Eesh! I am SOOOOOO sorry, my dear little readers! (All 97 of my current followers for this, you know who you are!)

Life has been crazy, and I've been so lame, not writing hardly ANYTHING productive!

I know this chapter is awfully short! But I wanted to put SOMETHING out for you guys, seeing as I haven't touched this this since May!

Anyway... I think it is safe to say that we are entering the latter half of Sheep, the home stretch if you will... And with that known, I'd love it if you guys checked out my other fics, namely Guardian and Echoes! They are an AWESOME read, if you like Vader/Anakin, and the passage of time!

Seriously though, if you want a big, meaty read to look forward to, please! Join me on Echoes! It is deemed an epic for a reason, and I'd love your support in reading it, so I can get it off the ground as Sheep comes to a close!

Anywho! I hope you enjoy this little chapter! Plot thickens!

And PLEASE read and review! Means a ton to me!

~Talicor

Chapter 20

Deactivating the holoprojector, the Emperor sneered in contempt.

Furan is a fool.

For once, the Dark Master almost regretted discarding Lord Vader in favor of the dark clone his student had kept hidden from him.

Key word: almost.

Flicking his cloak to summon a contingent of Royal Guards, the Sith reinstated his guise of decrepit old man, cane clacking on the polished floors of the throne room with every shuffling step he made.

It was time he took matters into his own hands.

Mind churning like the most deadly of clockworks, the Emperor knew what he had to do.

Skywalker has grown strong... Yet there is much Darkness in his soul to be reawakened... Used, for my designs.

Scarlet guards at his heels, he swept into his personal shuttle without flare, his mind geared only on one plan.

The death of Anakin Skywalker.

"To Yavin Four," he croaked to his servants, settling into his chambers for the flight.

Now was the time to build strength to overpower that of both sources of hope in the galaxy, and it was there, among the ghosts of Sith long past, that he would find the strength he sought.

Soon, Skywalkers… You shall both be mine.

"We have to tell everyone!" Padmé laughed, reveling her husband's ecstasy as he stood, twirling her about, "Just think… It's over."

Bringing his beloved back down to earth. Before he could vocalize, however, the medic's familiar voice cut in.

"Apologies for cutting the celebrations short," she began, scrolling down on her data pad, "But we're not out of the woods yet." For further emphasis, she turned the pad to the young couple, a silhouette of the fearsome armor taking up the majority of it. Within the outline, it showed the internal workings of what appeared to be a bipedal machine, only disrupted by the occasional organic matter throughout the torso, and the very organic brain encased within the helmet, glowing a bright pink against the blue of the machinery.

"It looks like you're still short a pair of lungs, my friend."

A depressed silence followed, the pair of lovers meeting each other's eyes with slight nervousness and uncertainty.

"What does that mean for us then?" Padmé managed finally, after dropping her gaze from Anakin's, though their hands remained entwined.

Giving her a trademark dry look, the Fosh simply held up the discarded mask.

"What do you think?"

Hollow.

That's all I feel as I stride down the hall beside Starkiller, footsteps echoing emptily, just as the rest of me does whenever I brush past someone or something on our way.

Why do I feel like this?

Swallowing despite myself, I close a gloved fist absently, left hand grinding mechanically as I do so.

"Skywalker," a gruff voice catches my attention, and I snap up to meet the speaker.

"Kota," I return, voice having grown more gravelly since I awoke.

Was this brief time of perfection nothing more than a form of punishment upon its departure?

Tugging the edge of my cowl, I make sure my face is sufficiently shaded in vain hopes it could hide my ever-manifesting monstrosity in face of these Rebels.

A stiff nod follows my greeting, and the remaining member of High Command files in behind me, as if serving as a means to block me in, to barricade me, as if I had plans to escape.

Like I am still their enemy.

Not even sparing so much as a blink to the notion, I silently take my place before the Alliance leaders.

"Lord Vader," Mothma greets, her political mask impeccable as we briefly lock eyes. "I believe there are some events on Hoth that still require explanation."

"Ah, yes," I concede, words feeling worn and strained with every syllable that escapes my lips. "I had figured the events between the Emperor's newest replacement and myself would be brought under speculation sooner or later."

"Han, are you sure we should be doing this?" A low whisper sounds from a vent above the proceedings. "I mean, Leia could just tell us-"

"Can it, Kid," A certain smuggler hisses back, holding a calloused finger to his lips. "I've had an odd feeling about things ever since Ol' Skywalker got back.. And now I need to see for myself what's going on."

"But why do you need to drag me al-"

"Luke, shut up."

Pressing an ear to the grate above the center of the chamber, the smuggler's eyes widen at the mention of a certain title.

"Kid… You're not gonna believe this…"

Concern crosses the young Rebel's face, and he too presses against the grate to listen in as well, having just missed the formalities of introductions.

"So, let me get this straight, Milord..." A gruff general drawls, staring down from one of many elevated High Command seats surrounding me in the meeting chamber aboard Home One, a vista of stars at my back, swirling and dancing in the eternal movements of the heavenly clockwork bound by the brilliance of the Force. "You're telling me, that you had Starkiller cloned again? Just how sick are you?!"

Sighing in exasperation, I look up at the leaders, arms spread in peace with a slight creak of leather, eyes remaining an assuring blue, only tinged with flecks of yellow with the reminder of my true nature.

"You always feared me for my tactical genius and brutality, did you not? But that is not why we are here, now is it." I shake my head slightly at this, "I had my reasons for cloning my apprentice, to mold one for my purposes, where this one had failed," I gesture to my former apprentice with a gloved hand. "You see… I had my sights set on His Majesty long before this whole debacle went down, and when my cloned apprentice betrayed me, I had no choice but to destroy him."

What?!

Stunned at what he was hearing, the younger Skywalker can only shake his head at what he is hearing.

My father was with the Empire?!

Swallowing thickly, both he and Han lock eyes, shock evident even in the dimness of the vents.

"Damn, Kid…" The smuggler breathes, "Looks like your old man is shadier than we thought…"