I'd Rather Kiss a Wookiee Chapter 5: Shades of Grey

It occurred to Anastasia that while there were two distinct sides to the force that she did not fall directly into either side. Several days had passed since the incident at the mechanics center. Since then Vader had altered how he taught her. It often involved her having to meditate and free her emotions so that she could use the force. He made her start small, working with objects that she had to lift and move around. In her free time she would challenge herself with trying to lift water from a glass and bend it into shapes. This proved a challenging task for her that often ended up with her having to clean up water off the floor.

In those days she had also gone down, in what time she was not training or watching the holoscreens, to the mechanics center. It was more to check that the Wookiee she had defended was still alright. She was infinitely happy when she saw that the Wookiee had not been bothered since she had defended it. She could not speak to the Wookiee and did not understand a word it was saying but she did not have to guess what it meant when it gave her a hug on sight.

Indeed this was the case today as the others she had gone and visited. Upon entering the mechanics center and wandering over to the table that the Wookiee worked at, she would receive a greeting hug. Anastasia sat on a crate that was next to the table and looked at what the wookiee was working on. It had a new contraption in the works though she had no idea what it would become with all of its gears and circuit boards there was a maddening complexity to the piece. C4 stood off to the side waiting for instruction that Anastasia rarely gave. The wookiee gave a series of low growls and sounds.

"Excuse me Miss Anastasia, but the wookiee says that it has a gift for you, and that his name is Tarruffa." Anastasia looked over at C4 and asked quiet surprised.

"You speak Wookiee?"

"Of course, I am programmed with over three million languages."

"Can you tell me what he is saying?" Anastasia asked then looked at Tarruffa and said.

"If that is ok with you, I am sorry but I can't understand what you are saying." Tarruffa gave a shrug and several more growled words.

"He says that it is fine, but you should learn the language." Anastasia nodded and said.

"I will study it. What is this?" She asked as Tarruffa handed her an object, it was flat and had a plastic top and bottom. It wasn't until she took it from Tarruffa that she realized it was a book. She opened it up to find it blank. In the front cover had been several slips of paper with mechanical notes on them and in the margins were doodles Anastasia had done. She had not thought that Tarruffa would keep the notes as they had been in a trash bin before she had doodled on them.

"You kept these?"

"He says that you should draw more and the book is so you have paper to draw on." Anastasia looked at the book and quickly wipes away the tears that stung her eyes. She had never expected to be able to paint let alone draw again in her new life as Vader's Apprentice. Now she was being given a piece of who she used to be on Earth.

"Thank you." She said wrapping her arms around Tarruffa burying her face into the brown fur of the wookiee's shoulder. Tarruffa patted her back before setting her right on the crate she was sitting on. Anastasia looked over and saw the commander who she had her 'disagreement' with looking over at her and Tarruffa with a disapproving expression. While she had ensured the safety of Tarruffa , he was still expected to work as he was still a slave of the empire.

Anastasia ignored the commander and snagged a pen off of the work table and began to scratch an image on the paper. She missed being able to draw she realized as she applied the ink onto the paper forming shapes and shades. She sat for near a half hour in silence as Tarruffa worked on his contraption and she on her drawing. She paused for a moment as she sensed Vader touch her mind, immediately she dropped her barrier and opened her mind to hear him through the force.

'I will be leaving the Death Star for a time. In my absence you are to work on your skills.'

'Master, am I permitted to visit the mechanics center while you are gone?'

'Yes you may visit your wookiee friend. I sense a great deal of happiness in you, what has happened.'

'Tarruffa gave me a sketch book, Master.'

'Do not squander your time while I am gone.'

'Yes Master.' Anastasia responded as Vader withdrew the connection. She put her mental barrier up again and came back to the present location.

"Miss Anastasia?" C4 asked, it was not a question of concern but rather asking if she had heard what he had said.

"Sorry C4 what did you say?"

"Tarruffa is wondering if you have to go. They are nearly done with their work for the day."

"Oh yes, I should go. Thank you so much for the book." She said hopping off of the crate waving at Tarruffa as she left with C4 following behind her.

When she arrived back at her room Anastasia went to the holoscreen and searched for the wookiee language. When she began to study she was amazed at the sheer subtlety of the different sounds of the words. She realized how complex the language actually was but to understand it she was going to have to spend months studying.

She sighed and sat on a meditation mat that she had on the floor the holoscreen still playing the sounds and forms of the language. It was then that an idea occurred to Anastasia, she had used it to help her remember things when she was in school. It wasn't really anything special but constant repetition of what she was trying to learn. Her theory was not that she could simply remember the language by repetition but that she could increase her learning curve by meditating on the language through the force.

It was challenging for her to focus so clearly on one thing, when she meditated she would let her mind wander with the flow of the force. It would carry her to different places and times; when she reached past the Death Star it was not the present she would see. Or at least she did not think that it was the present. She was able to remain focused on the wookiee language only for a while. Thought with the absence of Darth Vader aboard the Death Star she found herself wanting to let her mind wander.

She looked beyond the boundaries of the Death Star seeking out into the vastness of space hunting, for what she hunted she did not know. She faltered slightly as her head began to hurt from the strain of extending her view beyond what she was comfortable with. Gritting her teeth together she did not withdraw from the gaze she now sought after. She could sense several things in the deepness of space, a brightness that could have been a planet only the shape was incorrect for a planet. Through the force it looked more like a giant wedge. Upon that wedge she could sense Darth Vader, where upon the ship she did not know. Only that the silk that she had come to know as the dark side of the force was there. Beyond the ship were pinpricks of force light, planets or ships she could not tell they were too small for her sight.

"Miss Anastasia, Commander Mallock is at the door for you." C4 spoke causing Anastasia to surface from her meditation. She made a mental note for herself to be aware of where she was while she meditated. It had happened a few times now that she was meditating and not aware of someone approaching. Regardless as she surfaced from her meditation she became acutely aware of a ravenous hunger that hit her like a bucket of cold water.

"Yes Commander what is it?" She asked standing and stretching her arms over her head easing the stiffness in her body from sitting so long.

"Well no one had seen you since Lord Vader left the ship. We were concerned for your well-being." The formal tone that Commander Mallock spoke with made Anastasia roll her eyes. It was clear that no one was actually concerned for her.

"You mean Darth Vader told you to keep an eye on me. Don't try and pretend that you care." The commander looked slightly flustered and said.

"Perhaps you would care to join me and the rest of the crew in the mess hall for the evening meal."

"Fine, come on C4." Anastasia said walking out to the hallway and turned waiting for the Commander to lead the way. She had never actually been to the mess hall; she had been too consumed by her studies to make her way to the hall. She had all of her meals brought up by a droid and she had come to know the selection of food on the Death Star to be very dull and bland like that of the food served in the prison block.

The Commander guided Anastasia to the mess hall; the first thing that she registered upon entering the mess hall was the noise. The second thing that assailed her senses was the smell; the air was full of the smell of spices and different foods. It was the smell of cooked meat that made her stomach growl.

"The tables are over there against the wall, you can get whatever you want. I advise staying away from the grilled Bantha. Come join us over there at that table when you are ready." The commander said before wandering off to sit at a table with other officers who greeted him. Anastasia frowned slightly but wandered over to the tables loaded with food. She took a plate from a stack and wandered down the row of tables unsure what to take, the food was foreign to her and she did not recognize much of anything. She eventually settled on a dense bread roll and some thin cuts of dark meat that had been grilled.

"You went with the grilled Bantha. Well I hope you like it; no one else I have met has cared for it." The commander said as Anastasia sat at the table with the other officers. One of the men looked at Anastasia and said

"Commander I don't think you have introduced this young lady to us."

"This is Anastasia; she was brought on from the last system we visited. Anastasia this is Connor, Terrok, and Heim. Officers in my unit." Each of the named officers gave a wave or nod indicating who they were.

"So you came from the system that we were last at? Has it been hard to get adjusted to living here?"

"I am from Earth, and no it has not been that hard adjusting."

"Terribly uncivilized system it was. Good thing they are out of their misery." Anastasia paused before taking a bite of the dense roll she had. Did she hear him right? He thought it was a good thing that Earth had been destroyed.

"What did you say?" She asked setting her roll aside and giving the man a look that demanded explanation.

"Well, the system was so far behind technologically that it was a very primitive race of humans. Not to mention that it would have been taken by thugs soon with how far it is into the outer rim."

"So you agree with the death of seven billion people because they were not as advanced as you?"

"Well yes, civilizations like that weakened the republic and they weaken the empire. Why not purge weakness when possible?"

"It is not for you to decide who lives or dies! Earth may not have been as advanced with technology but we were rich with culture and life!"

"Hey it's not like it was your planet, everyone knows you were on mission there hunting Jedi scum." Anastasia glared at the man, so that is how Vader explained her sudden presence in the Death Star. She had been on mission and was just coming back.

"I don't really care about the concept of home planet. The mass destruction of people, any people is one to be disgusted with. On that planet they had a war that consumed the entire planet in chaos. It was started by one man deciding that a religious group was weak and disgusting. By the time the war ended, several places of the planet were so poisoned by the weapons of war that no one could live a healthy life there. It does not matter if you are better in some way or another; it is not a choice anyone has the right to make."

"If you hate how the empire is run then take it to the emperor. Though he was the one who had the Death Star constructed."

"Perhaps I will take this to the emperor." Anastasia said standing and leaving her plate of untouched food along with the officers. She made her way out of the mess hall heading back to her room she did not speak to C4 or any of the other officers that she passed. As she passed in the hallways the officers made a bubble around her like there was some invisible force that kept them separated from her. Anastasia grudgingly acknowledged that this was the same treatment that the staff of the Death Star gave Darth Vader. She was entrapped by her anger and she couldn't be bothered to worry about those around her. She did not want to repeat what happened in the mechanics center and the only way she could guarantee that was to remove herself from her frustration and anger.

"Hey! Anastasia, what the hell do you think you are doing?" The commander said following after her. His call after her caused several of the personnel walking the hallway to stop and watch as they went. Anastasia however did not stop walking and even quickened her pace. She could feel the darkness of the force coiling inside her like a viper about to strike. She could feel the tingle in her hands as the urge to choke the life from the commander became increasingly irresistible.

Anastasia turned down the hallway to the personnel quarters, which were largely unused and thus contained far fewer people. It was half way down this hallway and half way to Anastasia's room that the commander caught up with her. Grabbing her shoulder he stopped her and turned her to face him.

"What was that all about? You had no right to speak to commanding officers in that way."

"I don't give a shit if they were the emperor or a commanding officer, they are no better than trash if they can't see the value all life shares."

"That is it! Lord Vader left you under my charge, you will show the proper respect for you commanding officers and go back down there and formally apologize to those men. That is an order."

"An order?" Anastasia said as she struggled to contain her anger, it was a losing battle. She could sense the dark silk of the force surround her and guide her to destroy this man who dared to give her orders. She only obeyed Darth Vader and that was only due to the necessity for survival. She would not however submit to those weaker than her. She gave up on trying to remain in control of the force, her rage at this commander who dared to give her orders mixed with her rage that was directed towards the officers who thought it was a good thing that Earth had been destroyed. She held up her hand and closed it in a quick motion twisting her wrist slightly. The force responded and coiled around the commander's neck crushing his windpipe and snapping his neck before he could even asphyxiate.

"I do not take orders from the likes of you." She said her voice a menacing growl as the man's eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed on the ground. Her anger remained around her for a moment longer, after a moment it faded away as quick as morning dew. Anastasia looked down at the corpse in horror. She remembered all too clearly what she had done; it was an act that she did not believe herself capable of. Yet here the proof lay on the floor before her.

Anastasia ran back the way she had come heading for the lift. She slid around the corner and almost ran into C4.

"Oh Miss Anastasia! Are we going somewhere?"

"Yes, the mechanics center." She said pushing C4 to turn around and then ran past the droid. The droid tried to keep up though its stiff joints would not allow for fast movement. When she reached the lift she hit the button thankful that it had been sitting idle on her floor. She did not wait for C4 as she went down the levels of the Death Star, she couldn't wait.

Anastasia had not planned for this so soon but it could not be avoided now. She had screwed up and now she could not remain aboard the Death Star. The only plus side was that Darth Vader, the biggest challenge for her escape was not currently aboard the Death Star. As she waited to reach her floor she tried to calm herself and search through the force trying to locate her absent Master. He was beyond her range of view as was the wedge shaped ship. That was good, if he was not near then she could focus on what she needed to do. Of course it was only going to work if she got help. Originally she had intended to take C4 with her but it occurred to her later that Vader could be monitoring her through the droid. She had only been able to keep her plans secret by banishing them from her mind and only ever thinking on them when she knew Vader to be occupied.

The lift slowed to a stop and the doors opened, Anastasia shot out of the lift past several people and went down the hall to the Mechanic's Center. It was late but thankfully the center was still open which meant Tarruffa was still there working. She took a deep breath to calm herself before entering the center and she casually made her way over to where Tarruffa with his dark brown fur that had patches of grey on his shoulders sat. She did not sit when she reached Tarruffa but rather leaned against the edge of the table pretending to look at the contraption that he was working on. Under her breath she said.

"I am leaving; do you want to come with?" Tarruffa looked at her for a moment as if trying to decide if she was serious or not. It was a risky plan, Anastasia knew this, but Tarruffa was a slave of the empire. She hoped that since she had aided him in the past that now he would help her.

"I don't know how to fly a ship, I need your help." Anastasia said in a whisper though the fear and panic was not hidden in her hushed tone. When Tarruffa replied Anastasia was instantly glad that she had studied his language with the aid of the force. She understood nearly all of what was said. Though, she had been meditating for several days on the language with the aid of the force.

"Ok, let's get out of here. You know the way to the hanger yes?" Tarruffa gave a small nod to her question and led her out of the mechanics center. Thankfully none had been paying attention to them in the center. Anastasia followed next to Tarruffa trying to make it appear as if she was leading him. She had only been to the lower levels once before and in that visit she had not seen a wookiee wander about. She only hoped that it was not so odd a thing that they would be stopped.

What she did not expect was how empty the halls that Tarruffa chose to go down were. She was incredibly surprised when Tarruffa opened a final door and they found themselves in the hanger. Tarruffa spoke in a quiet voice gesturing to a rather large looking ship its wings folded up. Storm troopers filled the hanger walking about under the direction of a few dozen men in imperial uniforms.

"I see the ship, but how are we going to get to it?" Tarruffa gave another series of low growls and Anastasia had to give him a look that silently asked him to repeat, which thankfully he did.

"Ok I understand. I'll get a distraction going, and you are going to get the ship ready." Anastasia left the seclusion of the doorway and moving low she made her way behind a stack of crates towards the far wall of the hanger. The wall of crates did not take her as far as she had hoped it would, regardless she did not need to move farther than where she had made it too. She took a deep breath and extended her hand out before her concentrating on one of the smaller ships that looked like it might have been some sort of battle ship. She had very little practice in force combustion, she almost wondered if she had any hope of actually causing the ship to go up. Through the force it was easy to locate the fuel cell that the ship had.

A group of storm troopers walked past the crates Anastasia was behind and she had to quickly withdraw her hand and duck down to avoid being seen. She waited until they had moved far enough away that she did not risk being seen when she poked her head up just enough to see past the crates. She reached out again focusing all of her will power on the fuel cell. All she needed was a good spark, a spark to set the fuel.

"Hey you!" A storm trooper yelled at Anastasia as she focused on the ship. It was then that she got her so desired spark and the ship blew up. Causing the majority of the storm troopers to rush over to the craft to try and put it out before it damaged anything else. Anastasia looked to see the storm trooper that spotted her heading for her still. She turned and ran heading back along the wall she could hear the trooper running after her on the other side of the crates. She turned around the corner of the crates and slid past the trooper who was not expecting her to dash out in front of him.

Anastasia made her way toward their so agreed upon ship, she hadn't seen when Tarruffa made his move but since he was nowhere in sight she assumed he was on the ship already.

"Grab her!" The storm trooper yelled as he ran after Anastasia. They weren't shooting which confused Anastasia she would have expected them to. Then the crushing weight of Vader's presence fell upon her. The sudden weight on her shoulders caused her to nearly collapse. She did not have that much farther to go. She staggered forward the last few steps before collapsing on the ramp to the ship.

'You cannot escape me.' Vader's words rang through her mind as she struggled to her feet under the force pressure. A storm trooper grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back. Grabbing her lightsaber Anastasia turned and swung the blade at the trooper. It cut through his arm and shoulder, Anastasia succeeded in also cutting off a good chunk of her hair. The trooper yelled and fell back, to reveal more troopers heading at the ramp. Anastasia went the rest of the way up the ramp and yelled at Tarruffa.

"Go!" She slammed her fist on the button next to the ramp and watched it slowly go up as she went towards the front of the ship where Tarruffa was at the controls in the process of taking off. He looked at her and growled out several words.

"Anywhere, wherever you think we will be safe. Just don't tell me, I don't want to know." She said as she sat in the chair next to him shaking as she struggled to block Vader from reading her mind. As the ship left the Death Star hanger they were confronted with the view of a large wedge ship and several of the little ships that were the same style as what Anastasia had destroyed.

'You belong to me, return to you place at my side. Do so and I will allow your Wookiee to live.' Anastasia put her hands over her ears in a futile attempt to block out Vader's words. Several of the alarms in the ship began to go off as the fighter ship buzzed around them. Then in one massive jolt the fighters were gone, the Death Star was gone, and Vader's presence was gone. Anastasia lifted her head and looked out to see the stars streaking past the ship. It reminded her of Star Trek when the enterprise when to warp speed. There were no limits for Anastasia now, and that in and of itself was a concept more frightening than having to stay on the Death Star as the apprentice of Darth Vader.

(chapter five is up and yes I made a connection to Star Trek oh the horror! It's close to Christmas so give me the gift of reviews.)