Hello again, everybody. It's been a while since I last made an upload of any sort. I've been going through the original version of "The Force of Change," and realized that it just... didn't feel right. Some things felt too rushed, others just felt completely out of character, moreso than was really justified. So, I've decided to do a rewrite. One of the biggest canon mistakes I made was the fact that I had Vader in command of the Executor prior to the destruction of Alderaan, when he didn't even assume command until nearly a full standard year AFTER the battle of Yavin and the destruction of the first Death Star. So, in this story, I've decided to place him back on the Devastator, which was his original flagship prior to even the Battle of Scarif, thus making some of these timelines make more sense. Now... I DID take some liberties with the crew, deciding to place Admiral Ozzel and Captain Piett in the story. I like Piett, and Ozzel still needs to be strangled.
For those of you who have some questions concerning the setting and timeline with RWBY, this story starts several years before the start of the main series. Trivia Vanille is Neopolitan's actual name, for those of you who couldn't figure out the character by the description, and this occurs before she meets Roman Torchwick. She is still very much a child, probably about six or seven years of age (ironically, I'm realizing that I think Neo might be the same age as Luke and Leia, maybe a year or two younger). And yes... there is a reason why his eyes suddenly work. Be sure to comment/review your thoughts. I love seeing what people think is going to happen.
Location: Approaching the edge of the Unknown Regions, 29 Parsecs from Coruscant.
"My lord, we are approaching the drop-off point." An Imperial Officer nervously approached a tall, imposing black monolith of armor, trying to ignore the rasping, mechanical wheeze of the respirator constantly working to pump air into ruined lungs. Lord Darth Vader, Commander of the Imperial Military and only second in command to the Emperor Himself stood resolutely on the bridge of the Devastator. Vader was annoyed, that much was obvious, considering he had already strangled three officers just on the way to this mission. He was annoyed at the incompetence of the officers below him, irritated by the painful cybernetics fused with his body, and frustrated with the menial task he had been given by his Master. The Devastator was a warship in every sense of the term. An absolute dreadnought of power designed to overwhelm entire fleets of rebel scum. And yet… and yet, his Master had decided that the best way to use this absolute monstrosity of military might… was to escort a new science station to the edge of the Unknown Regions. The maiden voyage of his first flagship… and he wasn't even allowed to fire the turbolasers.
As the imposing Dark Lord of the Sith pouted behind his mask, he heard a soft chuckle at the back of his mind. He twitched slightly, before slowly turning to see if he could pinpoint the sound of the voice. Of course, as usual, there was nothing there. He scowled, now more annoyed than before, looking down at the Imperial Officer who had brought him the news, "Begin preparations to exit hyperspace. Have the science station do so as well."
"As you wish, my Lord." The officer hurriedly saluted, before passing on the message to the communications officer and navigation. Vader watched the interaction at Navigation carefully, frowning when he noticed that the Corporal manning the station seemed slightly confused and a bit hesitant in his movements. Vader sighed slightly, thinking back to the roster of men who were supposed to be on the bridge during that cycle. A new trooper, fresh out of the academy. He almost pitied the poor man, who was certainly doing his best. He was tempted to give the man a small nudge with the force to let him do his job, something he rarely did outside of the enlisted soldiers like this one. Unfortunately, Admiral Ozzel, the bumbling idiot who somehow managed to secure the coveted position of Captain on the Devastator, shoved the boy out of the way, berating him for being too slow. Vader frowned sharply behind his mask, a warning in the Force jumping out at him. He took a step forward to stop the idiot before he broke something, but it was too late. There was a sudden lurching motion throughout the entire ship as Ozzel accidentally initiated an emergency all-stop, forcing it to drop out of hyperspace. Vader slid forward a few feet as he had to use the Force to stop himself from falling over. He grabbed a nearby console, nearly crushing it in anger as he whirled on Ozzel, ready to snap his neck for the foolish act.
Fortunately for the Admiral, alarms began blaring and one of the ensigns suddenly called out, "Lord Vader, there's a gravitational anomaly off the port bow!"
Vader looked up to see a terrifying sight. The Dorin Black Holes, a binary system of dead stars, and they were dead in the water, heading right for it. Vader would later deny it, but he cursed loudly as he practically sprinted to the captain's chair, "Sound General Quarters! I am taking control of the ship manually! Tell the crew to brace!"
As Vader began wrestling with the controls of the ship, an officer raced to the intercom, "General Quarters, General Quarters. All hands man your battle stations. The route of travel is forward and up to starboard, down and aft to port. Set material condition 'Rancor' throughout the ship. Reason for General Quarters: Emergency maneuvers due to gravitational anomalies."
Madness reigned around Vader as officers and enlisted alike began racing to get to secure locations. He did not pay attention to them. His mind was focused on saving his ship. His Force spread out to cover the bridge, his mind subconsciously controlling every aspect of the ship. He closed his eyes, sinking into a sort of active meditation as he began to feel the ship, to sense what it needed. The officers and soldiers around him began to panic as they saw the ship beginning to turn directly towards the twin black holes, and nobody noticed the hyperdrive systems coming online. Vader knew that they were still in cooldown from the long distance they had just traveled, but this was their one and only chance at surviving the encounter with the black hole. Several panels and consoles erupted with sparks and steam as tidal forces from the black hole began trying to tear the ship apart, and the hull groaned from the stress. The space around them began to warp as the hyperdrives kicked in for a blind jump, and the Devastator vanished. It would be several hours before the science station they had been escorting found where the ship had jumped from. By that time, the trail had long gone cold, and only a tiny bit of debris from where several hull panels had come free were drifting around. They assumed the worst upon finding the debris, quickly sending word to Coruscant that the Devastator had encountered a black hole and perished.
Several hours later, in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy…
Captain Firmus Piett let out a groan as he slowly sat up, his head pounding and the taste of coagulated blood in his mouth. He spat the blood out with a grunt, dragging himself into a mostly upright position and looking around. The bridge was an absolute mess, panels and wires hanging from the ceiling and several small fires burning. His eyes widened at the sight of the fire, struggling to find the extinguisher. He began calling out to the rest of the men, some of whom were beginning to come around as well, his voice was weak, yet clear as he began trying to get them to help him put out the fires. He had seen Admiral Ozzel standing next to the Navigation main console, and noticed him lying several meters away with a rather brutal looking head injury. He limped over to the man, checking his vitals and breathing a small sigh of relief when he realized that he was still alive.
The imperial officers and soldiers continued to do their best to clean up the bridge, trying to establish communications with the rest of the ship. It wasn't until about thirty minutes later that someone noticed that there was someone missing.
"Captain Piett… where is Lord Vader?"
Unknown Planet
Unknown Time
Unknown Location
The first thing Vader was aware of, as always, was the constant, irritating pain of his ill fitting cybernetic components. The second thing he was aware of was the slow, inexorable rhythm of his forced breathing, rattling in his chest and through his respirator. Soon after this, he was aware of a rather acute pounding in his head, and he could tell that something was very wrong. He lay there, staring at the ceiling for several long moments before realizing what it was. He wasn't looking at the ceiling to the bridge of his ship anymore. Dirty timber rafters, dim lighting, and dust everywhere. He slowly sat up, struggling to his feet as he looked around to try and get his bearings. There was something else that was severely wrong, but he was having difficulty thinking straight. A concussion, probably. It wasn't until he stumbled over an unseen obstacle that he realized what exactly the issue was. His optic sensors were malfunctioning. Normally, he had perfect night vision, but for some odd reason, the room around him was pitch black. Sort of. If he wasn't sure that his eyes had been completely scorched in the fires of Mustafar, he would swear that his eyes were actually adjusting to the darkness. His hand lowered to his hip to grab his lightsaber, frowning sharply upon realizing that it was missing, likely having been knocked off his belt during… whatever event occurred that brought him to this place. He scowled, annoyed at the loss of his weapon… among other things. He closed his eyes, drawing in that irritation and annoyance and allowing it to flow through him, to become one with him. Slowly, he began to spread out his senses, curious to know if he was alone. He actually jumped slightly, the movement muted by his cybernetics, as he almost immediately detected a small, frayed Force presence nearby. It was weak, barely alive, and fading quickly. He quickly zeroed in on the unknown life form, his synthetic baritone booming out.
"I know you are there… I can sense you. Come out where I can see you." There was a not so subtle 'or else' hanging on the end of that command, hanging ominously over the area. Was it necessary? Not at all, but Vader was feeling slightly vexed at the moment, and it felt good to threaten another sentient. It only took a few minutes before he heard a small sniffle and some rustling in a darker corner of the room he was in. He was somewhat surprised to see a pale, scrawny girl come shuffling out of the shadows, heavily limping and staring at Vader in fear and confusion. Vader blinked owlishly, not expecting someone so… young. Even with as weak as the girl was, her Force signature was bright and strong. He would have assumed that it was just an injured Force sensitive adult, not this… waif. He frowned slightly, looking around slowly and realizing that the room wasn't just dark… it was burnt. He looked back at the girl, slowly kneeling down. He still towered over the child, but at least he could get a closer look at her. It took a few moments to notice it, but her suddenly realized that he could see the girl. He slowly reached out, grabbing the girl's chin and tilting her head to the side, taking note of the fact that she was human, and yet her hair was two different colours, pink and brown. It matched her eyes as well, pink and brown…
"Where are your parents, child?" Vader asked the question, but a slight ping of grief in the Force told him exactly what he wanted to know, and the sad look in the girl's averted eyes filled in the blanks as she looked around at the burnt room. The air began to grow lighter as a nearby window began to let moonlight through the soot covered glass. The haunting sight of a burned out, hollow husk of what used to be the home of what appeared to be a noble family. He slowly stood up, stumbling his way through the darkness until he found a door. It took a moment to figure out that it was jammed, likely due to the fire. He scowled, using the Force to rip the door out of the wall and toss it to the side with a casual gesture. He stepped out, only to recoil slightly as freezing cold winds and snow buffeted his considerable bulk. He raised his hand instinctively to keep wind from his face, grumbling when he remembered who and what he was. He shook himself, blaming his concussion and the shock of… whatever happened to him as to why he reacted so poorly. He looked around slowly, taking in the sight of mountains, snow, and an unfamiliar night sky… A shattered moon. He stared at the moon for several long moments, trying to comprehend the nature around him in contrast to the destruction in the sky. Something was niggling at the back of his mind as he stared at it, something that he subconsciously knew was important…
The approaching Force presence of the girl behind him distracted Vader from his musings, and he turned to see her shivering and standing in the snow nearby. He frowned sharply, about to tell her to return to the home, but then he looked up and saw that the structure was barely holding together. It seemed that the main entrance hall that he had appeared in was one of the only rooms that had remained standing in what looked to be a rather large and extensive property. Echoes in the Force whispered in his mind, ghosts of memories of pain and sorrow… and anger… He slowly looked around, searching for something that could be the source of this nexus, pausing upon seeing a tattered flag hanging from a makeshift pole. He approached the flag, taking note of the small ping of fear and anger coming from the child behind him. With a sharp tug, he jerked the flag down from its pole, inspecting the design carefully. It was faded and full of holes, but he could see a white background, with a blood red design of some sort of creature head in the center. He turned to look at the child, keeping an eye on her emotional state as he approached with the flag, kneeling down again and showing it to her.
"The people who put this flag up… are they the same ones who hurt you, who did this to your family and your home?"
The girl did nothing for several seconds, but eventually she nodded. Vader looked around at the snowy mountains, the harsh landscape. It reminded him of the northern mountains in Naboo. He looked back down at the girl. The mismatched eyes that stared back held a healthy mixture of fear… and desperate hope. It was something unfamiliar to Vader, a look he hadn't seen in a long time. He quietly rose back to his feet, deciding to take the child with him, if only to have her lead him to the nearest Imperial outpost, "Come with me, child. I shall take you somewhere safe."
Vader began walking, identifying a somewhat faded and snow covered path that led down the slope of the mountain. He could hear the uneven gait of the girl shuffling and limping along behind him, and so didn't bother looking behind him. It was still annoying that his optics were only half working, and he still hadn't quite figured out why he was suddenly able to see colour. He continued walking in silence, his boots crunching softly in the thick snow. Nearly a full standard hour into the solitary march, he heard a small gasp, and he turned to see the girl falling into the snow. A frowned appeared under the mask as he marched up to the girl, ready to scold her for falling behind. Then he saw that the child was shivering, practically blue in the lips… and barefoot. He paused, the words dying in his throat. Slowly, he knelt down, picking the child up and using his cloak to wrap around her chilled form. He could practically feel her shivering through the thick mass of electronics and armor on his chest. Quietly, he turned around and continued down the mountains, towards the lights he could see down the slope.
The sky was beginning to grow lighter by the time he arrived at the slope of the mountain, discovering something that greatly concerned him. An asphalt road. He stared at the black surface, frowning sharply with a slight flicker of anxiety appearing within him. He was quick to stomp it out, slowly beginning to walk along the two lane road. He looked up at the pre-dawn sky, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that something was terribly wrong. The sky… was empty. No skycars, no incoming or outgoing starships. Even the most backwater cities in the Empire had a basic starport, and he honestly couldn't remember the last time he saw a groundcar path that was so well maintained. A soft rumble in the distance told him that a vehicle was approaching, though he couldn't recognize the type of engine, which in itself was alarming, given the extensive nature of his own mechanical knowledge. He continued trudging along the highway, keeping the child close to his chest. He heard the vehicle starting to slow down as it approached his location, and reluctantly he turned to see who was stopping. A sleek looking groundcar was rolling up to him, the body looking similar to a higher end skycar, only rather large and appearing to be made for a moderately sized family (making more alarms go off in his head). Vader could see the occupants, a man and a woman, peering at him through the windshield. As the vehicle came to a halt, he could hear a very slight grinding sound coming from the front right wheel. Hmm… bearing must be loose, or preparing to give out… The man was obviously military, given his dress uniform and multiple medals. He regarded Vader with a hint of suspicion and concern, his steel grey eyes watching him carefully. The woman, on the other hand, had platinum blond hair and tired blue eyes and seemed much more trusting than the man.
"Excuse me, sir, are you okay?" The man was the first to speak up, giving a pointed look to the woman in order to keep her quiet.
Vader resisted the urge to throttle the man for treating him so blandly, as he was beginning to suspect that he had arrived on a world that had yet to encounter the Empire… or develop a hyperdrive for that matter. At the moment, he felt that it would be best to… lay low. "I am attempting to make it to the nearest town. I was… traveling through the forests in the mountain, and came across this child in a burned down building." Vader carefully uncovered the girl in his arms, showing the couple.
The woman gasped, her eyes going wide, "James, that's the Vanilles' daughter, Trivia! My word, she's been missing for nearly three weeks now!"
Vader felt the girl stir, her heterochromatic eyes opening blearily as she looked at the woman. He could feel a faint flicker of recognition coming from her, and looked down, "Child, do you know this woman?"
She nodded quietly, pointing at the woman and making small gestures. Vader was confused until he saw the woman nodding. Ah… the child is mute. That would explain the silence. He then noticed the man, James, regarding him with further suspicion as he took in Vader's rather ragged appearance. He calmly stared him down, knowing that his expression would be unreadable behind his unnerving mask.
"Sir, what exactly were you doing in the mountains? And who exactly are you?" The man was tense, obviously recognizing that Vader's suit was some sort of life support system, and a heavily armored one at that.
"My transport went down several hours prior to my finding Miss Vanille here. I had been attempting to find civilization before that. Seeing the child's condition made that idea more pertinent." The lie came easily to Vader, and he could feel Neo's confusion. To be perfectly fair, he had no idea what the girl had seen when he appeared in her burnt out home. However, he quickly extended what he hoped was a reassuring tendril in the force, encouraging her to remain silent about what she had seen. "If it is at all possible, could I trouble you for transport into the city in order to obtain medical care for the girl?"
The man, James, opened his mouth to respond, only to be beaten by the woman who nodded quickly, "Of course! By Oum, you don't even need to ask about something like that!"
James held up a hand, stopping the woman from going any further, "Now, hold on, Mrs Schnee, we don't even know who this man is! He still hasn't introduced himself!"
Vader watched the interaction carefully, deciding to skim the woman's mind for information so he could blend in better. He didn't dare attempt it with the man. The Force was already warning him against it, and even without it he wouldn't try it. After a few seconds, he had the information he needed, "General Ironwood, I am Lord Darth Vader of Vacuo. I am a former General of Vacuo's armed forces in the last regime… I was coming to Atlas to hopefully make a new start for myself, though I am beginning to regret that decision. It seems that Atlas is even less hospitable than Vacuo."
Vader withdrew from the woman's mind when she began showing signs of pain and confusion. He had gone through a rather large portion of her mind to get the information he wanted, and while much of it was useless at this time, he at least knew how to craft a decent cover story for himself. Ironwood narrowed his eyes at the monolith of a man, trying to find any flaw in his story. He glanced at the life support system on Vader's chest, frowning slightly with sympathy appearing in his gaze, the fingers on his right hand flexing slightly. Vader could hear the slight whirring of servos as he did so, realizing that Ironwood was a cyborg as well. He nodded just enough to dip his helmet, "War has a price for us all, General. Count yourself lucky yours wasn't worse."
Ironwood nodded after a moment, jerking his head towards the back of the vehicle, "Get in…"
Vader shuffled to the back seat, struggling for several moments to get in the vehicle and get properly situated. He looked somewhat comical, crammed into the back seat of the car. He noticed that the seat next to his had a child a few years older than Trivia, maybe in her early teens, who appeared to be the spitting image of the woman in the front seat. She was looking at him with wide eyes and he could practically feel the curiosity burning within her.
"So uh… Mr. Vader, or should I call you General? How did you get hurt? Unc- er… General Ironwood got hurt in a fight with a pack of Beowolves and the White Fang."
Vader ignored the sound of disbelief and admonishment coming from Ironwood and Mrs Schnee in that order, focusing on the fear and anger coming from Trivia at the mention of the last group. He spent a moment going through the information he had pulled from the woman's mind, making it seem like he was finding the right words to use, which he was in a way. But he also needed to figure out this White Fang issue. "I was… stabbed in the back by a man I considered to be my brother, and left to die near a river of molten material in a refinery. And call me Lord if you must. That is my title, just as General is his current one."
That shut the brat up faster than her mother or the General could. Ironwood actually glanced back at Vader, surprise in his eyes, "I… apologize for my protégé's rather inconsiderate questions, General Vader… Winter, it would be wise for you to remain quiet unless spoken to for a little while. I'm sure the General would like some time to rest, as would Trivia."
Vader begrudgingly nodded his thanks to Ironwood, closing his eyes to try and do his best to sleep. Surprisingly, even with the unfamiliar motion of the groundcar beneath him, he passed out almost immediately.
Vader was standing in the Jedi Council Chambers, which were empty… and free from death and destruction. The sound of his constant, forced breathing and that damnable pain from his prosthetics were absent, and when he looked down he saw that his hands were made of flesh and blood. A set of powerful presences washed over him and he whirled around. Sitting behind him were three creatures that he had thought to be long dead. The Father, sitting in the Grand Master's chair, and the Brother and Sister flanking him on either side. The Father smiled softly at Vader, nodding, "Welcome, Anakin Skywalker. We have been expecting you.
Thanks for reading! I hope I'm not too rusty. As always, be sure to comment/review/etc. I love seeing what people think of my writing, and it helps me make decisions on style and direction!
