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Chapter 2

As he zoomed through the Coruscanti sky, Luke let his mind wonder away from this morning's session with his sister.

Leia and him had gotten up early for some lightsaber sparring, and she profoundly defeated him twice over. When they were younger, Leia was always faster and stronger, as she matured before him like most girls did. And she took immense pride in beating her brother, always looking to please their father.

"Don't worry about it because when you're older, you'll have to go easy on her," his father had said to him, and Luke looked forward to that day… but it never came.

Luke was bigger than her. And stronger. But Leia had a certain skill for lightsaber combat that she'd inherited from their father, and no matter how much Luke tried he could not beat her.

Luke shook his head of the thought, trying to let go of some of his anger and focus on flying his speeder.

At least you're stronger in the force, he told himself. And he was right.

While Leia was a skilled fighter, and quite powerful in the force, her connection to it was nowhere near as strong as Luke's. Had she been born in a different era, her midichlorian count would've landed her a spot in the Jedi Academy, no question about it, but Luke's midichlorian count almost matched his father's it was so high.

Specifically, his ability to sense others came in handy quite often.

"Your abilities will serve you well one day when you rule," he could hear his father say in his head.

When you rule.

Those words echoed through Luke's head over and over again.

Since he could remember, all he had been brought up to do was to take his father's place one day. That might've been another reason Leia was so skilled with a lightsaber, she had had more training then him. More time. More freedom. While he had been taken to observe military tactic meetings, territorial disputes, and political meetings, his sister had been free to learn. To explore. To find herself. While she was a princess, she was the spare not the heir.

Unlike Luke. The Imperial Crown Prince.

If only Leia had been born two minutes before him, instead of after. Then she would be in line for the throne.

She'd probably be much better at it then him.

Leia was a natural at politics, a strong leader by nature. It'd be better if she was the heir, she was his favorite after all.

Only because he never expects anything from her, Luke reminded himself.

As the Imperial Palace came into view, Luke mentally prepared himself for another day, and cleared his mind of any negativity.

He parked his speeder on the landing pad and started walking inside as a trooper went to move his speeder. He found Major Cody waiting for him at the entrance to the palace.

"Your Highness," the old commander greeted him with a slight bow of the head.

"Major, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Luke asked him, looking over the ageing clone.

"I've been sent to tell you that your father requests your entrance at the main landing bay of the palace, and have been given orders to escort you there personally," the officer informed him.

"The landing bay? I didn't know any official visitors were arriving today," Luke responded with confusion.

"It was a last minute arrival, sir. An emergency transport," Cody told him as he gestured for Luke to walk with him and they went off in the direction towards the main landing bay.

Luke looked over at the Major for a second. Cody was one of the last clones who still served his father. Most had retired or perished in battle, but a few that his father had promoted to higher ranks were still around. Though, like Cody, they wore the usual Imperial officer uniform now, no longer an active soldier.

"So who is this emergency transport?" Luke asked him as they reached the landing bay, where several troopers stood by and servant's waited. Luke also noticed that several Imperial Nobles were present.

"Your mother," Cody answered him.

Luke looked over in shock. His mother? Padme' hadn't stepped foot on Coruscant in over ten years. Not since Luke and Leia were barely four and even then, Luke didn't remember a time in his childhood before the days of flying back and forth from Naboo to Coruscant, from parent to parent, until their father had decided that they were old enough to not need their mother all of the time. And they were the Imperial Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess. Their place was at the palace with the Emperor, their father.

Cody noticed Luke's surprise.

"There was an attempt on Her Majesty's life and your father decided it was safer for her here."

Sure he did, Luke nodded. That was his father's excuse but Luke knew he would use any excuse to bring her back. But he was right, Padme' was safer with them.

After he brought Luke and Leia back to Coruscant, his father begged Padme' to return. Well, he had begged at first. Then he had requested. And then ordered. But his Empress still refused him, so one day he just stopped asking.

While Luke had understood his mother's want to stay away from her husband, it still hurt him that she didn't return. Leia wasn't so understanding, and had completely cut Padme' out. She'd said it was because her mother had outright disrespected the Emperor and in doing so, had disrespected the Empire itself. Luke however, knew the truth. He sensed her pain and the feeling of reject that had plagued her, but he didn't bother her about it.

Luke was pulled out his thoughts as he spotted a Nubian starship approaching the palace.

Padme' took a shaky breath as the captain informed her of their entrance into Coruscant's atmosphere. And took a long hard look at herself in the mirror of her cabin.

While she didn't look the exact same as she had at twenty-four, she was still beautiful. Some liked to say that she had become more gorgeous with age. Her cheek bones had become stronger features, making her look even more daring and strong then she had been. Her hair had still not greyed, but had lost some of its bounce and would now lay out in soft curls instead of bouncy curls. She was still fit, purposely keeping up with self-defense training as she had in her senatorial days.

"Padme'", Sabe' said as she came to her door. "We're landing."

Padme' nodded, took another breath as she looked away from the mirror and strode out of the room with her shoulders high.

Time to go back to being a true royal, she thought to herself.

As Padme' walked down the ramp, with Sabe' and Captain Perry behind her on either side, she observed the scene. Troopers stood in two parallel lines facing each other, leading from Padme's ship. Past them she saw a small crowd of people, servants and Nobles alike, all dying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Empress.

Padme' looked away from them and forgot all about them when she saw her son.

He stood by the main entrance, hands resting behind his back and standing tall, just like a prince should.

Padme' couldn't help the smile that broke on her lips. And she quickly made her way over to Luke and outstretched her hands.

"Oh Luke, look at you!" she exclaimed as he took her hands in his own.

"Hello, Mother", he greeted her with a kind smile.

She looked over him and realized he was nearly a man. He towered over her small frame, not nearly as much as his father but still tall. She recognized her husband in him though. His sandy blonde hair had not lost its color, though now it was kept a little shorter and neater then when he was a child. And his piercing blue eyes were the exact same shade as his fathers.

"You're so handsome, nearly a man", she said as she placed a hand on his cheek. He took it in his hand and kissed her palm.

"It's good to see you, Mother", he paused for a moment. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you dearly, my son", she responded and he smiled at her again and then went to greet Sabe'.

"Lady Sabe', it's good to see you. I hope you are well", he told her.

"I am, Your Grace, thank you", she answered politely.

"Come", Luke told them and then turned and held his hand out for his mother. "I'll escort you to your chambers."

As they got to the large suite, Padme' noticed it looked familiar.

"This is…" she started as she walked farther into the room and laid her hand on the back of the couch.

"The very same", Luke answered her, still close to the door, while servants started to move her things into the room, directed by Sabe'.

Padme' remembered this suite as a part of time that was blurred, confusing. A time when she was trying convince herself that her husband was still the same man who married her.

At that thought, Padme' looked over to Luke in a slight panic, as she remembered this room was meant for two people.

"He doesn't still-"

"Father sleeps in his own personal quarters, close to the throne room", Luke answered, understanding her panic.

She nodded and tried not to let the relief she was feeling show.

"I'm supposed to be at a combat report in a few minutes so I'll leave you to get settled", he said as he started to turn.

"Will you come back later?" she quickly asked him, suddenly desperate for some more time with him.

"Of course", he said with a small smile.

"Your Majesty", he respectfully bowed and then left her chamber.

Padme' sighed.

While Luke was obviously happy to see her, he had been living with his father since he was ten, and that had obviously not been easy on him.

Padme' spent the rest of the day with Sabe', arranging her quarters to her liking. When they were in the bedroom in the early evening, she heard the door open to the suite and several servants hushed.

"Milady", a small girl said as she ran into the bedroom. "The Emperor is here."

Padme' could feel her stomach drop. She looked over to Sabe', who nodded at her, then made her way out into the living area.

As she rounded the corner of the hallway and stepped into the large room, she saw him.

He turned to her, and looked her up and down. With a slight smirk, and giving a small nod of the head, Darth Vader greeted her.

"Hello, Wife."