Home Fiction Adult Fiction Art Mail List Staff Links

The Sith Lord and the Scientist Section D - Part 7

DAY 4

I slip away from where the children are playing, leaving them in Cyran’s capable hands, and make my way into one of Ani’s nearby, public conference rooms. Once there, I curl up in the comfortable padded chair my husband uses during meetings, rest my arms on the table, and set my forehead down on top of them.

It’s been two days since I remembered what happened to Michael, and that short time has barely dimmed the loss. Anything which prompts a recollection or reminds me of my big brother brings on a spell of sadness and sometimes tears. When it has been particularly difficult, I find an excuse to absent myself. I don’t want the children to be upset or confused by my lack of control.

I stifle a shuddering breath. In slowly, I chide myself, and out at the same rate or you will lose it again. Ani will be back soon and you don’t want him to find you like you were yesterday. He has only so much patience and sympathy to spare when it comes to your crying spells, and from the lecture he gave you, he expects you to use Control to stop it.

My chest heaves again and my throat begins to close off, so I repeat my mantra. If I can stop the worst of it, I should be fine. I am only partially successful. A few tears escape but that’s all.

The door opens. When I look up, I see that Thirsk has come to check on me. I know the Sith Lord had asked his friend, rather than one of the Noghri, to do that whenever I pull a disappearing act.

‘My lady,’ he quietly calls to me.

I simply nod in reply. Talking will just make it worse.

He hovers in the doorway, uncertain of what he should do. Typical male, I note with a wry smile. How to handle a weeping woman is definitely not taught at the Academy.

‘My lady?’ he asks when I return my head to where I had laid it.

This time I don’t respond. I am still not ready to try speaking yet.

His footsteps make their way around the end of the table, across the room, and stop next to me. I feel his hand rest lightly on my shoulder for a few seconds before he removes it. The chair beside mine is pulled back and when the leather creaks a little, I know he has sat down in it.

For many long minutes, the commando says nothing. When I venture to take a peek at him, I can see that he is staring, with a contemplative look on his face, at the holo of Ani which is in the center of the table.

‘Credit for your thoughts, Commander,’ I manage to get out in an unsteady voice.

A sigh, then a shake of his head.

‘Nothing of importance, my lady,’ he tries to divert me.

I lift my head, sit back, wipe my face on my sleeve, and raise an eyebrow at him.

‘The Sith don’t have emotions like the rest of us,’ Thirsk states in response to my silent enquiry. ‘That’s what most say and believe, but I know that his lordship does. I know he feels far more than he ever lets on.’

‘Oh?’ I prompt, curious as to what insights I might gain from his observations.

Thirsk has known Ani for years and if anyone can be said to be his friend, it is the Commander.

His eyes stay fixed on the holo.

‘After he brought you from your homeworld, I could see he had changed. Only those who had worked with him for years might have noticed how much he had changed, but it was obvious to me that he was a man in love,’ Thirsk reveals.

A wry smile tugs at my lips. I have always suspected Ani was not as good at concealing what he felt as he claimed.

‘When he left you on Vjun, and for all the months you were there, he grieved,’ the Commander continues. ‘No one else on the ship recognized it, but I did. Until he returned to you, he was in mourning. Heartbroken.’

‘I know,’ I quietly admit, ‘I could feel that.’

Thirsk turns to look at me.

‘His lordship has never said anything to me, but I know he once lost someone very close to him,’ he adds. ‘That’s why he is so protective of you and your children. He’s afraid it might happen again. I also suspect that he has never really dealt with the pain from whatever occurred.’

I slowly nod. This makes sense given what little Ani has told me of his past.

‘His mother,’ I tell him, ‘and ...’

I stop myself short of naming Padmé. The Sith Lord might not want the fact he was married before out in public.

‘...the Jedi forbade emotional attachments,’ I quickly add to cover my almost slip-up.

‘He was probably told to forget his mother and never allowed to mourn for her,’ Thirsk concludes, ‘and that is why he is having trouble dealing with your grief for your brother.’

A surge of sympathy for Ani catches me off-guard. No wonder he is acting the way he is. I am reminding him of his own sorrows which he prefers to not face and would rather ignore. I stare at his holo, thinking of how I should approach my husband.

The Commander touches my hand to catch my attention.

‘His lordship might not be able to help you through this, but I will sit with you,’ he offers, ‘as a friend, whenever you need me to.’

‘Thank you,’ I reply, giving Thirsk’s hand a squeeze in return. ‘Thank you, my friend.’

***

Perhaps it was too early to test Xizor’s defenses, I decide with a frown, but my master is finding the recording from earlier today quite entertaining.

I stare at the holographic projection as the Falleen kicks Hoff in the knee, breaking it and causing his opponent to fall to the floor.

‘You ruined him!’ the young man screams.

‘We were business competitors,’ Xizor calmly states. ‘He gambled that he was smarter than I. A foolish mistake. If you cannot afford to lose, you should not play the game.’

‘I’m going to kill you!’ his downed adversary threatens.

‘I think not,’ the Falleen says as he grabs Hoff’s head. ‘You see, to contend with Xizor is to lose. As far as any reasonable person is concerned, attacking me will also be judged a suicide.’

With a sharp twist, a neck is snapped and a body falls to the floor.

The Emperor smiles as the recording ends.

‘Well,’ my master observes, ‘it seems that Prince Xizor has kept up his martial arts practice, does it not?’

My frown grows deeper. I dislike this game of words and deceptions, so I will stick with the obvious..

‘He is a dangerous man,’ I caution him. ‘Not to be trusted.’

An amused chuckle and smile are bestowed on me. Palpatine prefers to play along with me, it seems, rather than start another argument on this topic.

‘Do not trouble yourself with Xizor,’ he dismisses my worries. ‘He is my concern.’

‘As you wish,’ I concede with a bow.

‘One wonders how that hotheaded young man managed to get into a protected corridor,’ he muses.

I freeze. From his tone, he knows exactly how it happened.

‘I will look into it, my master,’ I offer.

If I am the one doing the investigating, I can see to it that the missing guard is never discovered. And that now dead guard was following my orders.

‘Don’t bother,’ he dismisses me with a wave of his hand. ‘There was no harm done. Prince Xizor was hardly at risk, after all, was he? He seems quite capable of taking care of himself, though I would hate to see anything happen to him as long as he is useful to us.’

I bow again and take my leave from him. That last bit was a pointed warning to me, and the message was obvious: Leave Xizor alone.

For now, I will forego direct attacks. Instead, I will watch the Falleen closely and use any mistakes to my advantage. That creature is an amoral criminal, after all, and ridding the galaxy of him will be doing a service.

To contend with Xizor is to lose?

I let out a snort of contempt.

We will just see about that.

***

DAY 5

I lean back into my seat and close my eyes, though that is unnecessary. The pod is already in darkness, the lighting off, to help with my meditations. It’s easier to tap into the dark side to do what I plan when there is no illumination to disturb my focus.

For a moment, I contemplate my state. I have never been able to heal my body, despite many attempts to do so. Medical science has repaired some of the damage, and I believe the Force can mend what remains. Maia’s short-lived, but successful attempt years ago, showed me it was possible. It’s just a matter of learning the proper technique to do so.

And then - then I will be as I was before. Free to move in public without my armoured prison, physically as I once was.

But, I admit to myself, I am not and never will be the man Anakin Skywalker was - foolish, idealistic, and weak. Knowledge, experience, and the dark side has removed those traits. Like Luke, I was waiting to be shaped into something more. Perhaps my son has more potential than I did. He hasn’t had his head filled with the same foolish Jedi notions I was taught. But he must embrace the dark side, at least on the surface, at least enough to protect himself in the short term, because if he doesn’t the Emperor will destroy him.

And that is something I don’t want to happen.

At Bespin, I tested him - pushed him to see how he would respond. If Luke had failed, I would have left him to live his life as he wished, considered him unworthy and unsuitable as my heir. But my son survived and proved himself far stronger than I had expected him to be. He held his own against my years of experience and skills, losing only his hand in the process.

That meeting brought back old memories and emotions I had thought deeply buried. Many of those were unwelcome and unwanted, yet I felt pride in Luke’s abilities - pride that he was my son, and a most worthy opponent as well.

A smile crosses my face. Obi-Wan was a fool not to tell Luke I was his father. In doing that, he left my son vulnerable. It was a most useful way to manipulate him, too. Luke wanted to kill his mentor’s slayer, and attacked in anger, allowing himself to tap into the dark side. Confusing him with the truth broke that connection and let me drive him to his knees.

Now, it’s merely a matter of time. Once one touches the dark side, its siren call will always draw them back. I simply need to set up a situation where my son must draw on it again, and like a drug, he will soon be addicted.

And then ... then I will add his strength to mine and destroy my master. I will rule the galaxy, as I promised Padmé two decades ago, only it will be with our son and Maia ruling at my side, not her.

Enough musing, I decide. It’s time to test myself again.

I brush my hand over the controls to the pod, opening it with a hiss of escaping pressurized air. The coolness of the room is a bit of a shock against my skin, and I reflexively breathe in a lungfull of it.

Concentrate on what makes you strong, I remind myself. Think of what Obi-Wan did to you and your fury at him. My anger builds. How I hate him. No one should have to live the way I am forced to.

It isn’t fair! I silently cry out. It isn’t right!

The dark side surges through me, and with that my lungs begin to heal. Scarred tissues smooth out, become whole and well again. I breathe in as any normal person can. One breath, then another, then another.

Triumph at last. Joy flashes in my heart and with that the dark side flees from me. The test has given me my answer, though. It will eventually be possible to sustain this - to breathe like everyone else.

I wave my hand over the motion sensitive controls and close the pod again.

The problem is positive emotions, I reluctantly admit. For the healing to be maintained permanently, I cannot allow them. Which means I will have to make a choice. A choice between becoming completely a creature of the dark side and being able to throw away my armour, or keeping my wife, family, and all they are to me. There is no way I can truly be a Sith and still love them.

I will put that decision off. For now, I will continue to practice and experiment. Perhaps there are alternatives to what I have discovered thus far.

A sigh escapes from me. I will simply have to try harder. Where Xizor and my master are concerned, I cannot afford to have any weaknesses.

Weaknesses...

I give my head a frustrated shake. Maia’s grieving and tears have abated a little, yet I wish she would try to exert more self control. At least in public she has managed well enough. At home, though, her sudden disappearances with Thirsk are beginning to be noticed by my staff. I know that he is only sitting with her, keeping her company when I am absent, but she should use the monitored rooms from now on or I will insist she has another of her staff with her as well. The last thing we need is for rumours of impropriety to reach the press.

I pull on my bodysuit and adjust my chest box. Someday I will be rid of both, but for now, they are necessary evils. There are errands to be run and problems to solve, so I reach for my helmet, replace it, and hurry to my office.

The first flimsies I pick up are an overdue report. My agents finally traced Shas and identified who she really was, Shasheva Astopone, but by the time they reached her apartment, she had long since fled. In a way, I am almost grateful she escaped. She saved Maia when she fell from my castle and I owe her a life debt for that.

I set the flimsy down and stare over at the fireplace. How much damage she may have caused over the years is difficult to gauge. Shas moved in the wealthiest circles. She often dined with Moffs and Admirals. I know how easy it is for secrets to be leaked in an attempt to impress a beautiful woman. Fortunately, that source of information for the Rebellion is now gone.

***

I stop in the doorway to Ani’s office and look at him. He’s behind his desk, working. Rather than disturb him, I begin to back up, intending to slip away again, but his helmet tips upwards as he senses that I am there.

‘Yes?’ he asks rather abruptly.

I hesitate, then take the step back I had started to. From his tone, my husband is in a mood where bothering him will result in tears on my part and more frustration on his. Turning away, I head towards the entrance to our quarters. There are other places I can go where I won’t be seen or heard.

‘Maia,’ Ani calls after me.

For a moment, I debate stopping, but don’t. Booted footsteps soon sound behind me, then his hand on my shoulder halts me before I go past his meditation pod. That physical contact is all it takes. I turn about and bury my face in his shoulder as the first sob escapes.

‘Little goddess,’ he soothes, shifting his arms to hold me close. ‘You are going to make yourself ill with this if you can’t get it under control.’

My breaths are more akin to gasps than I would like. That prompts him to rock me a bit. I know his cloak is going to be soaked where my cheek is resting against it. Not just my eyes are watering - my nose is running as well, and I am probably quite the sight.

Ani lets out the odd purr he makes in his throat at times. I suppose that’s better than listening to his attempts to make the hushing noises he uses with the children when they are upset or need calming.

‘If you can’t control it,’ he finally suggests,’ then it’s best to simply cry yourself out.’

He releases me and sets an arm around my waist. I lean on him as he guides me back to our bedroom. After he sits on the bed, he opens his arms.

‘Come here,’ Ani offers. ‘I will stay as long as you need me to.’

I settle myself on his lap and snuggle in tight. He seems far more approachable today than he has been.

‘Ani,’ I try to talk through my sore throat.

‘Don’t say anything,’ he silences me with a gloved finger on my lips. ‘Just listen to me and be quiet until you are ready.’

I nod my head against his chest and take his advice. It will be a few minutes before I stop crying anyway.

‘I know why this is so hard for you,’ he tells me. ‘Losing a bondmate is not an easy thing to bear and you have had to suffer through that twice now.’

The breath from his mask heats the top of my head as Ani looks down at me.

‘I, too, have lived through such a loss,’ the Sith Lord reveals. ‘Padmé and I were also life bonded.’

A hiccup escapes from me in surprise. This is something he has never mentioned before. Curiosity overwhelms me, finally ceasing my sobs. Ani spoke of his first wife only once, after his duel with Luke at Bespin, and I have not pressed him for more details than what he volunteered then.

He gently pulls back the hair which had fallen into my face, hooking it behind my ear. I stay silent, waiting for him to continue, but he says nothing more. That simple admission, though, has told me exactly why he is finding it so hard to deal with my grief for Michael. It is too similar to what he had experienced himself.

‘Ani?’ I whisper to him. ‘Are you alright?’

For a brief second, I get a distinct flash of vulnerability from him, a sense of just how deeply and for how long he mourned for his lost love, then that is gone. This is obviously one area of his life and feelings he doesn’t want to discuss with me. I decide it would be best to leave it alone.

‘I am fine,’ he quickly states. ‘It is you I am worried about.’

I settle myself back against his chest. My husband can feel my distress and uncertainty about how to manage it. And I can easily pick up his own concern for me as his fingers slowly run through my hair. He’s doing that as much to soothe himself as to calm me.

‘Please hold me, Ani,’ I finally ask of him. ‘Just stay with me.’

He does, until I fall asleep almost an hour later.

DAY 7

Locking my wrists, I watch the dueling droid circle to its left. After the old units proved too simple to dispatch, I ordered a dozen new ones, each faster and stronger than an average man. Each is programmed with more than a dozen fighting styles and the knowledge of a hundred sword masters. No normal human can defeat one of them.

But I am not a normal human.

It steps in fast and aims an attack at my head. I easily block that. The second attempt to strike is at my side, which I parry. It’s fast, but not fast enough.

Next it tries my off-side, swinging its saber in a large circle. This time I parry and follow up with a riposte, slashing at the droid’s head. It blocks me, and steps back, stands a meter away holding its blade over its head, the point towards the floor at an angle.

My shoulder starts to ache a bit. This is definitely turning into a workout, but my injury from Bespin isn’t as sore as it was a week ago.

I step in, aim a feint at the droid’s neck, twisting my wrists at the last minute to make a second one at the same place. The third, I direct at its midsection. It retreats a pace and crossblocks the last of those.

V-stepping to my left, I lift my saber above my left shoulder and swing at the base of the droid’s neck. It blocks, but a fraction too slow, and our blades meet, spark as they make contact. I shove its saber aside as it attempts to backpedal.

The droid’s evasive manoeuver doesn’t save it. My lightsaber strikes it between the neck and shoulder joint, passing through its chest at an angle, stopping in the center of its chest. Sparks fly and smoke begins to curl from destroyed circuitry. Its hand controls fail and the blade it was holding drops to the floor.

As it falls to its knees, I swing my saber in a wide arc, severing its head at last. The body collapses backwards on the floor while the head bounces away.

That was the eighth of the last batch of dueling droids. There are only four left, and they are proving to be far too easy for me to defeat. The next dozen will need to be faster and with better programming.

I shrug my shoulder and move my arm a bit, checking to see how it fared. It definitely feels better.

Shutting down my saber, I turn away from the scrap pile on the floor, meeting Lieutenant Jir in the doorway.

‘Clean up the mess,’ I order as I stride out of the salle.

I am going to spend some time with my family.

***

‘Daddy!’ Mikal cries when he sees the door open to reveal his father standing there.

Our son runs over to him and the twins are soon heading in that direction as well. I hide a smile at the commotion as each of our children insists on being picked up first. Ani has been busy with work the last week, skipping his afternoon visits with them to concentrate on some project of Palpatine’s, and now he will have to make up for it.

Blitzé quickly moves to leave, no doubt intending to excuse herself from our private family gathering, but Ani waves her back into the chair. From what I can sense, he is in a better mood than he was earlier in the day.

‘I spoke with Admiral Piett this morning,’ he tells my friend, ‘ and I have arranged for him to contact you using the Holonet in my castle.’

I give my husband a curious look. The Admiral has probably given him good news about the hunt for the rebel fleet, which would explain why the Sith Lord is being generous.

‘Thank you, my lord,’ Blitzé graciously replies.

‘The Accuser will be in hyperspace within the hour, so I would suggest you take advantage of what time you have,’ Ani not so subtly advises.

He gives in to the various tugs on his hands and the pleas from our three demanding toddlers. Crouching down, the Sith Lord lets each in turn place their arms about his neck, but Shmi is the one he is holding when he stands up. She will always be daddy’s girl, I note, amused.

Blitzé has risen to her feet by the time Ani is at my side. She gives a nod of her head in farewell as she turns to go.

‘Until next week,’ I bid her good-bye.

‘Of course, my lady,’ she replies before the door shuts behind her.

‘Piett’s wife has been visiting you regularly,’ my husband comments as he extracts himself from Shmi’s grasp and sets her down.

‘She is very much like a friend I knew on my homeworld,’ I remind him, ‘and you did approve of her.’

‘True,’ Ani admits, ‘but you need to be careful and not show too much favouritism to any one person. It could be dangerous for them and for you.’

He’s not just referring to Blitzé, I realize. Perhaps I need to review what I am doing and with whom to avoid trouble.

‘Blitzé stops by once every week or so and sometimes brings Wynssa with her,’ I reveal. ‘Her sister decided that she didn’t like Thirsk’s security measures. She hasn’t returned for a repeat visit after the first one.’

I watch Shmi pull at her father’s hand in an attempt to regain his attention. Mikal and Cat are sitting on the bench near the fish pond, impatiently waiting for Ani to finish with me and go to them.

‘And,...’ he leads me into continuing.

‘I occasionally play holochess with Commander Tosack,’ I add, ‘but he tends to transmit his moves by Holonet and was only here in person when you went over how you wanted to reconfigure the Executor’s shields with him.’

Ani shifts his hands to his hips and I can tell he is getting a bit irritated. What does he expect to hear from me? He knows who I see and when because it is always listed on my daily schedule.

‘It’s not like I have a wide circle of friends here,’ I tell him.

No, I admit to myself, I don’t have many friends outside of my staff. The Sith Lord’s reputation has kept people away, and he has openly discouraged any of the Imperial Court’s hanger’s-on and riff-raff from coming near me - not that I would be interested in ambitious political and social climbers anyway. I have no time or patience for those types or their games, and neither does Ani.

‘You still need to be careful,’ he warns, shaking his finger in front of my nose. ‘Reputation is everything. Rumours of impropriety can be dangerous.’

‘Rumours of impropriety!’ I blurt out. ‘Anakin! What do you think I have been doing!?’

‘I know you have not done anything improper,’ he reassures me, ‘but you must make sure that no one can ever accuse you of that.’

My laughter stops in my throat before it has a chance to escape. He’s genuinely worried about this to make such an issue of it. I tip my head up to study his mask. There’s no expression to be read there, but his body language and the tension in his stance are giving away the feelings I can sense from him. Ani is not just concerned. The Sith Lord is suppressing a certain degree of old anger and hurt.

Ani, what’s wrong? I ask him. What’s really bothering you?

There is no immediate response. Instead, he walks over to Mikal and Cat, Shmi in tow. I know he’s done that to avoid answering my question.

Ani? I prod again.

He stops and stands motionless, but doesn’t turn to face me.

Once, I had a friend. A friend who thought of me as his brother, he slowly tells me. I trusted him with my wife and I trusted her.

I push myself up out of my seat and go to him. Before he can move, I am sliding my arms around his waist and resting my cheek against his back.

I know exactly what must have happened and silently vow to never give my husband any reason to worry about Thirsk and I again. From now on, I will have Cyran or Daini come sit with me when I need a few minutes ‘alone’ to compose myself.

I am not her, I reassure him. The only man I love and want is you.

His hands take mine and give them a gentle squeeze.

I know, Ani quietly replies.

DAY 9

I stare at the hologram of Xizor’s human security droid while I try to figure out why she has contacted me.

‘Lord Vader,’ Guri greets me.

‘I assume you have a message for me from your master?’ I ask, getting to the point immediately.

‘Prince Xizor wishes to see you, at your convenience, of course,’ she reveals.

I need to find out what he is up to. No doubt it’s more of his games. Certainly whatever it is will be to his benefit, not mine or the Empire’s.

‘Very well,’ I reply. ‘Tell your master I will see him. I have business on the Emperor’s skyhook. Have him meet me there in three standard hours.’

I cut the connection. After Maia’s reaction the last time the Falleen was in my castle, I see no reason to risk her accidentally meeting him here again, and I do have another appointment on the skyhook.

Prowling through the corridors, I head to the hangar and my shuttle. Perhaps it is faster to take the turbolift up to my master’s skyhook, but that route is too vulnerable to attack from within and without. No, I will take my armoured and armed craft rather than expose myself in that way.

As I make my way to the hangar’s level, I consider another issue. My master is deliberately keeping me from personally hunting Luke. Part of that stems from his desire to have Maia on Coruscant and near to him. I also know that the construction of the second Death Star is falling behind schedule and Palpatine is growing tired of the excuses from Jerjerrod. It is only a matter of time before I am sent to hasten the work along with my presence. Only a fool does not fear a Sith Lord and what he can do.

I shake my head. From the start I opposed the building of another Death Star. Despite its designer’s promises, the first one was not invincible or all powerful. It fell to the well-aimed, Force-aimed, torpedo fired by my son, proving that the Force is stronger than any technology. Still, the Emperor did not agree, and so resources are once again going into what I see as a wasteful project.

As for waiting... well, what my master wills, is so.

I pause at the door to the shuttle bay.

‘Is my shuttle ready to launch?’ I ask the guard stationed there.

‘It is, Lord Vader,’ he quickly answers.

‘Good,’ I reply, pleased.

Once, and only once, it has not been, and the example I made of the technicians who failed to have it ready when I needed it has ensured that incident has never been repeated.

I pass the guard and stride towards my ship.

For now, I can’t hunt Luke, but I have sent others out to catch him. The reward I have offered for his live capture, which is substantial, should motivate independent hunters as well.

I settle myself behind the shuttle’s controls and send it skyward. It is a short, uneventful trip. Once it is secure, I go to the first of my meetings.

Unfortunately, Tremaine has no new candidates for me to consider. The pool of Force sensitives is growing smaller as they become more elusive and better at hiding. Anyone with Jedi-like abilities has learned, for their own safety, to conceal them.

I leave that appointment a touch frustrated. Using new trainees to distract my master from Maia has been an effective tactic in the past, but without any suitable prospects, I will have to come up with something else now.

Xizor, I spot on one of the terraces overlooking the Emperor’s gardens with his back to me. I march over to him, determined to keep our meeting brief.

‘Lord Vader,’ he politely offers with a bow.

‘Prince Xizor,’ I get to business immediately, ‘you had something to discuss?’

‘Yes,’ he affirms. ‘The location of a secret Rebel base has come to my attention. I assumed you would want to know of this.’

I stand motionless and silently stare at him. Xizor does not do anything without anticipating something in return, so what does he expect for this piece of information? And why has he chosen to give it to me? Surely it would have benefited him more to tell my master of this directly.

The Falleen’s face is neutral, unreadable. His control is almost as good as someone trained in the Force. He rarely gives his intentions away.

‘Of course,’ I decide to draw him out. ‘Where is this base?’

‘In the Balji Sector, out on the Rim,’ he reveals. ‘The Lybeya System, hidden on one of the larger Vergesso Asteroids. It is my understanding that there is a shipyard full of vessels undergoing repair. Scores, perhaps, hundreds, of Rebel ships, ranging from fighters to troop carriers.’

I wait, hoping he will add more details.

‘Destruction of such a large base would no doubt greatly cripple the Alliance,’ he continues, sounding as neutral as he can.

‘I’ll have my agents check it out,’ I tell him after a moment. ‘If it is as you say, then the Empire....’ I pause again before finishing, knowing that this conversation is being recorded, ‘...is indebted to you.’

Admitting that I might owe him thanks for this information infuriates me. If his allegations are true, destroying those ships will hurt the Rebellion. In bringing it to my attention, he gains credibility in my master’s eyes, raising his stature at the expense of mine.

I just knew he was plotting something.

I say nothing more, turn and stalk past the Falleen’s bodyguards who instantly get out of my way.

He has seen to it that I have no choice in this matter. I will have to verify his report and tell my master of it, if it is accurate, which, no doubt, it is. Palpatine has one rule about such things: you discovered it, you go deal with it. So, I will be the one dispatched to eliminate the Rebel base.

I snarl behind my mask. The Vergesso Asteroids are four days from Coruscant by hyperspace. Xizor has just seen to it that I will be gone for a full two weeks, including the time it will take to destroy the shipyard and confirm that nothing remains of it. Two weeks. More than enough time for Xizor to stir up plenty of trouble.

***

I go into Ani’s office as quietly as I can. He’s off somewhere, in a meeting, and the children are asleep, so I know I won’t be disturbed for a while.

With a touch the hidden panel in the wall behind his desk slides aside. It will only open to my husband or myself. I am sure there are other secret compartments in here, full of Sith artefacts and Ani’s private documents, but I know better than to try finding them. Slowly, carefully, I lift Michael’s prison from the shelf and cradle it close. I can still sense my brother, faintly, within it even though that contact is gradually fading away.

Ani had warned you that would happen, I remind myself. He told you that it was only a matter of time before what was left of your bond with Michael would be snuffed out.

I wander over to the rug in front of the fireplace, settle myself on it and stare at the soul trap I have placed on the floor in front of me.

‘It isn’t fair,’ I whisper to myself, barely able to hold in the tears.

Life isn’t fair, my husband’s usual response to my complaint echoes in my mind.

No, Ani, it isn’t, I silently agree.

My brother should have had a full life back home and was denied that. His second chance at a life, of sorts, if you can call being a Force spirit living, has also been abruptly ended. In his case, life has definitely not been fair to him.

You are upset again, my husband notes. My business is finished. I will be home soon.

Thank you, my love, I reply.

I can sense he has other stuff he still needs to take care of, yet has decided I will take precedence over that. Hopefully he won’t be long. While I wait for him, I pull a pillow closer and let my eyes drift shut. Ani will wake me when he gets here.

His light mental touch rouses me before he comes into the room.

‘Little goddess,’ he murmurs to me as he lowers himself to sit, cross-legged, beside me.

I shove myself up a bit and rest my head on his thigh. His fingers brush my hair while I stare at the flames opposite us and do my best to stay calm and centered. Finally, I let out a resigned sigh. Ani is right that my grieving isn’t helping the situation, but I don’t know how to stop myself. On Earth, when Michael died, it was months before I could look at a picture of my brother without starting to cry. Now, I am dealing with that all over again.

‘I’m sorry for being so difficult, Ani,’ I apologize to him.

‘Difficult?’ he echoes back, sounding amused. ‘You are not being difficult. You are simply reacting as I would expect you to.’

‘But,...’ I try to protest.

I know he has other things to see to besides me.

‘Grief fades and control will come with time,’ the Sith Lord reminds me. ‘You need to be more patient with yourself.’

I do my best to shift a little and his hands move to help me sit up. The flames reflect off his helmet and its lenses, bathing him in a red glow, and triggering another one of my strange memories.

Woods. Darkness. A funeral pyre built of logs. Luke standing before it torch in hand, then setting it alight. Fire licking at, consuming Ani’s armour...

‘Maia!’ I hear the Sith Lord yell at me as his hands grab my arms.

Startled by his actions, my indrawn breath comes as a forced gasp.

‘Ani?’ I ask, a bit shocked and dazed by what I just experienced.

He pulls me in tight.

‘You stopped breathing,’ he tells me.

Rather than answer, I cling to him. That memory had the weight of reality behind it. I’ve seen it happen, I decide. Somehow, somewhere, I watched Luke burn his father’s body.

‘Another one of your peculiar future visions?’ Ani softly prompts.

I nod against his chest.

‘A new one,’ I whisper to him, ‘and a bad one. A really, really bad one.’

‘You can tell me about it when you are ready to,’ he allows. ‘Take your time with it. I will wait.’

After that one instance, my husband has never ventured into my mind without my permission to go looking for what I know of his future. It is too traumatic for both of us for him to intrude in that way unless it is absolutely necessary.

‘Ani?’

‘Yes?’ he replies, humoring me.

I pull myself upright and stare into his mask. Be brave, I scold myself. He’s told you before that you could ask him for this when it was convenient for him to do it. Pretend he isn’t in his armour and come right out with it. My courage, however, despite my needs, runs away from me.

The Sith Lord’s helmet dips nearer, so that the indent above his breath screen is level with my nose.

‘I know what you want,’ he teases, ‘even if you are still too shy to admit it.’

I drop my head in an attempt to hide the blush I can feel spreading across my face. Ani doesn’t let me escape that easily. His fingers touch the center of my forehead, ghost down my cheek before moving under my chin and tipping it up again.

‘We won’t be able to do this for much longer,’ my husband warns. ‘That doctor of yours will forbid it soon, so we should make the best use of what time we have.’

There is no reason to argue with him, so I let him ease me onto my back and offer no resistance to anything he wants us to do. Ani is gentle, careful to keep his weight off of me, and slow and steady with his movements. Once we are both sated, I pull his cloak around me and relax in his arms.

‘You look like a thoroughly satisfied sabercat,’ he notes. ‘One who has just got exactly what she wanted, too.’

I make a half-hearted attempt to purr at him. We rarely fool around while he’s in his armour and when it does happen, he likes to tease me about it afterwards.

A gloved finger traces a path down my bare shoulder to the gold ring on my left hand. Goosebumps rise on my flesh as it goes. All he has to do is touch me with one finger to produce a reaction. Today, though, I don’t have the energy to pursue a repeat of our earlier exercises.

‘Anakin,’ I sleepily say.

‘You sound tired, so I want you to have a nap,’ he orders, waving a finger at me in his usual manner. ‘I have a report on the possible location of a Rebel base I must check before going to the Emperor.’

‘Can I help?’ I mumble at him as sleep starts to overtake my brain.

‘Not this time,’ he decides as he tucks a pillow under my head.

I pull his abandoned cloak up to my chin. He has several spares in our bedroom he can choose from if he needs another one.

‘Alright, love,’ I agree. ‘Just don’t work too hard.’

His low chuckle when he sits down behind his desk is the last thing I hear before I am dreaming.

***

I kneel before my master and wait patiently while Palpatine looks out over the vista he has from the spire’s throne room.

He suddenly turns his throne about to face me and orders, ‘Do get up, Lord Vader.’

I obey.

‘Our agents have verified this report?’ he asks.

‘They have, my master,’ I confirm.

‘A hundred rebel ships? Plus, no doubt, their pilots and officers,’ the Emperor repeats what I had heard from Xizor earlier.

‘Likely, yes,’ I agree.

‘That’s Grand Moff Kintaro’s sector is it not?’ he muses aloud. ‘He has been lax in allowing such a base to become established. We will speak to him.’

Speak to him and then remove him. Palpatine tolerates no such complacency amoung his officials. Kintaro’s fate is already sealed.

I stay silent, waiting for the instructions I expect.

‘Well, you must take part of the fleet and go there immediately,’ he tells me. ‘Destroy the base. The loss of ships and troops will be most damaging to the Rebels.’

‘I thought perhaps Admiral Okins might command the expedition,’ I suggest.

‘Did you?’ he says with a smile.

I decide to back off pushing the issue, hoping he might be more reasonable if I do.

‘But if it is your wish, I shall lead the attack,’ I concede.

‘It is my wish,’ he firmly states. ‘You may take Okins if you like, but you are to personally ensure the assault.’

‘Yes, my master,’ I reply with a bow, taking my leave of him.

His voice stops me before I exit the room.

‘You may take your family with you, since you will be gone for two weeks,’ he allows. ‘We wouldn’t want your wife to become upset at being apart from you this late in her pregnancy.’

I accept his offer with a nod. Ever since Zaarin’s kidnap attempt, he has tended to be generous in regards to my wife. Perhaps his concern is merely an act on his part, but I am not going to question it. Maia and the children will be with me, safe from both Xizor’s and my master’s plotting.

I wait until I am in the Grand Corridor before I start fuming. Of course that base was there, just as Xizor had said. It will be an easy victory, too. Shooting helpless ships is mere target practice for my crew. All Xizor has to gain by this is removing me from the scene temporarily.

At least I kept the source of my information secret. The recordings from the skyhook have been erased, and the only copies are safely locked away in my castle. That’s one small victory over Xizor, but one I will savour nonetheless.

Okins meets me at the entrance to the palace. He must have been called here by Palpatine, who is showing almost unseemly haste in sending me off.

‘Prepare your ships, Admiral,’ I tell him. ‘I will be carrying the flag on the Executor, and will join you once I have my family on board.’

‘At once, Lord Vader,’ he acknowledges with a snapped salute before he leaves.

I stare up at the night sky, what can be seen of it through the lights of Imperial Center. My wife won’t be pleased that we are leaving at this late hour since it will be disruptive to the children’s routine, but she won’t object when she hears that the alternative is to stay here without me.

I will go and crush the Rebel base, and hurry back as fast as I can.

Xizor is up to something which requires my absence.

***

Ani’s return from the Imperial palace was well timed, for once. I set the last of our dinner on the table just as he comes into the kitchen.

‘Good,’ he tells me. ‘You and the children will be able to eat before we leave for the Executor. I shall wait and have my meal once we are on board.’

I stare at him in surprise.

‘What?’ I blurt out.

There was no indication from him at all today that we might be going somewhere tonight.

‘Orders,’ Ani admits with a rueful sigh as he takes his chair next to Shmi. ‘Something came up and...’

‘... Palpatine, as usual, is sending you to deal with it,’ I finish for him, assuming my spot beside him.

I pass Shmi’s plate to my husband and start to dish out Mikal’s meal.

‘I did try to talk my way out of it,’ the Sith Lord reveals, ‘but since I was the one who had the misfortune of confirming that base’s existence, I am the one he insisted should go destroy it.’

‘But he is letting you take us with you,’ I infer the situation from his earlier words. ‘I suppose that is one good thing.’

I stick my fork into a piece of nuna. Tonight’s meal is simple. Tomorrow I had plans for a trip to Ani’s other residence on the shore of the Western Sea, but I have learned to be flexible. There is always something which comes up to change things on a moment’s notice. My life as Lady Vader has most certainly been nothing like what I ever thought it would be.

‘He offered. I didn’t have to ask,’ Ani supplies a few more details. ‘We should be gone for two weeks.’

‘Then we should take the opportunity to enjoy the break from Coruscant,’ I suggest, continuing to make small talk as I eat.

I can sense that something else is happening besides this sudden trip. He’s spent too much time with Xizor and the Emperor of late and that worries me. Forebodings start a shiver which I quickly suppress. Events are rushing forward and are about to overwhelm us - events I once had a knowledge of but am now unable to recall.

I can only hope my husband will tell me what is really going on before it is too late for me to help him.

Vergesso Asteroid Belt, Lybeya System, Year 3, Month 10.

DAY 14

***

It’s been almost week since I was sent off to deal with the rebels, I note, as I stand in my regular place at the head of the command deck. I listen impassively to the quiet murmur of the officers and crew working behind and below me. Soon we will be exiting hyperspace at the edge of the Lybeya System. Okins knows better than to try the same foolish tactic Ozzel did at Hoth. There will be no attempted ambush here.

For a moment, I recall my orders. Palpatine insisted I take three other Star Destroyers. Overkill, in my opinion, since most of the ships we will be facing should be immobile and helpless. I will use it as a training run for those crews, for this is a necessary, if tedious, mission. The fewer ships the rebels have, the less resistance they will be able to muster, and the sooner the war will be over. Still, destroying equipment in this way feels far less satisfying than meeting my enemy in battle.

‘We are dropping to sublight, Lord Vader,’ Warrant Officer Bachenkall reports.

I turn and look at him. He has been my flagship’s helmsman since Hoth, and has never given me a reason to discipline him. Today, though, he must have drawn the losing lot because I can sense his fear at having to play messenger. For a few seconds, I let him stand there and worry while his fellow crewmen do their best to ignore us. They are afraid of attracting my attention in case I capriciously chose to punish someone else instead.

‘Very well,’ I finally say. ‘Set a course for the Vergesso Asteroids, using the coordinates for the shipyard. I will be in my chambers. Call me when we arrive.’

‘Yes, Lord Vader,’ he acknowledges my orders with a crisp salute and rushes back to his station.

As he goes, I stare after him. I have better things to do with my time than stand around looking important on a mission any of the fleet’s half-wit admirals could manage. Instead of wasting precious days here or waiting for news from my agents on his whereabouts, I should be tracking my son, myself.

I let out a loud sigh. The Emperor has commanded my presence on this errand. The best thing to do is finish it as quickly as I can.

Without another word to anyone, I head towards my quarters.

***

I look up when I hear the door open. Ani’s back, at least temporarily. How long he will stay is another matter. For the last hour he’s been up on the command deck, waiting for word that the Executor has arrived in the Lybeya System. Since he’s here, we must be there at last.

Patting the spot next to me, I expect him to come and sit with me until he is called back to the bridge, but he doesn’t accept my unspoken invitation to join me. My husband is in one of his moods, I decide as I give up trying to get him to take a seat.

‘The children are napping and I know you have Cyran watching them, so let’s go for a walk,’ he suggests out of the blue.

My exercise for the day, I ruefully note. He’s been careful to see that I follow Leanan’s instructions to the letter despite my opinions about her advice. With a sigh, I put down my datapad and reach over to him. Two leather gloved hands promptly help me to my feet.

‘Where to?’ I ask, curious.

We have a regular walking route which he likes to take. It passes by several of the Executor’s command and control sections so he can check, albeit briefly, on what the crew is doing.

‘Observation deck,’ Ani reveals. ‘I thought you would like to see the system as we approach the outermost asteroid belt. Unless you have another preference?’

‘Nope, I have no objections,’ I reply, pleased that I will have a chance to look at what I have been busy reading about.

He settles my hand on his arm and guides me out into the hallway, so I decide to tease him a little.

‘ “Lead on Macduff”,’ I quote at him.

‘If you are going to quote your homeworld’s plays at me,’ he scolds in return, ‘you should get the words correct. It’s “Lay on, Macduff. And damn’d be him that first cries, ‘Hold, enough!’ ” Though I don’t understand why you think Macbeth’s last words are appropriate for going on a walk.’

He’s been reading my collection of Shakespeare’s plays again. I quickly check the corridor we are in to ensure no one is around, then cheekily stick my tongue out at him. My brattiness has probably been recorded by a security camera, but I don’t care.

‘My version sounds better,’ I tell him, ‘and it’s how most people misquote it at home. It’s a tradition.’

‘I see,’ Ani says. ‘It’s another Earthism.’

I start laughing. Lately, that’s become his favourite way of describing Earth slang or what he thinks is peculiar to home.

‘It’s too bad we can never go back home. Reading Shakespeare and seeing it on stage are two different things,’ I admit. ‘In my apartment I had a collection of recordings of his plays with performances by some of my world’s greatest actors.’

Ani looks over at me while the turbolift takes us upwards, to our destination. Anytime I mention Earth and going home, I get the strangest feeling he’s still keeping something from me. That sensation rarely lasts for very long and I have never bothered following up on it. It’s not worth the effort. He probably did something he’s too embarrassed to admit to when I wasn’t there to see it.

‘I could act as a sponsor and have Henry V performed at the Coruscant Opera House,’ he offers.

I know that’s his favourite play. Once, I caught him reading it to a rather bored Mikal. Our son has yet to develop a sense of high culture, but his father was thoroughly enjoying what he was reciting and partially acting out.

‘You just want to see someone make one of the King’s speeches,’ I prod him.

‘Perhaps,’ he mildly responds, refusing to own up to the truth, but I know that my guess is correct.

He pulls me over to one of the transparisteel windows after we step out of the turbolift and into the observation deck. I settle into his arms, rest my head on his chest, and content myself with staring out at the vista.

There are no planets around the single star at the heart of the system. Instead, it is ringed by several asteroid belts. It is too far from any important trade routes for anyone to try mining the chunks of rocky iron, and few of the asteroids contain enough ore to make it worth the effort involved anyway. The only value this place has is its remoteness. Being isolated, it is the perfect place to avoid being noticed.

‘They could hide ships in among the asteroids,’ I tell Ani, ‘and wait until you were in close before attacking. That’s what I would do.’

My husband lets out a low chuckle. He’s already thought of that possibility and planned for it.

‘I will be surprised if they don’t put up a fight of some sort,’ he replies. ‘Okins expects this will be easier than I do, but he tends to underestimate the enemy.’

I don’t comment on Ani’s evaluation of his Admiral. Discussing tactics can wait for another time. Right now, I just want to be held.

***

I release Maia from my arms and take her hand when I hear the approach of the turbolift. It wouldn’t do to have someone walk in on us the way Tremaine once did all those years ago. Behind us, the lift opens and someone approaches.

‘Lord Vader, we are closing on the Rebel asteroid,’ Lieutenant Commander Ardan states.

I turn away from the viewport. The head of the Executor’s bridge pit crew is taking his turn as the news bearer this time.

‘Good,’ I reply. ‘Have Admiral Okins meet me on the bridge.’

‘At once, Lord Vader,’ he confirms my order and leaves.

‘Time for you to go into battle again,’ my wife quietly tells me.

I pull her back into my embrace. This is going to be hard for her. Every time I must put myself at risk I know she worries. After losing her brother, the thought of something happening to me must be unbearable for her.

‘I won’t do anything foolish,’ I promise her, ‘and I will stay on the Executor if you ask me to.’

‘You will do what you need to do,’ she reminds me, sounding amused rather than concerned, ‘as you always do.’

I brush my fingers down her face and she leans into them in response. My little wife. How well you understand me now. Has really been only a few years since we first met?

‘Admiral Okins will be calling me on the comm soon if I don’t leave,’ I prompt her to release me, ‘and the children need to be secured.’

Maia’s arms loosen their hold, but I catch her hand in mine before she can step away. With my free one, I touch a control at my belt to increase the flow of oxygen into my mask. I will need that if I choose to fly in battle.

‘I dislike this chore I am being forced to do,’ I reveal to her as the lift doors close behind us, ‘but I will do it to the best of my abilities anyway.’

Her fingers tighten in mine.

‘All will be well,’ I reassure her as I step out at the floor which the command deck is on. ‘You will see.’

***

I watch Ani head away from me to the bridge, his cloak fanning out and sweeping the floor behind him. His words were designed to boost my spirits, but I can’t shake the feeling that time, for us, is running out.

‘My Lady,’ Thirsk greets me.

I know he has orders to follow my husband and I at a discrete distance. When we reached the lift to the observation deck, the Commander waited there for us to come back. Now that the Sith Lord has gone to supervise the battle, Thirsk will play bodyguard and chaperone me back to my quarters. Security has been tight around the children and I, even on the Executor. For a moment, I wonder if something has happened to justify all the extra precautions, then dismiss that notion. It’s just Ani being his usual overprotective self.

‘Let’s go, Thirsk,’ I reply. ‘I need to see to Mikal and the twins.’

‘The usual?’ the Commander asks.

‘Yes,’ I tell him with a sigh as we head down the corridor. ‘And the girls will not be very happy about it, either.’

I know the risks of being on a Star Destroyer going into a combat situation. Despite the protests I will have to listen to, I would rather be dealing with three cranky toddlers than worry about them being injured.

‘Perhaps you and Cyran can distract them until everything is done with,’ I suggest. ‘I will need to lie down and behave myself.’

Leanan doesn’t want me to risk a fall and neither do I, so in this instance I will do as I am told without arguing.

***

‘Admiral?’ I call out from my usual vantage point.

‘We will be in range shortly, Lord Vader,’ he promptly answers my implied question.

‘Good,’ I reply, then order, ‘Commence firing as soon as we reach optimum distance. I want no mistakes.’

There will be no errors here, not when I am in complete control of the situation.

I stare at the large asteroid ahead of the Executor. It’s covered with craters, no doubt from collisions with others of it’s ilk in the ring of rocks surrounding the star. As I watch, two frigates emerge from behind it. So, Maia’s prediction that the rebels had hidden some ships was correct.

‘Two Nebulon-B Escort Frigates,’ Bachenkall identifies.

With an expert eye, I survey the two vessels. Both have TIE decks at the rear, and are obviously recent acquisitions for the rebels. How they fell into rebel hands is less clear. Most likely these are two of the frigates and their crews who defected under Harkov’s command.

‘Our own ships,’ I hiss, furious.

There is silence behind me as those who heard my comment realize we might be firing on those they once fought alongside.

‘At least they won’t have any operable TIE fighters,’ Okins offers.

As he finishes, twelve X-wings emerge from the nearest frigate and begin to rush towards us.

‘I see they have been modified to carry X-wings,’ I dryly observe. ‘It seems the shipyard will not be such an easy target after all.’

‘Scramble our fighters,’ I hear the Admiral order. ‘I don’t want to waste firepower swatting these annoying ... flies with our big guns.’

‘At once, Admiral,’ the TIE operations officer responds.

Another much faster ship appears. A Corellian Corvette, I note with a smile. Perhaps this won’t be as tedious or boring as I expected. I prefer a fight to shooting at stationary targets.

‘Have my Interceptor readied,’ I command the officer in charge of the TIEs as I turn to face him.

Okins looks at him, then at me. Is he going to argue with me about this?

‘My lord, do you think that is ...,’ the Admiral starts.

‘... wise?’ I finish for him. ‘It has been too long since I flew in combat, Admiral. I need to flex those muscles. You can handle the shipyard. I will clear the vacuum of the fighters.’

He inclines his head in acceptance. I know why he raised the objection and will let it pass without comment or reprimand. Okins has a wife and family on Coruscant and he knows mine are here with me. His thoughts were not for himself, but of how to protect Maia and my children.

***

Maia, Ani calls to me.

I shift a bit in bed and rearrange a couple pillows to make myself more comfortable before I respond to him. Soon the shipyard will be destroyed. Just to be safe, I plan on staying where I am until the effect of feeling those deaths through the Force has faded a bit.

Yes, dear, I answer, what is it?

I am going out for some target practice, he reveals.

A snort escapes from me. I just knew he wouldn’t be able to resist getting some time in his fighter if the opportunity arose. Palpatine has had him grounded long enough that the Sith Lord would have found any excuse he could to go out in his TIE.

Be careful, I remind him, and try to stay out of trouble.

I will be back quickly enough, he tells me.

There is a brush against my mind in farewell from him, then he is completely focussed on the task ahead. I leave him be. If he needs to talk to me during the battle, he’ll initiate the contact.

***

The darkness of space entices me as I touch my fighter’s controls and send it after an X-wing. It has definitely been too long since I have flown in battle, I decide.

Without much effort at all, I easily target five of the Rebel fighters in turn. This is no challenge, I admit, a bit disappointed by how simple it is to chase each pilot down. Even though they are skilled, not one of them is strong in the Force.

There is no competition here for me.

None.

While I had mused, an X-wing had climbed below me, intending to attack from beneath my ship. I loop away from it, whip around, and hammer it with my lasers until it is in a billion fragments.

Through the cockpit window I see that one of the Rebel’s frigates has been disabled and the other is being pounded into submission. No Nebulon frigate is a match for the concerted effort of several Star Destroyers.

Another X-wing targets me, so I give it the same treatment as its fellows. As it bursts apart, the shipyard is finally split open. Anyone who thought the asteroid was sufficient protection was a fool. The Executor’s heavy lasers easily cut through the rock. There is a shift, a wrench, in the Force when those inside are killed when the atmosphere vents into space. With a light mental touch I reassure my wife that I am safe. She will have felt those deaths and I will need to see her as soon as I can after I return to my flagship.

An eighth X-wing ventures into my sights. I chase it, following every twist and turn it makes. This pilot is good, very good, but training and talent are no match for the dark side. I let the Force guide my hand, hear the targeting computer lock on ... and hold my fire.

Disgusted, I pull up, break off my pursuit, and allow that X-wing to escape. Shooting ships in this manner is beneath me. It is almost like lining them up in a row and opening fire. The only one who might be close to being my equal as a fighter pilot is my son. I smile at that thought. Luke would be a worthy opponent, unlike the criminal Xizor. A frown erases my previous expression. The Falleen is devious, but he is far too much of a coward to ever face me directly.

The X-wing I let go hurries away. What is left of the battle is merely mop-up. The shipyard is aflame, the ships it sheltered destroyed, and hundreds have been killed.

A great victory for the Empire, I sarcastically note. No doubt that will be played up in the media. I can hear the commentators now. But for myself, it holds no glory.

Anyone who could be my equal is gone. Obi-Wan is dead by my hand. What Jedi from the old Order remain are in hiding and are too weak for me to bother hunting down. My wife will never reach my strength in the Force, nor would she ever turn against me. The only suitable adversary I have left is my son, the last Jedi.

The last of the Jedi who will soon become the next Sith, but it won’t be Palpatine he is apprenticed to.

I send my TIE back towards the Executor, dock and hurry to my quarters. There’s a report to be made before I can do anything else.

I activate the Holonet terminal, but don’t lower myself to one knee until Palpatine’s hologram appears.

‘My master,’ I greet him.

‘Ah, Lord Vader. Your report?’ he asks.

‘The Rebel shipyard is no more,’ I state. ‘They put up a fight, but it was of brief duration. We destroyed hundreds of ships and thousands of the enemy within them.’

‘Good, good,’ he praises, obviously please by this result.

He waves his hand and the view of his throne room enlarges as the camera angle widens. I give a start when I recognize who is there with him.

Xizor.

To cover my reaction, I force myself to allow the automatic breathing cycle to resume. Palpatine will hear any changes in it.

‘Prince Xizor was just telling me how happy he was to provide the Empire with the location of the Rebel base,’ my master reveals. ‘It seems we owe him a debt of gratitude, don’t you think?’

I grit my teeth. There are many things I would prefer to do to Xizor other than offer him any show of gratitude, yet Palpatine is going to insist that I do it. You might be the master now, I think, furious, and be able to enforce your will, but that won’t last for much longer.

I glare at Xizor, and allow my hatred for him to flow out into the Force. Fortunately, they can’t see my face. My eyes have taken on their Sith colours and cold fury is etched into my flesh.

‘The Empire owes you thanks, Prince Xizor,’ I say in as neutral a tone as I can manage.

The Emperor smiles benevolently at me.

Xizor’s smirk is even wider.

‘Oh, think nothing of it, Lord Vader,’ the Falleen brightly tells us. ‘I am always happy to serve.’

Servile, grovelling, boot-licking toady, I apply the appropriate labels in my mind. Thankfully you are on Coruscant and I am here. If I were there, with you within my reach, I would kill you right now, regardless of my master’s wishes.

‘I expect to see you soon, Lord Vader,’ Palpatine reminds me of my obligation to come back to Coruscant quickly.

‘Yes, my master,’ I promptly reply. ‘We are returning even as we speak.’

Not entirely true, but close enough. One of the officers from the command deck should be here soon to announce that the Rebel base and any remaining ships have been confirmed destroyed. I will not leave until I hear that report.

‘Good,’ he praises.

The Holonet connection is abruptly cut without him bothering to give any form of proper farewell.

I should have known that the Falleen’s freely given information was intended purely for his own benefit. In keeping the source of that intelligence secret, I played directly into his hands. Palpatine probably enjoyed humiliating me in front of him, too. With a snarl, I rise to my feet. Maia needs me, but I am in no mood where I can be of any comfort to her. Instead, I will isolate myself in my meditation pod until the worst of my anger has dissipated before I go to her.

The door to my quarters opens.

‘Lord Vader, I...,’ one of my junior officers starts to speak.

I clench my fist, using the Force to cut off his air and shut him up.

‘I do not wish to be disturbed,’ I snap at him as he falls to his knees. ‘Is that clear?’

To release him, I open my hand, and he inhales rather loudly in reaction.

‘C..c..clear, L..lord Vader,’ he stammers.

I leave him to make his own way out, stomp to my meditation pod, and close it over myself.

Time to brood and plot, and imagine the thousand different ways I intend to make Xizor suffer before I slowly kill him.

***

Imperial Center, Coruscant, Core Worlds, Year 3, Month 10.

DAY 19

***

I watch the progress of one of my spy droids through the holocam hidden within it. The cleaning droid is slowly making its way down the street, removing debris and scrubbing the surface beneath it as it goes. Jir slows its progress as the droid nears the café Xizor is sitting in front of.

The Falleen is calmly sipping on the cup of kaffe he had ordered almost an hour ago, still pretending to read the flimsy in his hand. He looks thoroughly bored, but he is obviously waiting to meet with someone. I doubt that whoever his appointment is with is of concern to me. Just in case, I will have him monitored and his contact checked anyway.

I turn off the screen with a gesture.

Spying in this way is beneath me. It always leaves me feeling a bit tarnished and unclean. However, intrigue is the way of the Imperial court and my master. Xizor and the Emperor enjoy the double dealing and triple crossing they are so fond of, but I do not. For a warrior, for myself, a clean kill, an honorable death dealt to one’s enemy, are to be preferred to shooting someone in the back and then blaming another. Yet I have learned to play their games, by their rules, despite my feelings about it.

Every bit of evidence I can collect will serve to undermine Xizor. Sooner or later he will make a critical mistake and I will act on that. And explain why I killed him to my master afterwards.

Using the nearest comm panel, I let Leanan know I am leaving the command center at last. I am late for Maia’s appointment and the doctor will not be pleased. Rather than speak with her, I type a quick message into the terminal instead and hit send.

Turning away from the bank of monitors my staff are watching, I motion to Jir to come with me. There are a few issues I need to discuss with him and now is as good a time as any.

***

Ani’s been in a rotten mood ever since we left Vergesso, despite the battle’s more successful than expected outcome. I suspect that Xizor has something to do with it, since the Sith Lord has most carefully avoided mentioning the Falleen’s name. When we returned from the Executor today, the first place he went was the command center, since he needed to find out what had happened during our absence. He sent me off to his Castle’s Med Center by myself while he did that, which for him is most unusual.

I shift in my chair while I patiently wait for Leanan to start the ‘lecture.’ My husband should be here, but he is still busy, no doubt going over reports about rebel activity on the Rim. With a sigh, I give up on him.

‘His Lordship is probably stuck in a meeting,’ I explain to my doctor. ‘There’s no point delaying this any longer.’

‘He should unstick himself, then,’ she growls, sounding extremely irritated. ‘This is more important than some report about rebels.’

‘It’s not like we haven’t heard this before,’ I try placating her.

That earns me an vexed look.

‘You heard what your previous physician had to say, not what I have to tell you,’ she warns.

This is just wonderful. Ani and I are probably in for a huge list of restrictions about what I can and cannot do. I bet fooling around with my husband will be the first thing she bans.

Her console chirps after another ten minutes, so she acknowledges the message without telling me what it was about or who it was from. I guess it was Ani letting her know he couldn’t make it from the exasperated expression on her face.

‘Fine,’ she concedes at last. ‘His Lordship will get all of this in a file instead.’

I raise an eyebrow at her. All that will do is prompt Ani to come to her office in person and start an argument about whatever prohibitions she has dictated. He enjoys baiting the doctor whenever she leaves him an opening to do so.

Leanan walks around her desk and stands in front of it, then rests her hands to either side of herself and leans back a bit. At least she’s relaxed. That should be a good sign, I hope.

‘Your predicted delivery date is in two months,’ she reminds me, ‘but you have a history of premature births. You will probably go into labour in four or five weeks.’

This is not the first thing I expected to hear and it does not bode well for the remainder of her speech.

‘So, what we need to do is delay that for as long as possible,’ she adds, ‘and I am fully aware of what has been a trigger for your labour in the past.’

Oh, no. Here it comes.

‘Make the most of the next two days because after that, sex with Lord Vader will have to wait for at least three months,’ she finishes with a finger pointing at me as Ani finally appears.

The Sith Lord stops dead in his tracks, and from how the voices of those who were with him went absolutely silent in the corridor behind him, I know Thirsk, Jir, and Rik heard what Leanan said in the brief seconds before the door slid shut after him. Thankfully, Jixton isn’t with them or I am sure he would have come out with some smart remark which would have earned Ani’s wrath. There is an annoyed hiss from my husband. I doubt that he’s overly embarrassed but I know he must be giving the doctor one of his looks, too.

‘Was it really necessary to announce that in public?’ he snaps at her.

What? I prod him.

I contacted her when I left the command center, he informs me. She deliberately timed her words for when I would get here, and probably so that I would be in less of a position to argue with her about it.

‘If it ensures you follow my recommendations,’ Leanan tells him, ‘then, yes.’

They are going to fight about this unless I do something to prevent it.

Ani steps forward, stops when he draws even with me, and sets his left hand on my right shoulder. I reach up with my own left hand and rest it above his. When he starts to move towards the doctor, I tighten my fingers over his.

Leave it be, love, I suggest. Both of us knew she was going to insist on something like this soon anyway. We will have tonight and tomorrow. That will have to be enough until our son is born and I have healed.

Maia, he starts a protest.

Remember Mikal? I remind him. My brother can’t help us if that happens again. Do you really want to risk it?

A pause.

Then Ani gives in.

‘Very well, doctor,’ he calmly states, before trying to bargain a bit. ‘You win, but it will be four days I have with my wife, not two.’

‘Two days,’ Leanan insists.

‘Three and a half days,’ the Sith Lord lowers his demand a touch.

‘Three days,’ she compromises, ‘and not an hour more than that.’

My mouth drops open. They are haggling over my sex life like it was up for sale.

‘It will be no days,’ I growl at them both, ‘if you two don’t stop it.’

‘Three days,’ my husband agrees before Leanan can change her mind.

‘Very well,’ she concedes, ‘three days.’

‘Let’s hear the rest of it, then,’ I prompt with a sigh.

If this was the first thing she wanted to discuss, whatever else is left must be worse.

DAY 22

***

I approach the throne, kneel, and wait to be motioned to my feet before speaking. This will not be a pleasant encounter given what I feel it is necessary for me to say.

‘Rise, Lord Vader,’ I am prompted to get up at last.

‘I have received notification of your plan for delivery of the Endor Project computer to Bothawi, my Emperor,’ I admit once I am standing. ‘I consider it most inadvisable.’

Rarely have I had cause to question my master’s judgement, but this latest venture reeks of Xizor’s influence. It is both unwise and stupid, as well.

‘You disapprove, Lord Vader?’ he asks.

‘It is not my place to disapprove,’ I retreat a little in an attempt to placate him.

‘Quite so,’ he replies.

I decide to risk a reprimand and see if reason will prevail.

‘With respect, my master, the rebels would trade half their fleet for the information on that computer, if they knew what it contained,’ I push my opinion. ‘It should be under heavy escort! To send it aboard a lone freighter is madness.’

‘The plans are made,’ he snaps at me. ‘I see no reason to revise them. Your advice has not been notably successful in other matters of late!’

I bristle at his not so veiled reference to my failed attempt to catch Luke at Bespin. That was months ago and since then every task he has set me to has been accomplished. Has he so quickly forgotten how I saved him from Zaarin? The battle at Vergesso?

‘If you proceed with this plan, it is against my sternest warning,’ I boldly state.

When this foolishness ends in disaster, I will be able to truthfully say I did not endorse it.

‘Your objection is noted,’ Palpatine agrees, before dismissing me. ‘That will be all, Vader.’

I take my leave of him, and stalk from the throne room, heading to my castle. There is nothing I can say which will change his mind about sending the computer unguarded to Bothawui. All I am able to do is watch and wait - watch and wait as the rebels find out about that freighter and attack it, I ruefully note. No doubt when that comes to pass Luke will be there.

I curl my hands into fists and increase my pace. There are other things I want to do tonight, and worrying about my son is not one of them.

***

‘Ani,’ I softly murmur to my husband as I lean back against his chest.

He came back from seeing Palpatine earlier than I expected him to, and suggested a trip to his Western Sea residence. The children are asleep, in their rooms next to ours, and won’t wake until morning. For once, we should have an uninterrupted evening to ourselves.

‘This will be our last opportunity for a few months,’ he reminds me.

I make a resigned face while I watch the waves break against the shore through the transparisteel window. Leanan had given us her recommendations a few days ago, and I know that while Ani would rather do as he pleases, he will follow her advice to the letter. My husband won’t do anything which will put his son or I at risk.

‘I won’t say it,’ I tease him.

‘Say what?’ he asks.

I feel his lips start to explore my left ear.

‘It isn’t...’ I start my usual commentary on life.

‘... fair,’ my husband finishes with a smile against my skin.

I let out the sigh I had been holding in.

‘What is it?’ Ani prompts.

‘Life in general,’ I admit.

‘For tonight,’ he suggests, ‘let’s pretend that everything outside this room doesn’t exist.’

His mouth makes contact with my flesh again and traces a path down the side of my neck to my collar bone. I shiver in response, so he moves his fingers to loosen the top of my nightgown. Setting my hands over his, I stop him.

‘Wait a moment,’ I insist as I turn about in his arms.

Tucking my head under his chin, I hold him as tight as I can manage. I want to permanently freeze this moment in time. Something tells me that soon, inevitably, our lives will change forever and that thought terrifies me. It’s as if a part of myself knows that once a particular point is passed we will be venturing into uncertain, uncharted waters.

A hand gently strokes my hair then is joined by his other. My husband’s touch gradually calms me, so I listen to his heartbeat and try to let myself relax against his chest.

‘Something really is bothering you,’ he notes.

I nod is response. He always knows when I am upset even if he doesn’t have all the details.

‘Is it that vision you had?’ he asks.

Ani has probably needed to question me about that for quite some time but hasn’t wanted to push me. I debate whether to tell him what I saw or not. It might ruin our evening if he reacts negatively. For another minute or two, I quietly consider my approach.

‘I saw...,’ I start to describe my waking dream but can’t finish it.

‘My death?’ he gently cues me to continue.

I shake my head in a negative.

‘Worse?’

This time I bite my lip and nod. It’s strange that I find his funeral more disturbing than his death. Perhaps it’s the finality of seeing his armour aflame.

‘Take your time,’ Ani patiently instructs.

A few of the things Michael had said to me two years ago pop into my mind. They hadn’t made sense to me at the time, but now I am wondering exactly what he had meant by them.

You aren’t supposed to be here, my brother had told me. Anakin’s fighter bounced too close to a collision between a star about to go nova and a black hole. Time and space ripped, and he ended up on Earth, a place he never could have got to otherwise.

Anakin would have killed Ozzel and I couldn’t let that happen. Not yet. It’s far too early for that yet.

In meddling and trying to repair the timeline, I have made mistakes that I can never fix now, and you have paid and will pay the price for those.

Your being here is causing all sorts of problems.

‘Michael knew what was going to happen to us, when you would be killed and how,’ I quietly reveal, ‘but he refused to talk to me about it.’

‘Yes, he knew far more than he would ever admit to,’ Ani confesses. ‘Whenever I tried to get any answers out of him, he would pull his vanishing act and disappear for several days. It was a useful way to get rid of him if he was being too much of a pest.’

I wait for my husband to add to that, but he says no more about my brother.

‘Now,’ he returns to the previous topic, ‘you still haven’t told me what is bothering you so much about that vision.’

Out comes the interrogator. From past experience, I realize that he won’t let this go until he hears an account of it, despite suggesting I take my time. I’ll start with the location, I decide, and work my way from that to telling him about the funeral pyre.

‘It was in a forest somewhere, at night,’ I describe the scene. ‘Luke and you were there - no one else. The only light was from his torch.’

A shiver goes up my spine as I remember the wood under Ani’s body bursting into flames.

‘He had piled up a bunch of logs in the center of the clearing you were both in,’ I add.

My husband’s hand stops abruptly in the middle of my back. He’s figured out what my vision was about or picked up on that rather vivid image in my mind.

‘You were,’ I begin to choke on my words. ‘You were...’

A hand tips my face up, then his mouth is hard against mine. The ferocity of his kiss is matched by the vehemence of his thoughts.

I am right here, my love, he reassures me, and I swear to you that what you saw will never come to pass.

***

I slip my arm out from under my wife’s head and sit up beside her. She doesn’t stir or seem to notice my absence. Two hours of love making has tired her out completely. It should be morning before she wakes.

Moving away from the bed, I sit on the floor in front of the window and stare out at the water. I know what she saw and why it disturbed her. Somewhere in her subconscious, within her mangled memories, she still understands what happened to me on Mustafar and why I am forced to wear my armour. Any vision concerning fire and myself will provoke the same powerful, fearful response in her.

My eyes shut as I look forward into the future. It is clouded by the unpredictable actions of others, with paths branching out in all directions. One thing remains certain, no matter which avenue I explore - when Palpatine next sends me to the Death Star, I must ensure she comes with me. On this, all depends.

‘Ani?’ I hear a sleep-fogged voice call to me.

‘Stay in bed,’ I tell her. ‘I’ll be right back.’

I rise to my feet, resume my place next to her, and allow her to pull me in close. Within minutes she is sleeping quietly once more, but it is hours before I finally join her in slumber.

***

DAY 24

I shift about in bed, noting my husband’s absence from his usual place next to me when I roll over and try to snuggle up to him. He’s up at an unusual hour, even for him. With a frown, I shove myself upright and cast about with the Force, trying to find where he has gone - which is his office, I quickly discover. Grabbing my robe from the floor beside the bed, I wrap myself in it and go to see why he is awake.

‘... and do use a bit more caution in dealing with Jabba’s...,’ Ani stops his instructions rather abruptly when he senses my approach, before dismissing whoever he was on the comm with, ‘Contact me in three days.’

‘What’s wrong?’ I ask, a bit concerned with his break in routine.

‘I had to comm one of my agents when it would be untraceable on the other end,’ he admits, beckoning me over.

‘Oh,’ I accept his explanation without prying further.

He’s up to something, I just know it, and wants to keep me ignorant of it. Bugging him won’t give me any more information than what he has just told me.

‘I’ve been busy with other projects, too,’ he reveals as I reach his side. ‘There’s three birthdays coming up.’

‘Mikal and the twins,’ I confirm.

So that’s why he’s been getting out of bed early, before the children and I, each morning for most of the past month and going into his office for an hour. I had assumed he was dealing with work, not making presents. My husband opens the largest drawer of his desk and lifts out an almost finished model of his shuttle.

‘You have been busy,’ I tease.

‘It just needs a few more details added to it,’ Ani tells me, ‘but I still haven’t decided what I should give Shmi and Cat.’

‘Something more durable,’ I suggest with a laugh. ‘They are still too small and rough with their toys for anything like that.’

‘Maybe I should leave shopping for their gifts to you,’ he hints, replacing Mikal’s present in its hiding place.

‘Perhaps I would like some company on an expedition of that sort,’ I intimate, giving him a quick peck on the cheek as encouragement to submit.

‘That could be arranged,’ my husband decides. ‘Thirsk could ...’

This time, I shut him up with a kiss on the mouth.

I don’t want Commander Thirsk’s company, I scold him. I want yours.

Then I will make the time to go with you, he promises.

***

I nod at Lieutenant Jir and dismiss him from my office. He brought me another report of Xizor’s movements. The Falleen is at the Imperial Palace, once again meeting with the Emperor.

He’s up to something. Something dangerous to the Empire and designed to discredit me in the process, but he is too much in my master’s favour to easily eliminate without proof. And it must be solid, unquestionable evidence.

For a moment, I consider the other report my aide showed me. The rebels, of course, discovered how, when, and where the computer was being transported and attacked the freighter, just as I expected them to. Now, the plans for the second Death Star are in the hands of those who destroyed the first.

My master is a fool to think that they will not try to exploit that information. They will analyze those plans and find there is no weakness like with its predecessor. The attack, when it comes, will not be against a fully operational battle station. Instead, they will rally their forces now, rather than wait.

I close my eyes and see the image of the Death Star I had found in Maia’s shattered memories, still under construction, and the scene of an intense battle. Despite my best attempts to change things, to steer my path away from that, it seems with each passing day events are driving my future in that direction regardless.

The situation, unfortunately, reminds me of another future I once failed to alter.

Frustrated, I decide to go to the salle for some practice.

‘Bring one of my duelling droids,’ I order once I am there, then change my mind. ‘No, Bring two of them.’

***

DAY 26

‘Ani,’ I whisper in my husband’s ear. ‘Wake up, dear.’

He was up quite late, dealing with his agents, and had intended to sleep in until breakfast today, but now the comm is beeping. That particular sequence of noises is assigned to only one being. I know who is on the other end from past experience, and won’t answer it.

‘Yes?’ the Sith Lord sleepily responds at last.

‘Palpatine wants to talk to you,’ I warn him.

With a growl, he throws back the covers, grabs his robe from the floor, and wraps it around his body as he stalks out of the bedroom. Someone is definitely not happy with having his sleep interrupted.

A few minutes later, he is back.

‘I must go to the Palace,’ Ani announces. ‘He wants to speak with me in person.’

‘So much for our shopping trip,’ I decide.

I give him a rueful smile while I go to fetch his morning meal from the kitchen. Ani hasn’t wasted any time putting his armour on, I note when I return. He’s actually quite fast at getting dressed, if it is necessary.

‘You should at least have something to drink,’ I suggest, handing him the glass.

He swallows it quickly while I adjust his surcoat and tighten his belt. I fill the glass a second time as his chest armour goes on. That one he drinks during the minute it takes me to retrieve and see to his cloak for him. The third glass of his supplement he finishes as he watches me take his vocoder, mask, neck seal, and helmet from the storage compartment. We have done this before, so we both know the routine.

‘I could give you a quick kiss,’ Ani offers.

I sidle up to him in as suggestive a manner as I can manage.

‘Or perhaps not so quick,’ he teases.

Gloved fingers brush my cheek, so I turn my face into the palm of his hand.

‘Temptress,’ he dubs me before he sets his mouth on mine.

Sith Lord, mine.

Stubborn little goddess.

I don’t give him a chance to overly prolong our kiss, and pull back when I can sense his lust levels rising. There’s a limit in how far we can safely go.

‘We should behave ourselves,’ I remind him, ‘and you need to go see your boss.’

‘Unfortunately, the answer is yes, on both accounts,’ Ani admits.

He gives me another fast, chaste kiss, and puts his helmet on. Before he leaves, he touches my face in our usual parting gesture. I watch him walk down the corridor to the lift, then return my attention to the children. They had been playing in their room, but are now in the kitchen demanding breakfast.

***

I answer Palpatine’s summons promptly. Given his mood of late, it would not be wise to provoke him.

‘My master,’ I greet him as I drop to one knee.

‘Rise, Lord Vader,’ I am instructed in turn.

I do so. Hopefully he will keep this to the point and not send me off on some errand. Luke has been captured and is being held by a rather inept group of bounty hunters who have engaged me in a bidding war with another party for possession of my son. My agents have yet to pinpoint their exact location, but when that happens I will need to send someone trustworthy to fetch him immediately. Going to Kothlis myself is impossible. Xizor cannot be left to his own devices on Coruscant, or an even worse situation might develop.

‘You will go to Kothlis,’ he orders, ‘and collect young Skywalker.’

I freeze in shock. What? How did he find out Luke was there? If anyone in my employ has leaked that information, I will see to it that it is the last mistake they ever make.

Perhaps the Emperor is the other bidder? Has he found out about Luke’s location through that means? But that makes no sense. Why would he enter a bidding war which is essentially against himself?

There must be another party involved in this, and only one candidate fits that role - Xizor. He has a rather extensive spy network and every reason to ingratiate himself with my master by offering this information to him.

‘I have already sent my agents for him,’ I admit.

There’s no sense in trying to hide that from him.

‘Agents are not to be trusted,’ he scolds me. ‘Skywalker grows stronger in the Force each day. I remind you that he has within him the power to destroy us. Only you are potent enough to capture him.’

His mind is made up on this issue. There is no point in arguing further.

‘Yes, my master,’ I concede.

This is Xizor’s doing, I decide. He wants me off-planet again so he can stir up more trouble. Regardless of what I intend to do to the Falleen, it would not be wise to press my opinion of him. Not yet, anyway.

‘There is another reason,’ Palpatine reveals. ‘You are aware that Prince Xizor’s scheme to allow the plans for the Death Star to fall into rebel hands has been implemented.’

‘Yes, my master,’ I acknowledge. ‘That plan proceeds over my objections.’

‘Those objections have been noted, Lord Vader,’ he smoothly replies. ‘As it happens, the plans have been transported from the freighter hijacked off Bothawui to Kothlis. Quite a coincidence, don’t you think?’

Coincidence? I think not. Xizor’s manipulations are readily apparent in this.

‘We must appear to make an attempt to recover the plans,’ my master continues, ‘ to convince the rebels that the plans are genuine and that we are distressed by their loss. Therefore, your trip will serve two purposes. You can fetch Skywalker, and you can destroy some of the local scenery so that the rebels will be gulled into believing we are concerned over the theft.’

Somehow I must persuade him to send someone else on this mission.

‘Any of our admirals could go and wave the flag and fire the guns,’ I suggest. ‘I have many pressing matters here.’

‘More pressing than my commands, Lord Vader?’ he asks.

I should have known there was no way to escape from this task.

‘No, my master,’ I yield.

‘I thought not. I will have Skywalker with us or destroyed,’ the Emperor insists, ‘the sooner, the better. And the end of the Rebellion is near. If you personally lead the attack, the rebels will be convinced that we think these plans are of great value.’

‘Yes, my master,’ I accept his orders without further resistance.

I make my way out of the throne room while my anger begins to burn once more. Xizor has yet again managed to use my master to force me off of Coruscant temporarily.

What is the Falleen up to?

I vow to make the journey to Kothlis a fast one.

***

‘Maia,’ I hear Ani call to me from his office door.

I look up from where I had been working on my datapad and let out a resigned sigh. He’s back and with bad news, no doubt.

‘No shopping trip today,’ I fill in the silence.

‘Or for a few more days,’ he reveals. ‘I am being sent to Kothlis to wave the flag, blow up the scenery, and retrieve Luke.’

‘And?’ I prompt.

‘You and the children will stay here,’ Ani tells me. ‘I should only be gone for three, or at most four, days.’

I don’t wait for him to come over to me and instead ease myself out of his chair. It takes only a few steps before I am safely in his arms.

‘Please be careful, love,’ I ask of him. ‘You know what has happened every time you have gone after Luke.’

‘I promise I will be careful,’ he dutifully reassures me.

I keep him in my embrace until he reluctantly extracts himself from that and takes his leave. After he has gone, I silently curse Palpatine in as many languages and ways as I can come up with.

Kothlis, Outer Rim, Year 3, Month 10.

DAY 27

***

I stand at the head of the bridge and stare out into the swirls of hyperspace. Soon we will be at our destination. Admiral Okins is somewhere behind me, hovering at attention to answer any command I might give. He can wait, I decide. My meditations are more important.

Luke, where are you, my son? Why won’t you answer me? I know you are on Kothlis, being held captive. If all goes well, you will be with me tomorrow.

I haven’t seen you in months, other than the odd image my spies and agents have sent. Have you changed much since we last met? Have you finally accepted the facts that I am your father and you are my son? Surely you realize the truth, even if you refuse to acknowledge it openly.

My son. Anakin Skywalker’s son. The man I once was is long gone, sacrificed to become what I now am. Destroyed like my former life, my first wife. I curl a hand into a fist. I won’t lose anyone else to my master and his manipulations.

So, my son, I will turn you. It is inevitable. Your anger will lead you down the same path my fear did. Once, you let your rage out, and it will be simple enough to provoke you into doing so again. Each time you do that, it will become easier, more tempting, and your feet will become firmly placed on the dark path.

You have so much power in you, Luke. More than my master, more than I. Do you know this? It is raw, unchannelled, essentially untrained energy. But so much vast potential is there. Waiting to be harnessed, tamed, focussed then unleashed.

But I will still be the master when we meet. You do not have the training to defeat me. I will humble you, conquer you, bring you to the dark side. We will be as one, united as father and son. Unstoppable. Not even my master will be able to oppose us.

With you at my side, my son, I will finally be able to destroy Palpatine.

I let a smile appear and make no effort to remove it.

‘How long until we leave hyperspace?’ I ask.

‘A few hours, my lord,’ Kallic, the Executor’s Captain replies.

‘I will be in my chambers,’ I decide. ‘Send someone to tell me when we arrive at the system.’

‘Yes, my lord,’ he acknowledges my order.

I will be there soon, my son, I send out to Luke, knowing that he won’t answer.

***

‘My wife,’ Ani greets us over the Holonet. ‘My children.’

‘Daddy!’ our three youngsters promptly call back.

‘We went to the zoo!’ Mikal starts describing our morning outing before I have a chance to say anything. ‘I saw a bantha!’

‘Indeed,’ Ani replies to that. ‘And what else did you see?’

I can sense he is finding this conversation rather amusing.

Anyone who thinks they will get any useful information by intercepting this transmission is in for a big surprise, I tell him.

That’s the entire point of it, he reminds me. Let Xizor waste his time and energy looking for hidden meanings in what our children have to tell me.

‘Sabercat!’ Shmi puts in her contribution, waving her stuffed, toy version of the same.

‘Nerf!’ Cat adds, giving her new possession a hug.

‘I kept them away from the exhibits which weren’t suitable,’ I tactfully interject. ‘Nightmares at bedtime are something I would prefer to avoid, my lord.’

‘Can we go to the circus?’ Mikal asks, bouncing up and down. ‘Daddy? Can we? Please?’

‘If you behave and do as your mother tells you to,’ my husband decides, ‘we will go to the circus when I return.’

I let out a sigh. Fifteen more minutes of this to go, and by the time he has to sign off, I expect Ani will have promised to do just about everything they ask him to.

***

I survey the rubble in front of me, surrounded by the elite of the 501^st. Thirsk saw to this operation himself as part of the ‘practice in the field’ he insisted on having. Everything went exactly as it should.

Everything except for the one thing my old friend had no control over.

I don’t bother stepping through the breach in the wall. There’s no reason to investigate. Luke is not here. If he were anywhere nearby, I would sense his unmistakable presence.

Turning about in the darkness, I ignore the stench and smoke from the still burning building. Fungal fronds litter the ground, blown off of the trees by one of the earlier explosions. Thirsk is patiently waiting for his instructions, and he knows, from years of experience, that I am not pleased with the results. ‘Inept’ was a most apt description for the bounty hunters who had, then lost, my son.

‘Bring me the highest ranking survivor,’ I snap out an order.

‘At once, my lord,’ he quickly acknowledges and waves one of the squads into the building.

The sound of laser bolts again echoes through the air. Those who remain free are putting up a fight, but it is a short lived one. A few minutes later, two troopers emerge, dragging a prisoner over the shattered duracrete. When they reach me, the Barabel bounty hunter they have brought is shoved to her knees in front of me.

‘Do you know who I am?’ I ask, intending to get some answers.

‘Y-y-y-ess, Lord Vader,’ she stammers.

She is well aware of exactly who I am. My reputation should be more than enough to get what I seek from her without resorting to anything more excessive than a quick lesson in the consequences of not co-operating.

‘Good,’ I reply. ‘Where is Skywalker?’

‘H-h-h-ee escaped,’ she responds with the obvious.

Annoyed, I clench my fist and growl, ‘I know he escaped, fool.’

For a few seconds I let my prisoner feel the Force’s power and listen to her choke. Then, I open my hand and release her. That little taste of what I might do to her will hopefully be sufficient.

‘I was asleep, my lord,’ she gasps out. ‘I awoke to blaster fire. I left my quarters and saw Skywalker in the hall. It - it didn’t seem real. A dozen of us shot at him and he waved that lightsaber back and forth and blocked the bolts!’

Luke’s skills are rapidly improving. At Bespin, he would have been hard pressed to do that.

‘Continue,’ I instruct, pleased with this news.

‘More of our men arrived,’ she adds. ‘We were sure to overcome him, but then the wall blew in. We were attacked. I couldn’t tell how many there were, fifteen, maybe twenty. We were outnumbered. When the fighting was over, Skywalker was gone.’

I tip my head up and look at the starry sky above. No doubt Luke is off-planet by now. If I hurry back to the Executor, I might still be able to catch him. Returning my attention to the bounty hunter, I decide to get another piece of information I need from her.

‘I understand that someone else wanted Skywalker,’ I note, then question her, ‘Who?’

‘I-I don’t know, Lord Vader...,’ she feigns ignorance.

Another demonstration is required. I raised my hand and start to curl my fingers as a warning.

‘Wait! Please!’ the bounty hunter protests. ‘I don’t know, we - we dealt with agents.’

I reach out and briefly probe at her mind. She doesn’t know for certain who they were dealing with, but something is there.

‘You have a suspicion,’ I state.

‘I - heard some rumors,’ she admits. ‘I don’t know if they are true.’

‘Tell me,’ I insist, not wanting to waste my time rifling through her thoughts for this.

‘We - we heard it was ... Black Sun,’ she reluctantly reveals.

I stare at her. Of course. This makes perfect sense.

‘And this other ... bidder,’ I avoid mentioning Xizor’s name, ‘wanted Skywalker alive and well?’

‘N-n-no, my lord. They wanted him dead,’ I have my own nagging feelings confirmed.

I turn away from her. She is of no more consequence or use to me. Now, though, I will be forced to do something about the Falleen. It’s obvious he intends to kill my son and at the same time embarrass me in front of the Emperor.

‘Back to the shuttle,’ I order Commander Thirsk.

‘What about this scum?’ he asks, indicating the Barabel and the wrecked building with a gesture.

‘Leave them,’ I decide as I walk away. ‘They are worthless.’

There is no point in wasting any more of my energy or time on a few bungling bounty hunters.

The Commander quickly joins me, once he has conveyed my commands to his men.

‘Now what, my lord?’ he asks me.

‘We will return to the Executor,’ I tell him as I send my shuttle skyward. ‘There is still a small chance Skywalker has not yet left the system.’

During the flight, I brood silently, and it isn’t until I reach the bridge that I realize Thirsk hasn’t left my side. He will need to be the one in charge of the next operation I have for the 501^st.

‘Prepare a boarding party of your best men,’ I instruct. ‘I want no mistakes with this. When I catch their ship, I want them captured alive and uninjured, even if it costs us some troopers in the process.’

He snaps a salute, then hurries to do my bidding.

I resume my usual place, stare out the transparisteel windows, and stretch out with the Force in an attempt to pinpoint Luke’s presence. He’s nearby and trying to hide himself from me.

‘Send the Executor in that direction,’ I tell the helmsman, pointing to where my impression of Luke is the strongest.

He gives no indication he finds my order odd, and does exactly that. I watch as my flagship nears the remnants of one of Kothlis’ moons. Surely they don’t think that old trick will work? They tried that one at Hoth.

‘Lord Vader?’ I hear from behind me.

‘What is it?’ I respond without turning to Captain Kallic.

‘We are approaching the asteroid field,’ he tells me the obvious.

I spin about and glare at him. Force spare me from fools like this one.

‘Do you mean that asteroid field directly in front of us?’ I sarcastically state, indicating the rocks in question with a wave.

He turns bright red and dithers for a few seconds before continuing, ‘Yes, Lord. Our sensors cannot detect any sign of a ship in that region.’

‘Nonetheless,’ I insist, ‘there is something in the field. I cannot pinpoint it, but there is a locus for the Force in those rocks and I mean to find it.’

No, Luke, hiding will not save you. If I have to destroy every single asteroid in the system to flush you out, I will do it.

‘Certainly, Lord Vader,’ he tries to placate me. ‘Ah, might I suggest that we send out fighters? Entering the asteroid field at a right angle will place a great deal of strain on the ship’s shields.’

‘Very well,’ I concede, more to rid myself of his annoying presence than anything else. ‘Tell them to look for anything unusual, anything at all. If they find something, they are not to engage it but to report back immediately.’

That should keep him busy checking out what the pilots have to tell him, and give them some practice flying in an asteroid field as well.

I turn back to the window and stare out it again. Is this presence I feel myself drawn to my son? The dark side, the Force has no limits, but I do. All I can say for certain is that there is a powerful locus for the Force in front of me, in that collection of rocks.

It can’t be anyone other than Luke, I reassure myself. No one else is that powerful. And I have no choice other than to capture him. For his own protection, if nothing else. Xizor will not rest until my son is dead, and Luke has no idea how to defend himself against the Falleen and his manipulations.

I watch the TIEs streak ahead of the Executor. Good. Perhaps their proximity will prompt Luke and his friends to try making a run for it.

‘Prepare the tractor beam,’ I abruptly order.

Events will move quickly. I want my crew ready.

‘Ship spotted, freighter configuration,’ one of the pit crew relays a pilot’s report. ‘TIEs are moving to follow and identify.’

At last. I focus my attention outside, ignoring the rapid fire of updates from the crew, and reach for Luke. After a wrench in the Force due to his sudden absence, my meditation shatters.

‘My - my lord,’ Kallic begins.

I stop a sigh. My senses have already given me the news, but I will let him report it to me anyway.

‘The ship left the asteroid field and made the shift into hyperspace as the TIEs approached,’ he admits. ‘There was nothing they could do.’

Another escape due to good luck and timing.

‘And did your pilots identify the ship?’ I ask.

‘It was a small Corellian freighter.’

The Millennium Falcon. Solo’s ship. The next time I have that ship, I swear, I will personally send it straight into the nearest star. Luke was probably on it, likely accompanied by the rebels’ princess and Calrissian the gambler. There’s no point in staying here any longer, I decide. My son has fled and I need to be elsewhere.

‘Set your course for Imperial Center, Captain,’ I order.

‘But weren’t we supposed to...,’ he starts to argue.

Annoyed, I snap, ‘Let me worry about that.’

Then, I remember the second purpose of this trip. Destroy some of the local scenery, my master had instructed. Make sure the rebels think the plans they have are important to us.

‘Very well,’ I concede. ‘There is a suspected rebel base on one of the Kothlisian moons.’

‘I know of no such base, my lord!’ the Captain blurts out in interruption.

I stare silently at him until he shuts up and goes a bit pale. If I say there is a base, there is a base, regardless of whether it really exists or not.

‘As I said,’ I continue, ‘there is a suspected rebel base on,’ I pause a moment, query the Force, then pick one of the planet’s two supposedly uninhabited moons and point at it, ‘...that moon. Before we leave, you will allow your men to display their prowess at pinpoint bombing of that base.’

‘Yes, my lord,’ he agrees, but I can sense he thinks my orders are more than a bit mad.

I return my gaze forward. The sooner this task is done, the better. My aides will see to it that reports of a rebel base and its destruction at my hands appear in the appropriate places.

‘Hurry, Captain,’ I prod, when I sense my officer is still standing motionless behind me. ‘I do not wish to be kept waiting.’

‘No, my lord,’ he replies before finally going to implement my commands.

While an impressive pyrotechnic display erupts in front of me, I brood. I don’t know where Luke has gone, but I am sure he will surface again, and soon. My son will have to wait. At the moment, Xizor is the more immediate worry. Like the serpent in an ancient Sith proverb, you can never turn your back on the Falleen. If you do, you risk death by treachery and slow poison as surely as from the frontal attack of a much larger, and seemingly more deadly, enemy.

‘My lord?’ I am approached again.

‘Yes?’

‘There was a small, illegal spaceport on that moon,’ the Captain reveals and I can hear the admiration in his voice. ‘None of our reports indicated it was there, but it was frequented by pirates, and presumably, rebels as well.’

I smile, amused. The Force as always, guided my choice.

‘The galaxy is well rid of such rabble,’ I tell him. ‘Set course for Imperial Center. I will be in my quarters.’

There’s a comm-call I need to deal with, and agents to set to work. Speculation and rumor will not be enough to incriminate Xizor in front of Palpatine. Even the testimony of that feckless bounty hunter will be useless. I need proof - solid evidence which will convince my master that the Falleen should be eliminated. Somehow I will have to find what I need and quickly. Now, though, I know what I must look for and send my agents in search of.

I barely make it through the door to my quarters before the comm chimes an incoming transmission. Stepping onto the holonet pad, I activate the system with a wave of my hand. For once, he’s precisely on time.

‘Hi, uncle Dee!’ Jix cheerfully greets me.

‘What news do you have?’ I ask, foregoing my usual scolding.

‘I’ll make this quick,’ he tells me, obviously in a hurry. ‘Skywalker was on Tatooine. Jabba sent me and the swoop troops to get him - I mean kill him.’

‘Yes, there is a second reward on offer,’ I advise him. ‘It seems Black Sun has entered the bidding.’

‘Black Sun?’ Jix seems a bit puzzled by this news. ‘According to Jabba, the offer came from you.’

‘I made no such offer,’ I quickly set him straight. ‘I want Skywalker alive.’

‘I know that,’ he confirms, ‘but Jabba and others think differently.’

‘Stay where you are, Jix,’ I reinforce my old orders to him. ‘Sooner or later Skywalker will be back to rescue Solo from the Hutt. When that happens, I want you to protect him and bring him to me, if you can manage that.’

He looks about, then returns his attention to me.

‘Gotta go, uncle Dee,’ he signs off. ‘Jabba doesn’t like his hirelings using his private comm-system to make free calls.’

His holo disappears, leaving me to debate what to do about Xizor.

The Falleen intends to implicate me in the death of my son. How treacherous. While I have been gone, he must have been busy with other schemes, but this one I cannot ignore.

Tomorrow, when I report to the Emperor, regardless of my lack of proof, I will have to reveal what I know. Given Xizor’s current favor with my master, this is one encounter I do not look forward to.

***

Part 8

Home Fiction Adult Fiction Art Mail List Staff Links