Surrounded by blaring alarms, distant detonations, and the hurried footsteps of retreating Imperial personnel, Darth Vader found himself ensnared in a clamorous symphony of destruction. The successful assault led by the Rebellion on the second Death Star had pushed the massive space station to the precipice of annihilation. Time, a commodity once abundant, had become scarce; Luke, desperate and determined, strained to drag the wounded Vader towards a shuttle still docked in the hangar bay.
As they neared the ramp of a Lamba-Class shuttle, Vader's strength abandoned him, causing him to collapse. Luke instinctively dropped to his knees, reaching to hoist his father back onto his feet. But Vader protested.
"Luke…help me…remove this mask."
"But you'll die," Luke responded, his voice trembling with dread.
"Nothing…can prevent that now. Allow me... just this once…to look at you with my own eyes," Vader countered.
With a grim nod, Luke started the delicate task of removing his father's mask. The sight of Vader's disfigured visage sent a pang through him. A frail hand found its way onto Luke's shoulder.
"Now…go my son…leave me," Vader implored in a feeble whisper.
"No, you're coming with me. I refuse to abandon you. I need to save you," Luke vehemently denied.
Raising his eyes to meet Luke's, Vader murmured, "You already…have, Luke…." His gaze hardened, "You were right about me. Tell to your sister…you were right…"
"Father! I will not abandon you!" Luke's voice echoed throughout the hangar.
Suddenly, the ominous tremors caused by distant explosions grew more pronounced. Both father and son felt the Death Star shudder under the onslaught. In a hurried attempt, Luke reached for his father, ready to drag him aboard the shuttle. But Vader, knowing there was no more time, summoned the last remnants of his strength to Force-push Luke into the ship.
"NO, FATHER!" Luke's desperate cry reverberated off the shuttle walls.
"GO, MY SON, SAVE YOURSELF!" Vader's command resonated as he sealed the shuttle's ramp with the Force.
Overcome by frustration and grief, Luke bellowed, "DAMN IT!" before throwing himself into the cockpit. He jostled with an array of switches, bringing the ship to life. Seizing the control stick, he navigated the shuttle out of the hangar and into the vast expanse of space, burdened by the sorrow of leaving his father behind.
From the dwindling safety of the hangar, Vader watched his son's departure with a deep sense of relief. Spent and drained, he crumpled to the ground. Feeling the tug of the Force calling him, he understood his end was imminent. Suddenly, a familiar presence made itself known.
He turned, recognition flickering in his eyes, "Obi-Wan?" he questioned.
"Hello there, old friend. Your journey is not yet complete," the spectral form of Kenobi murmured.
Before Vader could muster a response, a youthful, feminine voice punctuated the silence. "...the wisest, strongest, and most beautiful familiar, I summon you!"
"Wait, Kenobi!" Vader called out, extending an arm towards the receding specter. Suddenly, exhaustion overtook him, and his world blurred until it faded to black.
Glistening rays of sunlight cascaded over the stately Tristian Academy of Magic. The campus, resembling a grand castle nestled within an expansive meadow, was a pentagon architectural marvel. Each corner tower, representing a unique subject, was adorned with a distinct color. Within the academy's robust walls, students resided in dormitories, feasted together, and engaged in diverse discussions or juicy gossip. Most students traveled in packs, with only a few rare loners. Among these outliers was Louise de la Vallière.
Aged 16 and in her second year at the academy, Louise was notably petite and appeared remarkably young for her age. Sporting long, pink hair and matching rosy eyes, she carried a certain charm. Despite being the youngest of three daughters, she held herself with unmerited arrogance and pride, seemingly ignoring her deficient magical prowess compared to her elder sisters. This disparity led her peers to dub her "Louise the Zero" due to her consistent failures in spell-casting, resulting more often than not in explosions. Yet today, any previous insults fell on deaf ears, for it was the day of the familiar summoning ritual. This ceremony marked a rite of passage for second-year students, who would summon and bind with their lifelong magical companions. Louise viewed this as her chance to silence her doubters and perhaps even outdo Kirche, the originator of the demeaning "Zero" nickname, by summoning a familiar of greater power.
While Louise committed the incantation to memory, Professor Colbert emerged into the courtyard, rallying the students. "Everyone, please gather around. It's time to commence the summoning ritual." Her classmates began to trickle towards the courtyard, with Louise following suit, a fierce determination in her heart. "This is where the fun begins," she muttered under her breath.
As the event progressed, her classmates summoned a menagerie of familiars, from the cute and cuddly to the fearsome and draconic. The time came for Louise and her nemesis, Kirche, to summon their familiars.
"Kirche Von Zerbst, you're next," announced Professor Colbert.
Stepping forward confidently, Kirche brandished her wand and recited the incantation. A sphere of dazzling light materialized and revealed a fire salamander as it faded.
"Most impressive, Kirche," complimented Professor Colbert. His gaze skimmed the list before landing on the last name. "Finally, Louise de la Vallière, it's your turn."
As soon as the professor uttered Louise's name, a wave of apprehension swept over the crowd. "Professor, that might not be such a good idea," a student muttered.
Kirche chimed in with a smirk, "Indeed, Professor. Summoning failure seems to be Louise the Zero's specialty."
"Enough. Louise, proceed with the ritual," Professor Colbert encouraged, undeterred by the skepticism.
Louise's resolve intensified upon Kirche's taunt. She stepped forward, wand poised, and began her chant. "Oh, great familiar from beyond the cosmos…."
Hushed whispers erupted among the crowd. "Those aren't the correct words," one student confided in another.
Undeterred, Louise continued, "I call upon the wisest, strongest, and most beautiful familiar. I summon you!"
Almost instantly, a chilling fog enveloped Louise. Unlike her usual magical mishaps that culminated in explosions, this was something entirely different. A tense silence fell over the crowd as they watched the fog intensify, their anxiety mirrored in the wide-eyed expression on Louise's face. The unfamiliar phenomenon had everyone on edge. Suddenly, the sound of deep, inhuman breathing echoed through the fog, sending shivers down everyone's spines. As the fog gradually dissipated, Louise stood face to face with a towering figure, shrouded entirely in black armor.
Speculations ran rampant among the students. "What is that thing? A golem? Or is it even human?"
In his years of teaching, Professor Colbert had never witnessed such an extraordinary summoning. He took a moment to regain his composure before addressing Louise. "Now, Louise, you must complete the final step to form the familiar-mage contract."
Swallowing her fear, Louise responded, "O-ok, I'll try, sir."
Vader, the formidable Dark Lord of the Sith, found himself on the precipice of regaining consciousness. The blurred edges of reality sharpened, and he gradually became aware of his surroundings, a transition not unlike stepping out from a thick veil of the fog into clarity.
His senses returned to him one by one, painting a picture of a scene that was remarkably alien to his expectations. He was standing in the heart of a charming courtyard, cradled within an architectural structure that appeared to be of a simpler time. An assortment of quaint, rustic buildings huddled around the courtyard, their medieval aesthetics seemingly plucked out from an era untouched by the sprawling metropolis landscapes of Coruscant or the high-tech sterility of a Death Star. The buildings appeared to be hewn from stone, adorned with creepers that hinted at a rich history.
He was the center of attention, encircled by a sea of young faces, a motley crew of adolescents, their expressions a mix of curiosity, awe, and apprehension. Their attire was peculiar, quite unlike the uniforms of the Imperial Officers or the simple garb of the Rebellion he was accustomed to seeing. Instead, their clothing bore a distinct archaic touch, an ensemble of robes in earthy tones that hung loosely on their youthful frames.
A cold whisper of apprehension echoed around him, threading its way through the Force that permeated all living things. He could sense the underlying unease radiating from the young spectators. Despite their clear agitation, the Force whispered to him that he was not in immediate danger. The fear was not pointed towards hostility but rather emerged from a place of uncertainty and dread of the unknown.
Vader became acutely aware that his mask was once again ensconcing his visage, the dark, impersonal facade restored to its rightful place. His missing prosthetic, too, had inexplicably reappeared, reinstating his menacing silhouette. As he assessed his surroundings, his gaze inevitably drifted toward a petite girl standing ahead of him. Her pink hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her eyes, the same delicate hue, were wide with a mixture of trepidation and determination. In comparison to her peers, she appeared strikingly smaller, her stature reminding him of a child trying to blend in amongst adolescents.
Observing her closely, he witnessed an exchange unfold between the girl and an older male human who seemed to be in some position of authority. Their conversation was held in a language that was unfamiliar to Vader's ears, neither Galactic Basic nor any other dialect from the multitude he had encountered in his time. The rhythmic cadence of their speech was foreign, yet the Force pulsated around them, and through its vague language of emotions and intentions, Vader could deduce that the elder had issued a form of directive or command.
With a cold and unnerving calmness that had brought many an enemy to their knees, Vader decided to break his silence. His voice, a chilling symphony of menace, echoed across the courtyard. "Identify yourself, or face the consequences," he thundered. The powerful resonance of his threat swept across the courtyard like a storm, instilling an even greater fear into the hearts of the young spectators. Despite the palpable increase in their anxiety, Vader noted that his words did not resonate with understanding; they did not comprehend his language.
In a twist of events that Vader hadn't anticipated, the diminutive pink-haired girl lifted her wand in response. A complex, magical circle—rife with runes and symbols—materialized beneath Vader's feet, emanating an energy that felt altogether different from the Force. A brutal surge of pain then coursed through his body, a blinding, searing wave that stripped him of his strength. He succumbed to the onslaught, his knees
buckling under him as he once again slipped into the shadowy recesses of unconsciousness.
While the students watched in shocked silence, an enigmatic symbol, intricate and unfamiliar, etched itself onto the back of Vader's gloved hand. The sudden appearance of the mark caught Professor Colbert's attention, and a spark of curiosity ignited in his eyes. Despite his extensive knowledge and experience, he was unable to decipher its significance. This unfamiliar symbol, the unusual fog, the terrifying figure - all these factors interweaved to deepen the enigma that now stood before them, elevating the incident from a simple summoning ceremony to a circumstance of unfathomable mystery. The air around them seemed to thicken with anticipation, with uncertainty, and the courtyard stood on the precipice of an unimaginable saga.
Later that evening, Vader once again regains consciousness, only this time, he's in what appears to be a small room with a bed, window, and other pieces of furniture. He then glances to see the same pink-haired girl from earlier in the same room brushing her hair in front of a mirror. Vader then spoke, which startled the young girl.
"Who are you, and where am I?" Vader's voice boomed as he walked toward her.
The young girl sighed in annoyance in response to Vader. This confused him. Why was she annoyed by his presence when only recently she was afraid of him like the others he saw in the courtyard? The young woman then proceeded to grab a strange stick nearby and began to chant something incomprehensible toward Vader. Suddenly, Vader sensed a surge in the force surrounding the girl, but before Vader could react, an explosion occurred, causing smoke to fill the room momentarily.
Once the smoke cleared up, the young woman said in victory, "Finally, now that I've done that spell of silence, I don't have to hear that stupid loud voice of yours again."
Vader is then caught by surprise by what the young woman said. He was actually able to understand her this time.
"So, you're able to speak basic?" Vader questioned as he looked down at her. His expression was cold and menacing.
The young woman was taken aback by his tone.
"What? But I did the spell of silence. How can I understand you?" the young woman said, confused.
"Now that you're able to understand me, who are you?" Vader asked menacingly, towering over her.
Vader's stature intimidated the young woman. He looked at her, and his expression was unreadable. Through the force, Vader sensed the fear within her slowly rise.
"W-Well, my name is Louise de la Vallière, I'm you're master, and you're my familiar," Louise says with a slight nervousness in her voice.
"Master?" Vader growled.
Was he to be enslaved once again? Vader's mind rushed to the memories of him as a small slave boy living with his mother back on Tatooine. No, never again, he thought to himself. Vader was enraged by the thought of becoming a slave once again. His eyes narrowed, and his grip tightened as he prepared to unleash his fury.
Louise suddenly felt the room slowly shake around her and it growing colder, causing her fear to rise even more. Vader then raised his hands toward Louise. This frightened Louise, not knowing what Vader might do to her. She then slowly started to walk backward away from Vader in fear. Suddenly, Vader's gloved hand shot out and grabbed Louise by the throat, lifting her off the ground. Louise gasped for air, her eyes bulging. She struggled to break free, but his grip was too strong.
At the last moment, a memory flashed through his mind. He saw himself on the second Death Star, facing his son, Luke Skywalker. He heard Luke's words, pleading with him to turn away from the dark side and return to the light. He felt the conflict within himself, torn between his loyalty to the Emperor and his love for his son. And then he saw himself, at the brink of death, as Luke removed his mask and revealed his face for the first time. He saw the compassion in Luke's eyes, the forgiveness in his heart, and the hope that he represented.
Vader hesitated, his eyes flickering with a mix of emotions. He stood there for a long moment, his mind filled with conflicting thoughts. He was a Sith Lord, powerful and feared, yet here he was, sparing the life of a mere child. Vader then composed himself. Vader realized that he had a choice to make. He could continue down the path of the dark side, or he could choose to follow the light, as his son had. He knew that his destiny was in his own hands and that he had the power to choose his path.
Vader then released his grip on Louise and walked away to the door, his cape swirling around him.
"I am my own master," Vader said as he looked at her with disdain as he left the room, slamming the door behind him.
"H-Hey, wait! You can't just leave!" Louise yelled, struggling to catch her breath, to Vader as he exits the room.
As Vader left the room, he walked through the hallway of the dormitory, his cape billowing behind him. Along the way, he sees a young blond male flirting with a young brown-haired woman in the hallway, but he pays no mind to them. At that moment, the young blonde man notices Vader walking down the hallway.
As Guiche saw Vader, he smirked and said, "Ah, the infamous familiar that Louise had summoned. I have heard so much about you, but I must say, you are quite an eyesore."
Vader said nothing, his eyes fixed on Guiche as he continued to walk toward him. Guiche's smirk faded, replaced by a look of fear and apprehension.
"Huh? D-Do you think you can scare the great Guiche? Know your place, peasant," Guiche stuttered in fear.
Vader said nothing, his silence more menacing than any words could be. Suddenly, the cold air that followed Vader hit the couple like a tidal wave, instantly making them freeze with fear. Guiche stumbled back, trying to regain his composure, but his bravado had been shattered. Vader stopped in front of Guiche, his imposing figure looming over him.
Without warning, Vader lunged forward and grabbed Guiche by the neck. The nobleman's eyes bulged as he struggled for breath, his face turning red. Guiche clawed at Vader's armored fingers, but it was like trying to pry open a vise. As Guiche's vision began to blur, Vader tossed him to the ground like a rag doll. The nobleman lay there gasping for air, his face contorted in pain.
The young brown-haired woman screamed as she backed away in fear as Vader stood over Guiche.
"Mock me again, and you will not live to regret it," he said in his menacing voice.
Guiche gasped for air as he lay on the ground, clutching his throat. He looked up at Vader as he walked away, realizing the severity of his mistake.
Guiche trying to keep his brave appearance towards the young woman, boastingly says, "D-Don't worry, madam, I let him off with a warning," all the while trying not to show that he was not scared as well.
As Vader made his exit from the building, he ended up outside in the courtyard. Vader then notices the night sky as he looks up at the many stars as well as the twin moons. These moons looked familiar to Vader. They reminded him of his home of Tatooine with its twin suns. Suddenly a familiar blue force ghost appears next to Vader.
"Reminds you of home, don't they?" Obi-Wan asked.
Vader turns to the ghost. "Obi-wan, what is this planet, and why am I here?" Vader asked.
"Well, my old friend, the force works in mysterious ways, and it seemed that your time was not to end aboard the second Death Star. You may think that this is some punishment for your actions. But in actuality, this world may also be a blessing in disguise. This could be your chance for redemption. Well, from a certain point of view, that is." Obi-wan explained.
"Redemption, you say?" Vader responded, unconvinced.
"Well, think about it. You've been brought back to the light by your son. He sensed the good within you even though the dark side of the force had you within its grasp for years, and now you've been given a chance by the force to start anew. So, my advice to you is to stick around and see what this planet has to offer. I'm sure you won't regret it." Obi-wan retorted as he slowly vanished away.
Vader stayed silent for a moment, contemplating this new revelation from his old master. Having another chance? Vader thought to himself. After all the unspeakable things he's done as the fist of the empire. Despite all that, his son, Luke, was able to show him the light Vader once thought was unreachable to him again. Perhaps his old master was right. Being summoned to this world could be his opportunity to start a new life. At that moment, Vader then loses his train of thought as he hears Louise calling out to him while running toward him. Vader turns to Louise as she stops right next to him, out of breath.
Louise took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "I...I just wanted to say that...that I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean to offend you."
Vader stared at her for a moment before speaking. "Apology accepted. But understand that I am not your servant."
"I know," Louise said quickly. "But as my familiar, you are bound to me. You can't just leave like that."
Vader's expression darkened. "I am bound to no one," he said firmly.
"But a familiar has to stay with the mage that summons them," Louise protested. "That's how the bond works."
He then considered leaving, but something held him back. He knew nothing of this planet or its inhabitants, and perhaps this woman could provide him with some answers.
He loomed over her menacingly, his voice low and dangerous. "I will stay for now," he said, "but do not mistake my presence for obedience. I will not be your puppet."
Louise nervously smiled, fearful of his intimidation tactics. "Of course not," she said. "But I think we can still be of use to each other."
Vader's eyes narrowed. "I am not a familiar," he said. "And you are not my master."
"I understand," she said softly. "But...can I at least know your name?"
Vader regarded her for a moment before speaking, "You may call me Vader."
And that's a wrap of the first chapter. I had this idea for a kind of what-if story with two of my favorite series, "Familiar of Zero" and "Star Wars." I honestly had a lot of fun writing it in general. Keep in mind that this is my first Fanfic, so give me all the criticism. I'd appreciate it. Till the next time.