The Vader Family
Yo, 'sup. You must think I update pretty quick, don't ya? Well, don't get comfy, sweetcheeks; it ain't happenin' again...did I just say 'sweetcheeks'? Awesome, I'm turning into Deadpool, who I gotta say is one kick-ass character. I mean dude, he's crazy! And breaks the fourth wall, ALL THE TIME! X-Men: Origins didn't do him justice. He's the 'Merc-with-a-Mouth', not the 'Merc-with-a-F#$%'d-Up-Mouth'. Pity. Well, enjoy this chapter. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some Deadpool comics to attend to. ("Oh, Wade, you sly dog!")
Disclaimer: Don't. Own. Ever.
Chapter 2: He's My What?
Darth Vader viewed a holo-projection of the planet with the Governor, a trooper Captain, and a young Lieutenant.
Working aboard Lord Vader's personal Star Destroyer was the last job Firmus Piett thought he would be doing, and would most likely be his last. Even when serving with the Axxila fleet in the Outer Rims, Piett had heard rumors of the Emperor's Second-in-Command. Tales of how the Sith Lord killed a man for simply walking too close swam through the ranks. They said the Dark Lord had control of some mystical power that enabled him to read minds, choke a man without touching him, and other hidden supernatural powers. There were also the outlandish tales highlighting the Sith Lord to be a product of the Emperor's experiments, a cyborg in black armor, and something involving babies and eating them.
Imagine his surprise and horror when Piett received a summons to serve aboard the Accuser, as Lord Vader's P.A. But as it turns out, his Supreme Commander was not an experimental robotic baby-eating monster…to his knowledge.
Piett discovered that Lord Vader was actually a fair and just superior. The people he punished (most often killed) usually performed some catastrophic blunder that cost the lives of troops and soldiers. Or they were just nerf-herders. Aside from the occasional tantrums that surfaced from time-to-time (mostly after speaking with the Emperor) Lord Vader's demands were often within reason. Right now, Piett was delivering a report on the projected assumptions of where other sects of rebels may be located.
"Our intelligence indicate there pockets of rebellion stirring up all across the planet. According to the reports, more citizens are actively engaging in acts of rebellion ever since the appearance of the so-called Jedi. The two largest groupings of insurgents are the ones located in this city and in Bana, a fairly large city located in the south. If these two factions can be effectively eradicated, then the rebellion on Stewjon will dispel indubitably."
Vader gave a nod of approval. "Excellent work, Lieutenant. Captain," He turned to the trooper, who crisply saluted in acknowledgement. "Take a portion of the troops and send them to Bana. I want that city under martial law until the insurgents are apprehended. Anyone under suspicion is to be detained immediately. See to it that every single cell is eliminated; I want this planet cleansed of rebel scum. I shall handle this city myself."
The captain gave a 'Yes, sir!' and exited the room. Vader faced Merkson. "Now, Governor, we shall see to the matter of your-," He stopped, as a sudden new Force signature flared to life. It flashed like a beacon through the Force, then was snuffed out just as quickly as it appeared. He sensed it from the location of the holding cells, and was quickly moving away from it. Who…?
The impostor! Thought Vader fiercely. He's been hiding his Force signature all this time! How could I have missed it? He must be good if he has been able to conceal his powers so well. He predicted the pathway the signal was traveling, and without a word to anyone, Vader rushed out the room.
The escapees and their present Force wielder raced through the corridors of compound, dodging Imperial troops left and right. It was a miracle they haven't been discovered yet, and they were using that to its full advantage.
Dez lead them on a route that was visible only to him. They weaved their way through the grey metal halls like shadows, keeping quite as a group as large as theirs could. Several times they waited with bated breath as patrols passed their way, praying to the stars they wouldn't be discovered.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of running, they came to a huge open hanger. TIE Fighters were parked in neat rows, their black hulls polished to shine. A few engineers were scattered across the hanger, but they didn't carry weapons. Nothing stood in the way of their freedom.
Just then a pair of doors slid open to reveal the menacing form of Darth Vader, accompanied by a squad of storm troopers. He spotted the escapees and pointed at them, the troopers raising their blasters in their direction. Despair passed over everyone's faces.
"RUN!" shouted Dez, and they took off, frantically trying to dodge the barrage of red lasers.
"Stun that one," ordered Vader, pointing to the Jedi impostor. "I want him alive. Kill the others."
Chad gulped as he noticed the shots were now focused on him. What did he do to deserve this? Running for his life, dodging red lasers of doom. Why did he have to get involved? His throat clenched as he saw a few people fall from blaster fire. From the corner of his eye, he saw a red bolt flash past him, and there was a thud.
The kid! The kid got hit! Chad rushed over to the prone figure on the floor. The bolt shot clean through the kid's calf muscle. It wasn't life-threatening, but in a situation like this, it was as good as being dead. He scooped the kid up in his arms, who winced in pain, and made a mad dash towards the opening. Chad saw Dez waving him over, crouched behind a large crate for protection, along with most of the others.
"The kid got skimmed by a stray bolt!" Chad exclaimed frantically. "They've got us pinned down. We can't escape like this!" Dez called for another guy to take the boy off Chad's hands.
"Then this is what we do. I'll draw their fire away from this position and give you guys a chance to make for the exit. Once I start, you guys run like hell and don't look back."
A stream of protests sprung up.
"That's suicide, Dez! You won't get out alive!"
"Let me help! I'll stay behind."
"No!" Dez stated firmly. "I got you all into this, now I'm gonna get you all out. Of course, my survival might be a little bit better with a Jedi at my side." All heads turned to Chad. He started back at them with wide eyes.
"Me?" He practically squeaked. "What can I do?"
"They're trying to capture you," explained Dez "Haven't you noticed? They're using stun blasts on you. If you're with me, they won't be shooting with killing shots. That'll give the others a chance. I'd say getting stunned is better than being dead."
"But…I…" Chad's protests trailed off as he saw the desperate plea in each of the people's faces. The kid's expression, though in pain, lit up with hope.
"You'd do that for us?" asked the boy, then gave a soft smile. "I knew you were a hero."
That did it. Chad agreed to the plan and together with Dez the two prepared to spring from their cover. Before he dove headfirst into danger, he asked the kid his name.
"Jeremy," said the boy.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Chad." He stuck out a hand and the kid, Jeremy, shook it.
"On three," said Dez, "…THREE!" He and Chad burst from their cover, sprinting across the hanger. The troopers saw them and fired towards their position, ignoring the escaping prisoners. The lines of TIE Fighters provided some cover, but Chad felt a sense of unease building up in his gut. Something was going to happen, and soon.
"What do we do now?" he asked. Peeking out from one of the wings of the fighter, Chad saw that most of the rebels had escaped the hangar. It was a good thing too, for the troopers were starting to advance. "I don't suppose you have a plan for this time, Dez?" Vader had started approaching too, no doubt wanting to finish off the 'Jedi' himself.
"Actually, I do." Chad heard Dez say before pain blossomed at the back of his head. He saw sparks. The ground lurched and he heard something clatter beside him. As his vision darkened, Chad watched the retreating form of Dez with a single thought on his mind: Screw you, Owen.
Vader watched impassively as his troops mowed down the escaped insurgents. The Force-sensitive he felt was trying to escape with the rebels. Vader knew he was no Jedi, because the man's movements held no sign of previous training. The fact that he held no lightsabre was an obvious indication; no self-respecting Jedi would ever be found without one, as conspicuous as they were. Vader didn't so much as flinch when a boy was shot down. He was surprised, however, when the Force-sensitive impostor rushed over and carried the boy away. But then again, he shouldn't have been surprised. Anakin was always-
No! No! Anakin is dead! He told himself. He needed to stop wasting time on thoughts of the past. But he couldn't ignore the strange familiarity of the impostor's Force signature. There was no way he could fake that. It felt like his own, yet at the same time not. It was calmer, more subdued and alien, but not entirely so. It brought nostalgia, the memory of a sensation long, long ago. Vader was puzzled, and was determined to get to the bottom of this.
One of the rebels dashed out from the crate they were hiding behind, followed by the impostor. Vader ordered his soldiers to focus their attention on them. He no longer cared for the rest of the insignificant pests; he needed to know who that impostor really was.
A sudden pain erupted from the back of his head that made him almost stagger. Vader turned to see the imbecile who hit him, but saw no one. Curse that useless medic-droid! That blasted machine must have damaged some circuitry in his armor when analyzing him.
He turned in time to see the impostor topple to the ground, with the other rebel standing over him dropping a hydrospanner. It figures that this rebel scum would turn upon his own. The rebel turned and sprinted out the hangar, leaving his companion to his fate. Disgusted by the criminal's actions, Vader stalked over to the prone figure that lay sprawled across the floor. It unnerved him to see the face of Anakin, seemingly dead, lying at his feet. He forcibly pushed himself out of that feeling.
"Take this one to the medical facility and hold him there," ordered Vader, "And clean up this mess."
The man was still unconscious when Vader entered the medical wing. His breaths came at a steady rate, showing there was nothing overly serious to contend with. A medical droid busied itself with analyzing tests of its latest patient, scurrying to and fro.
Vader rather liked droids. They were efficient and competent, not stricken with the curse of human error. They were logical, practical, and some could occasionally strike up a decent conversation. And best of all, they had no emotions to speak of. When Vader approached the droid rolled straight up to him, without any fear of who he was.
"The patient has suffered a mild concussion due to trauma to the back of the head. Scans indicate no lasting damage, and estimates show he will make a full recovery."
"What of the tests I requested? What are the results?" Vader asked impatiently.
"A blood sample taken from the patient has registered a midi-chlorian count averaging to six thousand five hundred per cell." Six thousand? That was barely enough to pass for the Jedi qualification. Even AgriCorp members had a base count of eight thousand. The droid continued its report.
"A general genetic test has shown that the patient's results matches with that of one known person listed in the Imperial Archives as 'Vandier, Chadwick': Human male, age of twenty-eight galactic standard years, son of planetary governor 'Vandier, Hayden' of the planet Riflor. A notice was put out on the network concerning his whereabouts, the statement indicating he went missing four months ago…"
"This is a governor's son?" he questioned out loud. The irony of it would have been humorous. Treason was a serious crime, even for an Imperial official. There would be some serious reparations for Governor Vandier, and Vader himself would see that they were carried out. The fact that his son was also a Force sensitive would add to his list of misconducts. Vader gave a cruel smirk. His master must hear of this. He'll enjoy knocking these repugnant opportunists down a peg.
"…in addition to the midi-chlorian test, a secondary, follow-up analysis was made, as per Imperial protocol concerning Force-sensitives," The droid hadn't finished its report yet. "Comparing the DNA analysis with records of known Jedi stored in the system, one match resulted…"
A show of strength will subdue these useless worms back down to their holes. Vader may have only recently emerged as a distinct figure by the Emperors side, but the officials and bureaucrats saw him as nothing more than an attack dog. He was feared, but not respected. They saw the Force as something of a myth, a ruse created to enforce control over the masses. But what they didn't know was that their own Emperor was the personification of the Dark Side himself. Those groveling toadies had no inkling as to what true power was.
"…'Skywalker, Anakin': Human male, aged twenty-three at time of death. There is a projected estimate of 99.6% of relation. DNA match suggests monozygotic twin…"
He'll get the power he deserve even if…wait, what? "Repeat the last statement." Vader demanded. Was his hearing aid malfunctioning?
"Certainly," Said the droid "Analysis shows there is a 99.6% chance of relation, the most likely connection would be a monozygotic twin. DNA comparison shows an approximate 1% difference, possibly due to environmental factors." This was all said with the cool professionalism only a droid possessed.
Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, was not in any calm, professional mood. He was trying to comprehend the word…
"Twin?"
"Correction; monozygotic-"
"Twin?"
"Correction; mono-"
"My twin?"
"Correction; 'Skywalker, Anakin-"
CRASH!
The unfortunate droid was flung bodily across the room, hitting the wall in little pieces. But the dark lord's wrath could not be contained. A wind-like force swirled in the room, picking up objects in a maelstrom of power and confusion. Reinforced durasteel crumpled like paper, unable to contain the dark energy that was being released. The entire complex felt the tremor. Servants dropped what they were doing and huddled on the ground, believing it to be an earthquake. Squads of stormtroopers rushed to emergency positions, in case of an attack. And as quickly as it came, the terrifying power was dispelled.
Vader was knocked out of his shock by a throbbing pain that originated at the back of his head. Then he noticed the other occupant in the room stirring.
"Stars, my head. Somebody get that freighter's numb-, Kriffin' hells! What happened in here?" Chad woke up to find himself in what seemed to be the remains of a medical ward. A curious sound drew his attention, and he almost fell out of the stretcher in alarm. Darth Vader was looking, glaring, intently at him.
"Wha-what do you want?"
"Who are you?" Roared Vader. Chad felt an invisible force lift him up into the air.
"Ch-Chad!" He gasped. "Chad Vandier!" Screw the consequences; he had to give his name! Vader was going to kill him!
"Liar!" Vader snarled. "Do not lie to me! Who are you? Where have you been hiding? Why do you have that face? How can you exist?"
"I-I don't know!" cried Chad, confused and scared out of his wits. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" His frantic reply was cut off as he felt a pressure against his neck.
"I said not to lie to me! You will not lie to me! No one shall ever lie to me again!" Vader's hand was stretched out, slowly making a fist. Chad struggled to breathe as the unseen force cut off his oxygen supply. He started seeing spots. Darkness was flickering at the edge of his vision, blending in with the menacing black figure in front of him. If this keeps up, he'll-
The force holding him disappeared, and Chad toppled to the ground, gasping in a lungful of air. He spared a glance up, and saw Darth Vader with a hand clutching at his own throat, staggering back, whom without a word fled the room.
The force he felt was incredible. It was as if he himself was Force-choked. Stumbling into his chambers, Vader leaned against a wall and unconsciously put a hand to his neck. What was that? He wondered. Through a haze of fury and frustration, he remembered snippets of a Force-fueled storm, interrogating the man before him, and lifting him up and choking him. But as he did so, Vader felt a pressure upon his own throat, constricting enough that it cut his concentration. But how? He felt no powers emanating from the man, and certainly no sense that he used any.
Then it hit him. Literally. Vader recalled the stingning sensation at the gates, the sharp pain in the hangar. And now this. Whatever harm came to the man, Vader would also feel it. Was this because of their connection as…as…
He couldn't even bring himself to think it.
A twin? The idea itself was preposterous. He wouldn't have believed it, but the Force told him it was true. It practically shook, when the revelation was reached. But how? Why was it only discovered now? Why didn't his mother-
Mother.
It pained him to think of her, even to this day. She had been the one true constant in his life, one he could trust. She never lied to him. Or did she? Vader thought. Could mother have betrayed me too? Even back then? It was heartbreaking to think about. Did she know about this? Did she know she had another son? If so, then why didn't she tell him? Why did she lie? Was she even his true mother?
Vader had no one to ask these questions to, except for the ghosts in his mind. He was alone. There was only one person he could turn to, his Master. But first things first…
When Piett approached the room, the incessant banging lessened somewhat, but then returned with renewed vigor. He sighed minutely, then ordered the white-armored soldiers to get into position. Lord Vader had demanded to personally interrogate the rebel, and stars forbid what he'd do if the prisoner escaped. One of the troopers signaled, and Piett nodded. He disengaged the lock on the door, and the room's occupant came tumbling out with a yelp.
Piett raised an eyebrow. Lord Vader had instructed them to exercise extreme caution with this one, but looking at the trembling state the man before him was in, he was highly skeptical. That is, until he took a glimpse into the room.
Pieces of debris was scattered across the floor, light panels ripped from the ceiling, wires sputtering and flailing like grounded fish. The machinery was in ruins, dented and cracked like a discarded toy. Piett looked back at the man.
"I believe we'll have to add 'Destruction of Government Property' to your list of crimes," Piett commented lightly. Chad gave him an indignant look.
"You think I did this? Your commander is seven kinds of crazy. Woke up seeing the room like this, then nearly got strangled by Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Homicidal. Look at my neck! It's all…choked! I'm filing a complaint."
"I'm sure Lord Vader will be eager to hear your complaints when you tell him in person," Piett said evenly. The other man paled instantly. "Though I must say, you are one of the fortunate few to have survived his wrath with only minor injuries. Let's see how long that lasts." At his command the troops secured the prisoner and dragged him deeper into the complex.
Notes: The reason why I went with the twin thing is 'cuz twins are a trendy thing in Star Wars; Luke and Leia, Jaina and Jacen,...other, uh...twins. See? Twins are cool. I wish I had a twin. Or a clone...or a brother...wait a minute, who's that kid in my house? Who's that other kid in my house?...Did I, miss something?...MOM!
- Chindu, Prince of Darkness