On the Wings of Valkyrie

Chapter CXXXIX

"So, where's the unnatural Sith powers section?" Padmé asked as she followed Vader into the library that he had in his base for some unknowable reason. She was happy it was there of course—being able to research anything when needed was quite handy—but as far as the ex-Senator knew, he'd never been the reading sort. Perhaps things had changed?

"Uses of the Force would be further back, but they won't be useful," Vader answered as he turned down an aisle marked for history. "Palpatine never saw fit to impart any of Plaguis's powers to me. All the proper Sith texts or copies thereof are from centuries earlier." Padmé frowned at the words.

"Then what are we doing here if you don't have anything useful?"

"I didn't say that, Padmé," the Sith Lord stated as he stopped at a shelf positioned on the wall. He raised up a hand and pulled out several holo books before placing them back in their original locations. A scan lit up, going over the man before the entire section of shelves turned red and swung inwards to darkness. He started forward once more. "Come."

"....Vader, what is this?" Padmé questioned as she slowly followed him into the secret room.

"This is where I hid Luna's books," he answered as lights flashed on overhead. It was a small room and held one old fashioned bookshelf rather sparsely populated by books as well as a handful of objects that Padmé recognized as things from Earth that Luna had brought with her upon leaving. There were also a few stands holding what looked to be ancient holocrons as well as a handful of other trinkets she did not recognize off the top of her head. "I have no proper Sith texts on Plaguis's experiments, but as I recall Luna had a promising title...here it is."

Vader pulled a small red book off the shelf and opened to the first page. The black title in High Galactic read: Book of Sith. Certainly sounded like an interesting book, though Padmé couldn't help but wonder how useful it would be considering the nature of Plaguis and Palpatine's experiments and the very non-cannonness of both.

"What's in it?" she asked.

"No idea," he admitted, turning a page. "I've never read any of her books. I figured it would keep things more ontrack to the future we visited if I was going in blind, and when information was better known, Luna never failed me."

"So we're here on a hunch?"

"If this has nothing, then I'm sure Luna has notes on her theories and what not in her diary, likely a better overall explanation than the one she gave Obi-Wan. We can check there next."

"....You are suggesting that we read your apprentice's diary without her permission?"

"Yes."

"She'd kill us."

"She would not. Besides, I don't believe we need to," Vader stated, paging through the book to locate a specific page. "It seems that this is a book from Star Wars Legends and is a mashed together collection of 'texts' from several sources with notes from several persons of importance. A scientific journal by Darth Plagueis is among them." Padmé could hear the satisfaction in his voice. "And better yet, Luna has added her own notes in the margins as well." Even as the Sith spoke, he landed on the page he'd been searching for. As he repositioned his hands, several folded pieces of paper slid out of the book and fluttered to the ground.

"Looks like Luna ran out of margins," Padmé said aloud, bending down to pluck the papers from the duesteel floor and glancing over the scribbles and bare bone diagrams that were written in a mixture of pencil and ink. She noticed the words life force in several different places and had the uncomfortable feeling that they'd found exactly what they'd been looking for. "Not a bad hunch."