Here it is! Chapter 8!
Seriously? No one got the Force Bond reference in the last chapter?
(The shuttle Dunesea anyone? From Force Bond 3? By Kittandchips?)
Fine then. Whatever...
I am also considering starting a new, more serious, Fanfic that involves Vader, the Clone Wars, Rebellion, and all that fun Star Wars stuff...
What say you? Yay? Nay?
I had a TON of setbacks and writer's block on this chapter, so I apologize for it's length (and the lack thereof) Hopefully the next chapter will be up to snuff! I ended this chapter the way I did because it just felt right! When I added more, it just didn't have the same effect..
Anyway! Enjoy!
Chapter 8
"Leia? You in here?" A scruffy smuggler poked his head through the door of the communications center of High Command, fresh caf steaming pleasantly in his hands.
"Huh?" The princess in question looked up quickly, finally snapped out of her hours long daze sitting at the transceiver. "Oh, Han, I'm over here in the corner, Luke should've reported by now..."
"Hey princess relax," Han passed her a cup, "The kid's got it under control... Not like High Command sent him into that gundark's lair of Vader's castle or anything. That deranged cyborg is still probably searching every rock and crevice on Yavin for us!"
Smiling softly, Leia took a sip from his offered drink. Hoth was cold, and the warm liquid was a balm to her fried nerves.
"I hope you're right Han, I just can't shake the feeling that something really important is going to happen, and that we're missing out on it..."
The chiming of the transceiver grabbing their attention, Leia's eyes flew to the screen.
It's from Luke! He's okay!
Eagerly the couple poured over their friend's long-sought message:
Made it to the Yards safely, I have made some valuable connections. One being close to the commanding officer currently overseeing completion.
Unfortunately, we were too late to affect the completion of Executor, which I learned shall be the new Flagship of the Imperial Fleet, and the Super Star Destroyer which we spoke of. It is to be expected to be finished within the next few weeks. I am deep enough now that I believe transferring over to the dreadnought should be easy, there I can gather Imperial intelligence easily.
Don't worry about me though, my identity remains a secret, and no one suspects a thing.
Going in for the long haul now!
Red Five
"Oh Luke..." Leia sighed, melting into her chair with relief, "Thank you, I was so worried!"
"Feel better now your Highnessness?" Han smirked, leaning on the icy counter, "I told ya he'd be fine!"
"Is that what I think it is?!" Luke gaped at the discarded pile of fabric, it had been snagged in the door when he and Vader had made their exit.
"If you are referring to the discarded mechanic's jumpsuit before us, then yes, it is." Vader supplied, now once again fully armored. "It appears Clancy let the door catch him on the way out."
"But... If his jumpsuit's here... Then where is Clancy?" Receiving only a slight tip of the mask from the Sith, Luke came to his own conclusion.
"Oh dear..."
"Very much so, it is an embarrassment to have my chief mechanic running around in his unmentionables..." Vader scoffed, quickly retrieving the outfit with a flick of the Force.
Folded neatly, they settled silently in Vader's outstretched hand before whisking away into the folds of his cape.
"I suggest we find our wayward mechanic before he's exposed for very long."
Luke could only blush lightly and nod in agreement.
"There you guys are! I was starting to think you'd abandoned me to hide out in the ship!"
Clancy, as usual, was brightly optimistic as ever when the Rebel and the Dark Lord found him tucked away in Vader's TIE Advanced.
"Clancy! Get down from there!" Vader boomed at the skinny mechanic, dressed only in briefs and a pair of socks, "You're an embarrassment to not only the Empire, but to the entire galaxy. Including Hutt Space!" He brandished a fist for emphasis as he launched the coveralls at the fuzz covered scalp of the young man.
"Agh!" Clancy tried to compensate for the sudden projectile hurtling towards him, but only succeeded in tumbling back into the cockpit.
"Now please, do the universe a favor and get dressed! I'll not have my personal mechanic labeled a streaker!"
"Whatever you say Vman!" Came the response from the cockpit, before Clancy emerged once again. This time wearing the oil stained grey jumpsuit.
Sometimes I question not only my sanity, but everyone else's as well..
Releasing a deep sigh, I can't help but put a hand to my head in frustration.
"What in the Force," I state slowly, struggling to control my typical violent reaction to immense stupidity, "possessed you to leave your uniform at my door and go gallivanting about the hangar in your undergarments?!"
"Heh... Funny story actually," Clancy swallowed before hopping down from the ship, "You did. As I was leaving and the door slammed shut my suit got snatched in there real good, and since it's practically impossible to rip or cut these coveralls, I had to unzip myself and wait till I could either sneak back to the wing where our quarters are, or until you guys came."
"Or, you could have waited about seven minutes and let loose when we opened the door," Luke snickered lightly, enjoying the show of Clancy and the Sith as they squabbled over the issue of 'undue stupidity,' as Vader
put it.
"Might I ask where your boots went? Wait. On second thought, I don't want to know…"
It's like putting up with a child sometimes!
"Force mechanic… What is wrong with you?" In good humor I can't help but ruffle the dark brown fuzz on my companion's head.
Where did that come from? I haven't done anything like that since…
Shocked, I pause, and dropping my hand, return to the matter of repairing my ship.
"Any progress on hyperdrive repairs?"
The rest of the week went by fairly well. Clancy kept his clothes on, Vader hadn't lost his temper, and Luke had learned of his father's many adventures during the Clone Wars. Meeting nightly with the Sith Lord would have sounded like the worst kind of punishment a few weeks ago. Now though, he found himself eagerly awaiting further tales of heroism.
"Annakin, I'd suggest getting away from the exhaust ports! Vader's firing her up!"
"Crap!" Shaken out of his self imposed work hypnosis, Luke barely managed to roll out of the way of the initial jet of flame erupting from the Angel.
"Yeah! Vman, we got her running!" Clancy practically screamed into the open top of the cockpit, "Just listen to her purr!"
"Yes, now to test the modifications and repairs we did." Vader's bass rumble nearly matched that of the engines, "And unless you plan on a one way trip into space, I'd get off if I were you."
Taking the hint, Clancy sealed the hatch and leapt down to Luke.
"Look at that TIE! Seriously, just look at it!"
The shouted compliments of several mechanics could be heard over the healthy thrum of sub light engines as Vader coaxed her into the air. It was a widely known fact that he was the greatest pilot in the galaxy.
Like my father.
But not many people could fully appreciate all the time he spent maintaining and upgrading Angel himself, and it was widely agreed among the Maintenance Core, Vader was the most adept mechanic out of all of them.
Oh sweet mercy! Have I missed this!
In a childlike glee, I took Angel into a series of spins and dives, the like of which not even the most skilled Rebel, or Imperial alike, could keep up with.
Well, there may be one exception...
Yes, there was no doubt that my son had inherited at least some of my piloting ability. After all, it's not as if any idiot with a proton torpedo could destroy the Death Star.
Looking out into the surrounding space, I can't help the itch in my trigger finger brought on by the sight of clustered asteroids.
"He's been gone for hours! Can we please hit the mess hall?"
"Not until Vader gets back," Clancy stated, now perched on the old Clone Wars field kit, "And that's final."
"Ugh..." Luke flopped down on the permacrete floor in frustration, "I'm gonna die of old age before the cyborg comes back!"
"Speak of the Devil..." Clancy's words were quickly drowned out by the landing cycle of a TIE Advanced, which in turn settled nicely over Luke.
"And I shall appear." Vader's synthetic voice rumbled from the cockpit.
"What the heck man?!" Luke yelled from under the ship, "Vader, are you trying to kill me?!"
"You're fine," Vader dismissed lazily, jumping down from the top of the ship,"I've done it to Clancy several times. Besides, I am under an oath when dealing with you."
"Fine, you win this round," Luke submitted, now sliding from underneath Angel, "But somehow, some way, I will get you back!"
"We shall see about that young one." Vader replied, sounding bemused. Turning to Clancy, he returned to business, "I stopped by the Executor to oversee the final installation of my hyperbaric chamber, thus the delay in my return."
"Hyperbaric... You mean that big black egg looking thing you always retreat to?" Luke came over, a puzzled expression on his face.
"One and the same."
"What does it do?"
I shift uncomfortably at the question, I have never liked revealing the nature of my weaknesses, but no one has managed to kill me yet, and it's my son's curiosity at it that causes me to relent.
"It creates a special atmosphere that allows me to remove my mask. Normally, if I remove it, or if it malfunctions, I'd die."
"Oh..." Luke looked down, somewhat embarrassed at having brought it up. After the life story Vader had shared about his father, and working together with him for the past while, he couldn't help but feel bad for the man. The reality of just how easily the Dark Lord could've died over the last twenty years or so, struck home to him, and it was then he realized just how tough the Sith was.
"Wow... How have you lived through so many battles and stuff wearing a-" Luke gestured to Vader's suit.
"Portable Intensive Care Unit?" Vader tipped his head, "The will of the Force I assume. I believe I was meant to have survived the fires of Mustafar for a reason."
"Mustafar?"
"The place where I got injured enough to require this suit."
I will tell you more tonight... It is not safe to discuss these matters in the open. I put a conscious effort to make my 'voice' match the same one my synthesizer uses just in case Luke would have a chance to recognize my true voice as the one guiding him as his father.
Okay, we are almost to the end of the Clone Wars anyway, aren't we?
Yes, and I must admit, you are improving on your Force Speech. It is difficult to learn how to send images, and even harder to form conversations such as this.
Really? It has always just felt natural with you... How can it be so? You're a Sith, and I've barely been trained in the Jedi ways!
Before I can give a reply, a sharp twitter from my internal comlink snatches my attention.
"Vader here, what is it?" I ask the person at the other end of the link.
"Milord, I am to inform you that the Emperor has requested you make contact with him immediately."
"Alright, prepare the holo chamber for my arrival."
"Already done and waiting sir!" The officer's voice glowed with accomplishment.
"Thank you Piett," I cut the call, and with a swish of my cape, I'm out of the hangar.
"You called for me, my Master?" I speak the familiar words humbly, even though I know Palpatine's days are numbered.
"Yes Lord Vader," the shriveled monarch wheezed. "I have reason to believe that the rebel who destroyed the Death Star, is none other than the son of Anakin Skywalker."
"How is that possible?" My head snaps up in 'surprise' "That pathetic fool perished in the fires of Mustafar. No son could come from him. Perhaps it is the child of a surviving Jedi? It is not unheard of…"
"You dare to challenge my authority?" The Sith Master's eyes flashed dangerously, even with the distortion of the transmission Vader, could feel the anger in the Force, plucking at the edges of his vision.
"…No, my Master… Your will is my bidding…"
"Glad to see we have reached an understanding Lord Vader. Now, one of my spies has appeared to have uncovered a certain rebel among your ranks at the Kuat Drive Yards…" Darth Vader could feel the Emperor's deadly gaze scanning him for any weakness, any emotional reaction to the news.
"I want you to find this Rebel, and destroy him. After your failure at the Death Star, you can begin to reconcile your favor with me by executing him when I arrive to witness the christening of your Executor," Palpatine's voice dripped with contempt. "That is all. I will be arriving in a week's time. Be ready Lord Vader…"
"I will anticipate your arrival most eagerly, my Master." I manage to say over the writhing of my guts as the connection cuts out.
Stunned beyond all feeling, I collapse to my hands and knees. I have one week to reveal the truth to my son. One week to convince him to join me. To accept what I am and who he is.
One week to change the fate of the galaxy.
One chance to make things right.
Once and for all.