Chapter 4 - Rapport

A/N: Still not dead. Visually impaired, but not dead!

Ensign Menzies' black, jackbooted heels skidded inelegantly around the corner as he braked from a frantic sprint from the central computer. As he careened around the bend, a mechanical breath filled his ears and his eyes failed to track the dark shape of the Sith. The pile of flimsy and datapads in his arms quivered violently, but remained aloft in their leaning tower. The Sith Lord stepped to the side, allowing Menzies to grip the doorway to the Aide's room with his single free finger as he slid to a halt. An almighty wrench, then a stop. Heavy breathing, a gasp and a sigh of relief.

"My apologies, Lord Vader!" Menzies called wheezingly, dragging himself over the threshold.

With a final struggle, Menzies hauled the mass to the flexing coffee table and deposited it with a smothered groan. A creak and the weight settled. Legs buckling, he sank into the seat opposite his child supervisor. Luke's blond head was hardly visible above the mountain of ordered notes which sat before the boy. A fastidious competence which unnerved Menzies, perhaps more so than the repeated encounters with Lord Vader who dwelled in the same corridor. How far the Empire fallen for a Joint Chief to come to this decision.

"Are you alright, Ensign?" Blue eyes full of concern gazed down at him.

"I'm fine, sir," Menzies managed weakly. Gazing blankly, he felt a tiny warm hand tug at his own, enclosing his calloused fingers around a cool glass.

"Drink it before you pass out, Ensign. I suspect the next request will be larger still. Rest while you have the chance." Luke was frowning deeply, an oddly serious expression for someone so young. Within moments Luke had moved and was fussing with the new stack of documents. Frown fading into passive interest.

When Menzies had been called to assist with "Lord Vader's guest" he had expected someone rather older and rather more conventional. Instead he had been thrust head first into a tangle of data analysis, the complexities of like he hadn't seen since Alderann's Academy exams for advanced students. He considered himself fortunate to be one of those students if these were his foreseeable duties. The boy hardly batted an eyelid and blasted through potential trends and categorisations faster than Menzies could read most of the documents. Acts of muscle memory more than any sort of cognitive effort. From military funding to medical technology to engineering activities to agriculture, Luke encountered no topic which required further research or insight from another party. A frown here, a circled keyword there, a huff of displeasure, with Luke conversing idly on galactic affairs all the while with his breathless Ensign who hastily jotted down relevant notes.

A wheezing rasp later and Menzies struggled to his feet to acknowledge the Sith. Cold air swelled within the suite.

"Lord Vader!" Menzies saluted as crisply as possible, legs wobbling.

"At ease, Ensign." The Ensign slumped gracelessly back into his seat, Vader's head fixed resolutely on the Aide.

"Evening, Lord Vader," Luke beamed, "I have the updated itinerary for you to review. We may have some logistics pertaining to initiating actions."

Vader's regular visits during these meetings, while not something Menzies had ever really thought about in depth, should have been logical. A teenage boy with unknown skills left to his own devices upon the ship of Grand Moff Tarkin to leisurely waltz the ship's length was a recipe for disaster. Of course, the boy would have to be supervised in some manner. It simply was not the manner Menzies had been expecting, Vader hovering almost silently as he had for the previous month over Luke's shoulder, a datapad obligingly leaping to his fingers as he outstretched a gloved hand. Once frantic whispers of the Sith Lord being some manner of sorcerer confirmed in casual and indifferent moments of mundane utility. Luke hadn't even blinked when it had happened for the first time in his second day of residency as they meandered back to the Imperial Center. The spritely youth ,who was now stretched at a pained angle, balanced another sorted pile of schematics on a knee, completely heedless to potential fingers one day closing around his throat. Vader like his Aide spent a glimpse upon each file. His infamous air of intimidation was gone, instead an irked, almost snide air clung to Lord Vader.

"Has Grand Moff Tarkin authorised the proposed route?" Vader rumbled.

"No, Lord Vader."

"The aforementioned logistics problem?"

"Yes, Lord Vader. Governor Tarkin has pre-emptively asserted a verifiable claim on all assets requisitioned henceforth through due process, preventing initiation of our requisite and noble obligation of audit related acts for the Imperial throne," Luke almost chirped. Menzies pondered how the tiny set of lungs had managed that in a single breath.

"Grand Moff Tarkin is not sufficiently incentivised to provide those resources to us. He has little to no reason to divert military assets to an audit which he feels will not improve the productivity of the Empire," the Sith gestured sharply as he spoke. Flat tones contradicted barely restrained energy.

"We may need to rephrase the purpose of the audit to gain those resources." Luke carefully set his documents on the seat next to him and turned to face his host. "I can see that Governor Tarkin has aligned a rather large amount of assets to a certain mass construction project." Vader stilled, a free glove flexing into a fist. "Numerous spending trends indicate movements of human resources, troop and general logistic movements towards a wider project than simple ship construction. The accumulation of specialist material from quarantined planets makes it apparent that mass construction is taking place under his command."

"Show me how you came to this conclusion." Menzies watched as the Aide did precisely that, graphs and tables neatly converted into visual models of cargo movement, trade deals, money transfers, troop movements and periods of Tarkin's absence from frontline governing of the Outer Rim. A swarm of cargo ships massed on Jedha, squirrelling away some type of material called a kyber crystal which prompted the Sith to stiffen even further as Luke tailored his conclusion. "As you can see, Lord Vader, anyone who has the indicative trends can predict that large, secretive and perhaps politically unsavoury building project is taking place at Governor Tarkin's command. The Senate is unaware and it is likely that them continuing to remain unaware is in the Emperor's interests."

"And the simulations?" Skepticism.

"All from the modelling of the graphed data points we acquired from the Imperial Archives. I have run other simulations to determine whether my models are accurate if provided alternative variables relating to movement are altered. With standard movement patterns the correlation is no longer existent in the models. These are the trends milord."

"Impressive. Most impressive. Ensign Menzies, did you form similar conclusions to that of the Aide?" Menzies froze, glass of water in hand and cleared his throat.

"Not initially, milord, but the more data we added to the model the more correlation seemed to become apparent. The marshalling of forces to Genosis in particular given its…" Menzies fumbled for a suitable word.

"-Uninhabited," Luke helpfully cut in.

"Uninhabited, thank you sir. Its uninhabited status leaves logical holes in troop movement. Numerous battalions including the 501st and the Devastator have frequently vanished from the resources made available to fleet admirals in their Central Command requests. Most fleets involved have vanished for extended periods as have their associated senior officers on secret missions pertaining to the same sectors. Almost as though a complete reallocation of Imperial resources were taking place. The same patterns have repeated with the Joint Chiefs, including Grand Moff Tarkin and those sharing similar rank. From the evidence gathered I would concur entirely with the Aide." The eyeless gaze lingered on Menzies for an entirely too long period and Menzies resisted the urge to cough.

Luke stood and hobbled to the coffee machine appropriated from an unsuspecting officer's quarters. Barefoot toes padded unrepentantly along the carpet. Menzies neither had the heart nor the concern to inform Luke that it was Tarkin's coffee machine that had been appropriated for a "higher galactic cause than inept military stratagem". Luke's knowing smile as they smuggled it back to his room, straight past Lord Vader himself, indicated that none of the aware parties felt much sympathy for the enraged Moff. Vader, contrary to those who would normally avoid a disagreeable colleague, lingered closely by Tarkin's side, as if he drew strength from the fury. Upon raising his suspicions with his current superior, he had received a tired "in all likelihood, I would be more surprised if he wasn't" and decided to let it go.

"Perhaps rephrasing the purpose of the audit will encourage Grand Moff Tarkin's cooperation," Vader rumbled ominously.

"That milord, and reversing the order in which we audit. I propose we start in the Outer Rim and work our way inwards to Coruscant so that we may have a more"- it was here Luke paused delicately "-thorough understanding of the policy that informs their affairs for such audits to be necessary. The last audit of this kind was conducted prior to the Clone Wars." Luke's datapad was released from the armoured hand before any damage could be done by its grip.

The boy in question, mug in one hand, barefooted, casually clambered over a decidedly less fastidious mess of files on the floor to retrieve a lone datapad which sat mostly buried under the clutter. It flew from Luke's hands the moment it was raised. The Sith read intently, blue flickering off the lenses of the mask.

"Tatooine."

"Yes, Lord Vader. Tatooine is only technically part of Imperial space, but as the local rulers of the system they too are subject to the official laws of the Empire relating to taxation, slavery and the provision of adequate galactic services to citizens as per the Charter Rules." Later in life, Menzies would recount the room plummeting several degrees within an instant, Vader's stiff posture stiffening further. Per normal, the Empire's resident child bureaucrat was standing nearby, entirely unmoved by freezing temperatures. For someone so heavily swathed in thick robes it was yet another wonder as to how the boy hadn't felt it.

"I shall speak with Governor Tarkin. Prepare your progress reports as usual." And Vader was gone, a thunderstorm rolling from the room. Durasteel hissed shut and the sound of the respirator faded.

"He took that surprisingly well."

"Lord Vader is not overly fond of Core politics," Luke angled his head, vapour steaming upwards. "Or politicians in general for that matter. Investigating from the outside in permits us a degree of sympathy from the Core Moffs and other rulers."

"And them pledging their resources to our unsolicited audit which appears to have been more of a joke by the Emperor than a legitimate order," Menzies said, a dull feeling of dread settling in his stomach.

"As they say, Ensign, many a true word said in jest and who are we but humble servants to follow our Emperor's orders loyally and faithfully for the Empire?" A young mouth full of entirely too many teeth. "Lord Vader is of course aware that the Emperor would rather not have anyone investigate." An unspoken conclusion passed between them.

"An expansion and enforcement of official Imperial borders on Outer Rim worlds filled with such savagery and criminality by the Hutts on the other hand…" Words dwindled, the lack of a response ringing true.

"Far more politically acceptable, productive and ultimately a preferable task for Lord Vader," Luke nodded. It was a strange thing, a young boy guiding a hissing, snarling dragon, the mailed fist of the Emperor, away from such petty dangers as political pitfalls. Personal concern that had not been shown by any others sent to act as adjutants to Vader, but here was a young boy who read the enigma so smoothly it could only be that Luke was one himself. Wielding the Emperor's own words against him under the entirely legitimate proposition of Imperial enforcement on barbarian worlds and using the Hutt's own protected status as leverage for cooperation.

"Lord Vader is extremely fortunate to have you, sir," Menzies stated genuinely. "I have seen few others with your dedication."

"Thank you, Ensign. That means a great deal to me." Bright blue eyes solemnly stared through him and Menzies could only hope that when the inevitable transfer happened that Luke would have the decency of having him transferred with them. He was unlikely to survive the eventual discovery of Luke's acquisition if a hasty exit was not discovered prior to Tarkin visiting a high-profile guest in the room.

Half a ship length away Vader stood observing hyperspace. Tarkin's fuming snarl was audible from the other side of the bridge, through a wall of quivering crew and assistants.

"What do you mean by there's been another delay exactly?" Sympathy was not high on the Sith's list of priorities, not after viewing the efforts required to engage upon a galaxy wide audit of system rulers. It was only due to those same said efforts that insight came to him before the aide had time to even mouth the words.

"There's been attacks on the cargo from Jedha, sir. A rebel cell has been targeting air and ground transports carrying-"

"-What they are carrying is of little consequence, Lieutenant. You have not yet explained how a slither of rebels has managed to utterly delay essential work with such little action." An almost snarl from an otherwise naught but aristocratic figure.

The scale of the attacks were not new, but now Vader was aware that they should have been foreseeable by even those without the Force to guide them. So standard were the attacks, so seemingly minor, that no officials within inventory had managed to notice the dwindling supplies of crystal until stockpiles were almost entirely extinguished. Supplies from Ilum were no longer feasible, the planet strip mined to its very core. Yet for all the attention granted to the Death Star, only one seemed to have any idea as to the impact rippling from its inception to its future result. A fourteen-year-old boy who had identified the prospective delays a month earlier and had been ignored. Materials were rapidly depleted. Construction simply unsustainable. In the midst of it all, a child analyst the sole competent individual to perceive its capacity for causing problems. Vader flexed a metal hand as Tarkin stalked to his side, the throng of reporting individuals dispersing in a undignified rush through the shield of armoured, white figures guarding the bridge.

"Governor Tarkin, was this not warned of only a month ago?" Vader queried, tone flattened by the vocoder. Outrage tremored in the Force and the Sith basked in every misdirected iota of it tangling, lashing outwards towards his military staff instead of those trained in data analysis. How little the man was aware of specialties outside of his own.

"By an unqualified child. As if his reports have been credible." Tarkin hurled, flushed.

"His analysis has been sufficient enough to discover the location and supply lines of your project with minimal effort." A careless toss and Tarkin held a cloned datapad of Luke's modelling.

Blazing anger, now quenched by something far cooler, something far more anxious as Tarkin processed the implications. A spasmodic twitching of fingers and a blank facial expression showed little, but the Dark Side positively sang around Tarkin's ill expressed emotional incontinence.

"How is this possible?"

"He modelled statistics acquired from Central Command and the Imperial Archives. The output provided was most persuasive." Vader ever so slightly inclined his helmeted head, registering Tarkin's darkening skin tone with interest. "Once the data was plotted upon a galactic map he used it to identify key areas of interest to correct the imbalances within the Empire's current economic situation."

"And what," asked Tarkin, trembling, "was the alternative proposition for this scenario?"

"The alternative is to invert the trajectory of our audit and to acquire the resources concealed by those escaping the dues they owe to the Emperor. Tatooine has been listed as a noteworthy entry point given its hub nature to the undesirables traversing the Outer Rim. The extensive taxation supervised by the Hutt there has been duly noted with a not insubstantial void of finance occurring in its vicinity." Vader breathed in sync with Tarkin's soaring temper.

"They have been withholding resources!"

"Them and many others like them, Governor."

"How has it taken this long for it to be uncovered?" Tarkin demanded, beginning to pace.

"Those making prior recommendations had vested interests in the results of such an investigation never coming to light. Audits of this kind contain a historically little amount of popularity amongst those who would supervise them. The Aide has no such extra interests to stymie his curiosity or competence. Perhaps if your own underlings were more judicious in the serving of their Emperor they too would have uncovered the toxic roots permitting these inadequacies to flourish."

"So you agree with the recommendation?" Tarkin ground out from behind clenched teeth.

"I have seen little evidence to contradict the wisdom of the Aide's conclusions. Bringing the Hutts to heel will allow us more leeway with future endeavours in the name of the Emperor."

"Yes, Lord Vader, when you phrase it in such a manner I can hardly bring myself to disagree. For the rebel cells to be crushed our work must be completed with all possible haste. We have been too lenient in investigating all possible impediments to the Empire. I will raise this with the Emperor himself. The Hutts have outlived their usefulness." With a dismissive slice of his hand, the matter was at rest in and in agreement.

Behind his mask, Vader felt the tell-tale itch of scar tissue as the edges of his lips creeped ever so slightly upwards without his consent.