As Vader's footsteps echoed down the corridor, he mused about the enigma of this world, its inhabitants, and their peculiar practices. To the casual observer, this planet might appear primitive, rudimentary even. It lacked the sophisticated technology that defined the galactic civilization he was accustomed to—there were no towering skyscrapers puncturing the skies, no bustling spaceports thrumming with interstellar traffic, no hum and whir of droids carrying out their programmed tasks. The inhabitants, from what he'd seen so far, lived a quiet, simple life, perhaps even ignorant of the endless expanse of space teeming with diverse life forms. They might very well consider themselves the only sentient beings in their universe.

Yet, despite the seeming simplicity, this world was not devoid of its own brand of complexity. It held the enigma of magic, an energy source distinctly different from yet eerily reminiscent of the Force. The inhabitants of this world, particularly when engaging in their magical rituals, emitted a palpable presence in the Force. They manipulated their magical energy in ways that reminded him of Force abilities, albeit channeled differently.

These enigmas intrigued the Sith Lord, sparking an insatiable curiosity within him. The mysteries of this world and its magic felt like an uncharted territory, waiting to be explored, studied, and perhaps even controlled.

The rhythm of his footfalls against the stone floor was the only sound breaking the silence as he and Louise made their way back to her quarters. Arriving at her room, he took note of its simple and functional design, reflecting the girl's minimalistic lifestyle.

Once inside, Louise turned to face him, her eyes meeting the cold, black lens of his helmet. "You're not going to try and leave again, right Vader?" she asked, her voice firm, the intensity of her gaze challenging him.

Vader, his silhouette dominating the room, merely turned his helmet towards her, the steady mechanical rhythm of his breathing the only sound for a few moments. Eventually, he broke the silence, his voice a chilling baritone that seemed to swallow the space around him. "No," he affirmed, "I am not going to run away again."

Louise held his gaze, scrutinizing the faceless mask for any indication of dishonesty. However, all she found was the cold, unyielding facade of the Sith Lord, his words echoing with a menacing certainty. A flicker of relief danced in her eyes, and she tried to suppress her fear by threatening him with punishment, her voice slightly quivering as she did so.

The threat meant little to Vader; his suit was a self-contained life-support system, capable of sustaining him without external food or water for extended periods. But it presented an opportunity to learn more about this world.

With a tone as cold as the void of space, he inquired about their whereabouts. "Tell me, what do you know about this planet?" His menacing voice echoed around the small room, underscoring the seriousness of his question.

"We are in the continent of Halkeginia, in the kingdom of Tristain. Specifically, we're at Tristain Magic Academy, where nobles like myself hone their magical skills," Louise replied, taking the chance to give Vader a brief overview of their world.

Vader took in the information silently, finding parallels between this society and the countless others he'd encountered across the galaxy. The notion of a class-based society was nothing new to him.

Having answered his question, Louise saw an opportunity to satisfy her own curiosity. "Now, since I answered your question, it's your turn to answer mine. What are you, and where do you come from?" she demanded, her tone defiant.

Vader considered her question, a sense of unease permeating the Force. He chose not to reveal his origins and dismissively answered, "That is not a question for you to ask."

Her eyebrows furrowed at his refusal, and she sulkily directed him to perform menial tasks. His pride wounded, he defiantly dropped the clothes on the floor and strode away, leaving Louise to reflect on her actions.

Louise was taken aback by Vader's cold dismissal. His icy demeanor sent chills down her spine as she remembered how he had almost strangled her earlier. She had overstepped her bounds and was now paying the price. Scrambling to amend her mistake, she pleaded for his understanding. However, Vader dismissed her pleas, asserting his autonomy with a final cold remark.

As he exited her room, he mulled over the world he had found himself in. Despite its primitive veneer, the magic of this world had piqued his curiosity. Uncovering its secrets was an intriguing prospect. However, he wouldn't compromise his self-respect in this pursuit. No matter what, Darth Vader was no one's servant.


The following morning, Louise was sound asleep until Vader, and his loud mechanical breathing rudely awakened her.

"Get up," Vader's voice boomed.

"Huh? Morning already?" Louise said as she groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"Get up and dress yourself, we don't have time to waste," Vader's voice growled.

Louise quickly got dressed, feeling intimidated by Vader's cold and menacing demeanor. She knew better than to push him too far, especially after their encounter the day before.

As they walked to the dining hall for breakfast, Vader maintained his usual stoic silence. Louise tried to make conversation, but she found herself unable to get more than a few words out before Vader's intense presence shut her down.

As both Vader and Louise enter the dining room, Vader observes how grand the hall is, with its long tables filled to the brim with students and the servants serving them their food. Louise's stomach grumbled in anticipation as she scanned the tables for a place to sit and eat.

As she made her way to an empty table, she failed to notice the wary looks of the students nearby. They all seemed to be staring at Vader, their eyes filled with fear and apprehension. But Louise was oblivious to their unease, focused solely on the delicious breakfast in front of her.

She dug into her food with gusto, savoring every bite as Vader stood stoically by her side, his presence seeming to loom over the entire hall. But Louise paid him no mind, engrossed in her meal.

The students nearby continued to cast nervous glances in Vader's direction, whispering amongst themselves as they tried to avoid his gaze. But Louise remained blissfully unaware, lost in the taste of her food.

Not wanting to draw any more attention to himself, Vader took the opportunity to explore the academy more. Vader then proceeded to exit the dining hall and made his way outside into the courtyard, only to see the second-year students taking the day off today and mingling with their recently summoned familiars.

As Vader was observing the students, he felt something bump into him from behind. Vader turns around only to see a young servant girl on the floor. Immediately, the young maid picks up the fallen plate as well as the piece of cake that was on the grass as well.

"Oh my, please forgive me. I wasn't looking where I was going," the young maid said apologetically.

As she got up from the floor and dusted herself off, she looked up at Vader.

"Oh, you must be the familiar that Louise had summoned. My name is Siesta, and I must say that you've really become quite the talk of the academy. May I perhaps know your name?" Siesta said intriguingly.

"You may call me Vader," Vader responded.

Not soon after, Vader hears a familiar voice call out to Siesta.

"Hey, Servant girl! Stop slacking off and bring me my cake!"

As Vader turned in the direction of the voice, he recognized that it was the same young man named Guiche from last night sitting with a blonde female student this time. Siesta bowed toward Vader and said, "Please excuse me, Mr. Vader."

Vader stopped Siesta from leaving. Vader's anger had slowly risen as he saw Siesta getting mistreated. During his time as a young boy, he faced mistreatment as a slave, so he felt empathy toward Siesta. An emotion Vader never thought he would feel towards another again.

"Allow me to accompany you," he suggested slyly.

"Are you sure, Mr. Vader?", Siesta asked.

"It would be my pleasure," Vader responded.

As the both of them walked up towards the table that Guiche and the other female student were at, Guiche was caught by surprise when he realized that Vader was there. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he remembered the last time he had seen Vader. The Sith Lord had almost choked the life out of him.

"I see you have found another woman from last night," Vader said in a menacing tone.

"Guiche, what is he talking about? You told me that you were with your familiar last night?" The blonde female student said angrily.

"N-no you are mistaken, Montmorency," Guiche stuttered.

At that same moment, the same brown hair student from last night walks up to Guiche. "Ah, there you are, lord Guiche. I brought snacks I made for you to try. You know, the kind that you said you liked last night when we talked", Said the brown-haired girl.

In that instant, Montmorency stood up from her chair and yelled at Guiche, "Is she the first-year student you've been rumored to be seeing!?"

At the same time, the first-year student was shocked when she realized that Guiche was seeing someone else. Before Guiche could say anything in his defense, both in unison, Montmorency and the first-year student slapped Guiche in the face and yelled at him, "You are a two-timing pig!" and then both ran away.

Vader, slightly amused with what had just happened, sensed Guiche's embarrassment through the force. Guiche then gritted his teeth, feeling a surge of anger at Vader's mocking tone. He remembered the last time he had crossed the Sith Lord, how Vader had almost choked the life out of him. He couldn't let that happen again, not if he wanted to save his pride.

"You! This is all your fault. Look at what you've done, making two maidens cry like that!" Guiche shouted.

During this time, a small crowd of students begins to form around Vader and Guiche from the commotion.

"I cannot allow this to go any longer! I challenge you to a duel!" Guiche said, his voice shaking slightly.

Vader turned to him, his expression was cold and impassive. "I have no interest in your petty squabbles," he replied flatly, making to leave.

But as he walked away, Guiche's anger boiled over. He grabbed a nearby plate and hurled it towards Vader's back, expecting it to hit him in the head. But before it could connect, Vader reached out with the Force and stopped the plate in mid-air.

Guiche stepped back, clearly startled by what he had just witnessed. "How did you do that?" he asked, looking up at Vader in awe.

Vader remained silent, his grip on the plate tightening as he considered his next move. Guiche's disrespect had crossed a line, and he knew that he could not let it go unpunished.

"How dare you," Guiche continued, emboldened by Vader's silence. "You cannot simply walk away from a noble's challenge!"

"Very well," Vader finally replied, his voice laced with menace. "If you insist on pestering me."

Guiche trembled at Vader's words, realizing the grave mistake he had made. He could only hope that he would make it out of the duel alive.

Suddenly, Vader heard Siesta whisper next to him, warning him, "Please, Mr. Vader, I don't believe that it is a good idea to fight a noble like Guiche."

Vader turned to face her, his expression dark and menacing, "I can handle myself," he said calmly.

"Prepare yourself, I'm about to teach you your place," Guiche yelled boastfully. At that moment, the crowd around Vader and Guiche steps back, allowing more space for the two combatants.


In the dining hall, Louise was still eating her breakfast. As she continued eating, she was confused when she noticed that a lot of the students in the dining hall were migrating outside to the courtyard.

Louise curiously overhears one of the students saying, "I think there's a fight happening outside," to another student as they were leaving.

Immediately, Louise thinks about where Vader is. She looked around her and noticed that he was gone and concluded that he was somehow involved with the commotion outside.

"Vader, what kind of trouble are you getting into now?!" Louise said to herself as she ran outside, following the other students.

As Louise made her way outside towards where the students were gathered, she noticed that even Kirche was spectating in the crowd. When she finally gets to the front of the crowd, she sees Guiche and Vader in a duel.

"That idiot! What is he doing?!" Louise yelled out.

Kirche, hearing Louise, then steps next to her nonchalantly. "You should watch what happens, Louise. I mean, aren't you curious about what your familiar can do?" Kirche suggested.

Louise knows that she can't stop this fight from happening and has no choice but to watch what unfolds.

As Guiche readies his rose wand, he gracefully swings it and summons a Valkyrie golem.

"Behold, my beautiful golem. Try not to be scared now." Guiche said confidently.

Vader was slightly impressed that Guiche is able to conjure up such an entity. But nonetheless, Vader still thought of the golem as trivial. Vader then reaches for his lightsaber only to realize that it's not with him since he lost it in his duel with his son. No matter, I don't need it, Vader thought to himself. Guiche then commands his Valkyrie to charge in for an attack.

Vader, with only a small wave of his hand, uses the force and stops the golem in place right before the hit is about to connect. Everyone in the crowd and including Guiche was shocked.

"W-what's going on? Valkyrie, what are you doing just standing still!?" Guiche shouted.

Vader then scoffed, "Pathetic."

He then proceeded to crush the golem where it stood with the force. Suddenly, a cold air slowly crept around Vader, sending chills down everyone's spine. As the fight continues, Louise, spectating on the sidelines, grows more and more nervous.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Louise said to herself.

Guiche, still stunned that his golem was defeated so easily, regained his composure and swung his rose wand multiple times, summoning six of the same golems.

"It doesn't matter what tricks you have. I won't lose to the likes of you!", Guiche yelled.

Unfazed by more of the golems being summoned, Vader begins walking toward Guiche. Guiche then commands his golems to charge. Effortlessly, Vader slightly raises his hand and force pushes each of the golems, making their attacks miss.

"This is hardly a challenge," Vader said mockingly toward Guiche.

Amazed by Vader's abilities, the crowd of students cheers Vader on. Louise is left dumbfounded by her familiar's abilities. "Is that magic? Was he a mage this whole time?" were questions that arose in Louise's mind.

Guiche grew increasingly frustrated that his golem's attacks weren't connecting, and commanded his Valkyrie golems once again.

"Don't you dare look down on me! You're nothing more than a lowly familiar!" Guiche yelled as his golems charged Vader once again.

Vader could sense Guiche's fear, his uncertainty. It was a weakness that the Sith Lord intended to exploit. The cold fog surrounding Vader grew more and more intense. As the golems' attack was about to land on Vader, he swiftly used the force on one golem, sending it crashing into another one. He then lifts one into the air with the force and rips it in half, pieces of it falling to the ground in front of Guiche. The last three golems swing their weapons toward Vader, but he flicks his wrist and uses the force to divert their attacks to strike each other, destroying themselves in the process. Finally, when Vader closed the gap between Guiche and himself, Guiche then walked backward in fear, away from Vader.

"Y-you think I'm afraid of you?!" Guiche said fearfully.

"Then you will die braver than most," Vader said menacingly.

Vader then slowly raised his hand. Suddenly, Guiche starts slowly lifting off the ground and begins gasping for air. Guiche was grabbing at his neck and thrashing around, desperately trying to breathe, but to no avail. Some invisible force was choking him, and he couldn't stop it. The crowd around them went from cheers to dead silence. Everyone in the crowd, including Louise, was stricken with fear as they only heard the dying gasps of air from Guiche that filled their ears.

But luckily, Kirche grabs Louise by the shoulder and yells at her, "LOUISE, YOU HAVE TO STOP HIM!".

Thanks to Kirche, Louise was able to snap out of her fearful trance and ran towards Vader grabbing his arm.

"VADER, STOP. YOU'RE KILLING HIM!". Louise desperately pulled on his arm, crying out to him, begging him to stop, but Vader couldn't hear her over the gasps of air from Guiche as well his thrashing.

Louise tearfully screamed the loudest she could at him, pulling at his arm with all her strength. "VADER, PLEASE! STOP!"

Vader hesitated for a moment, his mind clouded by the rage and power he had unleashed. But as he looked into Louise's eyes, something within him stirred. Memories of a life-long past flooded back into his mind, memories of a time before he had fallen to the dark side. He immediately realized what he was doing and released Guiche. Guiche's lifeless body fell to the ground motionless. Louise turned from Vader and ran to Guiche to inspect him.

"GUICHE! ARE YOU OK!?" Louise shouted as she shook him.

Moments later, Guiche starts barely coughing and showing signs of life. Louise then breathes a sigh of relief after confirming that he's alive. Vader stood motionless, staring at his hands, his mind racing with conflicting emotions.

After hearing the commotion, Professor Colbert comes rushing in between the crowd toward the scene of the incident.

"ALL OF YOU, DISPERSE RIGHT NOW!" Colbert commanded.

Just then, Colbert sees Guiche's body on the ground, barely alive. Without a moment's hesitation, Colbert calls over two other teachers to bring Guiche to the infirmary. He then turns his attention toward Vader and Louise.

"YOU TWO! BOTH OF YOU GO TO HEADMASTER OSMOND'S OFFICE RIGHT NOW!" Colbert ordered.

"Y-yes sir," Louise said while wiping away her tears.

Both Louise and Vader make their way to the headmaster's office.


Later that same day, Louise and Vader were walking toward the headmaster's office, staying silent to each other the whole time. The tension between them was palpable, with Vader lost in thought and Louise unsure of what to say. He had almost killed Guiche, succumbing to the darkness within him once again. It was a familiar feeling, one that he had felt many times before. But this time was different. This time, he had someone with him, someone who had witnessed his outburst.

For the first time in a long while, Vader was forced to confront his own demons. He had to own up to himself and accept that he was still struggling with his past, still wrestling with the darkness within. Vader made a silent vow to himself. He would face his demons head-on, and he would do whatever it took to move past them. He would be better for himself.

On the other hand, Louise was quietly crying, trying to hide her tears by wiping them off as quickly as they came. She thought about how this incident would bring even more shame to her, her family name, as well as to her peers in the academy.

As they both finally reach the headmaster's door, Louise knocks.

"Come in," a voice from inside the room said.

Vader and Louise both enter the headmaster's office, where they see Headmaster Osmond sitting at his desk with a grim look on his face and his secretary Longuevuille standing beside him. As Vader gazed at Longuevuille, he sensed something ominous about her through the force. He couldn't figure out exactly what was suspicious about her on the surface, but Osmond raised his hand toward Longuevuille before he could poke further with the force.

"I would like to speak with them alone," Osmond said.

Longuevuille then quietly bows at Osmond and leaves the room. For a few moments, a still silence filled the room. It was only then the silence was broken when Louise spoke up to the headmaster.

"Umm, headmaster, about Guiche. Is he going to be-?" Osmond raises his hand at Louise, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Yes, Guiche will be fine. He hasn't sustained any life-threatening injuries." Osmond answered.

Louise then immediately steps forwards and kneels in front of Osmond with her head facing downwards.

"I take full responsibility, Headmaster," Louise blurted out, desperate to take the blame off Vader. "It's my fault for not properly training him. He's still new to being a familiar, and I should have been more careful."

Vader stepped forward, his anger rising. "I don't need anyone to bear responsibility for me," he growled.

But Osmond held up a hand, silencing them both. "You needn't worry," he said calmly. "You won't be punished for what happened."

Louise looked confused. "But Guiche almost died," she said. "Shouldn't there be consequences for that?"

Vader's eyes narrowed. "Then what is the meaning of us being here?" he added.

Osmond sighed. "I brought you here to remind you of the consequences of your actions," he said. "But in this case, it was Guiche who instigated the duel. He bears the responsibility for what happened."

Confused, Louise asked, "I don't understand. How can you be so lenient about this?"

With a soft smile, Osmond places his hand on Louise's shoulder.

"You see, miss Vallière, I believe that the summoning of your familiar wasn't a coincidence. But really, in part, him being a piece of a larger whole. There's something of significance within your familiar that can change this world for the better, especially with his abilities. Trust me, when you get as old as me, you can make the same judgment of character as I can." Osmond explained. "Now, that will be all for today. You two are dismissed," he then added.

Louise let out a small sigh of relief. She had been afraid that she and Vader would be punished for what had happened.

As Vader and Louise both walked toward the door, Louise stopped and bowed her head toward Osmond, "Thank you, headmaster," she said.

Vader paused for a moment before walking away and glanced back at Osmond. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of suspicion as he stared at the man.

"Why did he let us off so easily?" Vader thought to himself. "What is he playing at?"

Vader's eyes narrowed as he studied the Headmaster, who was calmly going through some papers on his desk. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something going on beneath the surface, some kind of game being played that he wasn't privy to.

Suddenly, Louise's hand on his arm broke him out of his thoughts. "Come on, Vader, let's go," she said, pulling him towards the door.

Vader reluctantly tore his gaze away from Osmond and followed Louise out of the office. As they made their way down the hallway, Vader couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that something wasn't right, and he would have to keep a close eye on the Headmaster in the future.

After Vader and Louise had left, they walked in silence back to their dormitory. Louise looked up at Vader several times, wanting to say something, but she didn't know what to say.

"Vader, I'm sorry I offended you by taking the blame for what happened with Guiche," she said, her voice soft and hesitant.

Vader stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "You don't need to apologize. But you also don't need to take the blame for me," he said, his tone cold and menacing.

Louise felt a pang of hurt in her chest at his words, but she tried to keep her voice steady. "I know you can handle things on your own, Vader, but you're my familiar. It's my responsibility to make sure that you don't get into trouble," she said, her voice shaking slightly.

Vader looked at her for a moment longer, his expression unreadable, and then he turned and continued walking down the hallway. Louise bit her lip, feeling a little hurt by Vader's coldness towards her. As they reached Louise's room, Vader went inside without a word, leaving Louise standing in the hallway. She watched him go, feeling a little lost and uncertain. Maybe she had overstepped her boundaries by trying to take the blame for Vader's actions. Maybe he really didn't need her help. But it still hurt to hear him say it in such a cold and menacing tone.

With a sigh, Louise shook her head and turned to enter the dormitory. She knew that she had to put this behind her, but it was going to take some time before she felt completely comfortable around him.


In the deep, quiet sanctuary of his office, Professor Colbert, a middle-aged man whose scholarly demeanor was emphasized by his neatly combed hair and spectacles, held a book with a weathered cover. Its pages were dog-eared, a testament to decades of diligent perusal. In contrast, Headmaster Osmond stood by a tall window, his aging eyes watching over the school grounds below, a serene expression etched on his lined face.

Upon hearing Colbert's voice, Osmond's gaze shifted from the scenery outside to the professor standing in front of him. His eyes twinkled with curiosity. "Ah, Professor Colbert, what brings you into my office?" Osmond asked, his voice echoing with an air of authority that suited his position.

Clearing his throat, Colbert opened the ancient book, revealing a meticulously drawn symbol. "Well, headmaster, it's about the familiar that Miss Vallière had summoned," he began, his voice steady as he relayed his concerns.

Colbert's eyes fixed on the image as he began to share his findings. "When her familiar was first summoned, I noticed this symbol appear on his hand, and I did some research. It turns out that the symbol is really the legendary rune of Gandálfr. Given that Miss Vallière summoned him, this could indicate a possible connection to the lost corner of the Pentagon."

The weight of Colbert's revelation hung heavily in the room. The mere mention of the lost corner of the Pentagon was enough to stir anyone familiar with Halkeginia's ancient legends. Yet, the headmaster's face remained unreadable as he took the book from Colbert, his fingers tracing over the symbol of Gandálfr.

Studying the symbol, Osmond sank into deep contemplation. Colbert's theory was plausible, and the implications were staggering. If Louise and her familiar were indeed linked to the legendary Pentagon, it would open up Pandora's box of questions. But what exactly was the key they held? What role did they have to play?

Pulling himself from his thoughts, Osmond met Colbert's expectant gaze. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. But for now, you are not to speak about any of this matter to anyone." His voice was a stern command, not a mere request.

"Of course, headmaster," Colbert quickly assented, understanding the sensitivity of the matter. With a final nod of his head, he turned on his heel and left the office.

Left alone, Osmond returned to the window, his gaze lost in the school grounds below. His hand absentmindedly stroked his beard as he fell into deep thought, the rune of Gandálfr burning in his mind. The mystery of the unassuming pink-haired student and her formidable familiar was spiraling, growing bigger with every new revelation. He could only wonder what the future held for them and how it would shape the destiny of Halkeginia.


And cut. This chapter was extremely enjoyable to write like things get real here. To be honest, I almost thought about Vader straight-up killing Guiche, but it makes more sense that he didn't in the long run. Well, in any case, the ball is gonna get rolling for these next chapters, so stay tuned for next time. And, of course, be sure to leave your thoughts about this series (don't hold back, I want good criticism.)