Summary: The sequel to What Lurks in the Dark.
After the events that took place in the Cimiento mines, Luke and Darth Vader have joined forces together in order to kill Emperor Palpatine, walking along a different path towards destiny's end.
A/N I am going out on a limb here to post this on Fanfiction, which I am quite reluctant to do. See my profile for additional info. However. A good number of readers on this site followed along with the first part of this story for almost two years and I appreciated their support and enthusiasm very much. So, I am posting this here on their behalf.
With that said, welcome friends, to the much anticipated sequel for What Lurks in the Dark! If you're new here, I would HIGHLY recommend reading that work first. None of this will make any sense without it. If you are returning, welcome back! This is an in-progress work with an estimated eight to ten chapters. I'm very excited to share this with you all and hope that you enjoy the continuation.
As always, a huge thank you to both SpellCleaver and JediScribe for their willingness to beta-read this chapter for me and offer their advice and feedback. It is much appreciated.
This chapter picks up immediately following the events in chapter 9.
Chapter One: Welcome to the Empire
May the Force be with you.
Luke stood still for a long moment, a half smile lingering on his face as he stared at the space where Wedge was standing. The ramp finished closing just seconds later, blocking his view and sealing the air and pressurizing the inside of the shuttle with a loud hiss.
He hadn't expected that - or any kind of goodbye, really… but there was a certain relief that this last goodbye between him and Wedge had gone as well as it could have. That even if his reputation was ruined among everyone else that he knew and cared about, there was someone out there that knew him. Someone that knew the truth and was willing to stand by him, even if the decision to do so had come too late.
Sadness mingled with his relief. His time with the Rebellion was truly over. That door and all of its comforts and possibilities had closed. The only way to go was forward.
The shuttle engines purred powerfully underneath his feet as he turned away, stepping further inside. His father hadn't gone farther than a few steps; the rear fuselage part of the ship merged with the main passenger section, which had eight seats available for use, four on each side of the shuttle with a wide aisle down the middle. A shuttle wasn't a TIE-fighter or a ground assault vehicle that was intended for warfare but after craning his head a little, Luke spied what looked to be weaponry systems and gun barrels of differing lengths that were positioned roughly around where he assumed the wing hinge shafts were at.
Shuttle or not, this one was certainly intended for military use. He supposed that that went without saying, considering who it belonged to.
There were six stormtroopers total inside, lined up and clearly awaiting direction - Luke didn't see any other personnel present, though he assumed that there were at least two pilots up in the cockpit. He stayed a few steps back, content to watch and not be in the way. Vader acknowledged them with a single nod and Luke was both surprised and unsurprised by the feelings of respect and admiration that he could sense that these men had for his father.
Rebels who had never been a part of the Empire never understood how anyone could be loyal to Darth Vader. It was obvious from their point of view that he was violent and evil, a terror to the galaxy that needed to be destroyed lest everything worth fighting for was taken and eradicated forever.
Luke had been one of them. And while there was undeniable proof that many of the things said against his father were true… there was more to him than that as well. He'd seen and felt it and knew that there was more.
A number of the Imperial defectors that he'd occasionally spoken to in the Rebellion had mentioned something similar, whenever the topic of Vader had come up. That people followed him for a reason and not just because of orders or fear of death. Despite his reputation of violence, he had a way of inspiring loyalty in those that followed him. It was a little easier to believe up close. Luke couldn't swear to it on a larger scale just yet but at least among these people, the bonds of loyalty that they felt went deep and he had a sense that it would not be an easy task to sway any of these men from it, if it were even possible.
"Your cooperation and management of Opportunity Base operations in my absence is appreciated," Vader said, directing his attention to his men. "You conducted yourselves well and with a great deal of professionalism."
Quiet, but obvious pride in the compliment grew in the Force around them.
Overhead, a comm came to life with an annoying pulse of static before a voice began speaking. "ST 321 passengers, be advised that we will be taking off in ninety seconds. Repeat, we will be taking off in ninety seconds. Thank you."
The comm clicked off and after a few seconds, his father continued, "Moving forward, know that Commander Skywalker is here of his own free will and that my protection order on him will remain in place indefinitely. He will be given an access badge and code upon arrival on the Executor that will grant him a Tier Five level of security clearance . He is allowed to be armed and can go where he pleases, unless otherwise stated. Are there any questions regarding this?"
Luke could feel numerous sets of surprised and curious eyes turning to him from behind stormtrooper masks. He was more than a little surprised himself. A T5 level security clearance gave someone access to top-secret information regarding the workings and inner doings of the Empire and its military. It was the kind of thing that the Rebellion spies would give their lives for in an effort to obtain… and Vader was just giving it to him.
He kept the expression on his face as neutral as possible, training his eyes on the floor in front of him so as to not give away his own surprise, though his mind was spinning with the implications. The rebel in him was almost breathless at the thought of everything he could learn and of how useful it could all be. The newer part of himself that had offered his help and loyalty to his father was valiantly attempting to quiet that voice.
His thoughts were interrupted when the shuttle shifted under their feet and as everyone took a moment to brace themselves as it took off from the ground at last and began its ascent.
A stormtrooper with a higher ranking than the others on his armor addressed his father for the first time. "Is Commander Skywalker to be considered as a member of the Empire moving forward then?" he asked calmly.
"Yes, he is," Vader confirmed without hesitation. "And if you encounter those who suggest otherwise in the coming days and weeks, then shut the rumors down immediately and deal with the naysayers. It is paramount that moving forward, he is recognized as a rebel defector without question."
"Understood," the man said, though Luke could tell by his emotions that he didn't quite understand. Nevertheless, he didn't question it and seemed to hold the belief that he would be given more information later if it became relevant to him. "Will you be requiring a protection detail in any capacity for him?"
Luke glanced at his father at the same time that Vader glanced at him. Their eyes met for a brief moment and Luke only shrugged when a silent question was sent his way.
He'd never needed personal protection before and didn't think he'd enjoy being followed around wherever he went by strangers. But… Luke also knew that he was completely out of his depth when it came to being among Imperial military members in such large numbers and in such a confined space. It was safe to say that he didn't know what type of trouble he should reasonably expect to encounter in the coming weeks.
He silently passed those thoughts along to his father, letting the idea that he was more against it than he was in favor of it sit at the front of his mind. Luke got the sense that his father had his own thoughts about it as well as a silent sort of acknowledgement flickered along their bond.
"Perhaps," Vader said abruptly, looking back at his people. "A notice will be sent out to all Executor security staff in the coming days with more information about what my expectations will be."
"Of course, Sir. We are at your service."
"Good. If there are no further questions, you may all be relieved of duty until further notice."
There was a brief pause but no one else spoke up or seemed inclined to ask anything else and during the brief pause, Luke could feel the subtle change from gravity and atmosphere to space flight. The higher ranking trooper nodded once to his father. "Nothing further," he said simply. "Thank you, Lord Vader."
"Commander," Vader said, glancing at him briefly. "With me."
Luke nodded, stepping forward to follow him up the aisle. The stormtroopers held back, letting them leave first out of respect for their leader before beginning their gear-down process.
At first glance, there didn't seem to be anywhere else for them to go - certainly nowhere in terms of privacy, which Luke would personally prefer and which he suspected that his father wanted as well. Peering around Vader, Luke spied the entrance to the cockpit, which was open so that he could see into it. There were two rows of crew seats in the more forward section that were divided by an aisle down the middle. He imagined that they were for astrogation, defense, and auxiliary functions. Only two pilots seemed to be present, which seemed to be about standard for a spacecraft of this particular size.
Other than that, there was only a partition which separated the front part of the fuselage with the cockpit, with the only notable feature being a pair of triangular arcs of blue lights on both sides of a hexagonal door.
His father stopped at the blue-lit door and then entered a password into the keypad that sat on the wall and then the door was sliding open.
With a gesture, Vader invited him in and Luke stepped inside what appeared to be a private rest area. Like the rest of the ship, there wasn't much in the way of decorations but it was clearly an area that was designed with some comfort in mind. There were expensive sofas with plenty of pillows and a wide holoscreen, as well as a small kitchen set-up in the corner and a desk with an expensive chair. There were likewise a few viewports in the room as well, showcasing the now blue streaks of hyperspace.
The door slid closed behind them and he heard the faint sound of a lock engaging, ensuring that they wouldn't be disturbed. Luke quickly spied the familiar form of R2-D2, plugged in and charging next to the desk. He hadn't been deactivated, and so he dropped his backpack near the door and crossed the floor to where he was.
"Hello Artoo," he greeted, feeling pleased when his friend twittered a greeting back at him. The little droid was covered in red dirt and definitely needed some maintenance but overall, seemed to be in no worse shape than he had been last night. "You doing alright?"
Artoo beeped an affirmative, his dome twisting around for a moment. REPLY: I still have a restraining bolt.
Luke huffed quietly, shaking his head. "Later," he promised. "I'll get you cleaned up as well."
HUMOROUS REPLY: You'd better.
He smiled to himself and then turned around, leaning against the edge of the desk to take in the rest of the room once more. Vader was hovering awkwardly, watching both him and Artoo, though his thoughts were too closed off for Luke to have an idea of what he was thinking.
"You're really going to give me a T5 security clearance?" Luke asked him, once the silence had stretched for a moment longer than was comfortable. It did the trick, pulling Vader's attention back from wherever his mind had wandered.
"Does your question imply that you think there are reasons why I should not?" Vader retorted, sending him the faint impression of an eyebrow being raised in his direction.
Luke paused to consider the question and then shook his head. "No," he said. There wasn't anything or anyone that he would give the information to now and neither did he have any inclination to give his father reasons to distrust him or to disrupt what plans he already had in place. The gesture was simply more than what he had thought to expect.
"Then yes, you will be given security clearance," Vader confirmed dryly, before slowly approaching the desk. Luke moved out of the way for him so that he could circle around and take a seat. "You will need it in order to access certain areas of the ship, with or without my company. It goes without saying that I expect you not to abuse it."
"I won't," Luke promised. There was a brief pause as he wondered what to do or talk about next. He had never been in this kind of setting with his father before. There was no duel or even a life and death fight for survival against a Force-sensitive monster between them now. It felt nice but also a little strange. "...so what now? Where do we go from here?"
"Sit," Vader said after a moment, gesturing to the nearest couch. "There is much to discuss."
Luke nodded, taking a seat on the edge of it, feeling aware of the quiet change in atmosphere to something more serious. His father was silent for a long moment, considering him in a thoughtful sort of way.
"How good of a liar are you?"
"Not very," Luke admitted slowly. "Why?"
"If this is going to work, you have to move forward now as if you are Empire, regardless of where your true feelings may lie," Vader said bluntly. "You need to be convincing in your place here. You joining the Empire will be our backup plan in the event that Sidious discovers our allegiance before we are ready."
Luke felt his brow furrow. "Would he even believe that?" he asked.
"He might." Vader tilted his helmet forward. "It is in the nature of the Sith to be deceiving. Sidious anticipates me working against him and he knows that I want you by my side. He already believes that you might be susceptible to me and my influence."
Luke chewed the inside of his cheek, somewhat unnerved that Palpatine could know that that was true without ever having met him. But… the image and memory of the yellow eyes he'd seen in his vision, and the awful feelings of darkness that accompanied them made him think that it wasn't impossible.
"Didn't you say that he would move quicker if he knew that we had teamed up?" he asked instead.
"Yes," Vader confirmed. "But it is possible that if he believed that you had truly joined the Empire and that I were teaching you the Dark Side of the Force, that he might let me do the brunt of your training before attempting to pit us against each other and taking you as his apprentice."
Luke was silent for a long moment, considering the perspective. It made sense. Besides, he had already known that "being Empire" was the role he would have to take going into this. From here on out, they were working against a ticking clock and they both knew it. Time was what they needed more than anything and capitalizing on what they could get for as long as they could was strategically sound.
"I'll take that bet," Luke agreed after a moment. "How… how likely is it that he'll find out though?"
Vader paused, his thoughts growing a little darker and more dangerous. "I will do all within my power to keep that from being a reality," he promised. "But the Emperor is shrewd and he does not trust me. He has his ways and there are always spies to consider as well. I have eliminated the ones I've discovered through stratagem in the past but there is no guarantee of anything."
Fair enough. He would just have to play his part and cross his fingers that it won them the time that they needed.
Of course… that brought him to another question.
What was his role in the Empire going to be?
He hadn't been introduced to the stormtroopers or anyone else on Opportunity Base as Vader's son - only as a member of the Empire. That, and the security clearance his father was giving him, eliminated the possibility of him posing as an unwilling prisoner to other crew members, though Luke didn't think being a prisoner would work for what they had planned anyways, or that his father had the mind to treat him that way. Luke was grateful in that sense - he imagined that integrating into the Empire would be a culture shock enough without adding 'rebel scum' to his list of working titles.
Would he ever be here as his father's son though? Luke wasn't certain if being known or perhaps recognized as Anakin Skywalker was something Vader was willing to do or if there was any potential danger in his people recognizing him as such. All he really knew was that he could feel a strong sense of disconnect between the two identities in his father's mind. Even in their previous conversations in the mine, there had been a certain reluctance on his father's part to acknowledge the past. Maybe he would prefer to keep the relationship between them private?
Although… the Rebellion would know Luke was Vader's son in the coming days. There was the high likelihood that that information was going to public in some fashion and his father's true identity as Anakin Skywalker would come out with it. It wasn't exactly avoidable.
"How am I going to be presented in all of this?" he finally asked. "What role do you want me to take?"
His father seemed to sense the direction of his thoughts. "You will be introduced as my son among the chief officers of the Executor," he confirmed as if it shouldn't have been a question at all. "They will be responsible for the trickle down information to the rest of the crew and for keeping order among them until your presence becomes familiar and accepted."
He felt his lips twitch into a small smile. Good. He would have done whatever his father had asked him to do but… if his opinion mattered, then Luke preferred it this way. He was going into this allegiance between them with both feet and since there was no way of knowing how it would all come to end… then at least for what time they had, he wanted to be his father's son.
"Is that agreeable to you?" Vader asked, when his silence had stretched for a moment longer than was comfortable.
Luke looked up and met his father's eyes, letting his willingness to be acknowledged pass between them. "Yes, it is."
"Good."
His father seemed pleased.
"So, did… did you want me to have a security detail?" Luke asked, before the moment could turn awkward for either of them.
"Do you want one?"
Luke shrugged, disliking having the question turned back on him. "I don't know," he said helplessly, resting his elbows on his knees and steepling his fingers under his chin. "I'm out of my depth here. I don't know your people and while I like to think I can take care of myself… I also can't imagine that there will be a lot of people who will be thrilled to have me onboard. Empire's Most Wanted, and all." he shrugged again. "Besides… won't I be with you most of the time?"
Vader tilted his head, silently agreeing to that point.
"I cannot be with you at all times," he said pointedly. "Nor do I think you would enjoy having my company so often. I have work to do and appearances to maintain." There was a pause. "But… you are not wrong to be wary of the Empire, my son. There will be plenty of individuals who will not be pleased with your presence on my ship and who may actively attempt to harm you. Acknowledging you as my son will help negate that significantly and additional security would prove to be an effective deterrent as well. However, I expect you to defend yourself if and whenever necessary."
Luke nodded. "Do you trust your staff?"
"I trust no one," Vader said bluntly. "And nor should you. However… my senior staff rank the way they do for a reason. I have worked to put them in place exactly as they are with much planning and over a long period of time. I consider them to be loyal to me before anyone else and they will assist us in our coup against the Emperor." There was a moment of hesitation before his father added, "There are also those in security who I have known since the Clone Wars and I foresee you having no issues with them were I to assign them to protect you."
"Clone troopers?" Luke asked curiously.
"Yes," Vader confirmed. "A handful from the 501st battalion and others who felt betrayed by the Republic in the aftermath of its fall."
Huh. Luke hadn't expected that. There were a number of old clone troopers in the Rebellion as well. None of them liked talking about the past or what had happened to them during the Republic era and Luke had never tried to ask. Occasionally, one or two of them would mention that they had known his father and share a story or two… but it hadn't gone any further than that.
It made sense that there would be others in the Empire as well.
"I will introduce you to some of them if you would prefer, and you can make a decision afterwards." Vader offered, though Luke got the strong sense that he would prefer it if Luke agreed to the security.
"Fair enough." Luke said and then decided to change the subject for now. "So, where are we going?"
"We will be arriving in the Moddell sector in roughly seven hours," Vader answered swiftly, unphased by the change in topic.
Luke paused, lowering his hands into his lap so he could fiddle with his prosthetic while he tried to remember exactly where that was. He'd heard the name before but only in passing. He thought that it was maybe... maybe somewhere near Hoth? That didn't seem right.
"Why are we going out there?" he asked, trying and failing not to yawn.
"We are rendezvousing with the Executor. I, and several other Imperial warships, have been stationed there until further notice."
"Oh," Luke blinked, feeling a little thrown off. The Moddell sector was an Outer Rim territory, he knew that much at least… but for the life of him, Luke couldn't think of anything of Imperial importance that might be out there which would require the flagships' presence.
"You seem surprised." Vader observed.
"I just didn't think that the Executor was in the Moddell sector," Luke admitted, rubbing his eyes a little. "The Rebellion isn't out there and rebel reports said that your ship was closer to the Inner Rim the last time I checked."
Luke refused to feel embarrassed by the sudden sense of amusement he felt from his father's side of their bond as he put together the fact that Luke had made efforts to keep tabs on where he was. "What's even out there?"
"A gas giant, known as Endor," Vader answered simply. "The purpose for the Empire's presence there will be apparent once we arrive. For now, I suggest that you get some rest."
Luke yawned again, his eyes tearing up a little from the force of it. He was curious about the location but tired enough that it seemed pointless to pursue the topic any further for the moment. Two days with almost no sleep was really pushing it and now that he didn't have Beren breathing down his neck and the shock of his Force vision had begun to fade, he was willing to try and catch up on some much needed rest.
"Yeah, that sounds good," he agreed before hesitating for a moment. Just long enough to think that his life had become something strange if sleeping in the same room as Darth Vader suddenly seemed acceptable to him. To hell with it - he was tired and what did it matter? They were on the same team now.
He shook his head and leaned forward to pry his boots off and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt as well before setting them aside. He rearranged the pillows that were available gingerly stretching out on the couch, trying to be mindful of his still healing ribs as he could a comfortable position. Once he was settled, the lights slowly began to dim and it wasn't long before he quickly dozed off to the familiar and steady sound of his father's respirator.
Luke fell asleep much quicker than Vader had expected him to; it was a testament to his level of exhaustion, he supposed, that his son could so easily set aside their long history and allow himself to be so vulnerable in his presence. Perhaps it was to be expected, given all that he had endured in the mines, as well as the return of his Force awareness.
The thought of which made Vader scowl. There was no one present to witness his irritation at how apparent it was becoming to him that his son's Jedi education was painfully and woefully lacking. Luke's lack of knowledge in the mines when the creature's suppressive influence had been lifted from them at last would have killed him had Vader not been there to pull him back from the edge.
He did not understand the negligence - he did not understand anything about the approach to training Obi-Wan or Yoda had taken and it made his blood want to boil in anger. Obi-Wan betraying him was one thing - treating Luke the same way was another thing entirely.
It was fortunate that Luke seemed to learn quickly and he was exceptionally powerful. That he was able to keep and maintain a defense against Vader at all in any of their previous encounters was wildly impressive and spoke largely of his own natural talent. Vader could work with that.
Luke would need a few days to recover before he could start any real training with him though. Were Luke to be trained as a Sith or even as an Inquisitor, then he wouldn't bother and would jump into training whether he was ready for it or not. But his goal wasn't to break his son and create something new out of the shattered pieces.
A few days would also give him the opportunity to… reflect… on the Jedi way of teaching. It had been a long time since he had thought about any of it from a teacher standpoint. It would most certainly test his patience in the coming weeks but… he had offered and for Luke, he would keep his word.
His respirator went through a few cycles before he had calmed himself enough to start preparing to meditate. Slowly, Vader turned his attention back to Luke, watching the steady fall and rise of his chest as he slept.
There couldn't be any mistakes on his part moving forward. Vader didn't care if he lived or died at the end of this - the outcome was inconsequential to him, though he would prefer to live through it.
If not, then so be it. All he really cared about was whether or not Luke survived.
This one last good piece of the man that he had once been was all that really mattered. If he had the right to ask or hope for anything, it would be that Luke would survive and go on to live his life the way that he should.
He was interrupted from his quiet observations when a series of beeps and whirls came from R2-D2. Vader glanced in the droid's direction for a moment, noting that he was now fully charged and had unplugged himself from the charging port before returning his attention to Luke. R2-D2 rolled across the floor, rounding the front of the desk until he came to a stop in front of the chair that Vader had claimed as his, just barely bumping into his boot with a deliberate sort of disregard for his safety. With a quick flick of his finger, Vader forced him backwards a little.
R2 was undeterred, rolling up to him once more.
"What?" Vader demanded shortly, crossing his arms.
CASUAL OBSERVATION: You require further maintenance, LORD VAD3R.
"You would do well to mind your own business, droid," Vader warned, unamused by the secondary name he'd been assigned during his descent into the mines.
Not that R2-D2 was not wrong in his observation. The weight and pull of his suit during the fight with the monster had caused his skin to split and rip in the areas where the support bolts had been implanted and had been the source of the blood that had concerned Luke. He'd come onboard while Luke had been tended to by the Opportunity Base personnel and had had two of his medical droids seal the wounds for him. It was the most that these particular droids were programmed to do for him; the rest of his injuries would have to wait.
OBJECTION: The well-being of my PRIMARY users is always my business, R2 replied fearlessly. His dome twisted, observing him for a long moment. ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION: I see that you have received some notable upgrades. QUESTION: When did you become adverse to organic limbs?
A cold anger shot through him and there was nothing except dead silence in the room. He could not remember the last time anyone had ever spoken to him so disrespectfully. Only the presence of Luke sleeping soundly nearby kept him from erupting in outrage. He sent a firm suggestion of sleep along their bond, to ensure that he was not disturbed and got the rest that he needed.
"Do not speak to me so insolently," Vader hissed, standing on his feet and taking long strides to the other side of the room. The droid followed after him, seeming confident in his safety. "And I grew adverse to them at the same time I outgrew my need for you. Leave me be."
OPERATIONAL STATUS REPORT: I am still assigned to serve PRIMARY: ANAKIN SKYWALKER.
Vader let his hands tighten into fists. "Anakin is dead." he said lowly, glaring furiously. "A fact that you are well aware of, seeing as how you disobeyed my orders to wait with the ship."
R2 was silent for a moment. MEMORY LOG REPORT: The return of SECONDARY: OBI-WAN KENOBI and PRIMARY: PADME AMIDALA's immediate need for medical assistance engaged Emergency Priority Override procedures. My services were required and it was logical to assume that you had experienced destruction. You did not return.
"As I said," Vader continued fiercely. "Anakin is dead and I do not need you."
What he did not say was that if R2-D2 had stayed behind, he would have known that Vader did go back for him, only months later and altered beyond all recognition. Standing on the landing pad and realizing that he had been abandoned by even his astromech had been its own kind of death. A final one. Vader had made sure that he never needed anyone else after that.
OBJECTION: I am always needed. R2 twittered, clearly insulted. NEW DATA EXTRAPOLATION: Your usage of PRIMARY: ANAKIN SKYWALKER's access codes negates previous conclusions and renders them obsolete. As does your claim on your biological variant, PRIMARY: LUKE SKYWALKER.
"Whom you should be grateful towards, as without him, I'd disassemble you for scrap metal." Vader bit out.
OPINION: Unlikely.
"You think I would not?" he demanded incredulously.
MEMORY LOG REPORT: You encountered C-3PO on Bespin and prevented his disassembled parts from being melted down, despite all logic persuading you otherwise. HYPOTHESIS: If you will not destroy him, you will not destroy me.
Dead silence.
"A... moment of weakness," Vader finally grounded out. One that he had not expected anyone to know about or to have come back and haunt him. "One that will not be repeated."
SARCASTIC REPLY: Of course not. R2 practically purred. DATA EXTRAPOLATION: Then by your own words, I still have the assurance that you will not destroy me on behalf of your biological variant, PRIMARY: LUKE SKYWALKER. OBSERVATION: His opinion is a matter of great significance to you. Either way, your threats are useless.
His respirator cycled a few times.
There was nothing that he could say to that.
"Is there something that you need?" Vader finally demanded. "Or do you only wish to torment me?"
R2 made a low, mournful sound. DATABANK REFERENCE: No. That was not my objective. You have been gone for 22.47 standard years. R2 rolled up to him once more, bumping his boot with his wheel, twittering mournfully. OBSERVATION: I have missed you.
Words and an emotion that he refused to name got stuck in his throat. He swallowed it back and let his anger and frustration fade. He could not bring himself to return the sentiment - he only had room in his black heart for only one person. Adding another, even just a droid, felt far too dangerous and risky.
"How long have you flown with my son?" Vader asked instead, lifting a hand a hesitantly resting it on the top of R2's dome.
MEMORY LOG REPORT: Since the Battle of Yavin, when we destroyed the Death Star. Since then, my primary designation has been to keep PRIMARY: LUKE SKYWALKER out of trouble.
Vader felt a small smile twitch at his lips for the first time. "Not an easy task, I assume."
R2 beeped and whirled, bumping against his leg slightly. AMUSED REPLY: For a lesser being, perhaps. I have saved his life a total of 17.832 times now. DATABANK REFERENCE: But I have had lots of practice which has made me equal to it. PRIMARY: LUKE SKYWALKER is your son, after all.
"I suppose so," Vader agreed. For a moment, he turned his attention away from R2-D2 and let his eyes linger on Luke's sleeping form. It did not take him long to put the pieces together. "You had the Death Star plans, didn't you?" he asked, looking down.
REPLY: Yes, I did. R2-D2 twittered smugly.
Vader shook his head, another smile pulling at his lips. "I am not surprised.
REPLY: Again, I was especially qualified for the task.
He didn't doubt that for a second and for the first time, found himself quietly pleased.
"If... you desire to serve me in any capacity, droid... then continue with your current designation." Vader finally said. "Keep my son alive. That is all that I require from you."
NEW ORDER FROM PRIMARY: ANAKIN SKYWALKER SUCCESSFULLY LOGGED: It would be my pleasure, LORD VAD3R. R2 beeped cheekily.
Vader rolled his eyes. "Now leave me be," he said, patting his dome once more before rolling his shoulders a little and making his way over to the chair he had claimed earlier. "I require some time to rest."
R2-D2 beeped an AFFIRMATIVE and began his own process to entering Rest Mode as Vader sat down. True sleep was an impossibility for him but he had become skilled over the years in resting in what ways he could. He reclined as much as he physically could and then slowly closed his eyes, letting his mind slip into a meditative rest.
The first thing that Luke became aware of was the weight of two hands pressing down on him, lightly shaking his shoulder to try and get his attention. He could go from asleep to awake in the blink of an eye when the situation called for it… but there was no urgency from the person attempting to wake him and no whisper of danger flickering in the Force either.
No danger, he thought drowsily, realizing that he felt comfortable and relaxed for the first time in a long time, if completely and utterly exhausted. No dreams or visions had come to haunt his sleep. It had been deep and restful and if there was no urgency, then Luke did not want it to end.
"Luke, wake up."
Oh, he knew that voice and he reluctantly became somewhat more aware of the much darker Force signature that was present in the room with him. It didn't produce the spark of terror or jolt him to action the way that it had in the past though.
"Why?" The word came out more garbled than he'd intended, sounding more like the last groans of a dying Gamorrean than anything resembling Basic.
The hands on him shook him a little more forcefully this time, declining to answer.
Luke stirred then, blinking his eyes open and feeling groggier than he could remember being in a long time. The light felt especially bright and he immediately turned his face further into his pillow and hid his head under his arm. "What?" he mumbled and then decided that he didn't care. "Go… away. M'sleeping."
"Wake up," Vader said again. "We will be coming out of hyperspace in roughly ten minutes. You might want to gather yourself before we arrive."
He paused, feeling his brow furrow as he tried to remember through fuzzy thoughts where they were going. "... Executor?"
"Yes," Vader confirmed with a faint sense of amusement fluttering between them. "My admiral will be there to meet us, along with a few others. It will not be a formal reception but I strongly suggest you clean up and try not look as though I found you in the gutter."
"That's rude," Luke mumbled into his pillow.
"And yet, it is true," his father said remorselessly. "Get up."
Luke sighed heavily, listening for a long moment as Vader walked away to some other part of the room, leaving him alone. As much as he would rather go back to sleep, he was awake enough now to be aware of his own stench. The dried sweat and grime still clinging to his body didn't feel much better either.
Damn his father for being right.
He gave himself an extra fifteen seconds before slowly sitting up, feeling as though the couch was personally attempting to suck him back in. His muscles felt stiff and sore and there was a noticeable headache building in his temples from a lack of sleep. What he'd gotten should be enough to get him through the next hour or so but experience told him that he would crash again the first opportunity that he had. He blinked some of the sleep out of his eyes and asked, "Is there a refresher that I can use?"
His father was at the desk that he'd claimed a few hours ago, working on a datapad. He briefly gestured to a door on the opposite side of the room that was already ajar.
"Thanks," Luke yawned, putting aside a blanket that had been put over him while he'd been asleep and standing up to stretch. "Just give me five minutes and I'll be awake." he promised, before crossing the room and closing the fresher room door behind him.
There wasn't much - a shuttle this size was built primarily for quick transportation. It wasn't designed for people to live on for more than a few hours at a time. Still, there was a small guest shower built into the wall and a sink with some toiletries. Luke shed his clothes and stepped in under a warm spray of water to quickly rinse off. It did a decent job of waking him up the rest of the way as well. His hair was greasy and limp and so he scrubbed some soap into it to get it clean enough for the time being before rinsing it out and turning the water off again
Two minute military showers were the norm in the Rebellion, which worked for him just fine. It never mattered which planet he was on - wasting water always felt like a crime.
He dried himself off quickly with a fluffy blue towel, being mindful not to agitate his healing ribs. The bruises already looked like they were in an advanced stage of healing but they were definitely still tender and probably would be for a few more days. After drying his hair as much as he could, Luke looked around and then scrunched his nose as he realized that he didn't actually have anything else to change into. He pulled his trousers on and then stepped outside into the main room once more, his shirt in hand.
"I don't have a change of clothes," Luke admitted as he came out of the fresher. The clothes that he had been to change into the night before were clean enough but lackluster in terms of making an impression.
"What you have will be sufficient for now," Vader said distractedly, not looking up from what he was doing. Luke got the sense that he was busy communicating something important and decided to give him a moment to finish. Instead, he looked around and spied where he had dropped his backpack earlier. He crossed the floor and knelt to open it, digging around inside before pulling out a small bottle of mild painkillers and dry swallowing two of them.
They should help with his headache and any remaining inflammation from the fight for at least a little bit.
"I am going to need new clothes, at some point." Luke said offhandedly. Everything he owned was either packed away on his bunk at base or else in one of the sleep rooms on the Millennium Falcon. The odds of getting any of it back was next to nothing.
His father finished whatever he was doing and set the datapad aside. "There are things prepared for you onboard the Executor."
Luke paused, tilting his head quizzically. "Things? What things?"
"Basic necessities. You have your own living arrangements and clothing will not be an issue." Vader's thoughts suddenly closed off, almost as if he were embarrassed.
"Wait a minute… so, you know what size clothes I wear?" Luke asked incredulously,
Vader leveled him with a look that was entirely unrepentant. "When I learned of your existence, I was very thorough in getting the information I wanted."
Luke took a moment to wonder if anyone who worked under his father's command had ever told him that he was a borderline stalker. He had known, even before the family connection had come to light, that Vader had an intense interest in him. Never in a million years had he thought that it went quite that far.
It made sense. And at least he wouldn't have to wait around for a few days with nothing to wear. But still.
"That's… convenient, but also creepy. I hope you know that."
A muted sort of exasperation shot between them. "My son, I believe it goes without saying that I anticipated Bespin having an entirely different outcome," Vader said flatly, before standing up and taking long strides towards the nearest viewport. "Now come here," he said brusquely. "There are more important things to discuss right now."
Luke shook his head with a tolerant sort of humor, deciding not to press his luck any further, and stood up to cross the floor just as the viewports began to open up.
The first thing that he saw was a blue and green planet straight ahead, with swirling white clouds. After the previous sky he'd experienced on Kompliceratnamn-för-Svårtatt-uttala, or the Red Planet, which Luke decided was a hell of a lot easier to pronounce, this one seemed especially beautiful to look at.
That was as far as his admiration went because in the next instance, he noticed and became aware of the Imperial fleet and the space traffic comprising TIE-fighters, shuttle-craft, and warships of different models and sizes, all centralizing around one utterly massive object.
Luke felt his humor fade in an instant.
"That's…that's a Death Star." Luke stared, trying to wrap his mind around the impossible sight that was before him now. He turned around and looked incredulously at his father. "You're building another one?"
"Not me," Vader corrected. His thoughts had grown solemn. "There were already plans for a second one long before you blew up the first. When that one was destroyed, the Emperor ordered that construction start immediately. The Executor and others from the Death Squadron fleet are here to oversee and protect it during the final stages of construction."
"It's only been three years," Luke protested. "This thing looks more than half finished… and even bigger than the last one."
Vader only nodded in confirmation.
Luke glanced back out the viewport with a sort of horrified awe, stepping closer to the transparisteel. That something so massive could be built by sentients seemed… completely impossible. He hadn't the time nor the opportunity to appreciate it when he'd first laid eyes on the first one - there had been more panic involved as he and the other occupants of the Millennium Falcon had been pulled in through a tractor beam, and trying to figure a way out of the mess. The second time, it had been during battle and he'd spent most of his time in the trenches. All he'd known then was the overwhelming need to ensure that it was destroyed. That it never had the chance to repeat Alderaan and terrorize the rest of the galaxy.
Perhaps he shouldn't feel so surprised that the Empire had gone ahead and started building a second one. He just thought that it would have taken longer for them to build the damn thing. Long enough for the Rebellion to put an end to the Empire and prevent the possibility of it ever actually coming to fruition.
Clearly, he had been wrong. Very, very wrong.
"We need to destroy that thing," Luke murmured quietly, unable to tear his eyes away from it. He saw his father step forward a little closer to stand beside him from the corner of his eye, both of them taking in the sight of the utterly massive abomination together.
"We will," Vader promised. "But not yet. The weapons system isn't functional and won't be for a while longer. It poses no threat to the galaxy for now."
Luke looked at him again. "How long until it does?"
Vader was silent for a moment, his eyes still staring out the viewport. Luke couldn't guess as to what his thoughts were. "Less than a year," he revealed quietly.
Luke felt his heart skip a beat. Another deadline. Another ticking bomb. For the first time, it really seemed to sink in for him that time really wasn't on their side.
Before either of them could say anything else, the overhead speaker from earlier came to life with the same annoying crackle of static and a voice announced, "ST-321 passengers, be advised that we will be arriving at the SSD Executor, Hangar Bay A-27 in roughly eight minutes.". It turned off again almost as quickly as it had come on.
Luke met his father's eyes and sensed without words having to be spoken that they were thinking the same thing.
Eight minutes.
There wasn't any going back. They were in this together now, for better or worse. Luke blew out an unsteady breath, realizing that this was it, and took a moment to try and shake off his sudden nerves.
"I got your six, Supreme Commander," he promised, using his father's official title for the first time. "And I'll follow your lead. Let's overthrow a tyrant."
He felt Vader smile wryly at him in response and once again had the warm sense of his father's pride and approval come over him. They both turned and watched for a few more seconds as their shuttle slowly began approaching the nineteen kilometers long Executor that was coming into view.
"Put a shirt on and grab your things," Vader finally said, briefly squeezing Luke's shoulder before turning away from the viewport. After a more glance at the encroaching Death Star, Luke turned to follow after him. "We have work to do."
The rest of the shuttle ride was spent in silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Luke used the few minutes that they had to calm the rest of his nerves and finish getting dressed. He clipped his lightsaber to his belt and grabbed his things. R2-D2 trailed faithfully behind him as he and Vader exited the room together.
The six stormtroopers were waiting for them in the rear passenger section when they arrived just as the spacecraft was pulled into the hangar bay and touched ground. A moment or two passed before there was a hiss as the pressurized seals disengaged and the ramp began to lower.
Luke squinted as bright lights flooded into the shuttle, lifting his arm briefly to give his eyes a second to adjust before lowering it again and taking in his first view of the Executor .
The hangar was absolutely massive. Literally awe-inspiring and from what he could see, this one didn't even have any active military spacecraft docked here. Everything present in this one seemed to be primarily for transportation. Shuttles and freighters, mostly. But the bay itself could definitely hold much bigger equipment. If Luke had to guess, judging by what he could see, it could hold probably up to eight or ten AT-AT's lined up in a row, and the ceiling stretched even higher than what was needed to accommodate that.
The whole thing had the effect of making what few people were present and waiting below them look utterly small.
Luke had never seen anything like it before in his life.
He hung back for a moment as Vader descended the ramp, letting him get a few feet in front of him before stepping down to follow him.
He took the opportunity to spread his Force presence a little wider in order to get a sense of the intentions and emotions of the people that were present. To his faint surprise, every single officer that was present gave off a distinct feeling of competency and deadliness. Their thoughts felt protected, calm, and orderly. Age, experience, and a particular sort of severity showed in each of their faces and if any of them were afraid of his father, then there was no outward indication of it, which Luke considered to be no small feat.
It quickly became apparent to him, after stepping off the ramp and reaching his father's side, that some of the faces present were actually familiar to him. Most of them weren't - but he'd definitely seen some of their pictures before from Rebellion briefings. It was decidedly strange to be in the company of so many high ranking Imperials and not be either running away or engaging in a fight. The unfamiliarity of it all made the little hairs on the back of his neck tingle slightly.
Trust no one.
He understood the warning a little bit better now.
These men were loyal, but they were dangerous, Luke realized with a growing sort of respect. Vader had plans. He had expressed as much to Luke several times already and whether or not he chose to give up the Empire at the end of this didn't matter - he was in the process of attempting to overthrow a tyrant and had been for at least three years.
Luke might be the deciding chess piece on the board, but it stood to reason that for his plans to have any chance of success, his father could not rely solely on him or be entirely alone in the effort. He needed the best of the best and it was these people who were the result of his meticulous planning and selection.
Once the stormtroopers had exited the shuttle, a smaller man with a notable ranking on the front of his uniform stepped forward. "Welcome back, Lord Vader." he greeted politely.
"Admiral Piett," Vader acknowledged, dipping his head slightly in acknowledgement. "Do you have anything notable to report?"
"No, Sir. Everything is as it should be and your most recent orders are underway as we speak."
"Very good, Admiral."
Luke tried not to stare too obviously but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. There was something deeply intimidating about this Admiral Piett. He wasn't terribly tall in stature or particularly broad either. Middle-aged, with light skin, and a hint of graying hair at his temples. Nothing that outwardly screamed threatening and yet… Luke couldn't shake the feeling. When he reached out in the Force to get a sense of Piett's emotions, he was met with the distinct impressions of intelligence and a deadly sort of competence. More than that, Luke knew immediately that none of it was for show.
Whoever Piett was, he wasn't someone to underestimate. Luke had the intuition that he was the kind of man who could stare death in the face and not break a sweat.
"No issues on your return, Lord Vader?"
"None," Vader said before abruptly cutting to the chase and briefly gesturing to Luke. "Admiral, this is my son, Commander Luke Skywalker. Luke, this is Admiral Firmus Piett."
"Commander Skywalker." Piett took the initiative and stepped forward, offering him a hand.
Luke reached out and accepted it, grasping it firmly. "Admiral."
It was a solid handshake. Uncle Owen would have approved, though the admiral held on for a moment longer than was necessary before letting go. Luke got the quick and distinct impression that Piett was sizing him up. Luke knew he probably wasn't much to look at in terms of being intimidating but he also had the sense that size wasn't what the admiral would be judging him by.
Instead, Luke held his gaze, refusing to give the impression that he could be cowed into submission but also keeping his body language relaxed enough that he wasn't openly challenging either.
This was unfamiliar territory for him. He didn't know these people or their customs but Luke knew enough about people in general to know that they didn't take very kindly to strangers who came in and acted like they owned the place. Arrogance was an ugly and destructive character trait to have, particularly where other peoples lives were involved, and anyone who relied solely on a family name and connection to get what they wanted weren't much better, in Luke's personal opinion.
Besides... Luke had learned a hard lesson on Dagobah about the importance of first impressions and he wasn't inclined to repeat a bad one ever again. These people could judge him how they wanted and if there was respect to be given, he would prefer to earn it based on his own merit. He could already tell that Firmus Piett was not a flatterer and that if he chose to respect anyone at all, it was because the respect had been earned. It meant that there would be at least one person on this ship who would treat him fairly and honestly, regardless of whether he was Vader's son or not. He could respect that.
"I appreciate you having me on board," Luke said simply. "And I'll try not to cause you too many problems while I'm here."
The admiral paused and then after a long moment the smallest hint of humor appeared in his gray eyes for the first time. "That would be appreciated," he said dryly. "I seem to recall that you have a peculiar proclivity for causing trouble."
"One of my many talents," Luke agreed. "Apparently it's a genetic trait."
A few individuals looked momentarily surprised by his willingness to speak about Vader in such a casual way and the rest seemed equally baffled by the fact that all of this was their new reality. In that regard, they could all just join the club. Luke had been present for all of it and he still wasn't entirely certain how he had gotten here. Only the admiral seemed relatively unphased.
"I'll admit," Piett said after a moment of considering silence, "Of all the many ways I envisioned us finally catching up to you, Commander… this particular scenario never quite crossed my mind."
Luke glanced sideways at his father for a moment before meeting the admiral's eyes once more and offering him a half-smile. "Likewise, Admiral," he agreed lightly. "All of this has been a bit of a surprise for me as well."
"I can imagine," Admiral Piett said. He pursed his lips for a moment and then briefly glanced at the others standing near his side. "Well, I suppose introductions are in order. If you were not already informed, those of us that are here now make up the senior command staff aboard the Executor. If you have questions regarding anything in the future, you can ask any of us for assistance and we will do our best to accommodate you." The admiral gestured to the man closest to him. "I suspect that you might know of General Maximilian Veers already."
That was certainly a name Luke was familiar with.
Maximilian Veers. The Butcher of Hoth.
He was one of the ones that Luke had thought looked familiar. He had never seen the man personally before but his son Zevulon was a member of the Rebellion and had definitely inherited his looks from his father. He doubted that Zevulon would appreciate that comparison though. Luke hadn't had the chance to know him super well, mostly because Zevulon was kept to himself. They'd had a few conversations here and there, enough that it wouldn't be awkward for either of them to hang out with the same group of friends. Zevulon never really spoke much about his childhood and he always gave off the impression that he was not on good terms with his dad and would prefer not to see him again.
Whether or not that was true, Luke didn't actually know. He just knew that Maximillian Veers was high on the Rebellion's hit list for his role in the destruction of Hoth and that after his own parental revelation on Bespin, he understood better that 'never wanting to see him again' was a very wise opinion to express when someone was related to a controversial military figure and surrounded by people that had been directly and negatively affected by him on a level of mass death and destruction.
Luke had lost some good friends on Hoth… it seemed disrespectful somehow to let those feelings go. If he didn't have the benefit of a bigger picture and goal in mind, Luke wasn't certain if he could. Hypocrite wasn't exactly a word he wanted to be associated with, however… and Luke suspected, after a moment, that his reaction now would determine a lot about what kind of opinion these people would hold for him in the future.
Everyone here knew of Vader's plan to usurp Palpatine and were assisting him in the coup. He wasn't certain what had convinced them to do so… but the fact that they were willing to risk their lives in order to try meant that they all had something in common. Luke was willing to work with tha and he quickly made up his mind and extended his hand out. "General," Luke said, giving the older man a brief nod as they shook hands.
The general's eyes scanned him up and down for a long moment, sizing him up in the same way that the admiral had done. Luke suspected that it would be something that he would have to get used to quickly. Still... there was something odd about the expression on the general's face. Luke couldn't quite make out the emotion behind it but after glancing between both Luke and Vader twice, General Veers merely nodded once to him in return, saying nothing.
The introductions continued.
Commander Gherant. Captain and First Officer.
Commander Merrijk, who had recently been recalled from the Outer Rim territory where he often worked as a spy on a freighter to keep track of Rebel movements.
Lieutenant Suba, the Executor's Chief of Security officer.
Rear Admiral Charineau, Piett's personal advisor.
Chief Hurdiss, in charge of the Communications Department.
I hope you're not expecting me to remember all of this, Luke whispered, passing the thought along their Force bond for his father to hear. He was too tired and there was just no way that he was going to be able to remember each name and rank these people had today. Already, he wasn't entirely certain which of the two commanders was Gherant or Merrijk.
He felt a flicker of warm amusement from his father. You have conducted yourself well, my son. Vader acknowledged, a hint of pride accompanying the silent words. And there will be other opportunities for you to learn. Though you should be cautious in the future with who it is that you choose to insult by not remembering their names.
Crime of the century, huh?
Indeed.
Luke hid his smile and tried to not to yawn as Admiral Piett finally named the last few people present before deferring back to Vader.
"A more in-depth discussion about how we will be proceeding moving forwards will occur at a later time. Each of you should have been notified by Admiral Piett by now that Commander Skywalker will keep his current rank in the military, though he is not here to serve strictly as an officer. He is allowed a weapon and I expect him to be treated with courtesy. Lastly," Vader warned, his voice taking on a much more threatening tone. "Know that Commander Skywalker is my son and that any harm which befalls him will be met with vengeance. Pass the message along and ensure it doesn't happen."
A quiet chorus of 'Yes, Sir' 's sounded from everyone present.
Admiral Piett waited a moment before adding, "Commander, I feel the need to say that while those of us who are here are aware of certain plans which are currently in effect… there are a much larger number of officers and staff who are not. Use caution and do not speak lightly of anything you know. Always assume there is someone listening."
There was no humor in the admiral's eyes this time. Whether any of them agreed on all points politically was irrelevant; right now, they all shared the same goal, which was to get rid of Palpatine and all of them were actively risking their lives to see that it happened.
"I understand," Luke said quietly.
"Good," Piett glanced down at his watch for a moment. "Lord Vader, if there is nothing else?"
"There is not," Vader agreed shortly. "Return to your duties. My son and I have other matters to attend to."
Luke blinked and then watched for a moment as his father began striding away without another word, his cape flaring out behind him in a dramatic sort of way.
"Commander Skywalker," Admiral Piett said, catching his eye and giving him a single nod of acknowledgement as everyone else began to disperse as well. "Welcome to the Empire."
A/N And here… we… go!
Thank you so much for reading! Please be aware that the chapters for this story will be shorter than they were in What Lurks in the Dark. As much as I love 25,000+ word chapters, I don't have the same energy for it this time around and this story doesn't demand it either.
For anyone who is interested and wants clarification, Kompliceratnamn-för-Svårtatt-uttala is the name I've given the planet that What Lurks in the Dark took place on. It is literally Swedish for "Complicated name too difficult to pronounce", which is how Luke introduces it. I do, in fact, think I am funny and clever. ;)
