The Executor

In orbit around Vandyne

In his own private holochamber, Darth Vader knelt, his great head bowed, before his Master. As usual, the senior Sith came in the form of a gigantic hologram which towered above Vader.

Vader had long grown weary of the symbolism of a humongous robed figure looming over him, but naturally he didn't say anything.

"What is thy bidding, my Master," he intoned with solemnity, carefully concealing his impatience. He had to find Luke, and Luke was not on Vandyne.

"There is a great disturbance in the Force," Palpatine replied.

Vader sighed softly to himself. This conversation was like déjà vu all over again.

"Yes, my Master."

"Would you care to explain the disruption?" Palpatine inquired, rather sarcastically.

"Skywalker was sighted in this sector of space, my Master. I am in pursuit of him even now."

There was a pause now, and Vader felt his Master reach along their bond to search out his true feelings and intentions. He responded by flooding the bond with his impatience and eagerness and rage over the repeated close, but in the end, fruitless attempts to find his son.

He felt Sidious pull back, generating clear pleasure as he did so.

"You have been close before, my servant," Palpatine commented softly, "but perhaps this time …"

In that moment, both Sith froze in astonishment, as a vision appeared in the mind's eye of each Dark Lord.

Luke Skywalker, lying on an inclined bed, his arms and legs chained. And at his side, the looming figure of Darth Vader.

Through a surge of intense longing and hope, Vader heard his Master begin cackling in clear delight.

"It would seem, my friend, that your long search is nearly at an end."

Now his voice grew lower and more menacing, "As soon as Skywalker is secure, you will contact me. Is that entirely clear?"

Vader nodded obediently, eager to end this conversation and continue the search, "Yes, my Master."

/-

Imperial Throne Room

Imperial Palace

Imperial City

Imperial Center

With a slight gesture of his right index finger, Darth Sidious ended the contact with his most powerful servant.

He leaned back and allowed himself to smile. The time was nearly at hand, the capture and seduction of the young Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side of the Force.

Sidious had, he admitted to himself, waited quite long enough. Vader was growing dangerously unreliable, and it was time to put an end to the man. He would have destroyed the former Anakin Skywalker several years ago if a reasonable alternate apprentice had been found.

For a moment, Palpatine's thoughts dwelt irritably on the Emperor's Hand Mara Jade. He had contemplated, briefly, raising her to position of Sith Lady. But he had sent her to Tatooine to kill Skywalker as a test and regrettably, if not surprisingly, she had failed the test and died at Skywalker's hand. The boy was strong in the Force, and far more interesting a possible apprentice than Jade had been. But Jade had been a curious individual herself, with a fascinating streak of morality mixed in with her slavish devotion to his interests. She would have been easier to mold into the perfect Sith, and Palpatine was man enough to admit that with age, his desire to bring a very spirited Skywalker to heel had dimmed slightly. Nevertheless, the younger Skywalker was clearly meant to replace his father.

A thought occurred to him, and he turned on the com on his throne.

"Yes, Your Highness?" inquired the disembodied voice respectfully.

"Order that bottle of my very best Alderaanian wine be removed from deep storage immediately."

"Yes, your Highness."

He sighed with contentment. His ancient taste buds weren't as sensitive as they used to be, but he still loved his Alderaanian wine. Since even his supply was quite limited, he only drank it for special occasions.

The capture of Luke Skywalker would be a valid reason for celebration.

/

The Cave

Camden

Max woke up to the sound of quiet tapping.

For a long moment, he was completely confused. What time was it? Where was he? Who was he?

Then the events of the last few days rushed back into his mind. His abduction from the Rancor's Armpit, the beatings, the threats, the near loss of a digit, and then his rescue by the mysterious Lars.

He sat up carefully and opened his eyes, then smiled in relief.

He could see!

Sort of.

"How are your eyes, Max?" Lars asked. He recognized the voice anyway. It wasn't like he could see the man in detail.

"Better," Max responded after a long moment. "Everything is out of focus, but at least I can see light and dark and some shapes."

He heard a slight sound as if something was being put down, and then a dark shape moved closer to him and, based on the sounds, knelt down next to him.

"I'm just going to check pupil reflexes, Ok?" Lars asked.

Max nodded, and a moment later a very bright light shown in his eyes. He winced and closed his eyes instinctively.

"Looking good. Your pupils are reacting well. Your vision will continue to clear," Lars said in an encouraging tone.

A moment later, firm hands were checking his bandaged right arm.

"And that looks good too. Here, eat and drink something and then we'll talk strategy."

Max frowned. His vision was truly terrible, but it seemed like something flew abruptly from the corner of the room toward them.

"Uh ..." he muttered, "it looks like things are flying around again. Is it those bats?"

Food and drink were suddenly thrust in his hands, and Lars laughed softly, "No, I'll explain about the stuff soaring around later. For now, eat."

/-

The Executor

In orbit around Vandyne

In his hyperbaric chamber, with his helmet off, Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, reached out through the Force for his son.

Luke? Where are you?

/-

The Cave

Camden

"My father was a government official on Axxila. He decided he didn't want a naval career like my uncle because he wanted to be on planet with my mother and me. He had to make periodic trips to other planets to negotiate trade deals, and eight years ago, while he was on Corellia, he was killed in a speeder crash when some idiot high on spice ran into him."

"I'm so sorry."

"Thanks ... yeah, it was really terrible. My mom was 8 months pregnant with my sister and it had been a difficult pregnancy, and then Dad died. She was a wreck, I was a wreck. I admit that. The plan had always been for me to follow Uncle Firmus into the Imperial Navy, but when I took my naval entrance exams 2 weeks after Raina was born, I did terribly. I knew I would. I mean, I was grieving, Mom was grieving, and I was up most nights helping with the baby."

"You're a good brother. Was your sister all right?"

"Oh yeah. She's 8 now. Cranky sometimes, but healthy and vibrant. I'm glad my mother has her since I live in an apartment near work."

"Do you have other siblings?"

"No. Raina was a late in life baby for Mom ... and Dad."

"So I assume your uncle was angry with your performance on the exams?"

Max lifted his head to peer with curiosity at the steadily resolving blur that was Lars. He was a surprisingly sympathetic ear for someone who was a hardened Dark Ops agent.

"No, he wasn't, thankfully. He commed me right after the results were out and was really supportive. He said to just take some more classes at the local academy and he'd make sure I could retake the exams a year later when our lives had settled."

"And?"

"And I decided not to retake the exams. I took some classes and realized I love Civil Engineering, plus a naval career would have taken me away from Mom and Raina."

He sighed, "I'll never be my dad, but I'm the only male relative Raina has nearby. I didn't want to go off planet permanently. And Mom really likes to have me around too, I know that. I mean, she encouraged me to do what I wanted to do with my life and didn't pressure me at all to stay, but I know she wants me on Axxila."

He paused, remembering whom he was speaking with, "I suppose you think that's ridiculous, sacrificing a high powered career for family."

There was a pause, and when Lars spoke, his voice was strangely roughened, "Ridiculous? No. I think it's wonderful, absolutely wonderful."

Lars narrowed his eyes, and was surprised when his vision cleared a little more. He caught a glimpse of Lars's face ...

"How old are you, Lars?" he asked suddenly.

"24 standard years."

"Galaxies! You are just a little bit older than I am! How did you end up in Dark Ops so young?"

There was a pause, and Max remembered, "Oh right, you can't talk about it."

"No. But I want to say that I think family is very important and that you made a good choice."

"Thanks," Max said gratefully, then added, "Uncle Firmus was not so understanding, which I guess isn't surprising. He thinks the Navy is the best place for me, and my father had the same plan, so my uncle keeps bringing that up every time we communicate – your father wanted you in the navy!

"Thankfully, Uncle Firmus is super busy so he isn't around to harangue me much, but he tried to pressure Mom to pressure me. He's helping support Mother financially because her family benefit is small, so that makes it a bit awkward."

"He sounds difficult."

Max considered this, "Well, I wouldn't say difficult. I mean, he's not cruel about it. The hardest part is that I know he thinks that a naval career is what's best for me. So it isn't that he's just being selfish."

He sighed, "I respect Uncle Firmus, and he thinks he's looking out for my interests. But I need to live my own life and make my own choices about my career."

There was an odd sound from Lars, which made Max lift his head.

"Did you say something?"

"No, I'm sorry, it's just that I can relate."

Lars's voice was full of some strong emotion now. Anger? Grief?

"I have an ... well, my father has the same view. He wants me to conform to his plan for my life and I'm vigorously refusing."

Max was startled, "He doesn't want you in Dark Ops? That's incredibly prestigious."

Silence.

"I'm sorry. You can't talk about ..."

"My work, no," Lars said, sounding more calm now. "No, I can't. Anyway, it's not important. But I think you're totally right to pursue what interests you while also keeping your family in mind. Civil Engineering sounds complicated and full of complex math and not my cup of caf, but I'm glad someone wants to do it."

Piett chuckled now, "It's not all math. I'm working for a firm on Axxila which is primarily involved in blowing up empty, derelict buildings and building new, stable, top of the line structures. What's not to like about blowing things up?"

Lars openly gasped, "You know about strategically blowing things up?"

"Yes ..."

"That's wonderful! I need a demolition expert!"

"You want to blow a building up?" Max asked, nervously, and indeed suspiciously.

"Yeah, the main pirate's lair …"

Lars trailed off and then suddenly groaned aloud.

Max rolled off his bed and moved closer to his rescuer. The man was leaning forward now and it looked like he had his hand pressed hard against his face.

"Is something wrong?" Max asked worriedly.

There were a few more groans, and then Lars straightened.

"No, sorry, just had a sudden major headache. It happens sometimes, but I'm better now. So yes, let me fill you in …"

/-

The Executor

"Admiral Piett!"

"Yes, my Lord?" Piett responded immediately. His voice, even through the com, sounded more agitated than usual.

"Set course for Camden. Skywalker is there, presumably with your nephew."

"Yes, my Lord."

Within a minute, the Executor entered hyperspace.

Darth Vader donned his helmet, rose to his feet, and stalked over to a nearby transparisteel window, where he stared intently at the whorls of hyperspace.

He had briefly managed to make contact with Luke's mind before being thrown out firmly by his son. Luke's strength had indeed developed substantially since their encounter on Bespin. His son had grown powerful, as the Emperor had foreseen.

In the back of his mind, he felt a niggle of worry. Would Luke, with his mother's personality and his father's Force power, truly submit to the combined wills of the Dark Lords of the Sith?

But if Luke did not turn, he would be destroyed.

And that was not an acceptable option.

So Luke would turn.