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

Hey, all. I thought I'd post some art stuff I've done relating to this story. I don't want to flood the page so I'll just put them in spoiler tags.

Spoiler: Luke "Skytrooper"

Spoiler: Morit and Aiolin

Spoiler: Thanoth, Luke, and Vader. Some kind of illustration poster thing...

Spoiler: Vader's vision

OK, that out of the way, here's a new update. Hope you like! (And I hope the art stuff isn't too shoehorned).


—

It had all happened so fast Luke had barely been able to take it all in. The three of them had raced to find their way out, aided by the battle droids, blasting through locked doors and sealed rooms as alarms went off around them. Finally, the droids had managed to access the jaw-like rail of the strange ship. Luke went with them, fleeing into the dark, snow-blinding night, and it hadn't been too long before the ship burst behind them in a yellowish cloud of light and smoke.

And through the freezing cold and blackness, Luke had found himself being led through the snow and into another ship: a large readied shuttle. He and Thanoth were put in the center room with the battle droids as if they were luggage, to "stay out of the way", while Triple-Zero assured them that the automated ship was now in hyperspace, and that they were safe.

And so, here they were.

Luke was just finding his way to the backroom of the ship, Artoo close as his side. He was entering the short hall leading to the room, hoping to find some emergency supplies, when he noticed a blue light coming from around the corner. He and Artoo turned in time to see the glow of a holograph flickering away, and with that the room turned dark.

Triple-Zero regarded his smaller companion, and made a slight motion with his rigid arms. "I suppose that's that, then. We have our orders. Well, these last couple of hours haven't quite been the droid-centric adventure that I hoped for, so little carnage or bloodshed... Explosions are nice, but... it's been more like an adventure's prologue if you ask me. But hopefully this will all be over soon, and we can get back to—"

"What's going on here?"

The upper glowpanels turned on, and at the open entrance stood Luke. He leaned slightly against Artoo, who rumbled.

Triple-Zero turned. "This utility room has a fusion station. We wanted a recharge."

Luke looked from one droid to the other. He peered at them.

"I'd say we more than deserve it," Triple-Zero went on. "What with rescuing you just before Cylo's ship exploded. Bringing you safely aboard our ship, despite how profoundly it goes against our wants as assassination droids. Nevertheless, we are on a mission, and truly no droids make progress quite like Bee-Tee and I." Bee-Tee made a grounded bleep in agreement.

Luke's eyebrows pushed down. Slowly, he limped toward the two droids.

"And you wanted to report your progress. To your boss..."

Artoo twirled his head and made a rough bleep. Bee-Tee set his receptor on the other droid and made a quenching growl in return, and Triple-Zero merely looked at Luke in silence. Then the silver droid took a step back. He walked away and left the room. Bee-Tee followed, his head turned backwards, still looking at them.

Artoo swiveled his top and made a few snippy, questioning bleeps. Luke frowned.

"I know we have to keep an eye on them... But right now, we need to see what we can do for Thanoth. This shuttle has to have some kind of medkit or something..."

Luke all but limped his way towards a display installed on the wall. Artoo rolled alongside him. Luke made one weak step after another, attempting to balance himself as he looked through the panels and compartments. He almost stumbled, but stopped himself. Artoo bleeped attentively at him.

"I'm fine, Artoo," he insisted. The young man finally spotted a container with a red insignia on it. "Here we go. Come on, let's hurry back."

He and Artoo left the back room, Luke carrying the pack with him. They walked through the door and made their way into a bright mid-room. Six of the remaining battle droids were there, huddled and powered down. The room had passenger areas and empty, arched spaces on the sides. One of these spaces had a medical bed that had been folded out, where Thanoth now lay.

He was conscious, but keeping his eyes shut as if steeling himself with concentration. The monocle was nowhere to be seen. His left arm had a compress on it. Luke had seen the wound, a laceration that stretched from Thanoth's shoulder to his elbow, burnt black and ringed with a deep purple. The long sleeve of his Imperial uniform was hanging on by threads.

Triple-Zero stood nearby, studying him. "I don't see what all the fuss is about. A sprained ankle, a few bruises, a little cut. Why you humans are so feeble about such damages, it makes it almost—"

"That's enough," Luke told the droid, making his way through. Thanoth opened his eyes, though was otherwise unchanged, and stared up with a distant frown. Luke nearly hunched as he stood there, looking over him, wondering what kind of pain he must be in.

"Thanoth," he began, hesitating with what to say. This had been the first time he had spoken to the inspector since they escaped Cylo's ship. The inspector didn't look at him. Luke sighed and took out the medkit. Then he glanced at Artoo and gave him a small nod. The astromech hesitated only for a moment before reversing and wheeling away. He headed out the opposite door.

Luke looked through the many supplies in the container. He wasn't the most knowledgeable about medical matters, least of all wounds caused by lightsaber, but he searched. He took out an antiseptic towel.

"Uh... here," he said, offering it as a replacement for the compress — only for it to be smacked away by Thanoth's hand. Thanoth shot him a hard glare.

"None of that will help," he said, his voice sounding hoarse, like he had a strep throat. He pointed decisively at the wound. "I'll need surgery. Bacta rays, bone fusion... Nothing in those rinky-dink medpacs will do anything for this."

Luke looked at the kit with a frown, then closed it before replying, "You can at least stop the bleeding—"

"I wasn't bleeding much to begin with! Lightsaber wounds are known for being bloodless. Do you know how lucky I am to only be wounded like this? And as for diagnostic remedies, this demented droid is certainly no help!"

"Forgive me for not existing to serve you flesh-lumps and your every needs," retorted Triple-Zero. He leaned closer to Thanoth, his sarcastic tone overbearing. "However, I do possess basic programming for... 'treating' injuries, and you are supposed to be delivered alive. I'd hate for your weakness as a living organism to get in the way of our orders." He turned his mechanical head at Luke. "Perhaps an extremely pain-inducing toxin into his nervous system would help? That should take his mind off his little injury."

"Would you — just—" Luke lifted a hand toward the droid, his face scrunching up in annoyance. Triple-Zero stood there, unperturbed, looking almost interested as he surveyed him. Luke let out a sharp breath. "Just— go away, will you?"

The droid didn't move. He stared back at Luke, the red eyes burning like two lingering, glowing targets.

"They're not going to obey you, Luke," Thanoth berated lightly. "And frankly, there are other matters more concerning than my injuries at the moment, such as Cylo's ship."

Luke blinked at him. "What about it?"

"Didn't you notice the time of the explosion? It was considerably some time after I said it would be." Thanoth made an effort to sit up; his chest trembled and he slunk back again. Luke rose a hand to help him, but Thanoth shook it off. "I suspect Cylo prolonged it long enough to let himself escape... Or more likely, to let his comrades escape, what with him having those confounded extra bodies."

Luke lifted an eyebrow. "Extra... bodies?"

"Duplicates that have been cloned to his likeness, and given cybernetic memory banks. One activates if the former is killed, so his personality and mind carry on... But surely you're not too surprised by this." He huffed, and the old eyes squinted at him. "You saw that Rodian eye of his, that odd ship of his... you were his prisoner. And I take it by your condition and the needle marks on your arm that Cylo did not treat you very... humanely."

Luke looked at his arm, and indeed there in the black-suited crevices were a couple of rips that exposed his skin, where the needles had been pressed into him. He felt a sliver of a chill as he remembered it.

He tried to shrug it off, to focus back on Thanoth. He saw the old face was steeled again, trying to block out his own pain.

"When..." Luke began, not thinking as he spoke, but feeling a tinge of regret motivate his words. "When they had me, when I was held there, I thought it was all a set up. I thought that you'd..." He bent his head, and a blank silence followed. Finally, Luke looked at Thanoth eye-to-eye, the old features still stern, and he rested a hand on Thanoth's other, uninjured shoulder.

"I was wrong," he said. He brightened with a small, weightless smile. "You saved my life, Thanoth... I owe you."

But Thanoth sighed, as if impatient. "Luke..."

"You know, I think I will go check on the front," Triple-Zero said in a loud, irritated voice. He turned on his heels in a snap and scurried away. The doors slid shut behind him.

Feeling slightly awkward, Luke screwed his mouth and looked at the floor. "Uh, so... so, how did you guys find me anyway? I never even thought I was still on Anthan, back on Cylo's ship. And the droids..."

Thanoth sighed. "I traced a subatomic remnant left by your armor, and signaled for help with the TIE's systems — but that's not important right now, Luke."

"It must be, if you won't prattle on forever about it."

"Luke," Thanoth grunted. "You are not so oblivious to have not guessed what is going on. Vader's adjutant, rescuing you with his two assassin-slash-torture droids who are taking you to the planet Mustafar after escaping from cyborg scientists... Obviously, there are things you want to know, and things I must explain."

Luke felt a rapidness in his chest. He made an uneasy shrug.

"I... don't know what's happening," he said quietly. "But... well, we escaped, didn't we? And I get it, you're with the Empire. These are Imperial droids. You got backup, I get it. I can't exactly complain can I?" He didn't wait for a response, and decided to change the subject. "And I don't know exactly what these... scientists are all about, but he... Cylo... he told me things."

The old inspector scanned him with solemn, unblinking eyes. "Such as?..."

"He sent that distress call to us," Luke practically blurted out. "He was tracking you the whole time with some kind of nano-droid. He must've been the one who sent that message to you, the one you thought was from my... my father." He paused, and fell silent.

The inspector pressed in his lips. He pointed beyond Luke, to the other side of the room, where the unpowered droids sat. "I see... Then these droids, you must know, are Vader's forces... Luke, I had to call him for help. You see—"

"Yeah," Luke interrupted, trying to fight the bitterness in his tone. "I figured. I just saw those two back there, looking like they were messaging someone, probably him..."

He made a slight grimace. There was no avoiding it, the complicated position of where he and Thanoth stood now... Thanoth had saved Luke from Cylo, but the possibilities now...

He tried to make himself stand up more straight. His legs held him, but his knees caved. Luke leaned on the edge of the bed, scowling, and lifted his head. "So... what now? Are you just going to hand me over, like a good little slave? You rescued me just so you could deliver me to Vader, is that it?"

"I am in no state to deliver anything. I've done my part, Luke. I saved you. I'm sorry things have... happened this way, and I'm sorry the search for your father was... in vain. But you know I have no power to change things now... And Vader... he won't stop." Thanoth picked up the compress and reapplied it to his wound. He made a gulp, which wandered down his sagging throat. "The Death Star... the Cymoon factory... Why do you think he went to Vrogas Vas in the first place? He won't stop until he finds you. But of course, you know that."

"Is that how you got his help?" Luke glowered. "You promised you'd get me captured if he sent in these... reinforcements?"

Thanoth looked wary, almost compromising as he met Luke's gaze. "If he didn't find out I helped you before, he would have eventually. The question to ask, Luke... is what will you do now?"

 

Hmm. Luke has some thinking to do, huh?

 

The droids are very very snippy. Thanoth and Luke's conversation -- full of candor and apology and Luke indeed has a lot to ponder.

 

^Thanks again. Yes, snippy droids are snippy, and Luke has a lot to think about, and choices to make.

Also, I know that last update was kind of an odd place to end off, so here's the follow-up, much sooner than usual. Enjoy.


—

Luke ran a hand over his forehead, through his hair. He sighed and crossed his arms. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not in much of a condition to do anything either, Thanoth. But... blast if I'm going to just go along with this trip to Mustafar, wherever that is. And I don't suppose you'd... help me get out of this fix too?"

Thanoth made a joyless chuckle. "Well, of course, Luke. Right after my hundred-mile sprint across the Hydian Way. Please be patient until then."

"Well, after rescuing me from an evil mad scientist... I figured it wasn't too much to ask..." Luke made a skittish laugh. He trailed off.

Thanoth made a nod, but his gaze was dull. His wrinkled face formed a strange, expressive grimace. "Ah, yes. Cylo. He is mad, isn't he? But he knows many things. Many, many things."

Luke caught Thanoth's harsh dark eyes. He felt stricken by them for some reason.

"He... definitely wants Vader dead, I know that much," he murmured. "He wanted to use me as bait to lure him there..."

"I'm sure he did. They're his rivals, all of them. For his recent failures, the Emperor had them challenge Vader for his place as second-in-command. Cylo, as you can tell, took that challenge to heart. But I'm sure by now Vader has found him out, and is about to invade his base and do away with him, once and for—"

"Wait, what?" Luke's eyes widened, and he stood up like a pole. "You think Vader's heading... to Cylo? Right now? How do you know that?"

"I told you, I contacted him through the TIE. He mentioned he has been trying to find Cylo's base, and I'm sure the droids informed him that they've secured you. Cylo will be "reactivated" at his base by now, so it all works out rather well. A shame I'm not there to help Vader find his exact location, but with all the leads in the Empire I'm sure it won't be long at all before..."

Thanoth stopped, seeing the all-but-paralyzed look on the young man's face.

"What is it?" he said quietly. "Luke?"

Luke didn't answer. For a long moment he felt he was slowly sinking into the floor, and words were repeating in his head:

With the push of a button. That's all it takes — a button. That's how feeble he is.

"The... the droids," he finally said, looking away to the door leading to the control room. "They sent a message to Vader. Do you think I could get them to send a message? A... An anonymous message?"

Thanoth's eyebrows shot up. "Send a... message?"

"Could they or not?" Luke urged.

Thanoth peered at him. "Those metal devils won't relay communications for anyone but their master. And I think they'd sooner set this ship, and themselves, on fire before they'd do you any favors."

"What about Artoo? Do you think he could get into the drive logs of the holotransmitter they used, find out the location of the receiver's end?"

"I — well, yes, if the droids haven't deleted it yet — but I've tried using the communications on this ship already, without success. Outbound signals are blocked. The droids must have set it up prior to prevent us from sending for help. If we did get Vader's location out of the drives, that's all we'd get out of it..." Thanoth scanned him over, keen-eyed. "Luke, what are you planning? You act like you... actually want to contact... to go after..."

Again, Luke said nothing. He looked at his feet.

"Luke, you cannot possibly..." Thanoth's persistent, matter-of-fact tone seemed to shift, to gradually fade. He made a shallow breath, then rubbed wearily over his face. "Luke... blast it, I really should not say this — it goes against all my professionalism and loyalty to the Empire — but it's not as if you yourself don't know: You can choose what happens next. These droids, you could overpower them. You could steer this ship away to wherever you wish. You know you could. You do not have to go along with any of this. You do not have to..."

He inhaled and exhaled lightly, but with difficulty, as if he was forcing himself to speak.

"You can walk away, Luke."

Luke stood there, listening, taking in the inspector's words, which felt weaker and more imploring the more he spoke. He didn't have the nerve to look at Thanoth right now, knowing what a rare, unreserved moment this was for him. He wished he could show his appreciation to him, for his help, for his concern. He waited for Thanoth's words to have an impact on him... but he felt an energy, pulsing, panicking, charging within him... telling him to go forth. To do what was whirling in his mind.

And another part of him pushed back, telling him to follow Thanoth's advice. To walk away. To avoid all of this, if only for a while longer. Let Vader and Cylo have their fight, and escape it all, run away and hide — until the next time he found himself caught in Vader's shadow.

Vader. His father.

Vader, who didn't even know... Who knew him only as the troublesome Rebel who destroyed the Death Star. Who had a vendetta against Luke and wanted him captured, likely dead by his own hands...

Didn't he? Couldn't he? How else could anything make sense? There were so many questions...

And he realized how thin the inspector's pleas were. Yes, he could walk away from this conflict, not include himself in this battle, but Vader wouldn't stop looking for him, wouldn't stop tearing down any bodies in his way. All the deaths on Vrogas Vos... the wounded old man who now lay here before him... If he left it all right here and returned to the Alliance, who else would he be putting in danger? Who would be next? Luke didn't let himself finish that thought.

And again, he heard Morit's gloating words; they seemed to forever replay in his head: The push of a button... that's all it takes... And he doesn't even know.

Promptly, Luke turned to Thanoth.

"Well, inspector... looks like our mission hasn't changed much after all."

He put one foot in front of the other, and headed toward the door, now walking with less of a limp. "I'm going to extract what I can, and I am going to set course for this ship. Forget Mustafar. If Cylo's involved in this... I have to do something. So... I guess I'm sneaking aboard the Devastator."

He placed a steady hand at his side, over his lightsaber.

"But this time, I'm the one going after him. I'll do whatever I have to... but I have to face Vader."

____________
​

The Crushank Nebulae.

"We're getting traces. Cylo's fleet is here, Lord Vader," said the officer, standing next to the Dark Lord on the command bridge. As was his custom, Vader was gazing in stillness out the viewport, into the stars. The Devastator had been combing the edges of the nebula for some time, traversing through the multi-colored clouds slowly, but surely.

Vader didn't turn to the officer as he addressed him. "Signal the Executor. Thank Professor Thlu-Ry... and then execute him for fraternizing with a traitor."

The officer made a sound in his throat, and nodded.

"Into the nebulae, commander," Vader pressed. "Make no delays."

The officer obeyed, stepping away and leaving the Dark Lord. Through the viewport, the nebulae shimmered with its blues, greens, and magentas, and Vader stared into their iridescent depths.

It had been less than an hour since he'd received the message from the droids. He had contacted them after receiving the message from Thanoth, altering his orders to send them to Anthan 13 to fetch the boy. But now he had the news he had been waiting for: they had him, and had escaped Cylo's clutches. They were on their way to Mustafar.

His first impulse had been to start up his TIE fighter and take off, to try going to Mustafar to meet them himself. Of course, that would've been foolish. He still had his task to find Cylo along with Tagge, the Emperor himself had made this his priority. Leaving would only draw suspicion — the last thing he needed. For all intents and purposes, he was stuck here with Tagge.

But now there was nothing to distract him from destroying the scientist. Before he'd received the confirmation from the droids, he had made it his task to stall, to continue feigning his duties to uncover Cylo's whereabouts with the fleet, under Tagge's watchful, intrusive eye.

Then Tagge's search team had identified one of Cylo's colleagues, an old professor who had previous communications with Cylo. Ordered by Tagge to press him for information, the Dark Lord had done so, aiming to silence him if he knew anything dangerous. Fortunately, Thlu-Ry instead confessed that Cylo's flagship was located in the Crushank Nebulae in the Outer Rim.

Now here they were. If this was the location of Cylo's base, if the previous Cylo had perished on Anthan 13 and been transferred into his next body... it was perfect. Vader could deliver his wrath in one crushing blow. Annihilate Cylo, his base, his fleet, his resources, and any more aberrant extra bodies that must be stored away in his foul lab. Cylo would have nothing to protect him now. No one to turn to. Nowhere to hide.

Vader's attention drew to the soft whirring of the doors opening. Tagge stepped into the room. The deck officers nodded dutifully to him.

"I've just been to navigations," he said as he approached Vader. Of course he would be there, Vader mused, droning and scrutinizing his men, trying to problem-solve with his numbers and diagrams. "Radiation wavelengths have caused some interference, but Cylo's exact location has now been detected by Comm-scan. His flagship is close, approximately eight klicks east to the inner region of this diffuse nebulae. His entire shoal is here."

"We move in at once," Vader asserted, practically barking at the other man. "I will lead the attack."

Tagge lifted an eyebrow at hearing orders thrown at him. He lifted his chin. "The squadron has already begun preparation. It will engage in twenty standard minutes." He turned around to leave. "You will await any further instructions, Lord Vader."

His fists solid as steel, Vader trailed through the doors after Tagge, parting ways as he headed to the hangar. He quickened his steps. A few crewmen and maintenance droids made way for him as he strode through the hall.

Finally. He would finally crush Cylo, completely and indisputably. He would taste that victory; nothing would get in his way. The time was near...

Vengeance awaited.

 

Wow, you could feel the tug of war for Luke in the wake of Thanoth's unexpected urgings to just "walk away and leave it all". Then the Vader scene, excellent as always!

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOH! Luke *wants* to find Vader...wow...and Thanoth is trying to talk him out of it!
And the scene with Vader was *perfect*. I could hear his voice speaking the dialogue.
This is getting better all the time!

 

Luke is clearly determined to go after Vader. But I feel no malice or anger in that. He feels like it's his fault that people got hurt because of Vader looking for him, and he wants to keep more people from getting hurt. Also Luke needs answers and Vader has them. I'm even picking up a little bit of concern for Vader's safety. Although at this point, Luke would probably brush that off as needing Vader alive because he's the only one with the answers he wants.

 

Vengeance awaited.

I would rather say that a happy family reunion awakes.

 

I dunno about "happy", exactly, but maybe positive-ish? Or at least not completely negative.

 

A happy Skywalker family reunion... Well, I appreciate the speculation. lol

Also, for anyone complimenting the recent Vader scenes/dialogue, I wish I could take full credit, but some stuff is from the comic, with me making changes and adding stuff. Canon and AU-ness is definitely intermixing right now.

Anyways, update time. Things are moving along... Hope you enjoy.


—

The shuttle came out of hyperspace and settled into the nebulae.

"There it is — the Devastator. The coordinates the droid extracted were correct," said Thanoth, seated at the navicomputer. "And that must be Cylo's fleet. I've intercepted their communications; they're about to engage in battle... " He leaned back in his chair, his old face flustered. "And have I mentioned that this is ludicrous, Luke? Absolutely ludicrous."

Sitting at the controls of the cockpit, Luke eyed the inspector and made a low moan. "I knew I shouldn't have let you in here... If we didn't need you to get us cleared for boarding..."

Thanoth made a scoff back, and Luke turned his head to avoid his disapproving glare. He looked out the transparent window, and saw the immense, arrow-shaped Star Destroyer, now nearing a group of brownish creatures that glided together like a pack of birds.

Luke stared at the sight, feeling mesmerized by it. Suddenly, he was hit by a strange, isolated sensation. The Star Destroyer seemed... different, somehow. It was as if the ship was making itself more noticeable... The colorful mist of the nebula seemed to fade away, the stars die out. The cockpit almost seemed invisible; all his focus was centered on the warship...

Luke felt drawn... Something was at work. He was aware of something. A subtle but tangible something. He tried to understand it, to discern it more...

A voice broke out the transmitter:

"Delta-class shuttle, this is prohibited space," said the sharp voice. "Name your business and identify yourselves immediately, or be terminated within fifteen seconds."

Thanoth let out a brief curse before he switched on the comm and replied. "Inspector Talsar Thanoth here. Adjutant to Lord Vader. We were relayed to this point and request permission to board. We will transfer our codes now."

He tapped some keys with one hand, cringing as he held out his wounded arm to do so, and he pressed a few buttons. There was a very long pause, leaving only the growling sound of the ship's power running throughout. Luke shot Thanoth a tight-lipped look. Thanoth blinked, and cleared his throat.

"You're cleared," the voice declared at last. "We will beam you in shortly. Decrease your engines when signaled."

Thanoth sighed. He ran his palm over his face and turned to Luke, his breathing stiff, his expression grim. He shifted, now trying to get out of his chair and struggling with the effort.

"Well... uhf... now what? You've shut yourself in this cockpit for the last hour and left me in the dark. Perhaps you'll share your last-minute infiltration plans with me now?"

"Just take it easy, okay?" Luke insisted, holding up a hand in reassurance. "Don't try to move. At least I'm able to walk after taking that medkit medicine. You can barely stand."

From behind them, Artoo made a grudging whistle. Thanoth regarded the droid and rolled his eyes.

"This all works out," Luke said, staring back out the viewport to overlook the gathering ships. "When we get there, Artoo can go with you to the nearest medical bay. The battle droids are still deactivated, and as for the two droids, they'll stay here. We'll tell them they boarded our ship and we overtook them... How long do you think we can keep them locked in that storage room?"

"Not long at all." Thanoth made a numb shake of his head. "And if we get past security..."

Luke made a shrug. "I'm a stormtrooper. I can pass as one of them, and find a ship when they deploy."

"Find a ship? You're... joining the battle?"

Luke let out a breath, second-guessing if he should say more for a moment, until he made a vague swing with his shoulders. "Yeah... but first, we've got to get into the Devastator. Good thing we have you, Mr. Adjutant."

"Of course, but... you know I only have the rank of a lieutenant, Luke. It's one thing to get there, but to walk about Vader's Star Destroyer you have to get access to—"

"It'll be fine," Luke interjected. "Trust me, I've done this kind of thing before." He made a half-smile as he remembered a similar scenario, boarding the Death Star on the Falcon with Han, Ben, and Chewie. It had happened only two months ago, but it felt so much longer...

Clearing his head, Luke looked away and glued his eyes to the display, waiting to see signs of the tractor beam. He chewed his lip. "It's going to work. We've gotten this far... I still remember my ID numbers and everything. What can go wrong?"

"You saying that, for one," Thanoth mumbled, closing his eyes tight. Still grasping his wounded arm, he made a worn-out, drawling sigh. "I just don't see what you hope to accomplish with this... You say you're going after Vader in his flagship, and now it's Cylo in his base..."

"How about you worry about other things? Like getting us through whatever Imperial procedures we need to get in that warship up ahead."

The old man made a lazy blink. "I'm a professional investigator. It is my nature to uncover ulterior motives."

Biting back a response, Luke made a gruff sound and slouched. He leaned forward, his elbows planted on the control panel, and he stared outside at the whale-ships. It was quiet for a while.

"Vader will be there," he muttered. He glanced at his side, where the stormtrooper helmet sat on the desk. "I can feel it."

He felt Thanoth's eyes on him, and he avoided his gaze. He looked back at the controls, staring at the various functions.

Thanoth spoke. "Luke... you notice the irony here, don't you?"

Luke snorted. "Irony... says the man serving the Empire that blew up his planet."

"You are trying to sneak into the base of the people you just escaped from. That we just rescued you from."

Luke paused. He dropped his gaze for a moment. He brought it back up.

"Yeah," he said slowly, "but I'm not their prisoner now... and who knows..." His voice grew low, almost at a whisper. "Maybe they'll be the ones who need rescuing this time around."

Artoo made an inquisitive sound, his round head rotating at Luke. Thanoth made a frown at the young man, his lips forged in an etched line. Luke kept his attention at the controls.

"Revenge," Thanoth asserted, breaking the silence. Luke screwed his mouth, and his eyes roamed distantly. Thanoth's voice wasn't accusatory, it was light, almost carrying a tone of understanding. "So that's why you're going there. Going after Cylo. After Vader."

Luke shot him a quick glance. Then he glued his eyes on the controls, looking over the meters and monitors, dragging his fingers across them as if he were checking them. Light shone along the devices from the outside, creating colorful outlines along the ridges. Luke let his eyes shift up, and again he looked out at the soon-to-be battle area in the distance.

Visuals suddenly radiated on a screen. Reacting quick, Luke pushed a button, then reached for a lever, lightening the engines' power as the tractor beam began pulling them in. Outside, their view of space became obstructed by the enlarged grey structure of the Devastator.

Luke lifted his hands off the sticks. He turned, and grasped the white helmet. He stood up.

"...Here goes nothing," he said, as they were brought into the opening hatch of the hangar.

____________
​

It had taken longer to close in on Cylo's flagship than Tagge estimated, as he claimed there was more interference. It was then within the hour that Cylo's shoal was locked within their scopes. Pilots, officers, and backup troops had been called for short briefings, ships and correspondence were prepped, and it wasn't long before Cylo's shoal appeared before them.

The horde of aquatic, tan-colored creatures drifted together in sight of the Devastator, donned with wiry metal armor and glowing outlets, the vessels tied by a set of cables that stretched for miles.

Vader was now readying himself in his sole TIE Advanced. He sat in the dark red-glowing cockpit, immersed in battle meditation, awaiting for the hatch doors to open. His muscles tensed underneath the leather and armor, his whole being anxious to set out.

The hangar doors finally opened — but to his surprise he saw it was only for a brief moment, enough to let a random shuttle in. The stubby craft passed by, settling to land in a designated area elsewhere.

Annoyed at this interval, Vader reached out to adjust his speed control — but then stopped, his gloved hand suspended.

He sensed… something. The Force peaked, sharp and lively and resonant. Something was different. Something was... alight. He felt his focus pull away, inadvertently change...

He frowned, remembering when he'd let his focus wander at the Shu-Torun battle. This was no time for distractions; this was time for battle.

He fully powered on his targeting computer and gripped the analog sticks. The engines ran with an anxious rumble.

The hatches opened again, this time for them. They were signaled for take-off. He flew out of the main hangar, leading the Imperial starfighters, the Devastator lingering behind them like a colossal protector.

"All head fighters, attack formation," he said over the comm system as they reached open space.

Vader headed the array of TIEs that raced toward the pod-like group, and unleashed a storm of green lasers upon the whale-ships. They wavered. Vader broke away from formation and shot at them, dodging their yellow blasts, rolling and speeding through the crossfire as numerous ships crashed and twirled to their doom. The organic ships were slowed by their attack.

After several minutes, Vader keyed on one of the frontmost whale-ships. His grip tightened as he viewed the large creature... It stood out to him as if everything else was suddenly far away. It was calling him.

"That is it," Vader said quietly, his voice burning through the vocoder. "Cylo's flagship."

 

Thanoth does have a point: they just got Luke out of there, barely! And now he's walking back in?! Of course, Luke is also right: the circumstances are different, and I notice he didn't answer the question about revenge.

Well, looks like there's about to be a very momentous encounter!

 

I was sitting here the whole time....once again, I can hear the characters' voices speak the dialogue in my head, even visualize the whole thing because it's so dang good.

So, Luke doesn't want to reunite with Daddy, he just wants revenge. Careful, kid, that Dark Side is still there, waiting to pounce like a krayt dargon and eat you alive. And there he goes again, being reckless...I wonder what it'll take in this universe to help him learn that a Jedi doesn't seek out danger???

I'm at once anticipating and dreading when Luke and Vader inevitably meet. GULP! Hopefully Luke can get out of this in one piece...

 

Thanks again all.

Here's another update. As always, hope you enjoy.

—

Vader hurried to pass it, aiming to interrupt its path. He fired on the snout of the creature; it raised its head and roared, revealing a set of sharp, primitive teeth. Other TIE fighters sped in the background, swarming around the other whale-ships like a mist of insects.

"Devastator to Lord Vader," came a voice from the comm, one of Tagge's officers. "C-level torpedos, incoming."

Vader eyed his targeting computer. He tilted the control sticks to swerve around, the Force swimming in him, letting him time his maneuver exactly. He dived down to meet the two large explosives that came out from the whale-ship's husks. He adjusted his angle and delivered a cluster missile squarely from the side, taking out both projectiles. Another large explosion erupted in front of the creature's pleated throat. It let out a pained howl.

"Torpedos destroyed," Vader affirmed. Before the creature could move, he spun upwards and performed a wingover, sending a bomb into its bawling mouth before descending. There was another explosion, but as he weaved away to gain a safe distance, he saw the whale-ship was still outwardly unaffected.

Not far behind, another whale-ship sent a yellow ray from one of its glowing orifices. Two fighters were caught in it while Vader dashed out of range. He had to separate the main ship from the shoal, he decided. He found the large cables holding the ships together, and fired. They disintegrated. The creature began to turn and its fellows followed suit.

"They're making a break for it, Lord Vader," Tagge's voice said from the Star Destroyer. "Converge now."

Vader called the closest TIE fighter pilots to a formation, and led them in a simultaneous attack. He ordered for rapid-fire on the head. At this, the flagship became imbalanced and swerved to the left, where it hit another ship, grazing it and destroying several exterior components. The creature hobbled in its limited space, distressed. It stroked its gigantic fins up and down and began to paddle away.

"One is breaking from the shoal," one of the pilots said. "Incoming. It's..."

"Brace!" Tagge exclaimed.

Vader directed his attention back at the whale-ship. As it was turning, an array of sub-like vessels stacked out from its stomach, and fired. They homed in on the Star Destroyer and hit. Blue tracks of electric light entrapped the triangular warship.

"Ion pulse. The Devastator's disabled," a pilot said in disappointment. "They're going to get away."

"You are mistaken," growled the Dark Lord.

Vader and the others continued to shoot at the flagship's rear as it turned away to rejoin the others. Then Vader increased his speed, parting to fly to the side of the whale-ship. He had to calculate the best place to shoot; he fired close to one of the glowing outlets, piercing through the spiked metallic covering. He advanced forward in a straight line.

"Lord Vader! You're on a collision course!"

The TIE Advanced didn't turn. It rushed into the breached hole of the ship's cracked surface, and disappeared. Seconds passed.

"Vader?"

Vader made no response. He was rushing through a stretch of light, feeling the way ahead, and gradually he slowed down. His computer processed the trajectory and a sudden change in the environment — showing large organic quantities — and the TIE glided in a sleek path until it came to a stop. The ion engines throttled, hummed, then ceased.

Using the Force, he pushed the top hatch open and jumped out of the TIE cockpit. He stood on the roof of his ship. He looked around his surroundings, narrowing his eyes at what he saw. The landing site was made up of an unknown, flesh-like matter, an ooze that seemed to have grown on the walls and floors like a fungus. He was inside the whale-ship.

He turned to find a pair of white doors not far off. Vader jumped off the starfighter and headed towards it, unhooking the hilt of his lightsaber.

____________​

"You are under arrest."

The officer stood aboard the shuttle's mid-room, a stocky man in standard Imperial uniform and cap, two stormtroopers ranked at his right and left. They pointed their rifles at Luke and Thanoth.

"What?" Luke said through his stormtrooper helmet, and he took a step back. He looked to Thanoth, who was again being carried by Artoo. A scowl was on his wrinkled brown face.

"As I thought," he commented, almost groaning.

Luke turned to him, bewildered.

The officer regarded Luke. "Did you really think no one would notice all the commotion you caused, Rebel scum? And you, Thanoth, you were foolish to think you could return here after what you did." He frowned heavily. "You of all people, leaving so much evidence behind... Someone of your caliber and reputation, aiding a Rebel..."

"Oh, so you've heard of me," Thanoth replied, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I do work hard for my credibility... Of course, only men willing to lose such things are worthy of having them in the first place."

"You're worth nothing to the Empire now, traitor. Good luck explaining your actions to your interrogators." The officer indicated towards them with a dismissive wave and addressed the troopers. "Detain them."

The stormtroopers stepped forward, both taking out binders from the packets on their belts, and Luke backed away, his hand grabbing at his holster. Artoo rolled backwards, letting out a trembling ring as he carried a sour-faced Thanoth.

"Y... You're making a mistake. There's no Rebel here," Luke lied, his heart ramping up. "I can prove it, if you just—"

"Quiet," grunted one of the troopers, lifting the claw-like cuffs in one hand and directing the blaster with the other. He pulled the trigger, unleashing a stun-blast.

Luke threw himself aside, missing the shot completely. He knelt on the ground, and brought out his lightsaber. It ignited as the other trooper shot another blast at his head, which Luke dodged. He waved the humming blade at them, warding them off. He heard frantic sputters in the background from Artoo. The officer was now white as a sheet, bearing himself against the wall while the stormtroopers stood, staring.

"Fire!" the officer ordered, wagging a finger at him. "Take him in dead if you have to, but take him!"

The troopers forwarded toward Luke. They blasted repeatedly. Luke swung the blue blade and, to his own awe, successfully blocked the bolts, most of which redirected and hit one of the troopers in the chest, the multiple blasterfire rupturing the white armor. The trooper fell down with a painful yelp and didn't move.

The remaining trooper continued firing, and Luke swung to block, but to no avail this time; he didn't manage to deflect a single shot.

Luke came to his feet, and stood to oppose the trooper, feeling like an altered mirror image of the fellow white-clad soldier before him. The stormtrooper seemed more than wary as he faced Luke, eyeing the bright, sword-like weapon in his hands. He aimed at Luke's neck, then his elbow — he knew what vulnerable places to strike.

Luke failed to deflect the red lasers again, missing by half-seconds, and he staggered. One direct blast sunk into the fabric of his undersuit. Groaning at the familiar sting, he tried to rise to his feet again, but his legs wobbled; the medicine hadn't completely cured him. He kept his eyes on the trooper, held out the lightsaber and tracked his movements with it. The trooper fluctuated at the threat, trying to find a place to target his next shot.

Swallowing hard and still pressing against the wall at a safe distance, the officer shouted, "Shoot him, shoot him! You useless stormtroopers, would you just shoot—"

His shrill voice was engulfed by an abrupt burst of energy through the door, followed by a splatter of white shards and the sound of broken metal. Luke and the stormtrooper turned. The officer shifted away from the door, tripping on the leg of the fallen stormtrooper as he did so.

Pierced melted gaps appeared along the doorway edges, creating an opening. The center landed with a loud clank.

From it Bee-Tee approached, loaded with several guns and heated devices that were unfolded from his many compartments.

The stormtrooper shot at the droid, but the blast barely fazed the dark steel of the droids's head. The large orange eye turned on the trooper, and Bee-Tee brought out two guns on both sides. He went all out with open fire.

Luke turned off the saber and ducked, swerving as smoke filled the room, accompanied by the incessant blasterfire. There were crashes and screams and the sound of it all flooded Luke's ears, loud and blazing and continuous, as if it would never end.

"That's enough, Bee-Tee," came the nearly drowned out voice of Triple-Zero, and finally the boisterous noise stopped.

The smoke cleared. Luke lowered his arms from his huddled position and looked around him. The officer lay lifeless on the floor, as did the other stormtrooper. Luke darted his eyes back near the control area, and let out a breath of relief as he saw Artoo and Thanoth peer out from behind a storage unit. He made his way toward them.

Triple-Zero turned to his smaller companion, who let out a long, heavy bleep. "Looks like we've saved the meatbags yet again, Bee-Tee." The droid looked over at Luke. "You have a talent for not dying when you absolutely should have, don't you?... I find that offensive."

"One gets used to it," grumbled Thanoth, coughing as he tried to stand. He winced as a tentative, wry-faced Luke took him by the arm and helped him up.

 

Saved in the nick of time by Triple-Zero & Bee-Tee!

And that Vader scene!

Amazing action scenes! Super writing!

 

Super handling of the whale-ships that Luke didn't get arrested or seriously injured! Wow, he was able to deflect amazingly all the blaster-shots at the beginning.

 

Thanks, AzureAngel and WarmNyota (way to speed-read, btw).

Here's another update. Things are coming together more and more... Hope you enjoy!


—

Artoo wheeled about, twittering testily as he looked back and forth at the two droids and the two humans.

Looking over his shoulder, Luke surveyed the lifeless Imperials. He felt his shoulder still burning from the blast he'd taken, and he hissed from it. He blew out a sigh and pulled off his helmet.

"...You knew you were wanted by the Empire," he said, looking at Thanoth. "But then... why did you come here?"

"I didn't know, but I suspected," answered Thanoth. He slid over and leaned against the back of a chair. "All the evidence, really, he had a point. It hardly changes anything."

"Indeed," Triple-Zero supplied before Luke could reply. "You've all had your fun little games, locking us up in that back room, but I'm afraid it'll take more than that to stop these droids. Now we will resume our—"

"Shut up!" Luke shouted, glaring at the droid, who made a jolt. Luke wrenched as he turned back to Thanoth. "If you're wanted by the Empire, we can't go out there... Vader's flagship, that's the last place you should be. They'll kill you."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Thanoth made his way over to Artoo, and leaned on him. "But I have no intention of fleeing. I will not run. I will not hide. I knew the risk I was taking the moment I researched the name Luke Skywalker and decided to investigate. Such was my curiosity... And, well... I paid for that sufficiently, didn't I?"

"Thanoth—"

"There's no time. You've made your decision. I know I cannot stop you, Luke... I'm not sure anyone can at this point. Droid," he barked, looking at Triple-Zero. "You have a voice-replicator, yes? Play back a logged recording on the officer's comlink, enough to be able to mimic his voice, and tell correspondence that he and the other trooper are still searching the ship, while a stormtrooper escorts the traitor inspector and astromech off the ship."

"Oh, you stupid, balding pile of dead brain cells," scoffed Triple-Zero, edging closer to the inspector, his red eyes burning. "We have orders from Lord Vader. What makes you think we'll drop them at your whim?"

Thanoth made a mild head-shake. "Drop them? Quite the contrary. You need the boy. Your mission is top secret, and we can't leave this hangar. Nor can we stay here, they'll get suspicious and send more searchers, and even you two murder-bots can't fight off Imperial forces forever. The best chance we have is to follow procedure and enter the ship, with me as prisoner, and wait things out. The boy can remain hidden and pass as a stormtrooper until the time is right to deliver him to Vader."

He exchanged a keen look with Luke.

"It's not Mustafar, but it's still Vader's vessel, and it's the only choice you've got, droid," Thanoth went on. "They'll lock me in the brig, both of us if we're found out. Either way, we're as good as his, and your mission is accomplished."

The silver droid stood there in hard silence. Finally, he stepped away. He went towards the body of the officer, grumbling in a clicking alien language. Bee-Tee made a peeved, baritone growl from behind.

Luke stood there, inarticulate as he watched the droid take the comlink from the dead officer and speak into it, just as Thanoth directed. Meanwhile, Thanoth had pulled himself to perch Artoo and was trying to keep his hold. His face was set with a rough calm.

Suddenly Luke jumped — a loud announcement voice boomed out, coming from the comm speakers outside.

"Attention all stormtroops in sectors A-9-and V-12. We are deploying. Report to the south hangar and board transports. I repeat, backup troops, report to deploy at once."

"South hangar... that's not far off," Thanoth whispered to Luke. He held onto Artoo's dome one-handedly, tucking his wounded arm against his chest. He looked at Luke with old, solemn eyes.

"Well, young Luke... here we are, at the Devastator at last," Thanoth declared more loudly. "Shall we go?"

For a moment Luke didn't answer. He gazed back at the inspector and the droids as if they weren't there. He was sure there were words of resistance in him, but they didn't come out. He felt disconnected, devoid of thought and feeling.

Then, as if suddenly re-energized, he moved. He detached his empty belt, took out his lightsaber, and walked over to one of the dead stormtroopers. He knelt down and removed the trooper's supplied belt and pulled it around his own waist. He picked up a rifle from the floor.

"To... the brig then," Luke said, his mask hiding his grimace. He walked with Thanoth and Artoo out of the room, the silver droids trailing behind. Luke's heart pounded like a drumbeat with each step.

____________
​

Vader cut his blade through the conduits that connected to the generator. The thick metallic piping had burst open, and the charge planes surrounding the chromium machine were also sliced, sputtering with electric droplets. The hyperdrive emplacements were destroyed.

Vader had reached the downward levels of the engine chambers, having followed the steel-lined path that led there. He had taken it upon himself to destroy all the hyperdrive components in the dark cavern-like area, and disabled much of the built-in weapon systems along the way. Now there was no way for the ship to jump into hyperspace, and Cylo could not escape.

He turned away and headed out, his lightsaber still alight. The doors opened and he strode down the corridor. Like most of the inside, the walls were like the garish flesh-like matter he had landed in, though the floors and doors were enforced with metal. Vader proceeded down the murky halls until suddenly, he turned.

There he was met by a group of green-suited, visored soldiers, positioned and armed with blasters. They all aimed his way.

"Fire!" one of them shouted, and their lasers blazed forward. Vader swung, deflected the blasts easily, twitched his fingers and imploded the small bombs thrown at him. He walked forth in an impenetrable red cloud of defense and offense, his saber floating through the men and they hit the ground in a cluster of bodies and wasted seconds.

This attack meant Cylo knew there was an intruder on his ship. Vader had already taken out any service personnel or engineers in his way, but Cylo still had many other people spread throughout the immense monster vessel.

Not too long ago, Vader had called to the Devastator, ordering to cease fire on the flagship while he remained on board. But to his displeasure, Tagge had only taken this as an opportunity to make his command more prominent and to show Vader needed aid. He insisted on deploying backup stormtroopers to invade the ship as well. They were now on their way.

Though Vader hated the idea of having assistance in this matter, he had thought how best to use it. He told Tagge to send the troops to Cylo's lab to destroy his extra bodies. If the stormtroopers succeeded, that would leave only the one Cylo for him. He had relished the thought of killing them all himself, but it was a simple, solid strategy.

The Dark Lord passed through another set of doors and found an area with a turbolift. He walked forward and took it, extinguishing his lightsaber as he rode it. The lift hovered up... then it stopped, but not on the level he'd set it to. The whole thing powered down and the small compact space turned pitch dark. The turbolift dropped with a sudden force.

Holding the bar attached to the side, Vader lifted a hand and pushed against the induced gravity with the Force. The lift was gradually slowing... then it was still, kept up as if the power had never left. Re-igniting his lightsaber, and concentrating enough to keep the transport device stable, he moved it to continue upwards.

When he was at the level he intended, he cut a hole through the entrance door and kicked it down. He stepped through, his boot leaving the deck of the machine, and with that, he let it clunk away to crash itself into the bottomless depths.

So, Cylo knew where he was.

Now he found himself in an empty set of arched halls, lined with steel and showcasing several conducting devices and gauges, and several doors. The environment was more technically-designed, with no flesh walls to be seen. The Dark Lord looked from one door to another, focusing to discern which way he should go...

Suddenly, he felt it again. That same distracting tremor in the Force he'd felt before as he'd awaited in his starfighter. The Force seemed determine to draw him away from this moment, to declare that there was something else at work... and right now, when he was finally on track to confront Cylo...

He sensed the scientist was close...

Vader wanted to bypass this stirring in the Force — but he knew it was not wise to dismiss such an incessant feeling. Perhaps it was important, a warning of some kind. He tried to open himself to it and find the meaning behind it.

It was vague to see at first, like a clouded stream, but somehow it was... not unfamiliar. It was not the shade of static that was Cylo's presence, of that he was certain. This was unique, something that his very being responded to. It was distant but bright, like a glistening that came from an ocean's bed. If he looked more, he thought, he was sure he could find it, sure it was...

No... it couldn't be. Vader became still, his cape drifting as the air from a nearby ventilator spread past him. He turned his helmeted head as if to find the source of what he felt.

No, the droids had the boy. They were on their way to Mustafar, they'd told him. The boy was not here, he could not be here. But this lingering feeling...

The red saber hummed before him, and he looked at his own hand wielding it. He brought it down. His mind pushed the feelings away, and his dark desires fought against his curiosity, wanting to ignore these questions and move on. Perhaps it was only in his mind, his deepest fears being roused up and used against him, an unforeseen weakness...

Destroy Cylo. Destroy Cylo.

Vader debated in himself, anger and confusion warring within him as he stood there, halted in his revenge. Revenge... That was why he was reminded of the boy, why the Force pushed him into his thoughts... That was what he had to enact now. He would find Cylo, he would make him pay for everything. Everything the madman had done against both of them.

And Cylo was near, he knew. Very near. He had thought to strike him down in one swift blow when he faced him, as swift and inconsequential as if crushing an insect. Now Vader thought he much preferred to make the scientist's death excruciatingly slow and painful. That was more fitting.

His focus sharpened and his mind now set, the Dark Lord brought his attention back to where he was. He looked at the several hatches in the split room, all of which were locked. One stood out to him and he strode to it. Not wasting time, he carved a passage through the door with his lightsaber and proceeded through.

 

Superb post as things converge: Vader on Cylo and Luke and Thanoth towards their goal.

 

Where ever Vader walks, revenge follows in his wake.

Sorry, could not stop this comment coming forth.

 

^All work and no vengeance makes Vader a dull Sith. :b

And here we go, the next update, where... more stuff happens. Yes, that's a summary.

As always, hope you enjoy.


—

The room was large and shadowed, overlaid with the sheen of installed gadgets. In the middle was a wide walkway stretching for several yards. Along the sides were a dozen or so small, oval-shaped crafts that resembled eggshells — perhaps that was what they were — with red veins on their yellowish surface. A type of escape pod, Vader figured.

And near the far end of the walkway stood Cylo, leaning towards one of the crafts as if about to step into it. He paused and regarded Vader, who met his gaze. Slowly the Dark Lord made his way to him.

"Vader," Cylo acknowledged, standing in a straight posture and tilting his head in a courteous bow. He shifted his hand under his jacket to his lavender vest, no doubt reaching for a stashed weapon. Vader gripped his lightsaber, the leather on his hand screeching tight with the pressure.

They were feet apart. His breath was the only sound as he stood staring at him, his hatred spilling in the air.

"You thought you could escape." He lifted the red blade between them, its end at the base of Cylo's neck.

Cylo curled his lips, his Rodian eye reflecting the sharp crimson of the blade. His stout, bearded face was smooth with a benign calm. "It is you who cannot escape me, Vader. Just as you cannot escape your own weaknesses. Fragmented, scarred, clinging to life and the ways of the Force... while still being reliant on machines, my machines. You are one of my creations... and an outdated one at that."

"Your pompous words will not help you," Vader said, making his own tone as equally calm. "You and your abominations will be wiped from this galaxy, as all plagues should be."

"Turning to threats when you're hit with an unwanted truth... typical. That's why you can't stand to let me live, Vader; because I know the truth about you. I know your secrets, your past..." Cylo gave him a deadpan smile. "And perhaps what you plan for the future, given what lengths you've gone to keep—"

There was a scarlet blur as Vader moved, and Cylo let out a pained shriek. He clutched his chest, his fanciful jacket seared through, a mark now burnt on his chest, and small spits of electricity came from it. He trembled for a moment, pressing a hand to the injury. Cylo met Vader eye-to-eye again, the serene facade gone. He made a scoff.

"Fine, go ahead and kill me. I have plenty more lives, and you only one. Killing me only proves I'm a real threat to you."

"You have no power to cheat death, Cylo. You are not above it, you are not even alive. Your existence is artificial, an imitation of a man who once lived that is merely a vessel bound to its programming. You are a memory chip dressed in flesh, nothing more. And suffice to say, your latest experiments have not been met with success."

Cylo's voice was rasping, virulent. "And what of you? Your time is waning, Vader. My work will continue. If not by me, then by someone else of my initiative. You can't stop progress, Vader. The future won't be stopped by anyone. Not by you, not by a lightsaber."

Another flash of red sped past with a motion of Vader's hand, and the blood-colored blade sunk into Cylo's shoulder, making a steaming gash. The doctor squirmed in pain. Still he stayed standing, and still he faced the armored man opposite of him. Vader stared, motionless and silent.

Cylo grunted. "I know how... to weaken you..." He moved his arm and lifted a hand in front of him. In his palm he held not a weapon, but a small square panel that consisted of a single glowing red button.

"You might say," the scientist continued with a smirk, "I know how to... disable you."

The lightsaber lowered and Vader brought up a hand, his fingers clawing the air as he harnessed the Force. Cylo made a spitting croak, his eyes popping as he tried to inhale in vain. But he made no effort to stop the invisible chokehold on his throat. He fingers tightened around the panel in his hand.

Vader watched him struggle, drinking in the pain he felt emitting from him and relishing every second of it.

Cylo coughed, wrenched, his breath becoming more hoarse. He glared at the Dark Lord, who watched him as if spellbound, with single-minded absorption. Somehow the scientist managed to speak in his shredded voice.

"Vader," he rasped, his teeth chattering, and his eyes began to tear up. With a shaken hand he lifted the small panel and pointed it straight at the Dark Lord. His thumb pressed down on the glowing button.

There was a soft click.

One more harsh mechanical breath passed through the mask's vented mouth. Vader's hand let go, falling lamely at his side. The lightsaber dropped to the ground and the red beam banished back into it.

All was silent, save for Cylo as he groaned and wheezed on the floor where he had fallen. He stood again, his gaze grim as he looked at the tall black form that now began to shift, like a monument on the verge of collapsing.

"Brainless beast," Cylo sneered, rubbing his throat as he surveyed the Dark Lord. He eyed the panel in his hand. "I've kept this for twenty years, this, the secret to the end of Darth Vader! I didn't know my private access to your cybernetics would work for sure, but now... now you understand. All along, I could've killed you at any time. You lived because of me, Vader, and now you will perish by my hand, the hand of a scientist. Or rather, the finger... Remember that as your life drains out of you."

Vader's knees caved. With the weight of a tank, his body purged, the dark cape pouring out like black water. He halted and remained there on the ground, kneeling, as if perpetually frozen in time.

Cylo took a step forward. He made a callous sniff through his nose and reached out a hand. His fingertips touched the top of the black polished helmet.

"Remember, Vader," he whispered, tapping on the head of the dome with his forefinger.

Then Cylo made a slight jump; there was an automatic buzz as the doors opened from behind him. He turned, and then took a step back, blinking as the ivory-white figure of a stormtrooper approached from the opening.

The trooper held out a blaster. He seemed to gape at what was before him, taking in the sight of the scientist, the motionless Dark Lord... and the controller in Cylo's hand. The ghost-like mask looked squarely at the Rodian-eyed man.

"Drop it," rose the young voice from within the helmet, and the trooper pointed the end of the blaster at Cylo. "Drop the remote."

Cylo's bewilderment soon turned to an affronted scowl. He chortled and let out a stuffed breath.

"Who do you think you are? You think I'm afraid of a mere stormtrooper? I've brought down your mighty enforcer in seconds. You have no idea of what I'm capable of—"

"I think I do," the stormrooper muttered, taking another step closer. "More than most would, doctor."

Cylo's human eye squinted at him, then enlarged in sheer understanding. He scanned the armored soldier head to toe, and set his thin-bearded mouth into a slanted grimace. Faintly, he nodded.

"Of course," he murmured. "Heh... I shouldn't be surprised that you'd show up... So what do you think you're going to do now? Kill me? That will achieve nothing. You know what happens when you cut off the head of a hydra, don't you?"

"I said drop it," pressed Luke. He placed a finger around the trigger of the gun. "Now."

"It's too late. The power in his suit is gone, his life support systems are inoperable. The very functions that let him breathe are disabled. There's no way he'll ever be—"

Luke shot, and Cylo dodged out of the way. Luke then lunged at him and drove his fist into Cylo's face. Blood seeped from the scientist's nose and he recoiled from the blow. Luke grabbed for the square panel clasped in his hands, but Cylo clenched it, wrestled with him, and managed to swat the blaster out of his other hand. The two of them struggled for the panel, pulling, kicking, but Luke was clearly overpowering him. Cylo's grip loosened from the small device.

In one blunt motion, Luke yanked it from Cylo, who tripped backwards, teetering close to the edge of the walkway. Without thinking Luke took that moment to lower himself to the floor and gather the blaster in his hand; he aimed it blindly. He shot twice and the stream of lasers hit Cylo in the chest.

Cylo's human eye glazed over and he tumbled down. He fell off the walkway.

There was a hard thump.

 

Amazing! I've never read anything like that, ever! Edge of seatness as first Cylo then Luke got the upper hand! Bravo! I totally thought Vader was a goner there. Luke came just in time.

 

WHOA!!!!! I was sure Vader was going to run that crazy Cylo through, but...yikes. That's a switch...Luke saving Vader!

Wow....I don't know what else to say, except WOW!

So...now the question is, will Luke try to enact revenge on his father himself, or help him?

 

Although that scene was masterfully written, I experienced absolutely no edge-of-seatness. Because you set it up so well in previous scenes that I totally saw it coming. Like, "Yup, there it is." But that doesn't mean I enjoyed it any less.

 

Thanks all, I appreciate the different responses. Whether you saw the scenario coming or not, I'm glad it was enjoyable to read.

And now, update time... It took five pages, but we got there. The Luke and Vader meeting...


—

Luke let out a heavy breath. He stood up and jogged over to look down a few feet below. Cylo's body lay spread-eagled against the concrete, his neck twisted behind his shoulder, caught in the stand corner of one of the egg-like pods.

Luke uneasily drew his gaze away. He stood there a moment, breathing in and out. He shut his eyes before he slowly, reluctantly, looked behind him.

The ebony figure was still there, in the same kneeling posture, the leather-covered hands slack, and the angular mask inflexible as ever. Darth Vader, terror of the galaxy, was now idle and undefended. As powerless as a droid that had been shut off.

Luke swallowed.

His legs feeling like lead, he took one step closer, then another. Another. Fear cramped his throat. His heart rattled through his chest, and all the muscles in his body seemed to tighten up with each movement.

He was only a few feet away from the dark figure. He looked down at the inhuman, skull-like mask, measureless thoughts drifting in his head. There was an energy... he could feel it... the energy of the still-thriving life within. A powerful, burning coldness that distinguished what was in front of him, both familiar and foreign to his own senses.

And he felt it dwindling. Weakening, like the glow of a spent torch.

He held the remote in the palm of his hand. He stared at it. He shuddered with the weight of the choice he was about to make.

Then with rigid precision, he pointed it at the black figure, and glided his finger over the red-lit button.

____________
​

He was falling into a mass of emptiness, somewhere in between life and death, a lightless plane of the Force, of himself. For a time he was nothing... but he found himself again.

He was surrounded by fire. Ashen air, rivers of death, volcanoes bursting in the distance, and the Mustafar sky was tearing with thundercracks. He had no form, but he could feel the lava as it licked at his flesh.

And the visions. The visions were of the same place, the same faces, as always. They appeared and played out. He let them.

There was the sound of screams. He saw the bearded man, who tried not to watch the younger man crying in agony as he drowned in flames. They exchanged words, old lies and unsaid accusations, ones that could only be said in dreams.

"If you loved me, Obi-Wan... you would have killed me."

Obi-Wan's grey-blue gaze rest on him. All was still. Then he took the legless man in his arms, and hurled him into the lava. He was engulfed in it, and the handsome face melted away like liquefied wax.

Boils bubbled in its place, and Vader rose from the glowing yellow ooze, Sith blade in hand. Within a single step Vader brought his saber across and cut the man in two. Obi-Wan's body dissipated and the weathered robes fell to the ground, now sheared into pieces. Vader looked at them, smeared his boot on them.

He moved on, striding through the crumbling heat. Vader made no pause in his steps as he continued. He had to keep moving. These illusions that came to him on the brink of death... he knew what they wanted. He would not let them keep him here. Not ever.

And as if on cue, there came a voice from above, fierce and outraged at what had just transpired. It was the same young man who had been taken by the flames before, but he was now whole. He stood at the top of a cliff like a mythic avenger, furious and robed in black. A blue saber bloomed in his hands as he leapt down to face Vader.

They fought. The young Jedi was swift and agile, his blade twirling in a fleeting blur. He made flips and twists with his body, jumping over the Dark Lord and spinning with acrobatic freedom. Vader clashed his red blade to his blue, over and over.

Deciding to end it, Vader reached out a hand, catching the young Jedi in mid-jump with the Force. The young Jedi choked, and in a second Vader sliced off both of his legs. The young man wailed in pain and dropped like a rock. He looked up at the Dark Lord, his sea-blue eyes imploring. He began to crawl to him, and reached out like a beggar.

"How could you... do this?"

And Vader answered him:

"You were a child."

Swelling with a thrill of hatred and pleasure, he drew his saber and cut off the young man's outreaching hand. He walked over to the sobbing lump and took his one remaining mechanical hand in his. He dragged him towards the lake of lava and threw him down the slope, toward the edge. Hungry flames awaited him there.

"I am well accustomed," the Dark Lord said evenly as he turned away, "to killing—"

He stopped, suddenly struck by something: a new awareness. There was... a presence. A strong light...

He turned back around. Below at the edge, he saw a young man clothed in white. He crouched near the other man, who was now being consumed by the fire. It spread over what was left of his all-but-limbless body, and he made no struggle against it.

The young man was reaching out to him, his face desperate. Vader could feel his pain.

"I'll not leave you here," the young one declared. He grasped the burnt metallic hand that grazed pitifully at the dirt. He pulled on it. "I've got to save you."

The other man said nothing and did not move. His face was planted down in the grime, unresponsive, not resisting the fire as it embraced him. His shoulder-length hair was gone, replaced with scalding black patches, his Jedi robes burning as the flames continued spiraling over his body. The boy pulled him, his legs bending as he tried his hardest to hoist the weight of the sinking man. The man kept falling further.

Vader watched, overflowing with a sickening fury. He took a step forward.

"No."

He reached out to use the Force. As if in answer, the rock floor beneath him began reshaping, and the earth growled at him... The Force was refusing his call.

He pushed back with the blackest of his anger, bellowed at the Force to obey. To bring the boy out of the grasp of the corpse, away from that consuming aura. Only the metal arm was visible now, and yet the boy kept hold of it. He was on his knees, his head hung low, blond hair covering his face.

"I won't leave you," he whimpered.

Then the flames moved with a life of their own. They traveled from the metallic hand to that of the boy's, and clung to him. Ringlets of fire enveloped the young one without him seeming to notice. He was being pulled to the flaring pool with the other man. He moaned, but still did not let go.

Vader let out a roar, using every bit of his power to pry the boy away, but he could only watch as he found himself growing farther and farther away, the more he tried to reach the boy, the more distance bounded between them. Everything was shrinking, the boy, the molten sea, all culminated in a violent haze, and then—

Click.

Air soared freely through his lungs.

The noise filtered through the mask in one strong, stifled hiss, pressured out like a charged sigh. He became aware, conscious...

He felt himself return to his physical self as if back from a deep repose. His red-filmed optics returned, blurred back into focus, his body no longer sapped of its strength. Blood pulsed in him from a throbbing heart, the nerves in his body tense with needle-sharp pain, twisted with wire and metal. The suit, the armor, and the mask once again returned him to his familiar physical state, weighing down on him, entrapping him completely.

Mustafar was gone, the agony, the apparitions were gone...

Everything was functioning again. Everything was once again under his control...

Automatically, Vader rose to his feet. His metal joints moved stiffly, but they moved. He was back where he had been, before things had blackened out of existence. It was all real and solid. The steel floor of the walkway, the illuminated pods, the shadows trailing from the open door...

But Cylo, he knew, was gone. Instead he felt a flow of brightness, the distinct presence of another... He knew that presence had been here this whole time, but now he centered on it, set his sights on it.

Standing before him was the white-clad form of a stormtrooper, who was watching him in complete silence.

The two stared at each other, soul to soul, one concealed being to another. The Dark Lord's cold breath ushered in and out as the moment endured, suspended between them, feeling endless.

Then Vader opened his left hand, and his lightsaber flew to it like a magnet. The stormtrooper started at this and backed away, but Vader turned from him and made a slow ways towards the edge of the platform. He looked down and studied the body lying below, his attention resting on the sight a while. Then he brought his gaze back up. He rounded and faced the burned hole of the other doorway.

"...Trooper," he said, his tone deeply calm, somewhat quiet. "Follow me."

With slow-moving steps, he strode through the carved out passage of the dim doorway, and he was gone.

Luke stared after him, ice crawling through his veins. He stood there, as if waiting for something else to happen. His thoughts were asunder, he was wracked insensible; he felt witless.

He eyed the hatch door he had come out of, then eyed the way Vader had exited...

He stalled for a moment, deliberating, trying to think...

Then, clutching the blaster in one hand, he went forward, pocketing the glowing remote into a pack on his belt as he followed after Vader.

 

Vivid Mustafar-bound visions and a momentous choice - 2 actually - to reactivate the remote and to fllow Vader instead of making good an escape.

 

Shoot, there's no fainting emoji...

Y'know that old cliché of your life flashing before your eyes? This is an interesting interpretation of that. VERY interesting...

My only question is, in his oxygen-deprived state can Vader not even sense who this 'stormtrooper' is???