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Darth Vader's eyes were transfixed on the blue-light white reflected on the polished floor of the Emperor's throne room on Coruscant.
Vader was bowed on one knee, head bent at the neck, and had been for some time. He had come to the Imperial Palace at once, after arriving in-system aboard the Imperial Corvette Nighthawk. He had made contact with the Emperor from the Nighthawk when he first docked there a week earlier. The Emperor had been short, commanding Vader to file his report in person, rather than sending it ahead of him.
Vader had expected one of two reactions from the Emperor. Outrage over the Death Star's destruction that likely would have resulted in severe punishment from Vader on down, or the scapegoating of Grand Moff Tarkin, who had boldly eliminated the political threat of Alderaan with the push of a button and as the ranking military officer, had accepted Vader's plan to track the Rebels by letting the Princess and her comrades escape and take out their hiden base.
Instead, the Emperor sat on his throne-like chair and said nothing, eyes closed in meditation, and Vader, stayed on one knee, taking controlled, mechanized breaths and trying to ascertain what his Master was thinking ... or plotting.
Abruptly, the Emperor's pale yellow eyes opened, and Vader could feel the stare boring into him.
"Lord Vader, where is Kenobi's lightsaber?"
It was perhaps the last question Vader had expected, and the last he had an answer for. His mention of the duel with Kenobi and the Knight's utter vanishing had not seemed to faze his Master as he related the entire tale more than hour ago.
"My Master?"
"You stated that Kenobi's blade and robe were all that were left of him after you struck him down. Imperial Intelligence reports they secured the robe, but found no trace of any weapon."
"I ... I secured his blade myself, Master. I felt it would be safer in my care."
The Emperor stood and walked slowly until he stood just in front of Vader.
"Did you now? And were you able to unlock any mysteries of the Force or save the Death Star from complete annihilation with it, Lord Vader?"
"No, my Master."
"You disappoint me, Lord Vader."
"I am sorry, I was surprised by Kenobi's appearance on the Death Star. I thought him long dead. I believed my Master's weapon might provide some insight into where he had been hiding."
It was a weak lie, but again the Emperor seemed to ignore it, although Vader was sure he felt some surge of anger from the Emperor when he mentioned Obi-Wan by name.
"Perhaps I can succeed where you have failed, Lord Vader. Give the weapon to me."
Vader once again felt surprise at the Emperor's knowledge that not only had he taken the weapon, but that it was still on his person. Before his surprise could be mistaken for hesitatition, Vader unsnapped Kenobi's blade from his belt and handed it to the Emperor, keeping his head down out of respect all the while.
The Emperor tucked the blade inside one of the recesses of his own dark robes and walked past his servant. Vader could hear the two red-clad Royal Guards snap to attention and activate the turbolift as the Emperor approached.
"Lord Vader, there is one more matter. Rise."
Darth Vader stood and turned to face his Master, whose eyes gleamed as he stared at his pupil from just outside the turbolift car.
The Emperor raised his hands and from his fingertips, pale blue lightning erupted, closing the distance between the two Sith Lords in a fraction of a second, hitting Vader's body and knocking him off his feet.
The Emperor walked forward as Vader's body shook involuntarily, the raw electricity wreaking havoc on his largely-cybernetic frame like a droid shot by an ion cannon.
The Emperor stood over the fallen giant and unleashed another volley of Force lightning into his helpless pupil. Smoke rose from seared cloth and flesh as Vader twitched uncontrollably and his breathing came ragged and weak.
Vader's helmet seemd incredibly heavy as he lifted his head to look up into the controlled but deadly stare of the Emperor.
The Emperor's voice was barely above a whisper, but to Vader it sounded as loud as the roar of a docking cruiser.
"Never forget, Lord Vader. You have but one Master."
Vader's head slumped back under the weight of his helmet. His muscles spasmed as he distantly heard the Emperor turn and walk back to the turbolift, then heard the doors close and the car speed away.
Vader's mind reeled from the pain. He had felt it once before, a lifetime ago when he had first battled Count Dooku on Geonosis. Then, the Force lightning had scalded his flesh then and Dooku had severed most of his arm.
When he fought Dooku a second time, the former Jedi Master had still been the stronger of the pair at the beginning of their duel, and the Force lightning had again pierced him, stabbing like a thousand daggers and nearly rendered him unconscious.
When that battle had finally ended, the Emperor had promised him that his loyalty to the Dark Side would prevent him from ever having to endure that sort of pain again.
The Emperor had lied.
Several moments passed as Vader lay on the floor of the throne room, his breathing slowly returning to normal as his artificial circuitry slowly repaired itself, and he was able to stand.
Limping badly, Vader made his way to the window and stared out into the brightly-lit Coruscant night.
"No," Vader whispered to himself, unevenly but with a undertone of defiance.
"I shall never forget."
