51Well... Its been a long few years, full of struggles, growth, changes and setbacks. But, here we are.
Honestly, I'm not entirely sure why I'm writing this again. I just feel like I need it, something to help me back on my road to recovery. Life isn't always easy, and I know that many of us have struggled with a whole host of different things. Just know that, no matter what, you're never alone. Never. There is absolutely someone out there that knows what its like to go through the things you do. We just have to talk to each other.
Well, have a good read. Hopefully this finds at least some of you again, does at least something to brighten your days.
"KENOBI!" Vader growled at the image that came up on his screen. He had understood that encountering his old master was almost going to be inevitable, especially given the fact that a fleet this size was going to be particularly noticeable in a war-torn galaxy as this. However, he had hoped that he would have more time before dealing with this encounter. Still, he couldn't change it, and the sight of the face that haunted his nightmares so frequently fanned the fiery infernos of his rage to the point that he was surprised he hadn't destroyed the ship by accident.
"I see my reputation precedes me… And you are?" The voice that so often screamed down at his burning body filtered through the speakers of the comm station, and the sound system of Vader's helmet. By that point, it was tinny, hollow, and still slightly bemused by the fact that Vader seemed to know him already. However, the Dark Lord of the Sith was seeing red, and not for the tint on his visors. Kenobi was the very image of the man that nearly killed him, that put him in this Force Forsaken walking coffin, that reduced him to the pale and sickly mess that Vader himself could not hate more.
"The death of you…" He spoke back coldly, his mouth moving to finish one of Kenobi's favourite lines, tinged with the darkest depths of his rage. If Rex hadn't been smirking slightly where he stood, the man had to be outright grinning right now, even as the others on the bridge quaked in fear. They knew perfectly well what happened when Vader was in a mood like this. They had just witnessed him execute a man via comm screen on another ship for questioning his orders, let alone when he was this angry.
As luck would have it, for those that believe in luck, another voice cut across the angry black stare of the Sith and the surprised face of the unusually flustered Jedi Knight.
"Nope! That's my job, right master? He always swears that I will be the death of him, so obviously you can't be then." The voice rang in Vader's ears, yet another haunting ghost from the past, singing songs of evil memories to him as the darkness whispered in his ears. Vader couldn't help himself as his eyes shifted to the new face that had entered the conversation, one he was so painfully familiar with. The long hair, the dashing scar, the dark robes… It was almost amusing to see Anakin Skywalker again, especially as he came to the aid of 'The Negotiator'. However, Vader knew that he couldn't lose sight of the end-game here, to kill Sidious and prevent anything from ever happening to his family. However, that didn't mean that he had to enjoy the irritating presence of his younger person.
"Then I will ensure that you, young Skywalker, will be the one to cut his heart out." He growled out through grinding teeth… or whatever was left of them. The Dark Lord revelled in the shock, horror, and tinges of fear that he could almost feel emanating from both the screen, as well as the general direction of the Venators.
"I have interdictors placed all around this area," Vader continued, before either of the Jedi could retort. "gravity generators that can prevent your acceleration to light-speed. They will ensure that you are unable to warp out, meaning there is no escape for you, not this time. Now… Shall we discuss the terms of your surrender?" The Sith intoned, going through the motions he promised Rex he would give their younger counterparts.
"And by all means, check with your sensor data. You will quickly see that I am not lying." There was a beat of silence as the Republic Jedi looked off-screen, presumably towards a concerned officer or the sensor bay, before their faces grew ashen and concerned. It was obvious to any that saw them that their own sensors had confirmed, or at least had enough of an understanding to guess, that they really were unable to jump out of the system.
"Never thought I'd see the day when a Sith told the truth..." Anakin mumbled to himself, although the words were picked up by the transmitter. Even as Kenobi elbowed his former apprentice for his comments, Vader's voice broke over the communication line yet again.
"Only the weak speak in lies, for lies are the mark of those too weak to bear the weight of the truth. It takes true strength to be honest even when it is detrimental to you." The cold, dark voice dripped and poured out from his vocoder, as his eyes never left Kenobi's face. His mind echoed with the screams of a time long past, replaying the haze and anger of Mustafar in an unending mental torture that Vader refused to be broken by.
"A heavy concept, but a correct one." Kenobi's cultured Coruscanti accent intoned, as his eyes slid over to his apprentice. Truth be told, the blank eyes and permanent frown of the Sith Lord's mask unnerved him, and it didn't take the Force to feel the daggers that the black-clad monster was staring at him. "You would be wise to learn that from him." A nod of Kenobi's auburn hair towards the viewscreen and Sith represented on it indicated both an attempt at appeasement to the Sith, as well as an attempt to make his former apprentice learn from what really were wise words. "Honesty is not only the best policy, it can also be an indicator of true strength and maturity, as you don't need to hide behind actions and misdirections."
"Your flattery will not save your life, Kenobi." The Sith growled again, before Rex moved on the side, just out of range of the detector. Vader knew that was the clone's way of reminding him of the promise he had made, but Rex just didn't understand. Still, there were other things that he could do in the mean time to help ease him out of this mood. More productive things that would actually serve his end-game purpose.
"You can tell what members of your clone forces that my words and my agents have not already swayed into my own service to stand down. Your fighter's cannot escape the Interdictors, making them mere target practice for my ships gunners." He stated, noting that Anakin's eyes grew wide as he realized that Vader was right, any units that did try to fight would quickly get gunned down by capital ship rated guns. "And as you can see, my ships are far more suited for capital ship-to-ship combat than your own. There is no victory for you here." Vader growled again, his vocoder's normally terrifying speech sounding even more resolute than it did at any other point.
"Surrender, Jedi, and your lives MAY be spared." The emphasis on the single word was an unnecessary indicator of the fact that the Jedi were clearly outmatched here by someone who definitely wanted them dead, and would broker no argument. Vader was clearly on the warpath, and the hapless Jedi had just walked into a death trap.