Saga Interview with a Sith - Darth Vader speaks - Complete 3/14 - Cover art added!

Chapter 2: A Most Auspicious Day

?I grew up and I became a man,? he said.

So, he was human. I had thought so, and his words had seemed to indicate that, but under all the black armor who is to know except the Dark Lord himself?

?Yes, I was very human,? he said as if amused at my internal dialogue.

Was? What sort of remark was that?

?I have transformed myself into something more than human,? he said as if in reply to my silent question. ?And something less,? he conceded.

?I?m not sure I understand.?

He stopped pacing and looked out those viewports once again. ?I prefer the darkness and silence of space,? he said.

I had no idea where the conversation was going now; I merely followed where this man took us. Remaining quiet, I was anxious to see where his musings might lead us.

?It?s clean,? he said. ?Like nothing planetside could ever be.?

Lord Vader?s respirator was the only sound in the stark chamber. I wondered if the unending grayness of it ever depressed him.

?What is your most pleasant memory, Kumar Ashram??

I jumped in my seat, startled both at his use of my name for the first time ? I wasn?t sure he even knew my name ? and at the question. He still did not turn to look at me.

?I?ah?I suppose it was the day my son was born, my lord,? I answered carefully.

?Yes, that would be a most auspicious day,? he agreed. ?How old is your son now??

For a brief moment I saw Raj?s face before me, laughing like he so often did. My Raj was a happy child, well adjusted and content. ?He?s four now, just turned four last month.?

?You worry about your son,? he commented. I was slowly getting used to his uncanny ability to discern my thoughts.

?Yes, but that is what a parent does, is it not?? Hesitating, I asked my question very softly. ?How do you know what I am thinking or feeling??

?You?re very open to me,? he explained. ?Others are not quite so easy to read, but you are not difficult at all.?

?I think that should worry me,? I said with an uneasy smile.

?If I wanted you dead, Ashram, you would be a cooling corpse on the floor right now,? he said. ?But that would defeat the purpose of this interview, would it not??

Absorbing that thought with more composure than I would have thought possible, I nodded. He was correct. Killing me would prove to be a ridiculously easy task if he was inclined to do so. And besides, what was the point?

Struck by a sudden thought, I had to ask him, ?Do you have any children, my lord?? Of course the answer would no. How utterly ridiculous to think of Lord Vader as a father!

It looked like a tremor ran through the armored bulk, but I knew that must have been a mistaken impression.

?Do you think a monster like me could be a good father??

There was no safe answer to that question, which I suspected was precisely why he?d asked it. But I had never done the expected or taken the safe path. My summons here was proof enough of that.

?One has only to look at nature to know that even the fiercest predators can be admirable parents,? I replied, sensing that my answer surprised him.

?You?re not quite as simple as you seem,? he said with a note of admiration in his voice, modulated as it was. ?And do you see me as a predator??

?I think you are a deadly enemy, my lord.?

?All enemies are deadly if they committed enough to see their hatred through to the end.? He finally turned to face me. ?There is no being more dangerous than the one willing to give up his life to end yours.?

It took no imagination at all to picture him stalking his prey, waiting to go in for the kill. There was a sleek quality to him that reminded me of a sand cat, the gorgeous and completely deadly creature native to the desert plains of my homeworld.

?You never answered my question, Lord Vader.? Even I was surprised at my own audacity.

?Nor do I intend to,? Vader replied.

?No answer is an answer in itself.?

Slowly, the huge helmet dipped in a nod. ?So it is.?

?So - you do have children??

?Why do you want to know? So you c

 

This is really good! Please continue!

 

Very good!!!!!

Who is asking the questions at this interview???

 

Ahhhhh horrible cliffe!!

All the questions about children and love.. awesome job!

Really makes you think about love more doesn't it?

Brilliant

 

Awesome job. Really like the interaction between Vader and the interviewer. You make him seem even more human than what he is. Will be really interesting when Vader discusses his marriage to Padme. Can't wait for more.

 

I especially like the way Vader gets defensive and dodges the question when the topic turns to Padme.

This is so fluidly written. Their conversation just seems to flow so well from one aspect of Vader's life to the next, giving us tiny, tantilizing clues about our interviewer in the process.

 

I'm speechless.


that depiction of Vader is astonishing!!!


please continue soon

 

I would love to interview Darth Vader. If he got mad and decided to Force-chock me, I'd die happy!

I also love the way this is coming along. Seems like Vader is beating around the bush a bit. Can't wait for the next chapter!

 

This is turning out to be a nice fic. Good job! !

 

Jaina-Solo-1 Thanks!

Vongchild His identity is revealed at the end. No one you would know; he's an OC.

Layren Me? Evil cliffie? No way! Thanks for reading.

JediMasterRev I thought since he had "found" Luke that he might be thinking a little differently about himself, his past, and his role in the galaxy now. Not much, just a bit!

Gina Thank you! And you know how much I value your opinion. Thanks for encouraging me with this piece. It meant a lot!

Darth_Djiin Wow! Thanks!

mixza I feel exactly the same way! I would cut off my left arm to interview the big lug!

TIEPilot051999 Thank you so much! I'm flattered you like it!

 

i'll be the odd ball and make a lengthy reply, m'kay?

?All enemies are deadly if they committed enough to see their hatred through to the end.? He finally turned to face me. ?There is no being more dangerous than the one willing to give up his life to end yours.?
if i didn't already love your writing, this right here would have converted me that's just an awesome and terrifying truth for him to spout there!!


I flinched back, as much from the image of him taking a woman into his embrace as his anger. Deciding which one was more unsettling was impossible.
i did the same thing--as the conversation drew me in, the thought of Padme' in his arms was distressing & i flinched at that thought! great writing, Kimberly!

?Love is not soft; it just might be the cruelest thing in the galaxy,? sometimes, yes


i'm loving the dialog--it's got the great dynamic of two people with strong wills dancing about in that age-old tangle of words.... great work!

 

Wow! This story is simply amazing! And I agree, how cool would it be to interview Darth Vader? I'm so jealous!

 

?So - you do have children??

?Why do you want to know? So you can marvel over the fact that a woman once found something to love in me and dared to bear my child?? His voice was harsh now, a deep note of anger in it.

This part was heartbreaking for me because it seems that all Vader really wants is to be accepted (atleast unconsciously) but no one is brave enough to....

Anyway, nice addition! Please update soon!

jazz

 

Can't wait for your next chapter!Most entertaining!

 

Wow....truly great dialogue. CONTINUE!!!

 

What a great story, VaderLVR! You never fail to astonish me with all the completely original fics you dream up, and then you do such an awesome job of making each one a masterpiece!

There's so much depth and hidden layers to the dialogue, and so much insight into Vader's character. I'm looking forward to more!

Kristeh

 

?Love is not soft; it just might be the cruelest thing in the galaxy,? he said. ?Perhaps it is love that led me here and why I stand before you as only a shadow of the man I once was.? He paused and there was only the sound of his mechanical breathing. ?Or maybe not,? he said wryly, as if enjoying some private joke.

Lovely post. I also especially love the part where the interviewer is complimented as being not so simple... and where he inferences that, while Vader won't say so, he in fact does have children. No answer is answer enough. Brilliant! Keep it up... you're keeping me in suspense as to what Vader's motive turns out to be. And that's a good thing.

 

SarkaVrae Thank you so much! I had a bad morning and reading your response made it much, much better!

AnakinsHeir I know, I'd love to talk to him, too! Thanks for reading.

jazz Thanks! I have the rest ready to go. I need to tweak it and make sure Vader is saying what he has to say.

LadyZaraMarta Thank you! I hope you will like the rest of it.

Frank212 Thanks! I'm flattered that you like it. And thank you for reading.

kristeh Well you know how much I love to write Vader and this plot bunny was pretty insistent. Thanks for reading!

ShrunkenJedi This interviewer really was the perfect person to conduct the interview, though he was chosen for different reasons. I hope the rest of their talk will prove interesting!

 

Struck by a sudden thought I had to ask him, ?Do you have any children, my lord?? Of course the answer would no. How utterly ridiculous to think of Lord Vader as a father!

It looked like a tremor ran through the armored bulk, but I knew that must have been a mistaken impression.

?Do you think a monster like me could be a good father??

There was no safe answer to that question, which I suspected was precisely why he?d asked it.

?One has only to look at nature to know that even the fiercest predators can be admirable parents,? I replied, sensing that my answer surprised him.


Love the dialogue! You've captured the duality of Vader's nature, and I can see him feeling ambivalent about his choices once he knows about Luke. Not ready to say he made the wrong choices, but wondering, perhaps, what might have been.

 

Love it! What more can I say? I read both posts in one sitting and WOW! I know how interesting you find Vader, and I think you've done a superb job of expressing his complexity here.

 

Good post. Just wish it was longer!

 

LukesTheMan Thank you! I see Darth Vader as a very conflicted being at this point in his life. Thanks for reading.

DreamOfKenobi Yeah, I love my man in black! Thank you for reading this odd little work.

Dally Thanks! And here is a little more for you!

---

[b]Chapter 3: Certain Repercussions[/b]

He resumed his pacing, which I found comforting in an odd sort of way. It was familiar now, and it felt right. More and more, he began to resemble a caged sand cat, intent only on gaining his freedom and making his jailors pay the penalty for daring to lock him away.

Who had caged him? And what would be their fate once he found his way free of his prison?

I shuddered; glad that I would never know.

?How many children do you have, my lord?? My legendary stubbornness was coming to the fore. My mother had scolded me for it on an almost daily basis, yet she had never cured me of it.

?I have a son?? The words seemed to slip from him without his knowledge or permission and he stopped pacing abruptly.

I managed to keep the expression of surprise off of my face, but he probably sensed it through whatever formidable means were at his disposal.

Then the heavy footsteps continued once more, pacing back and forth. This particular sand cat was restless, agitated. It was then that I recalled the images of the sand cat?s victims; it wasn?t a pretty sight. And here I was, poking at the creature in the cage. As I mentioned before, I am a fool.

?Where is your son??

?I do not know.?

?How can you not-?

Halting, he turned to me swiftly, his black cloak swaying behind him before it settled into place. ?Would you not hide a child from one such as me??

I stared into the opaque lenses that concealed a man?s eyes; that concealed a man. ?I don?t know, my lord.? I answered as honestly as I could. His head dipped in acknowledgement of my candor. As incongruous as it seemed, he valued the truth, no matter how painful.

?I do not know where my son is. His mother took great pains to hide him from me before he was even born.? He tilted his head to the side as if considering the matter. ?He was raised on a Tatooine moisture farm. Imagine, [i]my[/i] son ? a farmer on that dustbowl.?

There was something beyond a distaste for farming in the Sith?s voice. I had heard the same thing in the voices of witnesses to horrific crimes. It was a blend of pain and guilt. Whatever Tatooine meant to this man, it was not pleasant. Thrusting away that uncomfortable thought, I forged ahead.

?So you?ve never seen him?? I could not dream of never having seen Raj, never having smelled his baby smell, or watched him discover something new. To never have held that small body close to me was unimaginable.

Lord Vader went back to the port and resumed his perusal of the black void. ?Oh, I?ve seen him.? In that instant, his voice was like any other father?s, both proud and amazed that he had helped to produce such an amazing being. That mixture of pride and bafflement made him seem all too human.

?What does he think?? My voice trailed off. How could I phrase the question without giving insult?

?What does he think of [i]me[/i]?? There was irony in the tone. If he had been any other man, I would have said he was laughing at me.

?Well, yes,? I said with relief.

Turning back toward me he hooked his thumbs on the massive belt that encircled his waist. ?He thinks I am a liar,? he said. ?And in a way, he?s right.?

Not knowing what to say to that, I tried to veer the conversation in another direction. ?What is your son?s name? I imagine that there is not a Lord Vader II running about the galaxy,? I said with a touch of daring amusement.

Luckily for me, he either appreciated or ignored my jest. ?No, there is not.? The deep, rumbling voice gave away nothing and he volunteered no more information.

?Are you willing to tell me his name??

?I supposed you do not have anyone to tell, do you??

A swift pang as I remembered why I had been chosen. ?No, my lord, that is true.?

?Very we

 

And here I was, poking at the creature in the cage. As I mentioned before, I am a fool.



Amazing, VaderLVR! I don't know how much you have borrowed from Rice, but I do know that you have applied her concept to the Star Wars galaxy with utter brilliance. This is a great piece of literature in it's own right.



Darth Vader is evil, but good
/LM

 

This just gets better and better!

?Very well then, his name is Luke Skywalker.?

The name was familiar, but for a moment I could not place where I had heard it. Then it hit me with the force of a durasteel wall crashing on my head. ?Isn?t he the one who destroyed the-?

?Yes,? he said. I sensed his reluctant pride in his son?s daring.

?I see.? Hesitating just a moment, I decided to forge ahead. ?Didn?t that cause difficulties with the Emperor?? How civilized that word sounded, how inconvenient and trivial. But reports of Palpatine?s rage had leaked through the holes in the court to flood the general public.

?There were certain?.repercussions,? he answered carefully. There was something in his voice that told me he had been the one to pay the price for his son?s costly escapade.

There is so much duality in this part, and so many subtleties... this interviewer has nothing to lose, he says. He is certainly as bold as this implies!

I'm following this with a lot of enjoyment! -SJ

 

how do you write so well???!!! this was an incredible post! i'm going to comment on several things, but understand that as i started to copy what i wanted to comment on, i almost reposted the whole post! this was just...awesome!

Then the heavy footsteps continued once more, pacing back and forth. This particular sand cat was restless, agitated. It was then that I recalled the images of the sand cat?s victims; it wasn?t a pretty sight. And here I was, poking at the creature in the cage. As I mentioned before, I am a fool.
two things--first, i love the imagery you have here of the cat--it works well for Vader, imo. second, i'm loving this reporter person--the blunt, foolish honesty is just great! a lot like what i'd be, i'd imagine

Halting, he turned to me swiftly, his black cloak swaying behind him before it settled into place. ?Would you not hide a child from one such as me??
that really struck me as potent and sad

I stared into the opaque lenses that concealed a man?s eyes; that concealed a man. wow...just wow

?So you?ve never seen him?? I could not dream of never having seen Raj, never having smelled his baby smell, or watched him discover something new. To never have held that small body close to me was unimaginable.
and once again, VL's ability to convey a parent's thoughts is so vivid & used so well!

Turning back toward me he hooked his thumbs on the massive belt that encircled his waist. ?He thinks I am a liar,? he said. ?And in a way, he?s right.?
another striking & awesome statement!! wow....so many thoughts come up when i consider this!!

Not knowing what to say to that, I tried to veer the conversation in another direction. ?What is your son?s name? I imagine that there is not a Lord Vader II running about the galaxy,? I said with a touch of daring amusement.
that was great! i needed that touch of humor, as my heart was growing anxious as the story went on...

?I see.? Hesitating just a moment, I decided to forge ahead. ?Didn?t that cause difficulties with the Emperor?? How civilized that word sounded, how inconvenient and trivial.
again, the touch of humor in the midst of so much underlying angst was wonderfully done!!

this was a wonderful job Kimberly!! great work!!