Power Lust
Part 6: The Offer
By SJ and Tatiana 09-05-00/13-04-01
Suggested and co-written with Tatiana (aa354105@econophone.ch)

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Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs
to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.
See my homepage for more details.
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/3702

IMPORTANT Note about the story's copyrights: All the rights related to the basic idea of Mon Mothma's scheme and the ensuing alliance between Luke and Vader belong to Tatiana, and so do Vader's personality and the Sathed history. The rest of the story is a fusing of our imaginations since we've passed the story back and forth between ourselves :)

Special thanks to my shy, secret beta-reader and best friend, Adrianne, for her help with the final editing of my new stories. Thanks for giving me some of your precious time, my friend :)

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Even though Luke had been locked away in the detention area of the ship, he had
naturally heard the medic's report through his link with his sister's
mind. Hence, while his father had retired to think, he himself worked on his
sister's subconscious, encouraging her, telling her that the Force was more
powerful than the droid.

However, working and succeeding were two different things, and especially where
his sister's optimism was concerned. As he met yet again with a flat refusal to
believe in him, he wished that he could use the Force again and attempt to heal
her even slightly to prove her wrong---

And became aware that he had been so focused on his thought that he had failed
to hear the betraying clatter of approaching troopers.

Thus, he barely had time to prepare himself for their arrival before his door
swished upward--- and a stun blast hit him full in the chest.

He crumpled to the floor, perfectly unaware of it.

******

Vader watched his troopers as they brought the inert form of his son in his
quarters. Since he had known that they would control him, he had mentally
suggested them to stun the Jedi to avoid any painful retributions for him.

"Leave us," he ordered them.

They unceremoniously dropped the unconscious Jedi on the hard floor, then turned
on their heels and left.

Once alone, Vader locked his room, then knelt by his son's side and delicately
lifted him in his arms. He then carried his limp, slim form in his office.

Once he had sat him down in a chair, he set about awakening him, careful to not
enhance the aftereffects of the stun blast.

Luke groaned as his senses came back to him. Slowly, he became aware that he
was slouching rather heavily in a chair, but other then his disorientation,
he was fine.

He then noticed that his father was straightening up beside him.

"Sorry about that stun, Son," the dark lord apologized coolly, "but I thought
that it would be better than getting a beating or whatever they might have had
in mind if you had resisted them in any way... or not."

Luke brought his hand to his head, then slowly pushed himself upright. For a
fleeting moment he had really feared that his father had tricked him, but
apparently not... yet. "You could have warned me," he complained, rubbing his
stinging ribs.

"Yes, I could have," his father agreed. "However, your surprise left no doubt
that you were my prisoner, not my guest. What better way to convince my troops
that everything is normal?" he inquired in his maddeningly wise voice.

Luke pursed his lips. He didn't like the other's reasoning, but once again, he
couldn't argue against it either. "I guess," he conceded.

He looked around himself. He was in a small, austere room. A computer
terminal, a desk, which was covered with data disks, and two chairs; he was
obviously in his father's office.

He then reflected that he had never even imagined that his father had such a
room. In fact, he pointed out to himself, he had never thought that his father
had any regular quarters at all, as if he spent all his time on the bridge of
his ship, ordering the Fleet.

He should've known better, he snorted inwardly. Since his father remained
silent, he continued his quiet survey of the office.

There was a painting on the wall which was made of a strange, silvery sign
against a black backdrop. Intrigued by it, he spared an extra second to study
it further. Thus, as he looked at it more closely, he got the impression that
the sign was three-dimensional while slowly revolving on itself.

It was a beautiful illusion.

"It's not an illusion," his father commented from his location in his chair.

As Luke refocused on him, he became aware that the other was now sitting behind
the massive desk, sitting slightly beside the computer; except for his chest
plate, he was almost invisible in the shadows.

"It's not?" the youth queried, turning his attention back toward the design.

"No. It's an original Sathed writing," Vader identified for him. "All their
symbols were meant to be three-dimensional."

"What does this one mean?"

"Inside is as great as outside. One's feelings can shape the universe as simply
as the universe can shape one's life."

"All this in one sign?" Luke gaped, now unable to tear his eyes off of the
mesmerizing writing.

"It's not a mere 'sign'," his father corrected him. "If you look more
carefully, you will see that there are many, interlaced."

Luke looked more carefully and indeed saw an infinity of silver bands, crossing
and twisting over each other. It took him a supreme effort to detach himself
from this hypnotic sight. He turned back toward his father.

"In reality," the other continued, "the meaning is more complex, but it is
difficult to translate it in any other language. Sathed were not like us at
all."

"Then why are you following their religion?" he inquired in genuine curiosity.

"They were the race who knew the Force better than anyone possibly could," Vader
explained simply. "For them, feeling it was as natural as it is for us to
breathe."

"And how do you know this if they've been dead for thousands of years?"

"The Circle," the other answered simply. "It's a memory of all living things,
linking the dead Sathed with the living beings who are open to their teachings.
Thus, as a Sith, I know what they knew."

"I don't understand," Luke frowned in confusion. "And I'm not really sure, that
I 'want' to understand at all," he added quickly before his father could begin a
more detailed explanation. "Besides, I don't think that you've had me brought
here to discuss a religion."

"You're absolutely right, Son." Vader took a pad from his desktop. "This is the
medical report on Leia's state. Read it."

Luke took the pad and read it.

He did so three times.

After the third time, he looked at his father, finally understanding why his
sister's spirit was so resistant to his attempts to cheer her up; his face was
currently wrenched with pain, but he didn't care.

His sister...

"Invalid for life?.." he breathed in horror, dreading his father's answer.

"No," Vader assured him. "I can heal her, but only in my Coruscant estate; it
will be time-consuming, two months, perhaps more."

"I see," Luke answered in a neutral voice. He was too numbed by the news to
really react to anything.

"Your friends are my main problem, Luke," Vader commented with just a note of
rebuke in his voice.

The youth forced himself to focus on his father's words. Han and Chewie...

The dark lord continued. "I don't think that they'll be able to appreciate my
hospitality for such a long period of time."

"I don't think they would," he agreed. Luke couldn't help but smile slightly
upon imagining Han's reaction to Vader's offer. "But we could always tell
them..." he began.

"About my relation with the two of you? Captain Solo's reaction is rather
unpredictable," his father commented, his voice now mildly harsh at the mention
of Han's name.

"I see your point..." Luke nodded. "Anyway, it must be Leia's decision."

Vader leaned back in his seat. "Granted, were she able to do so, but she won't
be conscious for a long while... and the faster I will begin to heal her, the
better she will be." He let him consider his words, then leaned forward to rest
his elbows on his desk, lacing his gloved hands in a conciliator's stance.
"I could release them, Luke, if I could be sure, if only for Leia's sake, that
they won't go to Mothma for support. 'You' could guarantee that," he finished,
pointing his big index at his shocked son.

"Me?" Luke blinked, totally confused yet again by his father. He was surprising
him at every corner now. He worked some moisture in his throat, then asked,
very slowly: "If I do that, you'll release us... including me?"

"Yes," Vader nodded instantly, leaving no doubt about his intentions.

Luke was stumped. What was going on?.. Was he trying to trick him or did he
really mean it?..

"Why? " he inquired in disbelief. "I mean, why would you release me? Now that
you have very good..." he stopped, suddenly aware of what he was suggesting.

"Continue. Very good means of pressure, was that what you wanted to say?"

"Yes," he blushed slightly, ashamed to admit this to his father who was
currently showing him good intentions. "You... You've always wanted to have me
at your side, haven't you? To turn me to the dark side."

"Palpatine wanted me to turn you," his father explained coolly. "He wanted to
'feed' you to his god: the Chaos. The result is most fitting though... He was
observing me at Bespin, and lost control, and was eaten himself. Now, you can
forget him. As for me..." Vader sighed, stood and began to pace with his hands
behind his back. "After Bespin I lost any hope that any of my children would
ever be Siths. You've chosen your god, and it is fine with me. I will not
interfere with your religious decisions as long as you will not interfere with
mine. And yes, I've always wanted to have you," he admitted, then quickly
added: "To have you at my side; nothing more. However, it's absolutely
understandable that you don't share my opinion on this matter," he conceded,
gazing straight at his son, "but if you think that I'll force you to stay with
me, you're wrong. You and your friends are free to go, if you can assure me that
all of you will be alive and well in two months or so."

For some time Luke looked at his father speechless ; things were not developing
at all as he had expected.

Slowly, it deemed on him that he didn't know his father at all. All those
years, he had only known the monster who had served Palpatine for years... but
underneath that, an interesting, caring if cool character had been hiding and
seemed ready to reveal himself, at least to his children.

But now was not the time to wonder about this.

Later, he told himself.

For the moment, he had to decide on a course of action. And one thing was sure
about Leia's destination: Han wouldn't want to abandon Leia. He would be
constantly trying to rescue her, which left them only one other option, to go
with her... and Vader.

However, after what the dark lord had done to Solo in the pirates' base, Luke
had no doubt that his friend would deem him for crazy for even considering such
an option, but... on the other hand, his friend's irrational love and
protectiveness gave him no other choice...

Han's love for Leia..., he mused. There was the key to convince Han to
'behave'.

"I guess," he began thoughtfully, "that if we escape your custody, we're going
to have our hands full with rebel attacks and problems of all kinds, right?"

"That is why I am asking you if you can guarantee---"

"I think I could," he nodded hesitantly. "But if Mon throws everything she's got
at us... I can only do so much."

"Which leaves us which option?" his father asked him, leaning his hands on the
top of his desk.

"To go with you," Luke answered shortly... earnestly.

If his answer surprised his father, the dark lord didn't show any outward nor
emotional sign of it. "Are you sure?" he asked him, straightening up slowly.

"Yes," Luke replied with a steady voice.

"What about your friends?"

"Chewie is not a problem: once Han will make a decision, he will stick around
and do what he can to keep him out of trouble," he explained.

"The problem still remains though," his father pointed out. "How do you plan to
convince Solo to not attempt any escape?"

Luke shifted in his chair, crossing his arms. "Like I've suggested previously.
We tell him everything about the situation, except for our family secret. Once
he knows that Mon is a traitor, he won't think about going back to the rebels,
and I know that whatever the situation, he will do anything for Leia."

Vader unconsciously mimicked him by crossing his arms. "In short, you are
suggesting to challenge the depth of his love for your sister," he surmised.

"Yes. I know Han; he will be stubborn until he is convinced that there is no
harm done with the situation, then he'll distrust you but won't bite anymore."

"Unless he thinks that he can influence the situation..." Vader mused seriously.
"How will you explain my sudden interest for Leia? Or your too easy acceptance
of my offer for that matter? He will probably think that I'm messing with your
mind," he pointed out seriously.

"Well..." Luke began. "I could always explain to him that it's a Jedi thing and
that being a Jedi makes it much more difficult for you to do so... He knows me
and he'll trust me," he finished, feeling confident that Han would 'behave' for
Leia's sake.

"Perhaps. But he will most probably think that you're influenced."

Luke tilted his head in agreement. "What else do you propose then?"

"Let him think what he wants," his father coolly answered.

"What?" Luke frowned at his father. "Why?"

"Let him think that I need you and Leia alive and well for some plan against
Mothma and to destroy the rebellion. I must admit that I'd like to do so..." he
added in a slightly lower tone of voice, then continued: "Let him think that
you're influenced by me. It will be easy since he'll think about it anyway.
Then, if I understand him right, he will accept my offer for two reasons.
First, to keep an eye on Leia, and to attempt an escape when she is well enough.
Second, to keep you from succumbing to my influence."

Luke pursed his lips in unhappiness. "I don't like your manipulative plans,
Father," he stated meaningfully.

"This isn't manipulation, Son," Vader corrected "merely suggesting
misconceptions."

Luke could suddenly bet that the Dark Lord was smiling behind his mask.

"It's up to you to decide," the dark lord told him as he leaned back in his
chair, his manners still as non-belligerent as before.

Luke took a moment to ponder his thoughts, then a slow smile crept on his lips,
one of unexpected amusement at his father's cool humor. "Are you 'sure' that
you're not messing with my mind?" he asked him.

"Like you said yourself a minute ago, it's not easy with a Jedi..." his
father reminded him. "And no, I am not and I never will. Besides, it is not
necessary: your good will is doing all the work for me," he then commented, both
teasing him and scaring him with the truth.

"Yeah, I've already heard that," Luke sneered at himself.

With an heroic effort, he kept himself from laughing out loud after this
comment. Surprisingly enough, he was really enjoying this weirdly teasing
conversation with the Dark Lord of the Sith.

His father was dangerous, and he knew it, but he also knew that he was
completely safe with him.

A really strange feeling indeed, he reflected.

"I'll think about your proposition," he finally told his father.

"Thank you. The question remains though, how do you plan to keep Solo in line?"

"I will be there with him, remember? And if you allow him access to Leia once or
twice every day, he will be very happy to just keep an eye on her. It should
also occupy him enough to keep him from thinking about too much mischief," he
finished with a slight smirk.

"Very well."

"Thank you," Luke nodded at his father, then considered his own part of the
plan. "We'll need hard data to prove Mon's betrayal."

Vader picked a red disk from his desk and tossed it to him. "Will this do?" he
asked him as he himself caught the card in his right hand.

Luke loaded the disk on his discarded pad. It was what his father had found;
it showed without any doubts Mon's links to the Massacres.

"Yes, it will. Can you have him brought here too? Gently?" he reminded his
father.

He felt his disgruntled mood, but heard him give orders to bring in Solo,
unmolested.

******

Luke was watching his sister's stabilizing bacta treatment when his father
brought Han in the small observation room. The dark giant unlocked his friend's
cuffs, then left them alone without a word.

"Good riddance," Solo snarled before the door was completely closed.

Then, they were alone. The mask of defiance became one of worry and he walked
up to the observation window. "Do you know how she is doing?" the pilot asked
him, concerned.

"Yes..." Luke nodded sadly. "They can't heal her here... she will need very
advanced treatments..."

Han remained silent, his eyes never leaving the indistinct features of his
lover. Luke saw the glints of tears in his eyes, then Han angrily brushed them
away with the back of his arm.

"Sith, Luke... why did they do that to her?" he asked as he turned toward his
friend. "What could they possibly gain with such cruelty?"

"I... I can't tell you----" Luke began as if trying to hide something.

Solo instantly lost his temper and grabbed the Jedi's shirt. "The hell with
that crap, Kid. You know; that black monster told you, so tell me."

Luke took hold of his friend's wrist while locking his eyes with his. "Han, I
will tell you, but the situation is much more complex than Leia being kidnapped.
You'd better take a seat."

Han was about to retort that he didn't need a Jedi babysitter when he registered
the look of loss and despair in his friend's eyes. He let him go but didn't sit
down.

Vader, he understood. "What has he done to you this time?" he growled angrily.

Luke shook his head. "Vader has nothing to do with our unhappiness this time,
Han... we've been betrayed, all of us."

"Yeah, to him."

"No. The betrayal is more than physical..." the younger man began forlornly.
"someone has played with the hearts and feelings of thousands of men and women
for the sole purpose of a private war... someone we all know very well,...
Someone we would never have suspected..."

Solo's brows were crossed in a furious frown. "What the heck are you talking
about, Kid?" he asked in frustration.

Luke turned back toward his sister's unconscious form. "Leia must have
discovered the truth, and instead of risking her future throne, the betrayer set
the Massacres loose on her."

It then dawned on Han that Luke's crushed feelings were coming from the loss of
delusions more than from the loss of a concept such as freedom. Luke was trying
to tell him that the betrayal had come from the Rebellion...

"Who?" he asked, his voice suddenly sounding like a predatory growl.

Luke gave him his datapad. "It's Mon Mothma," he sighed.

Too shocked to answer, Han took hold of the pad and read it, asking it to deny
what his friend had just told him.

"Artoo has uncovered similar information during my search, Han. Mon has been
playing us all for fools from the beginning."

"How do you know that it hasn't been forged by the Empire?" the pilot asked him
seriously.

"It wasn't. Artoo checked for such manipulations himself, but in the end,
the fact remains..." he explained glumly. "I could also feel it when I last saw
her... It's her, Han... I wish it were different, but it isn't."

Han was speechless now. He stuttered: "But... I mean... How--- What..."

"What are we going to do about her?" Luke supplied.

The young Jedi shrugged, suddenly feeling wearier than he had ever felt in his
entire life. The Rebel dream was truly dead now, not only because Mon Mothma
had been using them, but also because the Empire was also dead, in a way.

He had never felt so very confused in his entire life.

Han continued to gape in disbelief and horror at him. Luke pursed his lips in
understanding. "Quite honestly, Han, I don't know what to do about it just
yet... my only concern for the moment is Leia."

"What is going to happen to her?" Solo scowled, turning back toward his
lover.

"Vader will bring her to Coruscant and will personally see to her tending. She
will be fine."

Han's eyes grew darker in hatred. "Like Hell he will. I'm not letting that
fiend touch her anymore than he already has; he won't use her for some twisted
plan of his either."

Luke turned toward him. "You mean that you want to stay with her?" he offered.
This might be even easier than he had thought.

"Nothing is going to separate me from her," Solo growled, throwing an askance
look at the door that was behind them.

His threatening, ill-disposed mind came clearly through that glare.

"As a matter of fact, Han, Vader has offered us to stay with him until we have
dealt with Mon. He knows that she will throw everything that she's got at us."

Han meant to snicker until he saw how serious Luke was about the offer.

He scolded the Kid. "No, don't tell me that you're thinking about accepting,
Luke. No way, we're not staying with him," he warned darkly.

"He doesn't mean us any harm, Han," Luke defended.

"Sure, he's just tortured Leia once, then you, frozen me, cut off your hand, and
tried to do many other things that we're just glad we escaped from," he sneered,
then turned dead serious. "Can't you see that it's just another trap to keep
you in his claws?!"

Luke's temper flared slightly. "It is 'not' a trap," he stated adamantly, then
took a deep breath and forced himself to relax; he had to remember that Han
didn't know the truth between Vader and himself. "Many things have changed in
the Empire, things that Mon Mothma knows about but won't reveal to anybody
else," he finished in a calmer tone.

"Oh yeah, like what? Vader doesn't destroy entire planets anymore?" he sneered.

"Like the Emperor is senile and insane," Luke cut in. "Vader's in command now
and he's slowly deactivating the imperial war machine, but he can't do it
completely because of Mon."

"Sure, and he is also growing flowers in his garden," the Corellian sneered
contemptuously. "Luke, I can't believe that you believe any word of what you've
just said. He is a monster and you know it. You also know that he wants us for
some plan of his and that after this plan is ended," Solo mimicked a shot "We
are as good as dead."

Luke forced himself to relax. Hearing his friend speak of his father in such
terms was strangely painful and were provoking an urge to defend him. However,
to make Han agree with his decision, he needed a cool head.

"I know that he is a monster, yes," he agreed, "And I know that he wants our
help to deal with Mon. I don't know what you think, but in this matter I agree
with whatever he has in mind."

"Yeah, all right, but..."

"And he will heal Leia. Han, I'm not talking about joining the Empire nor
Vader," he reminded him. "All I'm saying is that for Leia's sake, we have no
choice but to be his... 'guests', for the moment. He assured me that he would
let us see her, just like right now, and that he will let us go once she's
better. His quarrel is with Mon, not us. Besides, once Leia is better, we'll
have more... options, don't you think?"

There, he had said everything. He couldn't argue anymore without repeating his
arguments, and he could only hope that he was right about Han.

His friend looked at him--- and suddenly snickered. "You really believe in
this, huh, Kid?"

Luke half-glared at him.

Solo sighed, ran his fingers through his hair then turned back toward Leia.
"We don't have many great choices, do we? and I bet that he knows it as well as
we do."

Luke nodded but remained silent, letting Han work things out by himself.

"We are in his hands and Leia... What a mess. Are you sure that he is not lying
about healing her?" Solo asked him, not taking his eyes off of his lover.

"Yes. I can feel when Vader tells the truth or lies; he isn't lying this
time."

"Yeah. If he is not messing with your mind..." Solo ran his hand along his jaw,
continued to study his injured girlfriend, then sighed yet again. "I don't like
it, but there's no option. I just hope that you're right, Kid, or you'll answer
to me and Chewie."

Luke playfully held his hands up at that, as if warding off his friend's
warning. "No need to bring out your super star destroyers, Han," he joked half-
seriously. "We'll be fine, trust me. 'She' will be fine."

"I sure hope so, Kid, cause once will be there, it will be difficult to find a
way out."

"Don't worry, Han."

Solo unexpectedly whirled back toward him and warningly waved his finger at him.
"No, I will worry. And one more thing; don't expect me to be nice with our
'host'."

Luke smiled at him. "Don't worry. I don't think that he'll expect it from any
of us."

And thus, strange events were about to take place, Luke reflected. Here they
were, sworn enemies to the Empire and its minions, finding refuge in the private
castle of their arch-nemesis.

Destiny sure brought about strange twists of fate.

As if sensing that the dilemma was over, his father came back in the small
observation room a few minutes later. Han's first reaction was to move on the
dark lord, but Luke set his hand on his shoulder, wordlessly telling him to not
attack him.

"What is your decision?" his father asked them.

"Do you guarantee that you will let us go once she is better?" Luke asked
rhetorically.

"Yes," The dark lord turned slightly toward Solo. "Do you agree with him,
Solo?"

Han waved his finger at the dark lord, just like he had done with his son, Luke
refrained from smirking. "If I see the slightest sign that you are playing with
either Luke or Leia, I swear that you will regret taking us in, Vader."

"I would expect nothing less from you, Captain Solo." Vader said in his
coolly-modulated voice. "I remind you though that for the sake of secrecy, I
will restrain you to a certain area of my castle."

"As long as I can see Leia..." Solo growled.

"You will, all of you," Vader nodded, turning back toward the Jedi. "Now, I
will have to send you back to your cells for the time being. We should be on
Coruscant in a little over three days."

Luke and Han exchanged a look, then shrugged. They knew that free prisoners
wouldn't look normal aboard an Imperial vessel.

While he followed the dark lord out of the observation room, Han swore to
himself that if Luke displayed even the slightest black and blue, aside from his
already healing one, Vader would have a taste of his boot's heel in a
judiciously chosen place.

The two men accompanied the tall man into the anteroom of his quarters.

"Sorry," Vader suddenly said from behind them, then nothing.

Troopers came in and collected their inert bodies.

To be Continued in part 7

Authors' note: for those of you who'd like to see what Tatiana had in mind for
the Sathed Writing, you can see one such symbol on SJ's webpage:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/3702/texts/grey.htm
Just scroll down the page up to Power Lust's art and you'll see ;)

Copyright 2001/2002, SJ and Tatiana (aa354105@econophone.ch)
Webmaster : (skyjade@globetrotter.net)(Any positive stuff is welcome,
but any mean stuff won't even be read.)

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