Brotherhood

Chapter 60 - Subservient

Author's Note: WARNING for manipulative Sidious. 

~ Amina Gila

Vader is careful not to mention anything of his plans to the others. He doesn't do anything which might betray them either. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka would probably never fully understand, and they would try to stop him. He cannot allow that to transpire. If they asked... he might give in, and – and if it's true what Sidious told him about how he might be able to cheat death and bring his mother back, it's a chance that Vader thinks is worth taking.

He can feel the tension in the air as the gunship transports them from the Temple towards freedom. While he hasn't discussed plans with the clones, he senses that the entire 501st is planning to aid in their escape.

And he's right.

The gunship flies up to the flagship of the Legion in question, and once it's inside, once they've disembarked into the hangar, he can hear the debate amongst the clones as they try to figure out what to do next. Vader scans them, pinpointing Del and approaching him. "Captain, you and your brothers, whoever wishes to leave, should go to the following coordinates." He lifts the stolen comm, rapidly entering the numbers he memorized into it. "You should meet up with Death Squadron there which is now being controlled by Rex and others in the 501st who have been captured."

"What about you, sir?" Del asks, visibly hesitant.

Vader shakes his head. "There is something else to which I must attend first. May I have the Jedi starfighter here? It would be... easiest."

"Come back," the clone requests.

"Of course," Vader promises. "I would never leave you, never leave Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Tell them – tell them that I'm sorry once you've made the jump to hyperspace. And I – I require a diversion so I may leave."

Del understands, of course, what it is that Vader is asking, and he sends one of the other clones to offer a tour to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

"Aren't you coming?" Obi-Wan asks, frowning, looking back at Vader when he doesn't move to follow them.

He forces himself not to twitch and to remain totally relaxed so that he betrays nothing in his posture. "I need to oversee the evacuation first," he replies, meeting their gazes. "I will see you soon." Tachi – Siri – watches him warily, scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes, but she turns away, following Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

Vader only waits until they're out of sight before he races across the hangar, sliding into the Jedi starfighter and letting his hands run over the controls as he gets a feel for the ship before pulling out of the hangar. He waits there, watching as the Star Destroyers, all three of them, make the jump to hyperspace before hurtling downwards towards the surface, trying not to think about how he felt the jolt of horrified realization from Obi-Wan as they were taken to safety.

Somehow, he isn't surprised that Obi-Wan figured it out on his own, probably all of it, and he suspects that the only reason they were even able to escape was because the clones hesitated to fire on their brothers. He can't blame them for that; Rex and the others are much the same.

The Dark Side still burns through him as he flies towards the Works, towards the place that Sidious has hidden there. They will meet there, and then... he doesn't know what next. He doesn't think he's strong enough to go up against the Sith Master yet, and besides, Sidious will probably see it coming. No, Vader needs to first try and prove his loyalty, no matter what that will take, and then, when Sidious is distracted, Vader will stab him in the back.

Sidious has to be destroyed, and after losing his mother, Vader refuses to put anyone else in harm's way if he can do something to protect them.

He idles there for a time, and it's a couple hours, at least, before Sidious finally arrives, striding into the room, hood shrouding his features, the Dark Side whispering malevolently around him. Vader instantly feels the fear claw its way up his throat, and not for the first time since he came here, he questions if he should have left, should have run while he still had the chance.