"I can't believe they let you teach."

Darth Vader came striding down the halls of the Imperial Palace, his cloak flapping behind him and a large block of carbonite hovering a few yards behind that.

"Tell the Emperor I am here," he barked at the Royal Guard standing by the door. He nodded and ducked inside.

A few moments later, the guard silently opened the door and gestured Vader inside.

Vader stalked into the throne room and knelt down. "I have brought you Han Solo, my master," he said.

The Emperor blinked. "Have you?"

The carbonite statue dropped with a muffled thunk onto the carpet. "Think of it as a conversation piece," Vader said.

"Indeed," the Emperor said slowly. "What, precisely, am I to do with this?"

Vader shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. He is valuable to the Rebellion." Leia's expression of grief flashed briefly through his mind. He ignored it and continued to speak. "He also owes a large sum of money to Jabba the Hutt. Sell him to either of them. Drop him into the sun. Whatever pleases you."

The Emperor smiled. "I didn't think you were entirely incompetent, my apprentice. There was no need for gifts."

Vader tamped down the surge of anger he felt building in his chest, and settled for a nod. "Shall I be returning to Fandom, then, my master?" he asked.

The Emperor's attention drifted back to the schematics that were glowing from a projection on his throne. "If you wish," he said finally. "But I will require your presence here periodically."

Vader's looked at the schematics as well. "You are building another one, then?" he asked. His thoughts about the Death Star being a complete waste of time and resources were carefully concealed.

"It won't take 20 years this time," the Emperor said with a scowl. "I will need your...way with people...to make sure they are properly motivated."

Vader bowed again. "As you wish, my master."

The Emperor's voice rang in his ears as he left. "And Lord Vader? Don't let young Skywalker give you more trouble." He shrugged. "If he must be eliminated...other plans can be made."

So Vader was in a fantastic mood as he commanded the Executor to make its way back towards Earth.

Vader had always thought that Coruscant was ugly. Too many buildings, too many different beings scurrying through the streets, and under the bright lights, entirely too many secrets.

At least now it had a name as ugly as the planet.

He heard the door of his chambers slide open. He let the admiral of the Executor--the Superstar Destroyer that had been waiting to pick him up from Earth—stand nervously staring at nothing for a few moments before opening his meditation pod and turning around to silently face him.

( 'We have entered the orbit of Imperial Center, my lord,' the man quavered. )

[OOC: As a warning, the Emperor is not especially pleased with Vader at the moment. Graphic imagery behind the cut.]

Stranger Inside - Shinedown

The Emperor didn't keep track of time zones.

Or if he did, it didn't concern him overly much to wake Vader at that time when "entirely too late" became "entirely too early."

"Lord Vader," he snapped, the projection of his face bursting into huge resolution inside Vader's meditation chamber. "What is your status regarding young Skywalker?"

"It goes according to plan, my master," Vader replied promptly, pretending like he just hadn't been woken up. "He will soon be ours."

"Good," the Emperor replied. "A transport has been sent for you. It shall be there within the week." His voice grew sharper. "Do not fail me, Lord Vader. The son of Skywalker cannot be allowed to become a Jedi. I am not yet convinced that this project of yours hasn't been a waste of time."

Vader bowed his head. "He will join us or die, my master."

When he looked back up, the Emperor had ended the transmission. Vader gave an inward sigh, then reached into the Force towards Skywalker.

Time for phase two.

[OOC: Locked to the unsuspecting Jedi. The vision imagery is not going to be particularly pleasant. Ye be warned.]