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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga - OT Vader's Shadow (Luke, Vader; AU of the "Darth Vader" comics)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Saga_Symphony, Feb 3, 2018.

  1. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Indeed another cliffhanger and I will never be able to look into the original comics again without seeing your scenes in front of my inner eyes. But I guess there is worse.
     
  2. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    AAAAAAAAHHHHH! Just caught up and this cliffhanger is evil! Evil, I say! LUKE! [face_nail_biting]I'm too worried about him to even bring up Vader and how he seems to be testing his son, seeing what use he can be...
     
  3. Saga_Symphony

    Saga_Symphony Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2010
    Thanks for the comments as always, everyone. [face_coffee]

    Here's that cliffhanger follow-up. Hope you enjoy it!




    "Face me, Sith!"

    Morit leered back at him, and swept his saber in front of the black mask, obscuring Vader's view.

    "Everyone has to face the future," Morit said more quietly, his round face creasing with resolve. "Now you look upon yours."

    Contempt for the arrogant cyborg swelled in him, and Vader swung at him, missing Morit's head, just brushing over the top of his red hair. Morit dashed back and suddenly rose from the ground, hovering near the ceiling with the jet-like flares emitting from his soles. He pointed down with his one intact hand, and gusts of fire roared from his palm.

    Vader, impatience now overruling his anger, shielded himself with the Force, Morit's flames swaying around him. He oversaw the Astarte girl, making her way closer to the boy...

    Enough was enough. Vader aimed and threw his saber, and a dial of red spun across the distance toward Morit. Morit shielded his head and torso, ready for it, but let out a scream.

    He descended. His legs were now cut off from the knees. The yellow flares on his feet died as he crashed down, the dark chamber flashing with blinks of white as his various endoskeleton circuits were exposed, spritzing out whiffs of heat. Morit scratched the floor as he lay flat on his stomach. He looked up at Vader, his eyes shot with defiance.

    "No," he gargled out. "I won't die... not to you... I r-refuse..."

    Vader placed his boot upon Morit's skull. "You are already gone."

    He summoned back his lightsaber and wielded it downwards.

    "No!"

    Aiolin's blade cropped up, twirling before him like an emerald fan. Vader parried and backed away, feigning disadvantage as he allowed her to drive him back, her usually composed face lit with ferocity. Interrupting her flurry of movement, the Dark Lord brought his blade down on her wrist, cutting it off. She grunted heavily through her teeth, her lightsaber smacking somewhere in the distance. The girl managed to dodge as the scarlet stream of his saber targeted her again and again.

    She whisked away. In a matter of seconds, Vader saw the girl fly off, skirting above the stony surface of the floor, towards her brother. She scooped him up in her arms, then shot a couple of bolts at a set of pillars. She faded into the darkness as the columns began to break.

    The boy scrambled to get out of the way as a large pillar began to plummet down, but he was hardly moving. Vader grabbed at him with the Force, and he was pulled back several feet towards the wall. The pillar crashed on the ground with a hard rumble. Above, part of the ceiling had caved in and was snapping, letting loose some shattered fragments.

    There was brittle crumbling. Softer sounds of settling debris followed. It was silent.

    Vader looked over to the boy. He sat a few feet away from him, huddling in a fetal position, his back turned. The boy stood up and moved around, his legs wobbling, the white dome of the stormtrooper helmet swaying slightly as he moved. The boy peered around the area, as if to make sure the twins were really gone.

    "Where..." He let out heavy breaths as he searched the darkness. "Where did they..."

    Then he turned around and looked straight at Vader.

    Luke froze. The muscles in his neck tensed as he tried to swallow, and an eruption of thoughts spilled from his mind.

    The lightsaber... he saw me with the lightsaber... It's over, he knows it's me, I'm going to die...

    Vader looked back at his son, still facing that pointless white mask. The disquieting air lingered between them, trickling with the boy's frenzied thoughts and feelings. Dread, panic, helplessness, burning questions... Vader felt gripped, wanting to read as much as he could. The boy's emotions were uncontained, practically screaming at him; the boy had no idea how much he was broadcasting through the Force. Vader let it settle into his own mind, collected like pages in a condensed volume.

    He opened his hand, and the boy's lightsaber flew to him. He studied it, ran his fingers on the familiar surface. Made of the same metal as his Sith blade, with the same button placements, same emitter shape, only bare and silver. Same handgrip ridges.

    He ignited it alongside the red saber, instantly recalling his time on Cymoon 1 when he'd easily Force-lifted the boy's weapon into his hand. He had ignited it next to his own lightsaber, just like this, aiming to end the nameless youth... before he'd realized this same lightsaber had once been his.

    The sound of his respirator was nearly drowned out by the loud whir of the combined blades. He stared remotely at the young man between their contrasting light. The boy stood completely still, staring at him as if mesmerized.

    Luke's electronic visuals were out, but he could clearly see it: Vader holding the blue and red lightsabers, side by side. Just like he had when they first encountered each other on Cymoon 1.

    He waited for some sound, some reaction from Vader. He couldn't move. A tremor overcame his jaw as he tried in vain to say something.

    Vader wanted to break the silence, to take some action, but he felt strangely perpetuated in the moment. This crucial, inevitable moment in this whole one-sided charade. He had hoped the young one would let something slip, that he'd show himself... yet he realized he had been mistaken to press for it, even subtly, here and now. This chain of events, the many questions they both longed to know from one another, it was all... unprecedented. Out of place. The time was not right.

    And now he knew he had to gather his thoughts, avert from the young one and remember his own self. They were in the under-levels of Cylo's ship, in the middle of an ongoing battle. The boy was in no state to grasp the bigger picture. Vader had to decide now, the best way to proceed, for both of them.

    "You require a weapon," he said lowly. He placed a finger on the power button of the blue lightsaber and the bar of light vanished. "You may... continue to use this one."

    He threw the silver hilt back at him, and the boy flinched and fumbled to catch it. Luke's eyes panned from the weapon in his hands to the Dark Lord before him. Under the helmet, his moist brow pressed in confusion.

    Vader shifted and roamed to the left side of the dark area. Holding his red blade, he walked over the dusty wreckage, and his form was absorbed into the blackness.

    Luke looked after him in disbelief.

    "W-Wait a minute," Luke began, his voice nearly cracking through the vocoder. He took a step forward, seeing only the crimson streak of Vader's saber. "I'm... You're not—"

    "Be silent." The mechanical growl echoed throughout the hollow chamber, sounding like the disembodied warning of a ghost. "I will lead the way. You will follow."

    The words hit him and Luke leaned his head back. You will follow. As if nothing had happened, as if everything was the same as before. Luke was just a stormtrooper, lagging behind Vader once again.

    He stayed still where he was, his head spinning. He didn't understand... Was it possible that Vader didn't know who he was? Surely seeing the lightsaber... the way he'd wielded it... Or was Luke thinking too much of their encounter on Cymoon 1? Maybe it all meant nothing to Vader... And the lightsaber... perhaps even that was explainable. It was possible for a stormtrooper to possess one, and the situation being what it was, perhaps Vader didn't recognize it. Perhaps Vader didn't even care if it was the same Rebel standing before him, posing as a stormtrooper...

    But why? How? Luke just couldn't believe it. It all felt wrong. There was too much happening, too much to know. He couldn't go back to pretending to be Vader's minion. There was something else going on...

    "No," Luke said to him, watching the red rod that was Vader's lightsaber become still in the dark. Vader's breath drafted in and out like a grinding breeze.

    "Very well," came his reply after a few seconds. "If you wish to stay here until you are discovered, so be it. Your life is yours to throw away."

    "Why?" Luke suddenly yelled, his real voice carrying through the stone walls, wailing and reverberating as if there were a dozen Lukes. "The lightsaber... Why didn't you..."

    There was a scraping noise on the ground as Vader moved, and the grotesque mask reappeared in his sight, outlined by the red glow, looking positively demonic in the blackness. The Dark Lord stared at him, his automatic breathing more quiet, but he said nothing.

    "Tell me," Luke persisted, his throat cramping, and he took a step forward. "Tell me why you... why you didn't—"

    There was a faint bleeping. It came from the side of Vader, on his wrist. Luke closed his mouth, opened it again, but said nothing as the bleeping continued. Vader kept his gaze locked on him for a moment, ignoring the comm, until he looked away. He raised his wrist to the vented mouth of his mask.

    "Speak," he said bluntly.

    "Vader, the Devastator has recovered from the ion blast." Tagge's voice came through loud on the comlink. "Weapon systems are back online and we are holding against Cylo's forces, however we've heard nothing from you or the stormtrooper squad that was deployed to rendezvous with you. What is holding you up?"

    Vader eyed the boy across him. "The mission is... taking longer than expected, Grand General."

    Tagge continued impatiently. "We have traced the other whale-ships, only the flagship remains. The Executor is nearly here and we are readying for bombardment. Nothing is stopping us from dispensing of Cylo's fleet entirely... except for you being onboard."

    "I will dispose of Cylo," Vader growled. "The ship's hyperdrive engines are disabled. There is no escape for him, for any of them."

    "Be that as it may, estimates show that the ship's ion generators will recharge shortly, more quickly than we are able to defend against. Taking another blast would be too great a risk. It would fry our systems completely. I can permit you twenty minutes, Lord Vader. More than enough time for you, I'm sure. Then we will fire."

    "Tagge—"

    "We are counting down now. I do wish you the greatest of success in your mission, Vader, but of course the greater good comes first. May the Force be with you."

    With that, the guttural voice fizzled out.

    Vader hardened his fist, the sound of leather crunching with it. He sharply turned to the boy, who rebounded in alarm.

    "What..." Luke exhaled, his heart pounding in a hurry. "Is— Is he serious? How are we supposed to—"

    "We must go now," Vader told him, sounding more urgent than Luke had ever heard him before. Luke gaped at him, his mouth twitching — but whatever words he wanted to say didn't come. He knew there was nothing else to do, no other choice. He drew in a breath and nodded.

    The Dark Lord had already swept away. He trudged through the chamber, holding out his burning blade like a torch. Luke joined him, and they hurried through the expanse, their lightsabers humming incessantly as they moved.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2020
  4. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Super details on Vader's and LUke's reaction to the removal of the charade ;) with the accompanying elements of Luke's lightsaber and his helmet being lost. [face_thinking] Tagge's message sets the tone of urgency, only 15 minutes allowed, but the interruption came before Vader could supply an answer to Luke's question, although whether he would have anyway is something to speculate on. =D=
     
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  5. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    :eek:
    Breathless through the whole chapter. Vader's reaction isn't at all what Luke expected, is it? He's still such a youngster in this one. I keep forgetting just how young. :( Poor kid!

    But no, Vader's not going to kill his son. That's not who he is. Interesting how he left it up to Luke whether to follow or not.

    Questions, questions, questions! Every chapter is so gripping, I can't wait to read the next! =D= Great writing!
     
  6. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Sith or not, he actually is a father figure in the making. Somebody reflective. And even protective, despite all that he is, chose to be when agreeing on Palpatine´s deal so many years ago.
     
  7. Saga_Symphony

    Saga_Symphony Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2010
    Thanks for the kind words as always, guys. Interesting thoughts...[face_coffee]

    Just a note for this chapter: I changed a detail in a previous chapter that does affect things. Basically, Luke still has the stormtrooper helmet on. That was the original plan, I just didn't stick to it then. But oh well, that's what that trusty 'edit' button is for.

    So retcon aside, here's the next chapter. As always, hope you enjoy it!




    Luke felt aimless as he kept with up Vader, the panic charging him with every step. So much was happening so fast — the twins attacking, the panic over the lightsaber — now news that they had minutes to escape — it was dizzying...

    Twenty minutes. Was there any feasible chance that they could escape in time? It seemed that they were very much lost on this gigantic ship... What if these were his last moments? He could die here, with his father... and with so much still unknown. Still unspoken.

    The more he tried to stave off these thoughts, the more drained he felt. He felt himself slow down. His brain and his body were numb. Everything that was happening, that had happened, all the wounds and fatigue from these past few days — it all seemed to weigh him down suddenly...

    Then he felt an energy hit him, sharp and resounding. It struck into his thoughts with the force of an anvil, asserting itself, bringing him back to the present. Luke was confounded, but he felt invigorated by it.

    Focus, he interpreted that energy, willing himself to keep moving. As he heard the soft mechanical breath of Vader in front of him, he realized where that energy had come from. He pressed in his lips, stopping himself from uttering anything to Vader. What he would've said, he didn't even know.

    Soon they came to a halt. Vader brought his saber's light over a wall that contained a large, vault-like door. Seeing no access triggers, Vader immediately rose his lightsaber and pierced it into the base, then began to drag the saber upward.

    Luke imitated him, stabbing his blue blade into the door from the other side, and bearing it to form the other half of the passageway.

    Vader glanced at the boy as both of their plasma blades steadily burned, molten liquid spilling as they seared through the sturdy material. He took a moment to appreciate that the boy rose to assist him, how he responded to his prompt through the Force and put aside his weakness. It was still... strange... but he was starting to grow used to the boy's presence. To welcome it, despite everything.

    Of course, he knew the youth was driven by the danger, the situation... The boy needed him. The clock was ticking, the ship was set to blow...

    And yet as he perceived it, in this moment, Vader himself felt little urgency. He wondered... He opened himself to the Force, stretched his senses outward, trying to detect the threat, to foresee the destruction of the ships, the burst of fire in space, the deadly outcome that was possible... but the Force gave no such vision. It was... refusing it.

    Their effort soon paid off and the opening was made. Vader Force-pushed the large slab and it fell on the floor with a loud slam. He walked over it, through the opening, deactivating his saber as he did so. The boy did the same.

    Ahead was a small understructure with nothing in it but darkness, but a beam of light shone through the topside. It came from a see-through cap high above.

    The boy anxiously asked from behind, "Where do we go?"

    The Dark Lord answered, "Up."

    He summoned the Force, and they were both lifted from the ground. They shot up in the air in one blurring, simultaneous motion. The cap undid itself and a faint light showered over them when they reached the top. Vader settled down with a firm landing, and let go of the young one with the Force. The boy fell down on his rear and grunted. He huffed as he got up.

    Vader looked at their new surroundings. Ahead was a confined, dim hallway radiating a pinkish glow.

    Vader went forward. With each step, he felt it more and more... The Force was beckoning, flowing in reassurance... Yes. There was no need to rush, to flee. Perhaps Tagge had been bluffing. Ordering to destroy the ship on such short notice, with him on it, was a foolish move, even for him. Regardless, if the Force told him it was of no concern, he would adhere to it.

    He was more than grateful for the opportunity; he needed to deal with Cylo himself. To destroy him, every trace of him, to see it and feel it and know there was no possibility that the scientist could survive. There was too much at risk, and Vader would accept nothing less.

    The Dark Lord stopped. The boy bumped into him, bewildered, and quickly drew back.

    "We are near the labs," Vader confirmed, glancing at him. "We must complete our mission. Ready yourself."

    The boy staggered and turned to him, as if he hadn't heard right.

    "Complete our — you — you can't be serious..."

    Vader said nothing and continued his way through the enclosed corridor, toward the faint redness. He heard the boy trailing after him, but suddenly the white-clad form stepped around and stood point-blank in front of him.

    "Stop!" he exclaimed. "You heard what he said — it can't be much longer before they fire! We need to escape!"

    Vader held his gaze for a moment.

    "We have nothing to fear," he told him, his voice firm. "Now stand aside."

    "But we can't just — Cylo will go down along with the ship! What's the point in going after him?"

    Vader frowned. He knew the boy was confused, and had objected to him before, but the fear he felt in him now... Was this the same pilot who had braved the battle of Yavin? Who had been so willing to sacrifice his own life over Vrogas Vas? Who had challenged him to a lightsaber duel? He felt prone to make him understand, to tell him to reach out and feel what he had... but no. The boy had so much to learn regarding the Force. Perhaps seeing the results with his own eyes would prove to him that the Dark Lord was right.

    Vader took a step forward. "You will stand aside. Now."

    The boy didn't move.

    Vader felt his fingers jerk, ready to Force-push the boy out of the way. He quelled the desire and stepped around him, heading down the path. Ahead there was a shaded room, the walls padded with more of the same intestine-like matter as previous halls in the ship. In the midst of it, he saw something floating. Vader came closer until he had walked into the open area.

    In the air, hovering like an insect, was a spherical droid. A blue orb was shining on its surface.

    Behind him, Vader felt a pull at the back of his shoulder.

    "Don't," the young man said in a harsh, quiet voice. "I'm — I'm warning you."

    The boy was relentless, Vader thought, grimacing — and he was running out of patience.

    "I tire of your hysterics," he growled. He turned to face him, grabbing his lightsaber, ready to flash the blade before the young man's eyes.

    The boy's reaction was lightning-quick. Arms outstretched, he held out a small square panel, pointed at Vader. It contained a single red button.

    Vader stood opposite of him, his chest beating. Cylo's remote... the boy had taken it. He had kept it. This should not have surprised him — but it did. All Vader could do was absorb it, let the shock sink in him.

    He waited. The stoic face of the stormtrooper mask looked back at him, the boy's armor-clad form unsteady as he held the device. Neither of them moved.

    There was a shifting noise in the room. It was followed by the sound of something powering on. The droid zipped away — just as a black wall shot up from the floor, blocking the entrance. The lighting in the area suddenly brightened.

    "Greetings, Lord Vader," came a female voice, sounding through the loudspeaker of an overhead intercom. "Welcome to the labs."

    Both Luke and Vader whipped their heads around, and saw a window set high in the organic red walls. Behind it stood a figure, bearing goggled caps of blue that peered down on them, glowing like headlights.

    Luke cringed and pressed his eyes shut. Oh no.

    "Voidgazer," Vader said, and he paused. He then ignited his lightsaber and stepped forth. His broad black form stood in front of Luke. "You cannot possibly hope to challenge me."

    Voidgazer's monotone voice rang through the room. "Science sustains you, Vader, and it can end you. Look around: this is my element. One of our many bioplasm arenas made for testing, one I have planned especially for the likes of you. I have been anticipating this series of tests for some time."

    "You will not win, Voidgazer. You only delay the inevitable. The Imperial forces have this ship outnumbered."

    "Outnumbered, but not outsmarted. My time working on the Executor wasn't only spent working on Tagge's minuscule improvements to the firing array, Vader. I added a few features of my own. At this moment, we control the greatest Super Star Destroyer in the Empire. We know everything that is happening, inside and out. We are in control. You, however..."

    There was an electric thrum; another black door appeared. And another. They were sealed in. From a corner in the wall the entwined, nerve-like matter coiled and pulsed, melting away to reveal another door. This one was gigantic, spanning high up to the ceiling. It opened from the bottom up in one swift motion.

    There, standing in the unlit entry, was the large brown form of a rancor. Its wide jaw was set with sharp, mismatched teeth, its chin shining with drool, and its tiny eye-sockets replaced with two integrated lenses of blue light. It towered over Luke and Vader as they stood in its massive shadow.

    "Sith versus science," Voidgazer announced. "Let the experiment begin."
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2020
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  8. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Wonderful from each of their POVS and the contest of wills. =D=

    Yikes, Voidgazer is working my nerve. :p Wonderful cliffhanger.
     
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  9. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    My nerves can't take many more of these cliffies….[face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting]
     
  10. Cowgirl Jedi 1701

    Cowgirl Jedi 1701 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2016
    *pats TPAM's hand* There, there. I'm sure they'll be fine..... I think.
     
  11. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    But it is a very nasty cliffy that. [face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting]
     
  12. Cowgirl Jedi 1701

    Cowgirl Jedi 1701 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2016
    I know. More Endgame level nail biting.
     
  13. Saga_Symphony

    Saga_Symphony Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2010
    ^Coincidentally, these recent chapters have pretty much been an AU of the Vader comics' volume called "End of Games". [face_thinking]

    ...And I have NO idea what you all are talking about with the cliffhangers... *cough* Uh, anyway, here's an update!



    Luke let his hand fall, dropping the remote, and it clacked to the floor. He shakily backed away as the rancor took a giant step forward. Vader raised his scarlet blade, pointing it up at the rancor. The lightsaber looked like a glowing needle compared to the enormous creature.

    "Back," Vader bellowed. Luke didn't know if he was talking to him or the rancor, but he did as he said.

    The rancor swiped a three-clawed hand at Vader, who moved sideways and brought his saber down, cutting at its heel, leaving a deep oozing wound. But the rancor didn't so much as flinch. It stepped toward him and reached out its hand, trying to grab him with its twitching fingers. Vader sliced one off. Again it made no response. Near the ceiling, the round, blue-eyed drone floated, observing them.

    "Predictable hack-and-slash attacks," Voidgazer commented, clearly having seen through the drone. "That won't be effective this time, Vader. The cybernanimate system is installed, and its neural-dampeners prevent any reception of pain. I'm interested to see how you combat that. Activating adrenal stimulants in three... two... one."

    Currents of electricity were ejected from the rancor's head, and it released a deep, throaty roar. It shrieked and lunged toward them.

    Luke jumped and grabbed at his lightsaber, his thumb an inch from pushing the ignition button, but Vader held up a hand.

    "No," he rumbled to him. "Do not approach it."

    He stretched out his black-gloved hand and the rancor was shoved back, sliding along the ground as if on ice. It bumped into the fleshy wall and hissed, but it soon recovered. It began to bound back towards them.

    Vader bent his fingers, and they trembled. Luke felt a powerful, violent sensation around him, as if something was being torn from the air. The rancor stopped in its tracks, its mouth open. But then it took a few wobbling steps and soon resumed its stride.

    "Plate-reinforced thorax maintaining integrity," Voidgazer noted tersely. "Excellent Force-choke protection."

    The creature was soon in front of them again, and it delivered another swipe with its clawed hand. Vader dodged, the talons tearing at his cape. He stabbed the rancor's leg, but it quickly slashed back, hitting Vader and knocking him to the ground.

    Luke dashed after him. The rancor barked and it reached out to snatch him. Luke shuffled out of the way, sprinting and twisting his body to avoid its grasp. The rancor roared, and then began to raise its feet up and down, faster and faster — it was trying to stomp on him. Luke nearly tumbled as the ground shook, and dodged just as the large foot smashed down. He grabbed at his lightsaber again, ready to wield it.

    But the rancor hit him first, striking him hard across his helmeted head. He was sent hurtling backwards.

    "Wait," he heard Voidgazer say, as if she was suddenly appalled. "That... stormtrooper..."

    Luke felt the lightsaber fly out of his hand as he hit the ground. He let out a groan, his skull aching, and he breathed out sorely and opened his eyes — his visor was gone — the stormtrooper helmet had been completely knocked off. He blinked hard, delirious, his eyes adjusting to the brightness of the room as he looked around, trying to find Vader...

    "You." Voidgazer's once-analytic tone was sharp with repugnance, as if she'd let out a curse. There was a pause before she continued. "Cancel self-preservation protocols, override all initial target programming!"

    The rancor stood idle, subdued like a shut-down machine. It made a purring, bloated noise as it stood there, its beaming eyes glaring into nothingness.

    Still reeling, Luke crawled towards a corner, trying to squint to see his surroundings.

    In the distance Vader stared at him, having risen back to his feet. He re-ignited his lightsaber and the blood-red blade shot back to life.

    Voidgazer's savage voice returned, loud and clear: "New target found... Kill the boy."

    Luke crawled away, trying to locate his lightsaber. The rancor towered over him and bent its neckless head, making a gluttonous growl. Saliva dripped down its jawline as it frothed. It opened its mouth and closed in on him.

    Luke just managed to roll away, feeling the scrape of its teeth against the back of his chest armor. Luke scrambled on his hands and knees, feeling the monster leering not far behind.

    "So many genius minds were lost on that battle station," he heard Voidgazer say over the loudspeaker. "My comrades. Their lives. Their work. All lost... because of you."

    Luke blinked hard, grunted, then turned his head. Vader stood facing the monster. The rancor growled as he noticed him, but suddenly a tremor overcame it. Its muscles stiffened, and then it stopped altogether. It stood in place as if paralyzed.

    Vader continued his hold on the creature. The dark side drew itself upon him, its power embodying his wrath, smothering the creature. He raised his lightsaber. He strode to the rancor and ruthlessly attacked, slicing at the leg, revealing the slimy tissue underneath. He stabbed the other leg. He sheared across the arm, the stomach, cut off another finger, and then another. But the rancor showed no sign of distress or any interest in him; its beaming eyes were set on the boy.

    His son rose to his feet, and looked over to Vader. The white helmet was now gone, his young face unmasked, and now brimming with panic and confusion. He looked from the Dark Lord to the looming, powerless creature.

    The scientist's voice rose again: "You can't keep that up forever, Vader. You're not without your limits."

    Vader scowled behind his mask; he was indeed starting to feel strain from attacking and having to hold back the rampant, enormous creature. He breathed in and out, drawing more on the Force, letting it support him, letting his fury deepen and grow. He let himself bathe in the flood of dark power.

    And he also felt the bright presence of the boy, an anxious kindling with no direction. His son was standing back, his legs faltering, his young eyes darting to see what he could do. Vader clenched his teeth — the boy was eager to help, he could tell. And thus, he was eager to get in the way.

    He was about to order him to not make any move when the boy suddenly pulled out his blaster rifle. He pointed it at the beast. There was a hurry of useless clicks as his finger fidgeted at the trigger. Realizing it was still disabled, the boy hurled the gun away. He pulled out an explosive from his belt packet, activated it and hurled it at the rancor. It burst on its face. There was crackling and a waft of smoke, and when it cleared the rancor's face was marred, its brown skin burnt and peeling, but otherwise it looked unfazed. The boy scowled.

    Vader thought for a moment, tried to formulate a plan. The rancor was controlled by Voidgazer, it felt no pain, it had protection from Force-manipulation, and would not be distracted from the boy, and with its size, he knew it would take time to kill with a lightsaber...

    "Really, Vader," Voidgazer rebuked. "I knew you were short-sighted, but bringing the boy here? You're a traitor and a fool."

    Vader's anger grew, and he kept his Force-hold on the rancor, increased the pressure, tightened his leash on its movements. The rancor hung its head, and its hunchbacked form began to sink as if burdened with an insurmountable weight. The beast gradually came to its knees.

    Vader then felt something else and became alert. He turned away, his attention drawn to the left.

    The boy also looked there, having sensed it too: a small hatch on the ceiling opened, and a batch of Voidgazer's drones appeared. They flocked with a magnetic speed over to the boy and began blasting at him.

    Vader swooped in, his hold on the rancor wearing off as he redirected his energy to deal with the drones, using the Force to shield both the boy and himself from several lasers, and blocking the rest with his lightsaber.

    The drones' fire rate increased and they swarmed around them, aiming from all sides and directions. Vader blocked them, destroyed them, circling the boy who was crouched down, guarding his head. The ongoing array of lasers didn't end. Vader sliced one droid, imploded another, but only more appeared in their place, skirting from the open hatch.

    Aware that the rancor was stamping somewhere close by, he had no choice but to sustain in his defense against the nonstop torrent of fire. Between the crisscrossing web of blazing lines, he just managed to see the boy.

    He was moving on his hands and knees — inching out of the zone of safety Vader was fighting to keep up.

    Vader reached out a hand. "Stop!"

    The boy whipped his head to look at him, his fingers close to touching the gleaming metal of his lost lightsaber. His jaw fell as a shadow cast down on him.

    In a matter of seconds the rancor had dived in. Its jaws clamped down on his son's outstretched arm.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2020
  14. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Yikes! A formidable situation:

    The rancor was controlled by Voidgazer, it felt no pain, it had protection from Force-manipulation, and would not be distracted from the boy, and with its size, he knew it would take time to kill with a lightsaber...

    [face_worried]

    Then the drones appeared.

    And:
    In a matter of seconds the rancor had dove in. Its jaws clamped down on his son's outstretched arm.

    Seriously. [face_nail_biting] A permanent condition. =D= =D=
     
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  15. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    *screams in terror* AGH! Luke! [face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting]

    Don't pretend to know what these cliffhangers are doing to us....:rolleyes: That's just....just....cruel!!!! :_|

    I do love that Vader is steadfast in defending his son. =D= He does care. Those paternal instincts are finally kicking in.
     
  16. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    I know the comics, but you made so much more of it. You even make me worry for a rancor... ;)
     
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  17. Saga_Symphony

    Saga_Symphony Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2010
    Thanks, all. [face_coffee] And sorry if I'm overdosing on cliffhangers, but, you know... I'm not that sorry. :b

    Now on with the update...



    Luke had no time to struggle — his feet had left the ground and he was being lifted up. Held by his arm, he dangled from the rancor's mouth. The giant fangs gripped down, making his armor creak and cutting into the unprotected crevices of his arm. Growls flooded his ears as the creature ground its teeth down on the white plates, rupturing through the plastoid to tear into his flesh. Overcome with pain, Luke could only scream and wriggle futilely.

    "I told you when you died, I would be there," Voidgazer remarked, her voice subdued as it echoed in his ears. "Your death is well-warranted, and long past due."

    Vader watched through the clutter of laserfire as the young one dangled helplessly from the monster's mouth. He felt the boy's agony — but the drones continued to fire, to build up and surround him. He reversed a couple, aiming them at the rancor's lumped head; it had no effect — its exterior was blaster-proof. Voidgazer knew exactly what she was doing. The drones were set on him, the rancor set on the boy. Vader knew if he moved to save him directly he would be bringing the drones' fire and endangering him. He could make a javelin-throw of his lightsaber at the rancor, but with the boy so close to it, that would be risky as well...

    Or, he could...

    "It seems the Force has failed you as well, Vader," the scientist touted. The boy's loud yells and groans continued in the background. "With your presence gone, perhaps the Empire can finally begin to evolve. To pave its way past the whims of glorified zealots and their backwards-thinking superstitions. Imagine that."

    Vader listened, taking in Voidgazer's words and letting her mockery feed him. Anger burned in his limbs, his soul persisting with the appetence to kill. With a great amount of exertion, he suddenly weaved his lightsaber in a clean-cut path, destroying half of the remaining drones. Through the millisecond gap of time he had to spare, he turned his focus outward and linked to his son's presence. In another second he searched with the Force, and he found it: the lost lightsaber.

    The head, he sent into his son's mind, and he pushed the intent onto him. He conjured the weapon and it was flung up, across the air, and sent to the boy just as Vader twirled around to clash his saber against several laser beams.

    Luke's hand opened and he caught the weapon. Then with all his might, Luke forced the blazing sword between the rancor's eyes, below its inflated nostrils, and through its enormous skull.

    He made a shrill cry as electricity discharged from the rancor's cranium, sending a sharp spasm through him as well. The rancor swayed in place for a moment, then its gigantic arched form gave way. It fell, shaking the room slightly, and Luke's body smashed into the ground along with it. A few remaining whiffs of breath escaped its mouth. The blue light in the rancor's cybernetic lenses flickered, and then went out.

    "You... You..." Voidgazer stammered over the comm. "You... insufferable..."

    The jaws still hooked on his arm, Luke pulled to free himself, feeling the tips of the fangs still sunken in his skin. Overcome with pain, he stopped struggling and then single-handedly began to flail the lightsaber at the rancor's mouth. Chunks of its teeth and gums fell bit by bit, and finally Luke could wrestle himself free. He fell back and propelled himself away from the gargantuan creature, sweat-faced and panting.

    He looked at his arm. It was bloody and coated in mucous, the white plates cracked and punctured, the black fabric underneath torn — but to his relief he found it wasn't completely massacred; he could still miraculously move it... barely. The look of it was bad enough, but the pain was sickening.

    He turned his head, hearing the sound of lasers and the furious hum of a lightsaber — Vader was still battling the drones. Albeit only a few of them were left. Rising with half a mind to join the effort, he stopped himself, wincing at the pain of his arm, and he simply witnessed Vader swerve his lightsaber at them one by one. Soon he had destroyed the last of them, the final drone combusting into electric circuits as it fell.

    Luke nearly staggered as Vader moved towards him. But he didn't regard Luke, he went straight to the rancor. He rose his scarlet blade and stabbed it in the head for good measure, then pulled out his saber and stepped away. He gestured his hand upwards.

    Then there was the sound of glass shattering. Luke shot his head to look up, and saw the round viewport had been fractured completely. And hanging in midair just outside the frame, pulled right out from her observatory, was Voidgazer.

    With a slight motion of the Dark Lord's fingers, she was wrenched downwards. She stopped just above the ground before Vader, shards of glass falling from her hair. Her lips curled, and her facial scars deepened as her features tightened, showing as much fury as her impassioned demeanor would allow.

    "We have taken the Executor... We have... taken the Devastator," Voidgazer worked out, lifting her chin. "No matter what you do now, Vader, you have lost. The galaxy... will only remember the winning side of this conflict. Kill me... and I will be a martyr for science. I will be immortalized... While you, and that boy, and your ways, will be nothing. You will be obliterated, forgotten, your lives snuffed out just as—"

    Vader stepped forward, turning off his lightsaber. His cloaked figure obscured Luke's view, but Luke could see him reaching out towards Voidgazer's head. Luke felt that same denseness around him, that same dark air that was like a twisted sense of gravity, pulling down everything, filling every ounce of the room.

    Voidgazer made a drawn-out rasp. Luke compulsively looked away, holding his breath as he heard the wrenching sound of something being ripped off, an indescribable sound that made his insides gnash. Then something snapped, there was the breaking of metal — then at last Voidgazer's breath came to an end. There were some dull thuds on the floor, then a louder, heavier one.

    It was quiet. Luke heard his father's artificial breath. It flowed like abrasive steam in the deadened calm.

    Luke inhaled, and pried his eyes open. He looked over and saw Voidgazer's body lying motionless on the ground, her uniformed figure in the shadows. Luke couldn't see her face, but to the side he recognized a bulk of her once-integrated headgear, as well as a blue lens of her eye-capped visor, both broken and speckled with blood.

    Vader stood in the dimness, looming over the grisly sight. The dark air remained around him, emitting from him. Vader remained unmoved for a while, his fist a wad of black that looked like it would never unfurl. But he loosened it, opened his hand, and Luke barely felt it: his lightsaber slipped from his own hand and flew obediently into Vader's palm.

    Vader turned. The black mask looked straight at him, scrutinizing him, taking in his young, exposed face. Luke leaned back, unblinking, insensible. Vader gripped both lightsabers as he looked at him, his armored form moving with an unsteady suppression as he breathed. The mask arched down, its ebony face looking more like a glare than ever.

    Luke could only stare, his body stilled and his voice dissolved. He felt the unstoppable race in his heart, thoughts overlapping in his head; not even the consuming pain in his arm could distract him as he met Vader's gaze. Nothing came to him, nothing to do or to say.

    Then the Dark Lord looked away from him. He paced slowly for a moment, looking directionless, until he stopped and looked down. Luke's eyes followed him, and he saw what he was looking at: Cylo's remote. It was on the ground, the red button still glowing, still in once piece. Still intact.

    The grim-faced mask looked up at him again. Luke swallowed, a burning, unnerved feeling swirling in his gut. Then, still keeping his gaze on him, Vader brought his boot down on the glowing device. It crushed sparsely beneath his heel.

    Silence fell. The seconds passed by. The two of them stood there, continuing to watch each other. Both weary, both restless.

    There was an explosive burst at the nearby door.

    Both Luke and Vader turned. Scattered sparks peeked from the corners. Bolts shot and flew. The door was breached, and the flat sheet of the black metal came down with a clamorous thud. A faint mist drifted in from the threshold, followed by the sound of clinking footsteps. There was gleaming silver, glints of red, and then Triple-Zero walked tidily out from the doorway and into the room. Bee-Tee rolled in from behind.

    Vader took a step forward. There was a stalled beat before he spoke. "Droids... What is the meaning of this?"

    "Oh, hello, Master Vader. And... others," Triple-Zero said, his red eyes scanning over the sight of the dead rancor, the dead Voidgazer, and Luke, who let out a loud sigh. "Drat, I'm late to the party, aren't I? Hmm... Well, what did I miss?"
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2020
  18. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    WHEW! [face_relieved]For a minute I though the Rancor was chewing Luke's arm off...So glad Vader stepped in to save his son yet again. Voidgazer certainly died a gruesome death...ew.[face_sick]

    OK, so now the next priority is getting the heck out of there and taking care of poor Luke. :(

    As always, another riveting update. =D= Well written!
     
  19. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Excellently detailed - I felt I was there observing it all.
     
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  20. Saga_Symphony

    Saga_Symphony Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2010
    Continuing on now... [face_coffee]



    "I did not send for you," Vader thundered in aggravation, pointing and waving at Triple-Zero with one of the deactivated lightsabers. "Explain yourself. Now."

    "Beg your pardon, sir, but we are following your orders. You assigned Bee-Tee and I to fetch the towheaded one, and we lost him for a time, but as you can see we tracked him down. We managed to route an escape pod from the Devastator to this ship. We used the downtime in the battle outside, and luckily we managed to get through without interference." Triple-Zero gestured at Luke, who made a scowling glance at the droid and brought his hand over his face. "And it seems you've found him before us... However, we have done you a great service—"

    "You have done nothing," Vader snapped, and he faced away. He motioned to turn on his wrist comm. There was no response. He pressed the node on his belt to double-check, but there was no signal reception from any of the communication channels. Voidgazer had not lied about having control of the Star Destroyers, he realized detestably. He looked around the flesh-wall room, eyeing the many black doors.

    He paused, and then slowly looked over at the boy. He was hunched, holding his injured arm as he stood in his quiet spot, his eyes shut as if to tune everything out. Begrudgingly, anxiously, Vader considered the boy, his wounds, his state. He skimmed over him with the Force, but the boy's presence exploded with emotions — pain, confusion, anger — and Vader broke off quick, taken aback. Instinctively, almost defensively, he distanced his own presence.

    "If Cylo has control of the Imperial flagships... then he has stopped all operations, including Tagge's attack," he declared, prone to keep his focus. "But his takeover is not yet complete... His cloning chamber should be near..." He thought for a moment. "I will deal with this myself. You will remain here until I return."

    Vader moved to walk away, but Bee-Tee made a spry, heavy bleep, his huge receptor flashing. Triple-Zero pat the astromech's flat top and nodded.

    "Indeed, that's precisely what we've done for you, Lord Vader! Bee-Tee and I already found Cylo's chamber, we just left it you see, and, well... let's just say we saved you the trouble."

    Incredulous, Vader spun around and looked at the two droids. Did this mean what he suspected? Determined to see for himself, he darted away, heading towards the blast-breached threshold which had now cleared itself of smoke. There was no time to waste.

    "You knew."

    The Dark Lord stopped. The young voice behind him was nearly spoken in a whisper, but it was clear. Vader was motionless. He didn't look back at the boy, whose eyes he knew were on him. He made no reply to him. He had none to give.

    "You knew the whole time," the boy said more faintly. He made a tight, hoarse sound in his throat, as if he was blocking any other words from coming out.

    Still Vader didn't move, not for a long while. Then he tilted his helmeted head slightly to his shoulder, as if to say something back. He hesitated, his will at odds, his thoughts upturned...

    Then he saw the memory play out in his mind, still fresh: the boy standing in his way, holding out that remote... the thing that could destroy him... threatening him, ready to use it against him... Bitterness crept into his chest. Disappointment, and something deeper. He felt the dark side offer itself to him in response, and Vader latched onto it, let it harden his resolve. The feelings soon became ash.

    He kept his presence closed off, shrouded completely from the boy. Then, gripping both of the lightsabers covetously in his hands, he marched away without a word.

    He went through and passed into a dark hall with a soft light ahead. He followed the bluish glow that ushered from around the corner. It led to another threshold that had recently been blasted through, the metal frames stained black.

    A bright chamber was revealed through the forced opening. Vader entered it.

    The first thing he noticed were the snow-like mounds of bacta on the ground, nearly solidified and turned white from air exposure. The fluid was piled inches high across the chamber, having spilled out of several tanks that were set against the walls. The glass of each one was broken. Amongst the bacta wreckage there lay several dead bodies. Most were exact copies of Cylo, bearded and bearing Rodian eyes, all naked from their time in stasis. They were marked with blaster wounds several times over. There were also many dead stormtroopers spread across the chamber, blaster holes burnt in their armor.

    Standing in the center, Vader overlooked the scene. He looked at the bacta tanks, at the bodies, at all the telltale signs of struggle...

    He heard something from the doorway. He frowned.

    "I tried to stop him, sir," Triple-Zero attested.

    Vader saw the boy standing there, leaning to the side. His face was solemn. He was eyeing the room over, taking it all in.

    "What happened?" he said, his voice almost an undertone. He avoided looking at the Dark Lord.

    Triple-Zero scoffed. "What happened, he asks... Someone sure doesn't know how to read the room." The droid scuttled his way around the boy and stepped over the leg of a clone. "It was certainly one of the more... creative battles we've seen recently, Lord Vader. The stormtroopers got in the way a bit, as you can see, but we were efficient."

    Pensive, Vader observed the droid, then scanned the chamber again. He studied the bodies, the many busted devices and weapons littered on the ground. This discovery changed things, but how much? He tried to gather his thoughts. He felt he was missing something, some detail...

    Interrupting his contemplation, he heard the boy speak, and saw him frowning at the droid.

    "That stormtrooper squad was sent to destroy the clones," he said in a quiet voice. "You killed them for no reason."

    Triple-Zero wriggled his robotic head and held up a stiff hand. "Correction: we killed them to be timely."

    From behind, Bee-Tee rolled towards the young man, who watched him guardedly, still looking disgruntled. The small droid made an array of deep bleeps.

    "I think so too," said Triple-Zero, and he turned at Vader. "You know, master, for all the trouble this blond fellow has caused for us, I do hope you plan on giving him some magnificent punishment. I have suggestions if you're open to them. A vocal cord-ectomy, for starters."

    "Enough, Triple-Zero." Vader headed back towards the entrance, taking his time as he passed the boy, waiting to see if he would speak. The boy still averted his gaze. Glowering under the mask, Vader did the same and turned his head to address the droid. "The inspector. Where is he now?"

    "He and the astromech have been taken care of, sir. Most assuredly."

    At this the boy paled, and rounded on the droid. "What do you mean, taken care of? What have you done to them?"

    "Well, isn't that precious, the prisoner is making demands!" The droid fixed his red eyes on him, leering. "If you expect me to actually answer you"

    "Enough!" Vader berated, silencing the droid and the boy, who both jumped. Vader swerved and pointed at Triple-Zero. "You are in error, droid. I see six tanks, but only five dead clones. One remains... Cylo is still onboard, in some form. And he is fleeing... We must hurry."

    He swept towards the door, but Triple-Zero crept over towards him and leaned in close, speaking behind his hand.

    "What of the blond one, master? Shall we knock him out? Or simply let him... bleed out?"

    Vader glanced at the boy again, at his weak, unbalanced form. The young one looked at him now, watching him intensely, eyebrows furrowed, and still nursing his ever-bleeding arm.

    "Let him be," Vader responded, casting his dark gaze on him once more, and then he swept away. He strode out of the chamber. Obediently, the droids followed him.

    Luke saw their shadows dwindle away as they left, taken aback as he found himself suddenly alone. He hesitated, his legs wobbling with indecision, his stomach lurching. Then he made a hollow, hard-pressed breath, and walked through the passage. He fell in step behind them.

    Vader led them through corridor after corridor, never speaking or stopping. There were more bodies of stormtroopers, as well as Cylo's gunmen, found in some of the quarters they passed. There were flames, fallen beams, oozing pustules of the flesh-walled areas and other remnants of destruction. Triple-Zero and Bee-Tee had left their mark as they'd made their way to the labs.

    Luke dragged further and further behind. The droids were becoming blurred sheens before him. He couldn't see Vader. So much was blaring through his head, so much that he felt he was adrift in some kind of stupor... He could see blots of red seeping down his armor onto the floor... The pain of the rancor bite seemed to spread the more he tried to ignore it, but he also felt strangely detached from it.

    He couldn't think. All he could bring himself to do was to keep walking.

    He didn't know how much time had gone by before he felt a stirring; he was aware that Vader had come to a halt. The droids had as well, long enough for him to catch up. Automatic doors opened and closed, and his steps faltered as he went through them. Luke blinked and saw they had entered an area with a shining platform, a hangar judging by the few ships set in designated landing stations.

    At the farthest section, one ship was powered up, a shuttle. Cylo stood on the railway before it, dressed in a red overcoat. He faced them, expectant, greeting them with an eyebrow-knitting frown and a sigh.

    Vader stared at him. Luke could feel that dark air radiating from him like a fragrance. Vader approached Cylo, his steps heavy and slow.

    "Cylo." Vader's metallic voice low and scathing. "You have yet to learn... there is no escape."

    Then Cylo was suddenly yanked several feet towards him. He was steered ever closer to the Dark Lord until he was within arms reach. Like Voidgazer, he floated in midair, his boots hovering over the ground. The Dark Lord watched him, captivated, his attention thoroughly drawn to the scientist as if nothing else existed.

    Cylo regarded him, his face fixed with stern composure. "You are the one who will never learn. I will survive, no matter what you do, Vader."

    "You have lost," Vader refuted. "Your crew is gone. Whatever control you had is slipping from your grasp. You have nothing to fall back on. There is no escape for you."

    "Yes, you would know about that, forever trapped in your broken form." Cylo's human eye roamed for a moment. "And in your grand voyage of vengeance... I see you have brought company." His keen gaze set on Luke, and Luke compressed his mouth. He wavered in his steps and moved to the side, backing towards a small enclosure.

    Cylo raised an eyebrow. "Resilient boy... It's no wonder he made for such quality material — as a test subject."

    He gasped. Vader inclined his helmeted head, and Luke felt the dark power wrapping around him with vigor. Cylo's features screwed in, his wrinkles engraving and stretching on his face. Spit flew from his bared teeth as he gulped for air.

    "Death will come," Vader said softly. "But first... you will suffer."

    The scientist was then flipped upside down. Cylo twirled over them. His back hit flat against the high reaches of the ceiling. He then proceeded in a series of fast, knee-jerk movements, orchestrated by the slightest pulse of Vader's fingers. Cylo was slammed against the walls, dragged across the deck, bashed into the side of a ship's wing, thrown into the edged corner of a supply box. His face soon became bruised and bloody.

    Luke watched, disconcerted and dazed, and he felt the urge to move, to do something — for a moment he even thought about trying to slip away — but he felt strangely stuck to the spot. Beside him, the droids were still and quiet, watching as if in a trance.

    Finally Cylo stopped, still held in that invisible grip, gurgling and looking like a battered, stringless puppet. He was moved slowly towards Vader. Vader looked him over, patient and prepared. He ignited his lightsaber.

    "Do it then," wheezed the scientist. Blood dripped from his mouth, spilling into his trimly cut beard. "Kill me, Vader. Make me be reborn yet again."

    "Your duplicates are no more, fool. The creatures you crafted to feed your cowardice cannot save you." He brought the searing blade closer and closer to Cylo's face. It was an inch from his Rodian eye. "You will be eradicated. You will burn."

    Cylo's gagged out a simpering cry and his face started to compress, caught in a Force-choke. The corner of his mouth pinched, and then formed a taut expression, a mix between a scowl and a smile.

    "Not... c-cowardice..." he worked out, nearly indiscernible, the blood-red light hot on his face. "...Cunning."

    He lifted up a hand, circuits lighting up beneath his fingertips, and there was a loud, buzzing echo. A high-pitched whirlwind flooded the hangar.

    Luke spun around, and saw it was coming from the enclosure behind him. A side hatch had opened from within it.

    At once he felt a sense of imbalance, his feet became unstuck — he was sliding along the floor — and before he knew it, he was being lifted and pulled away.

    Everything sped past him. There was a clutter of light and sound; he could make out the motion of Vader's dark form, Cylo falling to the floor, the droids slanting where they stood, but only he was moving past it all, only he was being dragged away...

    In an instant, it was all gone. He was flying through the hatch, through the chute, and then Luke was sent hurling into the blackness of space.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2020
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  21. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Wow, that was something: "You knew the whole time." [face_thinking]

    Then the confrontation with Cylo, followed by... :oops: Luke being pulled out the hatch! [face_worried]

    =D=
     
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  22. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    Wow. I can see some feelings starting to stir in Vader...feelings he likely can't identify. Is that paternal instinct? Hope so!

    But....that hatch.....
    I am not ashamed to admit I almost yelped aloud at that.
    :eek:
    LUKE!!!! NO!!!!

    Vader, you get your son back in there! Now! [face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting][face_nail_biting]
     
  23. Saga_Symphony

    Saga_Symphony Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2010
    Here's another update for you guys. It probably needs more work (don't they always), but here it goes...[face_coffee]




    Luke could see the reflection of light on the chute that he'd passed through. It was now closing.

    He was drawn away from it, farther and farther. At once he felt his lungs become dry, the skin on his face felt thick, and Luke slowly kicked as he tried in vain to fight the microgravity that carried him. He could see he was drifting away from the mass of the whale-ship. Space loomed beyond, vast and untouchable.

    Stars blinked, peppered across the black void. He saw two large arrows, the Star Destroyers, and smaller ships so far away they looked like feathers gliding among the nebula's streaks of green, blue, and magenta. A yellow sun flared in the distance.

    The water in his mouth began to boil. His lungs were hardening, desperate for breathable air. His insides were swelling up, crushing with a gross inflammation. He could see blots of red floating around him, and realized it was his own blood, coming from his injured arm.

    It was a heart-stopping moment when Luke realized that, in a few moments, he was going to die.

    Helplessness overcame him, unbearable, aching. Luke felt his eyes well up until they stung. Thoughts sped through his mind, wishes and memories he longed to hold on to...

    He saw an old, white-bearded face, trying to say something to him...

    Ben, he implored, searching the black depths for his friend, waiting for that ghostly voice to respond. Ben, help me, please...

    Emptiness answered him. Luke wanted to try again, but his mind was inviting another person, another face. This one held a pair of beautiful brown eyes, filled with hope.

    Luke, please... The Alliance needs you.

    Another face swept to him, this one bearing a proud, winning grin.

    I don't care how mystical and magical that Jedi stuff is, it's not worth dyin' over. You hear me, Luke?

    Pain and guilt welled in his heart. Leia. Han. His friends, all of them... he'd never see them again...

    He could barely keep track as more images came and went, like fleeting, half-remembered dreams. He saw two suns crossing in the Tatooine heat. He was flying through giant grey trenches. A sphere exploded in a fiery ring. Ships were spiraling. Blooming fire everywhere, bodies scattered...

    There was cold static. Blue orbs. An old mustached face, frowning with doubt.

    A great black figure, radiating with power, standing in front of him, shielding him...

    His father... Stabs of regret sunk into him, more painful than the soreness loading his body. It was so raw yet so vague, an impossible combustion, like one giant explosion blowing into another. White blurs appeared before him, clouding his eyes and thoughts.

    His head was pounding. Everything around him was pounding. Everything was going away, turning to white...

    After everything... this was how it was going to end...

    No.

    The voice broke into his consciousness, and with it the morose memories and feelings dimmed out. Weak and dull-eyed, Luke slanted his head down, guided by an unmistakable presence — that familiar burning coldness — and he saw near one of the giant glowing orifices, close to the chute he'd shot out of, stood a figure. It was nearly lost against the intense light of the orange orb, but the silhouette was clearly Vader's.

    His father... he had come for him... Luke watched in amazement as Vader stood on a curved piece of an exterior component, firmly stuck to it, his cape wrinkling in the windless gravity. He began sliding over the metallic wedges. The black helmet looked up his way, seeking him.

    Hold on. The message rose in Luke, glowing with promise. Luke felt a sheer burst of thankfulness. He was going to survive, he was going to live! But he soon recoiled; his insides continued to bloat and grind with fire. The black form started to blur and distort... He was losing sight, losing himself... He was too far away...

    It was too late, Luke realized. Vader wouldn't reach him in time.

    I can't, he sent back in anguish.

    You will, the presence said back.

    Luke felt that dark power suddenly gather itself, and it rushed out to Luke like an avid thundercloud. It surrounded him, enveloping him in coldness, and somehow it was fluxing out the weakness, the whiteness, keeping it at bay, keeping him... alive. Gradually, Luke felt himself being pulled in by it as if carried by a tide.

    The dark smear that was Vader became clearer, closer. Relief rose in Luke again, fierce and bright, blocking out everything else. As he was brought closer in the Force-pull, delirious and unthinking, he lifted his arm, pushing back against the pressure that fought against his every move. His hand shaking, he reached out for the Dark Lord.

    Vader's presence flickered, and a strange vibration came from him. The black form moved closer to the edge, and with a steady slowness Luke saw his father extend his own hand. His Force-pull seemed to enshroud Luke now; the coldness of it was intense, like Luke was under a sheet of ice.

    He was getting closer to the ship now, closer to his father...

    A thousand thoughts poured from him. He could see Vader much clearer now, the distinct form and unreadable mask. He felt the gaze behind it boring into him, the spirit within alight like a blazing shadow. The leather fingers spread out and stretched long, awaiting for his grasp. Luke reached back as far as he could, his fingers stiff and feeling ready to snap from the strain.

    I can... I'm almost... there...

    Then it all stopped. The Force-pull faltered, the coldness dissipated. Something had happened. Luke felt something hit him from behind, grab him with a sudden force. He was yanked and pulled away.

    At this, Vader's presence shot like a jet of fire. His hand balled and clenched, brandishing the Force, fighting for control. The cold flame of his presence surrounded Luke again. Luke felt himself being pulled back and forth. He couldn't turn to see what was taking him, nor could he feel any of his limbs. He felt the burning and bloating coming back in full.

    He tried to hold on, to call on the Force, but mustering any mental effort felt impossible. His lungs were so deprived they'd lost all feeling. He couldn't resist as he felt his brain become smothered, his heart slowing down...

    The last thing he remembered was the wall of cold light that was his father's presence, suddenly letting go, dimming to an afterglow. Then everything muddied away. The cloudy whiteness came, and claimed Luke.

    Vader stood, watching as the boy was dragged away. An extraction cable pulled him towards an awaiting shuttle, a bronze, aquatic-looking vessel that floated in the distance, semi-camouflaged with its surroundings. The boy disappeared into the gap of its hull and the doors closed. The engines flared, and the shuttle took off. It blasted into lightspeed, and the bright presence of the boy faded away along with it.

    Vader stared into the starlit darkness, at the haze of hyperdust left behind. The emptiness mocked him as he stood, devoured in his rage, in sheer defeat, wanting to tear through the black curtain of the endless void with his own two hands. Parts of the ship's exterior around him split and crushed, impacted by his invisible wrath.

    Then Vader suddenly rebounded, shifted his attention away. He maneuvered his magnetic-clamped boots along the structure until he came to the rim of the shaft he'd exited from. He slid into it, Force-pushed it shut, and began to fall back into the whale-ship's depths. He landed in the dim underpass. He passed through the walkway, and soon found his way back into the hangar.

    Triple-Zero and Bee-Tee stood aimlessly on the elevated platform, scant flames strewn across the place from blasterfire. Cylo was gone — as was his ship.

    He tightened his fists, keeping his rage contained, making it fuel him to do what needed to be done. Vader hurried past the droids, raced down the corridor that led to the labs. He made his way through the rancor den, past the bacta tank chamber, until he had found the command bridge. The floor of the bridge was see-through, and beneath it contained the hard-to-miss sight of a gigantic brain that was as large as the room itself.

    Outside, the view of both the Devastator and the Executor could be seen miles away, both aslant and unresponsive among the clusters of stray TIE-fighters surrounding them.

    Vader looked over the controls. The computer was set to an automatic program. The ship was on course to crash right into the Executor... where the Emperor was currently onboard. Vader glared, and pressed numerous key combinations to change the program, to shut it down.

    "Collision course cannot be altered. No override is possible," the robotic voice supplied.

    He ripped out the device and threw it to the ground, the remaining wires spritzing from the outlet. Vader stepped away from the console, collected himself again, made himself desensitized to his feelings. He checked everything over, wondering how much time he had to try anything else... Through the large window, he could see the large Star Dreadnaught progressing into view like a grey dart in slow motion. His mind raced impatiently. He looked below at the massive, cyber-enhanced brain. The bunched curls pressed against the glass under his feet, contained in sustaining fluid.

    He knew what he had to do. He drew on the Force, pushed his will onto the creature, repelling the cybernetics that directed its primal mind. Electricity spilled from the cerebrum, and there was a deep, wailing moan that resounded everywhere as the creature reeled in pain. Slowly, the whale-ship began to steer off the targeted course, waving its flipper-like arms to go another direction entirely: towards the yellow sun.

    Triple-Zero and Bee-Tee had just stepped through the entrance when Vader turned to leave. He made a sharp halt before them.

    "The escape pod you came here in. Where is it?" he bellowed.

    Triple-Zero staggered, but answered. "In the anterior docking bay, sir. We seem to—"

    Without another word, Vader stepped in between the droids, shouldering them aside, and he marched back into the corridor.

    Triple-Zero regained his balance, having nearly fallen over. He beckoned at his small companion. "I think that's our cue to hightail it, Bee-Tee. Looks like we're getting off the giant Robo-fish of Doom... Well, it was fun while it lasted."

    The astromech rolled towards the taller droid and let out a couple of grumbling bleeps.

    "Oh, stop complaining. We've seen plenty of action, took down many organics," Triple-Zero said as they both moved through the hall, trailing far behind their master. "We may not have stopped Cylo, but look on the bright side, Bee-Tee: at least we won't have to worry about that yellow-haired nuisance anymore."
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2020
  24. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    :eek::eek::eek:

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    :_|:_|:_|:_|:_|:_|:_|:_|
     
  25. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    YIKES! From start to finish, you've never ceased to surprise me. But I was not expecting that! :( Now Luke appears to be literally lost and he and Vader's paths have diverged.
     
    AzureAngel2 and Togruta like this.