Hello everyone. First of all welcome. This my first Star Wars fanfiction in a long, long while. Obviously I don't Star Wars. Moving on, this fanfic is written purely for entertainment. This follows through of how I imagined the story-line to be if Luke was found by Vader at a much earlier time.
Introduction
The Runaway
Wullf Yularen found it irritating when plans didn't go as smoothly as he had hoped them to go. He walked down those cold, gray halls of the Imperial starship with a growing frown. Two officers, ranking far below him, caught sight of him from afar and brought themselves to the position of attention. They shouted their greetings as he crossed before them. The words rang hollowly in Yularen's ears was he managed to nod in acknowledgement.
He heard the same greeting all throughout his trip down to the detention block. Yularen couldn't blame them. It was unusual of an officer of his status to ever been seen outside the upper decks of an Imperial ship. In fact he was rather pleased to have been greeted by the fellow officers. Of course, it was obvious Yularen was a man of high importance being that he had three escort stormtroppers to his rear and sides. Along with the escorts, Yularen was sure everyone on deck was given a quick briefing of his arrival.
Stopping short before the entranceway to the detention blocks, Yularen was greeted once more; this time by an officer of higher status…though still ranking below Yularen himself.
"Colonal Yularen, it is an honor."
Yularen returned the officer's salute.
"I want to know what is the meaning of all this disruption."
"Our sincerest apologies, sir," The officer nodded in embarrassment.
Yularen quickly followed the officer through the entranceway and into the detention block. He was quick to notice the drop in temperature and light in the narrowed halls.
"-there is some debate considering the delicately of this case," the officer continued.
"Where is he?"
"We have him in a cell just down this hall."
Their footsteps echoed off the metal floors, leather boots of the officers and the hard soles of the stormtroopers' armored ones. Yularen allowed his eyes to scan the halls, catching and noticing the sharp edges of the walls to the caved in architecture of the ceiling. Nothing ever was quiet orthogonal in the Imperial starships.
"This is the cell, sir."
The cell door slid open. The detention block officer and the three escort stormtroopers stood aside, allowing the higher ranked Yularen to enter the cell first.
The cell itself was like any other; small, plain, dark and cold. And like the other cells, there was one bed; flat, hard, sharp edged as it stuck out of the wall opposite to the cell's only entrance and exit. Yet there was one detail that stuck out, separating this cell from all the others…
Yuleran felt his brows rise in a mix of amusement and surprise.
A young, human boy, no older than eight Yuleran expected, sat upon the bed looking up at him. He was sweet-faced boy with big bright blued eyes and a soft saddle nose. His hair was long and blond, curling at the base of his neck and brushing at the tops of his brows. His skin was peach colored and his body was small framed. He sat hugging his knees, staring at Yularen all the while.
"Well, aren't you quiet a surprise?"
The boy kept on staring at him with those wide blue eyes. Yularen took a step closer to the boy. It wasn't hard for him to see that the boy was shaking.
"You don't seem to haven eaten much lately," Yularen commented quietly as he saw the boy's eyes fall away from him. Swallowing, Yularen continued on as he softened his voice further. "You're a thin little boy. I can't blame you for shivering. These ships are always cold," Turning away for a moment, Yularen called out to the detention block officer that remained by the doorway. "Get this boy a blanket!"
The officer nodded compliance before stepping and turning away to radio. Yularen turned his attention back to face the boy. The boy was quick to look away, but not quick enough to where Yularen wouldn't catch him.
"You don't seem to be any threat and I honestly don't want to treat you like a threat, but trespassing on an Imperial starship is illegal," Yularen sighed, noticing how specks of sand glittered over the metal bed. The boy was covered in it. "Of course upon security check, everything about you checked out…yet it is perplexing to find out that someone of your age was able to sneak aboard without anyone noticing. Rather disappointing if you ask me. Though, impressive on your part."
Silence threaded between Yularen and the boy. Luckily, the experienced naval officer was a patient man…and an observant one as well. If the boy didn't want to talk, that was fine with him. He would be able to pick out details just by looking at the boy to figure what was his story was. However, just as Yularen was amidst of studying over the boy, he heard a frail voice break the silence.
"Are you going to put me in jail?"
The boy didn't look at him, but Yularen stared back. Disconcert by the boy's question, Yularen felt embarrassed immediately. Even if his main concern was dealing with security and corruption, it was an absurd to think of putting a little boy alone in prison.
"That depends. Do you think you belong in jail?"
Once more in a soft, weak voice, the boy whimpered out a sad, "No".
"You're a runway."
The boy nodded, his bright blue eyes swelling with new tears. Bits of the tiny sand particles fell away from his unkempt hair.
"Tatootine I'm assuming?"
Nodding again, the boy struggled to hide his tears.
"I didn't mean to. I was trying to hide. I thought I was being chased and so I hid behind some boxes on the ship. But I couldn't get off and the people on the ship found me," The boy's voice cracked as tears finally streamed down his wind burned cheeks. "I'm sorry. I was scared. I'm really sorry."
Yularen watched the boy wipe his face with his dirt stained sleeves. The boy was shaking more than ever, sobbing uncontrollably. Feeling rather uncomfortable, Yularen turned away.
"A blanket as requested."
A local service robot held out a neatly folded, thin gray blanket, passing it on to the detention block officer before finally handing it to Yularen himself. Without further hesitation Yuleran took the blanket, unfolded it and walked over the bed.
"Here, this should warm you up a bit," Yularen spoke as he gently wrapped the blanket around the Tatootine runaway.
The boy didn't utter a sound, yet the glassy look in his blue eyes whispered Yularen a shy note of gratitude. The detention block officer looked back at Yularen, his face serious with a hint of confusion crossed over. Yularen sighed.
"I'll take him."
The officer looked back at Yularen in bewilderment as though he didn't hear the senior officer correctly.
"Sir, " the officer stepped forward, lowering his voice to whisper. "Are you sure about this?"
Yularen stiffened his neck as he looked over from the officer to the three stromtroppers. The officer only managed to stare back at Yularen with widen eyes. For a quick, almost unnoticeable moment Yularen caught his eyes flicker away from him. Even the three escort stormtroopers seemed be to staring at Yularen in shock.
"Why not? I'm not getting any younger. I always wanted a son," the colonel spoke
Yularen, being as dedicated as he was to his career, never had taken the chance to settle down. He looked over to the boy with thought. He knew it wouldn't be an easy task to raise a child, but he was welcoming to the challenge. Turning back to the detention cell officer, Yularen raised a brow to everyone's silence.
"Well seeing as there is no real objection to the adoption, I would like to the take the boy with me," Yularen smiled over the boy, holding out a hand. "Come on. No need to be scared."
The boy looked up at him with wide eyes. Yularen swore he could see every bit of the child's emotion swirl within those blue eyes. There was fear for a second but Yularen saw it overcome by the need for warmth as the boy gently took his hand. Leaning in, Yularen pulled the boy up having the sand sprinkled child wrap his small arms about his neck and his skinny legs about his waist.
It disturbed Yularen to feel how light the boy was.
The prison officers had the boy released into the colonel's custody and soon after the colonel took off to the officer's residency section. The boy didn't say a word during the whole trip to Yularen's apartment. Not that it necessarily bothered Yularen but he thought young boys were usually talkative. But the sand covered boy only kept quiet as he hugged his arms around the colonel's neck.
The enlisted and the officers all about him gave Yularen a mix of amused and confused stares upon seeing the boy in his arms. Passing stormtroppers turned their head towards the pair. Even the stormtroppers that escorted him continued to seem baffled. But all that was over once Yularen opened the door to his apartment.
The apartment was spacious, clean and orderly. The light automatically turned on to his presence and Yularen, still carrying the boy, walked into his bedroom. He stood for a minute awkwardly wondering where to set the boy down, being that he child was practically snowing sand as he moved. Quickly as the thought came, Yularen grabbed for a towel and placed it upon the bed before having the child sit.
The boy looked up at him through groggy eyes. Yularen brushed a hand through the child's bangs.
"Don't fall asleep on me yet. Let's get you something to eat and a bath."
Yularen set out to have a bath running. Luckily he had his escorts ordered to bring over food and a medical droid before he left into his apartment. Taking a moment, the colonel let out a heavy sigh as he leaned against the tub. It hadn't occur to him he never exactly been around children before, so for once the colonel saw himself inexperienced.
The bathtub filled quickly and Yularen judged the water temperature as prefect. He stepped out into his bedroom, pulling the boy up into his arms once more. Once in the bathroom, he set the boy down.
"No need to be shy, we're both boys," spoke the Yularen as he helped the boy pull off his filthy Tatoonine clothing. Quietly, the colonel couldn't help but bite his lips in concern as each garment stripped off revealed the various scratches that covered the boy's body. Counting the number of ribs the boy had only added to the colonel's many concerns.
Holding the boy by his arms, Yularen eased the boy into the tub. At first the boy seemed surprised by the water and almost afraid. But as Yularen gently lowered the runaway, the child became eager to submerge himself. Yularen smirked seeing the boy's eyes widen stare. It appeared the boy never been in a tub of water before.
Yularen went on to pour water over the boy's head, the kid's blonde shaggy hair falling flat to the water. The Tatooine runaway glanced over at him, watching the colonel for a moment before staring back down at the now murky water.
The colonel stood off to the side as the medical droid looked the boy over. He had finished bathing the child in time to find some service droids delivering a meal. Within a short period of time, a medical droid came through.
"Everything about the boy is healthy. Just some slight dehydration. The cuts are minor and should heal without any problems."
"Thank you, that will be all," Yularen spoke as he dismissed the droid before returning his attention to the boy who now sat on the bed wrapped in a white, oversized bathrobe.
"Hopefully they will have your clothes cleaned and fixed up by the tomorrow," Yularen announced to the boy. "In the meantime, I'm afraid the bathrobe will have to make do."
The boy shifted, wiggling himself in the large robe. Yularen couldn't help but notice that the shy runaway kept avoiding direct eye contact with him.
"I suppose you can sleep here on my bed."
The boy didn't look up. Crossing his arms, Yularen walked over to him, kneeling before him. Yularen didn't say anything, only just studied the youngling's tired face.
"Are you going to send me back to Tatooine?"
Yularen tilted his head to the side, trying to meet with the runaway's eyes. He lowered his eyes for moment, rethinking what the boy had just asked him. For once Yularen wasn't exactly sure to say at an exact moment. But reading the boy's glazed over stare, Yularen sensed what was once home for the boy wasn't always truly a home. He could only imagine life on such a lifeless, arid planet.
"Well-," Yularen paused. It dawned on him he had never gotten the runaway's name. Stumbling for brief second, Yularen pushed the identity matter aside for the time being. "-you're asking me of something that is a bit out of my…abilities."
Still refusing to met Yularen's eyes, the boy lower his eyes to the ground between them. Yularen swallowed.
"Do you want to go back?"
For the first time in the hours the imperial colonel and the Tatooine runaway spent together, the sandy haired child finally spoke more than just sentence.
"I miss my aunt and even my uncle, but I don't miss Tatooine. I hate it there! There's nothing but sand and bad people there!"
Yularen scooped the boy up into his arms as he pulled the blanket of his bed back. He could see the boy's eyes are heaving with tears and exhaustion. Lying the boy down and pulling the blanket over his small frame, Yularen sat on the edge of the bed. He brushed his hands through the blonde's hair, combing his long bangs to the side and away from his face. For once the colonel didn't have to keep a stern and serious look on his face for someone.
"Don't you think you're aunt and uncle miss you?"
Tears flooded into the child's eyes. The boy spoke between sobs.
"A-Aunt Bearu is always nice...but Uncle O-Owen is always mean. He won't ever l-l-let me do anything...He yells at me for no reason. H-H-He won't even tell me who my d-dad was-"
Yularen wiped the tears off the wind burnt cheeks of the orphan. He felt a mix of pity, bewilderment and a bit of admiration towards the boy. It took bravery to and a bit of foolishness to leave home. However the Tatooine runaway before him was different. Yularen knew children were more likely to act on impulse yet most children figure running away wasn't the best idea in the first place. Never the less, whatever happened between the boy and his uncle must have been harsh Yularen thought.
Tucking the blanket around the boy, Yularen was finally able to make full eye contact with the boy. Even if he wanted to know more on the Tatooine orphan's background, he figured he shouldn't push him for answers. He smiled at the youngling before getting up.
"I think it would be best if you got some rest-" Yularen blinked in remembrance to an earlier thought. "But before I leave, I don't believe I ever got your name," Yularen brought himself down to the child's eye level. "I am Colonel Wullf Yularen of the Imperial Navy."
For a moment the Yularen was afraid the child wouldn't answer him. The boy stared at him with his sunken eyes before letting his eyes fall away from the colonel's face.
"My name's Luke. Luke Skywalker."