The Unchronicled Adventures of Ahsoka Tano, Book Six

Chapter Three: Vader's Frustrations

*Governor Tarkin and Darth Vader's distain for one another is demonstrated in this next chapter!*

DARTH VADER

Darth Vader sat in his meditation sphere aboard his recently completed Super Star Destroyer, the Executor, and waited impatiently to be free of his helmet and mask. His meditation sphere had been equipped with machines that pumped a milder mix of gases into the small space, and the harsher ones out, allowing him to take the pieces of armor off.

The wait was always unbearable, but it was just another one of his Master Darth Sidious’s tricks. It was part of his training. He knew of what few things Vader valued, and made sure to obliterate them or to make them hard to get. Removing his mask off was one of them, but he couldn’t do so unless the air was safe for him to breathe.

Just as he was beginning to consider using Force-amplified bangs with his fist to the wall to see if it would make it work any faster, it finally kicked in. Quick as lightening, he pulled the helmet off and breathed freely for the first time in a week.

He turned around, holding his mask in his hands, contemplating what he had become. He had done it all for… no, it was too painful to think her name. He had done it for her. But now, it was too late: there was nothing left that he cherished or wanted. She was gone. He was alone with his pain, suffering, and sadness.

Suddenly there was a beep, meaning that someone wanted to contact him. Through the Force, he could sense who it was, and swore under his breath. “One of these days, Admiral Tarkin! One of these days, they’ll find you dead of asphyxiation your chambers, because I’ll have snapped and done what I should have had the sense to do before my Master had you promoted!”

He put his infernal helmet back on, and had the two halves of the meditation sphere open partway so that he could see a screen he had on the wall. There was some static, then Tarkin and his officers on their Imperial cruiser became visible.

“What is it, Admiral?” Vader said in his raspy voice, only just masking the loathing he had for the man.

“What news from the Emperor? What is his opinion on the idea of creating the new Imperial outpost in the Outer Rim?” The Admiral remained stiffly polite, but the two of them were like oil and water: they didn’t mix, but were often forced to work together to make salad dressing.

“He has made a motion in the Imperial Senate, and it was approved, as always. The Senate is merely a figure for the people to rally behind, and nothing more.”

“Yes Lord Vader. The Arkanis sector is the area to be monitored by the outpost. As you should know, Tatooine requires a little more surveillance with all the gangsters and bounty hunter scum it has attracted over the years.”

He paused self-importantly before continuing. “Our scouts have chosen an uninhabited system nearby to oversee its activity without attracting notice. The outpost would ideally be set up on the only planet in the system, a small world know by the locals as ‘Cialone’.”

“I am not familiar with it,” Vader said simply.

“It was reputed to have been populated with intelligent humanoid life forms a few hundred years ago, but they all died out in the last outbreak of the Blue Shadow Virus. Now, with the exception of the passing traveler, it’s been abandoned.”

“Very good, Admiral. Proceed to Stage One of the outpost’s installation.” Tarkin nodded, and with an almost imperceptible wave of his hand, he turned off his transmitter.

Then he sealed his meditation sphere for the second time, and prepared for some much-needed relief.