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[sin_and_misery]

Vader was not impressed by the hangar.

Outwardly, he was unmoved, and inwardly he was floored, but he would not ever admit to being impressed by the rows of ships, many of which he'd never seen before. He walked down each row as impassively as though this were any normal Imperial muster, only pausing to examine something that caught his eye if he

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[restoresbalance]

Luke had been on the way down to do a routine systems check on the Shadow to make sure she was still in good shape, but paused when he saw a familiar figure walking slowly through the rows of ships. He was happy, actually, to see his father up and about, instead of confining himself and being hateful to everyone. Not that being up and about stopped Vader from being hateful, but Luke figured that he'd be less inclined to be such a way if he wasn't stuck in one place.

"Hello," he called, peeking around the landing skids of a ship he didn't recognize. "It's just me, Luke."

[sin_and_misery]

He had not yet found a suitable ship, but he was pleased to see his son down here-- presumably doing the same thing he was.

"Luke," he said, warmly- as warmly as Darth Vader ever addresses anyone-- "have you found something that is not...useless?"

[restoresbalance]

"Actually, I was just going down to check on Mara's ship. I think you'll like it--the Jade Shadow is a really nice ship." He grinned, mostly because the Shadow was really the family's ship, and there were a lot of happy memories associated with it. "Would you like to come with me?"

[sin_and_misery]

Jade.

Even the mention of her name was enough to take the wind out of Vader's sails.

"Is it more stolen Imperial property?" he asked, "or has she left behind everything the Emperor gave her?"

[restoresbalance]

"She has," Luke said. "But the Shadow was a gift from some family friends. We all chipped in and customized it for Mara, though... she likes her ships to be perfectly suited to her needs, and it is."

Crew of three, for the three Skywalkers--Luke, Mara, and Ben. They weren't perfect, but they could work together as one.

"Come on, I'll show you around. As long as you promise not to smudge the walls or chip the paint, I'm sure Mara wouldn't mind." She would probably actually mind a lot, but Luke would be vigilant, and hopefully, no harm would come to anybody or the ship.

[sin_and_misery]

"I am not a child," Vader muttered, but followed Luke anyways.

"Were you to stand by my side," Vader said, casually, "you should have your own personal flagship and an entire fleet at your command. You do not need to...settle."

[restoresbalance]

"I'm not settling," Luke said amiably, using the Force to trip the access panel and lower the ramp for the Shadow when they approached. "She's a good ship, with a lot of shielding--" Mara's protective of those she loves "--and a lot of firepower for her class. Mara doesn't settle either, which is why she's so good."

Luke grinned as they started up the ramp. "Besides, I've commanded ships before, and it's not really my cup of caf."

[sin_and_misery]

"Perhaps because you were commanding the hardened criminals of the so-called Rebel Alliance. With real troops at your command, willing to die for the most righteous of causes...you would be unstoppable.

I am still unsure why you are resisting this. I can sense the greatness within you, and it longs to be made known to all the worlds of this multi-verse."

[restoresbalance]

Luke shrugged. "I'd rather use my abilities to do great good than to get people to die for me. If I can get everyone who went in with me back out when an operation's over, that's what I'd want more than all the ships in the Imperial Navy."

He led the way through the ship to the cockpit. "This was all upgraded when Lando and Tendra bought it for Mara. She's usually the pilot... I'd say she doesn't trust anyone else to fly her baby, but I know that's not true. She just likes to do it herself."

[sin_and_misery]

"And so she should," Vader muttered. "She would not be one to...take it easy, as it were."

He nodded at the modifications-- good work was good work, after all-- but gave Luke a long look.

"Was your ship saved as well? You and I are similar- I cannot imagine that you would submit to being chauffeured across the Galaxy, even by...your wife."

[restoresbalance]

"Mara and I are a team," Luke said. "We do things together--we work better that way. It's like we're one mind in two bodies."

He smiled. "That, and if I was piloting and scratched the paint, I wouldn't hear the end of it. So I'm usually co-pilot. The navigation position is Ben's." Not that he got to do so often, Luke thought with a pang of regret. Even though his son was here, Luke felt bad that he'd been so absorbed in other things he couldn't be the parent he felt he ought to have been. Although Ben ended up more than okay anyway. Probably his mother's genes.

"She's seen a lot of action and been to a lot of strange places, this ship. And she's gotten all of us through it just fine."

[sin_and_misery]

Vader studied Luke, and no amount of shielding could keep his incredulity from being felt.

"But...when do you fly? When...before I had a myriad of ships to choose from, I would rather have jumped from the craft than submitted to someone else bungling at the controls."

[restoresbalance]

"The Jedi Order has its own wing of starfighters, called StealthXs. They're similar to X-Wings, but designed for use by Force-sensitives and for stealth missions." Luke grinned. "And they're real fun to fly."

[sin_and_misery]

That was what Vader enjoyed hearing.

"Perhaps you would have preferred the maneuverability of the new TIE fighters that were being built as I left," he replied, casually. "The prototype I evaluated was...magnificent."

[restoresbalance]

Luke pulled on his Jedi training to keep his expression neutral, and not betray that he was thinking about all the TIEs he'd vaped in his career behind the stick. He chose instead to talk about the technical aspects of them. Yes, a much safer subject.

"I don't know," Luke said. "I came across many, and they seem pretty vulnerable. No shields, no life support? It's like you're telling the pilots they're expendable."

[sin_and_misery]

"I am not there to coddle each of my troops," Vader said, shrugging. "If they are unable to stay out of the line of fire by their own skill, then they will die."

Well. So much for a pleasant conversation.