trans_9 | Vader is a terrible, terrible man. AGAIN. [OPEN]

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Vader is a terrible, terrible man. AGAIN. [OPEN]

Kenobi!

Vader's eyes snapped open as he jerked to consciousness, his last memory of Kenobi's smirk burnt into his memory. The treacherous Jedi had thwarted him again. Why he was not dead was beyond him, but the second time Kenobi had left him for dead without having the stomach to actually finish the deed would be the last.

His mouth curled disdainfully as he surveyed his surroundings. It may have been foreign, but he recognized a medcenter when he saw one-- and liked it as little as he liked any other. The ventilator tubes had been reinserted into his nose, and he began to examine the large machine he was bound to. He could, in theory, take it apart and convert it into something more manageable. He had no idea if his kidnappers ever intended to return his suit and lightsaber. If he wanted his revenge on Kenobi and reclaim his son (his son-- no, he had to put that out of his mind), he would have to act quickly, before the...ship...realized his intentions.

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Arha had been waiting, quietly, watching him with wide open curiosity. He had tried to kill Obi-Wan, and here we was at the end of it; stuck to a machine. He had been burned, charred at one point--this she could tell by examining him from the side of the bed. Such would explain the need for artificial support. When he did stir, Arha moved back slightly.

"I would not advise moving until we can devise a more portable unit," she said in a quiet voice. She had chosen to wear her soft brown outfit and it was unmistakably Jed-Eye; the long sleeve puddled slightly against the edge of the bed as she eased herself upright. "This one is hardly adequate. I would ask how you are feeling, but I will take a guess that comfortable was never on such a menu."

"Who are you? Are you responsible for the theft of my lightsaber?" He asked, drawing away from her even as she gave him space. He was frustrated by the weakness of his voice with the vocoder.

"I am Arha Masaari," she said, her eyebrows arched. "And I did not steal anything of yours. That is the doing of this ship. If you wish to lodge a complaint, you must take it up with the Thinking Machine, Stacy. Such is not anything I can help with."

She folded her hands across her lap, thankful that she had not worn any weapons at all. This was what Obi-Wan had meant when he said Dark Side. Anger and pain rolled up into a ball of bright hate. Arha studied him with bright blue-within-blue eyes, tilting her head slightly.

"I would offer my assistance," she said thoughtfully, "if you would take it." It was true, she was certain she could ease some of the discomfort if only briefly and with concentration, but it would require this man's cooperation and agreement. Such was how all healing worked.

"You are a Jedi," Vader said, scanning the room behind her for anything that could be used as a weapon. "I am not interested in any assistance you can offer."

She seemed baseline human, but he could not be certain- she may have some unknown ability that would hinder any escape attempt, he thought.

"Ships are not made to be sentient," he replied, defiant even while helpless. "Even droids do not think as organics do. The Jedi are slipping in their studies- their pool for kidnapping and brainwashing grows smaller daily."

Luke cautiously made his way into the medical bay. The last time he'd seen his father, it hadn't gone so well--the words I have no son had echoed unpleasantly around Luke's mind despite the fact that he was once more sleeping with his love in his arms--so he admittedly didn't go into this meeting with high hopes.

But he had hopes, and that was enough. Or at least, he hoped so...

"Father?" he called cautiously. "It's me, Luke."

Vader set his jaw firmly, looking up at the ceiling rather than at Luke-- the boy (who was, in truth, older than he was) had information he needed, but the knowledge that his own son was forever lost to him was still too great.

"Have you come to gloat over me in my current state?"

"I was not always Jed-Eye," Arha said with a shrug. "It matters little, only that I have offered a few moments of painlessness. That you chose to reject it is your business. Know that such an offer is open, should you wish it." Her head tilted back the other way, the motion birdlike as as sharp as the way her eyes focused on him.

"This is no Jed-Eye ship, such rules do not apply, not that you shall believe me. Of course, I have the Force within me, so cannot be trusted. But think for a moment. What I see before me is a man who is defiant despite his physical limitations. Had you the proper equipment and tools, would you not strike me down? Would you not seek to do the same to everything in your way? Perhaps. But it would do you no good."

She cupped her chin in her hands, still staring at him.

"You may hate this place any every one in it as much as you wish, but the universe you call home and everything in it is dead." Arha paused, her jaw tight for a moment. "Your hate does not matter, your rage does not matter. If you wish to vent your anger upon something, save it to unleash upon the Ohm."

"No," Luke replied simply. On his way over to Vader's bedside, he snagged a stool and perched on top of it when it was in place, resting his elbows on his knees. "You're my father. I'm here to keep you company and talk, if you want."

"You may, if you wish, explain your reasoning behind my capture and imprisonment," he said, still looking at the ceiling, "but I will not be swayed by Jedi propaganda and misuse of truth."

"My hate," Vader rasped, raising his chin as his eyes blazed with fury, "makes me strong. Physical pain is insignificant when the power of the Dark Side and the destiny of the Galaxy flows through my veins, I can crush stars with a thought. My charge is to cull the unworthy, those that would not bow before the Emperor in his quest to create a galaxy that is actually livable. Unlike the Jedi, I am loyal to my duties. I am unconcerned about the Ohm you speak of, and am disinclined to believe your fanciful tales. There is no power that can destroy more than a planet at a time, there is no force that would destroy every planet in existence."

"It wasn't the Jedi who captured you," Luke replied. "It was the ship herself--she's an artificial intelligence of a kind more advanced than what we had at home. More than that, she's a refugee ship. You, me, and the others from home that are aboard, are, as far as we know, all that's left of our home galaxy."

Luke sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "As for why you're here, in the medbay," he said, "That's because you're in no shape to go haring around the ship right now."

The bits and pieces of information were slowly beginning to come together in Vader's mind. The Empire...obliterated, and presumably the Emperor with it. He was without purpose, without direction...

No. Such thoughts were not conductive to any attempt to leave this place.

"You claim the Galaxy is destroyed, yet you remain willingly chained to the Order? Even from their shallow grave, they make you their puppet."

"I stay with the Order because I can't escape being a Jedi. I can't be anything but who and what I am." Luke smiled a little. "Besides, the Grandmaster can't just up and leave."

"You are my son, stolen at birth to be molded and shaped into the Jedi's replacement for their Chosen One- and you would willingly take place in the abduction and molding of more children." Vader swung to face Luke, unable to bear it any longer.

"They have blinded you with their outward facade, but within they are weak and greedy."

"Your Empire and Emperor are dead," Arha said, meeting his eyes with her own, and with more curiosity than anything. "Reach out your senses, listen, feel. Are there no echoes? Do you sense nothing of your Universe, your worlds, your Empire? What reason do I have to lie to you? Your hate is your own, keep it if you feel it makes you stronger, but it blinds you from the truth. As for the destiny of the Galaxy, you can forget about that. There is not a galaxy left to shape. What you say is silly."

She frowned lightly.

"I said once 'What is the Force? Surely no power like this can exist!' and I was proven wrong, for I felt it. The logic is true in this matter as well. Simply because you have not seen such a power, does not mean it is absent. It has not been witnessed. Do you wish to see? I could show you what the Ohm have done to my universe. I have seen it. I was there and I remember the way they swept down upon us all, so thick I could not see the sands of my home. I watched as they slaughtered everything and anything alive on my planet before I came to this place."

Arha leaned forward.

"Look at me."

Her eyes were fierce as she glowered at him.

"Look at me and tell me I lie and tell these 'fancy tales'--I speak true as sand burns."

"Didn't you hear me?" Luke's brow was creased with concern, worry. "The Jedi were decimated after... well, you were there. After the Emperor was killed I started a new generation of Jedi, one without the same kinds of rules as the old Order."

There was no sound in the medbay but the soft, labored rhythm of Vader's breathing. What she said could not be correct- just as the news of his son, at least twice his age and alive, could not be correct- yet he felt the truth of her statement. He withdrew deeper into the Dark Side, feeling the comfort of sure, swift desire for vengeance.

"The most lasting peace is that of death," he replied, simply. "If they are all dead, then I have been spared for one purpose only- to ensure that the Jedi cannot spread to any other galaxy. My mission is far from over."

It was a non-answer to make the Emperor proud.

"I was creating for you a galaxy free from the Jedi," Vader growled. "Kenobi may have lead you to believe the Jedi can change, but at heart they remain tyrants. The Order spanned a thousand years of failed diplomacy. They will take power from your hands the moment you no longer obey their commands."

"Considering the Jedi take their orders from me," Luke shot back wryly, "I think obeying 'their' commands is a little difficult."

Vader laughed harshly, a sound that resembled a dog's bark more than any mirthful sound.

"Then your thoughts are not your own. Even know, your mind is ruled by outside forces."

"You are a very dense man," Arha said, blinking at him before shaking her head. "You hear only what you wish to hear and let your hate blind you to all. You do not master your hate. This is the Dark Side? Your beloved Empire, your Emperor, your universe is gone and you say, 'Ah, but I must kill any remaining Jed-Eye because it is my mission'--such a thing to say."

Arha stared at him most seriously for a long while.

"Kill Jed-Eye? What does this serve? A master who is dead, a universe that is dead, a vengeance that is purposeless. Such does nothing in the end of all things. Why save you? You let your emotions run about as badly as I do! I rejoice in the Force and you hate," she wiggled her fingers as if to shoo a bug, "in it. You would kill, maim, reshape, I would heal, reknit, fix. Spreading Jed-Eye? This is not the problem. We are not breeding and producing tiny little Jed-Eye in this place to spread and conquer galaxies by seed and conquest." Arha half snorted in laughter, then shook her head, bewildered at the whole thing.

"We are fighting something bigger than you can see, such is apparent. You cannot be a stupid man. I refuse to believe this. You are meant for more than mere stupidity and poorly executed attempts at logic. Would you not strike down those who have taken your universe from you? It is a better mission than picking off Jed-Eye. What ever shall you do when you are finished? Then shall the Ohm be your target? You shall be eaten by them if you attempt such a thing, though I do not think you would be very appetizing."

Luke stopped for a moment, opening himself to the Force. He could feel himself starting to get frustrated, some of that old whining Luke from long ago on Tatooine coming back to the fore. But Luke would not let this get to him. Calm flooded him, calm and focus, and Luke's mouth twitched a bit in a smile. No matter what, the Force was always there to bolster him.

"I'm sorry you think so," he said quietly. "And that I disappoint you as you are now." He slid off the stool. "I can go if you don't want to talk anymore."

"What purpose does it serve to kill the Jedi? Does the Order no longer teach of justice?" Vader drew himself up on the bed, still to weak to rise to his feet but as imposing as a seated figure could be.

"Their crimes did not die with the Galaxy-- and they clearly have no stopped committing those crimes, either. The stain spreads as their numbers swell. When the Jedi are dead, I will at last be allowed to die. I do not wish to live where I no longer have a purpose. What happens after that is none of my concern."

"I will remain loyal. I still remember my duty."

"You would blame me for what the Jedi have done to you!" Vader exploded, "This is how they deceived your mother, how they took her from me! This is why you are lost to me-- and you cannot see how they have corrupted the natural bonds of family! This is how they twist the Galaxy to their own means!"

Kyle stood at the door for a few minutes observing Vader. He was sure the Sith Lord could already sense him, just as he could sense Vader. Still he wanted to wait before trying to speak to him. It was strange seeing him like this. Growing up, and at the Academy there had always been images of Vader. Tall, and strong protecting the Empire and all that other sithspit.

Idly he wondered if Vader had even heard of him. Losing a Stormtrooper officer couldn't have sat well with him. If Kyle hadn't defected he might have actually served in the 501st. He certainly had the skills for it. Of course he'd have rather served under Thrawn. Imperial all the same, but at least he didn't execute people when he had a temper tantrum.

Finally sighing he stepped forward into the room fully showing his face. "Having a little trouble getting around are we?"

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Vader is a terrible, terrible man. AGAIN. [OPEN]

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