Darth Vader did not wait for an acknowledgement. The hologram around PROXY began taking shape immediately as he marched to his apprentice.
Starkiller deactivated his sabres and hastily dropped on one knee just as Rogue Shadow jolted and seemed to rapidly drop altitude for a brief moment. He nearly hit his chin on his knee as he lowered his head to hide the slightly panicked surprise on his face. He had wanted for Darth Vader to make contact, but not now!
"Starkiller."
All air seemed to escape his lungs. He knew this tone of voice. The single biting word from his master, lightyears away, carried such seething rage that it made each hair on his body stand up and had him freeze like a prey animal. It took him back to the halls of Executor, to his childhood when he knelt on the floor holding back tears, knowing he was about to face punishment for whatever failure he was guilty of.
He gripped the hilts in his hands to ground himself. Below him, the floor briefly tilted before Juno managed to level the ship.
"Yes, my master?" His voice sounded meek even to his own ears.
"Come to Muunilist. Immediately."
Starkiller turned to look at the black mask. That was practically on the other side of the Galaxy. A detour to the major Imperial financial hub would have him lose days. Even now he could not know for certain that Kota and Luke were still on Raxus Prime. If they weren't, then the longer they had been gone, the more difficult it would be for Starkiller to pick up on the trail again. And he didn't even know where to look on an entire planet.
Even with the risk of further angering Darth Vader, Starkiller attempted to let him know that there was something of great importance he must do. Otherwise he would never argue with his master, so surely he would understand. "Master, I'm following a time-sensitive lead–"
"Forget about the Emperor's task," Vader violently interrupted. "You will do as you are told."
Starkiller swallowed. "Yes, my master, but–"
"Do not defy me," Vader cut him off with a stern warning. The hologram flickered and disappeared. PROXY stumbled and nearly fell on Starkiller's arms as he sprung up, dropping the lightsaber hilts in his haste to make sure his droid friend was stable.
"Lord Vader has provided me with the exact coordinates," PROXY informed him, steading himself.
Starkiller nodded uneasily. Vader could have just given the coordinates to PROXY without directly speaking to his apprentice at all, but for whatever reason, he had wanted Starkiller to know how angry he was.
"We must leave immediately," PROXY said.
"We can't," Starkiller exclaimed. "We're so close to Luke. What if Kota leaves? What if he's already left?"
"Master, we have to obey Lord Vader," PROXY reminded him.
"But he doesn't know about Luke. If he did–"
He cut himself off, realisation seeping in like ice within his veins. "He knows about Luke."
Of course Vader knew of Luke. He must have learnt of his son's disappearance. What else could be behind his fury? He must have finally contacted Lekauf and learnt of Luke's absence.
But then, wouldn't he also know that Starkiller was already looking for him? PROXY had previously reported that his reason for being Nar Shaddaa was to find the surviving members of Kota's militia to make connections, but surely Lekauf would have told him his primary focus was on finding Luke. Lekauf just didn't know how close Starkiller was to that goal.
"PROXY, you have to tell him I'm close to finding Kota."
"I can try, but I doubt it will change anything," PROXY said. "He gave you an order."
"Do it anyway."
Starkiller fought an urge to start pacing.
"He must have spoken with Lekauf," he began, trying to organise his thoughts. He could not think of a single other reason for his anger. Luke would be Master's priority as well. "If he knew I'm close to finding Kota he would understand it's more important I follow the lead I have."
"I relayed your message," PROXY informed him. "And I have a response. He says his orders are final."
PROXY tilted his head and looked at the apprentice. "I don't think he is very pleased with you at the moment, Master."
No, he clearly was not. And he would be even less pleased if something worse happened to Luke.
If Starkiller ignored his master's order, he would be a few more days closer to finding and rescuing Luke. But ignoring Lord Vader was not a good idea either and Master had already made it very clear he expected to see his apprentice on Muunilist as soon as physically possible.
Could Luke wait for a few more days? Surely he could. Starkiller had made him wait this long already. Kota was a Jedi. He had taken Luke with him. Chained perhaps but alive. He would not have harmed Luke, surely?
But what if Luke wasn't all right? What if days, even hours, mattered?
A sharp knock behind the door had both the apprentice and his droid companion snap their attention towards it. It was Juno. Her voice faintly carried through the durasteel. "Starkiller! What's going on?"
"PROXY, what should I do?" the apprentice pleaded. "How do I tell Juno we're suddenly going to Muunilist?"
"I don't know, Master."
"Starkiller? PROXY?" Juno called. "I'm going to open the door."
Starkiller shot a panicky look at his friend, but PROXY was of no assistance. And Juno, being the captain in charge of the ship, knew the master access code. The door would not hold her and he had seconds to come up with yet another lie. Or ignore Master Vader's direct command and continue to Raxus Prime.
The door opened, and Juno, with an air of extreme annoyance, barged in.
"PROXY, what in the blazes?!" she exploded. "I needed you, you can't just leave in the middle of me trying to get us through the atmosphere."
"Apologies, Captain, but I needed to urgently speak with Starkiller."
Juno's suspicious eyes shot at the young man. "Why? And why did you lock the door?"
"Uh–"
"Another urgent maintenance?"
"No, just..." Starkiller felt her gaze bore into him. He knew she could see right through him. "I didn't tell him to lock the door, it's just what he does naturally."
"It is part of my programming to keep some communication between myself and my master," PROXY quipped in over Starkiller's: "PROXY had a good point to make. "
"Which is?" Juno prompted.
Starkiller swallowed uneasily. "That we should go to Muunilist first."
"Muunilist?" she repeated. "An Imperial stronghold? Why? What would be more important than finding your brother?"
"Yes, but..." Starkiller fumbled for something to say, eyes darting at PROXY for support. The droid said nothing. "There's something that might help. On Muunilist."
Juno folded her arms, not looking convinced in the slightest. "And that is?"
"Information," Strkiller said, coming up with lies as he spoke. "On the Jedi. I know to you think I'm practically a Jedi already, but it's really not the same at all. To get Kota to teach me or even just help us with the militia or other contacts... Maybe I should do some homework first. Then I can show him I'm serious. And maybe, if he still has my brother, he'll let him go. Maybe he'd even teach him, too. Hell, maybe he's already doing that."
Juno thought of his words, nodding slightly. "Yes, I suppose that would make sense. What's on Muunilist?"
"A place that might have some information," Starkiller stalled. "Since I can't just look it up. It's all censored."
"What kind of a place?"
"Uh, I'm not sure..." Starkiller looked at his droid for assistance again. "PROXY, can you tell us anything more about this place?"
"I do not have further data," the droid said. "But locations important to the Jedi accessible to us are scarce. If you want to learn more about them before facing General Kota again, then this may be the only option available."
It was more than Starkiller had expected from PROXY in terms of help. He turned to see Juno's reaction. She seemed to buy the lie.
"Will it be dangerous?" she asked.
Starkiller shook his head. "No. I don't think I'll run into any real Jedi. Even if I did, I can handle it."
The first part at least was true. And she should be fine as long as she stayed on Rogue Shadow. He'd make sure PROXY would keep an eye on her.
"All right, let's go then," Juno agreed and turned to leave. She paused at the doorway. "But PROXY, next time wait until we're through the atmosphere."
"I had faith in your ability to handle the situation, Captain."
A small smile tugged at her lips. "Thank you, but I'd still appreciate my co-pilot didn't just randomly abandon me. Next time, give me a warning."
"Very well, Captain," PROXY said as she left.
"Well done," Starkiller whispered. "Thank you."
"It is very cold on that part of Muunilist," PROXY informed him, making his way to the door as well. "I advice you prepare in advance."
"I don't like this," Juno declared once they jumped out of hyperspace and she had taken a look at the scanners. "There are three Star Destroyers orbiting the planet."
"It's the Empire's financial capital. They aren't here for us," Starkiller reassured her. He could feel his own anxiety build up as they approached the planet. "They're probably just protecting the planet or they came here for some conflict in a nearby system."
"Maybe, but I still don't like this."
"They can't scan us, we have a top-of-the-line cloaking system."
Regardless, Starkiller felt uneasy as they made their final approach toward the planet, close enough to see the nearest Star Destroyer in the distance with the naked eye.
"That's Devastator," Juno said quietly, gripping the controls a little harder. She did not need to elaborate. They both knew it was regarded as Darth Vader's flagship.
Starkiller did not need to fake the edge of fear in his voice as he said: "That doesn't mean Darth Vader is here."
But he was. Starkiller knew it and he could feel it. He knew his master would be aware of his arrival, too.
"They might not be able to scan us, but we're not getting through the planetary shield without making ourselves known," Juno noted worriedly.
"That is not an issue," PROXY said. "There are many openings in the shield," he pointed out, getting a visual representation on the screen. "There is a lot of traffic on a major planet such as Muunilist. Rogue Shadow cannot be picked up by scanners. We just join the traffic. It is unlikely we'll be noticed."
"We've done it before," Starkiller confirmed. "It's up to you as a pilot to get us through without being flagged suspicious by visual. Besides, here you don't have to worry about the shield being closed all of a sudden. We've done that, too. One time it was down to seconds to get us through the shield before it closed."
"One hell of a pilot," Juno muttered under her breath, taking a closer look a the shield openings around the planet. There were many, several were large and seemed to see a lot of traffic. She felt a little less anxious about the idea of sneaking in. The Rogue Shadow would easily be mistaken for a cargo ship and would not stand out.
"Yeah, he was a good one," Starkiller agreed.
"Did Vader kill him, too?" she asked coolly, thinking back to how one the first things Starkiller ever said to her was that Darth Vader had killed her predecessor.
"No, uh... What ended up happening–"
"Starkiller executed him," PROXY chimed in quite cheerfully. "For attempting to betray Lord Vader."
"Ah." Juno turned to look at Starkiller on the jump seat over her shoulder. "Sort of like what I'm doing."
He laughed uneasily. "Sort of."
"Hm, well I suppose since you're also betraying him that's not something I have to worry about." Seeing the expression on his face, she laughed.
"Juno, I wouldn't—"
"Don't worry, I know I've nothing to fear from you. I know you're in this mess just as much as I am."
She turned back to the monitors, missing him lowering his gaze to the hands on his lap. He stared at his scarless fingers, contemplating whether he would even make it out alive from Muunilist. Maybe he'd find himself in yet another remote medical facility after another few months of being practically dead. Or maybe Vader would leave the execution until Luke was safe and that'd be it. He'd prefer that. Seeing Luke one more time and not having to deal with any of this anymore once he was dead. It would make Luke sad, no doubt, but Starkiller did not disagree with Vader's potential punishment.
He wallowed in his thoughts long after until they were past the planetary shield and startled back to reality once they were well on their way heading towards the southern hemisphere of the planet high in the atmosphere.
"I should get ready," he said, standing up to leave the cockpit. "PROXY, can you help Juno find a suitable place to land?"
"Of course," the droid replied. "Remember, Master, it is very cold."
"What's cold for this planet?" Juno wanted to know.
"The temperatures in the region we're going to, at this time of the year, typically vary between standard negative twenty and negative fifty," PROXY informed them.
"Yikes," Juno said. "You better dress real warm."
"I will," Starkiller assured her and headed behind the galley where he kept his combat gear that saw less use than his day-to-day wear. He had already changed to long thermal underclothes and socks earlier, with looser thermal clothing on top. He added another layer of once-white trousers and a long coat with a fur collar –both tattered and with marks that did not come off. Long fur-lined boots, a thick scarf, and a fur hat were added to the attire before he buttoned up the coat. He was just fastening the hooded cape on top when PROXY entered.
"Captain Eclipse is about to land," he said just as they heard the landing gear drop. "Lord Vader sent word that he will be arriving soon. You should hurry to the rendezvous point. Don't make him wait."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Starkiller muttered, a familiar pit of anxiety settling in his gut. "Keep an eye on Juno, will you? Make sure she doesn't follow me or try to keep an eye on me."
"Certainly, Master, but how?"
"I don't know. Speak with her."
"About what?"
"Anything. Ask her about her hobbies or what else she likes apart from holodramas or something. Just make sure she doesn't get suspicious."
"I will try, Master," PROXY agreed. "Please don't get killed again. I want to be the next one to kill you."
Starkiller laughed, feeling some of his fears disperse. "I promise that if it's up to me, you'll be the next."
"Thank you, Master," PROXY beamed. "I'll be sure to succeed next time."
Starkiller grabbed a pair of heated leather gloves and patted the droid's lanky shoulder as he passed it. He still needed to fetch his utility belt and lightsabers. He had used parts of the long journey practising more Jar'kai in hopes to distract himself from the upcoming confrontation with his master.
Forget about the Emperor's task, Vader had said. That surely meant he had been able to speak freely. Meaning this meeting he would likely be speaking freely as well.
There would be no use lying of course. He would take full responsibility for his failure to protect Luke.
"Standard minus thirty-four," Juno informed him as she came to see him off. "Don't freeze yourself."
"I'll try not to," Starkiller promised, adjusting the hood and the scarf to further cover his face. He was getting hot, though that would soon change. "I shouldn't be long. Few hours at best. We'll leave as soon as I'm back. Just make yourself comfortable while you wait."
"I'll see you later then."
Starkiller gave her a little smile behind his scarf and opened the landing ramp. Cold air blew in, so he moved quickly to allow the ramp to be closed again. For a moment he stood still. He pulled the scarf down and took a long steadying breath in, feeling the coldness in his throat. The hairs in his nose froze together a little between each breath as he reached out to Force and the dark side. The Force itself felt cold and harsh here.
With new, dark resolve, Starkiller pulled up the scarf and headed towards the edge of the woods.
Rogue Shadow had landed on what may have been a meadow in the valley, or perhaps even a frozen pond. It was indeed very cold in this mountainous southern region of the planet. It was late afternoon, and the sun was already nearing the horizon. It would probably get dark before Starkiller reached the rendezvous point. He double-checked he had a glowrod on his utility belt.
They were far away from the cities the planet was known for. Only a handful of small communities existed in the area and they weren't very close to any of them. The valley had a village, but they were further above and on the other side of the valley from it. The rendezvous point was even further uphill, but still far from the actual mountains.
The snow cracked and creaked under his steps. Gusts of wind swept it around him, but the snow cover got thicker as he closed in on the forest. It was just above his ankles as he passed the first thick trunks with frost covering the bark, sparkling in the sunlight casting long shadows. He tapped his wristcomm to double-check it would alert him if he lost his course. It was easy to end up walking in the wrong direction in a forest. Tall trees with thick and hard leaves in varying shades of yellowish greens and blues surrounded him everywhere, and he soon learnt to avoid them the best he could. The edges of the leaves were razor sharp.
It was very quiet, save for the sound of his own breathing and steps. The snow was now nearly up to his knees, so getting forward was slow and physically tasking. He really wished he had a speeder. He experimented with using a Force push as a snow blower, but it did not work quite as well as he had hoped. He considered utilising the trees, but they were so covered in the sharp thick leaves that he could not get a grip even with his leather gloves. He cursed himself for even trying because a leaf left a long, ugly scratch on the already-worn leather. It was less work to just keep walking despite his feet sinking deep into the snow with each step.
Just as he arrived at the river he had headed for, the sound of a low-flying vehicle caught his attention. The sun was almost below the horizon, but it was not completely dark yet. In the final light of the day, he could make the TIE Advanced x1 fly overhead with no lights like a black shadow against the darkening sky.
The dread he felt that had grown with each step now increased tenfold as his eyes followed the ship before it disappeared from his line of sight. He had learnt early on that failure had consequences. The cost of a mistake could be very painful.
Leading Darth Sidious's spies to Scarl had been a colossal mistake on his part. Endangering Lord Vader's son's life was infinitely worse. He felt the ghostly pain of a lightsaber pierce through him. The last time he had seen his master he had almost died. Had died, he supposed. But death was clearly not enough of a punishment and might well not be now, either.
The scarf that covered his face had become wet with his warm breath and had then frozen on the sides of his face. Starkiller brushed off snow from his trousers, then hastened his steps. There was less snow by the rapidly flowing river, but the ground and rocks were covered in ice. He released the grip spikes from his boots and continued upstream. He was close now. It took him another ten minutes to reach an area where the terrain flattened to a large, rocky clearing. The wind had kept the snow from piling up there. And to the far end of it, parked by the woods, was Darth Vader's TIE-fighter.
As Starkiller approached, he saw the hatch open and in the final light of the day, a dark figure emerged. He took only a few more steps as his master leapt down. His master's arm reached forward and with his invisible grasp, he caught the apprentice. Starkiller gasped out in surprise and a little bit of fear, too, as he was pulled across the clearing and came to a halt in midair right in front of Darth Vader.
"Why," his master's voice stained with ire cut through the air, "does General Kota have my son?"
Juno shivered in the remnants of the cold air as the landing ramp closed behind Starkiller.
"Well then, PROXY," she began, turning to the droid. "Shall we go and keep an eye on him?"
"I don't think that's necessary," PROXY said. "He won't be facing any resistance. There is no target for him to eliminate. He didn't even take an earpiece with him."
"Maybe, but I'd still feel better keeping an eye on him," she said. She wasn't comfortable being here and was itching for something to do to keep her mind off of the fact that out of all the Star Destroyers in the galaxy, Darth Vader's flagship was in the orbit of the very planet they had illegally landed on. "It's my job to keep an eye on him and provide intel. Besides, what else would I do?"
"But you are no longer in the service of the Empire," PROXY reminded her. "And Master told you to make yourself comfortable," he quoted.
"Doesn't mean I don't worry about him," she said, glancing at the closed landing ramp.
"I'm sure Master wouldn't want you to worry," the droid said. "But if it helps, I can scan for him in the background and alert you if anything unexpected happens."
Juno smiled a little at that. "Thank you, PROXY. That would make me feel better."
She sighed and headed for the galley. "I guess I'll make some caf then."
"Splendid idea. I can help you," PROXY offered, following her.
"Thank you, but you don't have to."
"But Master said I should look after you."
Juno halted. "Did he? That's very sweet of him."
"I don't know if it's sweet, but yes," PROXY confirmed. "He would not want you to get in any trouble."
She smiled to herself as she reached for a mug in the cupboard. She had taken the liberty to buy a few nice ones on Nar Shaddaa. Hearing that Starkiller worried about her made the pit of her stomach flutter with warm delight. She got the caf powder out as she waited for the mug to fill with hot water, then mixed heaped spoons in. It wasn't very fancy, just a cheap instant type, but she actually quite enjoyed the taste of this one.
She sat down and PROXY, who had not left, sat opposite to her. The droid tilted its head slightly.
"Do you have any hobbies, Captain Eclipse?" PROXY spoke unexpectedly.
Juno almost spat out the caf. "What?"
"Hobbies. Apart from holodramas," the droid clarified.
Juno's brows burrowed with amused suspicion. "Did Starkiller tell you to ask me that?"
"Yes," PROXY said. He tilted his head again. "Although, Master may not have wanted me to admit to that."
Juno covered an amused smile on her face with her hand. "Really? Why didn't he ask himself?"
"I don't know," the droid said.
"Did he tell you to ask anything else?" she inquired curiously. Just what had the man told his droid? Did he discuss her with PROXY?
"He said to ask what else you like apart from holodramas. Will you answer the question?"
Juno sipped her caf, considering. Perhaps this was a chance to learn more about Starkiller.
"I guess I can. Let's see..." She leant back and thought for a moment. "I've always loved xenobiology. I actually wanted to become a xenobiologist."
She smiled at the memory. It had been a relatively short-lived dream.
"I also did a lot of sports before joining the military," she said. "You probably knew that."
"Yes, but Starkiller has no access to your file."
Juno crossed her arms at the reminder of the file's existence. "What else does my file say?"
"I don't know. It was closed when you were executed, and restricted because you are a traitor."
Juno shifted uncomfortably. "Hm, well in any case I suppose doing sports is a hobby. But it was in preparation for the military."
Truth be told, she couldn't think of a hobby apart from xenobiology and even that she had used as something to gain her father's approval. Everything she'd done had always been to please someone else. She hadn't run laps around the track and won medals at school for the fun of it. She had always tried to impress her father. Be the closest thing to the son he never had and had always wanted. All her free time was spent pouring all her energy into excelling academically. She hadn't had time to find hobbies in the military, either. She had spent all her available time improving herself and proving herself to those who doubted her.
"I don't really have hobbies," she admitted. "I never had the time."
"Why not?" asked PROXY.
She shrugged. Might as well humour the droid. "Because I didn't think something like that would be important. I thought studying was more important."
PROXY nodded, though Juno doubted he understood. He seemed to have a very peculiar, almost child-like programming despite being a lethal weapon.
"What about Starkiller?" she countered. "Does he have hobbies?"
"No," came a blunt reply. "Lord Vader would not encourage that. He gave him strict routines. Starkiller spends his time studying and improving his skills."
"I see..." Chasing after someone's approval, just like her. It didn't seem like she would get more from PROXY than she already did on Felucia. Skywalker was likely the same. She recalled the boy having almost fan-like adoration for Darth Vader. Perhaps she would find out more once they found him.
"He likes holodramas, though," she pointed out. "That's a hobby." One they shared at that.
"Yes, it is one of the few things he does in his free time that is unrelated to his training," PROXY admitted. "I don't know if Lord Vader approved of it."
"He doesn't have to train anymore, does he?" she said. Starkiller had escaped from Vader. He was free to do as he wished from now on. "He could do more enjoyable things now."
"But Master enjoys training," PROXY protested. "If he wants to learn to be a Jedi, there is a lot of training he has to do. I cannot assist him with that."
"Do you think he really wants to become a Jedi?" Juno asked. The idea seemed like a waste of time to her. Starkiller could already swing a laser sword and move things with his mind. Surely he could offer those talents as they were to some anti-Imperial resistance group if he wanted to and no one would know any better. "What's so different about it anyway?"
"He said so, so it must be true," PROXY stated. "The Jedi are a nearly extinct religion. What my master has learnt, he learnt from Lord Vader. Lord Vader is not a Jedi."
"But what's the difference between what Vader and the Jedi do? It all sounds the same to me." Starkiller's earlier explanation hadn't really made her understand the subject any better.
"I am not an expert in anything beyond the physical aspect. They use different techniques –though Lord Vader utilises a lot of Jedi techniques. As does Starkiller," PROXY explained. "But the way they use the Force is different. You will have to ask Starkiller. I have no knowledge of the Force beyond theory".
"What does the theory say?" Juno wanted to know.
"That there are two sides to the Force. What Lord Vader and Starkiller use is called the dark side of the Force. It requires a different emotional state than the Force the Jedi use. The Jedi are passive. To use the dark side, one must use their emotions."
"Really? I mean, Vader doesn't seem to have any emotions. Apart from anger, maybe..."
"Anger is a very powerful emotion", PROXY pointed out.
"No wonder they're both so grumpy," she muttered over the mug without thinking. "Ah, I mean... No disrespect to either."
She still did not fully trust Starkiller's companion. He had threatened to kill Starkiller.
The droid didn't seem to mind her words. "Using the dark side appears to require a certain level of emotional stability. Perhaps maintaining one's anger is useful."
Juno nodded. She had finished her caf. "I suppose so..."
If a constant state of anger could be called emotional stability. Not a very healthy way to live, but then again Darth Vader did not appear to be entirely healthy to begin with. He wore a life support armour wherever he went, although it didn't seem to hinder him the slightest, of course.
"Do you think Starkiller will find anything useful?" she asked to change the subject.
"I think there is a good chance he will learn something useful," PROXY assured her.
"I hope so..." She'd hate for this to turn out to be a pointless detour. Starkiller must have been so worried for his brother. But if he was with General Kota, then perhaps things weren't as bad as Starkiller seemed to fear, since he seemed to believe he could have the general help him and his newfound cause. She wasn't so certain. Kota was a terrorist leader after all. Starkiller had tried to kill him. Why would he help them?
Her thoughts drifted to Starkiller. She wondered what exactly he hoped to learn by coming here and how he would find whatever he was looking for in the snow-covered woods. It reminded her a little of her home region on Corulag. It never got quite as cold as it did here, but in the winter the village and the fields and the meadows around it were covered in snow.
"PROXY," she called to get the droids attention, who still sat opposite to him but had remained silent. "Is there anything apart from the spacesuit that would be warm enough for a short walk outside?"
"Why would you want to go outside? The temperature is not ideal for a Human."
Juno shrugged. It was just a sudden whim. "Why not? I have time to kill before Starkiller returns. Besides, it reminds me of my home planet."
The droid looked at her as if assessing her.
"Starkiller has many clothes for many climates," PROXY said. He stood up. "Let's take a look."
Darth Vader didn't even give Starkiller a chance to reply. With one swift move of his arm, he flung Starkiller to the side and trashed him to the ground by the woods. Despite instinctively protecting himself with the Force, Starkiller felt the air knocked out of his lungs on impact as he hit the snow.
At least there was a decent amount of snow here instead of the rocky ground of the clearing. He felt dazed for a few seconds but dragged himself back to his feet. His master already marched toward him, so he dropped to one knee and kept his head bowed down. He glanced up to see Vader bring his fist up and felt the invisible hold around himself again. Vader yanked him forward, both of his knees now scraping the ground as he was dragged across the snow.
He came to a sudden halt right at his master's feet. Starkiller got back on his knee hastily, backing away a little and was careful not to touch his master as Vader's venomous voice commanded: "Explain yourself."
Starkiller could feel Vader's dark anger surround him, far colder than the weather around them. No layer of clothing could keep him from feeling its coldness deep within his bones.
He wetted his lips and opened his mouth, searching for words. How would he ever explain this mess? "It goes back to–"
"Speak up," Vader demanded. Starkiller's chin was snapped up so violently that his neck would probably hurt for days.
A shiver ran down his spine as Starkiller looked up at the emotionless mask of his master. The invisible hold did not let go. He could not face any other way. This time, he spoke louder: "To explain everything– Uh, I– I need to start from the beginning."
"That would seem like an appropriate place to start," Vader seethed.
Starkiller was barely able to nod in his master's hold. "Of course, my master. I will. I–"
Breathe, remember to breathe, he told himself.
"When you sent me to kill Ko– General Kota, Luke sneaked on board Rogue Shadow. We didn't have time to take him back. He was never in any danger, I made sure that Captain Eclipse stayed far away and understood that his life was the priority."
Darth Vader said nothing, so he continued. "I wanted to take him back home, but you told me to go to Scarl immediately. And I know I should've told you, my master, but I was–"
Scared? Afraid of what you'd do? He could not say that.
"I mean, I knew that–"
Stop, stop, stop! Stop rambling, he hates rambling!
"I know I shouldn't have kept it from you, and I'm sorry. Luke hid on Rogue Shadow until we left for Felucia. I told him to stay on the ship and then go home on his own. And he did. But when I didn't come back– Luke, he– I had told him how I failed with Kota. That he's still alive. Unc– I mean, Mr and Msr Lars said Luke thought Kota was the reason I didn't come back. So he went to look for me. I followed him to Nar Shaddaa. I learnt he tried to confront Kota. I don't know why, but Kota took him. But I have a lead on him. He took Luke to Raxus Prime."
He ended his quickly delivered confession, and for a moment just focused on breathing. Hurried, fluttering breaths in and out. He listened to his master's steady breaths and tried to match his own like he had done as a child when a torturous exercise was about to become too much for him to bear. He closed his eyes. "Master, I am sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have–"
"Quiet."
His head slumped forward as Vader let go. Starkiller kept his eyes shut, fingers curled around his knee so tightly he would have trouble uncurling them later. The silence, broken only by their breathing, seemed to stretch on forever.
Finally, Darth Vader spoke: "Luke smuggled himself on Rogue Shadow? And you didn't notice?"
"Yes," Starkiller breathed out, fixing his eyes on Vader's black boots. "I was– Getting a new pilot is always– Uh– I don't like dealing with it. So I wasn't paying enough attention."
Excuses, those were all excuses. He should have known better.
"I should have noticed him sooner. We were already closer to Nar Shaddaa than Tatooine. We didn't have time to turn back. I wanted to take him back right af–"
"And he was on Rogue Shadow for the entire time you were on Executor?"
"Yes. I told him to hide his presence. I shouldn't have done that, I should have told you the truth. But I–"
"Impressive."
Starkiller snapped up his head to look at his master. "Impressive..?"
"For Luke to be able to hide himself from me... No wonder you failed to notice him."
"He's very good at that," Starkiller agreed and lowered his head again. "But Master, I'm so sorry, I should have known better–"
"Stop grovelling."
Starkiller snapped his mouth shut. How stupid of him. He had already said he was sorry. Once would have been enough. Master would not want to hear his excuses or pleas for forgiveness. "Yes, my master."
"And after Felucia..." Vader spoke after a moment. "Luke was on his own?"
"Yes, my master."
"Finally. That explains why he was on Centares and Formos."
Starkiller had no idea what Vader meant or how he would have known of Luke being anywhere but Tatooine, but he kept his mouth shut. Now was not the time for questions.
"What do you know of General Kota's involvement?"
With a deep breath, Starkiller began his explanation, trying to make it as short as possible, but without any key details missing.
"I have no idea why General Kota took him. He had every chance to kill Luke, but he didn't," Starkiller admitted to finish off his explanation about the security holo and a passing note of the demise of the woman who had shared it with him.
Darth Vader, eerily calm, said: "He took Luke because he knew he was my son."
"How is that possible?" Starkiller gasped. There was no way Kota could have learnt it through him. Lekauf was not a traitor. Nor would Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru ever do anything that would place Luke in harm's way. PROXY was not capable of betraying them. Juno didn't know, nor would she have had the chance to tell Kota.
Darth Vader was silent for a long while, so long that he began pacing. Starkiller did not dare say another word or move.
"In the recordings," Vader finally spoke. "You said there was no sound, but that they both spoke."
"Yes, but the quality wasn't good enough for lip-reading."
"When did they speak?"
"Kova said that Luke appeared to announce himself quite loudly," Starkiller said with a grimace. Oh, Luke, you little fool. "They apparently exchanged some words before Luke attacked General Kota. Once General Kota had Luke unarmed they both said something to each other. She told me that when the general threatened him with the lightsaber, Luke seemed very angry. I think that whatever it is he said made General Kota throw him across the cantina. General Kota was the last one to speak before he took Luke."
Vader ceased his pacing. "Perhaps it was Luke who told him."
Starkiller snapped up his head to look at Vader. "Why would he do that?"
How could he be so stupid?
"To bargain for his life," Vader suggested, still surprisingly calm, seemingly staring into the distance across the clearing. He reached for his belt and threw something at Starkiller, who just about managed to catch it between his hands. It was a holoprojector.
Whatever it was, he knew he did not want to see it.
"Greetings, Lord Vader", Kota's image spoke as soon as he pressed play. Though his expression was mostly neutral, there was an unmistakeable smugness to his tone. "It's a shame you couldn't make it the last time I invited you to meet me. I'll be more direct this time. I'm organising a new chance for us to meet, and I hope a little incentive will have you come yourself this time."
"No..." Starkiller whispered as Kota's image was replaced by that of Luke's, bound and chained, screaming silent words as Kota's voice continued speaking.
"If you want to see your son again, follow my instructions. Firstly, confirm that you have seen this. You'll find my contact details saved on this same disk. Don't bother trying to trace me unless you are willing to let your son die. I don't mind working a little around your schedule, I know you are a busy man. But I won't wait for long. If I don't hear from you, I'll have no reason to keep your son alive. The Galaxy won't miss one dark side assassin. It'll be a better place without either of you in it. But I'm willing to let him live. Your life against his. Face me, and pay for all the Jedi you've murdered. Pay for what you've done to the Galaxy."
Luke alone in the dark. Luke in pain. Luke screaming in anger and despair.
The nightmarish endless loops of visions that had haunted him on Empirical flooded back into his mind. He had felt Luke's pain and desperation, and he had been utterly unable to prevent his suffering. Luke, his brother, had been suffering all this time.
The image of Luke, miserably lying on the floor like a dead animal, was replaced by Kota's scarred face.
"I'll be waiting. I'll tell you when and where. If you don't follow my instructions, your son will be executed. I'll happily do it myself. Should I die or be captured, your son most certainly dies. Think about it, my lord."
The message ended.
For a while, neither Starkiller nor Darth Vader spoke, and the enormity of Kota's words hung in the air. It wasn't some Jedi Code of compassion Kota had adhered to when he spared Luke's life. He wasn't trying to convert or "save" him. He wasn't even trying to get back at Starkiller for blinding him. He still sought to destroy Darth Vader. And he would use a child to do it.
"I'll find Kota," Starkiller swore between grit teeth, murderous rage flaring within his heart. If Kota had so much as cut a hair off of Luke's head he would make the Jedi suffer. "I know where he is. I won't fail this time. I will kill him. And I'll bring Luke back."
Vader spun to face him, the ends of his black cape swirling in the air. "No."
"No?
"No," Vader repeated, striding back to his apprentice with cold purpose. "This is an opportunity."
"How?" Starkiller cried out. How could Vader of all the people say that? When Kota was blackmailing him with his own son's life? "He has Luke! He has to die!"
"Yes, but not now. One day, he will die, but not by your hand."
Starkiller breathed in through his nose and willed himself to calm down. If Master wanted to be the one to end Kota's life, then that was his right. He could understand why Vader wanted to be the one to kill Kota. But why not now? Starkiller could lead them to Kota before the Jedi could act. Together, they could not fail.
"Then let me bring him to you," Starkiller urged. He didn't need to kill Kota, he would be content just...hurting him a little and knowing his master would be the one to end his miserable life. "He deserves to suffer for what he's done."
"No. Go to Raxus Prime and find General Kota," Vader commanded. "Take advantage of his vision. Use him and his knowledge to find the enemies of the Empire. Make him believe that you have betrayed me."
"Why? What does that accomplish?" Starkiller demanded to know. "Isn't the army of terrorists what the Emperor wants?"
Vader hooked his thumbs to his utility belt, as often was his habit, regarding his apprentice.
"Ultimately, what the Emperor wants," Vader began calmly, "is for you to find and bring together any high-ranking traitors who could pose a threat to his rule so that he can have them all removed. Whether or not he succeeds, it is still a good distraction. If he doesn't, then all the better. The longer his attention is on his other enemies, the more room we will have to move."
Starkiller nodded his agreement, though he still boiled with rage for what Kota had done. He gripped the holoprojector in his hand. How could he face the man and pretend to be a friend knowing what he had done? How would he do that and simultaneously save Luke?
"What about Luke?" he asked. "What do I tell General Kota?"
He knew he would not like the answer, and he was correct. It wasn't fair, he thought bitterly as Vader gave out his orders, but he murmured a dutiful, defeated: "Yes, my master."
He offered the holoprojector back, but Vader instructed him to keep it. It could help him find Kota should he have left Raxus Prime already.
"Here," Vader said. Starkiller's eyes followed as his master reached out his arm to him. "Take this. Give it to General Kota."
Darth Vader uncurled his fingers to reveal a green lightsaber crystal. Kota's lightsaber crystal.
Vader's tone took a sinister edge as he finished: "As a token of goodwill."
Starkiller stood up and removed the glove from his right hand as he stepped closer to his master. The air didn't immediately feel cold to his warm hand as he reached to pick up the green gem between his fingers, careful not to touch the leather glad hand that held it. It was freezing to touch, but he still curled his fingers around it as he fumbled to open a pocket and placed it there safely. The pins and needles of the coldness had found his flesh and he hurried to pull the glove back on. After half a second of hesitation, he knelt back down.
The sun had dipped below the horizon a while ago and the last light it had cast onto the sky was now gone. There were no lights but the stars and a partial moon, and the snow reflecting their pale light. If it weren't for the lights of his chest panel, Darth Vader would have blended into the darkness against the forest. And though he acted calm, Starkiller could feel the dark Force gathering around him. He was still very, very angry, though perhaps that anger wasn't all directed at his apprentice. Regardless, Starkiller felt like he deserved it all.
Despite all his layers of clothing the cold was beginning to seep in as he waited motionless for his master to say something. By now his legs were feeling the chill. He shivered slightly and glanced at Vader. Did the cold not affect him at all? Probably not. The suit likely kept him warm. With each of his exhales, vapour poured out between the grill of his mask.
"General Kota must not know that you still serve me."
"I understand, Master," Starkiller replied dutifully, though still furious about the idea of letting Kota basically walk free.
"And Captain Eclipse? Who does she serve?"
Starkiller froze, but only for a moment. He had not expected Juno to be brought up at all.
"Her loyalty to the Empire and you have been compromised, but she's still a valuable asset. She believes I've betrayed you and is willing to help me with my "revenge"."
It was as neutral as Starkiller could put it. He desperately wanted for Juno to stay. If Vader ordered her killed... He didn't know what he would do. He couldn't do it. He wouldn't do it.
"Good," Vader said. "Her genuine hatred for me and the Empire will help you convince your new allies of your motivations."
So that was why Vader had had her imprisoned and tortured instead of killing her. Starkiller had to admit his master was right. It would help him sell his lies. It made his stomach turn uncomfortably regardless. All the suffering she went through was for her to be used as a pawn.
His feelings did not go unnoticed by Darth Vader.
"Do not let your feelings for Captain Eclipse cloud your judgement. Do not forget who you serve and why."
Starkiller's thoughts went to Luke and to Tatooine. His home. His family. He would never, ever give up on the family his master had given him. He looked up at Vader with determination. "I won't, my master."
"Good", his master simply said, looking back at him. His arm moved quickly, hand grasping thin air in front of him and Starkiller was once again violently hoisted in the air.
"If my son dies," Vader began, the leather glove crunching as he curled his mechanical fingers. "Know that there is no place in the Galaxy for you to hide from me."
Starkiller gasped for air as pressure around his ribs built and Vader pulled him closer, so close that Starkiller could have touched the black mask if he bowed his head.
"Do not fail me this time," his master seethed a warning. The pressure was released and Starkiller flew backwards into the snow with a heavy "oof".
"Luke is like a brother to me," Starkiller snarled as he dragged himself up on his knees with arms on his sides to open up his chest as a silent invitation for Vader to stab him to death if he so desired. "If he dies, I won't run. I will find whoever is responsible. I will kill them myself or die trying. And then I will come to you. I will accept my failure and face your judgement."
For a moment there was silence apart from Vader's steady breaths. Once, twice as Starkiller waited defiantly, heart pounding in his chest.
"Then I have taught you well, apprentice," his master finally spoke. Starkiller could have sworn there was a hint of amusement in Darth Vader's tone.
"Rise, my apprentice," he urged, emphasising his invitation with a movement of his hand that just moments ago had threatened to crush him to death. "From now on, be wary of every order I give you. They may be given under the Emperor's watch. Do not forget your purpose. Now go. The dark side will be with you."
Always, Starkiller finished soundlessly. He rose to his feet, feeling a little unsteady from the cold and the fright he had just had. He bowed deeply as a parting gesture and turned to walk away. Behind him, Vader headed back for his ship.
Starkiller's steps slowed down before coming to a halt. This could be the last chance in a long time he had to speak with Darth Vader freely. There was still one more confession to make. He curled his hands into fists and took a deep breath before turning around.
"Master!" he called.
Darth Vader stopped and did not move as Starkiller began walking back to him.
"Before I go. There's something more I need to tell you."
"Then speak."
"I did not kill Mara Jade. I didn't kill Shaak Ti's apprentice, either. Luke did."
He could feel how his words stunned his master, and before Vader could chastise or punish him, Starkiller continued: "Luke is strong. He's better than you and Lieutenant Lekauf think he is. He can't learn more by staying on Tatooine."
For a moment the world seemed to stand still. Darth Vader neither spoke nor did he punish Starkiller for admitting to having put Luke's life in danger by pitting him against the likes of Mara Jade and a Jedi Padawan. Then the Dark Lord turned around and climbed up into his ship without a single word.
Starkiller watched as the TIE Advanced slowly rose to the black sky and flew away. Only once he could no longer hear its engines did Starkiller let out a long sigh of relief and sank to the ground.
Starkiller's wardrobe was far more extensive than what Juno had. She had packed pretty light when she had initially accepted the assignment as Starkiller's pilot. Her warmest jacket would have left her freezing to death in these temperatures. But she was never really meant to leave the climate-controlled Rogue Shadow. She was not a former assassin in need of an outfit for every possible climate. And Starkiller certainly had that and more. She would not admit it, but she spent way more time than necessary curiously going through his wardrobe.
Most of his clothes were highly practical and nearly everything was worn, tattered, and...well, clearly washed but still stained and dirty. The colour scheme varied mostly from black to might-have-been-white-when-new, as well as various shades of brown and some dark greens. Everything was neatly arranged by what she presumed to be their purpose.
PROXY let her browse at her leisure, claiming he possessed no knowledge of his master's clothes beyond their existence.
"Does he buy these himself?" she asked, thinking that more than a few items ought to have been just thrown away and replaced. Somebody, Starkiller she presumed, had tried to fix and patch them, and maybe they still served their purpose, but she herself would have just got rid of them.
"No, Lord Vader always provided him with what he needed for his missions."
Juno raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Darth Vader did not come off as someone who would just...buy clothes. Not even ordering via HoloNet shops. Besides, Starkiller's clothes seemed tailor-made.
She did not pursue the subject. Instead, she focused her search more seriously on the clothes she found at the very back. She doubted they had fit Starkiller for several years now.
The Muunilist mountain valley was far colder than anything Juno had ever experienced, but the pinch of coldness on her cheeks still brought back memories of her childhood, long before she had joined the military. Dressed in a long and worn dark coat, her head wrapped in a long thick scarf and wearing boots several sizes too large for her, Juno walked around the Rogue Shadow's hull. She held her arm high up to trace the ship's surface, covered in frost, with her gloved hand. The creak of snow under her steps was a familiar sound that reminded her of walks she had taken with her mother when she was still a young girl.
"We should stay near the ship," PROXY said. He had insisted on accompanying Juno. "The wildlife may be hostile. And we should be ready to leave as soon as Master returns."
"Don't worry, we're not going far," Juno reassured the droid. She stopped once they reached the fore of Rogue Shadow and just took in the surroundings. It had got completely dark since Starkiller had left. Only a little light was cast through Rouge Shadow's viewport, but it was not enough to illuminate the frozen land. In the distance, the white mountains rose against the dark sky. There were barely any clouds and only one of the planet's moons was visible in the sky, partially concealed by Muunilist's shadow. The air, though cold, was crisp and fresh – a lovely change from the hot and polluted Nar Shaddaa.
She had no intention to leave Rogue Shadow out of her sight, but she did want to explore a little more. Nar Shaddaa had been her first real opportunity to spend time outside Rogue Shadow, but Nar Shaddaa was one giant city. There was no nature for her to explore, though it had been fascinating to see the diversity of people. While serving in the Imperial Military and Navy, seeing species other than Humans was rare.
PROXY did not protest as she began walking away from the ship, downhill what she knew would be towards the valley. There was some kind of a settlement on the other side of the valley, but it was not visible from here nor was the valley itself. The thick, snow-covered woods surrounded the clearing from all sides. The closer to the edge of the woods she got, the thicker the snow cover became. She turned to look over her shoulder and saw that PROXY had followed her halfway.
Ignoring the droid, Juno began to walk parallel to the woods, near the edge of the clearing, just enjoying being outside and taking in the scenery. Once she was directly to the left of Rogue Shadow, she decided to walk back up to it. She was most certainly feeling the cold by now. PROXY kept his distance but did not appear to leave her out of his sight.
"You okay with the cold, PROXY?" she asked once she reached him.
"Yes. I can operate in space," the droid said. "However, the snow may not be ideal for my built."
"Let's go back inside then," Juno suggested. "I could use some hot chocolate."
She had bought some on Nar Shaddaa. It had been her intention to make some for Starkiller, too, for one of their holodrama nights, but she hadn't got around doing it yet. The idea of having some to warm up from the cold filled her with delight as she, with PROXY in her tow, made her way around the ship, stomping with the boots too large for her.
Starkiller would surely appreciate a hot beverage upon his return, too.