Luke and Leia - Rebels [2]

7: Connections

Vader stared out the Star Destroyer window, breathing slowly and deeply as he ruminated. He felt and heard footsteps approach him on the bridge, and slowly turned to face Captain Piett. "Yes, Captain?"

"Lord Vader." He greeted. "The siege on Yaris went exceptionally well, and we intercepted a transmission from Yaris to Hesk asking for backup. We have also received word that a small shuttle from Yaris escaped the blockade and is en route to Hesk. Furthermore, we received a distress signal from one of our Imperial probe droids on the planet before it was shortly destroyed."

"And you believe that Hesk is another Rebel base?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Set course for Hesk and prepare the troops for a ground invasion."

"As you wish, Lord Vader." Needa bowed and exited the bridge, and Vader felt the immediate shift in the Destroyer as the large ship changed course. Soon after they were in hyperspace, leaving him more time to think.

Leia was not on Hesk, he knew this to be true. He sensed that she was strong with the Force but hadn't learned how to utilize it since their last meeting; the Force didn't flow around her like it did a Force user but just radiated around her like an aura, like a faucet filled with water that was ready to be released but was turned off.

Vader crossed his arms, looking out to see the hyperspace streaks tinted purple due to the red hue of his eye sockets. The pilot who had destroyed the Death Star was another matter; Vader sensed that they were also strong with the Force and knew how to tap into that power a bit more than Anakin's daughter, which was thought provoking. At first he had thought that the pilot was more powerful than Leia, but upon further inspection he determined that the pilot simply knew how to utilize the Force more than her. The two enigmatic figures had battled for space inside Vader's mind, with him considering which one to target. He assumed the daughter of Skywalker would be a more valuable asset, but then again the pilot had destroyed a massive battle station and Vader had sensed the Force ebbing and flowing through them, meaning they had used its assistance to do so. Either would be a wonderful addition to the efforts of the Empire.

Speaking of the pilot, Vader recalled that the last bounty hunter to set out in search for information regarding them had returned shortly after the destruction of Yaris. The Sith Lord turned around as he sensed the hunter approach the bridge.

Boba Fett walked out onto the bridge, ignoring the stares by Imperial officers as he approached Vader. A bounty hunter of his appearance and legacy was bound to be stared at, so Vader was certain that the stares didn't bother him. Or at least, he was very good at pretending they didn't.

"I got some information. More than the other hunters, I can assure you of that." Fett updated, disregarding formalities in his usual style. "But first, payment."

Vader, after a brief pause, gave a nod to the nearest officer. The officer opened a drawer on the far side of the bridge and carried the case of credits back down to the duo, handing it to Vader before bowing and stepping back to attend to his duties. Boba Fett reached out for it but Vader interrupted him. "What did you find, bounty hunter? This so-called crucial information had better be worth my time, or else you will pay with both my fury and the Emperor's."

If Fett was phased by the threat he didn't show it. "I get half first." He compromised.

"Twenty-five percent." Vader declared hostilely, and even Fett knew better than to push his luck.

"I found that his home planet was Tatooine, and that his homestead was deserted. It seemed like any other family he had either died or deserted as well; it had been abandoned for at least a few months if not a year."

"I hope that was not all you uncovered, for your sake."

"I also discovered his name."

"And that is?"

"Skywalker."

With one hand Vader gave the case over to Fett, with the other he formed a fist. "Your skills serve you well, bounty hunter." He praised tightly. "As soon as the cruiser drops out of hyperspace you are free to leave."

Fett nodded and exited the bridge, leaving Vader staring after him with now two hands formed into fists. He turned back around and crossed his arms yet again, relaxing one to rest a hand under his breathing apparatus.

Another Skywalker. The thought was impossible, there had been no other Skywalkers except for Anakin that he was aware of.

Almost impossible.

It did explain why the pilot was as strong in the Force as Anakin's daughter if they were related. Because they were both Skywalkers they would have to be siblings, and twins at that.

Which meant that Darth Vader had not only one Skywalker daughter to deal with, but also now a Skywalker son. His eyes narrowed as his mind connected more and more dots, remembering a picture of the pilot and a similar-looking boy on the Death Star along with Leia. Could that possibly have been him? He seemed far too young to be so capable.

Then again, Anakin was also a very capable pilot at a young age. Perhaps his son had inherited that trait.

Vader swiftly turned and walked towards his meditation chamber. "Captain, when will we exit hyperspace?"

"Very soon, My Lord."

"Good. Make sure the surroundings are clear so I can send a transmission. I need to contact the Emperor immediately."

"Yes, Lord Vader."

:-:-:-:

By the time Luke reached the base again his legs were ready to give out, but once he laid eyes on the hangar door another adrenaline spike jolted through him and gave him enough energy to make it inside. Artoo was also slowing down, with his most recent recharge being yesterday. Once they entered the hangar Luke urged the astromech to go charge up, then shook his head to fight off the sudden exhaustion that clung to him. He could sleep when he updated the generals on what had happened.

Apparently, he didn't need to. A round of alarms started blaring, and Luke looked around wildly before his stare settled on Wedge running towards him. "Luke! Where have you been?!" He exclaimed.

"I was... Busy." Luke replied with a wince. But fortunately Wedge didn't seem to care about his obvious evasion.

"Well, you'd better get ready to gear up because we've picked up several Imperial frequencies, and the fleet has attacked Yaris and all but destroyed the entire planet. Hesk is next."

Luke's stomach dropped. Hesk was the planet they were currently on, and based on Wedge's expression and the alarms it seemed like the Empire was already almost there. Was this his fault?

No. Luke shook his head again as Wedge took off running. He didn't have time to think like that. He'd deal with that problem if and when it came up, but before then he needed to focus on the matter at hand which was the upcoming battle. At the mere mention of a battle Luke's knees felt weak with exhaustion, but he forced himself to go back to his quarters and change into his piloting gear. He clipped his lightsaber and blaster back onto his belt and woke Artoo up, and together the two walked back outside into the chaos, with the door closing behind them with a thud.