Redemption Part 5

Redemption
Part 5: The Beginning
By SJ 12-23-01/ 05-02 (skyjade@globetrotter.net)

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to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.
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Special thanks to my shy, secret beta-reader and best friend, Adrianne, for her
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me some of your precious time, my friend :)
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While he watched his son's shuttle make the transition into hyperspace, Anakin
made a silent prayer to the Force.
They had to succeed.

If their plan failed... If they were uncovered by the Emperor... Everything
would be lost forever for everyone. He then admitted that the future had never
been this clear... yet uncertain for his family. He and Luke knew exactly which
goal they had to reach, and mostly how they would be able to reach it, but at
the same time, anything could go wrong at any moment.

They had decided to take it one step at the time and to re-evaluate their plan
as they went.

Hence, the first step on which they had agreed on was to maintain the illusion
that nothing had changed while they would discreetly gather information about
the Emperor's clones and his true powers. However, he reminded himself as he
turned away from his viewport and returned to the ship of the captured children,
they had agreed to not inflict anymore pain of any kind.

They would find other ways to maintain the Emperor's order.

The trick though, Anakin admitted to himself, was to convince the tyrant that
their new tactics were due to the failing results of other techniques; that they
were inspired by Luke's experience with the Rebels and his sister. They even
estimated that Mara Jade would condone them since she too had been with Rebels,
seeing for herself the 'reasons' behind their upheaval.

Mara Jade, he thought more seriously... Now there was an element that he didn't
know how to maneuver. His son loved her as much as he himself had loved Padme;
he knew what this kind of love made one do... and not do. He didn't have any
doubts about his son's devotion to their strategy, he conceded, but at the same
time, he could imagine how torn apart the youth was at the moment; it would be
even worse when they would have to consider the young woman as a true, dangerous
enemy. For a moment, he hoped that Leia and Padme would talk with her, but he
somehow knew that they couldn't.

Mara Jade wasn't part of their family... Other than her love for Luke, she had
never known anything but the Emperor's overwhelming control. She would betray
them, he surmised forlornly, making a mental note that when the time would come,
he would have to pull his son away from her. This wouldn't be a happy day for
either of them, he sighed glumly, then forced himself to recover his composure.

He was coming up on the secondary hangars.

He noted that the ship's status hadn't changed. Walking past the security
cordon, he climbed back aboard the shuttle; inside, the children were now under
the watchful eyes of young conscripts who had been given babysitting duties.

Anakin motioned to them to leave the ship. While they obeyed him, scared of his
mere presence, he himself studied the children. He discovered that they had
indeed been fed, even cleaned in some cases, and that the younger children had
taken advantage of their new sleeping rolls.

The older children though were still gathered together, as if planning
something.

The ex-dark lord slowly approached them.

"We will return you to your parents," he told them seriously. "but to do that,
we need to know where we must direct the ship."

"No," a young girl instantly objected, keeping the others from answering him.
"He will only hurt them when he finds them." She turned her small, defiant face
toward him. "I won't let you hurt Mom and Dad," she stated
maturely.

Around her, the other oldsters nodded in agreement with her.

Anakin sighed in acceptance. He had expected this kind of reaction, but, he
conceded, he hadn't foreseen such strength of character in one this young.
He decided to try another tactic to convince her that he didn't want to find her
parents; he crouched in front of the children until he were at eye level with
them.

That surprised his young audience.

"If I wanted to keep you away from your parents," he told them seriously, "I
wouldn't try to return you to them. I too have children," he then added more
gently, gazing briefly at each child. "and I lost one not so long ago... I
don't want to hurt your parents like this," he finished earnestly, then tried to
think as Vader used to. "If they don't hurt anybody in turn," he informed the
young girl, "I won't search them out. I promise."

"Promised promise?" a small boy inquired doubtfully.

"On the love of my defunct daughter," he answered earnestly.

He didn't know if the children would understand what he meant, but to his
relief, they slowly did. Even as his own son had seen his slavery for what it
was, way back when, those youngsters recognized his care for what it was.

"I don't want you to tell me where they are," he informed them gently. "If one
of you will come with me, we can program the computer, then you will only have
to add the name of your home-planet after I left."

"I can," the boy on his left offered, raising his hand to volunteer. "My father
taught me how to use the ship's computer... in case we needed to reprogram it,"
he explained seriously.

In case they were found and needed to escape, Anakin understood. Whatever the
secret of those children's parents was, they sure went to great lengths to make
sure that their children wouldn't be found. He slowly straightened up, then
turned and headed toward the cockpit. The young teenager followed him from a
distance.

In an hour at most, Ani reflected in relief, those children would once again be
on their way to their parents... and would tell them to keep quiet for the time
being. Hopefully, he thought seriously, he wouldn't have to break his promise
to the children.

******

Aboard his shuttle, Luke exited his meditation trance. He had hoped to be able
to speak with his sister again, but for some reason, he hadn't been able to
establish the contact.

Instead, he had seen flashes of places where he would be able to gather
information about his master and his clones, the only problem being how he would
leave his ship and gather them, he conceded as he reintegrated his full senses.
Unlike when he had been an agent, a 'slave' to whom no one had ever paid any
attention to, he now had commanding duties which he couldn't abandon without
looking suspicious; the last thing that he and his father wanted, he reminded
himself, was to attract attention.

Hence, he wondered, how would he leave the ship without being seen, or even
noticed. Secret was the first idea that came to him, then he slowly began to
decide that he would need a secret get-away built right in his private quarters,
but without anyone's knowledge... especially Mara's, he admitted, closing his
eyes in regret as yet another secret came between them.

As long as Mara would be with him, he knew that he wouldn't be able to implement
any of what he needed to do to eventually kill the dark monster. He didn't
resent her presence of course, but the more he would delay, the longer it would
take for the galaxy to be free from its torments, and the longer himself and his
father would have to maintain the illusion that they were still steeped in the
Dark Side.

While he himself had become more than proficient to pretend to be someone else,
he wondered how his father would manage it. Unlike himself, Anakin had never
been trained like he had been; he had merely been seduced and turned into a
right hand for the Emperor. However, he knew that like himself, he had spent
most of his life as a Vader. He undoubtedly knew how to act as if he were still
him.

They would have to be wary though, he reflected grimly as he stood back to his
feet. Starting today, they wouldn't be able to trust anyone but one another...
At this thought, Luke dimly hope that his lover would someday forgive him for
his betrayal of their bond...

******

Aboard the Annihilator, Mara waited for Luke's return.

Ever since the Emperor had called her, she had pondered again and again the
events of the past week with her boyfriend; she had been unable to put her
finger on what was worrying her master.

Luke was as devoted to him as she was, and while he wasn't as ruthless as he
used to be, he was still successful and merciless. Yet at the same time, she
conceded, he was slowly becoming more emotional with her, like when he had been
younger, she remembered wistfully. Of course, she admitted, the loss of his
sister had been a major blow to him, one even worse than when their master had
exacted revenge on him for the destruction of the Death Star.

Back then, she remembered that he had been badly shaken, almost to the point of
resenting their master, but he had recovered his cooler edge a few weeks later,
once his injuries had faded into the back of his memories, as had all his other
punishments before.

It would be the same thing this time, she reassured herself. With time, Luke
would recover from the loss of his sister, whom he had barely found before she
had been ripped away again from him. He had already lost his drive for revenge,
resuming his more self-effaced service to the Emperor; she knew, at the bottom
of her heart, that her boyfriend would soon recover his cooler attitude, proving
that her master's worries were pointless.

The object of her thoughts entered her awareness even as his shuttle began its
landing approach. Whatever had happened with his father, she sensed, it had
strengthened him. He felt more assured now then when he had left her.

The metallic bird finally settled down, then she felt 'him' come closer.
Assuming once again her role of consort, she bent her knees and bowed her head,
then held her curtsy for as long as he hadn't offered her his hand to help her
up.

"Welcome back, my Lord," she purred sensually. "I trust that your meeting went
well."

"Very well," he nodded, then addressed his nearby officers. "Ready the ship and
red fleet for a jump for hyperspace. We are going to Talvasta."

While the officers acknowledged his orders, Mara frowned slightly in surprise.

Talvasta? On the other side of the known galaxy?

*What's there, flyboy?* she asked him seriously.

*Parents with a need to hide their children from us,* he answered, then
refocused on his officers.

"What about the upcoming mission on Rialteer, my Lord?" General Veers inquired
respectfully.

"My father will take care of the trouble here," the youth answered shortly, then
locked his gaze on his charges. "You have your orders, gentlemen."

He then turned back toward her and offered her his arm. She knew his signal;
she slipped her hand in the crook of his arm, then allowed him to lead her away
from the assembled men.

*I guess they are not thrilled by the prospect of a month-long transition in
hyperspace,* she observed through the Force.

*They will be much less pleased by what will happen if they discuss my orders
again,* her boyfriend retorted with an edge of anger in his senses.

Something had definitely happened with his father, she decided. However, she
was aware that he didn't want to talk about it in front of the troops, even if
they couldn't hear them. She decided to wait until they would be alone before
discussing it with him.

While he walked with Mara toward the bridge, Luke carefully scanned what he
could perceive from her, but he didn't probe her.

His order had surprised her, but his anger was reassuring her that it was not a
ploy. However, Luke suspected that she was going to grill him for answers about
what his father had to show him, then what was so important on Talvasta to take
a main part of the fleet out of the circuit for nearly a month. He hoped that
his story would make it pass her usually sharp senses. She didn't suspect
anything yet, but she was trained, like he himself was, to not trust anybody,
not even him when it came to her wary feelings.

He decided to delay the moment until they would be alone. Anyway, he reflected
seriously, he really 'had' to oversee the fleet's regrouping before he told them
that they were going to spend the next month in transit... with stopovers now
and then for him to gather information about clones.

He already knew exactly how to justify some of those, and as for the others, he
would think of something.

******

On Coruscant, the Emperor stood quietly in front of his throne's room bay
window.

However, he was not quiet; he was growing worried about his Empire, and
especially his youngest commander and right arm. While the incoming reports
couldn't give him any reason to 'really' worry about the youth, an undercurrent
of recovering Light was stirring the Force lately.

He didn't like it one tiny bit, especially since he could recognize the boy's
caring signature in it. However, whenever he probed the Force for answer, he
never found anything incriminating young Vader, nor could he truly identify such
clues in his spies' reports, not even his most reliable one. Unlike with his
father, he didn't need to plant spying devices in his quarters; he already had
the best tool that he could devise in the form of Mara Jade. He knew that she
saw and felt everything, and that she would never lie to him; if the young woman
felt something wrong with her consort, she would tell him, no matter what she
'felt' for him.

Not like his father who tried to protect the youth, yet still obeyed his orders
when needed, he admitted. He also kept destroying his spying devices, he
thought more grimly, then shrugged in dismissal. If Vader didn't find his
devices, he would begin to doubt his value to him. Hence, in a way, he was
pleased that the older man was still able to undo 'those' lame tricks.

As for the youth, he thought as he returned on his previous track of reflection,
perhaps his change of tactics was more a coincidence than anything else, but he
hadn't become Emperor by accepting such suppositions. He believed in being
thorough, even if it meant 'questioning' his servant if he had to. However, he
tempered himself, before he reached this last option, he still had a few cards
to play.

No sense to hurt the boy until he truly had no option left, he reminded himself.
After all, he did serve him rather well, if not as cruelly nor meanly as he
liked, he admitted.

He turned around and motioned to his aide to come closer.

"What is thy bidding, your Highness" the man bowed respectfully.

"Establish contact with Lord Darth Vader's flagship. I wish to speak with him."

"Yes, your Highness," the other answered, still keeping his head bowed, then
turned around to fulfil his new duty.

Meanwhile, the Emperor sat in his throne and waited for the older Vader to
answer his summon.

******

Anakin hurried to reach his quarters. The Emperor was waiting for him.
Since the regular anti-rebel operations were proceeding well and that all the
rebel bases had already been dealt with, he knew that his calling meant only one
thing: he suspected something.

He decided that himself would convince him that nothing had changed for either
him or his son.

He finally reached his destination, then knelt on the reception structure and
bowed his head. The Emperor's holo instantly towered over him.

"What is thy bidding, Master?" he inquired as respectfully as he could.

In fact though, he was disgusted by his now-revealed slavery.

"I've been reading yours and your son's reports," the old despot informed him
with a note of displeasure in his voice.

Yes, Anakin thought quickly, he did suspect something.

"I must say," the other continued, "that this isn't like you, to spare the lives
of this many potential enemies, let alone resort to complex, long-term
operations with several infiltrators at the same time."

"We had no choice to change our tactics, Master," he explained as deferentially
as he could.

"And why so?" he asked, his voice slowly evolving toward a definite warning.

And now was the time to think as Vader would, Anakin thought grimly.

"Given both Luke's and Mara's experiences with the rebels," he explained
seriously, "my son suggested that we put an end to blood-sheds in order to kill
the Rebellion at its source."

"To my expanse," the Emperor retorted coldly.

"For a short time only, Master," Anakin reassured him. "By planting agents who
will take care to undo any pro-rebellion propaganda 'and' with my son and myself
who will continue brainwash the briefly captured leaders, we will achieve your
goal of complete dominion without anybody being the wiser."

And he had better enjoy it while he could, Anakin added to himself. Once the
despot would call Mara back in his service, Luke would be able to accomplish his
own part of the plan, then they would destroy him.

"It is still an unusual strategy for you or your son, Lord Vader," the wary old
man commented acidly. "I am wondering... is your son well these days?"

Anakin felt an icy cold shiver run throughout his whole body at those words.
The Emperor somehow suspected Luke's return to the Light.

"I haven't noticed anything different from usual, Master," he reassured him.
"Why?"

"He has obviously taken his rebel-sister's death to heart," the other stated
coldly, "and it now seems to affect even his attitude."

"Master? Has Luke defied you?" he inquired like the 'good', devoted slave that
he was supposed to be.

"No," the ruler barely shook his head, "Not yet..." he then added grimly, "but
his new strategies, although efficient, do not please me with their
implication."

Anakin nodded, as if in understanding.

"I will go to him and have a serious talk with him, Master," he reassured the
other.

Oh yes, he promised himself, he would warn his son to resume some of his darker
attitudes or else the Emperor would come down on him.

"You may talk with him as seriously as you want, Lord Vader," the Emperor
informed him coldly, implicitly telling him that he would condone any decision
he made, even---

What had Luke done to worry him this much, he wondered worriedly. What was he
unknowingly broadcasting?..

"Nevertheless," the Emperor continued. "I will keep an eye on him for the time
being, and if I don't see any changes," the evil man warned threateningly, "'I'
will have a talk with him."

Anakin knew exactly which talk he was referring to, and he knew that trained or
not, his son's true nature wouldn't be able to hide itself for long in such a
situation.

"That won't be necessary, Master," he reassured him. "My son will forget his
sister and her influence," he lied through his teeth.

"Good," the hooded despot smiled slightly. "I expected no less from you, my
friend. I will await your report."

"Yes, Master," he bowed.

The Emperor cut his transmission; Anakin hurried back his feet, then, after
checking his surroundings for listening devices, cursed vehemently. When they
had selected their new strategy, Luke had merely suggested the uses of the
mental locks to mimic brainwashes; he himself was the brain behind the
infiltration of agents and the use of imperial resources to 'blockade' several
places... Yet the Emperor had put everything on his son's shoulders.

Of course, he admitted, the youth had always had a penchant for the less cruel
tactics with regular citizens, and he had never lost his heart; he knew that
this had always miffed the Emperor, yet he had tolerated it to have his powers
in his service. He also knew that the ruler had attempted to eradicate Luke's
care more than once, but it had never worked. Even worse, when Leia had begun
to live with them, Luke had devoted himself to 'her', not the Emperor; he
himself had naturally known that his son's love for his sister was strengthening
his Light, but he had never expected that the Emperor would feel it too and that
a change of tactics would enrage him.

The only good thing in this set-up, he admitted sadly, was that the Emperor was
so focused on his son that he never even suspected his own transition back to
his starting point. But now, he thought seriously as he paced near his
meditation chamber, what did they have to do to protect Luke?

*Leia?* he called in the Force.

His daughter appeared right beside him, as angelic-looking as ever.

*Father,* she nodded, answering through the Force to keep their conversation
silent.

Anakin noticed it and followed suite.

*What has Luke done to awaken the Emperor's suspicion?* he asked seriously. *We
checked his shields when we were together; they couldn't be breached and were
undetectable, as were mine. What happened?*

*As you know, Anakin,* her daughter began wistfully, *Luke is very powerful in
the Force, the most powerful ever...*

He nodded in agreement. He knew that his son's powers were indeed formidable,
unlike anything that he had ever encountered with the Jedis of old.

*This strength is the same, Light or Dark. Hence, now that his presence in the
Force has changed polarity,* his daughter explained seriously.

*He stirs the current of the Force even though he shields his identity,* he
finished for her in both awe and worry.

*Exactly,* Leia nodded. *Mara isn't powerful enough to feel it, even when he is
with her, but the Emperor is, and since nobody else in the galaxy is liable to
cause such stirrings, he suspects Luke, especially because of his caring
signature. He doesn't know for sure though,* she informed him matter-of-factly.

Anakin cursed at that; he had just confirmed this to the other with his answers
during their conversation. A fierce blush of indignation burned his hidden
cheeks as he realized that he had once again been manipulated by the Emperor.
Even though he knew him very well, he still fell in his traps.

*What can we do to rid the despot of his wariness?* he asked his daughter even
though he knew the answer.

Deep down, he knew that he would have to hurt his son again...

*I'm afraid so, Father,* his daughter nodded reluctantly. *In fact, I'm afraid
that you and Luke won't be able to be Light just yet...* she informed him, her
ethereal eyes shining with unshed tears of compassion.

Somehow, Anakin conceded, he had suspected that, but at the same time, it had
been so wonderful to shed his cruel self for a while.

He had been free, at last.

*This time will come, Father,* his little angel told him warmly, *but not yet...
not yet...*

*Other sacrifices from both ourselves and the galaxy need to be done if we want
to be able to strike and succeed,* he reluctantly nodded even as a speech from
Master Yoda came back to him.

'Never so direct, the ways of the Force are,' the aging alien had said back
then.

Anakin was only beginning to understand what he had meant, and what it meant for
those of them who were now involved in the ways of the Force. He and his son
would have to be patient and carefully bid their time while keeping up the
appearances... and wreak havoc in the galaxy to mislead their one and true
enemy.

*Then,* he sighed in acceptance, *we will simply go the distance.*

*Mother and I will be with you,* his daughter reassured him, then locked her
gaze with his. *Give Mother's pendant to Luke, Father,* she counseled him, then
disappeared back in the Force.

Leaving him with a duty that he had wished to never do ever again.

******

When the Annihilator came out of hyperspace, it and its surrounding companions
were a mere three days from their point of origin. Luke instantly demanded to
know who had dared interrupt their transition without his orders; he was thus
informed that they had received a message from his father's shuttle.

Surprised by his father's upcoming visit, he barely had time to consider why he
would leave his 'position' to speak with him before the said shuttle popped out
of hyperspace and landed aboard his own ship. As usual, the proper reception
committee was present to welcome him aboard, but unlike the other times, his
father barely acknowledged his presence, instead sending him through the Force
to come with him and not dawdle.

Surprised by his curtness, Luke briefly probed his father's senses, slightly
worried that Vader was back, but he sighed in relief when Anakin returned his
probe without any of the anger that he was displaying outwardly.

*We have to talk,* his father sent him with some lingering reluctance which
worried Luke.

Behind him, Mara gazed at him and his departing father, equally wondering what
was going to happen next.

They finally reached his quarters and sealed themselves in it, leaving everybody
else out of their secret.

"What's wrong, Father?" he inquired the moment that the doors were locked.

Beside him, he felt Anakin brace himself even as he stepped further inside the
reception room.

"The Emperor knows about your status of returned Jedi," he finally told him
glumly, his back still turned to him.

Luke was flabbergasted.

He knew??

"How??" he breathed in barely-concealed horror, remaining locked in his place.
In front of him, his father took a deep breath, then slowly turned back toward
him until he was facing him once again.

"Your powers, Luke..." he answered shortly. "They are such that even though you
shield your true self, your transition to the Light side stirs the up-to-now
dormant Force.. and he feels it."

"And not yours?" the youth inquired in disbelief.

His father silently shook his head, then turned away from him once again.

"I talked again with Leia," he commented seriously; Luke felt that what would
follow would be filled with bad news.

"And?" he reluctantly inquired.

"We have to revise our plans," the taller man sighed in wariness.

Luke walked closer to him until he could lay a hand on his large shoulder.

"What is wrong, Father?" he asked him seriously, worried by his father's
reluctance to gaze at him.

Whatever it was, he thought dimly, he didn't want his father to carry the burden
alone. Anakin slowly turned around once again, locked his hidden eyes with his,
then lowered his chin once again.

"I will have to punish you... for the Emperor," he sadly told him, then, as the
youth drew away in shock, quickly added: "I'm sorry; I don't any wish to obey
him, believe me."

While Luke fought hard against his temptation to resist what was to come, he
felt that it wasn't the worst of his father's news.

"After that,..." Anakin continued reluctantly, "we will have to slow down the
pace of our strategy against him... and truly keep up the appearances until it
'is' time to strike, once and for all."

Meaning, Luke realized in stark horror, that they would resume being Dark
Lords...

"No...," he whispered in disgust, "there must be another way, we can't---"

His father's gently brought his gloved hand to his right cheek; he fell silent.
He could feel how saddened his father also was, but just like he himself knew,
Anakin knew that they didn't have any other choice.

"We tried, Son," he told him wisely, "and it didn't work. We have to do
something else, and, as Master Yoda once said, the workings of the Force are
never direct."

"Then," Luke inquired even as he reluctantly nodded in agreement, "how long will
we continue to hurt others?"

"For as long as we will need to prepare the Emperor's demise without his
suspecting anything,... In time," his father then promised sincerely, "you and I
will make it up for all those sacrifices."

"The wasted lives will never return," he glumly reminded his father.

"That is why we will make sure that the deaths will be worthwhile, and more,"
his father answered gently, then pulled him into a tight embrace.

Luke, who still had to come to grips with what the future had in store for them,
accepted his father's embrace as warmth in their suddenly cold, cruel world.

'Only for the time being,' he reminded himself even as he fought against his
tears of sorrow, he would only have to deny his true self for a little while
longer... then the masquerade and slavery would be over.

Forever.

"As I told you last time, Luke," his father said in the silence, "I wish that I
didn't have to hurt you."

"But we don't have any other choice if we want to quiet his doubts," he mumbled
against his father's chest.

"Exactly," his father agreed, then slightly pulled away from him and gently
cupped his face in his two hands. "However," he told him seriously, "I truly
don't want to hurt you anymore than I have to."

"You can't do it halfway, Father," Luke reminded him seriously. "'He' won't be
satisfied by it."

"But you don't need to feel it either," his father pointed out... and Luke began
to understand what he was planning to do.

"Are you sure that it will work?" he inquired as Anakin lowered his hands from
his face to his shoulders.

His father flicked a glance toward the double doors.

"Your friend will 'help' us to convince him once we're done with our report to
him," he informed him seriously.

For a moment, Luke briefly debated whether he wanted to involve Mara in their
plan or not, then relented. The faster that they would convince the Emperor,
the faster that he would unfortunately call Mara away from him... and the faster
that he would be able to gather his information...

"All right," he finally agreed.

He pulled away from his father, then took off his cloak and discarded it as if
it had been ripped away from him. His father nodded, then suggested that they
moved the other part of their 'plan' to his inner quarters.

After all, he silently agreed, young Lord Vader's discipline would be kept
secret from his troops and subordinates.

TBC in part 6: Appearances

SJ: Skyjade@globetrotter.net (any positive stuff is welcome, but negative or
mean comments will be thrown down the Sarlacc s throat without being read.)