Harbinger

DISCLAIMER: I don't own him, and I've received no remuneration. I just like to play with him in kinky, kinky ways.
EU/Canon referenced in this section: Star Wars: Empire #14: The Savage Heart, Star Wars: Adventure Journal: Galaxywide Newsnets


***************************************************************
~ “All your life you live so close to the truth, it becomes a permanent blur in the corner of your eye, and when something nudges it into outline it is like being ambushed by a grotesque.”~
-Tom Stoppard
***************************************************************

Preitha spent the next several weeks in relative seclusion. She was brought to the Academy only once, the day after her arrival and audience with the Emperor, to relate her experience to a committee of Navy Generals in charge of analyzing the battle of Yavin 4. The Generals had seemed disappointed that Preitha had failed to glean more information from the rebels prior to her escape. They were uninterested in the facts that she ‘could’ offer them; the Navy did not care whom the rebels were, only where they were, and how best to permanently stop their operation.

The Emperor, on the other hand, had been very interested in the individuals she’d encountered. He’d demanded that she relate every detail of her experience. Had, in fact, questioned her relentlessly. She did not tell him of her suspicions that Luke was the pilot who destroyed the Death Star – conjecture without proof was a waste of time. She did relate her conversations with General Dodonna, word for word, including the man’s commentary on treason, eliciting a sharp hiss of anger from the Emperor.

At first she was grateful for the isolation, but before long she came to realize that the solitary confinement of her private apartment was more punishment than reward. She had been given orders not to speak about the battle, or about the Death Star, to anyone - for any reason. She was to deny all knowledge if asked a direct question.

“You serve me well, Lieutenant,” he’d said, never leaving the shadowy confines of his chair. “Better than your father served me, in fact. I will remember it.”

The Emperor had given her a promotion on the spot, making her a Lieutenant Commander, citing her dedication to the Glory of the Empire as just cause for the reward.

Preitha was provided with a rather lavish, top-level apartment in the political sector of the city. In one direction, she could look out the window and see Vader’s fortress, looming ominously like a permanent, black shadow in the distance. In the other, the crumbling ziggurat of the old Jedi Temple held prominence. She was not allowed to leave her suite without prior clearance and, after having her first two requests denied, she’d stopped asking.

She was given access to the Holonet, but was told that all communications she may try to send would be monitored. On her second day of confinement, Preitha watched the Holonews broadcast in which the Empire officially confirmed the rumored destruction of Alderaan. He attributed the explosion to the planet itself, claiming that the Alderaanians had been experimenting with volatile weaponry with which to aid the Rebel Alliance. Even more curious, was the complete lack of any mention regarding the battle over Yavin 4.

During her second week there, rumors of Lord Vader’s presence on Imperial Center began to circulate the Holonet. There were no formal announcements made, or interviews given, simply rumors. It was enough, however, to give her hope.

Preitha was standing by the window watching the never-ending flow of Couroscanti traffic when he entered her apartment. She was wearing civilian clothing, with her hair loose around her shoulders. Dark circles under her eyes indicated that she had not been sleeping well. She was beginning to lose weight from her lack of appetite.

She looked up and froze. Vader’s broad, imposing form filled the doorway. Preitha shook her head and blinked, not believing that he was actually there. She’d dreamt of him every night since her return, had sometimes tricked herself into thinking that he was real, only to wake in the morning and find herself alone.

“My Lord?” she asked softly.

He stepped further into the apartment and waited for the door to close behind him before opening his arms to her. Preitha launched herself at him and he caught her effortlessly, folding his cloak around her tiny frame.

“Miss me, Lieutenant?” he asked, amused.

She nodded and pressed her face against the hard leather that covered his chest, breathing in his familiar scent. One gloved hand stroked her hair absently and, for a time, he simply held her.

Eventually though, he loosened his embrace and stepped back to examine her.

“You’ve lost weight,” he commented. “And you haven’t been sleeping.”

“No,” she conceded.

“Why not?”

“I didn’t know if you’d survived. He said you had, but I-“

“Who said?”

“The Emperor.”

Vader tensed, and his grip on her shoulders tightened. “You’ve spoken with my Master?”

She nodded, avoiding his shielded gaze.

“When?” he asked. His voice was sharper than he’d intended.

“The day I returned. Two weeks ago. He summoned me.”

“What did he want from you?” He released her and strode to the window, barely glancing at the view before turning to regard her; his arms crossed angrily over his chest..

“He asked me about the battle. He wanted to know about the rebels. I told him everything I remembered,” she hesitated.

“And?”

“And he asked about… about my feelings. For you,” she finished awkwardly. Still avoiding eye contact, she studied everything – anything – in the room she could find.

“And?” he prompted again.

“He said I was to be promoted, to Lieutenant Commander. Then I was dismissed.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes.”

“He asked you questions and you answered. Nothing more?”

“No, my Lord.”

“Thank the Force,” he muttered, letting out an audible sigh that temporarily overrode his regulated breathing. His stance relaxed somewhat, and hooked his thumbs into his belt, turning to look out the window again at the bustle of urbanity.

As Emperor, it was Palpatine’s right to take any woman that he wished as a lover, regardless of her marital status or societal standing. Oftentimes he would choose the wives of men who opposed him, out of nothing more than spite. If he’d chosen Preitha for that role, she would have become his property, and no one – including Vader – would be allowed to touch her. It would have been fitting punishment for Vader’s failure.

“They’ve kept me locked in this apartment for two weeks,” Preitha said, interrupting his musing. “I’m not sure what I did wrong.”

“You haven’t done anything wrong, Preitha. But you have very powerful knowledge.”

“I don’t know anything.”

“Yes, you do. You know that the Empire had a secret weapon - that the rebels destroyed. You also know that there was a battle in the Yavin system, and that the Empire lost,” Vader explained.

“They’re keeping the battle a secret?”

“The Empire is impenetrable and undefeatable. Or so the galaxy must be made to think.”

“So the Emperor was commending me for my loyalty, but doesn’t trust that I ‘am’ loyal,” she mused aloud.

“The Emperor expects everyone to betray him if given the opportunity. It’s what he would do,” he revealed cryptically. “I imagine that’s why he’s lived this long.”

“Are they going to keep me hidden away forever, then?”

“No. I’m taking you with me to my castle. You are to be placed in my care.”

“In your…” she trailed off.

“Care,” he finished.

“I see.”

“Does this not please you?” Vader asked, turning to regard her.

“No, it does,” she answered truthfully.

“I thought so.”

******

Vader’s fortress was even more imposing up close than it had been from the window of Preitha’s apartment. The entire structure was crafted from black obsidian. From the wide base, two towers rose to a dizzying height. The foot of the fortress itself was a daunting twenty-three stories high.

Everything inside was black. Preitha saw no trace of color anywhere within the fortress. The walls were obsidian; the floor black marble. The chairs and couches were covered in black cloth, and the minimal decorations to be found were all the same dark, morose hue. Lights were set inside black sconces, creating a radiance so dim that it offered almost no help at all, giving the impression of endless vastness, endless shadow. It was almost suffocating.

“You’ll have your own suite of rooms to use as you please, and a protocol droid to assist you,” Vader told her, leading her down a corridor. “If you have a specific request for something, you may tell your droid, and it will be taken care of.”

She nodded, biting her lip.

Eventually they entered what appeared to be a banquet hall of sorts. Vader sat her down at one end of the long dining table, in front of a daunting array of dishes from every planet. The variety was astounding; there were dishes Preitha ‘could’ identify, but a larger number of ones that she could not. There were also half a dozen large carafes filed with wines of various origins.

“Eat,” he commanded.

“All of it?” she asked meekly, eyes widening at the sheer magnitude.

“I didn’t know what you liked,” he confessed, sounding almost sheepish. “So I had my staff prepare everything I could think of.”

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

He gestured to his mask and armor. “I’d have a hell of a time trying.”

She giggled at the absurd image of the Sith Lord attempting to shove food through the breathing grill of his mask. “I’m sorry, my Lord,” she gasped between chuckles. “I think I may have gone a bit insane in that apartment by myself. I’ve lost all sense of discretion.”

He smiled. “I like your honesty, Lieutenant Commander. I’ve told you before how rare the trait is.”

Preitha surveyed the selection of food before her and selected small portions of several dishes she didn’t recognize. She’d resolved to sample as many foods as she could, not wishing to offend her host.

Vader remained standing behind her chair, and watched over her as she ate. Occasionally he identified a steak or a vegetable for her, but for the most part remained silent until she started asking him questions.

“My Lord?” she ventured between bites of some sort of shellfish from an aquatic planet whose name she’d already forgotten.

“Hmm?”

“Where did you go? After the battle, I mean.”

“Vaal,” he replied.

“That’s a small world, isn’t it? Filled with savage beasts or some such.”

“The only savages I encountered,” he stated smoothly, “were the Empires own officers, and they have been dealt with. I found the wildlife, on the other hand, to be quite loyal creatures.”

When she was so full she could no longer breathe properly, she pushed the plate away and glanced up at him.

“I’ll explode if I eat anymore,” she said.

He chuckled. “Very well, then. Now you’re to have a decent night’s rest.”

She felt a bit like a coddled child, but wasn’t about to protest. Preitha rose and took his proffered arm, linking her hand through it.

“Was the meal acceptable?” he asked as they walked back to her room.

“It was wonderful,” she said. “Quite possibly the best I’ve ever eaten; certainly better than that crap the rebels fed me.”

“I never have visitors here. My staff was in a panic after I told them to prepare a meal.”

“How many cooks do you have?”

“None,” he confessed. “I’m not sure what they did, I simply told them I wanted it taken care of.”

She hid a smile. “Suitable motivation for anyone, I’d imagine.”

They arrived at her door and she paused. “Would you like to come in, my Lord?”

He didn’t reply, but when she stepped into the room, he followed, waving the door closed behind him with the Force.

“Where did you dine with rebels?” he asked, her comment about the rebels finally registering. He’d been so anxious before that he’d missed her reference to it when they’d spoken about the Emperor.

“On Yavin 4.”

“You landed on Yavin 4?”

“Well, crashed is more like,” she said, moving to sit down on the couch. Vader followed and sat beside her, resting his hands on his knees. “I ran into an X-Wing just above orbit – literally. His laser cannons weren’t charged and my port steering rocket was misfiring, so he tried to take me out by running into me.”

‘Clever’, Vader thought. “How did that work out?”

“We both crashed. I had my blaster, so I tried to kill him before he could report back to the rebel base.” She didn’t want to relay this portion of events; it was embarrassing.

“And?” he prompted.

“And he kicked my ass,” she admitted with a sigh.

“So the rebels captured you.”

“Yes. Then he helped me escape.”

“Who did?”

“The same rebel that I fought. I think… well, I think he was the one that destroyed the Death Star, but I’m not certain.”

“What was his name?” Vader’s fist clenched reflexively. If he could take this information to the Emperor, perhaps his punishment would not be so severe.

“Luke,” Preitha said, trying to remember the rest of it. He’d given her his full name when he’d first introduced himself, but what had it been? “Luke… something. Stargazer? No, umm… Skywalker, I think.”

“What did you say?” Vader went rigid. If Preitha could have seen behind his mask, she would have found his mouth agape, eyes wide with disbelief.

“I’m almost positive that was it. Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, from Tatooine, where the Princess sent her droids.”

“That’s not possible!” he barked.

“My Lord?” she questioned, startled by his reaction.

He grabbed her by the shoulders suddenly, reaching out through the Force to sift through her conscience. Preitha was no Force-sensitive, but she could still feel him there, inside her mind, searching. He shuffled her memories ruthlessly, carelessly, and she couldn’t prevent a low moan at the mental assault.

“It isn’t possible,” he repeated when he found what he was looking for, playing through the scene again, and then again once more. ‘I’m Luke, by the way. Luke Skywalker’ and later, ‘…I was raised by my Aunt and Uncle on Tatooine.’

Eventually he released her, stood, and began pacing the room with swift, lengthy strides. He reminded her of the caged animals she’d seen on the Holofeeds about Onderon’s beast riders. She unconsciously shrank back against the arm of the couch, away from him.

“How old was this… Skywalker?” he asked finally.

“Younger than me. Eighteen, perhaps nineteen.”

“And what else did you learn about him?” Vader pressed, not slowing his circuitous path around the room.

“Not much. He grew up on Tatooine… his parents died when he was little,” she offered. “Someone else raised him, an aunt and uncle. And he mentioned the man you killed, Kenobi.”

“Kenobi was on Tatooine?”

Preitha nodded. “The Death Star plans, they were meant to reach him.”

At this Vader let out an enraged howl and reached for the closest object – an oblong, black vase, that stood on a nearby pedestal – and hurled it across the room. The pedestal itself followed shortly thereafter, flung into the wall with a burst of rage-driven Force energy.

Preitha sucked in her breath sharply, watching the display. ‘Now,’ she thought, ‘I ‘am’ afraid of him’.

Vader turned to look at her. He closed the distance between them with blinding speed and bent down to grab her chin in his hand, causing her to wince.

“What else do you know?” he demanded.

“Nothing, my Lord,” she whispered, fighting tears.

“‘Nothing’?” he mocked.

“No!”

“Did you fuck him?” he growled, squeezing her chin tighter for emphasis.

“No!” she exclaimed, shock and hurt showing in her expression.

“Did you want to?”

“No!” she sobbed.

“I have been betrayed, again,” he hissed, releasing her.

“I don’t know anything about that,” Preitha said, gingerly touching her jaw, where dark, red bruises were already beginning to form.

“No,” he agreed, “you don’t.” Then he sighed and reached out to stroke her curls with one hand. “You did well to tell me this, little one. Now you need to rest. And I have much to think about.”