Beyond - Legends In Shadows and Darkness -o0**COMPLETE! **0o- (L/M, H/L, Vader, Palpatine, Action/Drama)

---

[CENTER][SIZE=6][FONT=georgia][B][COLOR=firebrick][U]In Shadows and Darkness[/U] [/COLOR] [/B][/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER]


[B]Author:...........[/B]blank101
[B]Status:...........[/B][B]COMPLETE[/B]
[B]Timeframe:.....[/B]six years post-TESB
[B]Characters:.....[/B]L/M, H/L, Darth Vader, Palpatine
[B]Genre:............[/B]Action, Drama, AU, Romance
[B]Keywords:......[/B]AU, L/M, H/L, Vader, Palpatine




[B]Summary:[/B] [B]Part II[/B] of the Son of Suns Trilogy. Abandoned by the Alliance and claimed by the Emperor, Palpatine's new Sith is coming into his own. But as Luke Skywalker's former life is forced ever further from his grasp by the actions of friends and foes alike, new agendas begin to turn old friendships into unaffordable liabilities.







[hr]
[CENTER][U][B]PLEASE NOTE:[/B][/U][/CENTER]
[CENTER]Like a lot of older stories, [U]this story was unintentionally truncated[/U] when FF.N moved server, and is incomplete and with broken fonts on this site. If you'd like to read it, you can ONLY do so in full HERE:[/CENTER]
[CENTER][hr][/CENTER]
[CENTER][URL='https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4344112/1/In-Shadows-and-Darkness'][COLOR=#ff6600][U][B]https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4344112/1/In-Shadows-and-Darkness[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL][/CENTER]
[CENTER][hr][/CENTER]
[CENTER]This re-direct has been posted at the request of and with the knowledge of FF.N, and the version you will read still complies with FF.N ToS rules.[/CENTER]



[hr]

[hr]


[hr]
[B]Disclaimer:[/B] As per usual, I should point out that I own no part of Star Wars. It's all owned and run by George--in fact, he's a bit like the Emperor, but in a plaid shirt...





[hr]

[hr]


[CENTER] [/CENTER]
[CENTER]Please note, [B]this is the second part of a trilogy[/B]. Parts two and three are complete and posted.[/CENTER]
[CENTER] [/CENTER]
[CENTER]You really need to have read the first part to understand it! If you'd like to check out part one, then follow this link to [URL='https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4302076/1/Into-the-Storm'][COLOR=firebrick][B]Into the Storm[/B][/COLOR][/URL][/CENTER]



[hr]

[hr]



[blockquote]
[CENTER][blockquote][COLOR=firebrick][B]There's also an image to go with this story. If you'd like to see it before you start, click[/B][/COLOR] [link=[url]http://s589.photobucket.com/albums/ss332/blank-101/?action=view&current=blueposterfinalj-peglg.jpg][/url][B][COLOR=black]HERE![/COLOR] [/B] [/link] [/blockquote][/blockquote][/CENTER]




[hr]

[hr]





I'd like to take this opportunity to thank [B][COLOR=black]Jedi-2B[/COLOR][/B] again for beta-ing my considerably less than perfect grammar and grasp of American English. She's written endless great stuff herself and always encourages me no end to get my ass in gear and post!

My gratitude, always.







[hr]

[hr]

 

---

[blockquote][blockquote][u][b][color=firebrick]In Shadows and Darkness[/color][/b][/u][/blockquote][/blockquote]


















[blockquote][blockquote][b]"It is shadows whose edge define the light
At the brink of the dawn and the darkness."[/b]

[i]Extract from The Son of Suns Prophesy, (Jedi Master Egorin Dovas translation; 3/14,159 -minus.)
Engraved into the Sunburst Throne (The Seat of Prophesy) circa 23,711 -minus.[/i] [/blockquote][/blockquote]


[hr]

[hr]













[u][b]CHAPTER ONE[/b][/u]





[blockquote]...
... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
[i]Leia woke in the dead of night, the vaguest of ghostly shapes defining the twisted bulk of massive trees crowded in about her and stretching far above the small clearing where she stood, twisted branches blocking out the light of distant stars.

When she looked down again, Mon Mothma was standing before her, so close Leia could have reached out and taken her hands?

Dry, dead leaves rustled in the darkness close by and she knew?she knew what prowled in the night.

?Don?t look,? Leia whispered urgently to Mon, her words turning to mist in the frigid air. ?Don?t look it in the eye. If you don?t look it won?t attack.?

They remained still, Leia?s eyes locked on Mon?s as it slipped silently across the clearing, the wiry sable of its fur brushing against her leg so close did it stalk about them, clinging to Leia like a shadow. And yet?afraid as she was, she knew?she knew?that if she didn?t look, it wouldn?t attack.

A dry branch cracked like bone and Mon?s gaze flickered?

?Don?t look!? Leia whispered urgently.

But Mon glanced down, eyes widening?and the growl that the black wolf loosed from the back of its throat was wild and feral, grating up Leia?s spine and setting hairs on end, her breath catching in her throat.

It lunged past her in a blur too quick to follow, black against black in the shadows of the night, Leia?s loose hair whipping forward with the violence of its passing as she flinched?

And Mon was gone. In an instant?no struggle, no noise?she just?fell away into the dense shadows, though Leia knew what had taken her.

And she was left alone, the constant rustle of the wind dragging through the tall, twisted trees stealing away the sound of its presence as the black wolf melted like a ghost into the night, a shadow in darkness, the sound of its howl sending an involuntary shiver up her spine and shocking her awake with a jolt?[/i]
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ...
...[/blockquote]




Wide-eyed and breathless, Leia lay staring into the darkness of her sleeping quarters, slowly gathering her thoughts as her breathing slowed, reassuring herself that it was just a dream?just another dream. Beside her, Han stirred in his sleep momentarily before settling to silence, and she rolled over, pulling the covers over chilled skin, tired to the bone but unable now to drift back to sleep, knowing that it would be there if she did.

It was always there in the shadows of her dreams, at the corners of her mind, ever since the destruction of Alderaan six years ago. Some?elemental link bound them together, she and the black wolf, as deep and as compelling and as irresistible as the turning of the universe. It would always be there, no matter what else happened. She knew that absolutely in every fiber of her body. No matter what beliefs she held to and what fell away, whether she acknowledged it or denied it, it would remain forever a part of her.

It would always be there?like shadows in darkness.







The Lambda-class shuttle glided silently through the void between the two Super-class Star Destroyers, the Honor Guard of twelve TIE?s hardly necessary this close to the Core Worlds. As it flew, it slowly rotated on its axis to correct its path in relation to its intended destiny, the SSD [i]Peerless[/i], which maintained position at a twenty-degree roll to the SSD [i]Executor[/i], the shuttle?s origin.

Generally, it was standard practice for two military ships in

 

First post! Maybe? Edit: Hee. I didn't realize you were up to the second part already! I'm awful about keeping up with stories in Saga these days. I'll try to do better with this one - but since I'm heading out the door in a minute, the first installment will be a little delayed. Proper feedback when I return.

Edit: Okay, I'm going to have to really abbreviate my usual rambling inclinations here or I'll go on longer than the post itself. You already know how much I love this trilogy, so I'll just hit on the high points.

I love the little details that give the story such rich plausibility, like the protocol between the SSDs, and how neither will relent to the other, and how nuanced Vader's rank is. Things like that give the story incredible depth.

Mara and Vader's enmity never fails to amuse me.

He was the only thing of value which Vader had ever created in his life.

And of that?he was proud.

That is a brilliant line. (Okay, two lines. ) It has to be emotionally understated to be in character for Vader, and indeed, the simplicity of it is profound because of that. For Vader, that unembellished thought is the equivalent to - well, Anakin's overblown declarations of love for Padmé when he was younger, perhaps. Both equally sincere, but he's a vastly different person now, and the former mannerisms wouldn't fit at all now. This is much better.

There's no point in my even beginning to go over the details of Luke and Vader's confrontation; the whole thing is perfect. I love watching those two together.

Knowing he was watching her reflection, she glanced back meaningfully in the direction which Vader had just exited. ?What did he want??

?He is Lord Vader,? the Commander corrected without turning, a warning to Mara to correct her tone when referring to his father.

That's one of my favorite interchanges, it really is. Luke never relinquishes control for a minute, does he?

I always liked Luke's bit of introspection at the end of this chapter; it's really good pacing. Sets the tone and lays out important information for the beginning of this story, since obviously a chunk of time has passed and a number of things have changed since the end of the first, but it doesn't go on overlong and get self-indulgent. Gorgeous stuff.

 

Ohhhh! Wonderful first post!

SO interesting to see how Vader and Luke's relastionship has changed (ie, very little!)
And the interaction between Mara and Luke...

Keep me on the PM list, blank!

 

Luke, in a way, is like Vader. As they say, 'Like father, like son.'

First post! I've been waiting a long time for this.

PM me.

 

In truth all he craved was a quick death. The chains his Master had so diligently wrapped about his fallen Jedi, mind and soul both, precluded any easier option, but if he was too bound to do the job himself, then others were queuing up for the privilege, and though his Master had taught him well, Luke had to believe that there was someone out there who was faster or more committed than himself.

And eventually, he would face them.

He had no illusions?they were too close to hope, and that was long lost.
Poor Luke.
Now I'm not a fan of Dark!Luke, but your stories are so well written... Please add me to pm list! As always, a terrific job!

 

Stunning start. Please keep me on the PM list also. I must admit I was in a quandary about continuing with the series, because Palps was working my nerve LOL and I couldn't stand to see Luke beaten down, but it is fantastic to see Luke dictating how the game goes and playing Palps for his own agendas Like THAT a lot!!!! Enjoy the L&M dynamic a bunch and the Luke/Vader is awesome. I can't think how I want the whole thing with Leia and the Rebellion to turn out. That bridge unfortunately has been burned to a cinder.

 

Most definitely please keep me on your PM list! I am enjoying this already

Thanks

 

Excellent start and I defnitely want to be on your pm list.

It's intense, and I'm wondering if Leia will ever learn the truth between her, Vader and Luke.

I can't wait for more

 

IT'S HERE!! IT'S HERE!! IT'S HERE!!! Great art work to go along with this great story. Can't wait for more. Please add me to your PM list.

Bravo!

 

Ah, those warm, fuzzy father/son moments are continuing. And Father's Day is coming up in just a week, too. Wonder what Vader will receive?

Great start, blank!

 

Excellent start, Blank. I love the conflict that vader and Luke both feel towards each other. I've never read a Dark Luke story before. This one has captivated me.

Please keep me on the PM list.

 

Vader broke the thought automatically, unwilling to allow his memories to follow that path, instead turning his attention to the man who watched him now with such wary animosity, as stubborn and as wilful and as headstrong as Padmé had ever been.

I find it interesting that Vader attributes Luke's stubbornness to Padme while Palpatine attributes it to Anakin. I like the father/son conflict and Luke characterization.

 

It really strikes me how much information you manage to press in here without in anyway causing the text to feel cramped or pressed, nor even the slightest to break the superb tension between the characters.
So much has changed since last chapter and I just love the air of brittle stability here, both between father and son, Luke and Mara and even in Luke himself. Not to speak of his entire lifesituation off course
You really bring everything in position here and I swear it's a delight to read even the fifth or sixth time!

 

great follow up story

 

Thank you for the PM, I'd like to remain on the list!

***

And Mon was gone. In an instant?no struggle, no noise. She just?fell away into the dense shadows, though Leia knew what had taken her...

Han & Leia - just like you promised! I wonder if this is a premonition of Mon?s death???


I thought that Vader would be very much finished by now ? but it?s good to see him scheming still!


His decision to take the boy to Palpatine, forced by Luke?s rebuff in Cloud City, had in retrospect probably been one of the most ill-considered, and he had spent the last three years trying to undo the damage done by the Emperor?s involvement in the boy?s conversion.

Has it been 3 years already??? What has the Alliance been doing all this time?


He had loved Padmé and she had loved him?once. But they had destroyed each other?as he had destroyed everything of value in his life.

Could you elaborate what is meant by ?they?, please?


That was how powerful he was.
He was the only thing of value which Vader had ever created in his life.
And of that?he was proud.

I think Vader?s thought patterns are a bit contradictory...just above he is well aware that he has destroyed his son...but here he is proud of how powerful "dark Luke" has become?


?Who are you passing the information to?? Vader demanded, interrupting Luke?s thoughts.

So he didn?t know everything; if he didn?t know their recipient then likely he didn?t know their content, which meant he hadn?t cracked their code?possibly that he didn?t even have the messages, only the second-hand knowledge that they were being sent.
?I made you what you are,? he asserted, voice clipped in anger.

That brought Luke?s eyes up, burning with accusation. ?Do you expect gratitude?!?

?I expect respect!? Vader slammed his clenched fist down on the desk, making its contents jump.

Luke only smiled tightly, amused that he could instill such blind frustration, his final barb delivered with acerbic dismissal. ?Respect is earned.?

I loved this part! Vader slamming his fist on the table and all -- but Luke knows how to handle him!
Who is he passing info to??????



I do like how close Luke and Mara have become but I bet that this is as close as anyone can get to dark Luke for the time being...he still can't allow himself to trust her!


The truth?and Luke had learned long ago to hide such things from his Master?s searching mind?the real truth was that Palpatine?s shouts and orders as that duel came to its explosive conclusion had affected Luke not one whit.

Cool! Love the fact that Palpy doesn't have full control over him! Seems like everyone in the palace has a secret agenda of their own!!!

***

I'm glad that you're back with the second part of your trilogy! Woohoo!!! I'm hoping for lots of Han/Leia -> Luke angst!!!

 

Great post... Thanks again for the PM.

I still wonder what is going through Mara's head. I think she if going to find herself more attached to him than she realizes.

 

First of all, I am so happy to see this sequel here.

Secondly, you know: I'm almost surprised that Vader is even still trying. Especially after Luke essentially proved that he is more powerful than he is, and could have killed him. That there is no chance in hell, at least at this point, that Luke will ever side with him. But I think at this point in the game, it seems like Vader really doesn't care about himself anymore. Whether he admits love, or not, it is all about Luke now. Luke and cursing himself for having thrown Luke away to Palpatine.

But you would have thought that Vader's last hope would have been completely destroyed, and that he would just be waiting for death now. Kind of in the way that Luke is, though Luke seems to be just passing the time tormenting and hating himself. It may make him stronger in the dark side, but it eats away at what is left of his humanity. It's ironic -- the two have great enmity towards each other, but neither of them can really be fully separate from the other, nor on some level want to be.

And then there is Mara. Honestly, if Luke wanted to, and with all due respect to her elite assassination and combat abilities at this point Luke could probably kill her with a thought if she ever tried to pull the knife on him. Which she won't. Because she would only do it if Palpatine ordered her. And as we saw in the last story Palpatine would never -- ever -- let Luke have that easy a death. Because that is exactly what Luke would want. Maybe that is another reason why he keeps Mara around. Just hoping on some level that, one day, she will give him exactly what he wants. I wonder if she would even suspect that and how she would feel.

At the same time, Luke is very much like his father in another way -- for all he hates himself, and everything around him, for all he has a death wish, there is this stubbornness -- a stubbornness turned to a ruthless will to live and power by the dark side that will probably keep him from dying, where Palpatine might fail. These are some of the most detailed character portrayals, blank101 and I really hope you have been nominated for some of the upcoming Awards. Excellent stuff.

 

Gabri Jade

Gabri!

Fancy meeting you here!

First post!! Heh,heh; speaking of posts, how about that 5000th?

"" You already know how much I love this trilogy, so I'll just hit on the high points. ""




"" ?He is Lord Vader,? the Commander corrected without turning, a warning to Mara to correct her tone when referring to his father.

That's one of my favorite interchanges, it really is. Luke never relinquishes control for a minute, does he?""

heh,heh; he's been learning at the feet of the master


""I always liked Luke's bit of introspection at the end of this chapter; it's really good pacing. Sets the tone and lays out important information for the beginning of this story, since obviously a chunk of time has passed and a number of things have changed since the end of the first, but it doesn't go on overlong and get self-indulgent.""

I should actually print that out and stick it to the top of my monitor





Darth Helinith

Hey DH!

""SO interesting to see how Vader and Luke's relastionship has changed (ie, very little!)
And the interaction between Mara and Luke...""

Glad you liked . Heh,heh; yep, the more things change, the more they stay the same...for now

""Keep me on the PM list, blank!""

NO problem






LittleMissNightsaber

Haloo!

""Luke, in a way, is like Vader. As they say, 'Like father, like son.'
First post! I've been waiting a long time for this.""

He is, he really is...and yet Vader refuses to see it. If he did, he'd have a much better handle on how to interact with him.
Yep, first post up! A longer story this time, 'cos I've got a lot to fit in. Hope you enjoy it


""PM me.""

For sure






Dancing star

Hi!

""He had no illusions?they were too close to hope, and that was long lost.
Poor Luke.""

Aw, I know. He's working on it though...


""Now I'm not a fan of Dark!Luke, but your stories are so well written... Please add me to pm list! As always, a terrific job! ""

Thanks. I love Dark!Luke; he's so much fun to write You're on the list





Jade eyes

""Stunning start. Please keep me on the PM list also.""

Thanks You're on the new PM list


""I must admit I was in a quandary about continuing with the series, because Palps was working my nerve LOL and I couldn't stand to see Luke beaten down, but it is fantastic to see Luke dictating how the game goes and playing Palps for his own agendas Like THAT a lot!!!!

Heh,heh; then stick around; Luke's been learning at the master's feet and isn't at all averse to throwing a few of those tricks right back at him by this point! Not that Palpy would ever let him get away with that...the ones he knows about, at any rate


""Enjoy the L&M dynamic a bunch and the Luke/Vader is awesome. I can't think how I want the whole thing with Leia and the Rebellion to turn out. That bridge unfortunately has been burned to a cinder.""

Glad you like it. Well, having set everyone's dynamics up last story, it's time to shake 'em all up a bit and see what happens this time round





Darth Vaderette

Hi!

""Most definitely please keep me on your PM list! I am enjoying this already""

Great to hear You're on the list.





JediFalcon

""Excellent start and I defnitely want to be on your pm list.""

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it


""It's intense, and I'm wondering if Leia will ever learn the truth between her, Vader and Luke. I can't wait for more ""

More on the way...and who knows, that point may come up[fa

 

Kataja

Hey, little Juniper!

""It really strikes me how much information you manage to press in here without in anyway causing the text to feel cramped or pressed, nor even the slightest to break the superb tension between the characters.""

Thank you so much! (that's a two-blush-face comment!)


""So much has changed since last chapter and I just love the air of brittle stability here, both between father and son, Luke and Mara and even in Luke himself. Not to speak of his entire lifesituation off course
You really bring everything in position here and I swear it's a delight to read even the fifth or sixth time!""

Heh, thanks! Hopefully lots of tension that we can have fun with later Setting all this up just so I can seriously shake it up eight chapters in





sdhfs

Hi

""great follow up story""

Thanks. Glad you're enjoying it so far






The Solo Smirk

TSS! Great to see you!

""Thank you for the PM, I'd like to remain on the list!""

No prob


""And Mon was gone. In an instant?no struggle, no noise. She just?fell away into the dense shadows, though Leia knew what had taken her...

Han & Leia - just like you promised! I wonder if this is a premonition of Mon?s death???""

I wonder....


""Has it been 3 years already??? What has the Alliance been doing all this time?""

Never let it be said that I don?t jump around in my own timeline! What?s happened? There are a few hints and references as the story goes on, and you see some flashbacks. As for the rest, feel free to fill it in in your own mind any way you like!

What has the Alliance been doing? More on them in the next chapter...


""He had loved Padmé and she had loved him?once. But they had destroyed each other?as he had destroyed everything of value in his life.

Could you elaborate what is meant by ?they?, please?""

I guess it was a reference to the fact that Vader has a tendency to blame everyone around him for his own shortcomings. It?s one of his big character flaws, I think, and until he realizes that, he can?t move forward. I?ve already had him blame Kenobi for misleading his son and Palpatine for setting his son against him. Nothing?s ever Vader?s fault, to his own mind; he?s always the one persecuted one, he?ll always find somewhere else to lay the blame and thus abdicate any responsibility for his own choices and failures (in the films, he blames Kenobi for turning Padmé against him and the Council for not making him a Master).
Quick psychology fix there!


""He was the only thing of value which Vader had ever created in his life.
And of that?he was proud.

I think Vader?s thought patterns are a bit contradictory...just above he is well aware that he has destroyed his son...but here he is proud of how powerful "dark Luke" has become?""

Hey, you're doing all the philosophical questions this week! Yeah, you're right, he?s starting to get some seriously conflicting views. And even then, they?re twisted; he can?t (won?t allow himself to) think he?s proud of Luke, therefore he validates it by being proud of something which he himself has created.


"That brought Luke?s eyes up, burning with accusation. ?Do you expect gratitude?!?
?I expect respect!? Vader slammed his clenched fist down on the desk, making its contents jump.
Luke only smiled tightly, amused that he could instill such blind frustration, his final barb delivered with acerbic dismissal. ?Respect is earned.?

I loved this part! Vader slamming his fist on the table and all -- but Luke knows how to handle him!
Who is he passing info to??????"

Dum, dum, DUUUM!


""The truth?and Luke had learned long ago to hide such things from his Master?s searching mind?the real truth

 

Ocelotl Nesto,

Hey, hey!

""Great post... Thanks again for the PM."

No problem Glad you're enjoying it.

""I still wonder what is going through Mara's head. I think she if going to find herself more attached to him than she realizes.""

I couldn't possibly say!
More on Friday, and we're back with the Alliance...






Darth Trayvah

Hi! Thanks for posting
And wow, what a mega-post; great!

""Secondly, you know: I'm almost surprised that Vader is even still trying. Especially after Luke essentially proved that he is more powerful than he is, and could have killed him. That there is no chance in hell, at least at this point, that Luke will ever side with him. But I think at this point in the game, it seems like Vader really doesn't care about himself anymore. Whether he admits love, or not, it is all about Luke now. Luke and cursing himself for having thrown Luke away to Palpatine. ""

Heh, heh; I think Vader is pretty much doing that one thing that Skywalkers are famous for, namely putting his head down and just bulldozing on. If he says things are going to happen A to Z, then he'll damn well make sure they do I think that his pushing of Luke is also a way to both keep Luke in his life, and a method of him not having to look too closely at why he wants that. It's easy to say, "I'm pushing him because this is what I intend to happen, because it will further my own ambitions, and because what I say goes".
The trouble with that is that unless the other party knows what you're doing, they're going to take it at face value and that won't go down well. Particularly not when your son is a chip of that same stubborn old block


""It's ironic -- the two have great enmity towards each other, but neither of them can really be fully separate from the other, nor on some level want to be.""

Heh; exactly right!


""Maybe that is another reason why he keeps Mara around. Just hoping on some level that, one day, she will give him exactly what he wants. I wonder if she would even suspect that and how she would feel. ""

Interesting...I guess I would have to say that for Mara, who's been brought up around Sith and taught by Palpy to respect them and view them as unparalelled, Luke would now appear to her, to be at the top of his game. Three years in, he has the confidence (as much as anyone does) of the Emperor, he's Commander in Chief of the Core Fleet...as far as Mara's concept of the universe goes, he's at the top of the pile right now! What could possible go wrong?


""At the same time, Luke is very much like his father in another way -- for all he hates himself, and everything around him, for all he has a death wish, there is this stubbornness -- a stubbornness turned to a ruthless will to live and power by the dark side that will probably keep him from dying, where Palpatine might fail. ""

Heh; exactly - he's living, quite literally, on his innate refusal to roll over and die on someone else's terms. There's an dichotomy to it; everything that Luke is, is in conflict at the moment; he refuses to die but he doesn't want to live, he hates his father yet he still, on some level, seeks his approval, he doesn't trust Mara yet he still lets her close. He's maintaining an impossible balancing act, and that'll be the driving impetus of so much that he does in this story.
Heh,heh; now I'm just rambling...


""These are some of the most detailed character portrayals, blank101 and I really hope you have been nominated for some of the upcoming Awards. Excellent stuff.""

Thanks so much for the compliments Glad you're enjoying them

Edit: Oh, hey, just noticed the awards and followed the link; thanks so much, isn't that fantastic? I didn't know it was going on! It's so exciting!

I think that's my handy reading l

 

A very good beginning, blank!

Poor Leia! She's strong in the Force and doesn't know it.

So it's been three years, now being about the same time as RotJ. What's the Alliance been up to since then, I wonder?

I liked very much what we see of Luke:

the Core Fleet Commander, known everywhere only by his rank, never by his name.

Never his name?he had other names now, all carefully chosen by the Emperor over the last three years and each with a purpose, either tactically or for his own amusement. His feral Jedi, his wild Wolf, Commander of his Fleet, but never his own name?his real name.

Another Man with No Name. An interesting insight into Vader here:

So few knew it now, but in private, Vader made a point of referring to him by it. To remind him who he was, who Vader was?what they were to each other. He knew how uncomfortable the boy was to hear it, and some needle of that pricked at Vader's own memories?of his own name, his own secrets, his own identity, long since abandoned in payment for the power Darkness offered. He didn?t want that for the young Fleet Commander standing to the far end of the bridge, and more than most, Vader felt he had a vested interest, having been so instrumental in his rise to power.

Vader was, he believed, very much entitled to make such decisions on the young man?s behalf, despite the boy?s resentment of this. Entitled to decide what should and should not be sacrificed for the greater goal. And he was willing to accede a great deal?to force the boy to do the same, regardless of his own desires or consent. Neither was particularly necessary in Vader?s carefully laid plans.

But there were some things he wouldn?t sacrifice, and the boy?s name?his identity, his sense of self?was one of them.

Everything that he had once wanted for himself, Vader now intended for the boy: power, position? And Darkness would offer it?at a price. But when he achieved everything Vader planned for him?and so for Vader himself?then it would be in his name. In their name.

He wanted it for the individual?not for the Darkness which gave the power to take it. He wanted it for the man. For his son.

I knew he was proud of his son! I was amused at the interaction between Mara, Vader and Luke. We later get a physical description of the latter:

Vader glanced at her for only a second, his eyes drawn inexorably to his son. Oh, he was so much like Anakin now?slim and lithe, strong and straight. He dressed in black, hair wild and loose, long enough to fall into soft, unruly curls. So much like Anakin?

If only Padme could see her son now... He is evil, but you can't expect your children to turn out 100% the way you want. It brings back appropriate memories for Vader:

Absolutely in command here, on the bridge of his Destroyer, all activity centering around him. So very different from the callow, idealistic youth Vader had brought to the Emperor almost three years ago, which made it barely twenty-four years since Padmé?s?

Vader broke the thought automatically, unwilling to allow his memories to follow that path, instead turning his attention to the man who watched him now with such wary animosity, as stubborn and as wilful and as headstrong as Padmé had ever been.

Both parents were headstrong. The question here is whether Luke has inherited any of his mother's compassion. Vader realises that he messed up here:

Realization of their son?s existence after all this time had been one of the most momentous events in Vader's life. His decision to take the boy to Palpatine, forced by Luke?s rebuff in Cloud City, had in retrospect probably been one of the most ill-considered, and he had spent the last three years trying to undo the damage done by the Emperor?s involvement in the boy?s conversion. To little effect in truth; Palpatine held his son so completely in his power now that nothing Vader said seemed to g

 

I have recently started reading Into the storm and was hooked
on it immediately and now the sequel looks even better. Hope
you keep up the good work.
I will be following your progress with great interest!

 

oh my god, Blank is back with a vengeance !

Words can't describe how freaking awesome that was. As Miss Nightsaber said, "Like Father, Like Son"; I was particularly amused by the similar ways in which Luke and Vader "disposed" of the Emperor's spies. This, in particular:

Spectacular writing! I'm enjoying every moment of Luke and Mara's interaction

And this realization, in conjunction with the last words Luke told Mara has me worried. Has he consigned to throw himself and Vader off the cliff? Of course, there are certainly more angles figuring into this. Who is the spy supplying Vader with information? And who is Reece's watcher? Hmmm... the political subterfuge is extremely layered in this one, yes?

excellent writing, Blank. put me on the list !