Title: A Bright Future
Author: earthworm 
Date Finished: February 13, 2001
Rating: G 
Time Frame: From the end of ANH to before Bespin in ESB
Archive: Nope.
Feedback: Yep.
Disclaimer: Uh, these characters belong to good ol' George 
Lucas.  This means I'm borrowing them and I can't sell them 
or otherwise get any money for 'em.  Oh well.
Summary: During the aftermath of the Death Star's 
destruction and the construction of the _Executer_, Vader 
must deal with his ambitions and failures and foresees that 
his is a bright future.
Thanks: I would like to give Jenn Song my deepest thanks for making 
what must be the galaxy's most irrelevent comments while beta reading 
this fic. It was really painful to read. Jenn says they were painful to 
write, too. (wink, wink, Jenn ;)  No really, Jenn is a great Beta, and 
if there are any mistakes in here, I *must* have made them after she 
looked over this...thanks Jenn! 



Visit my apple: http://www.geocities.com/earthwormsapple

___________________________________________________________
A Bright Future
by earthworm


From _Star Wars_, by George Lucas:

	"All three TIE fighters continued to chase the 
remaining X-wing down the trench.  It was only a matter of 
moments before one of them caught the bobbing fighter with 
a crippling burst.  Except now there were only two 
Imperials pursuing.  The third had become an expanding 
cylinder of decomposing debris, bits and pieces of which 
slammed into the walls of the canyon.

	Vader's remaining wingman looked around in panic for 
the source of the attack.  The same distortion fields that 
confused Rebel instrumentation now did likewise to the two 
TIE fighters.

	Only when the freighter fully eclipsed the sun 
forward did the new threat become visible.  It was a 
Corellian transport, far larger than any fighter, and it 
was diving directly at the trench.  But it didn't move 
precisely like a freighter, somehow.

	Whoever was piloting the vehicle must have been 
unconscious or out of his mind, the wingman decided.  
Wildly he adjusted the controls in an attempt to avoid the 
anticipated collision.  The freighter swept by just 
overhead, but in missing it the wingman slid too far to one 
side.

	A small explosion followed as two huge fins of the 
paralleling TIE fighters intersected.  Screaming uselessly 
into his pickup, the wingman fluttered toward the near 
trench wall.  He never touched it, his ship erupting in 
flame before contact.

	To the other side, Darth Vader's fighter began 
spinning helplessly.  Unimpressed by the Dark Lord's 
desperate glower, various controls and instruments gave 
back readings which were brutally truthful.  Completely out 
of control, the tiny ship continued spinning in the 
opposite direction from the destroyed wingman--out into the 
endless reaches of deep space."


*^*^*^*^*


	Though he furiously punched buttons and flipped 
switches, the craft seemed determined to not respond to 
him.  Eventually, the fighter's spiral straightened, and 
Vader was able to pause a moment to gather his bearings.  
The ship's scanning systems were off-line, but the Dark 
Lord did not need them to ascertain that the huge Death 
Star had been destroyed.  He had sensed the station's 
destruction, had been able to feel the Force of the 
explosion as the station was ripped apart.  What he did 
need the systems for was to find himself a safe place to 
dock, and get out of his now unreliable fighter.

The bright ball of Yavin was visible in the corner of 
his viewscreen.  Unfortunately, the planet was entirely too 
small for his liking.  The closer he was to the Rebel base 
the better of a chance he had at being detected by the 
Imperial scouts that would arrive shortly to investigate 
the communications breach with the Death Star.  He would 
also have a better chance at being detected by the Rebels 
themselves, but he was fairly confident that their scanning 
systems would not detect his small injured craft that was 
currently lacking any communications output, a result of 
the damaging electric surge after the collision with his 
wingman.

	He was heading directly towards the red planet, and 
he could not hide the relief he felt.  The planet was to 
him a beacon of safety and life, and he was determined to 
remain alive as long as possible.  His heavy and extensive 
machinery was the evidence of his strong will, and he 
carried it openly, while privately carrying an intense 
hatred of the man responsible for it.

	Obi-wan Kenobi.  So many of life's difficulties could 
be traced back to his former master, his present 
circumstances not the least of them.  He was sure the 
Princess had sent the plans to Kenobi, who had attempted to 
get them to Alderaan and had only confronted him because of 
an unexpected detour onto the battle station.

	At least the old man couldn't do any more damage.  
Vader smiled wickedly as he remembered Kenobi falling to 
the floor, finally dead.  His smile faded as he also 
recalled Obi-wan's own smile just before Vader's strike 
ended his life.  Perhaps it was a sign of another of the 
man's dirty tricks.

	"No!" Vader shouted to the absorbing silence of his 
fighter.  He was not going to allow the old man to haunt 
him any more.  He was dead, and that was final.  

	Vader's thoughts of Obi-wan turned to the Princess 
and her rescuers.  He'd have to remember to have someone 
find the name of that freighter and its pilot.  In all the 
chaos, Vader had never taken the time to find out the 
ship's name, and the only people who had known this 
information had just had their atoms shot towards the 
corners of the galaxy.

	He'd also find out who was piloting that X-wing.  The 
destruction of the Death Star would surely not go down well 
with his master.  He was in for severe punishment.  The 
Emperor was not known for his forgiving nature.  That pilot 
had just put Vader in a rather uncomfortable position.

	Vader considered not even returning to Coruscant, 
hoping to escape his master's wrath.  But this would get 
him nowhere.  He had no resources outside of the Emperor's 
control and he'd die alone with no money, circumstances 
that were to him entirely too reminiscent of his early life 
on Tatooine.  He had not fought this long and hard to end 
up going in circles.  The Dark Lord consoled himself with 
the knowledge that he was too valuable to his Emperor to be 
cast aside.

	Ah, but the pilot of that X-wing could be assured a 
severe punishment.  Years of research and production, both 
of which costing immeasurable sums of money and requiring 
an innumerable workforce, had been destroyed with as little 
thought as it took for the pilot to pull the trigger 
button.

	"Indeed, the loss of the Death Star will prove to be 
a great one," thought the Dark Lord.  To have so large and 
powerful a weapon be destroyed by such a small, worthless 
fighter and its equally worthless pilot could hurt the 
Empire more than the enormous financial loss.

	Vader felt the familiar burn of hatred crawl from his 
mechanical toes to his helmeted head.  He reveled in the 
feel of it.  For so many years, it seemed the only one he 
could hate so thoroughly was Obi-wan Kenobi, and that 
hatred had seemed to be burning itself out from the lack of 
contact he'd had with the man.  The memories of life's 
injustices had been reintroduced to him, however, when he 
met Obi-wan again, and he had felt the power of the 
darkside flowing through him during their battle.

	It was a glorious feeling.  He had felt the heady 
rush of success and the delicious taste of revenge when 
Kenobi had fallen to the deck.

	The moment had been revitalizing to him.  He'd once 
again felt satisfaction with his life, a feeling of 
completion.  Figures from his past could no longer jump out 
from the surrounding shadows and attack him.  He had 
succeeded in destroying all that was related to his past.  
Obi-wan had been the last link, the one that had not 
escaped his thoughts for so many years.  Finally, the old 
man no longer had control over him.  It was time to move on 
with his life and embrace the future.

	It was time to take care of threats before they got 
out of hand, like Obi-wan did.  He should have killed Obi-
wan when he had the chance so many years ago, instead of 
assuming the man was dead and allowing the Jedi to haunt 
him for so many years.

	Vader made a promise to himself there, in the 
loneliness of space.  He would not let this pilot get away 
like he let Obi-wan get away.  Justice would be swift, and 
revenge would be sweet.  Vader smiled an unseen smile.

	"Yes...you will be mine."

*^*^*^*^*

	He had been found one week later.  His modified TIE 
allowed him a longer period of time before the life-support 
systems gave out, although he did have to send himself into 
hibernation to help lower his abnormally high oxygen 
consumption.  From his lonely viewport he watched the Rebel 
fleet flee the system.  Evacuations had begun the morning 
after the battle, and the last ship had left the next day.  
His remaining days were spent in hibernation and 
meditation, and eight days after the explosion, an Imperial 
scout finally noticed his not quite dead ship.

	Several hours later he was the cargo of one outdated 
Imperial Shuttle.  Despite his normally short temper, he 
had actually managed to greet his pilot with a crisp, 
"Lieutenant."  Perhaps the knowledge that he was about to 
face the Emperor has humbled him somewhat.

	During the return trip, Vader tried hard not to focus 
on the punishment he was sure to receive.  He knew with a 
dark surety that his master would not allow such a massive 
failure to go unpunished.  It had been his personal 
responsibility to assure that the Death Star was completed 
with the highest levels of secrecy.  Initial stages of the 
project were easy to keep confidential, as thousands of 
pieces were assembled independently.  It was only during 
the final stages of the project was Vader's presence needed 
to control any loose tongues.

	Ironically, the information leak had occurred after 
Vader had taken control of the project.  Somehow the 
Alderaanean princess had managed to get her hands on the 
plans to the battle station.  The sheer stupidity of his 
men had allowed the droids carrying the plans to escape to 
Tatooine.

	The system's twin suns had laughed at him from their 
position in the bridge viewport. The planet brought up 
images of his childhood, his mother, racing, and the day he 
left to face the rest of his life.  The images made him 
feel heavy and old, and Vader had turned away from the 
sight of his home planet.  His men had watched curiously as 
he suddenly stalked from the room.  After so many years, 
this planet held memories too strong for Vader to stand.

	That life, though so simple and carefree, had been a 
life of servitude.  His was a wild spirit, and he had never 
quite lost his childhood urge to explore, diminished though 
it was by age and a loss of innocence.

	That the detour had shaken him was disturbing.  What 
it was about the planet he did not know, but he had felt an 
intense sense of loss, as if he had not achieved all that 
he might have.

	Such musings would not spare him from the Emperor's 
anger, however.  He tried to Force his thoughts away from 
the damnable planet, but a nagging in the back of his mind 
made him pause.

	There was something about the planet, and the 
princess.  Vader considered it.  She had sent the plans to 
Kenobi, he was sure, but the fact that the old man had 
resurfaced *now* had to be significant.  Once the thought 
had come to him, Vader could feel the truth of his 
suspicions.  Kenobi's presence in the fiasco was important, 
but not in any immediate way.  Something was going to 
happen.  The Dark Lord could feel the unseen future claw up 
his spine as he remembered Kenobi's smile.

*^*^*^*^*

	The Emperor's punishment may have seemed extreme to 
some, but Vader was well aware that he was lucky to leave 
his master's palace alive.  The medics had fretted over the 
addition of yet more mechanics to Vader's already largely 
mechanical body, but Vader knew that the loss of a limb was 
barely tantamount to a punishment in the Emperor's eyes.

	His master had screamed at him, and asked Vader what 
he had to offer in penance for his failure.  Vader had held 
out his hand, and said that he would concentrate all of his 
considerable energy and power on locating and eliminating 
the Rebels, the pilots responsible for the Yavin defeat in 
particular.  Perhaps the Emperor had accepted this because 
he knew Vader would stop at nothing to destroy the Rebels 
now.  If he were to fail, it was implicitly understood that 
death awaited.

	He placed his new hand on the railing of the Star 
Destroyer and leaned onto it for support.  The ship 
extended out from beneath him for several kilometers, 
impressive even in its half-constructed state.  He could 
see the flashes of light as melding crews, making slow but 
steady progress, assembled huge pieces of durasteel into 
larger structures.

	He had been aware of the project, but had not known 
that it had progressed to this point.  The Death Star 
project had been his latest charge, and it had taken 
several years of his attention.  The Emperor, fearing that 
the many groups involved needed additional incentive to 
remain loyal and secretive, had assigned the Sith Lord to 
oversee the production of the space station.

	During the years, he had allowed his information to 
become outdated, an unwise move on his part.  In the 
Emperor's world, information was incredibly valuable.  He'd 
received an unpleasant surprise when the Emperor had 
informed him that the construction of his flagship was well 
under way.

	The spy that had failed to inform Vader of the 
progression of the project was immediately terminated, and 
a replacement was being sought.

	His attention turned to the techs wandering around on 
the bridge, who were rather quickly installing the 
equipment that would soon be helping to run the ship.  They 
were speaking to each other hurriedly, some even daring to 
shout to each other across the large space despite the 
intimidating presence of Darth Vader.

	It seemed that the Destroyer would be ready for 
flight very shortly indeed.  The working crews had not 
shown any lack of incentive or dedication in his presence.  
The reports presented to him indicated that the behemoth 
would be completed ahead of schedule.	

	He smiled in anticipation.  The ship would be a great 
aid in the capture of the Rebel responsible for the 
destruction of the Death Star.  Soon he would have his 
revenge.

*^*^*^*^*

	"I shall begin immediately, and devote all of my 
resources to it, my Lord."

	"Good.  You are dismissed."

	The man bowed, and strode confidently out of the 
chamber, trying to show a lack of fear.  Vader scowled 
behind his black mask.  The man was arrogant, and his file 
indicated that he was from a wealthy background and a 
privileged education.  Just the sort of person Vader hated 
with a passion.

	But if he was as good of a detective as he was 
reputed to be, Vader knew he would prove invaluable.  
Imperial Intelligence had told him the location of several 
suspected Rebel strongholds, and he was on his way to root 
these out and eliminate the traitors.

	He was intent on finding a specific group of Rebels 
though.  The man he had just met with, Gravs, had been 
assigned the task of discovering the identity of the pilots 
responsible for the destruction of the Death Star.  This 
would not be altogether too difficult, as the pilots would 
surely be rather famous among the traitors, but Gravs also 
had to uncover their location, and amass any helpful 
information for the Sith that might aid in the capture of 
the Rebels.

	Vader hoped that Gravs would be able to present him 
with much information on the X-wing pilot in particular.  
He'd sensed that the Force was strong with him, untrained 
though the pilot obviously was.

	Vader stood and exited the room using a different 
door than Gravs.  The hallway he entered was narrow and 
devoid of any other beings.  His long legs carried him down 
the hall to a much smaller, more deceptively nondescript 
door, which swished open as he approached.  The room beyond 
was also small, but it was so ornate that it seemed to be 
large.

	Descending from the doorway was a wide flight of 
stairs which occupied a good portion of the room.  The 
surrounding walls were high, and so polished that the 
intricate controls of his breathing apparatus could be seen 
in Vader's reflection.  At the bottom of the steps was a 
small round dais, which Vader approached and kneeled on.  
Immediately, the air in front of him seemed to materialize 
into the face of his master.

	"Lord Vader," spoke the overblown image of the 
Emperor.  "I sense that you wish to begin your search for 
the Rebels."

	Vader scowled again.  He knew his master sensed no 
such thing, rather, he had been informed by the many spies 
enlisted as members of the ship's crew.  Vader concealed 
his annoyance and said gravely, "Yes, my master."

	"Very well.  I have been informed that the remainder 
of the Death Squadron will be arriving shortly.  You may 
depart the system when they arrive."

	"Yes, my master."

	The image of the Emperor faded, and Vader left 
quickly, berating himself for the irrational fear that the 
Emperor could indeed sense his thoughts even from so far 
away.

*^*^*^*^*

	The first launching of the brand new Death Squadron 
was a highly publicized event.  The huge _Executer_, along 
with its sister ships, received an extensive farewell, 
hence attracting almost every Moff and Governor that could 
make the journey.  It was a chance for ambitious men to 
make themselves seen and heard, both by the media and by 
Palpatine's personal aides and spies.

	It was exactly the type of occasion that Vader hated 
the most.  He had no need to be ostentatious with his 
loyalty to his master.  He had concrete proof of his 
fidelity in the forms of scars and permanent injuries, as 
opposed to the vague promises and assurances of mere 
politicians.  In the end, it was Vader's real and tangible 
allegiance that kept him in his master's good graces, if a 
man such as Palpatine could be considered to possess good 
graces.

	The bridge of his flagship was crowded with officials 
and reporters, all of which wisely avoided Vader.  It 
seemed there was a shield of sorts surrounding him.  No one 
ever came within three feet of the Dark Lord.

	This suited Vader just fine.  The Emperor may be 
completely supportive of Vader's strict disciplinary 
measures in quiet matters, but in such a public forum it 
would be highly frowned upon for an unsuspecting being to 
find himself choked to death by invisible hands, and the 
circumstances were not encouraging a pleasant feeling in 
Vader.  He was most decidedly put out.

	Eventually all non-military persons were escorted 
from the bridge and Vader's bridge crew set themselves on 
the task of successfully moving the squadron into 
hyperspace.  Vader was not necessary for any of this; he 
was merely present because he was expected to be.  The 
orders were already in the hands of his commander and the 
crew did not normally take orders from Vader himself.

	He was pretty much left with nothing to do.  It was a 
situation he never used to find himself in, but he noticed 
with alarm that it seemed to be happening with more 
frequency.  He vaguely missed being the one to pilot the 
ship, being the one with room to climb ever higher.

	Now, he had almost reached the precipice he had been 
reaching for all of his life.  He was a few small steps 
away from becoming the supreme ruler of the galaxy, with 
few willing and able to block his climb.

	Here he was, wishing that he was at the bottom so 
that he might feel like he was accomplishing something.  
Vader slammed his right fist into his left palm.  Now was 
not the time to doubt himself.  He was close, and he knew 
it.  The Emperor was wasting away more swiftly with each 
passing year and Vader was becoming more powerful.  Soon 
Vader would be able to overcome his master, like he did 
Obi-wan.

*^*^*^*^*

	Vader had just arrived in his quarters on board the 
_Executer_ when a visitor was announced.  "Come," Vader 
barked.  The door opened upon his command, and Vader was 
mildly surprised to see Gravs step into the room.

	"My Lord.  I have the information you requested," he 
said after a smart salute.

	"You are sooner than I expected."  Vader rarely let 
it be seen when he was taken off guard, but the spy's news 
pleased him.  It had taken Gravs nearly a year to get this 
information, but Vader knew that this was actually a brief 
period to have gotten access to restricted Alliance 
intelligence.

	"Yes, my Lord.  Ah, the Rebels in question happened 
to arrive shortly after I began my stay with the Rebel 
encampment.  And I am quite certain that the Rebels did not 
suspect my true allegiance.  I also made sure to pull up 
all related information I could find on the X-wing pilot 
and the freighter pilot.  It's all in the file."  With that 
he placed a small data disk on the large black table.

	Vader found himself staring at the disk.  He could 
feel the Force swirling around him.  It had started as a 
whisper, but turned into a storm as he turned his 
attentions to the Force.  He felt apprehensive, and all he 
knew was that the Force was telling him that there was 
something about that disk...something elusive.

	As Vader's senses came back to the more physical 
realm, he realized that Gravs was still waiting to be 
dismissed.  He might have been embarrassed--and 
consequently angry--if he weren't so distracted by the item 
on the table, but he waved Gravs out of the room without 
another word.

	He picked up the disk and slid it into the reader as 
he sat in the high-backed chair facing the computer 
station.  The machine hummed low as the data was 
transferred onto the screen, and as Vader read, the room 
seemed to still and he felt that there were eyes watching 
him, waiting for his reaction.  Or maybe that was just a 
manifestation of his fear that Palpatine could sense too 
much.

	The first thing Vader did was read the name of the X-
wing pilot six times before he convinced himself that 
pilot's surname was indeed "Skywalker."  The next thing he 
did was slam his fist into screen before him.

	Sparks danced briefly around his fist, but the 
computer died a disappointingly quiet death, much to 
Vader's annoyance.  As he stood, he swept his arm and 
brought the chair he had been sitting in crashing into the 
wall opposite as he began stalking around the room.

	So many things, little things, said and done long ago 
by his wife, and by Obi-wan, now made sense to him.  The 
pilot was his son.  He *knew* that with an assurance that 
he'd not felt for a long time.  His wife's last words to 
him, Kenobi's last words...Kenobi's smile.  Those memories, 
once placed alongside the feelings he had been having in 
conjunction to this pilot, and the fact that the pilot's 
name was Skywalker led him to believe that Skywalker was 
his son.  He knew in his heart and by the Force, that this 
was a true conclusion.

	He grabbed the disk out of his defunct computer and 
stomped to the officer's conference room.  There was no one 
else in the room, which was just as well, because Vader 
would not have been decently polite about throwing someone 
out.  The offender might not have made it out of the room 
alive, considering Vader's current emotional state.

	He slipped the disk into the computer on the far wall 
of the conference room, and tapped his right hand--a result 
of his son's well-placed shot, he absently noted--
impatiently on the console as he waited for the files to 
load.

	He eagerly began reading about his son, who he found 
out was little more than a boy, really.  Despite his foul 
mood, Vader felt absurdly proud that his son had managed to 
make himself a hero Rebel pilot.  He was annoyed to find 
that the boy had spent all of his life on Tatooine as a 
farmer until his guardians had been killed by Imperial 
troopers under his command.  The life of a farmer was no 
life for the Dark Lord's son.

	He noted with interest that the boy had sent his 
schooling and testing information to the Imperial Academy 
though he had never actually sent in the final application.  
Vader guessed that Luke had probably been fed anti-Imperial 
propaganda all along, and wondered again why Kenobi allowed 
himself to be slain.  Without a teacher, the boy was no 
real threat to him or Palpatine.

	Unless he was better trained than Vader thought.  The 
battle had been brief and fierce enough that he may have 
mistaken the boy's sense as untrained.  Kenobi had been on 
Tatooine with the boy for some time, perhaps he had taught 
him to make his Force sensitivity seem erratic.

	The boy was a mystery, and this in itself was enough 
to peak the interest of the Emperor, Vader was sure.  Soon, 
his master would discover the identity of the pilot.  There 
were spies among the Rebels as well as spies among his own 
men.  Somehow the news would reach the Emperor.

	Vader was sure the Emperor would seek to destroy 
Skywalker, as he had all the other Jedi and their children.  
Normally, Vader was the one to carry out the act, but the 
fact that this boy was his son...

	Vader noticed a strange sense of hope in his thoughts 
and feelings connected with the boy.  Skywalker was to have 
a big part in his future.  Vader could easily sense that; 
but there was something more, something elusive.  It tasted 
like victory, like triumph, but more bitter.  He would have 
to meditate on it.

*^*^*^*^*

	The stars were small pricks of light visible through 
the viewport in front of him, and Vader's mind 
automatically picked out those stars he was familiar with.  
The command crew was quiet as Vader entered, and everyone 
glanced towards the source of the heavy footsteps.  A 
captain scurried over to Admiral Ozzel after Vader passed 
on his way towards the viewport, black cape dusting the 
floor.

	"Admiral," the captain addressed Admiral Ozzel.  
Vader listened quietly, absently monitoring their 
conversation.  The Force was whispering again, telling him 
something.

	"Yes, Captain."

	"I think we've got something, sir.  The report is 
only a fragment from a probe droid in the Hoth system, but 
it's the best lead we've had."

	"We have thousands of probe droids searching the 
galaxy.  I want proof not leads!" Ozzel growled.  Vader 
disliked Ozzel; he felt the man was severely lacking in 
intelligence and finesse and had neither the intuition nor 
the charisma to supplement his short-comings.  The man was 
of the sort that seemed to pervade Imperial command these 
days, and Vader had only a fiery temper when it came to 
this type.

	"The visuals indicate life readings," the captain 
persisted.

	"It could mean anything.  If we followed every 
lead..." Ozzel said.

	"But, sir, the Hoth system is supposed to be devoid 
of human forms."  The Force danced around Vader's senses 
again.  There was something...

	He made his way towards the quarreling officers.  
"You found something?" Vader asked.

	"Yes, my Lord," the captain replied immediately.  
Vader could feel a surge of anger and annoyance from the 
Admiral.

	He turned his attention to the screen in front of 
him.  This was it, he knew it.  This was the cause of the 
slight disturbance in the Force.  His son was on Hoth; he 
could feel the surety of it in the Force.  "That's it.  The 
Rebels are there," he said.

	"My Lord, there are so many uncharted settlements.  
It could be smugglers, it could be..." Ozzel trailed off, 
realizing the stupidity of challenging the Dark Lord's 
decision.

	Fortunately for Ozzel, Vader's attention was focused 
on getting to his son.  "That is the system.  And I'm sure 
Skywalker is with them.  Set your course for the Hoth 
system," Vader barked.  He turned to the man standing 
quietly at his side.  "General Veers, prepare your men."

*^*^*^*^*

	Vader sat in his private meditation chambers, 
monitoring the progression of the battle.  The Rebels had 
been alerted to the fleet's presence.  Vader was annoyed 
with himself for allowing Ozzel to remain in command.  The 
insolent man had disregarded the Dark Lord's proclamation 
that the Rebels were based on Hoth, and he had entered the 
system carelessly.

	A soft chime announced a visitor at his door.  
"Come," Vader called calmly.

	The door opened to reveal General Veers, whose 
presence in the Force Vader had already recognized.  The 
man entered the room the very picture of confidence, but 
Vader could sense his trepidation.  "What is it, General?"

	"My Lord, the fleet has moved out of light-speed.  
Com-Scan has detected an energy field protecting an area 
around the sixth planet of the Hoth system.  The field is 
strong enough to deflect any bombardment," Veers reported.

	Such news was no surprise, but it did complicate the 
attack, and Vader couldn't help but suspect that his son 
was going to escape.  It was time to remove Ozzel before he 
could damage the Dark Lord's plans further.  "The Rebels 
are alerted to our presence.  Admiral Ozzel came out of 
light-speed too close to the system."

	"He felt surprise was wiser..."  Veers tried in vain 
to deflect his Lord's anger somewhat, but Vader would have 
none of it. 

	"He is as clumsy as he is stupid.  General, prepare 
your troops for a surface attack."

	"Yes, my Lord."

	Vader turned purposefully in his chair towards the 
viewscreen in his chambers.  He pushed a small button on 
the hand rest, and the screen lit up before him.  The image 
of Admiral Ozzel stepped forward as he noted Vader's 
communication.  Vader was pleased to see that the captain 
on the bridge was standing just behind Ozzel.  Vader had 
looked into the man's record briefly and discovered his 
name was Piett.  He felt the Force tugging at the edge of 
his senses, and Vader smiled.  Piett was about to be 
surprised.  

	"Lord Vader," Ozzel addressed him.  "The fleet has 
moved out of light-speed, and we're preparing to...aagh!"

	Vader grinned with glee behind his dark mask.  "You 
have failed me for the last time, Admiral."  Vader shifted 
his eyes the man standing in fear behind Ozzel.  "Captain 
Piett."

	Piett stepped forward nervously, glancing at Ozzel 
out of the corner of his eye.  "Yes, my Lord."

	"Make ready to land our troops beyond the energy 
shield and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off that 
system."  Vader noted with some amusement the difficulty 
Piett had staying focused on his orders while Ozzel began 
to claw at his neck in a feeble attempt to remove the 
invisible hand at his throat.  "You are in command now, 
Admiral Piett."

	"Thank you, Lord Vader."  Piett barely flinched as 
the former Admiral slumped to the deck.

	Vader turned from the screen and relaxed into his 
chair.  He had a feeling that Piett would prove to be a 
very valuable commanding officer.  The man had more natural 
Force sensitivity than most, and Vader felt that Piett had 
good intuitions.  Such a man would be an asset on his 
command deck.

*^*^*^*^*

	Darth Vader was sitting in the closed quarters of his 
private meditation chamber.  He had sought out the 
solitude, trusting that his men could handle the capture of 
the _Millennium Falcon_.  His feelings of late had been 
changing--shifting--and he was no longer sure of himself.  
His son's presence was key, and Vader soon began to see 
that the boy was a wild card.

	Possible futures swirled around him, so fast and so 
intense that he could not decipher them.  Flashes of 
insight gave him hints and clues but no knowledge of what 
was to come.  There was that taste again, of bitter 
victory, but Vader was not able to understand it.

	So he left the jumble of the future and focused his 
attentions on his son, Luke Skywalker.  Vader could see the 
boy's potential, his great destiny, and the Dark Lord 
smiled even in meditation.  His son was powerful, just as 
his father was.  

	Vader was jolted out of his trance as he sensed a 
nervous presence at his entryway.  He recognized the source 
as Piett, and was about to call for his helmet when he 
decided it was about time he tested Piett.

	Vader opened the chamber, and fought back a reflexive 
cough as the pure air in the chamber diffused.  He called 
out a "come" and waited as Piett walked into the room.

	He could feel Piett's emotions shift from shock, to 
fear, to horror, and finally fascination.  Vader was 
pleased that the man held his emotions in control, for it 
was an unusual day when one viewed the bare head of Darth 
Vader.

	There was a slight hum as Vader's helmet was lowered 
onto his head.  Vader could feel Piett gather himself to 
address the Dark Lord.  All in all, Vader was pleased with 
Piett's performance so far.

	"Yes, Admiral?"

	"Our ships have sighted the Millennium Falcon, Lord.  
But...it has entered an asteroid field and we cannot 
risk..." Piett said.

	"Asteroids do not concern me, Admiral. I want
that ship and not excuses."

	Piett swallowed.  "Yes, lord."

*^*^*^*^*

	Vader approached the communication chamber with 
trepidation.  He guessed that the Emperor had finally 
discovered the identity of the pilot.  Such news would be 
worthy of such a long-distance transmission.  The return of 
Kenobi and discovering that he had been teaching a student-
-the son of Skywalker, no less--would be disturbing to his 
master, Vader knew.  He would want Skywalker dead, like the 
rest of the Jedi.

	Normally, Vader would eagerly carry out the orders of 
his master, but this time, the Dark Lord had grander plans 
than winning his master's approval.

	He lowered his large form into a kneel and asked, 
"What is thy bidding, my master?"

	Palpatine's holo appeared above his head.  The face 
was ghastly, yellow eyes surrounded by dead skin.  Before, 
his master's face always stirred in Vader a kind of awed 
excitement, but now, Vader could see that Palpatine was 
becoming weak.  His master had once been able to watch him 
across even long reaches of space but now relied on spies 
to substitute for his diminished powers and to monitor his 
apprentice's movements.

	Despite his weaknesses, the Emperor's power was too 
great for Vader alone to overcome.  He himself was aging, 
and though his powers had not suffered near as much as 
Palpatine's, he was too old and too dependent on his 
infernal machines to withstand a direct attack by his 
master.  A younger man, however...

	Vader's musings were interrupted by his master's 
voice.  "There is a great disturbance in the Force."

	"I have felt it."

	"We have a new enemy -- Luke Skywalker."

	"Yes, my master."

	"He could destroy us."

	"He's just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him," 
Vader said, hoping to diffuse his master's anxiety some.

	"The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker 
must not become a Jedi," Palpatine persisted.

	Vader saw his chance.  All that was needed was a 
nudge, a suggestion.  "If he could be turned, he would 
become a powerful ally," the Dark Lord ventured.

	Vader would have held his breath if it weren't 
regulated.  He saw his master consider it, saw the brief 
unease in the older man's eyes, and felt the faint probe at 
his consciousness.  He felt a stab of fear.  What if the 
man was not as weakened as Vader thought?  Surely the 
Emperor could not see his student's treasonous thoughts.

	Vader almost visibly relaxed when Palpatine voiced 
his acquiescence.  "Yes...yes. He would be a great asset. 
Can it be done?"

	"He will join us or die, my master."

	The Emperor's image faded, but Vader remained still 
for some time, as he contemplated the conversation.  
Palpatine still trusted in the complete fidelity of his 
greatest student, and was confident that Skywalker would 
kneel beside his father at the Emperor's feet.

	Vader knew that the boy's life would be long; the 
Force had shown him that much at least.  His future was 
clouded, however, and Vader scornfully wondered if Master 
Yoda would consent to teaching a boy's whose destiny was 
indiscernible, considering the present circumstances of the 
Jedi Order.  Would his son have been turned away just as 
young Anakin Skywalker was?

	He wearily Forced his mind away from such bitter 
memories, and focused on the swirling future.  If the boy's 
life would be long, then surely he will turn to the dark 
side, Vader reasoned.  There were no more Jedi, and the 
boy's powers as they stood were not sufficient to bring two 
master Sith to their knees.  Skywalker would join him, and 
together they would end Palpatine's rule and bring in a new 
order, more pure and effective than Palpatine's.

	His was a bright future, awash with victory.  With 
the aid of his mighty ship and his son by his side, he 
would crush the Rebellion, then challenge Emperor 
Palpatine.  He foresaw that he was to overcome his master 
in glorious triumph.

	Vader smiled a dark smile behind his mask.  The cycle 
would complete itself, and Vader would find himself master 
once again.  Only this time, he'd be master of the galaxy.

-End-

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