Arc: Prince Rising. Prologue: Failure, part one.
Welcome to "Born of Sith." This a dark!Luke story in which Obi-Wan fails to protect Luke, which results in Luke being trained by his father, Darth Vader. I've decided to split the prologue into two chapters because I know I can't reliably write more than 3k word chapters, and I don't want to get your hopes that there will be long chapters. This story could be considered a pro-empire story since Luke will be raised with Imperial beliefs from age one. So, if you're looking for a redemption fic, this is not it. This fic is also inspired by "Dynasty" by Valerie Vancollie. With that in mind, please enjoy!
Edit (12/16/18): Thanks to Glimmerkill for noting the lack of italics on Obi-Wan's thoughts. Looks like it didn't copy over correctly.
The twin suns of Tatooine burned through the robes – light colored as they were. Sweat felt as if it was wrapped around all of his body. Wiping some from his forehead, the robed man pushed on as hard as he could. With each step, his muscles grew fatigued, and as a whole, he felt overtaxed. Glancing down at the bundle – which in some eyes was a bundle of joy – in his arms the man regained his resolve. He could not allow this babe to fall into the hands of the enemy. If he did, the galaxy would be doomed to darkness. The idea chilled his heart, and twisted.
A single tear fell unbidden from his eye. How could my… brother betray everything we fought for? Swiping the intruding moisture away, he exhaled and extended a small tendril of the force. Carefully he sought for his pursuers in space only to have an intense feeling of darkness surrounding them. Breaking the contact with the force tendril, the man felt his stomach drop. By the Force, he's here. I need to push harder. Picking up his pace, he pushed himself as hard as he could without the use of the force. He feared that any more use would alert his former brother of his exact position.
If he was being chased by simple stormtroopers, he would heighted his connection to the force, and simply quicken his speed with the force. To his dismay, that was no option here. Ducking around a building, he let himself feel a glimmer of hope upon seeing the speeder bike meant for him, and the child. Moving closer, he placed the babe into the special container designed for travelling on a such a bike. Securing the container, he mounted the bike, turned it on, and began slowly moving the bike out of Mos Eisley.
The sands whipped by as he headed towards the Jundland Wastes. He mentally thanked the force he had not been spotted by anyone. His robes whipped around him, and the container remained secured to the back of the bike. Perhaps if he managed to make enough ground, he could wait out Vader's search. The man loathed this planet afterall, and he was no patient person either. With this in mind, he sped up the bike, and for the briefest of seconds, his heart soared as he made his way through the desert. Squashing it down, he refused to go down that line of thought, lest he let his guard down.
Moving southwest, the mountains of the Wastes eventually greeted him and a grim smile made its way onto his face. Slowing the bike to glance around, the robed man remembered the mountains contained magnetic deposits which would make it harder to find him. And provided he kept his force presence, and the babe's, down, he could potentially hide from Vader for a bit. He gently steered the bike through the canyons, moving easily towards the west now. He could not drop Luke with the Lars family. With Vader hunting him, no doubt the man would stop there to ask. As he rounded a corner, he halted the bike for a moment. Pressing his lips together, he knew the Lars may not be spared by Vader. The Sith would no doubt rip the answers from their minds, and find out what he wanted.
Shaking his head, he started the bike forward. He couldn't exactly help them either, because that would bring Luke to Vader's attention, and that was the last thing he should do. Slumping a bit, he felt pressed into a corner. Luke was merely a babe and he nothing to help take care of the boy. The Jundland Wastes had black melons, which provided milk, but he doubted it would be enough. As he turned one corner, his eyes landed on the sight of a home entrenched above. Judging by the looks of it, it was abandoned, and he let himself relax a bit. He crawled up the path leading to it, a slight hint of hope in his heart. It's not the best, but I may be able to hole up here for a bit.
Shutting down the bike, he removed the container, with Luke nestled inside still asleep despite the noise of the bike, and headed inside. Greeted by the sight of a living room, the man known as General Obi-Wan Kenobi let out a relieved sigh. It wouldn't be the easiest stay, but he had found himself in worse areas before. Gently placed the container onto the old bed, Obi-Wan moved back to the outside. Remounting the bike, he moved to behind the hut where it could not be so easily seen. With that done, he moved back inside to unlock the container.
Gently cradling Luke, he found himself looking into familiar sky blue eyes. Swallowing down the emotion he felt, Obi-Wan whispered, "I won't let you fall into his hands." Luke simply reached out with his hand as if attempting to grab his tattered robes. Sighing, he maneuvered himself to sit on the bed while sneaking a glance at the outside. There was no noticeable movement outside, and he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. They were safe for now, but for how long? And would the Lars survive Vader's visit?
Bringing his gaze back down the babe in his arms, Obi-Wan let the questions replay in his mind. Another tiny hand reached for him again, and he let the boy attempt to grasp his finger. He allowed Luke a few more attempts before he placed the boy back into the container. Gently stroking the boy's forehead, he moved to see if there was any non perishables hidden away. His feet were muted as he walked towards the kitchen, and with one long glance, it became apparent there was no non perishables to found as the room itself looked ransacked. Holding back a sigh, he turned from the room. It was risky, but he'd have to look around the immediate area and hope there was black melons in the area.
The heat of Tatooine caressed his cheeks the moment he stepped outside. Taking in the sight of the desert before him, a pang of sadness struck him once more for the fallen brother he had loved so dearly in his own way. With steady, but heavy feeling, steps, he made his way down the hill in search of the melons. Hoping the force was listening to him, Obi-Wan quietly wished he would find them easily so he could return to Luke with something for the young boy to eat. As he inspected each plant, the booming sound of a shuttle flew over the Wastes and towards Mos Eisley. His heart stopped as he saw the Imperial symbol on each wing, and then it lurched and twisted. Standing quickly, Obi-Wan jogged back up the hill, face set in grim determination. Vader had landed on the planet.
Closing the door behind him, he strode towards Luke, who stared at him, before letting out a soft cry. "Shhh." He whispered, attempting to soothe the boy. "I'll get you milk as soon as I can. Shhh." One of his hands stroked the babe's forehead in comforting manner. Resting his forehead against the cool metal, the Jedi went through several situations of how he could escape — if the worst came to pass. If the force allowed it, Vader would grow quickly tired of searching, and leave the planet he detested so much.
Siphoning as much of his connection, and Luke's, with force even more, Obi-Wan sat there with his lightsaber in hand. Even with his lowered connection to the force, he could still feel the swirling darkness around Vader, and it's probing tendrils. He rested his back against the wall; all he could do now was wait. Wait and let Vader make his move.