Jedi Council Forums - Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response

Locked Topic | Read Only Topic | Previous Active Topic | Next Active Topic

Author	Topic: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
Bale Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 5/29/07 11:26pm Subject: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB - Date Edited: 6/3/07 3:19pm (3 edits total) Edited By: Bale
	Title: Meditations With The Dark Side Author: Bale Timeframe: ESB Genre: Missing Scene Description: Vader in his meditation chamber just before the Imperials come out of hyperspace and arrive at Hoth. Timeframe: ESB Notes: This is for the Missing Scenes Roulette Challenge. Thanks to Kelia for hosting the challenge and giving me such an awesome scene to work with. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you'll have as much fun reading it. Meditations with the Dark Side The obsidian meditation chamber aboard the Executor closed slowly, the upper half dropping like a jagged-toothed jaw. With a final hiss it sealed shut, closing Darth Vader off from the pettiness and incompetence of his subordinates, leaving him alone with his ruminations. As the Dark Lord settled uneasily into the pressurized chamber, a mechanical claw assembly descended and removed his helmet and its cumbersome mask. When the assembly fully retracted, Vader steadied his will and drew in the faintest of breaths. The cold hyper-oxygenated air stabbed into his lungs with the ferocity of a lightsaber cutting through durasteel. Each cell of his lungs' ravaged, smoke-scarred tissue seemed to constrict and seize at once in protest. Yet with clinched fists, he forced himself to withstand the torment. The Sith Lord embraced the pain and centered it. He focused it and let it fuel his rage, giving himself fully to the Dark Side energies that flowed from that pain. Vader let out the breath, then drew in another. Slowly, unseen wisps of energy coalesced into tendrils that roiled like writhing serpents over the contours of the Dark Lord's ubiquitous armor. As the energy heightened, Vader bathed in the dark currents of the Force, praying for the pure malevolence to strengthen and heal his broken body. The Force that washed through his poisoned soul was dark and terrible, full of hatred, fear, and suffering. At its shadowed core, Vader felt the work of his Master, the black force whose machinations had brought the Republic to ruin, the puppet-master who bent the galaxy to his will and whim, who had transformed the galaxy, molding it with malice. Everything flows only according to the Emperor’s design, Vader marveled. The Sith Lord savored the malignant beauty of the Dark Side. "This is power," he muttered. Vader reached into the Dark Side, using it to probe through time and space, seeking to examine the powerful tug he had felt at the edge of his consciousness since the Battle of Yavin. Dark and unbidden, images floated into the shadowy recesses of his twisted mind. You’re not all powerful, Anakin. Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. He told me enough! He told me you killed him! Do what must be done. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy. You have failed, your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me. Master Skywalker, there's too many of them; what shall we do? At last, the Force revealed what he most wanted to see. The Dark Side energies peered into the recent past and showed a young man half-dead sprawled upon the frozen tundra of Hoth—Skywalker, the boy who had sent powerful echoes reverberating through the Force at the Battle of Yavin. Even so near to death, there was an aura of confidence and power Vader could sense. Yet the light he shown in the Force did not completely resist the darkness. Lurking in the shallows were hunger, impatience, and attachments that yearned to feed the dark energies of the Force that swarmed around the boy like birds of prey. Then suddenly, a brilliant blue luminescence appeared in resistance, shielding the boy from the prying eyes of the Dark Side. It grew in strength and fought against the darkness. The collision of cosmic forces emitted powerful shockwaves through the Force that sent Vader reeling back into his chair among a torrent of unspent energy. As the storm dissipated, the images morphed briefly into the scene of a city in the clouds, then disappeared. Vader's connection severed and he found himself in the meditation chamber again. The presence of General Veers he sensed just outside the chamber only enhanced the stark reality of the present. Yet a grim smile threatened to stretch across his scarred face as the claw assembly lowered the helmet in place. Victory was near, and he could almost taste it. Soon the Rebel Alliance will be eliminated, Vader told himself, and the son of Skywalker, will be under my control and the dominion of the Dark Side. Then, there will be a new Empire! -----signature----- Missing scene: Vader in the meditation chamber: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/26817395/p1/?4 Decoy teaser trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvDksDPJoyk
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Exeter Registered: Feb '05	Date Posted: 5/30/07 2:28am Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	This was just plain awesome, Bale. You sure know how to pack in a lot a scene so short. I always liked the brief glimpse we catch of Vader before the mask descends because it's our first indication that this guy doesn't just wear the suit because he's a weirdo or because it looks cool, but because there's something wrong with him and he has to. I remember thinking as kid that his head looked like a scoop of neopolitan ice cream. But what you did with the scene describing what he had been doing prior to that interruption was fantastic. I liked the idea of Vader feeling Luke's presence when he called out to Yoda - completely reasonable, and moreover, probable - and that actually being why he later tells the Imperial officers that he's sure the Rebels are on Hoth. I liked the interspersion of some of the most important moments of his life, past and present, as seen briefly through the ripples of the Force. The aftermath of his slaughter of the Tuskens, when he declares that one day he'll be the most powerful Jedi ever and Padme sticks by him; Palpatine's sinister job offer with Padme's life as collateral; his confrontation with Luke at Cloud City when he reveals their relationship; the moment he accepts his so-called fate and embarks on the temple siege; of course Luke's rebuttal of Palpatine's vile dark-side seductions; and the moment when he was utterly and totally lost on the verge of killing the younglings. What a good assembly of lines. They speak far more than an entire paragraph might, because they invoke so much from the films. Excellent work -----signature----- "Are my eyes really that far apart? They make me look like Admiral Ackbar" - Liz Lemon, 30 Rock "R2, I need you to turn the auto pilot off! Now! (He looks at the screen but nothing happens.) Worth a try." - John Sheppard, Stargate Atlantis
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Fifilla Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 5/30/07 4:08am Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	I liked it very much! Great response to the challenge! That brought so much depth to Vader's character, you wrote an amazing little story here! -----signature----- "There's always a bigger fish." Fear Of Failure - young Qui-Gon (WIP) > http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/27642896 Padawan to Valairy_Scot
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
yodas_waiter Registered: Oct '06	Date Posted: 5/30/07 5:34am Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	Excellent description of how far into the dark side Vader has descended and I also liked the tidbit about Bespin, explaining how Vader knew to go there. Exeter is right, you did manage to pack a lot into that scene. Well done! -----signature----- Padawan to Sionnach-Airgid Author of Chyler databank entry Nominated Best New Author in Before the Saga 06/07 The Enforcer (SW Super-hero tribute): http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28028864/p1/?2
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
KELIA Title: The Pretty in Pink Fan Fic Manager Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 5/30/07 11:32am Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	Oooohhhhh that was very chilling. Wonderfully written glimpse of Vader's embracing of the dark side. Great job on the challenge -----signature----- "Do or do not, there is no try." Master Yoda A Light In The Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28150602/p1/?8 NaNaWriMo Progress: 32,105
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
immortalimp83 Registered: Apr '07	Date Posted: 6/2/07 10:57am Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	Great job getting inside Vader's head...lol. ~Anastasia -----signature----- So This Is How Liberty Dies http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=26684893&brd=10476 A Far Green Country http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/26616744/p1/?2 Faded Flowers http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/26683947/p1/?1
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
___Sithspawn___ Registered: Aug '04	Date Posted: 6/2/07 2:19pm Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	Definitely sounds like Vader...I like. -----signature----- I am severely DRL-afflicted. See profile for (old) fics. "As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields." -- Leo Tolstoy
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
ROTSFan Registered: Jul '06	Date Posted: 6/2/07 11:18pm Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	Chilling and dark. Nice insight -----signature----- Fics in profile; ask me to unlock ~I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything I hoped it would be." - Office Space
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Shouri Registered: May '07	Date Posted: 6/3/07 9:54pm Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	This looks awesome, Bale. I really like your descriptions. - Shouri
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
VaderLVR64 Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 6/4/07 7:42am Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	I can't believe that I missed this the first time around! Everything flows only according to the Emperor’s design, Vader marveled. The Sith Lord savored the malignant beauty of the Dark Side. "This is power," he muttered. Vader reached into the Dark Side, using it to probe through time and space, seeking to examine the powerful tug he had felt at the edge of his consciousness since the Battle of Yavin. Dark and unbidden, images floated into the shadowy recesses of his twisted mind. You’re not all powerful, Anakin. Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. He told me enough! He told me you killed him! Do what must be done. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy. You have failed, your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me. Master Skywalker, there's too many of them; what shall we do? Stunning. I don't know what else to say. -----signature----- R.I.P John, Alex, Jason, and Christian Never forgotten Soldiers' Angels http://soldiersangels.org/ 2114 soldiers waiting for someone to care
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Bale Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 6/20/07 11:03am Subject: RE: Meditations with the Dark Side - Missing Scene Challenge Response - Vader, ESB
	Exeter: I always liked the brief glimpse we catch of Vader before the mask descends because it's our first indication that this guy doesn't just wear the suit because he's a weirdo or because it looks cool, but because there's something wrong with him and he has to. Me too. It’s part of the reason, IMO, ESB is the best of the OT. I liked the idea of Vader feeling Luke's presence when he called out to Yoda - completely reasonable, and moreover, probable - and that actually being why he later tells the Imperial officers that he's sure the Rebels are on Hoth. Thanks. One of the things I wanted to do with this scene was to help explain just what made him so sure that Luke and the rebels were on Hoth. Fifilla Thank you for reading and the kind words. I’m really glad you enjoyed it. yodas_waiter Excellent description of how far into the dark side Vader has descended and I also liked the tidbit about Bespin, explaining how Vader knew to go there. Thank you for the compliment. Not knowing how Vader knew to go to Bespin has always bothered me a bit so I wanted to throw that in there to help connect the dots. KELIA Thank you for reading! Much of the credit goes to you for hosting the challenge and giving me such an awesome scene to write. Immortalimp83 Thank you for the compliment. I have enjoyed your unique writing style. I look forward to seeing more from you. ___Sithspawn___ Thanks. I’m always leery about writing Vader because he’s such a fan favorite so getting into his head and writing him well can be tricky. ROTSFan That’s what I was going, for so I’m glad that it came across that way. Shouri Thanks. The descriptions were fun to write. VaderLVR64 Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed it, I know my interpretation of Vader wasn’t too far off the mark. -----signature----- Missing scene: Vader in the meditation chamber: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/26817395/p1/?4 Decoy teaser trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvDksDPJoyk
	Locked Topic \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History