#˒ *･ﾟ⨯ ( starter ) *･ﾟ✧ ⎸ ɪғ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋs ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴘᴘᴇʀ ʜᴀɴᴅ—ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ɪᴛ.

[skysaunter]

              𝚅𝙰𝙳𝙴𝚁’𝚂 𝙳𝙴𝚁𝙸𝚂𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝚂𝙽𝙾𝚁𝚃 𝙵𝙸𝙻𝙻𝙴𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚁𝙾𝙾𝙼 𝙰𝚂 𝙷𝙴 𝙰𝚂𝚂𝚄𝙼𝙴𝙳 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽.   palms flat on the floor, angled inward, he pushed up while drawing both elbows towards his chest, then reversed the motion upon lowering himself.  again and again, he repeated this motion relentlessly, his focus locked on the diamond shape formed by his thumb and index fingers, taking in stride the searing ache in his flesh arm and wrist, where thick metal dug into skin stretched thin over bone.

stray beads of perspiration stung at the corners of his eyes, and soon, his mind cleared.

compared to all the prison cells he’d had the displeasure of squatting in over the years, this one was the largest of its kind.  and that was in no doubt because this wasn’t a cell meant for incarcerating dangerous individuals such as himself, let alone a single prisoner.  too spacious, too weathered, and too furnished; vader surmised it had once detained prisoners of war.  groups of enemy force-sensitives likely sobered up in here, presumably alongside fugitives awaiting punishment, though perhaps nothing quite as severe as execution.

it explained the persistent disturbance he’d sensed upon arriving at this ancient, abandoned temple, and the darkness that rushed to wrap itself around him, eagerly penetrating his every thought while purring in joyous reunion, thrilled to have encountered such a powerful darksider.  it’d revolted vader—at first.  it wasn’t until he unraveled the intricate web of unstable currents and residual force signatures that his interest truly piqued. ... \\ @techniiciian

this place bore an unmistakably rich history, one that stretched back thousands of years—and at some point, the prison had undergone renovations infused with the light side, resulting in a perplexing, chaotic intertwining of energies within the force.   how foolish for anyone to assume their meddling could expel the power of the dark side.  the jedi of old had been an especially arrogant bunch, blinded by their alliance with the republic time and again, ever unable to see the fractures forming within their own precious doctrine.

locking him inside an old force-suppression cell … vader couldn’t say it wasn’t a clever move.  total isolation from the force, from the galaxy and its myriad of lifeforms, was purgatory for any force-sensitive individual, rendering even the possibility of conjuring any wise ideas well-nigh impossible.

how sadistic of his little captors to subject the chosen one to such maddening torture.

golden eyes regarded what had also raised suspicion.  across a distance of a few meters lay a set of tables and chairs tucked into the corner.  even from his vantage point on the ground, he could still discern a thick coating of grime on the surfaces, layered with a smattering of color, both lighter and darker than the deteriorating deck … and the floors — held up with one arm, vader reached out and pressed a thumbnail into the spread of sticky grime caked over stone, its blackened form malleable and repulsive.  people had once dined here, all but lived in here, long, long ago, and knowing that confused him, to a certain extent.

vader sat up and ran a hand through sweat-dampened locks, his bare chest glistening with perspiration before he hissed, features twisting into a scowl as mechanical digits pulled on several strands of hair.   blast.   the modified restraining bolt on his mechnoarm was a rather unexpected measure …

here he was, alive.  coherent.  cooperative was another matter—and beside the point.  why wasn’t he being tortured within an inch of his life? where were the interrogation droids with shocker sticks? the whippings, the burnings, the assault, the drowning—where was it all? he’d anticipated agony at the hands of his captors. he'd relished in the wait, tempered his increasing bloodlust, even expected himself to starve for the next few weeks. and yet, a small meal, albeit mostly bland, unrecognizable mush, arrived at every dawn and dusk without fail.

it was all so … INFURIATING.

[skysaunter]

              𝙰𝙽 𝙸𝙼𝙿𝙴𝚁𝙲𝙴𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙷𝙸𝚂𝚂 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝙼𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙰𝙸𝚁 ,  a lingering resonance of his fervent outburst that matched the rhythm of his heaving breaths, and the nascent turmoil searing the back of his throat, unrelenting as the newly birthed pain still settling in its blackened cavity.

luke skywalker straightened, his shoulders squared, every fiber of his being taut with newfound resolve.

❝you—❞ his arm shot up, a sudden blaster bolt amid the uneasy assembly of flight officers and soldiers— ❝begin an analysis of all surveillance records.  i want every second parsed, every pixel scrutinized.  get me the exact time and location of matthew’s last sighting aboard the executor, and if he was with company.  find me a face.  find me anything.❞

opposite the bridge was a maintenance crew rounding up the evidence recovered from various locations aboard the executor: scraps of blackened slag, barely recognizable limbs belonging to that of his son’s beloved droid companions, all found scattered around the mouth of the east hangar bay.   matthew would want to salvage anything he could get his hands on.  luke was across the bridge in a blink, one finger pointed at the ground and speaking in hushed, soothing tones, a contrast so striking to his earlier display that the crew could do little more than nod dumbly.

❝transport it all to his workshop.  leave nothing behind,❞ luke insisted before turning on his heel.  with a single, authoritative sweep of his arm, his cadre surged forward, hastening to bridge the gap that separated them from the empire’s second-in-command. ... \\ @techniiciian

the command deck was a veritable hive of activity, an ensemble of bodies ensconced in their own tasks, absorbed in the luminous glow of station consoles while others exchanged soft-spoken words as they pored over datapads.  amidst the organized chaos, at the heart of the swirling tempest, stood the empire’s prince, his eyes shut in contemplation, hands swaying idly by his sides.

luke reached into the force, mindful of his father’s sweeping awareness, his sister’s whetted perception, and what stray impressions his bondmate could glean from afar.  palpable unease gripped him, urging him to plunge deeper, to seek the elusive harmony of shared blood—a melodious refrain that had always beckoned from distant horizons.

but within the vast expanse of the cosmic force, luke discerned only … emptiness.  panic lanced into his gut without warning, seizing composure with fear-teeth — ALARMPAINRAGESUFFERING — and tearing it from him.  vertigo sent the commander stumbling, and he narrowly caught the edge of the holotable.  hunched over the projector and deaf to the mounting clamor behind him, luke frantically considered the implications of what he had just perceived.

it was undeniable: his tether to his son was weak—weaker than it had been an hour ago—and it grew weaker still, fading rapidly as though falling into a great abyss, or eclipsed by an absence never before encountered … luke’s hold on the table tightened when the answer surfaced at lightspeed: force inhibitor.

            matthew, luke pleaded into the void.  where are you?

[skysaunter]

              ❝𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙿𝚄𝚂𝙷𝙴𝙳 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙻𝚄𝙲𝙺, 𝙳𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙼𝚈 𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂.  i have better things to do than entertain requests.❞   yet vader pressed ahead toward the dais anyway, ascending two steps at a time, his long stride undeterred by the distance.  his cadre trailed closely behind, blaster rifles in hand, silently tracking the spill of black ink over polished tread. the dark lord swept back his cape and settled onto his throne, crossing a long leg over the other before a distinct hiss sliced through the silence, accompanied by the sounds of metal clasps releasing.  the helmet came off in one fluid motion, revealing sun-kissed skin and a cascade of tawny curls spilling down to armored shoulders.  vader shook his head, running a hand through the unruly mess, then down one side of his face, the digitized pads of mechno digits brushing over scarred skin, briefly exposing a weariness that vanished in the next second.

although his willingness to entertain this audience—a marked departure from his usual contempt for political maneuvering—was undeniable, the weight of a long day bore down on him, and he was long past the notion of continuing any verbal fencing.

               vader would see to it this ended quickly, a painless exchange for them both.  luke and leia, his little twin suns, patiently awaited his return.

the sanctum chambers resonated with mounting tension, a prelude to a delicate dance between power and diplomacy, territories he seldom traversed even in the past.  he’d been a jedi once, a warrior of peace and compromise, in what felt like a lifetime ago, but a jedi nonetheless.  despite his initial reluctance, vader would listen, if only to silence this woman’s incessant requests for an audience.  after all, he couldn’t simply kill her, not without risking access to desperately needed resources and possibly severing the many political ties established through long, painstaking hours of negotiations. . . . \\ @vibraea | @grdnglow

darth vader was a tyrant, but anakin skywalker was not. ❝i’m curious about what you think could be worth my while.❞  tilting his head, vader scrutinized the young woman’s features from a distance, his hooded eyes a pale burnished gold in the subdued light of the imperial sanctum.  ❝make your proposition, and understand the consequences of deceit.❞

[skysaunter]

tag dump!

˒ *･ﾟ⨯  ch.  (  anakin  ) ◞  ⎸  ɪ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘʀɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ᴍʏ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ ɪs ᴄʀᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  visage.  (  anakin  ) ◞  ⎸  ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜʀᴇsᴛ ᴄᴀsᴛ ᴀ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ.

˒ *･ﾟ⨯  ch.  (  vader  ) ◞  ⎸  ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏʟᴇ ᴏғ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏᴇʀ: ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs‚ ᴍᴀʏʜᴇᴍ‚ ʜɪᴍsᴇʟғ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  visage.  (  vader  ) ◞  ⎸  ɴᴏᴡ ɪ ᴀᴍ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ‚ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅs.

˒ *･ﾟ⨯  ch.  (  luke  ) ◞  ⎸  ᴍʏ ᴡɪʟʟ ɪs ᴍɪɴᴇ; ɪ sʜᴀʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ sᴏғᴛ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  visage.  (  luke  ) ◞  ⎸  ᴅᴀᴡɴ ɪs ʙᴏʀɴ ᴀᴛ ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ.

˒ *･ﾟ⨯  000 :  (  v main : ɪᴍᴘᴇʀɪᴀʟ  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏ ʙᴀʀɢᴀɪɴs; ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴋɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ & ᴇᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴀᴡ.

˒ *･ﾟ⨯  001 :  (  v : TPM  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ɪ ᴀᴍ ʜᴀʟғ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ‚ ʜᴀʟғ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  002 :  (  v : AOTC  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ—ɪs sᴘʟɪᴛ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  003 :  (  v : TCW  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ʜᴇ ғᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  004 :  (  v : ROTS  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅᴏ ᴀs ᴅᴇᴠɪʟs ᴅᴏ—ғᴀʟʟ.

˒ *･ﾟ⨯  005 :  (  v : ANH  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ᴀɴ ᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsʜᴇs. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  006 :  (  v : ESB  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ɪs ʙʟᴏᴏᴅʏ‚ ʙᴜᴛ ᴜɴʙᴏᴡᴇᴅ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  007 :  (  v : ROTJ  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ɪᴛ ɪsɴ'ᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ‚ ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ.

˒ *･ﾟ⨯  (  tbd  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙᴜʀɴᴇᴅ‚ ᴀs ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsᴇᴅ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  (  musings  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ғɪɢʜᴛ ɪᴛ‚ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴ—ɪɢɴɪᴛᴇ ɪᴛ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  (  promo  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴋɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍs—ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀʟʟ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  (  meme  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ sʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛʜᴏʀɴs & ɪ'ʟʟ sʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀɴᴅs ʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ᴛᴏ ʙʟᴇᴇᴅ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  (  starter  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ɪғ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋs ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴘᴘᴇʀ ʜᴀɴᴅ—ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ɪᴛ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  (  anon  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴘʜᴇʀ ᴍᴇ‚ ᴏʀ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏ ʏᴏᴜ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  (  answered  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴀʀʀɪᴠᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴏʀᴍ ᴏғ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  (  ask  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ɪ ᴀᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄʀᴜᴇʟ—ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜғᴜʟ. ˒ *･ﾟ⨯  (  hc  )   *･ﾟ✧  ⎸ ɪ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇss ᴏғ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ.