Saga Masquerade [ROTJ AU] [Vader, Luke, Leia] Updated April 7, 2015!

That the serum is still in the background doing things has me worried. But YAY AHSOKA. <3

Just promise me that when I finally get the nerve to post this monstrosity that's forming on my computer, you'll toss me some feedback in return.

Also, with as large as Georgia is, you are crazy close to me. It's like an hour and a half away, but still. Most of my online friends are from like, California. Or England. It's nice to finally have one it would be feasible for me to have a drink with. If you're ever in Dalton, hit me up!

 

I was really amused by the flippancy in this paragraph (especially the part about dumping Vader with crunchy prawn-flavoured nutrition bars ) - it was interesting to imagine how a similar situation could occur if Vader and Leia were just a father and daughter pair leading a normal life, and the slightly-spoiled daughter just wanted to annoy her father a bit (of course, without locking him up in a cabinet , just making him wait).

Indeed, I don't think any of them are ready to acknowledge this secret publicly yet. It's hard to say when exactly they will be ready - only time can tell.

What actually happens never turns out to be one had imagined/expected, doesn't it? Great job reminding us here of the atrocities that Vader had committed and just how difficult the process of redemption will be!

Love Vader's nonchalant attitude at the end - it feels just right for a man who has accepted that it will be a difficult process, but who is still strong-willed and does not intend to give in easily.

Oh goodness gracious, Leia's words are just too amusing! Thanks for sharing this anecdote!

 

Awesome update--Leia is appropriately harsh in this, and I love Han's little outburst (and especially his bottle of rum.) I can't wait to see what happens once they get to the business of chatting with Vader. Gorgeous update as always.

 

Thank you everyone for your very kind reviews!! :> I hope to have another part to this written fairly soon. It's definitely been on my brain, though that's mostly been me on a kick of trying to doodle Vader/Anakin...

...and then someone asked me to do a tutorial so this happened:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/PlaidButterfly/?action=view&current=best-part-of-the-tutorial.jpg

I figured readers of Masquerade were likely to appreciate this, LOL

 

Snerk. You know, the goatee really does lend to either Qui-gon-flavored awesomeness or a particular brand of hilarious Snidely Whiplash evil. I think my head-canon just permanently added a goatee to older!Anakin just for that reason.

Also, I know he's without the suit at this point, but that "What's this about my lips being girly?" is just that much more hysterical if you imagine James Earl Jones saying it.

 

XD! Influencing someone's head-canon is an incredibly great compliment!

...though I admit, the goatee, IC, is probably mostly for YEEEAHHH I CAN GROW FACIAL HAIR AGAINNNNN~~~ reasons.

Ok - trying to do 2 short chapters both at once since I only have one more exam to go and my head is swimming after being done with Latin. Phhwoo.

---
Ad Extirpanda
---

"Yeah? Yeah?! How do you like that!"

The wiry man bounced in front of him, too scared to land another punch. Delicately, Vader set his jaw back, grinding his teeth. He understood the impulse. He expected it. Perhaps the Rebellion officials, heads clouded with idealism, didn't think this would happen. He knew better. The world was a mean, dirty, cruel place; people were horrible; life was pain.

Perhaps a little overdramatic, but this certainly wasn't proving him wrong.

The Rebel soldier lashed out with another swift jab, but the swing was misplaced and didn't connect. "That - that was just practice!" He spat out. "You'll get yours. We're going to sell kriffing tickets. Whole damn ship will be lined up out here to come get a turn with you! Strung up like the kriffing animal you are!"

For a moment he opened his eye ever so slightly, giving the young man a serene glare, before closing his eyes again. He was willing to put up with this. He told himself that this was because he knew that the Rebellion's leaders would be furious with these actions. The tiny senator from Chandrila would surely half-explode in maternal rage. A stern lecture on how disappointed she was in them, maybe kitchen duty, but ultimately the Rebels couldn't sacrifice a soldier, even for this. But it would keep Mon Mothma up at night. It would taunt her with the ugly reality of morality.

He didn't want to admit that there was something deeply satisfying about the pain, or that he knew he deserved every punch.

"How do you like that? Yeah?" The young man taunted him. "Anything to say for yourself? Anything? C'mon, I wanna hear it." A sharp slap. "I wanna hear it!"

Slowly, he opened his eyes, facing down the man properly.

"I wanna hear it," the soldier hissed.

Vader looked him in the eye and very slowly, very pointedly, yawned: tongue unfurling in a feline manner, thoroughly bored, thoroughly unimpressed.

The small explosion of invective was nothing new.

"Howzzit goin' back there?"

He let the conversation flow around him, keeping calm - a rock jutting out of the middle of a wide river.

"Mess of wires. Kriffing complicated. I don't know why you think I'm a damn medi-droid. At least he's not bleeding too bad."

"Don't bother with any bacta. If this bastard keels over of an infection, it'll serve him right."

"Not bothering with local anesthetic, why the hell would I waste some bacta?"

The soldier behind him turned back another bit of flesh along his spine, and he gritted his teeth. The punches he could handle. But he was starting to get rather worried about what exactly was going on back there. All he knew is that one of the soldiers - a technician, perhaps - had examined him with surgical precision while he hung mid-air, safely secured by restraints. Initially he dismissed it. Not enough blood loss to make him woozy, even. But they were definitely searching for something specific, something that was part of the intricate prosthetics...

The technician tugged on a wire. His finger twitched.

"Stop being an idiot. That's not it."

"Maybe if you'd stop whining I'd be able to do something! Okay, fine, let's try this one..."

White fire arced up his back, the pain making him grit his teeth. His back stiffened, and his jaw clenched.

"Yeah - yeah! That's the one! That's it!"

What they had been planning suddenly became incredibly clear.

Their voices were lost in the hum of electronics and the sound of his own heartbeat thudding in his ears. He hurried to hold onto the calm but it was already gone, sliding away like sand beneath his feet as surf pounded at his shins. There was calm, there was calm - there was no calm, there was just the pain, artificial but part of him

 

Oh, ugh. Latin. I took several years of it. I feel your pain, hon. Where do you go to school?

And oh, you have given me morally dubious deliciousness AND "I-deserve-the-pain" Anakin. The Rebels have such lofty ideals; the standards they set for themselves are things everyone should strive for, but occasionally they have to be reminded that no-one is incorruptible. If he were someone else - or even himself at a different period in his life - their actions would only create more of the same kind of evil they're fighting against. And it isn't as if the act itself doesn't create a desire for more such power; that's the kind of building blocks the Empire was founded on. It feels just, it might even be just, but is it right?

And again, lovely balance between "I-deserve-the-pain" Anakin and lazy, arrogant "wake-me-when-you-say-something-interesting" Anakin. That yawn, especially, was awesome. <3 I keep coming across the characterization quandary in my own writing of whether or not a post-Vader Anakin would eventually have a breakdown of some sort (he'd almost have to psychologically, or else go mad) and if so, how to write such a breakdown without making him into some kind of weepy pile of self-loathing. What do you think? I really, really like the way you portray the guilt as constant and always there - his acknowledgement that he was wrong is almost an attitude instead of feeling, and I like that. But he doesn't stop feeling like Anakin, ever.

Eh, I'm rambling. As usual, top-notch job, and I can't wait for more!

EDIT: It occurs to me that in an earlier post Leia was reminding herself to feel guilty later about locking him in a closet. I wonder what the difference would be between what she thinks she should feel about what the Rebel officers are doing to Anakin, and how she actually feels?

EDIT THE SECOND: I forgot to say how awesome it is to see the servants from Bast Castle again! Mirou seems to have settled in nicely over the years. Are they killing the officers that get sent there because they don't want someone else to come looking? Honestly, if I were put into such a situation, I'd probably try to remember to say all the things I could possibly think to say about the big scary Sith Lord just, you know, in case his slight-less-scary servants might have a bit of loyalty to the big guy.

EDIT THE THIRD: I missed in my first, excited reading that they were asking a question to all of the stormtroopers. Hmm. I wonder what that was? I do believe something is afoot at Bast Castle!

 

Oh, what an intriguing post! I can't quite figure out what's going on in Bast Castle (my guess was something along the line of Emilie's, that Mirou and Dasje are getting rid of anybody who might try to cause change), but it's so wonderful to see the servants from Bast Castle making an appearance here.

As for the Rebellion's treatment of Vader, it's ironic, isn't it, that in attempting to punish one for his crimes, they are doing just the same sorts of things themselves? The rebels will realise what they're doing sooner or later, but it just shows how easy it is to do the wrong thing sometimes without realising the seriousness of it.

 

I found the Bast Castle commentary at the end strangely hilarious. Right, never did seem to bother Lord Vader. I love the idea of them still being loyal to Vader no matter what, and also the image of Vader withstanding what they're doing to his mechanics. Great update--I'm hooked as always.

 

Gonna split up my responses to all of your lovely reviews in a moment - I didn't want to get it confused with the next chapter

Seriously though, y'all... thank you SO MUCH for your reviews and interest! If I seem coy and flippant in my silence it's because I'm being shy; I honestly don't know what to say, sometimes. Maybe now that I have more time I can return the favor and review what y'all have written with the same gusto and enthusiasm!

---
Music of the Spheres
---

Leia could still hear Mon Mothma's voice even through three closed doors. It would have been much better for everyone involved if she were outright yelling, but instead her voice was raised in damning maternal disappointment as she continued to dress down a few of the soldiers, reminding them how completely unacceptable their actions were. Hopefully Mon Mothma would be done by the time the Inner Council was to convene, even if the proper political parties were not yet assembled. It was an emergency the Rebels had never anticipated, so now they had to figure out what to do, like a dog having finally caught a car.

At least Han was there to give her a lopsided grin, though he stuffed something into his pocket rather quickly at seeing her expression, a momentary flicker of guilt skipping across his face. "So -"

"Were those tickets?" She eyed his pocket suspiciously. "The ones the two were selling, to use Vader as a punching bag?"

"Maybe," he admitted after a long moment.

With a smile, she let him know that she wasn't about to yell. And with a kiss, she told him that she would have, in fact, likely been delighted with the gift.

Half an hour later, the ship's main elevator slid silently upwards. Around the bacta patch underneath the tunic, the occasional bit of blood appeared, outlining a solid block along his spine. This time he was actually letting his head hang, looking down as he took deep breaths through his nose, steadying himself.

"If you wanted a day to rest, nobody would fault you," the Rebel guard said nervously, though rather obviously she merely wanted to dodge this particular guard duty.

"No. I'm fine."

The guard gave a nervous sigh, and he raised his head as the doors opened, bathing them both in almost clinical bright light. The ship's briefing room had been quickly converted into a makeshift assembly chamber. Now the display showed no maps of targets and the seats held not pilots but politicians. They sat in a row, and he could easily name every one: Mon Mothma, Ackbar, Crix Madine, M'yet Luure, and of course, Leia Organa. It was quite obvious who the spot on the floor belonged to, bright in spotlight. Much to the relief of the guards, he went there willingly, standing as straight as he could and looking them in the eye. It was not an act of defiance, but instead calm, cool, and calculated - even more aggravating than insubordination.

The members of the Inner Council exchanged momentary nervous glances. Mon Mothma was finally the one to speak. "This Council is convened to examine if this claim of defection is true. I assume you have a statement to make on the subject, um...?" There was a noticeable pause as she tried to find the correct name.

"Vader," he said tersely. "Even if perhaps I do not look the part, at the moment." It was a joke only he could laugh at, and to everyone else, a statement of fact. There was dried blood in his facial hair, and he was sporting a large black eye by now, not to mention the small bacta patches for the cracked cheekbone and broken nose. That was ignoring the blood smears on his clothing, or the way he could barely keep his knees from trembling, or even the rough edge his voice had taken on from all the screaming. He was keenly aware that he did not look like a Sith Lord. He did not look like a Jedi. He did not even look like a soldier. All he looked like was an old moisture farmer who had gone into town to spend what meager profit on a night's drinking and brawling.

Unfortunately, it was far too late to look at them with wide-eyed innocence and try to sell them the lie that he was j

 

-gleefully snags first post-

I'm having an extremely busy/stressful work week, and I don't have time for a proper review as per usual right now, but I wanted you to know that I read it and love it. Mon Mothma's yelling was especially wonderful; I could just see it. And see the cringes from the recipients. <3

I will return with a normal-type review as soon as work lets me breathe a bit!

Emmi

 

OKAY, BREAK FOR BIG RESPONSE TO REVIEWS because I am a terrible author and haven't been doing this!

Emory University - just graduated actually! No more school, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks... ...but several years of repaying student loans, lol.

In my head, Anakin (or at least this Anakin) has not realized that denial is not just a river in Egypt. Confronting the problem would mean admitting he actually has one, so he'll be steadfastly trying to stick to the idea that he is in no way having a breakdown while... well, really suffering. He's a creature of habit and when that routine is broken is when the worn edges start to show. I think that the key I'm going for, anyway, is that there is no big dramatic moment of The Breakdown. Instead there are lots of little breadcrumbs along the way. ...well, okay, I say that and there is a big moment very near the end, but I don't want to spoil the entire story. You get the idea, though. ^0^

I admit this bit may be an opportunity to delve into the delicious moral ambiguity, lol. But I think it's a good point. Sure, the Alliance are the good guys, but if you give even the good guys an opportunity to take revenge in that base, primal way, it's likely that they'll take the opportunity.

Mirou and Dasje are, admittedly, kind of favourite characters now so they'll be popping up every so often... lol!

I'm glad the humor of the situation shone through! Mirou and Dasje are pretty much masters of gallows humor by now... I figure after spending so many years trying to cater to Vader, they get into his head at least a little bit that way. ^^

Phew! I probably need to go give some love to Allecto before updating this story again, but we'll see what I have time for tonight... as always, thank y'all SO MUCH for reading!

Quick oekaki I'm working on of Vaderkin since I've been all "whoo Reynard the Fox" about him lately -
http://www.chickensmoothie.com/oekaki/image/image.php?id=433265&size=large&format=auto&rev=3

 

What an utterly unattractive welcome from Leia. And so much in character for her, too. If I were Vader, I'd probably throw it back into her face. But then, Vader has an interest in it, and he's known to pursue his interests singlemindedly, never being so petty as to take offence or something...

Poor Vader, what they did to him, I wonder if he needs some medical attention now?

Wannareadmore wannareadmore wannareadmore.

 

Oh my god, I hope I didn't kill the thread? Uppers!

 

Don't worry, you didn't! :> I'm just being attacked by Darth Real Life at the moment - getting ready to go visit my sister who's getting married blah blah de blah, lol.

 

So, my sister's cat killed my laptop's screen.

I may have immediately thought "OH NO, HOW AM I GOING TO WRITE, NOW?"

With that in mind please be aware there will probably be more typing slip-ups than usual because I am typing this on a new, teeny-tiny little netbook. I miss having a proper-sized keyboard, lol, but I'll make do.

You have no idea how hard it is to not make this chapter 99% Eddie Izzard, by the way.

----
Family Grammar
----

It wasn't a surprise that absolutely nobody volunteered to bunk with Vader, or that some officers even put in requests to sleep with the enlisted men in communal barracks so that Vader could be safely quarantined in his own private quarters. Leia would admit to being somewhat shocked about how easily Vader himself seemed to slip into life within the Rebellion. Perhaps his deep baritone naturally shocked people into obeying, when coupled with his stature, but officers were able to gather enough begrudging respect for his orders. And that seemed to be all that he cared about.

Little human needs like a bed to sleep in, food to eat, showers at night - he still acted as if he was above them, even though that wasn't true. Nobody seemed keen to acknowledge that he was just as much a person as they were - even in the line at the mess hall. To either side, the others tried their best to stare at their trays and deny the fact that Vader was also there because he needed lunch. Vader was still some lofty figure, far above them, at a comfortable distance to be hated.

He certainly wasn't in line with them, looking equally pleased about the beige mystery glop that claimed to be some sort of stew.

It hit the plate with an awful, tacky wetness. Given enough hot sauce it would be palatable, of course, but at the moment it looked incredibly unappetizing. It did not help that the man stuck on kitchen duty looked at Vader, looked at the plate meant for him, and then very calmly spat into the middle of the plate of food.

Vader stared, blinking for a moment as if he couldn't quite comprehend what had just happened. His eyebrows slowly knitted. Gingerly, he took a breath in, lips parting as if about to object, even as the plate was slammed on the counter and pushed towards him.

"If you send it back I'm only going to do something worse," the cook said, cutting him off.

They peered at each other, and the others in the lunchline braced themselves while eagerly watching the confrontation.

"I'll avoid cream sauces, then," Vader finally said wryly, taking the plate.

Across the mess hall, Leia had to admit that she was more than slightly amused by the entire scene. But she was also disappointed, as was everyone, when Vader wordlessly sat down with his lunch and began to carefully eat around the blob of spittle in the center of it. He sat at the opposite end of the hall, surrounded only by other empty tables. Nobody wanted to sit near him; he wished to sit near nobody. It was a tacit agreement all seemed to be happy with.

Leia wasn't quite sure why it bothered her so much.

With a sigh, she paused to adjust her hair before giving the others an apologetic smile. "If you'll excuse me..." The small group nodded, a general murmur of consensus; the conversation continued on without her as they all tried to forget the war and focus at least momentarily on the manageable dramas of the latest gossip. She, meanwhile, drew herself up and tried to put on the best neutral smile she could, not as much walking as gliding. As she neared the table where Vader sat, the rest of the mess hall grew quiet. After all, why discuss yesterday's gossip when you could see today's being made?

"So -"

He didn't look up from the datapad he was scrolling through, instead interrupting her. "Spare us both the small talk and say what you want, Princess."

She let an aggravated sigh politely roll out of her nose. "I wanted to talk, perhaps invite you over if you're interested in some company -"

"The truth, please, Organa." He looked up over the datapad to meet her gaze for only a moment. "You're a politican. I know politicians qui

 

Sorry to hear about your laptop - hope the information on it was retrievable, at least.

I really liked the "normalcy" of this chapter - Alliance officers aren't sure how to react to Vader and hence do the only thing they know - avoid him for the most part, with a few finding ways to vent their hatred of him - while Vader simply ignores them. With time, something will cause a change in the dynamic, but until then, it's good to see how different people respond to a new and unfamiliar situation.

Looking forward to seeing what happens next!

 

Poor Darth Dad. He's incredibly strong and brave to face treatment like that. I was almost ready to admire Leia, for going to him like that, for in this way she might isolate herself from her other comrades as well, and she's definitely not strong enough to face that alone.

 

there should be more vader joins the rebellion fic around still poor vader
has it bad wonder if the rebel comanders will start calling him my lord lol how exactly do
they address vader?

 

oh wow.

I stubble back on the board after an absence of a few years and I find this fic.

what a great reintroduction!

I really love what you have done. Leia's reactions are, I think, spot on. Slightly vindivictive, confused and reludanctly trying to get to know him.

Anakin is pitch perfect too. Determinedly hanging on to has much Vader as he can stomack, perfectly, absolutly fine and drawning under the mask. I think the scene where he is getting beaten up is the perfect illustration.

When will Anakin learn she is his daughter? I don't think I ever saw a post-ROTJ fic with him not knowing, I wonder where you are going to go with it.

I can't wait for the next update

PS: Does Anakin realise how powerfuly symbolic it was for him to hand the Aliance the "keys" to his implant? Especialy with him sporting a black eye and dried blood? It's like he went for the solution that would hurt him the most.

 

I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN YOU LITTLE FANFIC, I PROMISE! I am working out which parts go first because there are a bunch of little episodes and I'm sorting out which goes where. So I am shamelessly writing the introductory bit I wanted to write first because I miss writing Dasje and Mirou. :V

---
Homecoming King
---

"Hell of a first official mission, Princess. ...I mean. If you don't mind me saying so." The pilot looked back over his shoulder nervously to Leia.

In a show of camaraderie, she gave him a brief smile. "No, you're right. I'm not looking forward to this."

"Vjun isn't exactly pleasant this time of year, ma'am." The pilot gave another solid gulp as they dropped out of hyperspace. The planet was remarkably quiet, all things considered, but even still, a detail had already gone ahead of them to clear out the few Imperial satellites circling the planet. "Vjun isn't pleasant any time of year, all things considered. The acid rain and all."

The pilot flinched as heavy footsteps came up behind them, but Leia just gave a small aggravated sigh. Vader made his way down the bridge, hands clasped behind his back. Despite the lack of heavy armor - instead a mishmash of what he could scavenge, all painted black as if that would make it match - he still cut an impressively intimidating figure. Whatever honeymoon period there was had already ended. Now there was just a dull sense of dread and loathing.

"...Codec updated and transmitting, Commander Vader, sir," a young woman said promptly from her spot on the communications console.

"If it wasn't, we would already have been blown out of the sky," he replied, tone dry and edged with sarcasm. "Sensor readings?"

"Nothing abnormal, sir." Leia admitted that she would have to compliment every member of the crew when this mission was over. She knew they had been hand-picked, person by person, as to ensure that Vader's first official mission wouldn't end up a complete disaster with half of them strangled to death. It still surprised him that most of the crew was not old Imperial faces. If anything, Rebellion soldiers who had defected seemed adamant that Vader couldn't follow the same path they did. Most of the soldiers around her were bright-eyed and naiive fresh meat from Outer Rim worlds who still believed there was good in every person.

They reminded her far too much of Luke, in that respect. They were all too short to be stormtroopers, anyway. It made her miss the Farmboy even more.

"Regular chatter, then? Estimation of forces?" Vader paced back and forth on the bridge deck as the craft settled into a comfortable approach vector.

"...Nothing, sir. I can't - I can't pick up anything, it must be quiet on the ground, sir. I can't find any identification bulletins - not even with troops on patrol." She looked back to Vader nervously. "Should I be looking in additional frequencies, sir?"

"No." Vader stood a little straighter. "Bring us in - the largest landing pad. Keep all channels clear, monitor for any incoming communication. Minimal use of scanners, visual only when coming in."

The pilot looked back at Vader, wide-eyed, as they started to plunge through the clouds. "But sir, the atmosphere - with the constant acid rain, visibility is -"

"I have no patience for cowardice. If you can't do it, step aside." The pilot was almost trembling now, and stammered as Vader motioned at him. "I said step aside."

The pilot scurried out, gulping nervously. Leia herself stepped away, interested in observing. If anything, Vader settled into the pilot's chair with a sense of satisfaction, as if it was a rare treat to do such a thing. But the moment was gone almost as soon as Leia saw it, replaced with icy frustration as he glared at the pilot.

"Sir - the approach vector - shouldn't we...?"

"I am already aware of your incompetence. Stop attempting to prove it to me."

"Yes sir," the pilot squeaked meekly.

Leia shook her head. At least Vader hadn't killed anyone yet. Intimidation she might be able to tolerate, eventually. The pilot accepted a pat on the shoulder, and she g

 

That was an exciting chapter.

 

Oh man. WHEN was the last time I posted on here?

I have been following on ff.net. I love this Bast Castle idea. Old Bast doesn't get used enough IMO.

 

It's touching and heartbreaking at the same time that the password for the overwrite was "Shmi"...

Great to see this update - I love Bast castle!

 

I loved the way they got into the castle, and the emergency override. Vader's quip about being in the mask forever, and Leia's sarcasm, seemed to make it more obvious that she is her father's daughter. I loved it. Great update!