Hope Reborn - Chapter 14

Luke Skywalker. Son of Anakin Skywalker. The child the Emperor had said was dead. What other lies had Palpatine told him? The man had promised a way to save Padme. That was a lie. Was he truly trapped in this suit? He intended to find out if that was a lie as well.

There were options.

Darth Vader stepped out onto the landing pad. The rains of Kamino soaked his cape and pinged off his helmet. He paused to hold out his hand. Rain and snow were some of the few things that lightened his heart, even if it was barely a spark. A scowl crossed his face as he watched the drops splash against his gloved hand. He dropped it back to his side. The air around him shimmered as the rain stopped half an inch before it made contact. It fell in waves as he strode forward.

The tall aliens were not known for their emotions. They claimed that many generations of cloning had allowed them to cull the response. The wave of fear that washed over him as he neared told him that those stories were false.

"Lord Vader." The emissary bowed. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Vader tilted his head up to look at the alien. It wasn't often he had to do so. He didn't speak. For a long moment he let his breathing fill the silence. He was aware how disconcerting it was.

"I am interested in your services." Vader finally spoke.

"Does the Empire wish for a batch of clone troopers once more?" The emissary perked up at the idea of such a large commission.

"No." The single word sent a shiver through the alien. "I have come for a private matter."

"Oh?" The emissary was torn between curiosity and fear.

"My wounds do not respond to bacta based healing." Vader continued.

"I apologize, Lord Vader." The emissary visible shook with terror. "We are able to create a clone of your body, but we are, as yet, unable to manufacture a clone that is able to harness the force." The alien tried to control its shivering hands. "Also, any clone created would be a separate entity. It will not have your memories and you would still be in your body."

"I understand." Vader growled. "I do not come here for a sub-par copy."

"Why did you?" The alien asked.

"To rebuild my body." Darth Vader snapped.

"Interesting." The alien spoke without realizing.

The alien paused. Their shaking hands stilled as they considered the request. The alien studied Vader for a long moment. For the first time, they actually paid close attention to the details of the suit the Sith Lord wore.

"We cannot promise any results." The alien bowed and motioned for Vader to follow. "We will need to evaluate your current condition. This would require the removal of your suit. It would be quite painful."

"Pain is of no consequence." Vader kept pace with the tall creature.

~ꬸ~

The stolen Imperial shuttle landed next to the settlement. Their trip had been much too short for any real progress in a conversation. Instead, Ventress and Luke simply moved back to the cockpit once they were back in their own clothes.

"Son of a Kath." Ventress cursed.

She sprang from her seat and sped out of the ship once the landing ramp was down. Luke watched as she ran over to a partially dismantled ship. It had been stripped down to the frame. Even the wiring had been removed. From the look of it, the ship had been sitting there for a few days.

"Come on." Luke said to the trooper.

"I don't have any clothes." The trooper replied.

"I'm not leaving you in the ship." Luke motioned for the trooper to follow.

315 and Luke left the shuttle. They didn't bother to lock it up. 315 put the control panel in stand-by rather than shutting it off. Either someone would steal it, or scavengers would make quick work of it. Both options would help cover their tracks.

Ventress stalked back over to Luke and 315.

"Where is your ship?" She snapped.

Luke scanned the landing area. It was still in the same spot. Honestly, he would have been impressed if the scavengers had managed to strip his ship as well. He hadn't been on the planet for a full day yet.

"There." Luke motioned.

Ventress shifted to see what ship he meant. The classic model wasn't made for more than a few people. It would be a tight fit, but it was in one piece. She was tempted to tear through the 'office' in charge of the landing area. Years ago, she would have. She wasn't a Sith anymore. That was behind her. She was a bounty hunter, a damned good one. This job failed due to bad preparation. She could admit her faults. Her gear was in need of replacement. The data transfer had taken too long. She should have been able to keep the Stormtroopers busy while it was completed, but the port on it was loose and had to be held in place for it to actually work.

The data pad had been in the box with her other effects. She hadn’t checked if the transfer had been complete. Her client would not be happy.

Ventress waved for him to take the lead. Luke nodded at her as he walked over to the ship. 315 hesitated for a moment before they moved to follow.

The ramp lowered once Luke punched in a code. Ventress wasn't impressed by the sparse interior. She found the crew quarters. The bunks had generic, thin mattresses without any blankets or sheets. A quick circuit around the ship made it clear that it had the basic facilities. Even the captain's quarters lacked any signs of extra comfort. She would have thought the ship was a stock model if it weren't for the pack at the end of the bed. The sheet and blankets were mussed enough to show they had been used.

"Are there any clothes I can use?" 315 asked. "I'd rather not stay in the armor if I'm sticking around."

"There's a bag in the captain's room." Luke called from the cockpit. "It's not the best selection, but it's something."

315 paused in the doorway when they saw Ventress in the room already.

"Does that armor have any trackers?" Ventress asked.

"No." 315 shook their head. "The comms work on a signal repeater. We're too far for them to be able to contact me. They would have to send a message to the ship and there would need to be a trooper there to relay the message."

Ventress sighed. She stepped out of the room to allow the trooper some privacy and went to join Luke in the cockpit.

"This is your ship?" Ventress asked.

"No." Luke chuckled. "Bo Katan loaned this to me. My ship isn't subtle."

"Is it bigger?" Ventress dropped into the co-pilot's seat.

Luke nodded.

"I almost forgot." Luke pulled the modified bounty puck from a pouch on his belt. "She said you'd know how to use this."

Ventress took the puck. She held it up for closer inspection. A slow smile crossed her face.

"Clever girl." She shook her head. "I'll be right back."

Ventress stepped out of the cockpit to activate the puck. She stopped mid-stride as she saw the woman in front of her. They were the same height, but she was human. She had long flowing black hair and her skin had a natural tan to it. The woman wore a baggy pair of overalls with the arms rolled up.

"TK-315." The woman replied automatically. She shook her head. "It's been too long since I've actually used my name."

Ventress waited with a bored expression her face.

"Iden Versio." 315 said with a firm nod. "My name is Iden Versio. Former Imperial Pilot."

Ventress shrugged. She stepped around the woman and moved deeper into the ship. Iden watched her go. She let out a small breath before she entered the cockpit. Luke looked up at her. He blinked a couple of times. Logically, he knew that there were female Stormtroopers. Still, he hadn't expected 315 to be one. That voice modulator on the helmet had covered any hint at it.

"315?" Luke asked slowly.

"Iden." She corrected. "Please, call me Iden. I'm not a Stormtrooper anymore."

"You said you were a pilot?" Luke turned his attention back to the controls.

"Yes." Iden took the co-pilot seat. "This post was my punishment."

Luke raised his eyebrows at that.

"I was a pilot on the Death Star." She shrugged. "I survived, obviously, but my ship was knocked planet side. Moon side, to get technical. They tracked my beacon and picked me up. The Death Star had just been unveiled to the Empire. They didn't want to let it out that it had been destroyed so soon. That meant shipping the few survivors to the ends of the galaxy to keep us quiet."

"Hm." Luke shook his head. "That's rough."

"It is what it is." Iden sighed. "Do you need help? It's been too long since I've flown anything."

"Sure." Luke chuckled. "Get us off this rock. Ventress should have the location by then."

"Roger, roger." Iden took over the controls.