#let admiral piett rest

[sourskywalker]

Mrs Darth Vader - Part 6; Rings and the engagement announcement

Relationship: Darth Vader x Fem!Reader

Series Summary: Newly appointed Emperor Vader, has been hassled about getting married and producing an heir. Whilst having a meeting with Admiral Piett he meets his second in command's daughter, Y/n.

Series Warnings: Age difference, forced marriage, eating disorders, postpartum depression, suicide attempt, toxic relationship, smut, angst, pregnancy, darth vader is not only a massive creep but also an asshole, referenced suicide

Chapter Warning: N/A

Chapter Summary: Y/n and Vader publicly announce their engagement

Word Count: 1.5k

(GIF in no way correlates with the readers skin tone)

It was about 7:30 in the evening when Vader asked for your presence in his apartments.

“As you are aware” He starts, hands clasped in front of himself as he speaks “That tomorrow we will be officially announcing our engagement. And, since we never got around to picking out an engagement ring for you, I decided to have one designed” He gestures towards the jeweller who steps forward, holding a velvet crushed box in his hands. Vader gently pries the lid off and places it onto the table beside him

“Oh my!” You exclaim, rushing to get a closer look at the ring “It’s gorgeous” You breathe “May I put it on?”

“Of course, it is yours to wear anyway” Vader replies, but the look in your eyes and your outstretched hand makes him realise what you meant “Ah” He pulls the ring out with his thumb and forefinger and slowly slips it onto your finger “Fits perfectly” His blank mask stares towards you and you half hope that he’s smiling at you

“If I may” The Jeweller stands to the side of you and Vader, the box once in his hands now placed beside the lid on the table “The band is 24 carat gold and that beautiful gem right there” He points to the beautiful ombre stone right at the centre of the ring “Is an alexandrite…A-and of course we have 10 carat diamonds around the alexandrite” You nod along to what the Jeweller was saying, though your focus was mainly towards the beautiful ring that had been placed on by your soon to be husband

“Thank you so much, Vader” Your smile broadens as you look up towards him “You truly have an eye for making beautiful things”

“Only for you, my love” Your cheeks heated up at the new, but not unwelcome nickname “My first wife never got to wear an engagement ring or wedding ring” He says, and you quickly feel your smile drop to a neutral expression

Here we go again with the first wife shtick. You will yourself not to roll your eyes at the mention of the deceased wife of your fiancé. It was just getting ridiculous at this point.

“This is something I never got to experience with her, but now I have the chance to try again, with you” You didn’t know how to feel about the comment, instead opting to nod in response

“It’s getting late” You finally say “So I should probably get some rest”

“Of course…Good night, my love” Vader’s gloved hand clutched onto your smaller one and brings it up to his mouthguard, letting it hover there for a moment before letting go, his hands moving to clasp behind his back

~~~~

Standing on the outskirts of the gardens, you chewed on the bottom of your lip as you nervously eyed workers adjusting the Cam Droids. Although it was a silk white dress, you could still feel the fabric of silk sticking to the sweat patches that had accumulated under your armpits, though the cape of light pinks and yellows most definitely didn’t help in cooling you down. You quickly turned to face the glass door when you heard them creak open, Vader’s gold-lined cape with a regal red that you only just noticed colouring the inside, billowed dramatically behind him as he walks towards you “Good morning” He tips his mask towards you and you follow his movements, instead dipping into a low curtsey “I see you are wearing the dress I brought you... Do you like it?”

“Very much, Vader.” A nervous smile spreads across your face and you feel the warm trickle of sweat dripping down your forehead

“No need to be worried, my love” He says, pulling a handkerchief from the hands of one of his servants and gently dabbing it across your face, being careful so as not to smudge your lightly applied makeup “You’ll do fine” His words of comfort eased you ever so slightly. Though, only moments later did the uneasiness arise once again, when one of the butlers scurried forwards to inform Vader that the photographers would be coming in momentarily “My love?” His hand tangles itself with yours and he gently tugs you towards the fountain right in the centre of the garden

And sure enough, the photographers all barreled through the doors and took their places, cameras at the ready whilst Vader took his place behind you, his hand clasping your shoulder as you gently leaned against his chestplate, an innocent smile gracing your lips as you looked directly into the camera

“Miss!” The photographers called “Show us the ring” You obliged happily, extending your hand out to show off the beautiful ring which adorned your finger, Vader's hand stretched forwards as well his hand dipping under yours to hold your hand

“Where did the Emperor propose?” One asked excitedly

You looked up to Vader before responding with; “In the palace gardens, it was all quite beautiful”

“And how did you two get acquainted with each other?” Another asked

Vader opted to take over the question, answering cooly; “Her father works for me, I met her when I went to visit their home a few months ago, it was love at first sight for me, though I’m not sure what she thought at first”

The cameras continued to go off as you and Vader stood in silence, occasionally answering a reporter's question. Though, soon enough, the reporters were shooed away by the guards, except for a young reporter working for the Empire Broadcasting Corporation.

“Good morning, your majesty and Miss Piett” The reporter bowed respectfully before returning to their full height

“Please, let's have a seat” Vader gestured towards the garden table and chairs just a few feet away from the fountain “I’m sure a few butlers will come out with some tea and other treats”

Your grip on Vader’s hand tightened as you followed him and the reporter towards the chairs. A wave of confusion crashed against you, your brows furrowing when you realised the happiness you felt whilst standing in front of the cameras had disappeared so suddenly “...Iett, Miss Piett, are you alright?” The reporter asked, extending a serviette towards you

“Huh? Oh yes I’m perfectly fine, what was it you asked me?” You shook your head gently, offering the reporter an encouraging smile

“I was asking how you’ve been dealing with everything since your engagement?”

“Oh- I see..Well, to be honest, I’ve just been taking it one step at a time. Granted, there have been tough times, but he-” You place a hand on Vader's arm and give it a gentle squeeze “Has made it all worth it”

“And uhm, may we see the ring once more?” They ask

“Of course!” You grin, stretching your arm forward to give them a proper look “The gem right there in the middle is alexandrite and there are diamonds surrounding it” You explain, recalling what the jeweller told you just a few hours prior

“Do you both have an idea of when the ceremony will be held?” The reporter asked, jotting down a few notes onto their notepad

“The date hasn’t properly set but we were thinking perhaps sometime in the spring” You nodded along, you had to force your smile

Since when did you even discuss when the wedding would be…? And why so soon?

“And, your majesty, if you don’t mind me asking, where do you plan to have the honeymoon?”

“My fiancée and I haven’t discussed it yet, but the one place that comes to mind is Varykino on Naboo that has a beautiful villa out on the lake...The view is almost as beautiful as the one sitting next to me” You feel your cheeks warm up at the compliment “What do you think, my love?”

“I think it sounds like a lovely idea” Your gaze landing on his for a few moments before returning back to face the camera

The interview continued for another few minutes, before the reporter bid their farewell, quickly packing up their equipment and leaving in a haste through the same clear glass doors that Vader came through over an hour ago. The hand that had been holding onto Vader's arm dropped back to its side as he stood up and left without another word. You shrugged your shoulders before standing up and wordlessly walking back inside

~~~~

A sigh of relief escaped your lips as you eased your back against the small cracked porcelain bathtub- well, compared to the bathtub from your old home, this was much smaller. The small wisps of hair that had fallen from your hastily tied up-do had stuck to the tub, your head leaning against the rim as you once again- for the upteenth time that day- raised your hand and admired the engagement ring that had been placed onto your finger a little less than twenty-four hours ago. The moonlight hit the diamonds and alexandrite just right, making it practically glow. A small smile formed on your lips as you dipped your head under the water.

END OF CHAPTER

[christian-oc-tournament]

Matthew Scraps propaganda:

In which Piett was wrongly accused of a crime and Matt is desperate to help him.

Had this massacre really happened? Had they really done such a thing? All to frame his commanding officer?

For under pain of death, no one would convince Matthew Scraps that the man he worked for, defended, and cared for like a father, would have done such a heinous thing. Memories were assaulting his brain….

Piett held Matty, despite his wounded back and they watched the Lady change her lights….

The Admiral reading stories to the children they had liberated, one cuddled on his chest contentedly….

He knew that the Admiral’s schedule included a weekly holo call with Mareet, Matt, and Varis. He’d been involved with some of them…..

Scraps himself waking up in sickbay to a steady hand on his arm and calm tones addressing him as ‘Matthew’....

This man would die himself before allowing such a thing to take place let alone take part in it.

“Son of a HUTT!” Scraps yelled, throwing his cuirass across the office, and taking perverse pleasure in the sound of broken glass when it hit a framed print on the wall.

“I understand the sentiment, Matthew, but surely the gym would be a better outlet,” said mild tones behind him, and he whipped around to face Piett who was standing calmly before his desk, hands in the customary position behind his back.

“Sir. Ah….apologies.” Scraps pressed a button for a cleaner droid and moved to stand behind his desk, facing the Admiral.

Piett glanced at the holoimage and at the datapads and notes spread out on Scraps’ desk and his jaw tightened imperceptibly. Then he looked back up to meet the Lieutenant Commander’s gaze.

“I appreciate your efforts, Scraps. But we need to talk about what happens next.”

Scraps rested his hands on his desk and bowed his head. “Sir….my job is to keep you safe. How can I possibly let this happen?”

“Because we have to follow the laws we ourselves put in place.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31075604/chapters/76874078

.

[musewrangler]

AO3 First Lines Tag Game

Tagged by: @brievel and @afaroffsong Thank you both!

Rules: Share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written fewer than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

I'm assuming here ALL fan fic, so that will include a few yet unpublished things. ;D

Working from past fic to most recent:

10--Sanctuary

Veers watched tensely as the medics guided the grav sled onto the shuttle out on the vast landing platform connected to the medical station.

"You must stick to the schedule I've given you," Doctor Yara said sternly, tapping the specialized medical scanner. "No deviation. He ought to have had four days in the bacta, not 24 hours. You need to understand if you rush things it could literally kill him."

9--Forging Further Ch. 29

Piett looked up as the doors to his office slid open and Veers marched in. Any other person would have stomped, but as this was the 'Iron General' one didn't term this stomping. It was marching. Definitely.

8-- To Strive, To Seek, To Find, and Not To Yield

She clung as closely as she could to him in the dark and terrifying hold of this ship. She had utterly no idea where they were going, but she could guess the purpose. They were alive after all.

With beings like this it wasn't a mercy.

7--What We Say Without Speaking

"Sir, I have to admit this is making me rather nervous."

He could hear the Admiral making small movements to his left as he piloted the lamda. And he definitely heard heard the amusement in Piett's voice as he answered.

"I'm hearing a distinct lack of trust, Mr. Scraps."

6--Whiskey Diplomacy

It was entirely possible that diplomacy had been invented as a way to torture beings in ages past and all records of its inception had been lost. Thus, modern societies just assumed it was a normal way of conducting their affairs, slowly and torturously wearing each other down until they all got a mostly dissatisfying conclusion.

At least, this was Han's theory, as yet another senator rose to drone about all the virtues his planet brought to whatever deal they were trying to forge here.

5--Captain's Log: Tales Set in the World of Horblower

First Lieutenant Archie Kennedy was not someone who enjoyed the cold. His fiance loved the snow and found all sorts of romance about it. He could indeed appreciate that from beside the comfort of a warm fire or reading about it in a book. But she actually liked being out in it, and again, he could appreciate that for a while. But he was ready for the indoors after thirty minutes.

4--The War In The Shadows

Deep breath.

In.

Let it out slowly through the nose.

Lips arranged in a fixed and falsely pleasant smile.

Chin rested on gloved fingers interlaced together to portray interest in the speaker.

3--A Shield Not A Sword

"Sir," his weapons officer whispered in terror. He was a specky kid no older than eighteen. "Sir, what do we do?"

Piett stared out the viewport at the five Imperial Star Destroyers surrounding his tiny little assortment of ships. Four Gladiators and one Victory class. Typical for this part of the galaxy and more than enough to turn his smaller ships into tiny particles.

2--Yet to be titled long fic

Firmus Piett was not a man much given to the idea of romance. He acknowledged that it happened and other people seemed to like it---but he didn't understand the obsession with the shows on the holonet, or soul mates, or love at first sight.

1--Yet to bet titled one shot

"Plase, Max," his friend pleaded, gripping his jacket with surprising strength to keep Veers near him. "Plase. Ah know the ship went down intact. Ah saw it. Ya canna lave him..."

His Axxilan friend slipped back into his old accent when he was very tired, rather drunk, or downright terrified for his people.

Tagging with no pressure: @winterinhimring @hollers-and-holmes @chaosgoblinhours @klarionthewizard @alexx-dax @kanerallels @oftincturedwords @oh-great-authoress @mathmusic8 @themummersfolly

[zeldurz]

Heads Up, 7 Up

I was tagged by the lovely @alexx-dax, thank you!

Rules: post the last 7 sentences from one of your WIPs

I am an all over the place writer, so I will share from a couple fics I’ve been working on!

From Whatever it takes (chapter…. Whatever I’m on now)

“I don’t know if you remember this, Admiral, but when we were reunited I found you… Incapacitated.”

“I’m going to assume in more than merely a ‘stabbed through the heart’ way?” Dr St Royal added drily, preparing an infusion of some sort as she spoke.

Pellaeon nodded, his expression serious. “Admiral Thrawn has had… some adverse reactions to bacta in the past, and apparently their solution was to… tie him up.”

“Excuse me?” Doctor St Royal said incredulously. “Aren’t you supposed to be the most important person in the entire Empire?”

Thrawn shrugged. “It seems that ‘important’ does not always equate with ‘well cared for’.

These next few don’t have names, so I’ll just give you the title of my google doc

From Heart attack with Piett and Veers

“It looks like the patient has suffered a cardiac arrest!” A cheerful metallic voice called out, and Veers felt his world start to slide out from underneath him. He knew of ACR-Droids in theory, of course, since they were covered in basic field training, but he had never needed to see one in action before.

“Can I help you with that?” The droid asked cheerfully, nudging past Veers towards where Piett was lying on the ground.“Proceed,” was all Vader said, his harsh mechanical breathing filling the otherwise completely silent bridge.

“Great! Please continue Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation while I analyze the patient!”

Time seemed to freeze as the bridge held their collective breath, waiting to see what the droid had to say. Veers stepped to the side, trying to get a better view of what was going on, and immediately regretted it

And finally, from Something Something Thrawn has a bad time (an AoH inspired fic)

“You will not see me again.” Ruhk’s voice seemed to be swallowed by the darkness, and when Pellaeon looked up again, the Noghri was gone.

“Let’s get you home, Sir,” Pellaeon said softly, keying his comm for the medical evac team. “You’ve been away too long.”

—————

The shuttle ride back to the Chimaera had been mercifully quick - the deafening silence of the medics punctuated only by the beep of the equipment keeping Thrawn alive and the occasional grunt of pain, even under deep sedation.

“I won’t lie to you, Captain,” one of the medics - a Lieutenant Derik, Pellaeon vaguely recalled - had said when they first boarded, “I don’t know how much we’ll be able to do. We simply don’t have the resources-“

“Find them, Lieutenant,” Pellaeon had snapped back, his patience fraying. “I don’t care how you do it or how much it costs, but I order you to save Grand Admiral Thrawn.”

Derik had given him a nervous nod, and the rest of the medics had steered clear of his corner of the shuttle for the rest of the trip.

I am gently tagging anyone who wants to do this - tag me so I can come fawn over your wips please!

[pianopadawan]

Preview Excerpt 2 of Imperial Remnant AU

Some angsty Veers/Piett below.

Excerpt 1 - Piett and Jerjerrod angst.

“What’s wrong?”

The question jolted Piett out of his ruminations. His hand instinctively grasped his blaster. Embarrassed by the paranoid gesture, he let his fingers fall from the grip as he face the General.

“I can think of a number of things,” Piett said. “Now, are you coming in or are you just going to stand there leering at me?”

“Leering at you?”

Veers gave him a hardened stare. Any other observer would have seen the look as a true threat, but Piett knew better. He could catch the subtle glint in Veers’s eyes or the way his lips would quirk upward ever so slightly. It was those gentle cracks in his stoicism that’d gotten them here to begin with.

“The things you accuse me of in my own base,” Veers went on, feigning affront. “If I didn’t know you any better, sailor, I’d call it insubordination.”

“Well, until that scavenger of yours finds the parts, I’m a sailor without a ship,” Piett replied sardonically. “I suppose you could say I’ve gone rogue with all this newfound freedom. Besides, I’ve never taken orders from army blokes.”

“Of course not, Admiral.” With a few long strides, Veers closed the distance between them. “But you do accept invitations, don’t you?”

“The way you’re making it sound, you’d better have a nice bottle of wine and a candlelight dinner waiting for me.” Piett looked up at the General to ensure that Veers caught him rolling his eyes. “Really, I don’t see why you’re being so formal. It isn’t as if we’ve never done this before.”

As they stepped out into the corridor, Piett scanned the scene for unwanted company. His caution was largely unnecessary. It wasn’t as if their nightly meetings were a grand secret. Still, there was no reason to tempt the gossips.

They’d agreed on symbolically designating Piett separate lodgings during his stays, lest they give fuel to the rumors concerning a lewd barter system. Their alliance was a strategic one, and they needed to be sure the remnant viewed it as such.

Piett tried not to dwell too deeply on the rest. Even as he clung to Veers, craving the warmth during those cold Pelacian nights, he warned himself to heed the boundaries. He couldn’t afford any more uncertainty.

He allowed himself a few moments of reprieve afterwards. Once his heart had steadied to its resting pace, he sat up and reached for his clothes. He pretended not to notice Veers watching him.

“You could stay, you know,” Veers said.

“I have business to attend to.” Piett hummed in annoyance as he remedied a misaligned button on his shirt. “I haven’t got time to waste lying around.”

“It wouldn’t be a waste of tine for you to get some rest.” Veers wrapped a hand around Piett’s wrist. “You’re getting scrawnier every time I see you.”

“Maybe I’ll treat myself to a break once this latest issue is settled,” Piett grumbled.

“Are you referring to your cruiser or something else?”

“Something else.”

Piett eyed the door but did not move from the bed. This was exactly what he’d been hoping to avoid.

“Lennox severed ties with the Operation last month,” he said. “Besides your forces, we have a few supporters still on Ganthel, and of course, we have resources from Nimora but with all the pressure from Republic Commerce, it’s getting harder for them to maintain the pretense.”

The words slipped out before he could censor them. Honesty was both a rare privilege and a dangerous affair.

“At this rate, I don’t know how much longer we can sustain our efforts,” Piett went on bitterly. “I suppose it was only a matter of time before we reached this point. By all accounts, we shouldn’t have gotten this far to begin with. Maybe I should be more grateful. Maybe I should just count myself karking lucky I didn’t get blown to bits on the Executor and settle down and…”

His sentence trailed off as he realized he had no answer to give. Veers moved to sit beside him, stroking his back gently. Piett couldn’t help but lean into the touch.  

“It isn’t like you to surrender, Admiral,” Veers said.

“Do I have a choice?”

“I’m giving you one.” Veers ceased his stroking when Piett tensed. “You’re a brilliant commander, and I know you don’t see it that way, but your name bears weight amongst the remnants. If we were to organize our efforts more concretely, I assure you, we would garner support…”

“Veers, listen to yourself.” Piett glared at him. “I just told you that I’m struggling to fund a tiny covert operation and your solution is to stage a coup.”

“It would take time,” Veers persisted. “We would only have to be patient and strategic about our options. There dozens of Imperial factions scattered throughout the Rim. What we need is a unifying force.”

“If you think I’m the man for that, you’re even more delusional than I thought,” Piett snapped. “The factions are witling out as we speak. In a matter of time, there’ll be nothing left to lead.”

“And what do you plan to do after that?” Veers asked harshly. “Run away into the Unknown Regions? Or were you planning to roll over for the New Republic like your good friend, Tiaan Jerjerrod?”

“I’m planning to stay alive.” Piett stood his ground. “Unlike you, I don’t have the privilege of recklessly entertaining a hero complex. I have obligations. I have a family to take care of.”

He knew he’d gone too far the moment the words left his mouth. Before he could gather an apology, Veers stood abruptly from the bed.

“Get out,” Veers growled. “You know the way to your room. If not, ask one of the droids.”

“Max, I’m sorry.” Piett reached for the taller man’s hand, stroking it lightly. “I shouldn’t have…”

“I said get out.” Veers pulled his hand away. “That’s an order, Piett.”

Piett opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. As he left, he could feel Veers’s gaze upon him, burning more with grief than anger.

His regrets weighed heavily on him like a durasteel chain as he returned to his room. There, he settled into bed and closed his eyes, shivering from the cold.

[airasilver]

These are the people that, in the whole universe, can call Anakin Skywalker out on his bullshit:

Obi-Wan Kenobi (this iffies a lot because Obi-Wan will call Anakin out and then go do the exact same thing.)

Captain Rex

Commander Cody

Admiral Firmus Piett

General Maximilian Veers

Commander Fox

Mace Windu (to his displeasure alot of times since he has to deal with the fall out)

Plo Koon (He dad's everyone so when he gives you the LOOK, you know you're in trouble.)

There are only a four who can call Obi-Wan out:

Mace (see above)

Plo (see above again)

Cody

Alpha 17

Ahsoka can't call either out because she does what they do. Padme is a hard no because they just pout at her or give her tooku eyes, same with Bail. (Plus, Padme is not good for Anakin and he for her. So they're not getting together here. They're friends though.) Breha could but she lets that up to the others. She has a whole planet to run.

Satine is also a hard no because she gets called out on her bullshit. Not to mention she has to justify what she has done to everyone that followed the warrior ways (which is more than just bounty hunters and etc) to Dooku and Jaster and the combination of Jedi and True Mandalorians (the genocide of the TM never happened and while yes, Jango became a slave still and yes, Montross betrayed them, Jaster lived. The Vode still happened but they and Jango were found when the CCs were still babies. The Alphas and Nulls were only two (how far apart are they really?), the rest were still in development stages but they all got born.

There is one person who can and will call everyone out on their bullshit. Including Yoda. (This isn't including the wondering Jedi who can do so with ease.)

Shmi (she's the mom and while she might be young compared to Plo and etc, when she calls you out, like Plo, you know you're in trouble.) (Shmi is also the only one who can and will bully Dooku (let's say his family died out here) into caring for himself. He won't admit it but she's his favorite. Especially since Shmi brought Komari back to the fold.)

Shmi is the Lady and no, I won't change my mind.

[starr234]

Flufftober Day 4 - Wounded

The last thing Firmus Piett expected to see upon entering Lord Vader’s quarters was Luke Skywalker asleep on the couch.

His jaw dropped, and so did the stack of datapads in his hands.  He fumbled them for a moment, nearly caught them, and then they hit the floor with a clatter. 

This was it, then.  This was how he died.  Because whatever the explanation was for this, he was certain Lord Vader wouldn’t be inclined to share it with him.

Unwilling to leave a mess as his last legacy, Piett knelt and began gathering the datapads with numb fingers.  One had bounced across the floor out of reach, and before he could lean forward to retrieve it, it lifted off the ground.

Piett stared as the datapad floated lazily towards him, forcing himself to take it and add it to the stack as if nothing out of the ordinary were occurring.  As if a prominent member of the Empire’s Most Wanted List and Lord Vader’s personal obsession wasn’t propped up against a pile of pillows on Lord Vader’s couch with a blanket wrapped around him, blinking sleepily up at Piett with his hair sticking out at odd angles.

“That last one got away from you,” Skywalker said, then yawned.  He at least had the good grace to cover his mouth and look embarassed.  “I hope it’s not broken.”

“I’m...er...I’m sure it’s fine,” Piett responded.  He tightened his grip on the treacherous datapads and stood straight, considering his next move.  If this was a trap for Lord Vader, it was an extraordinarily bad one.  He’d quite literally caught Skywalker sleeping on the job.

Still, Skywalker was a Jedi, and had obviously captured Lord Vader’s attention for a reason.  It was best not to underestimate him.  Even if he did look remarkably young and slight, stretched out on a couch that Piett had never seen anyone use before.

He knew better than most, appearances could be deceiving.  

“You seem surprised,” Skywalker remarked.

“Candidly, yes.”  Piett sat the stack of datapads on a small table by the door.  Best to have his hands free, just in case.  “I am accustomed to finding Rebel spies in our ranks, but not sleeping in Lord Vader’s quarters.”

The boy laughed softly.  “I’m no spy.  And you can stop worrying.”  He pulled the blanket back, revealing a cast encasing his right leg.  “I’m not much of a threat right now.”

Piett kept his gaze steady.  Appearances, and all that.  “You’ll forgive me for disagreeing.”

Skywalker shrugged.  “Up to you.  You’re looking for Vader?”

“Lord Vader and I have a briefing at 1900, yes.”

The boy’s eyes widened.  “It’s 1900 already?”

“Past, by now.”

“He’s late.  He should have been back ages ago.”  Skywalker closed his eyes, his brow furrowed and his face drawn with worry.  When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was blank and unseeing.  Just as Piett was starting to worry, the boy blinked, shook his head and focused back on Piett.  “I can’t find him,” he said.  “This isn’t right.  Can you com him? He might be--”

“Stop,” Piett said firmly.  Skywalker, for all that he wasn’t a member of the Imperial Navy and likely held no respect for Piett’s authority, stopped.  “Under no circumstances will I com Lord Vader at the request of the Rebel I found in his quarters unless you explain to me exactly what is going on here.”

The boy looked well and truly frightened now.  Perhaps his ruse, whatever it was, was starting to unravel.  “You know what the Force is, right?”

“Yes.”  Jedi and their bygone religion were strictly taboo subjects in the Imperial ranks, but one didn’t survive in Lord Vader’s service for long without developing a healthy respect for his strange abilities.

“Vader and I can both use it.  It lets us...it’s hard to explain, but we can sense each other.  We can use it to communicate, and to track each other’s locations.”  His expression softened for a moment.  “It’s how he found me when I hurt my leg.”

Piett was more open-minded than his predecessor had been, but even he drew the line somewhere.  “Are you trying to tell me that the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Navy is secretly communicating with a Rebel Jedi using his mind?”

Skywalker looked pained.  “I told you, it’s hard to explain.  And we weren’t secretly communicating.  Until a few days ago it was mostly him talking and me ignoring him.”

“I see,” Piett said flatly.

“No,” the boy exclaimed, “you don’t!  He always answers when I reach out, always.  And he’s not answering now and I can’t sense him, which means he’s either shielding or something’s happened to him.”

“Shielding?”

“It’s...” Skywalker puffed out an exasperated breath.  “It’s exactly what it sounds like.  You have shields around this ship protecting her from things trying to harm her - asteroids and proton torpedoes, things like that.  We can do the same thing, to protect our minds from intruders.”

“Perhaps,” Piett suggested dryly, “Lord Vader is occupied with something which he doesn’t want a member of the Rebel Alliance ‘intruding’ on.”

Skywalker looked stricken, and so young.  How could this boy, barely into adulthood, be responsible for so many Imperial lives?  “I know you don’t trust me,” he said.  “You have no reason to, and my--Vader wouldn’t trust you so much if you were easily fooled.  But hasn’t he ever given you an order that didn’t make sense, that was based on one of his hunches or feelings, and it turned out to be correct?  That’s the Force.  I have the same hunches and feelings, and right now they’re telling me that something is wrong.”

His voice was completely earnest, and layered iwth a depth of emotion Piett couldn’t begin to comprehend.

“Please,” he added softly.

Piett understood the Imperial system better than anyone.  He knew all too well that military protocol demanded Skywalker be arrested, if not shot on sight.  Conversing with him, comming Lord Vader at his request, was beyond foolish.  A junior officer making a mistake like this would have been stripped of his rank, either officially or through Lord Vader’s alternative methods of staff management.

But Piett had not become an admiral through blind adherence to protocol, least of all where Lord Vader’s hunt for Skywalker was concerned.  The efforts expended always seemed to far outweigh any strategic benefits to be gained by Skywalker’s capture, but they had carried on relentlessly.

Which suggested, Piett knew, that there was more to Lord Vader’s obsession than military strategy.  The way he had stared into space after the Millenium Falcon had impossibly escaped from the trap laid at Cloud City, then walked off the bridge as if he carried the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders.

The way Skywalker looked at him now, eyes wide and pleading.

There was something here that he didn’t fully understand.  But, like Skywalker had said, sometimes, when it came to Lord Vader, the right course of action didn’t always make sense.

He took out his comlink.  Relief washed over Skywalker’s face.  “One last question,” Piett said.  “Why, exactly, are you here?”

Skywalker looked perplexed.  “I broke my leg.”

Piett wanted nothing more than to roll his eyes, but years of military training stopped him.  “You’re Luke Skywalker,” he said, “and I found you sleeping, unguarded and unrestrained, in Darth Vader’s quarters.  Why are you here?”

“Ohhh,” Skywalker said, as if it hadn’t occurred to him that his presence would raise questions.  “He knows I’m here, if that’s what you’re asking.  He brought me here.”

“Are you a prisoner?”

A fleeting, pained expression crossed the boy’s face.  “I don’t know.”

Piett nodded. This was enough.  It would have to be.  He had a feeling asking more questions - learning anything more about this strange boy and his place in Lord Vader’s life - would be hazardous to his health.

He activated his comlink.  Before he could enter Lord Vader’s frequency, the boy gasped softly.  Piett lowered the comlink in alarm.  “What is it?”

“He’s--”

The door slid open and Lord Vader entered.  Piett snapped to attention as Vader paused just inside the doorway.

“Admiral.”  There was a warning note in his voice that Piett had heard too many times before.

“Lord Vader,” he said.  His voice was steady and his heart rate was normal.  He had learned long ago that fear only sharpened Lord Vader’s temper.  “I apologize.  I arrived for our 1900 briefing and--”

“And you weren’t here,” Skywalker interrupted.  “He was just about to com you for me.”

Lord Vader tilted his head.  “I was delayed over an hour.  Why did you wait until now?”

Skywalker’s cheeks flushed and he glanced down at the blanket covering his legs.  “I fell asleep,” he muttered.

There was a soft noise from Lord Vader’s respirator, one Piett had never heard before.  He walked over to the couch and smoothed down Skywalker’s unruly hair.  The boy closed his eyes and put his own hand over Vader’s.

Piett began mentally putting his affairs in order.

“I apologize, little one.”

Piett moved on to listing all the people he would have said goodbye to.

“I couldn’t sense you.  Are you alright?  Where were you?”

“Having a conversation where I could not be interrupted, and where it was imperative that your presence not be detected.”

Skywalker went very pale.  “You mean--”

“Yes,” Lord Vader said.  “You are not safe here anymore.”

The boy’s grip on the black-gloved hand tightened.  “What do we do?”

“Not now, Luke.”  He turned to Piett, who held his head high and hoped it would be quick.  “Admiral, your decision to hear Skywalker out rather than arrest him was sound.”

“I--” For a moment Piett wasn’t sure what was happening.  “Thank you, Lord Vader.”

“I trust you will continue to show the same good judgment in the future.”

There was no mistaking Lord Vader’s meaning, and only one answer that would keep him alive.  “I will, my lord.”

“Good.  There is a Corellian VCX-Series fighter in my personal hangar.  Have it refueled and fully provisioned before the morning shift.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Are you sending me away?” Skywalker interjected softly.

“Dismissed, Admrial,” Lord Vader said, then turned back to Skywalker as if Piett had ceased to exist.  “Not by choice, little one.”

Piett didn’t hear Skywalker’s murmered answer.  He was already moving - was lucky to be alive - was halfway through the door when Skywalker called out to him.

“Admiral Piett?”

He turned, remembered belatedly that he knew the boy’s rank.  “Yes, Commander?”

Skywalker smiled faintly at the title.  “Thank you for listening.  Instead of arresting me, I mean.”

Piett wanted to tell Skywalker to take care not to fall asleep out in the open again, that other officers would not be as patient as he had been. But Lord Vader’s hand rested heavily on the boy’s shoulder, so he simply nodded and said, “of course.”

The door slid shut, leaving him finally, mercifully alone in the corridor.  He stood very still, allowing himself a moment to try to make sense of what just happened.

Piett had never seen Lord Vader show a shred of kindness to anyone before, much less receive kindness from anyone who wasn’t looking for something in return.  Why had Skywalker spent the last three years running if this was how they behaved towards one another?

Maybe Skywalker, like Piett, hadn’t known that Lord Vader was capable of kindness.

Skywalker seemed to have made his decision.  It was time for Piett to make his.

He could tend to the Corellian fighter as Lord Vader had commanded, undoubtedly committing treason and helping a wanted criminal return to the Rebellion.  Or he could contact Imperial Centre - for that was surely who Lord Vader’s private conversation had been with - inform them that a Rebel Jedi was secreted away on board his ship, and be responsible for destroying the heart he hadn’t known Lord Vader to have until just minutes ago.

It was no decision at all, really.  

Piett straightened his collar and set off.  He had precious little time left before he was due back on the bridge.

But it was time enough to refuel a starfighter.

[kanerallels]

@musewrangler it would be my honor!!!

Pairing: n/a, platonic relationships only!

Word Count: 1,483

Tags/Warnings: rated G (for good old fashioned trash talking but semi Imperial stylez)

(Note: this takes place in my Happiness Au where Anakin never becomes Vader, Order 66 isn't committed, and I can do whatever I want basically)

There were a lot of strange parts about working with Jedi. Part of it was their heightened abilities, thanks to the Force-- the way they could move faster than most, or how they could predict things seconds before they happened. Another part of it was their air of knowledge, even wisdom sometimes. It was easy to see that they weren’t like the rest of the galaxy in some deep, instrumental way.

But in other ways, the Jedi were exactly like everyone else. No one Jedi was exactly the same, that was for certain. Admiral Firmus Piett had only served with two other Jedi in his time-- once, transporting a Jedi Master Depa Billaba and her apprentice to Moraga, although he’d only recently begun his career in the Republic Navy at that point. After that, he’d worked on a ship where Master Plo Koon had been briefly employed, although neither he nor the Jedi’s stay had lasted long.

But about two years prior, Piett had begun working aboard the Executor, one of the Republic’s greatest ships. It had also been unofficially commandeered by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker for some of his more adventurous missions, which was something the entire Republic just accepted.

Piett hadn’t been sure what to expect upon meeting the infamous Jedi-- a General in the Clone War, rumored to be something of a maverick and also one of the only Jedi who was openly married, with children. Upon meeting him, he discovered that the Jedi was somehow more chaotic than he’d expected.

However, he was also smart, an incredible leader and pilot, totally unafraid to lead from the front and deeply respectful of both the army and the navy. While his hands on leadership tactics tended to lead to him making the odd rash decision, he was, overall, a leader that Piett was glad to serve with.

He was also glad when Skywalker brought his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, with him on missions. This usually meant that his daughter, Leia, was there. She and Piett had cultivated a surprising friendship over the years, and while Piett had never expected to care for a young Jedi, he was glad he did. She was special, that was for certain.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Piett continued along the hallways of the Executor. He’d had a long shift, and was looking forward to getting some rest.

He’d only made it halfway to his rooms when he spotted a tall, familiar figure rounding the corner towards him. Veers was wearing a rare grin that only grew wider when he caught sight of Piett.

“Firmus,” he said. “You have got to come see this.”

Bewildered, Piett followed Veers down the hall. It took him a few minutes to realize they were heading for the sparring rooms, and he asked, “Veers, what is--”

He cut himself off as Veers keyed open the door to the sparring room. Inside, what had to be close to thirty men, all crowded in the edges of the room to leave a good deal of space in the middle. And in that space stood two young women that Piett recognized instantly, their lightsabers in hand.

Leia’s white saber illuminated her determined expression as she kept her stance tensed and battle ready. Piett knew she could tell she was being watched, but she didn’t move her gaze from her opponent-- Mara Jade, who had been Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice for about three months now. Piett wasn’t totally sure of the story of how he’d gotten a new apprentice, let alone one who had joined the Order much later than most Jedi, but knowing Skywalker he’d hear it some day.

The two young women circled each other for a moment or two, gazes locked. Mara was the first to attack, her magenta blade clashing with Leia’s, and they engaged in a deadly dance of weapons, their movements swift and unhesitating.

Glancing at Veers, Piett said, “What exactly is this?”

“Practice session,” Veers said. “Padawan Jade may have incited a few of the men into starting a betting pool on who’s going to win this match.”

Well, she is Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice. “And you’re condoning this?” Piett asked, and Veers shrugged.

“Officially, no. Unofficially, I’m not on duty, and I’m willing to wager that Jade will do fairly well.”

Piett’s eyebrow shot up. “Over Padawan Naberrie? I sincerely doubt that. She’s had considerably more training than Jade, she’s trained by the best, and--” he caught sight of Veers’s grin, which he could barely contain. “Really, Max?”

“For someone who doesn’t necessarily approve of this, you sound extremely invested,” Veers pointed out.

Piett briefly considered telling Veers exactly what he thought of his friend’s trickery, but he was technically a superior officer in the presence of his subordinates, and such a reaction would not be terribly professional. Instead, he gave him a withering look that he was fairly certain would have no effect on Veers.

To no one’s surprise, he was right-- Veers was not remotely withered. In fact, he was possibly the opposite of withered. “I propose a small wager,” he suggested. “On who’s going to win the session.”

“That would be highly inappropriate,” Piett pointed out.

“Are you that positive that Padawan Naberrie will lose?” Veers said with polite incredulity.

Piett opened his mouth to respond to that, then stopped. “Max. I know you’re not trash-talking me into betting on a pair of teenage Jedi.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Veers said innocently. “But if you really have such little faith in Skywalker’s daughter…”

Kriff you, Veers. “Alright,” Piett said reluctantly. “The stakes?”

“If you win, there’s a bottle of your favorite whiskey with your name on it,” Veers said, and Piett lifted an appreciative eyebrow-- perhaps this would be worth it after all. “If I win, you actually have to take your next shore leave.”

“Wha-- I take shore leave!” Piett protested, and Veers leveled a skeptical look in his direction.

“Do you, Firmus? Do you really?”

“He’s got a point, Admiral,” a familiar voice observed from directly behind them. As a rule, Piett didn’t jump, but he came very close to it at the sound of Anakin Skywalker’s voice.

Turning, he saw the Jedi watching them with an amused look, holding a mug of something rather sweet-smelling in one hand. “You do work a lot,” he continued calmly, taking a drink of the beverage.

“Master Skywalker,” Piett said, giving him a polite nod. “What brings you down here?”

“Unfortunately, not getting in on any bets,” Skywalker said with a frown. “I’ll lose no matter which side I take, in this situation. I.e, the one I didn’t bet on will skin me alive.”

“Lovely image,” Veers murmured. “If I may ask, what are you drinking?”

“Not spiked hot chocolate.”

“All right, then.”

Piett returned his attention to the sparring session in front of them. The tempo had sped up-- both girl’s sabers flashed and spun as they dueled. Each swing of the saber spoke of deadly efficiency, although there was a definite difference in their fighting styles. They were clearly evenly matched, and Piett wondered again what Mara Jade’s story was, where she’d gotten Jedi training when Skywalker had said she was a recent inductee into the Order. There was no way she’d gotten this good in only a few month’s time.

But as he looked on, it became clear that the fight was reaching its crescendo, a point at which it had to come to an end. Behind him, Skywalker murmured, “Here it comes. Just wait--”

He was cut off as a sweep of Leia’s white saber sent Mara’s weapon spinning out of her hands, deactivating as it clattered to the ground. The girl started to reach for her lightsaber, but was stopped abruptly by the tip of Leia’s weapon at her throat. “And that’s your head,” she said, her voice calm, but a slight smile of satisfaction crossing her face. Piett felt himself wearing a similar one as Mara shot her companion a glare that melted into grudging respect.

“Good fight,” she said, accepting Leia’s hand as the shorter girl helped her to her feet. “I’ll have you next time, though.”

Leia didn’t respond-- the gleam of pleasure in her eyes was more than enough.

Turning to a rather crestfallen Veers, Piett said calmly, “I believe you owe me a bottle of whiskey.”

Releasing a sigh, Veers said, “I suppose I do. Well, fair is fair. We’ll go get it from my office.”

Clapping Veers on the shoulder, Anakin said, “Don’t worry, General. If my daughter hears that our Admiral isn’t taking his shore leave, you won’t need to bet to get him to rest.”

Smirking, Veers said, “I suppose you make a good point, Skywalker.”

Rolling his eyes in slight exasperation, Piett said, “I do take shore leave, you know.”

“I find that very hard to believe,” Anakin said.

[imadetheline]

will be updated as i post.

requests for fics are currently closed.

my ao3

my text post meme masterlist

Extended Fic Masterlist because I ran out of links on this one. Fandoms on that list: Daredevil, DC, Narcos, Stranger Things, The Lord of the Rings, Kinnporsche the series, The Eclipse, Never Let Me Go, Only Friends, Jujutsu Kaisen

talk to me about anything (especially my fics or stuff I'm watching)!!

STAR WARS

Original Trilogy

the regret of a meaningless forever (6/6), Gen, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence

Summary: Luke is trapped in an ancient Jedi temple with the last person he’d ever want to be: Darth Vader.

it’s gonna be okay (2/2), Gen, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence

Summary: Luke is injured and alone and his rescuer only brings more complications.

light within reach (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Luke finally sees behind his father's mask

unwilling love (1/1), Gen, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence

Summary: Luke has to decide whether to save his newly discovered father after the man is injured saving him.

Child give me your hand (so that I may walk in the light of your faith in me) (1/1), Gen, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence

Summary: The Force takes rather drastic measures to show Luke the good still left in his father.

you'll be alright, no one can hurt you now (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Darth Vader has to protect his son from the power of the Dark Side and it requires some trust on both sides.

fire building up inside (4/4), Gen, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence

Summary: Luke crashes, and the planet's atmosphere is not exactly conducive to his survival.

don't care what it costs, no ray of sunlight's ever lost (1/1), M/M, general audiences

Summary: Post the battle of Endor Luke and Han take a moment to rest and be with each other. (skysolo)

when I was torn by love I could not still (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Darth Vader visits Tattooine to learn about his son and instead learns some things about himself.

love is this desire to help even when I know I can’t (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Luke finds himself stuck in the middle of a storm, cold and alone, when Darth Vader finds him.

the sun cannot fall from the sky (6/?), Gen, teen

Summary: A genetic disease rears its head and both Luke and Vader must deal with the consequences.

running through the darkness with his own becoming light (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Luke leaves pieces of himself in every evacuated base and Vader is left trying to piece together the clues of his son's life without him.

you don’t know what you have until it’s (nearly) gone (1/1), Gen, teen

Summary: Vader has to rescue his son, but this one hits a little too close to home for both of them.

silver lining (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Luke and Leia have suffered so much. They take a moment to let themselves feel the grief they usually keep locked up and take comfort in each other's presence

---------

Series: learning, little by little

surprises and secrecy (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #1 in series

Summary: Admiral Piett really didn't expect to discover anyone related to Darth Vader, much less a son.

a lesson in misunderstandings and warmth (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #2 in series

Summary: Luke struggles with the thought that his father might not want him and Vader clears up some misunderstandings

a lesson in... (3/3), Gen, general audiences, #3 in series

Summary: A stormtrooper witnesses Luke and Vader's father-son relationship and is very confused and tired.

words are insufficient (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #4 in series (but happens simultaneously with #2)

Summary: Vader is touch starved and Luke is a ball of sunshine that loves his father.

words weigh heavy on the heart (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #5 in series (#2 in febuwhump prompt series: Breathe In, Breathe out, listed below)

Summary: febuwhump prompt alt 4 - identity reveal

the weight of words (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #6 in series

Summary: Admiral Piett has to deal with three Skywalkers and their insane amount of family issues.

it’s killing me to see you this way (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #7 in series (#10 in series: Breathe In, Breathe Out - listed below)

Summary: day ten - “i’m sorry. i didn’t know.”

are the pieces of you in the pieces of me? (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #8 in series

Summary: Luke tries to convince Leia that training with the Force is a good thing but she has some reservations.

for you, there’s nothing in this world i wouldn’t do (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #9 in series

Summary: Luke and Leia take some time to spar and discuss their next move.

---------

Series: Breathe In, Breathe Out (febuwhump 2021 collection)

troubled spirits on my chest (1/1), Gen, teen, #1 in series

Summary: day one - mind control

words weigh heavy on the heart (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #2 in series (#5 in series learning, little by little - listed above)

Summary: alt four - identity reveal

wait, wait, wait for me, please hang around (1/1), Gen, teen, #3 in series

Summary: day three - imprisonment

i couldn’t breathe if i tried (1/1), Gen, teen, #4 in series

Summary: day four - impaling

far away from all the trouble i had caused with my two hands (1/1), Gen, teen, #5 in series

Summary: day five - “take me instead”

in the night i'm wild eyed, and you got me now (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #6 in series

Summary: day six - insomnia

i should not care but i don’t know how (1/1), Gen, M/M, general audiences, #7 in series

Summary: day seven - poisoning

and as the world comes to an end i'll be here to hold your hand (1/1), Gen, M/M, general audiences, #8 in series

Summary: day eight - “hey, hey, this is no time to sleep.”

it’s a cruel war (1/1), Gen, F/M, general audiences, #9 in series

Summary: alt six - “don’t try to pin this on me”

it’s killing me to see you this way (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #10 in series (#7 in series learning, little by little - listed above)

Summary: day ten - “i’m sorry. i didn’t know.”

your mind is playing tricks on you (1/1), Gen, F/M, general audiences, #11 in series

Summary: day eleven - hallucinations

soon it will be over, and buried with our past (1/1), Gen, teen, #12 in series

Summary: day twelve - “who are you?”

the earth is shaking and i see a light (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #13 in series

Summary: day thirteen - hiding an injury

the way you held me so tight, all through the night (1/1), Gen, F/M, general audiences, #14 in series

Summary: day fourteen - “i didn’t mean it.”

we set the fire and we let it burn; through the dreamers, we hear the hum (1/1), Gen, teen, #15 in series

Summary: day fifteen - “run. don’t look back.” Alternatively: The Empire has been defeated but that doesn't mean it's been wiped out completely. Commander Luke Skywalker of the New Republic and a team of former Alliance soldiers infiltrate one of the remaining Imperial bases but find more than they bargained for.

we are far from home but we are so happy (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #16 in series

Summary: day sixteen - broken bones

and as the world comes to an end, i'll be here to hold your hand, cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #17 in series

Summary: alt two - “i can’t lose you too.”

chasing in the dark (1/1), Gen, teen, #18 in series

Summary: day eighteen - “i can’t see”

let go, lay to rest (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #19 in series

Summary: day nineteen - sleep deprivation

you love, love, love when you know i can’t love you (1/1), Gen, teen, #20 in series

Summary: day twenty - betrayal

swallowed by a vicious, vengeful sea (1/1), Gen, teen, #21 in series

Summary: day twenty-one - torture

i am sorry for the trouble, i suppose; my blood runs red but my body feels so cold (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #22 in series

Summary: day twenty-two - burns

can you chase the fire away (1/1), Gen, teen, #23 in series

Summary: day twenty-three - “don’t look”

and you’re staring back at me like i wasn’t there (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #24 in series

Summary: day twenty-four - memory loss

hold on to what we are, hold on to your heart (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #25 in series

Summary: day twenty-five - car accident (ship accident)

stripped to the bone, i wait (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #26 in series

Summary: day twenty-six - recovery

wherever there is you I will be there too (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #27 in series

Summary: alt 1 - truth serum

the light is blinding my eyes (1/1), Gen, general audiences, #28 in series

Summary day twenty-eight - “you have to let me go”

---------

Prequel Trilogy

take me back to the night we met (1/1), F/M, rated teen for major character death

Summary: Padme just wants to help Anakin with the weight he carries on his shoulders.

---------

The Clone Wars

fading to black (2/2), Gen, minor F/M, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence

Summary: Anakin is more powerful than any known Jedi, but he’s not invincible. Or: General Skywalker has a savior complex.

hold onto me cause I’m a little unsteady (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Anakin pushes his body a little too far and pays the consequences.

sometimes it's too late... sometimes things can't be fixed (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Ahsoka and Rex are the only things each other have after Order 66 destroys their lives.

---------

The Mandalorian

old feelings and shared memories (1/1), gen, major character death for vader in rotj, **SPOILERS FOR MANDALORIAN CHAPTER 16**

Summary: Luke recalls a painful memory when he encounters Din and Grogu and their bond.

---------

Random

Star Wars Drabbles (2/?), Gen, F/M, general audiences

Summary: Short stories and/or poems about my favorite star wars characters

<<<>>>

TEEN WOLF

love is so short and oblivion so long (1/1), M/M, teen, major character death

Summary: He gets postcards—bright pictures of mountains or deserts, cheesy slogans, and bad jokes—and he flips them over to find the small cursive DH on the back. No message, no updates. Just the initials.

Series: the light of all lights

i have crossed oceans of time to find you (6/6), M/M, teen, temporary major character death, #1 in series

Summary: Stiles is a vampire escaping from hunters and he just so happens to run right onto a certain Alpha Hale's territory while starving.

i am longing to be with you (1/?), M/M, teen, #2 in series

Summary: a collection of one-shots in my vampire!stiles au

the devil within (7/?), M/M, F/F, F/M, teen, INCOMPLETE/SEMI-ABANDONED

Summary: Stiles grows up with Void whispering in the back of his mind, always fighting to keep it at bay. He thought when his best friend, Scott McCall, got bitten and turned into a werewolf when they were sixteen he'd finally found an explanation in the existence of the supernatural, but Void's presence remains a painful mystery. And he's hidden it well enough from everyone he knows over the years that he thinks maybe he can just deal with it for the rest of his life, no matter how unappealing that may seem.

But now he's a twenty-year-old Beacon Hills University student and it's getting worse, bodies with strange markings are showing up around Beacon Hills, and Derek Hale is back in town after a two-year absence.

Somehow, Void's presence seems to be caught up in all of it.

And if Stiles doesn't find a way to contain the monster living in his head it could mean his death—and those of everyone he cares about.

<<<>>>

MARVEL

sometimes family reunions aren't all bad (3/?), Gen, M/M, general audiences

Summary: Loki spots a familiar face in a bar and has a reunion he never expected to get.

if I had to, I would follow you (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Thanos's ship doesn't appear after the events of Ragnarok and Thor and Loki continue their conversation.

who I am is where I stand (where I stand is where I fall) (1/1), Gen, general audiences, major canonical character death

Summary: Thor watches Loki approach Thanos, a dagger coalescing in his hand, and finally understands his brother's biggest lie.

being me can only mean feeling scared to breathe (if you leave me, then i'll be afraid of everything) (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Loki has a night terror while onboard the Statesman and his older brother is there for him.

I gave my soul to it (and it cannot be reclaimed) (1/1), Gen, teen and up, major character death

Summary: Thor finally understands what it means to know Loki.

don't want to hear about the bad blood anymore (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Thor has forgiven Loki but Loki cannot forgive himself.

i've got you brother (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: The hug between Thor and Loki on the Statesman at the end of Thor: Ragnarok that we didn't get to see.

some silhouette (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: Thor and Loki have endured, and Asgard has survived. But perhaps somewhere along the way, they fell through the cracks.

some of us are looking at the stars (1/1), Gen, general audiences

Summary: It's not often Thor catches his brother sneaking around the palace at night.

<<<>>>

THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT

Series: through that mist i see the shape of you and i know that i'm in love with you

the warmth in your eyes swept me into your arms (1/1), F/M, teen, #1 in series

Summary: Beth doesn't think she's ever missed someone as much as she misses Benny Watts.

how do you fall in love—harder than a bullet could hit you? (1/1), F/M, general audiences, #2 in series

Summary: Beth is cold, and Benny won't give up his coat. Some important things are said.

<<<>>>

THE MAZE RUNNER

never forget you till the day I die (1/1), M/M, teen

Summary: Maybe they were made for tragedy.

out of breath (1/1), M/M, teen

Summary: Maybe they could have been something. But not now.

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THE OLD GUARD

love in all its forms (1/1), Gen, M/M, F/F, general audiences

Summary: Nile comes out to her family

if we love, we must learn how to forgive (1/1), Gen, M/M, general audiences

Summary: Joe needs time to forgive Booker. Nicky knows this and makes sure he has that time.

I found love where it wasn’t supposed to be (1/1), Gen, M/M, general audiences

Summary: Nile has a nightmare. Her family is there for her. And for one another.

jump and i’m jumping, since there is no me without you (6/6), Gen, M/M, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence

Summary: 5 times Joe takes a long time to wake up + 1 time he doesn't

Us Against the Universe (1/1), M/M, general audiences

Summary: The lab took more of a toll on everyone involved, but especially Nicky, than anyone expected. Joe is there through all of it.

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HANNIBAL

broken glass (2/?), M/M, rated mature for graphic depictions of violence and major character death

Summary: Just a collection of Hannibal one-shots, drabbles, or half-formed ideas I've had. Usually angsty, maybe some fluff in future. Updates whenever I have an idea

All you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach. Don’t you ever tame your demons, but always keep ‘em on a leash. (1/1), M/M, teen

Summary: Hannibal understands Will where their differences meet.

Babe, there’s something lonesome about you, something so wholesome about you (1/1), M/M, general audiences

Summary: Will has a bad day at work and needs Hannibal to help make it better.

If I was born as a blackthorn tree I'd wanna be felled by you, held by you, fuel the pyre of your enemies (1/1), M/M, general audiences

Summary: Will is stressed and Hannibal knows exactly how to calm him down.

I will not ask you where you came from. I will not ask you, neither should you. (1/1), M/M, general audiences

Summary: Will is something other. The world doesn’t understand him and so it doesn’t apply to him. Hannibal likes to think he is better at understanding him. He's not sure if he's right.

Can't be unlearned, I've known the warmth of your doorways. Through the cold, I'll find my way back to you (1/1), M/M, rated teen for major character death

Summary: Will deals with Hannibal's death after their fall.

remember me love when I'm reborn, as a shrike to your sharp and glorious thorn (5/?), M/M, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence

Summary: Will figures out Hannibal is the Chesapeake Ripper sometime in season 1 and has a hard time processing the information.

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THE WITCHER

we're strong enough for this and i need you, it's okay that you need me too (1/1), M/M, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence

Summary: Geralt is injured and Jaskier finds himself panicking while he attempts to patch him up (tw panic attack)

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AGENTS OF SHIELD

Shades of Grey (18/?), F/M, rated teen for graphic depictions of violence *on hiatus*

Summary: Skye finds herself on the long road to forgiveness of one Grant Ward

About my OCs

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[kenshiliker]

Imperial Cuddle Pile (feat. The Lads™) ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

...coughs @th3rm0pyl43

[25centsoda]

An Unintended Side Effect, Part 2/?

This time when Luke woke up his mind was clear and the Force came readily when he called. He breathed deeply, savoring the clear connection to the energy of the universe for a moment before drawing shields tight around himself, ensuring Vader couldn’t reach him. He sat up, scrubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands, and sighed, looking out over the room.

He really was stuck on the Executor with his father, wasn’t he?

Well. Nothing for it. He would have to find a way to escape, as soon as possible. He had friends and a Rebellion to get back to, after all, and he would not turn to the dark side.

Luke stood and stretched, again noting the lush carpet and wondering just how out of it he’d been the previous day to not have noticed where he was immediately. Now able to actually process things, he took in the room properly. Deep red carpet, grey durasteel walls, no closet that he could see but three doors broke up the monotony of the walls, along with...was that…

Luke crossed the room in wonder, staring open-mouthed at the view of the stars outside his viewport. A viewport, in starship quarters!

After admiring the view for an indeterminate amount of time, Luke mentally shook himself and went to explore the rest of the room. On a small nightstand by the bed he hadn’t noticed before was a chrono, brightly declaring the time and date on its face. Luke grimaced. Two days since he’d seen his friends, what they must be thinking about his disappearance… Had they seen Vader take him? Or did they think something else happened to him?

One of the doors led to ‘fresher, fully stocked with anything he could need, plus water settings in the shower. He looked critically at the long handle on the shower door; could he rip that off and use it as a weapon? Something to come back to later. Maybe the mirror shards would make good improvised weapons as well, if it came to that.

The second door led to the closet he’d been looking for yesterday, but of course instead of Rebel fatigues it was filled with black outfits, both with and without the Imperial cog stitched to a sleeve or breast pocket. From here Luke took a pair of boots - new ones were hard to come by, in the Rebellion, best to take them whenever you can - and a belt with weapons holsters.

The third led into a hallway, which ended in another door. Luke looked back to the door he came from; looked like it could be locked from the outside. Lovely. He tucked that piece of information away, resolving to escape the ship before it became something he had to work around.

The door at the end of the hallway opened as he approached, into a larger room containing a couch and desk, lots of open floor space, and another door with a large keypad next to it, the small light on top glowing firmly red. He couldn’t quite get that open on his own, it was too complex a mechanism to tease open with the Force without knowing anything about how it was supposed to work - likely Vader had deeply considered the place he was going to stash his son - but he could sense the energy of two Stormtroopers just outside it.

Banging on the door, using the Force to make each blow as loud as possible, Luke shouted, “Hey! Please, I need help!”

“Quiet in there,” came the reply.

“Please!”

Luke could only hope Vader had given them instructions to keep him not just alive but well, otherwise this wouldn’t work and he’d have to try something else.

His suspicions were confirmed moments later when the door slid open to show two Stormtroopers as expected. He smiled.

Perfect.

---------

Vader kneeled before a hologram of the Emperor in his private chambers.

“And the boy is cooperative?” the Emperor asked.

“Yes, master. At the very least, he has not yet opposed me.”

“Hmm. Ensure that he does not. Remember that you have already failed to bring him to heel once; I will not be so forgiving of another failure. Next time, the boy will come straight to me, and I will put him to rights.”

Vader strengthened his shields and held himself still, even as Palpatine’s words brought a most unwelcome image to his mind. His anger blazed, and he fed the flames behind his shields, vowing to never let Luke near Palpatine if he could help it. In this the son would not follow the father; he wouldn’t allow it.

“I understand, my master.”

“Good. I’ve allowed you to keep the boy, but you must not neglect your duty to wipe out the rest of that pathetic rebellion.”

“They shall not be a plague on our galaxy for much longer, master.”

“See that they aren’t, Lord Vader. Dismissed.”

The hologram winked out and Vader stood, wincing at the strain holding such a position for long periods of time caused his prosthetics. He ached for the day he could give the empire he’d built to his son, but they were in no position to attack Palpatine yet. That day would have to wait until he could find a way to train his son without the Emperor finding out, for he had no doubt that as soon as they began Palpatine would find an excuse to spirit Luke away from him, preventing them from joining together to defeat him.

Stalking out of his rooms into the hallways of the Executor proper, Vader found Piett and said, “Admiral, report.”

Admiral Piett snapped a salute and fell into step with his commander. “My lord, we will be arriving at Tarra soon to refuel. All aspects of the ship are running smoothly, and after refueling we should be en-route to Coruscant within the cycle.”

“And what of my...guest?”

“The last report I saw some fifteen minutes ago said all was quiet on that front, my lord. He’s not been an issue.”

As soon as Piett finished speaking, the hum of stun shots echoed down the corridor along with aborted screams. Vader threw his awareness out in the Force, seeking his son’s bright energy, but it was like looking at the surface of a lake in the sunlight; the image shimmered and flickered away from him, impossible to make out. He cursed and began moving quickly - not running, Sith Lords did not run - towards the quarters his son was housed in. The boy could hardly have been awake much longer than an hour, how could he already be causing trouble?

By the time Vader arrived at the door outside his son’s quarters, the boy was already gone, leaving both troopers who had been posted outside collapsed on the floor in his wake, presumably the recipients of the stun shots he’d heard. He growled low, the vocoder in his suit picking it up as crackling static, and tried to reach for his son again. This time, he was able to pick up a sense of the boy in the vague direction of the hangars. Of course he would immediately try to reach the ships.

Suddenly Vader remembered the ship was about to dock at a planet, and his heart seized in fear. If Luke was still loose when that happened, he would actually stand a chance of getting off the ship.

“Lock down all hangars, no one will leave this ship until I give the order,” Vader said into his comlink, moving to follow the faint light of his son’s Force signature.

There is no escape, my son, he sent along their fledgling bond. He felt Luke flinch in response, and smiled in satisfaction under his mask. The boy’s shields had slipped just enough in that flinch to give him a better location.

“Send a detachment of troops to Hangar Bay Three, and have them set their weapons to stun. A prisoner is loose; he cannot be allowed to escape.”

Vader strolled into the aforementioned hangar bay, casting his awareness out, scanning the room for his wayward son. The boy’s shields deflected his senses, but it was that refraction of light that gave him away, a distortion in the Force in a corner of the hangar.

“It is no use hiding, young one,” he boomed. “Come out before I am forced to stun you.”

The spot of refracted light in the weave of the Force shifted, drawing tighter about itself, but it was no use. Vader had already located it.

He motioned to a small group of troopers, directing them to surround the crate that Luke was hidden behind, and they took up positions in a loose semi-circle, guns aimed at the crate.

After a moment, Luke emerged, scowling, his hands behind his head. Without a word, two troopers surged forward and none too gently dragged his hands down behind his back, clasping his wrists in binders. He purposefully avoided his father’s gaze as he was marched back to his quarters. Vader watched him go.

----

Luke broke out of his quarters twice more, managing to disable the lock on his door, and after the sickening way the boy’s head hit the durasteel floor collapsing from a stun shot the second time, Vader decided he couldn’t take any more risks.

His son was a lot quieter and easy to contain with a drug tailor-designed for Jedi coursing through his veins, living in Vader’s quarters.

-------

Luke was falling asleep again, leaning against his father on the couch as various Imperial servants flitted about the room taking his measurements, proposing outfit and fabric ideas. He tuned them out. Vader was just going to choose what he felt was best anyway, and Palpatine got final say. Luke had picked out several of the main fabrics. That was enough.

Without realizing it, he had fallen completely asleep. When he woke, it was to Vader gently pulling him into a sitting position and beginning to apply a thick white powder to his face. Luke blearily looked down at the table filled with cosmetics, then tried to lean his head on one hand, but he was prevented from doing so by Vader pushing him back up.

“You’ll smear the Nubian makeup, Luke,” he chided.

Luke made a face at him. “I wouldn’t be so tired if you didn’t keep drugging me, father. Either let me sleep or let me think clearly.”

“It’s this or giving you to Palpatine for training, my son, and neither of us want that for you. Especially in light of your many failed escape attempts.”

Luke made another face, then an effort to sit up straight and stay awake. At least being paraded around as the Imperial Prince sounded like a cushy job…

“Why am I being styled after the Naboo, anyway?” he asked, hoping a conversation would help him stay awake. Vader paused, frozen, and Luke could just pick up the edge of a maelstrom of emotion from his father before the Force slipped from his grasp again and he sighed quietly.

“It was your...mother’s home planet.” Vader said carefully. “As well as Palpatine’s. He believes using the style will serve to endear him to the galaxy, and use you to evoke his own image.”

Luke hummed, closing his eyes for a minute. Vader prodded him gently with a tendril of the Force and as he opened his eyes again Luke thought longingly of being able to do more than passively sense it, himself. He would throw all this finery about the room and steal a ship, return to Han and Leia and Chewie, R2 and 3PO.

Deciding he definitely needed something to focus on to keep himself awake, Luke tried to reach out to the Force himself, clumsily brushing against his father’s signature. He felt the edge of his father’s amusement and Vader reaching back to him in response, like holding their hands up to opposite sides of glass.

“My Lord, you are needed in a meeting about introducing the Imperial Prince,” Piett said, shattering Luke’s meager focus. He sighed and gave up, leaning his head on a hand while Vader too distracted to tell him not to.

“Why?” Vader demanded, standing. “He is to be announced in a few hours, what more is there to discuss?”

“There are some last minute security concerns they want to go over, my Lord.”

Vader scoffed, then looked down at his son for a long moment, thinking. Looking back at Piett, he said, “I leave you in charge of the boy, Admiral. Stay here with him and ensure he does not attempt another escape.” Piett seemed like he very much doubted that would be a concern, but nodded anyway. To Luke, Vader said “I will return as soon as I can and help you finish getting ready, my son.”

“Whatever,” Luke said.

With a sigh, Vader swept out of the room.

[kittandchips]

Executor Extras

Some of you brilliant short fic writers needs to do one about those background officers on the Executor.

So here we have these guys, standing around, pretending to be talking about something Really Important when really they’ve just been watching Captain Needa’s execution. The kind of people who slow down to stare when the police have pulled someone over.

Clearly they weren’t actually invited to be there. Maybe one them was just walking past and only watched because he was wondering why the rest of them were staring. As soon as Vader turns around, they can’t scramble fast enough.

To the point where they’re pulling each other away and they’ve gone by the time he’s walked the few steps to threaten speak with Admiral Piett.

Compare them to this guy, who doesn’t even look away from his monitor until Ozzel hits the deck.

He’s so stoic about his boss dying on the floor beside him, he glances up, gives Vader a look like ‘Oh, Lord Vader is restructuring upper management again’ and then goes back to his screen, like ‘now let’s see if I can get the pivot table function to work this time’. 

It’s like an episode of The Office. I feel like I’ve worked with all these people at one time or another.

[sourskywalker]

Vader’s hit or miss

SUMMARY: After being caught filming a TikTok, Vader decides to try it out for himself

“What the kriff are you doing?” Your head snaps in the direction of the voice and you unknowingly take a step back in embarrassment.

You’d chosen this room, the furthest one away from any prying eyes of employees who work on The Executor and especially the one who commandeers the ship...Your husband

“H-hey honey” You stutter, grabbing your holopad and pressing it to your chest, concealing the video, but didn’t muffle the audio which kept on playing back over and over, until you finally let out an annoyed groan and clicked the device off “Whatsup?”

“‘Whatsup?’ You’ve been gone for nearly three hours is ‘whatsup’.” Vader responds, arms crossing over his chest, you could feel his gaze burning into the holopad in your hands 

You quickly looked up at the clock resting on the top of the wall indicating that it was nearly six thirty “Oh…”

“What’ve you been doing anyway”

“Nothin!” You squeak out, slowly backing into the corner of the room as your husband makes long and quick strides towards you

“If this ‘nothing’ takes up nearly three hours of your time then it must be very important” His hands clasp at the holopad and he rips it from your hands, turning it so the screen illuminated his mask, his fingers dully tapping against the screen as he put in the password “What is this..Tik Tok? And why are you on it?”

“I-it’s an app that you use to dance to music?” It was the easiest explanation and luckily he seemed to understand, nodding absentmindedly he clicks on the most recently uploaded video, his posture faltering, his mask snapping to look at you as your face blanched, the sound of WAP bouncing off the walls of the room

“What in the kriff is this?” He shoves the holopad in your face and you audibly gasp, watching the part of the video where you dropped to the floor “You are the wife of one of the most important people in the galaxy, this is highly inappropriate” You flinch, looking down at your shoes. The room goes eerily quiet and you're afraid that anything you say might anger him more than he already is “...Teach me of this TikTok”

“Huh? What?” Your brows furrow, your mind finally registering what he said “You’re kidding, right?”

“Have I ever joked about something?” He grounds out and you shrug

“Well, there was that one ti-”

“We do not speak of that…” Vader muttered

“Alright then”

“No, no, no, no, it’s meant to be a smooth transition, you don’t pause in the middle of it, you have to keep going” You’d been berating him for the past fifteen minutes and still no progress had been made “If you weren’t wearing that clunky suit then perah-”

“I do not wear this suit just for the fashion, it has a proper use and I will not be taking it off for some video” He snaps, his hands falling to his knees as he tried to regulate his breathing 

“Then how are you meant to throw your leg in the air if your codpiece and utility belt are in the way?” You cross your arms over your chest and lean against the wall, watching him falter as his mask whips to face you

“I could throw my leg in the air perfectly fine with my codpiece and utility belt” He seemed almost insulted at your words and you felt yourself biting back a snort

“Oh yeah? Then how about you give it a go” 

“Alright” He shrugs, getting into the position before you stop him “What?”

“Why don’t you do the whole dance” You offer, picking up your datapad and setting it up so it could frame his large body

He hesitated before nodding and getting into the starting position “Ready” You quickly pressed the ten second timer before rushing to the sidelines, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you watched your husband attempt to perfectly execute the dance.

Your hand slapped over your mouth as you watched him smoothly drop to the ground, feeling a blush slowly rise to your cheeks when you realised that he was actually doing really well

When the song finally ended, Vader stood up from his position and sighed “Was that good enough for you?”

“I-i never took you for a dancer” You stuttered out, your hand dropping to your side as you looked at your husband

This had to be a dream...Right?

He walked over to the datapad and picked it up, watching the clip playback “I like this Tik Tok…” He murmurs to himself

~~~~

“Has anyone seen Lord Vader?” Admiral Piett asked yet another stormtrooper who shrugged in response 

“Sorry sir, nobody has seen him around today. Perhaps you should ask his wife?” Piett nodded and started making his way towards your and Vader private quarters

“Lady Y/n?” Piett pressed the button on the side, letting the door slide open, he noticed you sitting on the bay window couch and watching the vast nothingness absentmindedly “Lady Y/n?”

“Hmm?” You hummed in response, not removing your attention from the view

“Have you seen Lord Vader?” He asks

You slowly turn your gaze towards him and smile softly “I think he’s in the recently refurbished meeting room on floor six...Though he’s always on his toes so he could be anywhere by now”

“Thank you my lady” He bows respectively before walking down the hall towards the turbolift

~~~~

Piett neared the meeting room when a raspy cough caused him to quickly turn on his feet and fall into a deep bow “Your Majesty”

“Ah, Admiral Piett, have you seen my apprentice?” Sidious asks, shuffling towards Piett 

“I was just about to talk with him” Piett responds, his hands sitting firmly behind his back

“Lead the way, then” He gestures a claw like hand towards the empty corridor and Piett nods, taking an audible gulp before turning away from the Emperor and towards the meeting room

They could hear the music before the door even opened, but it didn’t prepare either men for what they were witnessing at that moment.

Vader seemed to be too engrossed in the song that he didn’t notice either presence until Palpatine let out a cough, causing Vader to stop mid-dance and turn to look at the two men who stood in the doorway, completely shell shocked

“Master, I didn’t see you there!” He exclaims

“Apparently not, Lord Vader. Too busy doing your…activity” He responds, walking towards his apprentice and dragging the Admiral along with him “How about you show us this activity”

~~~~

“What is taking them so long” Grand Moff Tarkin grumbles, walking through the unnaturally clean hallways towards the meeting room that you explained was where Vader and Piett should be “The meeting was supposed to have started nearly an hour ago”

He pressed the button on the side, letting the door slide open, his eyes widening at the sight in front of him.

Admiral Piett, The Emperor and Darth Vader were all standing in front of a datapad, doing something that he couldn’t fully comprehend.

“...I don’t get paid enough for this”

[musewrangler]

In honor of OT Week here’s a little one shot I wrote a while back. My favorite film is The Empire Strikes Back.

This story is entitled— Piett’s Promotion

(In my work, the Lady is sentient and Veers didn’t die on Hoth)

He lost track of how many hours he had spent on the bridge, ruthlessly clamping down on his emotions. He had hated the man, it was true. And had suffered at his hands. But he had not ever wished that death upon him. He could still hear Ozzel’s wet chokes and see his bulging eyes, mere feet from himself. That last, desperate gurgle as he turned toward Piett-- as though the Captain could do anything against the Force. The thud of his body---it sounded like someone had dropped a bag of meat on the deck.

Lord Vader on the holoscreen, dispassionately squeezing the life from the man and calmly informing Piett what he wanted done with the fleet.

You are in command now, Admiral Piett.

So he went through the motions of being in command. Of taking reports. Checking duty rosters. Speaking to the morgue about the disposal of Ozzel’s body. Force . Writing to his family, because someone should.

Then---the asteroid field. His Lady, his fleet now, going to their destruction. And he had tried.

Three years he had worked with Vader and he had watched the obsession for finding Skywalker grow. Say what you would about Vader, and people did, he had seemed to genuinely care about Death Squadron, about the men and ships that served him faithfully. And he was being ordered to take that Squadron to their deaths, throw all that away, to find that damn ship.

So he had tried. He knew his life was forfeit. He went to Vader. His bridge crew clearly believed he would not return from that meeting. Veers had commed him as he walked to Vader’s quarters and begged him not to go. But he had to. For the sake of the men. For the sake of his Lady. And was told it was not an excuse. Vader was willing for the Lady, the pride of the fleet, his flagship, to be horrifically damaged, if not destroyed, in this obsessive quest.

The only moment in his entire career that Piett appreciated hearing from the Emperor happened just in time.

They had moved out of the asteroid field and Piett had an entirely new burden as damage reports flooded his datapad and alarms blared around the Lady’s bridge. So he did what he had to---he ordered repairs, he checked casualty reports, at one point, he personally had his hands in some of the Lady’s wiring, repairing damage to her bridge deflector shield.

And then…..

Avenger reported they had her.

Piett had served with Needa at one point. They weren’t quite friends, they hadn’t had time for that, but he liked the man and thought he was a good officer. And a good man.

So good that he felt he needed to shield his men from Vader’s unpredictable wrath. And for the second time in 48 hours, Piett had to stand by as another larynx was crushed and this time, Vader mocked his prey.

Apology accepted Captain Needa.

And all of Piett’s emotions must be silenced. Because he had his own men to think of. If he was to die, some other poor bastard would be Admiral. He would rather kill himself trying to save them than have Vader crush his throat.

At some point, and he genuinely couldn’t say when in the eternity he experienced, Captain Kelly had walked up to his side, carefully removed the datapad he found he’d been clenching in his hands, and quietly murmured, “Admiral, I have the bridge. Please sir, go and rest.”

Piett had stared at him a beat and then realized that he was being given a reprieve.

“You have the bridge, Captain,” he’d said in automatic tones that must have been his and then he was turning to walk as straight and confident as he could toward the blast doors.

First hurdle cleared, he made it to the turbolift where he allowed himself to lean against the wall for support.

There had been a time when he thought that Vader actually gave a damn about his men. That he was building something which Piett was proud to be part of. But this consuming obsession…..

His deck. He felt as though he was watching someone else as his boots moved slowly toward the Admiral’s quarters---his quarters.

Someone other than himself (perhaps Captain Kelly) had ordered his things transported here, and Ozzel’s removed. He could still smell the chemicals that the cleaning crew had used, to prepare it for their new admiral. He wondered if the smell would have faded by the time the next admiral was installed here. For he had no illusions. His death was coming swiftly in this mad chase for Skywalker.

One of his miniature trees was tipped over. In automatic response, he carefully righted it, scooping the dirt back in with his fingers. They were trembling.

Force. He needed a drink. He didn’t care if he was commed---he was going to die anyway, might as well add some liquid courage to face it.

He stumbled to the cabinet and found his liquor collection neatly put away. He found the strongest one he had--something from Dathomir--- and a glass, and poured it full, cursing the shaking in his hands as it spilled on the floor.

He stumbled to his sofa and sat, taking a long fiery drink, and then set the glass on the table, and managed to remove his hat and gloves. He unfastened the top of his duty jacket and found himself gazing at his very gleaming brand new Admiral bars.

Kriff it. He’d hated Ozzel but this had not been the way he wanted a promotion. Six hundred men had died today as a direct result of travelling through an asteroid field.

Dear family, I’m so sorry to write to you to inform you of the death of your son/father/brother. They were pulverized by a completely unnecessary asteroid trip because our commander has lost his kriffing mind over a Rebel pilot.

Piett took another long drink and poured another. As he made a good start on it, the lights of his quarters dipped into indigo.

He laugh/sobbed. “Yes lady, I am sad. That word…….doesn’t begin to cover what I’m feeling I’m afraid.”

Icey blue light--her color for fear. “Yes, literally afraid. I’m likely going to be dead soon….” He put the glass down again and buried his face in his hands.

The Lady. What would happen if he died next? Would Vader take care of her? Today’s actions didn’t seem to indicate that he would. Piett had to find a way to survive. Someone had to try and stand between Vader’s madness and this ship and crew.

The icey blue was flashing at him as he lifted his face and he realized that she was frightened at his words.

“I’m sorry….I’m sorry, Lady, I will do my best not to be. Lord Vader is….can you sense that he is not….right?”

Her regular lights flashed. <Yes>

He finished his glass and his head swam.

“Lady, if…..if…..I can’t, then you must take care of this crew. Do not let Lord Vader hurt you, do you understand?”

And that was dangerously close to treason, even in his rather intoxicated ears.

She flashed her lights and gave him indigo again.

“I’m sorry, Lady, but you need to be prepared, if I……” he reached for the bottle again, and suddenly strong hands were taking it from him, and he followed the hands with his eyes up to the deeply compassionate gaze of the General.

“Enough, Firmus.” He set the bottle somewhere out of sight and came around the sofa to kneel in front of Piett and begin undoing his duty jacket.

The Admiral’s swimming brain was struggling now, between the alcohol and the exhaustion of terror.

“Max. You’re in sickbay.” He raised a finger to point at him. “You will be in soooooo much trouble with Henley.”

“I discovered today, much to my shock,” Veers began, helping Piett shrug out of the jacket and reaching for his boots next, “that underneath multiple layers of baked on cynicism and appalling condescension, the Doctor might possibly have a heart. When he heard you were on a path to throw yourself between Vader and this crew, he let me go early. And your Lady got my attention a short while ago by blinding me with that white light she’s chosen for you.”

The General had finished wrestling off his boots and Piett noted the still pink and healing lines on his face from his injuries on Hoth.

“Now,” said Veers firmly. “I would say congratulations, but this is not the time and I’m so kriffing sorry that it happened this way, Firmus.”

“He was right next to me,” Piett whispered, and found himself irrationally angry that his hands were still shaking. “I need one more drink, Max, I’ve got to keep it together….”

“You do need one more drink, Admiral, but not alcohol.” The General rose and procured a glass of water which he came back and handed carefully to his friend. “That’s an order, drink it all. I found out how long you were on the bridge, and you are no doubt dehydrated. Drinking that much….” he looked back at the bottle, “damn when you go for it, you really do, don’t you? Dathomirian vodka? Yes, more water it is.”

Piett did not like the feeling of crumbling, but it was happening and he couldn’t make it stop. He tried anyway. “Techina---telechni---kriff, technically , I outrank you now, General Veers.”

He saw Max pause and glance at him with an eyebrow raised. “Well. Even plastered, trust you to know your military protocols by heart. That is true, Admiral .”

Piett flinched at the title. Veers relented, getting more water silently and snagging the duvet from the bed in the other room.

Don’t be comforting Max. I can’t. I will break utterly and I don’t think I have time for that.

Another glass of water was shoved into his hands and then his duvet was draped around his shoulders. Veers seated himself close to his friend.

“I know you pretty well now Firmus, would you agree?”

Piett just nodded, drinking the water, letting it slide down a throat that was feeling tighter by the moment.

Like Ozzel’s, like Needa’s.

“So I hope you can trust me enough to believe what I’m going to say.” Veers paused, considering. “A great deal of bantha poodo has occurred in the last several days. Hoth was a success in some ways. But I lost three walkers.”

“I’m sorry, Max I should have….”

“You should have nothing, Firmus. You haven’t had a single second to breathe until now and I know it. My point is, that our commander is…..not what we had hoped. But we both have men under our command and I know that you care about that. If what I overheard you telling the Lady is any indication…..you don’t expect to make it much longer.”

Piett shuddered involuntarily and in a rare move (he must look pathetic) Veers got an arm around him.

“I’m here to tell you, that you must . Keep your head down, follow orders, do your best as you always do, and hope that Lord Vader remembers that you are one of his most competent and loyal officers.”

And he would like to find some shreds of hope in that, he would, but….

“Did you…..” he cleared his throat and gave another attempt. “Did you hear about Needa?”

A pause. Veers sighed. “Yes. Kriff it. Were you there for that too?”

And the throat that was now unbearably tight wouldn’t work for him to make any words, and Piett leaned forward to hide his face in his hands as his shoulders shook.

Veers’ arm tightened around him.

“Get it out here, Firmus, it won’t help to try and bury that. I’ll be here as long as you need.”

You are in command now, Admiral Piett.

[darthstitch]

The Hunt For the Lady Ex

(Or...that Star Wars/Hunt for Red October Mash Up That I’ve Always Wanted to Write)

Fair Warning:  I tend to put tongue firmly in cheek and leave canon at the door.  Also, I haven’t really watched much of Clone Wars, although I really need to get on that, because I hear that it’s REALLY good.  Also, the Rogue One team is ALIVE GDI.  

This is set in my Star Wars AU Eleventy-One - PART 1 and PART 2

One does not misplace a Super Star Destroyer, much less if that Super Star Destroyer happens to be Vader’s infamous “Lady” - SSD Executor. 

But Fulcrum is busy having kittens over the intel that the Rogue One team brought to her and according to said intel, SSD Executor has... disappeared.  

When one knows that the commander of said missing Super Star Destroyer happens to be an Emo Dramatic Trash Dumpster Fire of a Sith Lord, this can make one very, very nervous indeed.  Obi-Wan Kenobi pretty much ditches the tea and breaks out the alcoholic drinks.  He, Fulcrum and Rex need it.  

Okay, so Luke Skywalker is a known spaceship geek and he knows the Lady's stats forwards and backwards and yeah, he managed to con Cassian into sharing all the intel that wasn't available to the public.  

See, the "Lady" wasn't just any Imperial Super Star Destroyer rolled out of the Correllian shipyards.  She was special.  She was, in fact, the creation of Darth Vader.  

So apparently, Darth Vader was some sort of mechanical genius engineer - and Luke noted the interesting colors his Uncle Ben turned into when Luke said that out loud - and he'd set about building a starship that was bigger and better than everything else in the Imperial Navy.  Vader had pretty much gone through the ship's schematics, eliminated known bugs and weaknesses and that once tested and proven in battle, the Lady would then be the first in a new fleet of improved and even more deadly Super Star Destroyers.  

And now, she was missing, with her Sith lord commander and her elite crew and nobody had a clue where they were.

The interesting bit was that all this happened shortly after Luke’s identity as the “war criminal” who blew up the Death Star was finally discovered by the Empire.  

Other bits of intel that the Rogue One crew uncovered was that the Imperial Navy were all scrambling to find the Executor, with orders to destroy on sight. Now why would the Galactic Empire want to destroy their greatest flagship?  

It was Han Solo who suddenly said, “Maybe His Tall Dark and Sithlyness wants to defect to the Alliance?”

Han, for the record, had no idea why he suddenly felt the need to say that.  Also, he’s sure that HE’S not somehow Force sensitive.  

Jack Ryan...uh... HAN SOLO, was actually right. Han will still insist that is NOT how the Force works so he’s not a Jedi, blast it.  

So, let’s take a look at everyone’s favorite trash dumpster fire Sith walnut.  Who was indeed defecting, with the 501st and the rest of the Executor crew, all of whom were personally hand picked by Vader and Captain Firmus Piett.  Well, all except one Admiral Ozzel. 

Look, Vader couldn’t dodge that bullet and since Ozzel was actually a dangerous, incompetent nincompoop with delusions of grandeur, his days were actually numbered.  

In fact, Ozzel was killed in short order, and everyone knew that the defection was on, with no going back.  And Captain Firmus Piett was promoted to Admiral.  

All of them were unhappy with the Empire, in one way or the other.  Alderaan and Jeddah were two huge reasons for many of the crew.  The 501st clones, with their chips finally removed, wanted to rain vengeance upon Sheev Palpatine for what he’d done to them.  

And Darth Vader - well, the name Luke Skywalker had shaken him out of the decades of depression, madness and apathy.  The Emperor had lied.  Somehow, Padme had survived long enough to give birth to their son.  And Vader could pretty much see the long, twisted, dark path that lay in store for them - Luke to be manipulated into Falling, a replacement for his maimed father, another Skywalker enslaved to Palpatine. 

Yeah, Vader was having none of that.  He’d happily yeet Palpatine into the fires of Mustafar first.  

So he built the Lady and he’d gathered allies and no, he was not improvising as he went along, because he wasn’t about to show up at some Rebel base with the Lady, knock on the door and ask nicely to be let in.  

Nope, Vader had to be a bit more subtle than that.  So probe droids it was.  

And that was how probe droids led the Lady to the hidden Rebel base on the icy world of Hoth. 

-tbc-

[frcntline-a]

@admrl​ said : Listen (wall meme thing) /  to hug my muse against the wall to let them know they LOVE THEM

it was unexpected , not that it wasn’t welcomed . quite on the contrary , his hands immediately went to the shorter man’s sharp hip bones , pulling him along as he was pressed with his back against the wall . no words were exchanged but the warmth radiating from FIRMUS’s form spread through the layers of synthwool that concealed both with immaculate coordination , melting ice and breaking stone that had formed from the day’s events . 

MAXIMILIAN rested his chin on top of PIETT’s short silky hair , nose taking in the scent of cleanness . he held him tightly close , offering his own strength he knew the ADMIRAL would be needing .