I'd Rather Kiss A Wookiee Chapter 7: Within your grasp
"What happened to you?" Vader said as he gestured to the couch across from him. Anastasia sat and watched Vader for a moment; she had not let her guard down. Yet what was the point of returning now if she stopped now? Only thinking back to the events that led to the present was painful.
"The same thing that would happen to any foolish and frightened person who went into the galaxy as recklessly as I did, they are destroyed. I was too trusting and it cost me my arm. Since then I have had to make due. Keeping my injury secret kept me safe, though I don't expect you to understand." Vader scoffed slightly at her comment, which puzzled Anastasia for Vader was clearing intact and though she could not see his face did not seem to have suffered such injuries.
"I know more about such things than you. Why did you not get a prosthetic?" He asked as if the idea of it was such a casual matter. Anastasia frowned at him now, perhaps the cost of such a surgery was nothing for the right hand of the emperor but she had no credits to work with at the time.
"I didn't have the credits for anything. So you have prosthetics then?" Anastasia asked daring to ask Vader about his personal life. He watched her for a moment in silence before stating.
"Yes." When he spoke Anastasia felt the slight touch of the black silk that was Vader's force touch her mind. Lowering her wall she allowed him to connect through the force. Imaged flashed through her mind of a figure who was missing legs and an arm, the other was already a mechanical prosthetic. While these images were clear in part everything around the actual body of the man that was Vader was blurred and non-descript. He did not wish her to see how he looked, only to know that he had over the course of his life lost all of his limbs. As he broke the connection and before Anastasia closed herself to the force, yellow eyes filled with anger and hate flashed through her mind. Though the image and the feeling that accompanied this image was gone the moment she resumed her guard.
"Don't pity me, it happened years ago and is irrelevant." Vader said as he watched Anastasia. The two remained silent for a moment then Vader spoke, his question was not one she expected.
"Why did you run?" She was not sure how she was supposed to answer that. The emotions that had driven her to run from the Death Star six years ago had long since faded.
"I suppose it was a need to feel free again. I had killed that commander in my anger. I wanted to be free to not be expected to rely on my anger for strength. When I came to the rebels they did not place those expectations on me."
"So you fought for them and killed for them? How is that any different from what you were running from?"
"They are fighting for their freedom from the emperor and you." Anastasia said, though the moment she said this she knew it was the wrong thing to say. Darth Vader stood and igniting the red bladed light saber he had taken from her he kicked the coffee table out of his way as he attacked her.
The next thing Anastasia knew she was thrown on the floor of a holding cell in the detention level of the Death Star, a place she was all too familiar with. Only Roland was in the cell also, he looked relatively unscathed which Anastasia supposed was a good thing. It meant they had yet to torture him for information. Anastasia pushed herself up and took the assistance that Roland offered when he realized she was hurt.
"What happened to you?" He asked as he helped her to sit on the bench. Anastasia grimaced as the freshly seared skin on her arm and side complained at her movements.
"Vader tried to get me to talk about the rebellion."
"Did you talk?" Roland asked his face a mask of worry.
"No. But he took my belt and extra light saber." Anastasia said with remorse.
"What is in your belt pocket? You sound as if it is abnormally bad that he took your belt."
"It had my journal in it. There are some details of the rebellion in there."
"Ana! What the hell is wrong with you!? You knew better to bring that with you! You have jeopardized the entire rebellion now!"
"Most of the information is too dated to be of any use, but the rebellion will know to move when we don't return. Hopefully they will do so before Vader can reach them."
"I hope that you are right. If Vader catches up with the rebellion this will all be for not."
"Have they pressed you for information yet?"
"No, I am not sure why. I think that they are under the impression that they can break you before me."
"I don't know why they would think that." Anastasia said as she examined one of the light saber burns.
"Because you were captive here for several months once before."
"That was because they thought I knew where other Jedi were and I did not crack." Anastasia said in the most confident tone that she could muster. The rebellion had no idea that she had once been Darth Vader's apprentice. She intended to keep that secret from them if at all possible; they did not need to know how she came to their cause.
"You never did tell anyone, but do you know where other Jedi are?"
"You realize that they are probably recording this conversation. So if we get out of here I will answer that."
Though Anastasia did not expect to get out of the Death Star any time soon she still held hope that she would not be stuck on that ship again. She knew that she would be tortured for information. It wasn't in Vader's nature to have prisoners with information and not attempt to extract that information. Though he was going about it in a different manner; instead of trying to use the mind probe he simply tortured Anastasia and left Roland alone to watch the progression of Anastasia's digressing health.
Two storm troopers dragged Anastasia back to the cell she shared with Roland and threw her in the room causing further pain to come from her injuries. Her injuries that she sustained over the matter of days were mostly burns that were followed with several cuts, bruises, and a fractured rib.
In the days that passed since their capture Anastasia would be taken and returned later with more injuries. Roland had in those days come to accept what was happening with a sort of growing dread. For if Anastasia died before Vader got the answers he wanted, Roland himself would be subject to the not so gentle questionings of the Sith lord.
Roland went to Anastasia and tried to help her stand only to have her fall again. So instead of trying to make her walk Roland picked up the woman and carried her the three steps to the metal bench and set her down. Anastasia leaned against the cold metal wall her breath short and pained.
"I'm sorry Roland." She breathed looking at her fellow rebel.
"What for?"
"I can't do this much longer. He is torturing my mind as well as my body. I hardly know what are my own thoughts and what he wants me to think." Anastasia said closing her eyes and leaning her head against the cold wall letting it ease away her head ache. Roland for the first time realized how fragile Anastasia was. She was a slight girl, her short stature and thin frame had never been something he noticed. She had always carried herself with such confidence and strength that he forgot how fragile she actually was. While he had been subject to the mental torture of knowing that everything that happened to Anastasia was because they would not talk ate away at him. Looking at her now he understood what Anastasia said, she had two options left and neither were ideal. She could die and tell Vader nothing, or she could talk and become a traitor to the rebellion.
"Anastasia, why do you fight for the rebellion?" Roland asked and for several moments received no response from the woman next to him.
"It's the only way, to be free and be near him." She said her voice shaking slightly as the pain from her fractured rip made breathing difficult.
"Him? Him who?" Roland asked, for this was the first time he had ever heard mention of a man from Anastasia. While they were not particularly close the only person she had been close to was the Wookiee Tarruffa. Though the whole rebellion understood their relationship was that of a life debt and nothing more.
"The man I love. I guess it doesn't matter now, I will probably die before he knows I ever cared."
"Where is he now?" Roland asked watching Anastasia, she had not opened her eyes but her face was an expression of pain.
"Somewhere on an imperial star ship, before I lost my arm I would draw him. I don't think he ever noticed how I felt though, he had a woman." Roland sat silent; he did not know how to respond to that. This new information made sense though; he knew what Anastasia had told the rebellion of her past. The empire had destroyed her home planet and she had been held prisoner for several months as Vader interrogated her for information about other Jedi. She escaped the Death Star with the wookiee Tarruffa and lost her arm when they landed on a planet and were attacked. She had after the attack been found by the rebellion but they had not trusted her so they did not find the funds to get her a prosthetic arm.
Anastasia had always explained her reasons for joining the rebellion to be for the sake of those who are oppressed by the empire. That she did not want a government where the ruler could choose to have a planet destroyed. Never once had she mentioned a man in her reasons for always taking the missions that almost guaranteed fighting with the empire. Roland realized now that each time she offered to go to the front lines it was fueled partly by the hope that she would see this man she loved.
For the remainder of the day they did not speak to each other, for Roland could say nothing to encourage Anastasia to hold her silence. If she was going to break it would be soon, if she did not break she would die. Roland however was not sure which the better option to her was, if she died she would not have to suffer from unrequited love, yet she would never see this man she loved again.
The following day Anastasia was dragged from the cell and brought before Darth Vader. She had received little to no sleep the night before as she was too troubled by visions through the force. On top of the injuries and her lack of sleep caused the storm troopers to have to hold her up as they stood before Vader.
"Are you prepared to give me the names of the rebel leaders?" Vader asked in a calm tone as he looked down at Anastasia. She however did not look at him and kept her eyes down on the ground, this caused Vader to become frustrated. He grabbed her jaw and tilted her head up to look at him and said.
"The rebel names, now." Anastasia looked straight into the lenses of Vader's mask and said.
"I can't help but pity you." Vader let go of Anastasia's jaw and said to the storm troopers.
"Leave." The storm troopers let Anastasia go, and she fell to the ground at Vader's feet as the storm troopers left. Once they were gone Vader grabbed Anastasia's hair and pulled her head back forcing her to look up at him.
"Why should you pity me?" His voice full of venom as he looked down at her.
"Because, I see you for whom you are beyond the mask. You can't hide the pain that is in your heart. I don't know what happened that caused that pain but I recognize it…" Anastasia stopped talking as Vader gave her hair a vicious pull.
"You know nothing. Now give me the names of the rebel leaders, I have no qualms killing you."
"What happens if I tell you?" Vader paused for a moment, he hadn't thought of what he would do if Anastasia gave him the information he wanted. Anastasia took that moment's hesitation that Vader presented and asked.
"Would you let me return to your side?" She asked tears pricked her eyes and threatened to fall. She wanted to believe it was because of the gloved hand holding her hair forcing her to look up at Vader's mask, she knew better than that though. She feared that he might reject her offer. Vader let go of her hair and said as he knelt in front of her.
"Why should I give you a second chance?" Anastasia pushed herself up to sit and spoke softly looking down at the floor.
"I left because I felt trapped here on the Death Star, but more than that I joined the rebellion because I knew that if it became known that a Jedi was with the rebels you would get involved. When I ran I lost everything that had become solid in the galaxy and was just living in chaos. So when I would do missions for the rebellion and had the chance of coming in contact with y… the empire it gave me a sense of stability. I'd like that back." A communication com link beeped and Vader walked away from Anastasia hitting the button answering the com link.
"Lord Vader the rebel has said that he will talk." Anastasia looked up at Vader's back and paled, Roland was going to talk, which meant that Vader had no need for Anastasia or her offered deal.
"Bring him here." Vader said then shut the link off. In the few minutes that the two waited for Roland to arrive they remained in a stagnate state of awkward silence. Finally Ronald entered the room escorted by two storm troopers breaking the stillness that had settled over Anastasia and the Sith Lord. Once the door slid shut Vader turned to face Anastasia and Roland. Roland looked fearfully between Anastasia and Vader.
"Anastasia are you alright?" Roland looked at Vader and said. "I will only give you the information you want if you let Anastasia go."
"Roland don't…" Anastasia said to have Vader interrupt her.
"If that is what you want then kill him Anastasia." Roland and Anastasia both looked at Vader.
"What?"
"Kill him and you can return to your place by my side."
"By his side? What does he mean…?" Roland said then realized what Vader meant his expression became a mask of anger. "You liar! You're an imperial spy!"
"No, that's…Roland…" Anastasia said trying to explain as the tears that threatened to fall began to escape.
"Do it." Vader said cutting of their conversation. Anastasia looked from Vader to Roland tears streaking her face. She took hold of the force and coiled it around his neck choking the life from him. The expression that crossed Roland's face was one that Anastasia had no words to describe and one that she knew would haunt her for the rest of her life. When Roland fell to the floor dead Anastasia lowered her head so her hair fell before her face hiding her tears. This was not how she wanted to return to Vader's side.
"Remove him." Vader said to the storm troopers who dragged Roland's body from the room. When the door slid closed Vader went to his com link and when the small blue hologram appeared Vader knelt down. Anastasia was shocked to the brink of fainting by the force that belonged to the hologram. Their power was greater than Vader and they wielded that power unhindered. The force was darker than any she had sensed before, an all-consuming darkness.
"Master I have captured the Rebel Jedi. I believe that she can be of use to you if she can be turned to the dark side."
"Lord Vader, bring this Jedi before me and I will determine if this Jedi will be of any use to me."
"Yes Master." With those two words the hologram and the unbearable force vanished. Vader stood and turned to Anastasia who was watching him.
"That was the emperor wasn't it?"
"Yes. Follow me; we will not keep the emperor waiting." He said as he started towards the door. Anastasia dropped her head slightly as she tried to force herself to stand, though her legs were unwilling to support her and she made no progress in the venture.
"Master, I uh can't stand." Vader turned and looked down at her before walking over to her and pulling her up and held her standing by his hold on her arm. He pulled her along next to him as he left the room.
"You should be stronger than this, after six years of fighting the empire I thought you would have improved."
"Master, I don't think the Jedi Masters of old could stand up to your kind of persuasion, and I am nowhere close to being as strong as you or the fallen Jedi."
"I killed those Jedi you are praising, and until you are put under my supervision by the emperor you will refer to me as Lord Vader." Anastasia frowned but did not argue with Vader on the matter. She realized that perhaps she had been a secret kept from the emperor the entire time. Anastasia stumbled along next to Vader as he led her from the higher levels of the Death Star one of the hangers where his transport was waiting.
They did not travel far with the transport as they were simply going to Vader's super star destroyer. Anastasia was sure that she was never going to get used to the size of everything in space. Walking off of the transport and into the hanger of the star destroyer it looked remarkably similar to the Death Star. Though she was not sure that it was to be unexpected grey was a running theme with the empire.
Once they were aboard the star destroyer Vader handed Anastasia off to a storm trooper and gave his orders.
"Take her to the detention block and see that she receives medical attention." Turning his attention to a commander who walked up to salute to Vader the orders continued.
"Commander take us to Coruscant, the Emperor is expecting us." With mention of the Emperor the Commander became very rigid in his stance and responded.
"Yes Lord Vader." Turning quickly he made his way out of the hanger. Anastasia did not get to see any more of what Vader did as the Storm Trooper took her from the hanger and to the detention cell. It was in that cell that Anastasia received minor medical attention and a meal of prison slop. Had it not been for the growing anxiety about meeting the Emperor she might have found some sense of security in her situation.
After a moment of simply sitting in her cell Anastasia cast her mind out through the force trying to sense more of what was happening around her. She had been aware of the storm troopers and wardens in the hall around her and she knew that there was movement and life all around in a wider radius. It was normal for her to constantly survey her immediate area through the force when searching beyond though it required more of her attention.
She had hardly begun her search of the ship when Vader's presence closed in around her mind blocking all force sight. Anastasia tried to push past Vader's block on her force sight but it was to no avail. Even at full strength Anastasia did not think she could best Vader in saber skill or force ability.
Anastasia frowned to herself as she tried again to breach the mental block that Vader had created. It must have had some strength to it for once she tried to breach the block Vader tightened his hold on her mind creating a cramped uncomfortable sense like a snake coiling itself around its prey. Anastasia gave an audible sigh giving up on her endeavor to look at the ship through the force.
Hours past and Anastasia felt blind. Vader had kept his block on her force sight, it had gotten to the point that any time Anastasia closed her eyes she could feel Vader's presence as if he was standing right next to her. She would often open her eye expecting to see him to be greeted only by the grey walls of the cell. She had settled in for what she expected to be a long journey to Coruscant where the Emperor was. Unable to do anything else Anastasia sat on the bench in the cell settling herself into the corner she rested her head against the cool metal and waited.
At some point Anastasia became comfortable with the constant sense of Vader that she was able to drift to sleep. Yet even in her dreams she could not fully escape the effect of Vader's presence on her mind. As she watched a memory that was passed on through the force, it was one she had seen before. It was Anakin and the woman Padme, though it was different now. Nothing Anakin or Padme did changed as Anastasia wandered away from the two out of villa and towards the patio. No it was Vader that made this memory different; somehow Anastasia knew that he was seeing this same memory. Perhaps it was through his own meditations or because he had been so closely holding onto Anastasia's mind, blocking it from seeing through the force. Regardless of how he was there Anastasia felt awkward about watching Anakin and Padme through the memory now. It felt as if she was invading on something personal.
Looking out from the patio another strange thing became apparent to Anastasia; she could clearly see the lands around the villa; before they had been nondescript places of color and the suggestion of hills and lakes. It was as if the surroundings that were not truly important to the memory were somehow filled in now, as if the missing piece of the puzzle was found and put in place.
No she knew that she was invading on something personal, it was his presence here within this memory. It related to him and now he knew what she had seen. She knew he would be able to sense the familiarity that Anastasia experienced when the memory surfaced through the force. It was another layer of her secrets and shadows gone, and he was now a step closer to knowing the truth behind her actions. That was if he did not know already.
( I know I know! I'm sorry that I haven't posted a chapter in so long! I had another story that needed posting to. One that was neglected far longer than I have neglected this. I will try to post more soon. I need to formulate for the next few chapters cause if I don't do them right then I will screw up my own story. Please review.)