Chapter Text
Chapter One
Year 10 of Empire
Darth Vader
Mustafar
Vader welcomed the darkness of the Force when he entered the atmosphere of Mustafar, he allowed it to enter his body and mind, touching his very essence as he soaked in the feelings of anger, hatred, and power that bloomed like a poisonous darkness that fed on him as he fed on it. Once it fed, it withdrew, making him feel stronger and more focused than he had for several weeks, especially since the celebration of the Empire rising had just ended. Much to his relief and vexation. The Emperor seemed to take delight in his misery and aching for his wife and his lost child, which was why he avoided Coruscant as much as possible. Though every year the old man dragged him back to be in the light. The media fed on it, taking in every image of the second in command and leader of their great Empire side by side, all powerful. All the while the Rebellion cried out he was monster of the Empire, the killer of millions, the destroyer of worlds. Vader found little amusement in the titles the pathetic Rebellion gave him but the population of Senators and the Emperor's pathetic little followers knew well enough not to agitate him. Though they seemed to need reminding, a nudge in the correct direction of silence and avoidance.
That week of celebration was the worst time of his year, every year it was. All he could do was be reminded of Padme and the child he would never get to know. To never hold or to even have seen. He wouldn’t know its first words, its first smile, its laugh, or its first steps with Padme. It left a foul taste in his mouth and made him teeter near insanity, memories he could not push away, no matter how hard he tried to forget, to welcome Vader. To push it all out to serve the Emperor and make the Empire what the Republic was not. Even now though, Vader wondered what the Emperor was intending. He had promised Vader so much and yet… the slave trade was booming, the Hutts still controlled too much of the Outer Rim, the Senators sent a shiver down Vader’s metal spine. He hated it all and yet the Emperor seemed to not mind the fact he hadn’t kept these promises to Vader. Vader certainly minded, especially with Empire now in Year 10 of its creation. He even failed to help him save Padme, making him lose not only his beloved but his unknown child. The thought caused him to tighten his grip on the controls of the ship, the leather creaking in protest.
“-my Lord?” A voice interrupted his thoughts, causing him to glance over his shoulder as he flew his private ship down to his castle of Mustafar. His aid, Lieutenant Erv Lekauf, stood at the door, waiting to be addressed at a respectful distance. Vader said nothing but gave a tilt of his head, allowing his aid to enter the cockpit to report. “I have received a report from the Headservant Benita Lockwood, she requests to speak to you when you arrive.” Lieutenant Lekauf read from the datapad he was reading from before flipping through to the next report. “Otherwise, the castle seems to have impeccable reports and functionality, Lord Vader.” Vader turned away and activated the landing sequence.
“Inform Headservant Lockwood that I will speak to her at a later time.” Vader waved his hand, dismissing his aid while he more than would have liked to strangle the woman. She was barely tolerable, the only reason why she remained alive was she was smart enough to remain quiet and to respect Vader, from a great distance. When she was in his presence, the urge to choke her was great but she was efficient in her work when it came to the servants. She lasted so far eight years, unlike the last eight that were before her in the span of two years he had… removed or died from raids from the Mustafar residents..
Most servants in the span of ten years had learned to maintain a distance from the Sith Lord, a reason why he created the servant tunnels, he barely saw them in a physical sense but more with the Force. Quickly skirting away, far from him like womp rats from a dangerous predator.
Distracted from his thoughts as they broke through the smoke clouds and the tall spire of his castle came into view, Vader went into automatic of the landing protocols. Guiding the ship to his private hanger, Vader landed and immediately rose to leave the cockpit. He sensed Lekauf step up behind him to follow as he entered the main part of the ship, Vader continued on as he flicked his hand, the doors opening with a mere influence of the Force. Walking into the private hanger that was his and only his, he found the Commander Cano of the 501st waiting for him and Headservant Lockwood. Vader continued down the walkway until he was before them, the Commander saluting sharply and Headservant bowing until he tilted his helm in reprieve.
If they were both there to speak to him and by how the Force whispered in tension and anxiety from the two before him, he knew it was serious.
“I believe I had Lekauf inform you, Headservant Lockwood, that I would speak to you at a later time.” Vader sharply scolded the woman whose tight features tightened further and her lips twisted, making Vader be reminded of a hollow lanky ghoul. “Unless I am incorrect.” The threat was there, in his baritone voice and he could see her jaw clench in fear
“I apologize, Lord Vader, but this cannot wait. We must speak, somewhere privately.” Vader considered her words, the Force pressed urgency and no lies from her. Vader turned to look at his Commander, who gave a sharp nod, agreeing with her. Something that was surprising to see. Vader sharply turned on his heel and returned to the ship, knowing no other prying ears would hear as the hanger was empty but Vader had ensured his private shuttle would remain untouched by spies. Once inside, Vader turned and looked upon the two, Lekauf remained outside, watching for prying eyes.
“I do not have all day.” Vader growled in warning and the pair immediately went into report mode. While Cano was military, Lockwood was of a lower member of a noble family who learned quickly to be efficient, which the last Headservant did not do.
“Lord Vader, Headservant had begun to express concerns on certain activities of the other servants. Missing timely reports or not attending in their duties. She reported it to me and from investigating over the past few weeks, we have discovered that a majority of the servants are spies or in league in reporting to those said spies. We intercepted transmissions coming into the castle but also leaving. The majority of these transmissions were coming from and to Coruscant. Though we believe there are spies working for different organizations. Once we began an inspection of background, we found inconsistencies that we are still discovering.” Commander Cano reported, Lockwood remained quiet as the clone produced a data disc for Vader to take and inspect the information further then the quick report. Vader took it but didn’t look at it, instead reading into the Force. It sang, nearly bellowing the truth of his words. Vader immediately seethed as Headservant slowly spoke.
“Lord Vader, I believe several of the spies are an immediate threat, one of the servants who first came to me after overhearing one of the transmissions, ended up shortly dead after she reported it to me.” Lockwood reported curtly, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides nervously. “Several chemicals that are highly poisonous and possibly mixed correctly, explosive, have gone missing from the servants supplies since then and items of equal danger have been taken as well.” Cano went to speak but Vader brusquely walked past them, his cape flaring as his long strides ate up the space back into the hanger.
“Commander Cano, I want all servants to be found and escorted into this hangar bay. If they protest, stun them.” Vader growled and put his hands onto his belt, barely resisting the urge to snap the disc in half while waiting as Headservant Lockwood and Commander Cano moved to leave. “Where are you going, Headservant Lockwood?” Vader asked almost softly, making the woman freeze before she turned back to him with wide eyes.
“To assist, My Lord.” She responded slowly, unsure. Vader simply stared at her before she got the hint and quietly joined him at his side. Her fear tasted sweet and it became even sweeter as servants were escorted into the hanger. The later it went on, it became even better as the group of servants grew bigger, especially when the servants were coming in being dragged, some stunned or with wounds from resisting their escort. “Lord Vader…” Lockwood began but he merely turned and handed the data disc to his aid, who took it quietly.
“Call out the names.” Vader ordered then turned to the group that were staring at him with wide eyes full of terror as the clones surrounded the group, ensuring none escaped. Using the Force he began to notice feelings of confusion, understanding, bitter acceptance, anger, and regret. Lekauf in the process had put the disc into a datapad he had been carrying that he used for messages and reports. Several of the stunned servants were now waking up and sitting up from where they were left on the floor by the clones.
“When I call your name, step forward.” Lekauf began calling out names shortly thereafter, “Tiana Lel… Hiram Stirate… Falynn Stirrac…” As the small group slowly got bigger, Vader began to realize just how serious this was and it made him seeth as the Dark Force below the castle fed into his rage. Encouraging, whispering for vengeance. Soon, the names were complete and only a handful remained who weren’t called out. This included Vader’s most trusted servant, Vaneé. “Those who remain uncalled, please move to the side of the hanger.” The handful quietly complied while Vader walked forward, his hands gripping his belt tightly. He allowed a moment of silence, absorbing the darkness of the Force as the closest servants to him stepped back warily, feeling the atmosphere grow colder and colder.
“I have been informed of your actions, that you did not come here to serve me but for yourselves and whoever you serve. To report my movements, my work, and to report on those who serve me loyally. Perhaps you once served me but no more. You have betrayed me and I will not tolerate rats in my castle.” Vader tilted his mask to look upon their faces, letting this settle upon them like a blanket, of death. It took only a handful of seconds before they began to cry out in protest, some pleading, some trying to reason their actions, or they just stood there, pale with acceptance of what came next. “You have betrayed my confidence and trust, with that, you will pay with your lives.” Vader then unclipped his lightsaber and flicked the switch with his thumb. It sprang to life, the life inside of his weapon screaming in agony, tortured but hungry for death. Several servants attempted to flee but were pushed back by his men, some stumbling back with bloody noses or broken bones. Once they were forced into a tight grouping, Vader stepped closer, almost touching them. “Unless… you tell me who you report to, tell me and I will spare you.” Dead silence entered the group before a thin man with wide blue eyes stepped forward, trembling he could barely stand.
“I-I,” Vader watched as he swallowed, “I was told I was serving the Emperor, protecting him, Lord Vader.” Vader felt the fires of Mustafar eating his skin once again, betrayal like ash on his tongue. “There is an officer on Coruscant by the name of Phillip Ardellian, that’s who recruited most of us. I don’t know anything else about who serves who.”
“Shut up!” A woman hissed in the back of the group, making him clam up as he stared into the lenses of the Dark Lord, his eyes pleading.
“Please, My Lord. I did it to serve.” The man begged, not daring to step any closer. Vader remained quiet for a long moment before he turned to look at them all.
“Anyone else?” He boomed out, watching as several visibly debated but no one breathed a word, and with that, Lord Vader reached out his hand and snapped the rats neck.
“But you said you’d spare him!” Someone screamed out, and Vader cut them down, the one piece of the body became three.
“A painful death I spared him, you will not receive the same fate!” Vader spat out, and with that, he cut them all down. First hands, then arms, then feet, then legs. Sometimes he mixed it about as he killed the twenty eight servants who betrayed him. Those he walked over remained screaming, flailing their stumps in agony before growing quiet as he finally removed their heads once he cut them all down into heaps.
Headservant Lockwood lost her lunch on the hanger floor and Lekauf merely closed his eyes, only for a brief moment before continuing to watch with a glazed look. Commander Cano and the clones remained perfectly still, only moving to stop those who attempted to flee, giving them back to Vader to cut down. The last of the servants who were loyal were exactly the same as Lockwood, Lekauf and Cano, reactions similar but only Vaneé was the one not to react, instead he seemed to enjoy the carnage, the vengeance Vader gave those who betrayed him.
When no more screams or gargled cries occurred and all that remained was a pile of bodies that he stood in the middle of, Vader sheathed his lightsaber and turned sharply upon Headservant Lockwood, who was trembling.
“You best remember this, as your failure to recruit loyal servants will be remembered.” Vader quietly spoke but his voice echoed in the dead silent hanger, the woman merely nodded and bowed deeply. Vader with that, gestured for his aid to follow and walked briskly out of the hanger. His last remark made everyone that remained freeze. “Another failure will not only end the betrayers life but those who surround them as well. I will purge it.”