PARABOLICAL GRAFFITI

Truth, is it? A time for tale-telling and soul-baring. Well, then, far be it for me to be uncooperative. I'll tell you a story. Listen well, Jedi, and learn.

I, too, was once a Jedi. Before the Order became clerical and sterilised, when there was still some passion. How things come full circle, hm, Luke?

I was a Jedi. And curiousity and ambition have ever been my most defining sins. Curiousity about forbidden things. If one is taught to avoid a thing without ever truly knowing what that thing is, desire to see it begins to eat at you.

There were no Sith in those days. They'd died with the great Lords-- Freedon Nadd, Naga Sadow.

He came to me, on Onderon, on Korriban. On Yavin IV, I was given a choice: use the Dark or die in that place. Instinct to survive was stronger than honour at that moment, surrounded and crushed as I was beneath such evil.

And so I embraced the Dark. I took it into myself so fully that any part of me that had been good and merciful died screaming.

Then I destroyed Freedon Nadd, I destroyed Sadow's creatures, and I learned all I could. Never enough knowledge, never enough pain and suffering. I could devour the whole galaxy and never be satisfied.

That is true darkness. That is the darkness that rips worlds apart, that destroyed the Republic twice, thrice, and which tore the Jedi from their very foundations. That is darkness that your Palpatine housed also within his soul, as pathetic as he may have been in the end.

And why does it continue to rise, each time you think it could be gone for good? Because there is no balance without it. The brightest flames cast the deepest shadows. Skywalkers understand that. Don't you, Lord Vader? You had to learn it through fire and agony, but you learned it. Luke. You learned it at Palpatine's hands, trying so desperately to understand. A pet, a pretty jewel wrapped up in black to set off its shine. With his slimy hands on your face, wanting to take that brightness away.

Skywalkers shine, no matter what path they take. It may be the bright glimmer of the sun on gold and sand, or it could be the dull gleam of spilled blood, but you are yourselves the embodiment of that gray light.


Guard yourselves well.

Much better.

Don't disappoint me, now.

Thank you dearly, twins, for the enlightening and delightful (if necessarily brief) battle we engaged in. I do apologise for leaving so abruptly, but I had the information I needed and there was unfortunately no reason for me to remain with your uncle and mother gone.

I do have a present for you, though. Tick-tick-tick-boom. (And not nearly so predictable.)



Luke, Darling, don't you think it's time to become what you were for me? You're a pretty child, but you're much more challenging as a man.

This network is so terribly convenient. Wouldn't you agree?

Don't you just hate it when you obtain a songbird, and it won't sing? No matter how well you treat it, no matter how lovely its cage and its bonds, it's simply ungrateful. But screams are like songs, aren't they? And if you can't have one, the other will simply have to do.

I love this world's two-dimensional photography. Lord Vader, perhaps you'd like for me to send you copies of the images I've taken of my canary?


I guarantee, they'll take your breath away.

Where there's one sibling, the other isn't far behind.

Good evening, Princess. It's good to see you well. I do hope your brother and daughter have been saying good things about me. Especially considering the fact that Luke and I are so very close. You might even say, perhaps, that I know the secrets of his soul.


What a lovely young lady you are. You look so very much like your mother, who is (of course) one of the most beautiful human women I have ever had the pleasure of being acquainted with.



(Why hello, Jaina. I see you.)

So, then, Lord Vader-- did you enjoy the little drama I set in motion for you? Oh, but don't relax just yet: there's so much more to come.

Come along, Canary. We have an appointment to keep.

There's something very satisfying about reasserting your claims.

A child's scream is somehow so lovely. Perhaps I've acquired a taste for his present youth; the contradiction of a small, frail exterior with roiling Force-strength just below the surface is.. delicious.

He may be.. a little quiet today. I'm certain you'll all enjoy the change from his usual chattiness.

Did you miss me, Luke? My, my, what a busy little canary you've been.

Jaina.

You really did look rather serious, my dear. Were you so worried that I'd snatch Luke right out from under your nose? Please-- I'm far more interested in watching you all scramble. I'd much rather wait until you've taken all the precautions you can. Claiming him, breaking your family, will be all the sweeter, then.

Lord Vader, you've really allowed them to tame you. It's really a shame--- you have such power, going all unused. Your Sith Master truly taught you nothing; has the Sith way truly lost so much in the years since I reigned? I hope he suffered in dying.

You know, it would really make things so much easier if he were only a female. Granted, he'd still be a bit young, but that would certainly make things more convenient in the end. Child of a child, hm?

I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of entertainment in this city. Granted, my work has been progressing quite well, given the wide variety of available 'demonic' specimens, but still-- pleasure must come first from time to time. And that interfering creature--! How dare he step into my Sendings! .. Still. He has quite a mind.

My my. How delightfully unexpected. Such a darling little boy. Pretty in the way only children can be.

You must be very proud, Lady Amidala. I should so love to.. meet him.

What in the blazes--where am I!? Where is--Luke, why do you feel...off? Where are you? Where is this?

Oh, damn it all. just my luck

Luke, really, you shouldn't keep secrets from your own parents. Granted, I think we're all aware that you were raised by filthy, dirt-poor moisture farmers, but one would assume that you had managed to at least pick up a sense of courtesy over the years away from them. Perhaps he damaged the part of your brain that processes those things when he beat you for displaying Force-sensitivity. Goodness, what a barbarian he was.

Oh dear, I've gotten off the subject, haven't I?

As I was saying-- I believe you should be open with them. Do tell them how it pains you to be around Dark Side energy. I wonder how you manage not to faint when near Lord Vader--? Curious. As I recall, it used to make you scream after the first half-dozen times or so.