Lady Obscura: Vader's Shadow [Star Wars | Luke Skywalker]

Chapter 1

If there was to be only one thing in the Galaxy that Athara agreed with her Master on, it was that the Death Star was an abomination.

Now, they agreed on many things, so this was a rather unnecessary statement. Nevertheless, neither of them was particularly happy that the Emperor was so enthralled by the project. It was a sentiment shared by a great number of Imperials across the Empire, really. However, the entire Imperial hierarchy must show a unified front. Not just because of the Rebels, but also because of the dissention and disruption a disagreement between the most powerful leaders of the Empire would cause.

Darth Vader and the Emperor showed as unified a front as they always had, with Vader the deadly and menacing right hand of the even more intimidating Emperor. Athara knew better. She knew, shared some of the innermost thoughts with and, on the whole, many of the same opinions as her Master.

Vader was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Emperor's actions and decisions. Oh, the Emperor knew Vader's feelings and likely by extension her feelings as well, but he did nothing about it. Instead he let the feelings of discontent fester in his primary agent, knowing that the strength of Vader's devotion to him would compel the Dark Lord to obey. To Athara, the truly disturbing part was that she understood why the Emperor did nothing. Her Master was at his most menacing when he was frustrated, and nothing increased his feelings of frustration and helplessness than when he had to go along with the edicts and orders that he did not agree with. Unfortunately, he was more effective as an Imperial agent when he was in those kinds of moods.

That was exactly the mood he was in when Athara rendezvoused with Vader aboard the Star Destroyer Devastator. The Plans to the Death Star had made their way into Rebel hands in the midst of a pitched battle that the Rebels had shockingly won. In effort to rectify the situation, Vader had set off to retrieve them. A seemingly small task that was proving more difficult than it originally appeared, and Vader was losing face because of it.

Athara had been left to investigate the leak when it had been discovered that the Plans had made their way into Rebel hands. While Vader tailed the Plans themselves, Athara had quietly and efficiently dealt with the Imperial Commanders who had failed to take the appropriate measures to safeguard the Plans. It was a task she didn't relish, but didn't refuse either. When Darth Vader gives an order, it is followed, whether one is his apprentice or one of his Stormtroopers.

Despite her use of the Dark Side of the Force, Athara was a far lighter user than her Master. Known to the galaxy only as the Dark Lady Obscura, she was much more balanced in the Force than Vader, who was volatile and dangerous on a good day. But in many ways this was a good thing. When she was with her Master, he was much easier to be around, mainly because her presence calmed him. She had never been sure why; perhaps it was just her nature. She had always seemed to calm those close to her, which was decidedly odd in a Sith apprentice. The crews of her ships and the squadrons of troopers under her command were more at ease with her than any Vader commanded. That didn't mean they feared her less, or that there was any sort of lack of respect for her authority among them. They were professional and efficient, something she was immensely proud of.

She was one of the Sith, albeit unofficially, and all those under her command knew it and paid her the proper difference due her rank as Vader's Right Hand. Unlike Vader though, she was generally far more merciful and reasonable, even when deep in the influence of the Dark Side. She had only ever had to make a handful of examples; far fewer than the myriad Vader was known for. Vader possessed the ability and often the desire to be a more even-handed commander, but the Dark Side was detrimental to his efforts more often than not.

Yet even with his highly unstable moods and sometimes unorthodox and often ruthless command, most of the troops were highly devoted to Vader, possibly more so than to the Emperor and subsequently the Empire. Despite the terror he inspired and the iron fist he lead with, when he wasn't completely immersed in the Dark Side he was a highly capable and respected leader. He rarely kept himself out of a battle, unlike just about every other Imperial Commander, earning the respect of his troops by that action alone. Unfortunately, the Dark Side had an unbalancing effect on Vader. But the farther away he was from the Emperor and the closer to his apprentice he was, the more stable he was and tended to cultivate more respect than he managed otherwise. Because of that, many gave the Dark Lord a level of loyalty and admiration Vader valued greatly, especially since they retained that esteem after seeing the Dark Lord in all his dark, ruthless glory.