Title: “There might be dragons”, a Darth Vader one-shot for the “Representing the Under-represented Mod! Challenge”

Author: AzureAngel2

Co-Author and editor:@DarthUncle

Main beta editor: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

Length: one-shot

Summary: Director Krennic is not the favourite of a certain Sith lord. But the man from Lexruul has something in his possession for which Darth Vader could kill. Something unique. Fatherhood.

Time frame: The story takes place in 15 BBY.

Planet of choice: Coruscant

Disclaimer: SW is owned by George Lucas, Lucas Ltd. and now The Walt Disney Company



Here I go out to see again
The sunshine fills my hair and dreams hang in the air
Gulls in the sky and in my blue eyes
You know it feels unfair, there's magic everywhere

Look at me standing here on my own again, up straight in the sunshine
No need to run and hide, it's a wonderful, wonderful life
No need to laugh or cry, it's a wonderful, wonderful life

The sun's in your eyes, the heat is in your hair
They seem to hate you because you're there
And I need a friend, oh, I need a friend
To make me happy, not stand there on my own

Look at me standing here on my own again, up straight in the sunshine
No need to run and hide, it's a wonderful, wonderful life
No need to laugh or cry, it's a wonderful, wonderful life

Mmm, mmh, mmh, mmh, mmh
I need a friend, oh, I need a friend
To make me happy, not so alone

Look at me here, here on my own again, up straight in the sunshine
No need to run and hide, it's a wonderful, wonderful life
No need to laugh or cry, it's a wonderful, wonderful life
It's a wonderful life, it's a wonderful life, it's a wonderful life



Words flew back and forth with a vehemence that reminded Darth Vader of full-automatic fire. Something else than his memories of the Clone Wars battlefields made the dark lord of the Sith stay discreetly in the background though. Fact was that he had not been officially invited to this meeting. Tarkin had given him an irritated frown when he had entered the crowded chamber but had soon forgotten about him. The haggard governor was too busy performing a verbal vivisection on Director Krennic. But the latter proved to be tougher than he looked.

“I will deliver, that's what an architect eventually does. But you are the Governor of the Outer Rim. It is your responsibility to keep pirates off my supplies and to put your boot down when it comes to mining issues.”

The voices of the two men became a sort of duet, an ugly one.

“Your daughter must give you powers beyond imagination,” the dark lord of the Sith thought silently. “It is not only your work that you defend here. You fight for her. Because you know that your downfall will be her undoing. For her you will finish the battle-station.”

He crossed his artificial arms in front of him.

It was a fact that a sick child caused a lot of medical bills within the Empire. After the Clone Wars there had been too many children. This was why health insurance that gone up immensely the past years. But the 'Tarkin Initiative' made it possible for its members to enjoy a lot of privileges other citizens had not.

Cassandra Morrígain Krennic had more therapists for her many disabilities than fingers on her little hands. His spies had found out a lot about the girl over the past days, digging deep into forbidden medical records. Knowledge was for sale for the right price. Even that of a paediatrician, who still was not aware to whom he had sold all those files.

Even though it hurt him, the dark lord smiled a bit.

“In your eyes she is perfect, Krennic. The child you always wanted, enriching your otherwise lonely life.”

He could not help to admire the steely determination Director Krennic had shown in private. All the battles he had given the system to improve his daughter's life profoundly. Of late, his fatherhood seemed to be the hyper-drive for the doomed 'Project Celestrial Power'.

“First you wanted the universe to be a safe place for Nagina. When she died, you clung on to your work like a drowning man. But when you found out about her clone, it inspired you to so much more. With her at your side you even managed to hunt down the errand Galen Erso. A task at which all bounty hunters, even Boba Fett, had failed.”

Among the Imperial pack at the conference table Director Krennic clearly was nothing but an underdog. Even his white uniform with the long cape only underlined the fact that he was nothing but a socially awkward farm boy from the Outer Rim.

The dark lord had to admit though that his opponent was clever in what he did as an architect and engineer. Krennic's constructions bordered on the fantastic, even had engulfed old Sith miracles.

“If I just could have one hour with that daughter of yours.”

He remembered the pearls of Sith wisdom that had come out of her lovely mouth during their last meeting. It had been at the art gallery. In the Tatooine chamber. Of course he had known that those words had been quotes from Darth Revan, nested deep in her soul for whatever reason.

To look up more scripts of the famous Sith lord was impossible for Darth Vader though. Of course he had tried, but his own illiteracy had stood in the way.

A mix of anger and disappointment came over him. He did not dare to ask his master to read to him. This was not the shape of their relationship. It never would be.

Jealousy made way.

Nagina had been fluent in a lot of the ancient languages, foremost Sanskrit and Latin. Palpatine had made sure of that. With almost fatherly love he had taught his illegitimate niece to read and to write. Also in Aurebesh and Futhork. Texts had been her window to the universe, her friends in the early years of her life. Her love for literature had grown the older she had gotten.

“Of course your life had not been easy. You have shown me yourself. But you stayed kind and helpful. And you believed in life long learning. Your motto was that no child should be left behind.”

Tarkin rammed his fist down. “In nine months from now, this entire episode will be over. Is that understood, Director Krennic?”

“Am I to give birth then?”

While the governor had nothing but a dark look for the officer, the other people broke out in laughter.

“Let me explain to you how babies are made in other places than Eriadu,” Director Krennic moved on arrogantly. "Before I tell you what is possible under the given circumstances and what is not. Wookie slaves do not necessarily grow on trees. They have mommas and papas, too. Those need to be fed decently in order to reproduce.”

Under normal circumstances slave issues did not cause him any kind of trouble. Today, he was strangely touchy about it.

The dark lord stole out of the conference room before the meeting was officially over. In a corner full of silence and shadows he drew the dark side around him like an invisible cloak. The more he used that trick, the better he got at it. These days his victims were not even able to hear his artificial breath before it was too late. But all his might did not satisfy him.

If he could just get the Krennic child to read some of Palpatine's valuable Sith literature to him. There was so much he could learn from the ancient warrior race.

It was an irony, really. For the first time in ages Darth Vader was willing to learn, but his dark master proved to be a sullen and difficult teacher. There was no true development there. No growth potential.

Cassandra would be a much better match. Somebody without judgement. He could even imagine her having fun with the task at hand. Everything seemed to be a charming adventure to her.

The only obstacle remained the man who had adopted her.

“I am glad that you have no clue about Anakin Skywalker, little director. About the outrageous revelation that Sheev Palpatine made to that young, foolish Jedi knight. If you did, you would fear for your precious daughter even more.”

Though Nagina's soul was stranded in a clone body, she was still blood of the dark lord's blood. Flesh of his flesh. Therefore Cassandra was safe from harm. She was family by a strange twist of fate.

Minutes turned into half an hour.

Director Krennic was the last to leave the conference room, muttering obscure curses to himself. Like a farmer dissatisfied with the harvest and not like an Imperial officer.

Darth Vader waited until the man stepped into an elevator.

At the last moment he willed the doors open and rushed inside. “Director Krennic,” he boomed.

The startled officer gazed at him wide eyed.

The metal doors closed behind Darth Vader and the elevator began its journey, but not for long.

A mighty jolt went through the cabin.

“I would like to meet your daughter again, if I may.”

The fear of the other man was gone in an instant. “If you had a child of your own, you would know how weird that sounds, right?”

Inside his helmet he rolled his eyes. “You seem to think very lowly of me, Director Krennic.”

“To be honest, I am too pissed off by you to think anything reasonable,” the officer snarled, his face a mask of contempt.

An unbidden memory came to the dark lord. It was one about Shmi Skywalker stepping between Watto and her son.

He shook slightly.

How could he have forgotten how protective a parent could be about a child?

Was the thought too painful because of Padmé, too?

Questions upon questions.

Director Krennic distracted him. “I fear you are too powerful to be held up by a restraining order, but Cassandra is not part of the usual pecking order around here,” he barked like some farm dog.

Calmly, Darth Vader replied, “I never suggested such.”

“Whatever you try to achieve here, my daughter will never be in the same room with you again.” The officer was so much in uproar that spit followed each of his words. “You drew a freckin' light sabre against her, claiming to teach her a lesson.”

“She stayed calmer than you are right now,” the dark lord observed. “Fearless even.”

“Cassandra has been through a lot in her young life.” There was fire in the other man's blue eyes. “I will not let you traumatize her with your sorcerer's ways.”

“If I am a sorcerer, then I can conjure her any time I want to.”

Krennic's fingers seemed small and meaningless against the Sith chest plate. “Over my dead body, Vader.”

“If this is how you feel about it,” he replied acidly.

“My Ina told me many stories about you Sith people,” the officer gave back immediately. “You can be stopped.”

“The Jedi are gone,” Darth Vader reminded the other man almost friendly.

“There are other means than a Jedi.” Blue eyes turned into slits. “That convor of Ina's and the guardians of the Wills might tell me were to find a true Force bender.”

“What an interesting threat!” the dark lord spoke appraisingly, because real adversaries were scarce.

“Now set this elevator back in motion!” demanded Director Krennic.

And to his own surprise, Darth Vader did.

Wordlessly, the other man marched out once the door opened.

The dark lord could not help the rumble that built up in him. It almost made his chest hurt. At a point he let go and he laughed. For the first time in years.



Sources:
The song “A wonderful life” by Black (1987)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

 

Wonderful contest of wills & naturally Krennic is protective of Cassandra. Vader's reflections about her are insightful.

 

Stunning display of love for Cassie from Krennic over his usual somewhat snivelling opportunism; and right away rewarded because Vader allows him to get away with it; he must want something from her badly (or could it be, gasp, a positive emotion?).

Eh, wait, so is this the incident that Krennic describes in your latest update of "Death shall have no dominion ..." http://boards.theforce.net/threads/and-death-shall-have-no-dominion-drama-about-krennic´s-daughter-a-mix-of-canon-legends.50048805/page-4#post-55263188

That looks like Krennic doesn't quite tell the whole of it; that's more like his usual self. I'm relieved

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: It is always interesting gazing into Vader´s mind. Expect more soonish!

@well, Orson has his own views on the universe and on life in common. But he loves the child he took in like his own blood.

 

That image to me represents these words very well. If only he knew what he had (again, what would he really do if he had penetrated the Child Services records?! We, he, and especially the emperor, who in the end couldn't even spare his niece, but still wouldn't let her have peace - an event which gave us Cassie - might have been surprised.)

 

@DarthUncle: You have the Irish state and the Catholic church to blame that NOBODY can penetrate the Child Service records in my SW galaxy.

Around the time that I started writing the Nagina story I had watched the movie "Pilomena" on DVD. And afterwards I started to seek a lot of documentaries online. About those records being guarded and nobody can look into them. Neither the mothers seeking their lost children or the kids growing up somewhere else.