Galen's hand was tight around Leia's arm. Occasionally she would pull on it in hopes of finally breaking free, but he would only grab tighter. She would hiss, and he could feel her pain in the Force. He would soak it up instead of comforting her. This Jedi padawan was ruining everything. After what had happened in the royal apartments, perhaps Vader was starting to treat her as she should have been treated all along: as a threat. Ideally, it would be nice if she was arrested. The Empire didn't need a princess. Vader didn't need a long-lost daughter, and Luke certainly didn't need some girl whispering Jedi lies to him.

The door to an apartment slid open; Galen threw Leia in. She shouted and stumbled forward. She spun around, insults flying at him, he ignored it as he slammed his finger down on the door panel. The door slid shut in her face. He entered a code to lock the door. Leia shouted and banged on the door. He turned away from it and looked at her two undercover royal guards who had followed them silently through the Garden Palace.

"She is not to leave this room," Galen said. "Make sure meals are delivered. New guards will relieve you at the end of your shift. Await new orders detailing the Emperor's commands."

"Yes, sir," the two guards said in unison.

Galen nodded and walked away.

This was a mess. What were his next steps? Before he had been summoned to the apartment, he was focused on tracking down that woman. She had to be one of the handmaidens. She couldn't be allowed to escape, especially considering his master's mood. He didn't know how forgiving Vader would be. That black anger rolling off of him . . . Even now Galen could still feel it. It was suffocating. At times like these he was reminded of just how powerful Vader was and wondered if perhaps even non-Force sensitives could feel the thick cold pressure.

Though this wasn't the worst he had ever felt from his master. No, that had been . . . three years ago when Luke had been kidnapped. Vader's anger was barely tamed, especially after he received the prince's hand in a box. But even that explosion had been nothing compared to when Vader finally found Luke.

Galen had been lightyears away tracking down a different lead about Luke's whereabouts when suddenly the Force exploded with grief, pain, sadness, and anger. He had been walking through the halls of a star destroyer when he fell to his knees grasping his head. It felt like claws were scraping against his brain. His chest was tight and he couldn't breathe. He wondered if he was going to die.

He woke up half a day later in the med bay, but the Force was still tainted. He had no time to recover as he had been summoned to Vjun. Mustafar was Vader's publicly known planet, but Vjun was a secret. It was barely inhabitable as acid rain constantly fell on the planet. Regardless, Vader still had a massive palace built there with a ray shield protecting it from the rain. It was secure and unknown and the perfect place to take his son to heal.

Galen had to clench his jaw to keep from shivering as he walked off his shuttle and into the palace's hallways. Goosebumps ran along his arm and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Everything in him was telling him to turn around and run and just get back on the shuttle. It wasn't safe here. He curled his hands into tight fists, as he had seen his master do time and time again, and marched on.

The place was quiet. It was run by a minimal crew of sentients and the rest were droids. Even with the Emperor home, there was still emptiness. Galen didn't even spot troopers or guards, at least not until he came to the med wing. Even then he only saw two red guards standing outside a door, and they were there for Luke.

Galen tried to swallow, but his throat was tight. He paused outside the door. The red guards' helmets didn't move, but he could feel them watching him. He attempted to take a calming breath as he pressed the door panel and stepped in. He wavered. Misstepped. How could he not? The darkness swirling in the room was intense, and at its epicenter was Vader.

The room was empty except for a single bacta tank on the back wall and Vader standing straight and tall in front of it. His hands were clasped behind his back. Galen didn't have time to examine the figure in the tank before he fell down to one knee. But he had noticed the skin had large purple blotches, the missing hand, and several open wounds. It was a miracle the prince was still alive.

Long seconds ticked by as Galen knelt on the floor. The only thing he heard was the sounds of the machines surrounding the bacta tank and the soft gurgle of bubbles.

"Report."

It was the only thing Vader said. His voice was laced with anger and exhaustion. Galen waited for two heartbeats before he calmly started listing off the current status of the search for those who had kidnapped and tortured the prince. He never moved from his position kneeling on the floor. Why would he? He hadn't been given permission to move. He kept his head down not daring to look up. When he finished, he kept the position as a long silence stretched in the room.

He slowly lifted his eyes. Vader had moved and now stood directly in front of the bacta tank with his flesh hand resting on it. Galen's gaze quickly went back to the ground in fear Vader would turn around and notice his staring.

"Destroy it," Vader said.

"M- master?"

"Their family, their homes, their whole planet. Destroy it. I want everything in their lives torn from them piece by piece. You have permission to use whatever resources are necessary. I want them to feel true despair. However-" Galen heard the shuffle of boots as Vader turned to face him. "- I want them, those who hurt my son, alive."

A shiver ran through Galen as he heard the venom dripping in Vader's words.

"Yes, my master," Galen replied.

Vader didn't say anything else. He turned back around to look at the tank, at Luke. Galen took that as his dismissal and left. He had walked out of there as fast as he could while still maintaining an air of calm, and as he walked through the Garden Palace in the present he felt the same as he had all those years ago. Vader's anger was a dangerous beast ready to consume any and all in its path.

But how was the Emperor going to deal with his anger this time?

Last time he had ordered the destruction of whole planets, and once he had the kidnappers in his hands . . . Galen didn't dwell on their cruel fates. But this time it was Luke who had caused it. Vader would never harm Luke, so what was he going to do? Eventually, he would crack. He would lash out to release his anger and darkness. But where would it strike? On Galen?

He hoped not. He knew his master's punishments far too intimately. He would find the handmaiden. Then he would . . . would what? What could he do to ease Vader's mood? To help Luke? He could . . . throw Leia out a window. Get rid of her. He knew how to get rid of a body. Then maybe everything could return to how it was supposed to be, but sadly he knew that wasn't an option.

Galen couldn't find the woman. She had slipped into the crowd and had soon disappeared, which was no coincidence. To slip through the heavy security and surveillance had to have been planned and well-timed. There was no simple way to avoid all their holo-cameras and checkpoints. He had nothing to report to the Emperor except failure, and Vader would be in no forgiving mood.

Galen slipped into the ballroom. The atmosphere was not joyous, though it was trying to be. Lively music played from a live band. People were circled up in groups chatting with each other. But all eyes kept darting to the pedestal at the back where Vader stood. His dark mood was visible and clear even from a distance. Luke stood next to him. His face pale and his eyes unfocused.

Kriff.

Everything was going to all seven hells. His heart hurt to see Luke like that. What could he do? There had to be something in his power he could do. He-

His thoughts were cut short as he noticed Vader's eyes were directly on him despite the distance between them. He had been noticed.

Why are you here? Vader growled through the Force. What do you have to report?

Galen took a shuddering breath. At the speech . . . Suddenly, it felt cold. The air felt heavy. At the speech, Leia made eye contact with a woman I believe to be one of the missing and wanted handmaidens. We were unable to track or detain her, my master.

Vader's face twisted in a scowl, and Luke looked up at him.

Failure will not be tolerated, my apprentice, Vader hissed.

I understand, master, Galen said bowing his head.

You have until tonight to rectify this situation. I will summon you then.

Galen turned around and left the ballroom. The threat was clear. He made his way to the closest security hanger where there were several speeders. He hopped on one and left the Garden Palace behind. That handmaid could not be far. She had to still be on the planet. If he couldn't find her through surveillance he could find her with the Force.

He opened himself up to it. It was unstable. Vader's anger was upsetting it too much. Instead of calm inky cold folds, it churned like a rough sea. He pushed past it to get a part that was still calm and accessible. He wasn't paying attention to his flying. For now, he was aimlessly just following a lane of traffic. But then there was a nudge, a small push in the Force, and he followed it. He angled his speeder down.

There was another small nudge. It was barely there and if he hadn't been focusing, he doubted he would have felt it. Again he steered his speeder downward into the depths of Coruscant. It would be a perfect place to get lost in to avoid detection. Galen gritted his teeth together as his hands tightened on the steering yoke. He would find the handmaiden. He would not face his master's punishment.

Vader stood in his training room. A light sweat coated his skin and made his black clothes stick to him. There were the same clothes he had worn to the ceremony and ball, except it was just the under clothes. Training droid parts littered the room, and amongst them were the hacked-up bodies of a few unfortunate stormtroopers. Vader had needed more than just droids. He needed carnage and fear. His thirst had barely been quenched. It wasn't enough. He debated on what else he could do to release his anger until he realized Galen was approaching. Perhaps the two could spar. A crude smile grew across Vader's lips. He would not go easy on the boy.

He also did a quick search for Luke and Leia. They were both where they were supposed to be. Leia was locked up in the Garden Palace. He could sense her anger and annoyance even from the Imperial Palace. Luke was closer, up in his room. He had retired to go to bed but was still awake. Guilt and turmoil clouded the Force around him. Vader didn't know what to do about that, especially since he was still so angry at Luke and his foolishness.

The door slid open and Galen walked in, but he wasn't alone. He held a woman by her arm and dragged her in. Her hands were bound in cuffs in front of her. They were both messy as if they had been in an altercation. Galen threw her in front of Vader as he knelt down to his knee.

"My master," he said. "I captured one of the handmaidens."

The woman's head snapped up and she glared up at him. Vader couldn't help but smile.

"Hello, Sabé," he said. "We have a lot to discuss."