Darth Vader - Volume 1 - Heir to the Empire - Part 12

Anakin: A son. Who’d have thought?

 

Vader: Begone Skywalker. You are but a remnant of the man I once was.

 

Anakin: So you like to keep telling yourself. But deep down, we are the same person. Whether we like to admit it or not.

 

Vader: A lie.

 

Anakin: Keep telling yourself that. But deep down you know the truth. We both know it.

 

Vader: You are nothing Skywalker. You were weak. You placed your faith in others and they betrayed you.

 

Anakin: Just as the Emperor has now betrayed you.

 

Vader:……

 

Anakin: Just as he betrayed me as well.

 

Vader: What is your purpose?

 

Anakin: I simply want to know what you intend to do with this opportunity.

 

Vader: Opportunity?

 

Anakin: For revenge.

 

-

 

Synar: Is everything alright?

 

Vader:….

 

Kyra: Lord Vader?

 

Vader: A son…..

 

Synar: Is…he alright?

 

Kyra: He’s fine. That happens every once in a while.

 

Synar: What’s up with him?

 

Kyra: His life support is undergoing a recycle process. Purging the system of stored up oxygen and acquiring…..fresh oxygen?

 

Synar: Are you sure?

 

Kyra: Yeah. It happens all the time. Now come on, I’ll get a shuttle to take you back to your residence.

 

Kyra escorts the boy away from the throne room entrance as my mind races trying to piece all this together. How can he have a son? How could he keep such a thing hidden from me for all these years? I’ve known him for nearly fifteen years of my life and not once did he appear to show interest towards anyone in that light. So how can this be?

 

It’s a deception. It must be. No-one has a child just appear out of nowhere. This boy cannot be who claims to be. And yet, if there’s anyone who could have a son and conceal it from the rest of the galaxy, it’s my master.

 

-

 

Vader: Revenge is not the Jedi way.

 

Anakin: Perhaps. But that never stopped us before, did it?

 

Vader: Those were never my actions.

 

Anakin: But they were Vader. No matter how desperately you try to erase the past, you cannot deny it. We are the same person. Your memories are mine, and my memories are yours. We both know what he’s capable of. I still to this day believe he deliberately forfeited his duel against Windu to entrap us. The fear of losing the knowlegde that could save her…we couldn’t do anything other than act.

 

Vader: And it all turned out to be a deception. A trick to ensure our downfall.

 

Anakin: Betrayal is the nature of the Sith. Be it in practise, or in doctrine.

 

Vader: The rule of two.

 

Anakin: There can only be two. A master to hold the power, and an apprentice to crave it. Boy, did we crave that power.

 

Vader: Only for us to use that power to kill her.

 

Anakin: We didn’t kill her.

 

Vader: We did.

 

Padme: No Ani, you didn’t.

 

A cloud of dust surrounds Skywalker and I, before quickly shifting away from us to take the familiar form of Padme.

 

Padme: He killed me, and you know it.

 

Vader: It was our own actions that destroyed you, Padme. That took our child’s life before it could be born.

 

Padme: The Emperor would have simply used our child as a pawn in his game. You did our child justice by killing him.

 

Anakin: Now, it is time that we returned the favour to your beloved master.

 

Vader: That is impossible. The Emperor is far too powerful to destroy.

 

Padme: Maybe so. But his son is anything but.

 

Anakin: We can use him, to strike at the Emperor where it hurts most.

 

Padme: Make him feel our pain for a change. Rather than being the inflictor of it himself.

 

Vader: If he truly is the Emperor’s son. He will be well guarded. There’s no way that we’ll be able to get close to him.

 

Anakin: You hesitate.

 

Padme: You’re weak.

 

Vader: Unlike both of you, I have witnessed the power of the Emperor first hand. A move against him will surely be our destruction. Why do you think the predecessors never attempted such an action?

 

Anakin: Because Dooku was weak and frail. I bested the old man over Coruscant with ease. And Maul was blinded by loyalty.

 

Padme: Until Sidious threw him aside just like the others.

 

Vader: Just as he will with me when the time arrives.

 

Anakin: Then you must ensure that moment never comes. If this boy is who he claims to be, his connection to the force will merely strengthen with each passing day. How long before your master decides to replace you with his son?

 

Padme: Especially since the boy's mere existence already has replaced you in a way.

 

Vader:…..That is not certain.

 

Anakin: Come now Vader. Surely you’re not that foolish. The Emperor would never relinquish power willingly. Do you really think he’d grant you the title of Emperor when his moment came?

 

Padme: Of course not. He considers you an abomination. A disappointment.

 

Vader: A failure.

 

Anakin: Exactly.

 

The cloud of dust that Padme had appeared from quickly beings to circle all three of us once again. This time though, a smaller figure steps out of the cloud. Synar Palpatine.

 

Padme: Look at him Vader. This boy represents your demise. Both as a Sith lord, and a potential ruler of the Empire.

 

Anakin: He must be destroyed if we are to survive.

 

Padme: If we are to punish the Emperor for his deception.

 

Anakin: Losing his son will hurt him. Weaken him.

 

Vader: Expose him.

 

Padme: Providing the perfect opportunity for us to strike.

 

Anakin: To make him suffer for all he’s done to us.

 

Vader: To take our rightful place.

 

Padme: Exactly. This is an opportunity we cannot let pass.

 

Anakin: This boy could the ultimate weapon we’ve been looking for.

 

Vader: He must be destroyed.

 

Anakin: Good. Goooooooood.

 

Padme: Do what must be done Lord Vader. Ensure your survival by removing this threat. Do not hesitate, show no mercy.

 

-

 

As Kyra escorts the boy to the shuttle bay, I turn to see Tarkin making his way towards the throne room entrance. He appears determined to speak to the Emperor before me. How unfortunate for him.

 

Tarkin: Lord Vader.

 

Vader: Governor.

 

Tarkin: I trust your mission was a success.

 

Tarkin knows of my assignment by the Emperor. I should be surprised by this, but following the potential revelation of the Emperor’s son, this is…..underwhelming.

 

Vader: I do not know what you speak of.

 

Tarkin: Good. The last thing we need is the Senate getting word that the Emperor still has elements of the Imperial military taking direct commands from him. They’ve been determined to strip him of his military rank.

 

Vader: How unfortunate.

 

Tarkin: Indeed. The last thing his majesty needs is the senate threatening disarmament when there are still so many threats out there beyond the outer rim.

 

Vader: Alderaan has always opposed any form of military. In part, that’s how they escaped the Clone War relatively unscathed.

 

Tarkin: Perhaps we should correct that.

 

Vader: How would you propose that?

 

Tarkin: Just because his majesty doesn’t have control over the military anymore, doesn’t mean there aren’t operatives with in it who are willing to follow his commands.

 

Vader: You’re suggesting we create a artificial crisis on Alderaan to justify the reclamation of the executive powers.

 

Tarkin: I’m not suggesting anything. But I had rather hoped a situation would develop on it’s own accord to avoid the risk of having to dirty our hands. Perhaps we should have allowed that Jedi enclave on Kessel to escalate further.

 

Vader: The Jedi are a threat to the Empire in any form. Had their ranks been allowed to swell higher on Kessel, it is unlikely the military could eradicate them all.

 

Tarkin: Perhaps. We’re fortunate to of had you at hand to deal with them then aren’t we. How many was it again you bested? Five? Seven?

Vader: Eight.

 

Tarkin: A most impressive feat for any combatant. His majesty must have been pleased.

 

Vader: He was….satisfied.

 

Tarkin: Sadly for us that’s possibly the best compliment we’ll ever receive from him.

 

Vader: I do not seek the Emperor’s praise. I seek his knowledge.

 

Tarkin: A wise decision. Afterall, power is worthless without the knowledge of how to use it.

 

As Tarkin makes that last statement, Kyra races back to her desk and bows her head to Tarkin.

 

Kyra: Governor.

 

Tarkin: You’ve certainly kept us waiting.

 

Kyra: Apologies sir, I had an urgent matter to attend to involving one of the Emperor’s guests.

 

Tarkin: No matter. We can discuss the details of said guest whilst Lord Vader meets with the Emperor.

 

Most intriguing. Tarkin’s never been one to act in a selfless manner even in the heat of war. Why would he be so willing to delay his own meeting with my master and allow me to speak with him? Perhaps his intentions are pure. He appears to hold a great deal of respect for those closest to the Emperor. It’s possible he believes that I’m a member of the inner circle. He’s greatly mistaken, but I do not pass up the opportunity. But despite it all, I still cannot trust him. Not after all he did to push Ahsoka out of the Jedi order….

 

Kyra: Governor, if I allow Lord Vader in now it will delay the other visitors.

 

Tarkin: Is senator Organa one of those visitors?

 

Kyra: …..Yes

 

Tarkin: The Emperor will thank me for it. Go on Lord Vader. Whatever you have must be important for you to have come all this way.

 

Vader: Thank you. Governor.

 

With that I turn and make my way towards the blast doors protecting the imperial throne room with the young padawan’s lightsaber hilt in hand.

Done