I wish to thank jedi1952 for the betareading of this fiction. Telling she did a great work is an understatement, because she fixed my poor English and also helped me to improve the scenes and characters, pointing out with precision where problems were. I owe her a lot.

DECLARATION: This fiction is written just for fun and I'm not making money with it. Characters and Star Wars galaxy belong to Lucasfilm and Disney, of course. For original characters and places, I used names taken from the real world, but I chose them just because they sound good in this fiction and so they aren't related to any real person or historical fact: any resemblance is purely coincidental.

CHAPTER 4

The next morning, Luke woke up early as usual, while Asha still slept. He watched her for a while, trying to get used at the idea to be bound to her now. He hadn't a clue how that would change his life.

Leaving her to her dreams, he stood up, went in the refresher to dress and then in the sitting-room. His usual breakfast had been delivered by the droid and was on the table, in front of a second tray. He took his pad from the small sideboard and sat down. He inserted the memory card and opened the decrypted data in the editor. As he scrolled them, he brought his mug to his lips and sipped the hot chocolate. The shorter texts were absolutely clear: descriptions, dimensions, details of Death Star parts. The longer strings were still unreadable with the text editor, but now he was pretty sure they would be viewed as images under a suitable CAD program. After scrolling some pages, he turned off the pad, putting it on the table, disconnected the card and hide it again in his tunic.

He smiled in satisfaction: he had succeeded. It had been difficult, it had been dangerous, but he had done it anyway.

Examination of the data would be interesting, but he was aware it was impossible for him: he should have spent several days in the Executor EDP, using a couple of computers and some droids. Just unthinkable. At this point, he had to pass the card to the Alliance as soon as possible: the more time the memory card would stay in his hands, the more he was in danger.

But how to deliver it? It was difficult thinking how to contact them behind his father's back. And even if he was able, any Rebel would just see him as Vader's henchman. None of them would ever trust him.

As soon as he formulated that thought, he realized it wasn't exactly true. Senator Leia Organa had trusted him once in the past… and he had trusted her.

The wide indelible scar in his side ached automatically at the memory of the duel against his father and of the Princess' escape. A part of himself told he couldn't blame her: there had been nothing she had been able to do. But another part felt betrayed and abandoned: she had persuaded him to rebel and then she had gone away to her lovely family, leaving him alone to face Vader's anger.

Indeed, the Dark Lord's reaction had been relatively lenient. He had switched his blade off before the damage had been irreparable. Then he had given him the best medical care. He had allowed anesthesia and painkillers: any other Sith Master wouldn't have done so, since acute pain was a great fuel to burn the dark side fire. At last, he had even lied to Palpatine to cover his son's attempt to escape, telling him the wound had been a punishment for his incompetence in letting the prisoner run away. The Emperor had laughed pleased, blabbing something about finally Vader being serious in his Sith Master's role to correct the boy's failings. So, the young man had been saved from an extensive dose of Force lightning, and maybe even from death. That had made Luke feel more loyal to his father, even if his longing for freedom had never really ended.

In spite all this, the month after his wounding had been the hardest of his whole life. He had spent it torn between feelings of dread and abandonment, post-operative pains and dreams of escape. At last, his father had forbidden him any talk with the Princess... as if he had been Luke's own idea to abduct her! Wishing just to forget, once and for all he had been happy to obey: he had never cast a glance to her anymore.

Yet, now the more he thought about her, the more she appeared his only contact with rebels.

He opened the intranet and looked through the institutional schedule. Today the Senate assembly was fixed. Luke was well aware the Old Republic body would be definitively dissolved soon. The Assembly hadn't any real power anymore and those last meetings were just formality. Palpatine allowed them just to keep quiet nostalgic people, who would have rioted, if the dissolution hadn't been smooth. In spite of the absolute futility of this afternoon's meeting, he presumed Senator Organa would attend anyway, considering her zeal.

Theoretically, nothing prevented him from watching the meeting in the reserved area for important visitors. Practically, the very problem was he never went in Senate. It would be impossible that his presence would be unnoticed and soon the rumor would spread in the Court. He needed to figure out a good excuse that avoided his father questioning him about.

"Good morning," Asha forced him out of his thoughts. She wore a simpler, yet not less colorful dress than the day before and her black hair was tied in a long plait.

Luke greeted her with a nod. "Your breakfast is here yet."

She neared and sat down in front of him. She raised the thermal cover of her tray and looked in puzzlement at the content.

"Hot chocolate and brioche," he explained.

"Never tasted," she answered, taking her mug and sipping. Her nose wrinkled. "It's much sweet," she noted without enthusiasm.

"You can order whatever you want for next days," he said. "This is my usual breakfast. Not knowing your tastes, I guess they copied mine for today."

She shook her head. "It's all right. It's just a little amazing: we aren't used to eat so sweet meal in Ujjain." And she drank again, trying to show herself adaptable.

They sat in silence for a while without any topic to hold a conversation. Luke looked down at the pad on the table, but he didn't read anymore. Asha looked around the sitting-room, then she ended up fixing her gaze on the sky traffic out the window.

At last, she broke the ice. "So, is this our house?" Her tone was mild, but it was easy to detect amazed disappointment.

He looked at her in surprise and nodded, blushing slightly. He had never thought before, but he suddenly saw how modest his quarters were: a bedroom, a refresher and the sitting-room where they were. Yet, it wasn't really the small dimension that struck him for the very first time, but the lack of décor. In the bedroom, the bed was the only furniture: the few draws under it had been always enough for his tunics (but he doubted that would be for her dresses, too). The sitting-room had just a table, a small sideboard and a sofa, everything of the same depressing grey like the rest of the military building he lived in. There were no pictures, no plants, no curtains, no knick-knacks. Those rooms weren't different from the conference-rooms, from the troopers' quarters or from the service rooms. They weren't at all how the heir of the Empire's rooms were expected to be. Most minor Moffs and local governors' houses were much richer than that. He had never cared before, so why did it bother him of all sudden?

"Maybe I could try to decorate a bit?" she tried carefully.

"Why not?" he shrugged, watching back his pad.

"Are you working?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head, not wishing to answer. "Just checking my mails."

"Are you going to work later?" she pressed.

He raised again his glance to her, not understanding where she really wanted to go. "I don't know. When it's necessary I'm given a mission, but often without notice."

"So, what do you do, when you are at home?" she carried on.

He began to get annoyed at her questioning, but he wanted to prove himself to be kind. "Every day, after lunch, I trained a couple of hours with my father. If there's a chance, I test new ships and weapons. I study stuff about the Empire and the government, when I'm ordered to. That's all. Mostly I'm just at Lord Vader's beck and call."

She looked at him puzzled. "What am I expected to do here?"

He shook his head. "I haven't really a clue." He understood she guessed she would be soon bored to death and a dim idea began to form in his mind. "Would you like to visit Imperial City today?"

"Sure," she answered with enthusiasm.

"There are many historical palaces, some interesting museums and botanic gardens." He paused. "We could even see the session of the Senate this afternoon," he added casually as if it had been an afterthought.

"That would be interesting! We haven't any similar assembly on Ujjain," she stated.

Luke smiled at her in approval: here was the good excuse he was looking for!

After several hours, in the afternoon, they sat in the visitors' upper area of the Senate.

"Wow! It's huge! I feel almost giddy!", Asha noted, looking down at the Senate countless white shells clustered around the Head of State's central one.

Luke forced himself not to sneer. This girl was a princess even in her gracious poses and in her royal attitude. But, since Ujjain was just a modest planet in an insignificant System, everything they had visited that day in the core of the Empire had left her in wonderment. Still, he had to admit you couldn't get really used to the impressive view of the Senate.

The assembly was almost at the end and the young Sith waited for the right moment to act: after all, he wasn't here for tourism. He looked for the shell of Alderaan System. It was difficult to find among the many flying ones, but he was rewarded seeing Senator Leia Organa in her place, as he had foreseen. Her brown eyes were still proud like he remembered them. Young like him, she appeared to be somehow more mature now.

Suddenly, the Senator seemed to become aware she was being watched and gazed directly at him, surprise and inquisitiveness clear on her face.

Not wishing to draw attention, Luke turned to look at his companions in the visitors' area. Mostly they were minor Moffs taken to establish new social relations for the improvement of their political and economic affairs. Disgusting: fortunately the dissolution of the Senate will close that market soon. But at the moment it was just what he needed.

He searched for someone he knew. He recognized Moff Enrich, sitting next a beautiful blue Twi'lek. But, he doubted the governor would be glad to talk with him. His father had made death threats to him a couple of times. Not far away, he saw also Grand Moff Ricci. His regional policy meshed well with the Army needs and so they could share some interesting information. Unfortunately, at the moment, he had no partner near him to befriend Asha. At his left, he found finally someone who was suitable, Grand Moff Long and his wife.

As soon as the assembly was adjourned, Luke stood up and, with a gesture, invited his wife, "Let's go. I will introduce you to a couple."

She nodded, happy to start any relationship in Coruscant. "Your friends?"

He blinked in amazement. "A politician and his wife. Sith haven't friends," he answered.

Unsure what to say at that statement, she followed him in silence.

The Grand Moff couldn't completely hide his surprise in seeing Luke there. Yet, he knew better than asking. He recollected and bowed his head slightly to greet him, fully aware the young Sith was probably the heir of the Empire. "Lord Skywalker is a pleasure to meet you."

"Indeed my pleasure, Grand Moff Long," he returned the politeness and to the wife: "Madame." He put a kindly hand on Asha's shoulder next him. "Let me introduce you Asha Jagjit, Princess of Ujjain in the Avanti System, my wife."

She made a perfect gracious bow.

Madame Long gave her a motherly smile: "We had the honour of attending your wedding yesterday. It was a really moving ceremony."

Her tone was so kind and sincere that Luke had almost believed her, if he didn't feel different in the Force. That woman was more of a politician than her husband.

"Are you comfortable in Coruscant, my gracious Princess?" she went on.

Asha smiled shyly. "I don't know anything here. Today Lord Skywalker has shown me part of Imperial City, but I guess I must still familiarize."

"Of course. It's always difficult for us following our husbands here," she played an affectionate glance to the Grand Moff. "After so many years, I'm still homesick, when I'm here, and I long for the return home. Yet, with time, you will make friends. For example, I met a lot of people helping in the administration of an orphanage of Grand Moff Tarkin's foundation."

"That's interesting," the younger woman answered. "What a good initiative."

"We will be honoured having your visit," Madame Long went on. "I would introduce you Madame Tarkin, she is a really lovely host. She practically manages the foundation, being her husband is always busy."

Luke was bored and didn't really listen to the exchange, he had watched furtively at Senator Organa. She was beginning to pick up her things. He had to go now.

"Sorry," he cut them abruptly, "I must absent just for a moment." Not elaborating further, he turned to Asha. "Wait for me here: I'm afraid you could get lost. I will back soon." Then, almost to redeem himself with the Longs for the rudeness of that fast departure, he added smiling: "I leave you in good company."

As the Grand Moff tried to hide his disappointment, his wife greeted graciously: "Thank you, my Lord."

He was already turned to go away, when at his back he heard Asha tell Madame Long: "I'd really liked visiting the foundation…"

He ran down the crowded stairs and reached the hangars. The Alderaanian ship was quite isolated. The political situation for that planet had grown hard in the last years, because the Organas' policy was in the absolute minority in the Senate.

Luke hid among the strong columns and waited.

Leia was coming alone, her steps echoing.

The young Sith slid silently from behind her and whispered: "Senator Organa."

She started and he was forced to quickly put a hand on her mouth to stop her from shouting. Then, she recognized him and looked at him in fright.

"I'll let you go immediately, if you promise not to yell," he said. "Don't be afraid."

She nodded and got freed. "What do you want? Last time you put your hand on my mouth, you abducted me," she spat defiantly.

"Last time you talked to me, I spent three weeks in a med center," he replied and he was satisfied to see the sense of guilty flickering in her eyes.

But she pretended it hadn't. "Even more so, I don't understand what you want. I was under the impression it would be unhealthy for both of us being caught to talk." Her tone dropped with sarcasm referring to Vader's abrupt threats.

Luke took out the memory card from his pocket and handed it to her. "Take that!"

She took it uncertainly and looked at him, puzzled.

"They are secret plans of a new battle station that is being tested at the moment," he explained.

Leia wasn't persuaded. "How do I know it isn't a trap?"

"I'm sure you have resources to make to check," he answered drily.

She nodded. "What so special in this station that you are facing this danger?"

Luke looked furtively at his back. "Examine the data and you'll see. If I stay longer, I risk too much."

Making a decision, she hid the card inside a pocket of her tunic.

Satisfied, he turned to go away, but he heard her voice behind him asking : "Why?"

He sighed. "I have a conscience, too", he murmured and ran away.

After he had gone some distance, he met Asha. She had surely been far enough away to have not overheard their conversation and probably had not even identified Senator Organa. Yet, it wasn't a nice surprise anyway. "What are you doing here?" he harshly addressed her.

Puzzled, she explained. "Grand Moff Long and his wife went away. I was alone and you didn't come back. So, I looked for you."

Luke was worried and not very interested in her reasons. "I told you to wait there for me," he scolded drily.

She nodded in acknowledgment, but didn't let go. "Who is that woman?"

"No one you must care about," he dismissed.

Asha pretended she hadn't seen the implicit warning and pressed. "I'm aware our wedding was arranged for political alliance. I can understand…"

Annoyed both by her insistence and innuendo, he grabbed her tunic. "You understood nothing. It isn't like you think." He lowered his tone to a whisper. "Forget what you saw or you'll kill us all. Coruscant is a more dangerous place than it looks like. Don't see and don't hear anything for your own sake," he threatened and released her, just to point a finger in front of her face. "And when I give an order, I expect to be obeyed."

She lowered her head in an uneasy silence.

Satisfied by her submission, he turned abruptly to stride to their transport, not caring she almost had to run to follow him. He sat in the driver's seat and realized he had left her behind. He watched her, while she reached the ship and sat too.

Asha avoided looking at him. She was obviously confused and afraid.

Of course she was, Luke became aware, he had acted and spoken just like his father would have done. He was disgusted by himself. He turned his eyes away shamefully and put the ship in motion to go back home. While flying in the Coruscant traffic, he apologized. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "But it wasn't supposed to be like that."

"I know," she answered quietly, "I had to wait there for you."

He shook his head. "I don't mean that. Sith aren't supposed to marry."

She suddenly looked at him in amazement. "Would you want to be alone for all your life?"

Luke was puzzled, he had always tried not to think about that possibility, but it was the logical consequence of what he had said. No, he didn't like his loneliness. He had faint memories of his babyhood, unclear images of his foster mother hugging him and his foster father fondly ruffling his hair. He wasn't able to remember their names, but the love and the happiness he had felt were imprinted forever in his mind. He would have craved for those feelings again, yet he didn't dare hold out hope. That time had gone and now he was trapped in this Sith life he hated. He had no wish to draw someone else into it and he suddenly realized how afraid he was to hurt someone as profoundly as he had been hurt. "That isn't the point," he said at last, "we can't manage a family."

Asha frowned in confusion. "Your father does," she stated with an asking look.

"Yeah," he rolled his eyes, sighing, "a shining example why Sith shouldn't have family."

"So I take it you aren't happy with our wedding?" She appeared really disappointed. After all, what he had said shouldn't have sounded very warm towards her.

"Look, I didn't just want it from the beginning. So, it's nothing related to you," he explained, trying to set right his slip.

"Our marriage is nothing related to me?" she noted, almost mocking.

He cast a glance to her and then he look back to the traffic. He was uncertain about what to say: he had never been good with words. Plus, he realized he hadn't a clue how she felt about their marriage, he hadn't just thought about that. "Did you agree with the wedding?" he asked at last.

"I've always wished to be married," she answered.

"I understood your father arranged it," he perplexedly told her.

"He did," she confirmed, "and it was something I was waiting for a while. Most of my friends have been married a few years."

What she was saying sounded bizarre to Luke. "But with someone you didn't choose at all?"

"That's usual on Ujjain," she explained.

"Do you mean that no girl chooses her husband on your planet?" he wondered. He was aware that many weddings at the Imperial Court were arranged for convenience, but the marrying pair was always involved at some level. For as he knew, he was the only man who had first met his bride on the day of the wedding.

"By tradition husbands are chosen just by families," she answered.

"But how can you marry someone you don't love?" Not that he really cared about married life on Ujjain, but he couldn't say he wasn't curious about such an odd tradition.

"I will eventually love you." It looked like she wanted to reassure him.

He hadn't intended to bring it on to their personal level. He wasn't expecting love from her. He couldn't demand that much. He didn't even know if he was able to give love back to someone. A simple civilized cohabitation seemed quite enough of a hard task for a Sith. So, the quiet certitude he had felt in her tone was both scary and appealing at the same time, but misplaced. He didn't want to nourish hopes, just to suffer when they would be shattered. "But why? You don't even know who I am," he pointed out with an unintentional harsh edge in his voice.

"I know you are my husband," she just stated.

Luke cast an amazed glance to her again. That was close to the same strange thought he had the day before during the ceremony. When the idea she was going to be his woman came out from nowhere. But that wasn't a real reason, was it?

In front of his thoughtful silence, Asha added: "I will always stand by you."

What was that? A promise? A goal? And why? You couldn't just order feelings to come out from your inside as you liked. Luke didn't understand: "How can you force yourself to love someone?"

"I will force nothing: it will come naturally," she tried to explain. "I didn't choose my parents, my brothers or my sisters, yet I love them all. I love their strengths and their faults, because they are my family. I didn't choose the planet where I was born, but I love its people and its landscapes, because it is my home planet. In the same way, I will grow fond of you too."

He laughed softly, shaking his head. He wasn't much experienced on romantic matters. That hypocritical father of his had always babbled a lot about how dangerous women were and forbidden him any love story, until the day he had suddenly forced him into wedding. But growing fond of someone wasn't exactly what he had understood love was. "It doesn't sound like it will be a strong passion."

"Passion passes as quickly as it comes. Fondness grows in years. So, the latter is the true love," she declared.

It didn't sound totally unreasonable. It could even be true, from a certain point of view. But unfortunately Sith usually dealt in absolutes and so he still thought her whole speech was quite weird.

"You can marry whom you love or you can love whom you marry. What's the difference?" Asha added.

Yeah… At the end, what was it? Luke lacked answers.

They had arrived at home. He cast a last glance to her, before focusing on the landing operation.

He had been so angry in the last week about this whole wedding stuff, caring just for his wounded pride, but he hadn't pondered on the implications. After all, now someone was sitting next to him and chatting with him, even promising a sort of tender feeling-to-be for him. Although he didn't believe this last part possible, her mere company was much more than what he had been able to hope for just ten days ago. And so, was it really important how and why that had happened? He became aware he had two options: keeping his rage and wasting what he was given, or letting it go and taking the best from that situation.

For the very first time in his life, he imaged himself coming back home and kissing his wife. He imaged them speaking casually and laughing together about something. He imaged himself being able to share with her a sorrow or a joy. He imaged himself ruffling their young child's hair and then playing with him, or doing whatever conventional fathers do in their spare time with their children...

He stopped abruptly his daydreaming: he had gone too far now. It didn't matter what she said or how much he longed for close relationships, he was still an enslaved Sith apprentice. He could try to value her company, but he couldn't allow himself that much hope: it wouldn't be healthy for both of them.