I don't own Star Wars, any of the characters, or any of the royalties. Darn it!

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The Empire VS OSHA

Ch. 7 of 7

Grand Moff Tarkin grew impatient. Vader had been with Chief Inspector Draggonellis far too long. When dozens of Imperial shuttles began to pop in out of hyperspace, he knew something bad had happened. Walking over to a communications panel, he signaled the Sith Lord. "Lord Vader, where are you? Is the chief inspector with you?"

Vader's mechanical bass echoed back. "He's busy inspecting the bottom of one of our extremely dangerous chasms. He mentioned something about guardrails during his inspection. We may want to incorporate them."

Tarkin sighed. "You've killed him, haven't you?"

"Actually, it was a lightsaber blade through the eye that killed him, but he was holding the pommel when it happened. Ironically enough, he was pointing out the lack of safety on the activation stud when the accident occurred."

Tarkin scowled. The arriving vessels were already signaling for permission to land. "Meet me in Hangar Bay 15 immediately." Tarkin cut the signal and started for the door.

The communications officer called after him. "Sir, they're all requesting landing clearance."

Tarkin didn't bother to look back. "Give it to them!"

Vader watched with interest as shuttle after shuttle passed through the energy field generated by the flawlessly operating Corellian RX-322 hangar bay deflector field generator. It gave him no small amount of satisfaction to see the 'improperly maintained' device working as advertised.

"Vader! This is all on your head!" Tarkin stormed across the hangar bay toward him, steering clear of the growing rows of Imperial shuttles.

Vader watched the last shuttle enter the bay and slowly settle into the last remaining landing pad. "The chief inspector's unfortunate accident had nothing to do with the safety inspection of the station. Once his body is retrieved, that will be quite evident. Your pet project will be completed on time."

Tarkin glared at him. "Don't be so certain. Were you aware that just as the Emperor once contracted with the cloners on Kamino for his army, OSHA had entered into a similar staffing agreement some years back?"

Darth Vader paused, realizing that a now familiar disturbance in the force emanated from each of the shuttles. "You don't mean . . ."

His question was cut off by the sound of three dozen landing ramps extending. Briskly walking down the ramps, 36 men in OSHA black bearing obsidian clipboards and Chief Inspector Quinton Baltus Draggonellis' face spotted Tarkin and Vader and marched toward them, jaws set in disapproval of the many safety violations they were already seeing.