The blonde youth ignored the flash of the holo cams surrounding him. A young tall man with long dark brown stalked in front of the slighter blond youth, bull dozing a path through the reporters. While a tall beefy raven haired man trailed the small precession.
The blonde seemed totally in his element occasionally glancing up and giving smiles to the reporters. But always managing to avoid a full frontal picture.
He would look down or glance away at the exact moment when a flash would have captured his entire image. When the recorders returned to develop their pictures they would be sadly disappointed that very few of their holos turned out.
The reporters pushed and shoved trying to get a moment with the youth. "Prince! Prince! How does it feel to end your story book season with the winning goal?"
The prince in question turned and smiled and said "it was a team effort and the team's back there" he said, pointing behind him.
The footage ended and the news anchor came back on: "the Dark Prince led the imperial academy to a 6-5 victory over the Telos Titans. And on to another note the Dark Prince will be holding a press conference next week. Now back to…"
The holo winked off.
"Nice going Jax you sure'd look hot following us"
The brown haired man turned and smirked.
"Shut up Jarren!" The raven haired man threw a pillow off the couch aimed at Jarren
"Hey!" Jarren dove from the couch tackling Jax. Jax shoved Jarren's shoulders rolled over pushing Jarren down.
"Ahh!!" Jarren and Jax flew apart slamming into opposite ends of the walls.
The doors swung open and in stormed the blonde boy, the dark prince
"Quit your play we have a graduation to attend" He let Jax and Jarren drop to the floor.
"A little unnecessary don't you think Luke" Jarren said as he slowly picked himself off the floor.
"My father will be attending the graduation. In fact" Luke inhaled sharply "he will be arriving with us."
Jax grimaced "We'll be ready right away"
"Good because we only have five minutes before he is meeting us downstairs" Luke said as hurried over to his room to finish dressing. He couldn't believe it. He was finally graduating from the imperial academy. Luckily he skipped a grade. He didn't think he would have survived three. Straightening his black military style tunic he bent down to finish tucking his pants into his boots.
When the door to Luke's bedroom closed Jax turned to Jarren "Its times like these I feel sorry for the kid"
"I know. It's one thing to demand perfection from your officers but it's another to demand it from your son" Jarren frowned as he lost himself in memory… the kid hadn't always been perfect.
Not at all. In the confines of the castle he constantly failed to meet his father's inhumanly high expectations. But outside the castle he only once faltered under the strain in the public eye. But that once was once too many for Lord Vader. Lord Vader had attended one and only one of his son's lightball games. The kid had known in advance and had worked himself into a frenzy of anxiousness so desperately eager to please his father. The game had not gone well. Despite Luke's heroic efforts his team could not get it together.
Luke, desperate to win and please his father, snapped at his teammates and decided to hog the ball all to himself. He ran three beautiful plays bringing them with in inches of the winning goal. When on the last play he once again tried to do everything by himself and his team stepped back and let Luke get clobbered by the opposing team. Jarren remembered wincing as he heard Luke's leg snap. What happened next Jarren never would have predicted.
Lord Vader strode down to the field where his son laid in agnoy surrounded by the team trainers. "Move" he rumbled. The audience watched in shock as Lord Vader pushed aside the trainers and pulled his son up. Luke whimpered in pain. Trying so hard not to make a sound. But it reverberated through the silent stadium. Forcing him to stand on his one good leg, Vader leaned down and growled "finish it"
Luke would have collapsed if the trainers had not grabbed for him as soon as Lord Vader released him. Vader strode off to stand at the end of the side line while Luke attempted to play the remaining thirty seconds. As soon as the time was up Vader left without a backward glance at his injured son.
Strangely enough not a single word of the incident appeared in the media. The game was reported lost despite Luke Vader's heroic efforts.
"Jarren!" Jax snapped "let's go, Lord Vader will have our heads if we are not down there on time"
"Hang on I'm coming" Jarren shouted coming out of his reprieve.
Luke struggled to contain his emotions masking them behind a blank mask his face was a wall of nothingness as he entered the turbo lift followed closely behind by Jarren and Jax.
Chapter II
Luke Vader exited the limo first straightening to attention as his father stepped out. Jax and Jarren had already exited the vehicle and were followed closely behind Luke as Luke followed two steps behind and one step to the left of Lord Vader. Luke looked neither right nor left his glaze fixed firmly ahead. Ignoring the flashing holo's. After all it wasn't ever day that the galactic prince graduated high school.
Luke breathed in a sigh thanking his lucky stars he didn't have to do this everyday. Although he still recalled his first time under the flashing holo's. It had been his first day at school; an Admiral—Admiral Piett had taken Luke to school. Everything had been quiet. Kids who were already in classes peered out the windows as Admiral Piett marched firmly down the hall way with a squad of storm troopers and Luke in tow. Of course the ever present Jax and Jarren were not far behind.
Luke smiled at the memory registering wasn't as easy as it sounded. The droid would not let any one but Luke's legal guardian register him. The Admiral who was in a bit of a hurry ordered the storm troopers fan out and locate the first human staff member they could find. While he himself resorted to violently shaking the droid. Luke had stood off to the side and watched in silently amusement thinking that the droid wasn't the only one with a few screws loose.
The dean was finally located and dragged in front of the Admiral between two storm troopers.
Before long Luke was escorted to his first class.
In class no one had spoken too him, no one had asked him any questions. In fact everyone had ignored him that is until school ended.
When the bell rang Luke walked out with all the other kids. But it was a feeding frenzying. The word was out the galactic prince was in school and every reporter wanted a comment a photo anything. It had taken considerable amount of strength not to run back into the school and hide.
The next morning's papers read: Vader Jr. attends high school, Galactic Prince in High school? And other such remarks. Many of the writers had focused on his little known presence and why Vader had chosen to send him out in the world now?
The dark prince was the Imperial's city best kept secret. While there had always been rumors that Vader had a son there had never been definite proof. Before Luke had tossed the news pads he glanced at the last sentence of an article. Tray Garbs had said: "We will watch the young prince with interest because the future of the empire will rest on his shoulders."
Luke slumped back into his chair. The first day of school had hit him shoving his future into his face. The Future fate of the galaxy would one day be determined by him. And that day was fast approaching.
All he wanted to be was a normal kid. Well, Luke smirked, as normal as any kid who had a sith lord for a father, was third in line for the galactic throne and had to body guards always with him.
Luke entered the building. Bowing to his father Luke left to join the rapidly growing line of future graduates.
Vader acknowledge his son leaving with a nod and a gesture to remind Jax and Jarren to follow. He was making his way to his private box in the auditorium when he saw Admiral Piett. "Admiral" he rumbled
Piett hurried over to join his dark Lord. "My Lord?"
"Why are you here?" questioned Vader
"My nephew, My Lord. He is graduating as well"
"Join me then"
"I would be honored Milord" Piett gave a sleight bowed and followed in the wake of Vader to his private viewing box.
Piett scanned around the auditorium noticing what an excellent view he had. He spotted his nephew making eye contact with him but instead of returning the wave his nephew gave he merely nodded. Although had he not been with his commander he would have waved full-heartedly.
Piett continued looking finally spotting the dark prince. Luke stood last in line standing straight and strong. Separated from his peers by the hulking muscle of his ever present guards. Piett smiled at the serious look on the boy's face.
Piett leaned back against the velvet chair that had been hurriedly provided for him by one of the ushers. The Dark Prince had always been a serious boy. He remembered when he first met the boy. How could he not? The day was seared into his memory as the day he was going to die.
It had been late and he a captain at the time was reporting in secret to the dark lord on the traitorous activities of his admiral. It was not the first time nor was it a job he enjoyed, but the dark lord had commanded him to be on the look out for traitorous admirals.
Piett had been escorted into the Dark Lords private library. The dark lord always awed him making it difficult to report an already difficult subject.
He was in the middle of reporting when the Dark mask looked up and whispered "Son?"
Piett stopped mid word and stared as Vader ignited his light saber and took off running. Piett took off after the amazingly fast Vader yelling in his comm for the guards to bring back up.
Vader was long out of sight but Piett kept following the long corridor.
Many minutes later of wondering through the maze that Vader called home, he stopped short hearing a little boy's voice. "Daddy will my back feel better tomorrow?"
"Of course it will son and some day when you are older the designs will match mine"
"really just like you?" the high pitched voiced sounded again
"yes just like me. Now instead of pain they bring me comfort." answered the deeper tones that were strangely familiar.
"Why daddy?" The innocent voice resounded through the dark corridors.
"Because they remind us that we are not alone"
Piett cautiously approached he better confirm to make sure his lord was alright. "My lord are you…?" Piett had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Darth Vader turned around holding a small towhead boy. But Piett soon felt his gaze torn from the little blue eyed boy in his commander's arms to finding himself staring straight in the crystal blue eyes of Vader.
"Tell the storm troopers to stand down. The situation is under control." Lord Vader ordered his total calm unnerving.
"Yes milord" Piett ripped his eyes away from Darth Vader's gaze "Troopers please stand down situation under control" Piett said as authoritative as his fear would allow him to speak.
"Captain, go wait for me in the conference room two doors down" Vader pointed. "I will be along shortly."
"Daddy, I like him" Piett heard the little boy say "but why does he think he's going to die?"
Piett didn't stay to hear the response but hurried down to the conference room.
Not sure if he should sit he remained standing waiting for his inevitable death.
He straightened as the door swished open and Darth Vader strode in.
Having come to terms with his death he took his time to examine his commander of seven years. Lord Vader was tall, heavily muscled and imposing with out his amour. He was bare-chested wearing only a robe and pants; his blonde curly hair framed his face. He looked like a fallen angel. And he was so young!
Lord Vader gestured for Piett to sit. Vader paused to gather his thoughts unsure of what he would tell his faithful captain. "My son, Luke is going through a difficult time right now. His genetic tattoos are developing." Vader grimaced slightly and Piett stood amazed at Vader's easily read facial expression. "As I recall they are quite painful when they are growing in. They only develop when a child is in constant mental proximity with the force. They are imbedded in our genetic coding to remind the sith lords that they are merely a link between the past and the future. "
"By showing him mine own markings on my back it helped to reassure him that they are normal. Well normal for any child of mine" Lord Vader smiled at that added thought.
Lord Vader's gaze glanced over Piett's sweating hands "Do not be so nervous Piett I am telling you this so you can understand my son a little bit. For if anything should happen to me I trust you to carry out the provisions for my son that I have laid out. Is that understood…Admiral"
"Yes milord and thank you" Piett hurriedly said. He couldn't handle all these emotional swings. He went form one moment to thinking he was a dead man walking – to be promoted.
"report to the Executer tomorrow"
"Yes milord" Piett just released that he had no idea what Lord Vader had said seeing the young prince had brought memories of another time back to him.
Vader continued "I look forward to meeting your nephew tomorrow then."
He turned away as the graduation ceremony began leaving Piett wondering what he had just agreed too.
