision kept her silent.

Tarkin pressed for an answer. "Name the system!"

"Dantooine!" she at last blurted. "They're on Dantooine! " She collapsed back against Vader.

Tarkin smirked in satisfaction. "You see? I knew she would be reasonable." He turned to the men at the controls. "You may fire when ready."

"No!" screamed Leia, trying desperately to free herself from Vader's grip. Ordinarily her terror would have empowered him, but he really did sympathize with the girl. Not that he would have minded destroying Tatooinebut she was losing everyone she loved as well as her home world.

That had to hurt. She was one brave kid. He effortlessly retained his grip on her arms, supporting her sagging figure.

"Dantooine is too far away for an effective demonstration. But don't worry, we will investigate that system." And Tarkin turned to the screen as Alderaan vanished into a fireball of destruction. A reluctant and grief -stricken sob escaped Leia, although her eyes remained dry and staring.

"Return the Princess to her cell to await termination." Tarkin summarily dismissed her and returned to other things of more immediate importance than one insignificant Rebel Princess slated for eventual termination.

Shock and grief kept Leia silent as she was led away. No doubt she would soon rediscover her tongue and use it to effectively castigate anyone and everyone within earshot. Vader vowed to remain well away from the detention block. As much as he was beginning to like the girl, he had no desire to unnecessarily endure her unending stream of vulgar obscenities.

Unlike Vader, Tarkin had ventured into the detention block where the Princess was a prisoner. And evidently, she had subjected him to a thoroughly obscene and lengthy description of his character, sexual proclivities and parental ancestry.

Tarkin's shocked utterances sent Vader into more raucous laughter. Poor Tarkin. He really was a Prude -- that was the only word for it. "You can't say I didn't warn you, Wilhuff. I told you that she knew some first class obscenities ... including a few new to me." He chuckled -- this was the best joke ever! And he hadn't had to do anything but bring that mouthy girl on board!

"You know, Tarkin, I think that may be how she resisted the interrogation -- her mind was so focused on thinking up new... er...uh... colorfully descriptive metaphors that she could camouflage her knowledge of the Rebellion." He grinned hugely, and then burst into laughter, as Tarkin sputtered in indignation. "You must admit that she does have an extensive vocabulary." He continued to snicker in amusement.

"But, Vader, she's a Princess! She dresses so demurely, so appropriately. And then she opens her mouth" Tarkin stopped, unable to proceed. He shook his head. "My men could take lessons from her!"

Vader stopped laughing long enough to reply. "Calm down, Wil. I doubt it's her normal speech pattern. I think it's sheer bravado. The poor kid is so terrified, it's either curse or cry -- and she won't give us the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She'll settle down eventually. Just don't go down there again, I know that I am staying away. Good night, my friend." He left the room, still intermittently chuckling at Tarkin's reactions. I wonder how many species she culled her curses from? Some of them were anatomically interesting propositions, and most were downright impossible for any species. Coming from behind his mask, his chuckles echoed eerily enough to startle the few stormtroopers he passed in the corridors.

"Sir! Sir! Lord Vader!" The trooper tripped over one of the irritatingly omnipresent mouse droids as he hurried after Vader. "Sir!"

Vader paused and turned. "Yes? You spoke to me?"

"Yes sir! Governor Tarkin requests that you join him in the control room. We have captured something of interest."

"Oh? Very well. Dismissed." Vader glanced down and noticed that he had 'forgotten' to pick up his comlink when leaving his quarters... no wonder Tarkin had sent some poor trooper to track him down. He smiled ruefully; his subconscious desire to be cut off from his Master's beck and call had the unfortunate result of cutting him off from Tarkin as well. He turned his steps toward the control room and Tarkin. 'Something of interest' could encompass too much to speculate upon. He would have to wait and see. He entered the control room and joined Tarkin.

"Oh, there you are, Vader. How do you like our prize?"

Caught in the tractor beam and being inexorably pulled into the Death Star was a small disk shaped ship -- the Millennium Falcon? It certainly matched the description of the ship which had blasted out of the Mos Eisley spaceport carrying Kenobi and company. Vader watched its steady progress into the bowels of a hangar level docking bay . Yes, he was certain that this was the correct ship -- he could sense it. Now he had them! His son! Of course, he'd have to get him away from Obi-Wan first, but with them as his prisoners, that should be easy. He'd house Kenobi down there with the Princess -- he could listen to her. Vader pictured the oh-so-proper Obi- Wan's ears turning red in embarrassment and smiled grimly. The boy would go elsewhere, under guard, but treated as befitting Vader's son. The smuggler and anyone else on board would be eliminated. And Vader wasn't forgetting the droids -- were they the ones belonging to the Princess, or just possessions of those on board?

In the corridor, he paused a moment, feeling a presenceyes, Obi-Wan was certainly among those aboard the captured ship. Vader's feelings on meeting him again were muddled and ambiguous -- assuredly, he would like to murder the man for what he had done -- maiming Vader and leaving him for dead -- but there was also something of a yearning to return to the friendship and camaraderie they had once shared. He knew the latter to be impossible -- he could never go back. He knew without any real doubt that he must face his former master in a duel to the end. And that thought sparked a sadness deep within him.

What was happening now? As he strode purposefully toward the docking bay holding the captive ship, Vader's senses caught an edge of panic and worry among the stormtroopers. He paused and used his retrieved comlink to contact Tarkin in the control room. As usual, Tarkin was calm. Not to worry. There was some commotion down in one of the detention blocks. But those causing the trouble were trapped and it would soon be over...

Thoughtfully, Vader continued to hold his comlink. Detention level problem? Which cell block, he wondered; surely not the Princess...? An annoying idea took root in his mind -- surely Kenobi and his companions weren't attempting a rescue, were they? He spoke again into his comlink.

No one was aboard the Millennium Falcon, a scanning mission aboard had been sabotaged by persons unknown, but presumed to be its passengers. "When you find them, bring them to me!" snapped Vader. So now they were loose on the Death Star. His mind busily considered possibilities, certain that at least some of Kenobi's group were attempting a rescue of Princess Foul-Mouth. Well, he thought in amusement, at least it puts her termination on hold...

Vader's finely tuned senses felt the shutdown of the tractor beam controls. Aha! That bad to be Kenobi -- only he would have both the knowledge and the ability to escape detection. That is the whereabouts of one of the group...

Trash compactors shut down? Force take it! They hadn't escaped by jumping into the trash compactor, had they? It was the only other way out of the cell block where the Princess was held, but surely even she wouldn't...A quick question into the comlink, and his suspicions were confirmed -- they had indeed escaped into the trash compactor, somehow managed to shut them all down, and then gotten out again and were now somewhere on the run, presumably in the direction of the docking bay and their ship. Vader ordered a tracking beacon attached to said vessel, just in case. Then he followed his own instincts, searching out Obi-Wan Kenobi.

As he had expected, Vader located Kenobi in a corridor near where the Millennium Falcon rested. He stepped out to face him. "It has been a long time, Obi-Wan. At last, we meet again. The circle is now complete."

The older man stopped. "You still have much to learn, Darth."

Vader gritted his teeth in annoyance. He hated to be called 'Darth' -- it was so improper! However, he suppressed his annoyance, and replied, "You were once my Master. But that was long ago; I am the Master now!" He continued to face Kenobi, his hand on his lightsaber. Almost as one, they ignited their weapons, but remained still, each assessing the other, waiting. Vader spoke, taunting, "Your powers weaken, old man, You should have remained in exile, hidden on Tatooine! Now your end will come, much sooner than you could have wished!" He thrust at Kenobi, and the older man as swiftly blocked the blow. They continued to duel, with Kenobi backing slowly toward the hangar, the buzz and thrum of their lightsabers the only sound in the corridor. As in the past, their skills were well matched. Vader was enjoying the challenge of a well-trained human opponent, but couldn't resist goading his former Master. "You retain your skills, Obi-Wan, but your powers fade. Prepare to join the Force!"

"You cannot win, Darth! Your powers have grown since Mustafar, but I also have grown. If I slay you, you will merely cease to exist. But cut me down and I will only become even more powerfuL." He paused briefly, eyes flickering toward the hangar, then back to Vader again.

"You wish! I am the Master here now!" Vader suddenly lunged and slashed, striking Obi-Wan down. His cloak fluttered to the floor, but Kenobi had disappeared. A bit saddened, Vader kicked at the pieces of the cloak, and turned toward the docking bay.

He could see Leia, the boy, the smuggler, a Wookiee, and two droids on a desperate dash for the waiting ship. The boy stopped, screamed "Ben, No!" That's it, Kid, hold everyone up, and I'll have you. But the boy suddenly aimed his blaster at the door controls and fired, as Vader heard Kenobi's disembodied voice shout "Run. Luke. Run!" Vader reached the doors just as the final panel closed. He paused a moment, before turning back the way he had come. His men had their orders -- let them escape, but not too easily, to allay suspicion. They would obey.

He joined Tarkin in the control room. "Are they away?" he demanded as he entered.

"Yes Vader," replied Tarkin. "They've just completed their jump to hyperspace and are now no doubt celebrating their easy escape. I hope you know what you're doing, my friend. We are taking a great risk here. Are you certain the homing beacon is securely in place?"

Vader chuckled, a sound so reminiscent of his Master that Tarkin felt chills course down his spine. "Oh, yes. This is a day to be long remembered -- we will soon see the end of the Rebel Alliance! Just as we have this day already seen the passing of the last of the Jedi! My Master will be pleased!" Inside Vader, his Anakin self mourned but Vader himself exulted that he had at last had his revenge upon Obi-Wan. Though the feeling was not as sweet as he had anticipated, perhaps because he had long ago let go of the hate, retaining only the anger.

And what had Obi- Wan meant by those final words about becoming even more powerful? How could he become more powerful after his death? Vader shook off his feelings of unease, and left Tarkin to go take another of his increasingly frequent showers, as if he were trying to wash away the taint of something unpleasant. Besides, in the shower, his tears for the final loss of his longago friend and mentor would be indistinguishable; he could let Anakin mourn.