Chapter 6 - Your Spirit Is With Me
Author's Note: And the tension rises. :D
~ Amina Gila
Vader can't shake the fear nagging at him as he returns to his office, kneeling on the floor as he answers the incoming transmission from Sidious. Not that there's times he talks to Sidious that he ever isn't afraid, but it's worse right now, after... how angry he was last time. "Lord Vader," Sidious voice hisses.
"Yes, my master?" he asks, past the icy chill snaking through every inch of his body.
He can feel Luke next to him, trying to silently offer him comfort, but he – he can't focus on him right now. It would probably be better if he wasn't here at all because then he – Stop thinking about him.
Which is hard when he's right here. He should've warned him about that before.
"There has been a disturbance in the Force," Sidious says, after an agonizing pause of quiet, as if his eyes are boring through Vader's mind, reading his... everything.
What is he referring to? "I have not sensed it, Master," he replies, carefully.
"Another Force user is rising, growing in strength," Sidious replies, "I suspect it is a new apprentice of Kenobi."
Oh.
Oh.
Vader's blood runs cold. He means Leia, doesn't he? And when she's here, right with him, it probably only magnifies her strength in the Force. This is very bad. "I will search for it, my master."
Sidious is staring at him again, his oily presence slipping around against Vader's shields. He feels distinctly unhappy – does he know something is going on? Is there ever a time he doesn't? "Find it, Lord Vader, and destroy it. And destroy Kenobi. If you fail again, I will be forced to teach you strength again myself."
He does not want to know what his master means by that. "It will be done, Master," he forces himself to say, evenly, past the panic clawing at him.
"Your feelings on this matter have been unclear for long enough," Sidious hisses.
"I will destroy him, Master," Vader promises, uselessly. It's only an attempt to placate Sidious because he has no idea what he's going to do now. If he and Obi-Wan fought again... he was going to finish it on the Death Sar, no matter how numb he felt about it, and he – he still would now, but that's not the biggest problem.
Fear is still clawing at him, even when the transmission ends there.
"Father," Luke breathes, crouching next to him though Vader can't see it.
Vader drags himself to his feet after a moment, even if he still feels unstable from the sheer fear clawing at him. He – After just getting his children back, he could easily be about to lose them again. Leia, at least. He knows his son will always be here. There's nothing Sidious could do to separate them, right?
Right?
"We must be ready to destroy him," Vader replies, solemnly, tightening his shields in the hopes his master can't sense it. Probably futilely.
"Do you think he senses something's up?"
"Likely," Vader replies, grimly. But what Sidious senses, he has no idea.
"We must speak with Leia," Vader decides, moving for the door. She's hovering outside, face tensed with worry when they step out.
"What's wrong?"
"Sidious suspects something, we think," Luke replies.
"He senses you, and he wants me to find you." And if the Daughter hadn't told Leia who she was, would Vader have ever found out? Or would he have hunted her down, never knowing?
"What will we do? Are we... ready to confront him yet?
"No, but we will have little more time." And Vader has no idea how much longer they should even wait. They're running out of time.
**w**
Luke hasn't felt quite this furious with Sidious since the first time he saw Vader talking to him. Maybe he wasn't outright hurting him, but the mere tone he uses on Vader makes him sick. And he's sick of tolerating how people have treated his father for years. He – he wants to make Sidious hurt, to make him feel a fraction of what he's done to the galaxy and Vader, and so maybe it's that half-baked not even thought-out plan that leads Luke to disappearing into the Force, materializing himself on Coruscant instead.
He just followed Sidious' disgusting presence, letting the Force pull him there, and... now he's standing in the fancy throne room of what was once the Jedi Temple. He's never really gone anywhere that Vader isn't before, and it feels as lonely as it is fascinating to be somewhere else entirely.
Sidious is currently meeting with a number of people, sitting on his throne looking perfectly relaxed, and it only makes Luke even more angry.
This is stupid, but he can't help the impulsive urge to just... take revenge. Maybe the Force wouldn't let him outright kill someone, but he doesn't have to do that to get revenge.
He waits until the meeting starts to disperse, and then Force-shoves Sidious as hard as he can the moment he stands.
The Emperor lets out the most undignified and amusing yelp, and he promptly falls down the throne's steps with a loud crash in the middle of the room.
Luke doubles over laughing, as Sidious quickly collects himself, brushing off the Red Guards who seem awkward uncertain if they should give him space or fuss over him to see if he's okay. And it's even more amusing to see everyone in the room attempting to keep a straight face.
Well.
That was the most fun he's had since he died, except for flying with Vader. He really, really wants to do that again. Too bad Vader wasn't here to see that.
Luke fades out again, appearing when Sidious is going to his quarters late that evening.
Being in here is positively creepy, even if he's one with the Force and connected with the Dark Side. It feels suffocatingly of the Dark Side in here, but not just Dark. It's... feels dirty and twisted, in a way that makes him squeamish. No, he really, really doesn't want to be in the Emperor's bedroom one second longer.
"You will die," Luke hisses, right behind Sidious ear.
The Emperor turns sharply, though he didn't jump like Luke was hoping.
Yellow eyes bore down on where he's standing, and suddenly, the fun of the moment is gone. A chill snakes through him – as physically as is could – and he's almost scared now.
Sidious doesn't reply, not that he expected otherwise, but that he doesn't scares Luke even more.
That look... Sidious might be unnerved, but he's not afraid. He – does he know how to handle spirits? He's a Sith, after all. And he can definitely sense Luke.
Maybe he shouldn't have come here. He can't say why, but he suddenly has a very bad feeling about this, as he fades out again. Even if that was totally worth it, and he really wants to try spooking him a little bit more.
Or at least, he does until he appears back at the Mustafar castle, only for Vader to get another call from Sidious only the next morning.
Maybe Luke shouldn't be here, but he stays anyway, hovering uselessly as he watches his father kneel to this... monster.
For a long pause, Sidious says nothing. "What have you found?" he demands, finally.
"Nothing yet, my master. I am still... searching."
Another long pause. "Come to Coruscant," Sidious orders, finally, with no explanation beyond that.
Luke's non-existent blood runs cold.
Force.
What did he do? Somehow, he knows this has to do with what he did. What Sidious figured out, he has no idea. Why did he ever think going there was a good idea? Yes, it was funny while it lasted, but...
Vader looks up but doesn't ask. "Yes, master," he replies, finally.
Luke can feel Vader's fear too, as the hologram flicks off. "I'm sorry," he breathes, dropping next to his father.
"For what?" Vader asks, confused, helmet turning to look at the empty space where Luke is.
"I – I did something stupid."
Vader gestures a hand, opening the door to the office with the Force as he stands, letting Leia inside. "Meaning?" he asks, a touch warily.
"I – I was mad at him, and I... went to Coruscant. I might have been... harassing him. I think that might have caused this."
For a heartbeat, no one says anything.
"Well," Leia blurts, finally cracking a strained smile, "That would've been a sight to see."
"What did you do?" Vader asks.
"I... kicked him down the stairs?"
Leia lets out a surprised laugh., and he's almost certain he feels Vader's momentary amusement, even if it quicky fades out, smothered by fear. "I wish I could've seen that," Leia says, "But... yeah, that may not have been the best of decisions."
"We are out of time, now," Vader replies, "He suspects me. If we are to take him out, we must do it now."
"I can help you fight, even if I can't actually kill him, I don't think," Luke says, "Is there anything he could do to me?"
"Sith do have ways of containing spirits, trapping them," Vader replies.
Oh.
Oh no.
That's not good. At all. "Does Sidious know how to?"
"I do not know, but I imagine so. Remain out of the way unless necessary."
Then how is he supposed to help?! That's – Force. His father and sister will be going to face Sidious, and there might be nothing Luke can do about it. "So we're... going?"
"Yes," Vader replies, "But perhaps we can... meditate first. We must be ready to fight together."
"To the end," Luke promises. He has no idea what it would mean for a spirit to be trapped, but he can't even imagine an eternity of imprisonment, being trapped forever, unable to even move on into the Force –
But who he's really terrified for are Vader and Leia. He doesn't want anything to happen to them. They deserve to live, and they – they could easily die. Obviously it will happen eventually, but it shouldn't have to be yet.
"Do not blame yourself," Vader says, voice cutting through his thoughts, "Perhaps it is the will of the Force that we face him now. There is only so much longer we could have hidden before Sidious determined what was happening on his own."
Maybe it is for the best, but that doesn't stop how scared Luke is now. He lets that fuel him, giving him strength. He doesn't need strength the way living beings do, but it still influences his control of the Force.
But in the end, he knows this will end however the Force deems it.
**w**
Vader would be lying to say he's not terrified right now. Sidious knows, doesn't he? He's probably sensed Luke and when Luke was... harassing him – Vader still wishes he could've seen that – he probably figured something was up. After their last conversation about his... disobedience, he's dreading seeing his master again.
But this is for Luke and Leia, and there's truly nothing Sidious can do to him that he hasn't already. Except hurting Leia. Or Luke if he actually knows how to harm spirits. That's what's scaring Vader most of all – he actually has something to lose again. And for all the power the Dark Side's given him, it's never stopped him from fearing and losing.
"How should we... do this?" Leia asks, lingering in the doorway of his meditation chamber, "I imagine it'll be easier for you in... there."
"You may come in if you... desire. Or you may remain out here. We will still be together in the Force."
"I can," she agrees, following him almost hesitantly as they enter Vader's meditation pod. He wants to see his children with his own eyes one last time before something happens. If something happens. He doesn't want to believe, but he – he can't stop fearing. And the future doesn't feel all light. Something is going to go wrong. He's too scared to properly sense what it is.
Leia hesitantly lowers herself to the floor in front of him, and Vader sits, waiting as the machine whirs to pull his helmet off. He delves into the Force, latching onto Luke's presence, so his son's form materializes next to Leia's. They're practically squished side by side, but they can make it work. Neither of them seems bothered. If anything, all of them being so close together is giving them all a certain sense of comfort.
Leia's eyes widen the slightest bit with horror as she sees his face for the first time, and he hers.
Without the red lens, he can see them both far more clearly, and he engrains it into his mind forever while it lasts.
Leia doesn't say anything about his face, though, and for that he's grateful. Luke didn't before, either. He – he doesn't want to know what they think of him. He knows he looks awful. He's never seen his face and doesn't really want to.
"We should see if we can reach the Son and Daughter together. Maybe they'll have something to say to us," Luke says, hopefully.
Vader nods, reaching deeper. He can feel the other two doing likewise, and soon they're floating in the currents of the Force itself, instead of here in this pod. Vader still sometimes thinks of Naboo when he draws on the Force, and the landscape looks vaguely like a meadow on Naboo now, the twins near him. Except, it's not the Son and Daughter who appears next. It's... the Father?
"Who are you?" Luke asks, surprised.
"I am the Father. I speak for the Force itself," he replies.
"What must we do?" Vader asks. He needs guidance from the Force, now more than ever.
The Father studies him with his piercing gaze, and Vader can feel the way the Force wraps around him now, almost comfortingly. "You know it, in your heart," the Father answers.
Does he?
He – he knows he has to stop Sidious, and... likely, he's referring to balancing the Force as well. "How can I balance the Force?" Vader objects. The Jedi taught that he's the problem and he hasn't had a reason to think of that in years. This was never a role he wanted.
"When the time comes, you will know. It is your destiny. But you are a child of the Force, and it will always be with you."
He can feel that now, with more glaring clarity that he ever has before, wrapping comfortingly around him. And in the end, the one thing he's never questioned is the Force. "You have made mistakes as all mortal beings," the Father goes on, "But the Force directed what transpired for the best of the galaxy, even if you may never understand. Every choice you have made has not always been your own. Perhaps in time, you will see that, but know that when you confront your master, the Force will direct events as it deems necessary."
Vader has no idea what to say. He – he made his choices. No matter how helpless he often felt, with no idea what else to do. How can the Force indicate otherwise? Yes, he knows he... often felt like there was no way out but he can't believe... And yet, that's what it's telling him now, even if he doesn't really understand it. He'll think about it later, but maybe now isn't the time.
And at least he can truly rest reassured that whatever happens now is determined by the Force, not his master. He always knew that, of course, but it's different to hear it laid out. "Will we succeed?" Leia asks.
"Your destinies cannot be revealed," is the only answer.
"Why do you appear to us now instead of... any time in the past?" Leia asks.
"No grandchild of the Force should have been lost from the physical realm yet, but when it happened, the balance of the Force shifted. It must be righted before the galaxy destroys itself," the Father replies, "And while my children have bonded, I have to... another."
Him, Vader realizes.
The connection isn't like a physical bond, but it's... a strange level of knowing, that this is supposed to be his role. Once, the Father asked him to stay on Mortis and balance the Force, and – somehow in that moment, he knows with a clarity he's never felt before that it's going to happen, that he'll balance the Force, even if he doesn't understand how. He can feel even more clearly now, Luke's Force presence connected to the Son's and Leia's to the Daughter's, now that they're all truly accepting their roles.
And then... Vader suddenly senses something.
Obi-Wan.
He's... coming. What's he doing here? The tangled mess of emotions that swells in him the moment he feels it are too confusing to sort out, but he knows he is not ready to see him. At all.
Vader pulls back to himself immediately, and the twins do likewise, but Luke... is still transparent to them?
"I can still see you," Leia realizes, staring at him.
"Yeah," Luke agrees, surprised, running his hand along the floor of the pod.
"You are taking on your roles as the Father said," Vader replies, "That may have... strengthened your connection with the physical world." He motions for the machine to put his helmet back on. "Obi-Wan is here."
"He is?" Luke asks, stiffening.
"Let me talk to him," Leia blurts, immediately standing, "Maybe I can... stop this from getting violent?"
"You may, but that is unlikely," Vader replies. He'll let her, though, because he is not looking forwards to this. At all. Sidious told him to kill Obi-Wan and he – he can't do that, not because of Obi-Wan anymore because the man who raised him is long gone, but because – He knows it would hurt Leia. And he – he doesn't want to follow his master's orders anymore.
"Let me talk to him," Luke retorts firmly, blinking out again.
Well.
That could get interesting. Vader will have to go face him now though, no matter how much he doesn't want to.
He might have been ready to face Sidious – not at all, actually – but his certainty started to evaporate the moment he heard Obi-Wan was here.
**w**
Luke can't stop thinking about the Death Star, as he follows Vader and Leia to where Obi-Wan is being held – yes, he got himself captured and there's no way he couldn't have known that would happen. Does he not even care if he gets himself killed? To be fair, he... probably has nothing else to lose, either. Luke doesn't quite know how to feel about that, but right now he's just angry, seeing how upset his father is over this. He was just starting to feel a little lighter for the first time in... so long.
Being here physically is exhausting, and he'll have to recollect energy later, but he feels a certain connection to the Son that he didn't before. Destruction is... necessary sometimes. And he's perfectly willing to cause it if it's necessary to stop Sidious forever.
The three of them enter the room at once, and for a moment, Ben just gapes at them, expression going from steely and angry to shocked. "Luke?" he asks, incredulous.
"I'm not alive," Luke replies, "But I'm... still here."
"You never learned how to become a Force ghost," he objects, mind blown.
"A... what?"
"Some have learned to preserve their consciousness and physical forms after death. But you..."
"I don't know how it happened," he replies, "But I was told by the Son it's because I'm the Force's grandchild."
"Ben..." Leia begins, shifting. She looks almost guilty.
"What," he demands, turning to her sharply, "Were you thinking?!"
That he hasn't said a word to Vader is... Luke doesn't know, but he doubts that doesn't sting, on Vader's part.
"I couldn't forget what the Daughter was saying," she replies, lifting her chin, "I know what you believe, Ben, but I... He's still my father."
"He is not Anakin," Ben replies sharply, shooting a hard look at Vader.
"He's not what you wanted him to be," Leia corrects, "That doesn't mean he's someone else entirely."
"He's not lost like you think," Luke adds, voice hard.
"You don't know what he's done," Ben argues, "Whatever he's said to you is a lie."
Luke very, very badly wants to scream right now. How could he be so – so – ugh. And, by the way, he is standing right here, and why is Vader not even saying anything in his own defense?
"What's wrong with you?" Luke snaps finally, "I get that he hurt you, that he's done things you could argue are unforgiveable. But have you ever once considered that maybe it's not all his fault? It's not as if you're any better! Or does what you did to him not matter because he's used a side of the Force you don't believe in?"
Ben's clearly caught off-guard from the sudden tirade, but he recovers quickly enough. "You haven't seen a fraction of what he's done," Ben retorts, "And he is not who you think he is. Anakin is gone."
"Even if he was so what? How is what you did justifiable to anyone?!"
Ben doesn't reply immediately, surprisingly, though Luke imagines he's thinking of an equally biting response.
"Ben, listen to me," Leia interjects, "I know this isn't easy for you, but this – this isn't helping. We can talk about this later – we're going to confront Sidious now, with his help. If you want to come help, too, you can. I thought this was what you always wanted."
"You are going to destroy Sidious?" Ben asks, dubiously.
"Yes," Vader speaks up for the first time, voice flat and entirely devoid of... anything.
"And rule in his stead?" he demands.
"I have no desire to be Emperor. But perhaps Leia..." Vader pauses, "Will you come?"
Ben stares him down for a long moment. "Yes."
Vader turns sharply at that, striding from the room without another word. Probably, he's been waiting for the first chance to leave. Luke watches him go, his anger and frustration at the situation only growing.
"I didn't mean to just leave," Leia says, shifting closer before Luke can launch into another rant, "But I... I had to know. I knew you wouldn't agree. I didn't want you to worry."
"This was dangerous," he replies, "He could be twisting you to the Dark Side without you even realizing it."
"Does she look twisted by the Dark Side?" Luke interjects, loudly.
Ben eyes him. "No, but you –"
"I took the role of the Son," he replies, flippantly, "That is what we are now. The Dark Side doesn't have to be evil."
"We should get ready to go, Ben," Leia says, subdued, "I... maybe we can talk after."
He nods, stiffly. He seems very angry right now, even if he's not being overly snappy to her. Luke can't say why he... suddenly has such a bad feeling about this, but he fades into the Force again, reappearing where Vader is. He's in his room, lingering next to... someone's lightsaber.
"Are you alright?" Luke asks, even if the mere question is stupid.
"Do not concern yourself with it," Vader replies. "It matters little right now."
"Yes, it does," Luke objects.
The helmet turns to face him. "I do not understand why he has... become this. He was once different. But I do not deserve anything else."
Luke shifts closer, touching his arm. "It's not your fault. He – I can't understand why he's so stubborn either. But maybe once this is over, he'll... start to understand."
Vader says nothing.
Luke doubts he even believes that's possible anymore. He doesn't know that he does, either. Maybe he should talk to Ben, but he just... doesn't know where to start, and he wants to keep his focus on preparing to fight the Emperor. Something massive is about to change, and he doesn't know if he's ready for whatever it is.
But right now, for as much as he wants to stay with Vader, he needs to recollect his energy by staying in the Force. When the time comes to confront the Emperor, he has to be at his peak. There will be no second chances.
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