The next day, the little one was back to his usual, high-maintenance, self. I was half-glad, half-annoyed. I could have used another day of rest.

"Play twenty questions!" The little one shrieked, bouncing up to the bars of my cell.

I rolled over, still tired. "Okay, okay…"

"Come back here, Luke. You're sitting at the table for breakfast today." Father scooped the little one up from behind and placed him on a chair at the table.

"But I wanna be with Cliegg!" The little one insisted.

"No, Luke. You have to eat at the table sometimes." I think Father was trying to give me a chance at sleep.

"Wanna be with-"

"No. Eat your breakfast."

The little one shot a glare at Father, then started to eat. "Please play twenty questions?" He asked me.

Father started to tell him not to bother me, but I nodded. "Okay, you start."

He smiled cheerfully, "Okay! I'm ready!"

"Plant, animal, or mineral?" I asked.

"Hey! Yes/No questions only!"

"I know, that's the exception to the rule!"

"Really?"

Father brought the little one's food to the table, "Cliegg is right. And, Luke, you're going to be having a babysitter today."

"Minera- but Daddy, Cliegg can keep me safe! I don't need a babysitter!" The little one looked furiously at Father.

"Luke, Cliegg is in a cell. If something attacked you he couldn't protect you. No offence, Cliegg, but he couldn't protect himself." Father smiled at the little one.

I grinned, "None taken."

Father smiled at me, and then turned back to the little one. "So you're having a babysitter."

The little one scowled. "But I hate my babysitter! He's strict and he doesn't understand me!"

Father sat down across from him and started in on his own meal. "I know you don't like him. I hired another person to do it today. And this time I want you to avoid lighting a fire, okay? That might be why your other babysitter won't let you in the kitchen anymore."

I stifled a laugh.

"I didn't know that'd happen," the little one muttered.

Father smiled again, "Luke, it is common sense that if you stick something flammable near flame it will catch fire."

I couldn't hold back the laughter that time. I got one heck of a glare from the little one. "I just wanted to know for sure!"

Father rolled his eyes at me, over the little one's head. "Right. This argument is over. The babysitter will be here any moment. And I don't want any more complaints; it's your pet I'm going to get."

At this, the little one perked up a bit. "Snakey's all better now?"

"He should be." Father smiled gently.

"What happened to your snake?" I asked, curiously.

"Luke has been feeding his snake vegetables instead of the mice he's supposed to feed it. That's not exactly a recommended diet and the snake is somewhat ill. It's been at the vet since you arrived." I noticed that Father was speaking the way he used to speak, when he was still wearing his uniform. It was strange to hear, but it clearly made the little one listen.

"Oh, I was wondering what had happened." I nodded.

The doorbell rang, and Father left to get it. The little one hopped off his chair and brought what remained of his breakfast over to me. He slipped through the bars and sat down, pulling out some paper to draw on.

I took some too and started my own drawing. He looked down at it eagerly and started trying to draw the same thing.

After a few moments, I heard the little one's baby sitter coming up the stairs. The little one pointedly turned his back.

I stared over the little one's head. I hadn't been thinking we would have any particular babysitter, but I certainly hadn't expected to see Tank standing at the top of the stairs. He stared at me. I stared back at him.

"Tank?" I mouthed.

He didn't respond. Instead he came up to the cell and addressed the little one. "Luke! What are you doing in that cell?"

The little one moved a little farther into the cell. "I'm drawing pictures, what does it look like I'm doing?"

Tank was still not looking at me. "It looks to me like you're consorting with a dangerous rebel. Get out of there right now."

I was lost. Didn't Tank recognise me? Didn't he remember all the times we played together back on Tatooine? Or did he recognise me? Was it possible that he was calling me these things to show that our friendship meant nothing to him?

"Daddy doesn't mind when I play with Cliegg. Daddy, please tell him you don't mind," the little one said, still not turning around.

"Your daddy has already left, Luke. Come out right now."

"No. I'm staying here." The little one finished his drawing and pulled another towards himself.

Tank looked at me, and if I didn't know better, I'd think there was fear in his eyes. "Don't make me get you out."

The little one dropped his drawing and folded his arms. "I'm telling Daddy you threatened me."

Tank looked at me again, and now I was sure that he wasn't feeling any kind of friendship. "If that's how this is going to work, then I'll tell your daddy that you wouldn't listen to me. And that you were consorting with this scum."

His words made me flinch. "Thanks a lot."

The little one looked at me understandingly, "Don't listen to him, Cliegg. He's a jerk."

I smiled in spite of myself.

Tank's voice pulled me out of my reverie. "That does it, Kid. Out you come." He pulled a ring of keys off his belt and dragged the little one out of my cell. I saw my little brother's jaws close on Tank's hand, but he didn't react.

"Stay out of here," Tank told the little one as he locked my cell behind him.

The little one darted back through the bars, racing straight towards me. Tank caught the back of his shirt and pulled him back out. "If you won't be mature enough to do what I say, I'll have to hold you down and not let you move at all. Stay out of that cell. Would your mommy and daddy want you to act like this?"

I knew instantly that he had taken a bad step. My brother's eyes were instantly filled with tears. He sniffled and looked up at Tank with huge eyes. I was just waiting for Tank to put him down and tell him that he could play with me if he wanted to, but Tank just rolled his eyes.

"Stop being stupid, Luke. You can't play with the rebel."

My brother's eyes got even bigger, and I saw him go limp, wracked by sobs.

"Tank, that's not why he's-"

"Shut up! Shut up, rebel!" Tank shouted furiously.

I shrank back, and saw Tank try to hug the little one. My brother locked eyes with me, and he looked sad. Then the blue turned yellow, as I had seen our father's eyes change. A five year old Sith. What a frightening thought. I used the Force to let myself out of my cell and started to move over to him.

Tank heard my cell's lock click, and he turned to see me coming out, reaching out to the little one, hoping to comfort him. He let go of my brother instantly, and I considered going back into my cell. Seeing the little one's shoulders shaking, I decided that I should comfort him before I did that.

Tank stepped around the little one and flew at me. The next thing I knew, I was pinned to the floor, unable to move.

"Hey! Let me up, I'm not going to hurt any-"

Tank punched me in the face, and I felt my nose break. I bit my lip in an effort to hold back tears. The little one turned to look at me, and I was glad to see that his eyes were blue again.

Tank pulled back and hit me again. I tried to roll out of the way, but we called him Tank for a reason. He was strong. My efforts simply caused the punch to connect with the side of my nose, rather than right on it and I felt the cartilage slipping over itself painfully.

Tank was moving faster than I'd ever seen him move before, beating me badly. After just a few moments, I knew that I was bleeding in several places, and that I would be fairly evenly bruised over my entire body, come tomorrow.

I was rolled onto my stomach, and Tank's large hand was holding my bad arm against my back. He continued to beat me with his other three limbs. I felt tears racing down my cheeks, and I was aware of nothing but the pain, and the hatred in Tank's face.

Suddenly the pain became consistent. I looked up into Tank's face and the look of fury was frozen, I could see his hand shaking as though he were fighting to connect with me again. In the sudden stillness, I realized that the little one had levitated several things, as though he was about to start to throw them into the fight. Or had I done that? I also noticed that my arm was bleeding again. Tank's twisting had torn my newly healed flesh apart.

"Lieutenant, release the prisoner. Luke, let those drop. Do it now." It was Father. I've never been so glad to hear someone in my entire life. Tank released me, and I was able to drag myself away from him.

I turned to look at Father, knew I was crying, almost addressed him as 'Father'. I managed not to, and just watched as he lowered the items the little one had been holding to the ground. My brother ran to retrieve his snake, which was curled around Father's wrist.

As soon as the snake had been returned to its owner, Father came over to where I was lying on the floor, still whimpering helplessly. "What were you thinking, Sunber? Why did you hurt them like this?"

He picked me up and rubbed some of the blood away from my nose. I closed my eyes and rolled towards him. I just wanted him to protect me. He nodded down at me, and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried on his shoulder.

"The boy wanted to be with him and wouldn't listen to me. Then he let himself out of his cell to hurt the boy." Tank spat out the last sentence. I didn't care what he accused me of at the moment. I just wanted to be held and loved. A moment later, the little one had his arms around me too.

"Luke?" Father asked, wanting the little one's account of the events.

"I just wanted to play with Cliegg. He wasn't trying to hurt me. He was trying to make it better when the sitter hurt me. Then the sitter hurt him. I was trying to protect him." I could feel my brother's lips moving against my back, where he was pressing himself.

"Cliegg, what do you think happened?" Father asked gently, moving me out of his arms so that I could see Tank. I pulled the little one into my arms and held him close.

I sniffled in an attempt to calm myself, and got a mouthful of blood for my effort. "Exactly what Luke said. But I don't think that it's quite fair to Janek. He didn't know what I was doing. I should have explained."

Tank shot me a look that said he didn't need my sympathy and understanding.

"He wouldn't have let you. And he hurt you, so I don't care what he was thinking." The little one glared at Tank from my arms.

Father turned to Tank. "I won't need your services anymore. You should head home."

The little one tried to pull out of my arms at those words. "Don't just let him go! Kill him! Cut him up with your lightsaber!" He gave another tug, as though he felt that he should at least punch Tank. I held him back as gently as I could.

"No, Luke. That's not the solution to everything. But you reminded me, before you go, Lieutenant. Luke, how did he hurt you?" Father brushed the little one's bangs off his forehead.

My brother sniffled and I wrapped my arms a bit tighter, feeling that it was very important that I protect him now. "He talked about Mommy like she was still here. He said she'd be embarrassed by me."

I knew the pain of those lies. I had been lied to about how my parents would feel about me. I remember running home to cry myself to sleep after Fixer or one of the others said something like that.

"Don't cry, Luke. It'll be okay. Your mom wouldn't be ashamed of you no matter what. Lieutenant, you may go."

Tank flat out ran out of the room. I don't blame him, to be honest. In my arms, the little one gave a cold laugh. I looked down at him and saw a Sith's cold, tawny eyes.

Father took him for a moment and caressed his back, then put him down. When he looked at me again, his eyes were blue.

Father stood up, and wrapped my left arm around his neck. He practically carried me down to the medcenter in his basement. When we arrived, he placed me on a table and carefully brushed away more of the blood that was slowly dripping down my face.

The little one looked at me in concern and passed me his snake. I took it gently, "Thank you, Luke."

The snake wound its way up my arm and tried to go into my sleeve. I pulled it back off as carefully as I could, and I heard the little one laughing.

Father gently touched my nose, and I gasped in pain. He wiped away the tear which had slid past my defenses, "I'm sorry, Cliegg, but it looks like that fight broke your nose."

I laughed roughly, which really hurt. "What fight? You were right; I didn't have a hope of defending myself!"

Father nodded, "I'm sorry to hear that. Hold still." He carefully moved an instrument over my nose, and I felt better immediately.

I prodded at my nose curiously, "Thank you."

The little one looked up at me, "Is it all better now?"

"Yes, it's all better." Father tried to help me to my feet, but I was exhausted, and I just fell down again. He looked at me, then gathered me in his arms. I felt the snake slither down my arm and assumed that the little one was taking it.

Father put me down in my cell and wrapped the blanket around me. My brother sat and looked at me concernedly. I moved the blanket up in an invitation to share the warmth and comfort. He crawled up against me and played with his snake absentmindedly.

Soon after, he was asleep. I took the snake from his hands to make sure before calling out to my father.

"Father?"

He came into the cell and sat beside me. Seeing the little one asleep in my arms, he said, "Here, I'll take him upstairs, then we won't have to worry that he wakes up when we're talking."

I nodded, and Father took my brother and his snake up to his room. A few moments later, Father was back.

"He's in bed. What do you need?"

"Father, when you hired Janek, did you know that we knew each other?"

Father sighed and sat beside me, taking my head in his lap. "I knew. He was the person I learned of you from. But when he told me, he seemed hesitant, afraid to give you up. I thought that you would be happy to see each other. Instead, it seems that he took it as some kind of threat, or trick."

"I'm not angry. I just wanted to know."

"I know, Luke." It was good to hear my name applied to me again.

"Speaking of anger, when Ta-Janek was hurting me, the little one's eyes turned yellow. Are you training him as a Sith?"

Father shook his head, "No. I wouldn't do that. He displayed that Sith-characteristic because he is part Sith."

"But I am too. Do my eyes turn yellow when I'm angry?" I asked, worried.

"No. As I'm sure you've guessed, your little brother is a clone."

"Yes, I know." I nodded.

"And he is mostly a clone of you."

"Mostly?" I questioned.

"Yes. You see, a clone that is expressly one person is terribly fragile. So a bit of different genetic data had to be added. There is not a lot of the other donor, but he is the Emperor. When I say not a lot, I mean next to none. But what little genetic data he shares with the Emperor is enough to make his eyes turn yellow when he is angry."

I giggled nervously, "You mean he's basically what would happen if Palpatine and I had a kid?"

Father smiled at me sympathetically, "I know it's hard to accept."

I felt suddenly queasy. "That's ludicrous. You're making this up, right?"

"I'm afraid not."

"But why the Emperor? Why didn't they just use your genetic data?"

"Because you're my son. It wouldn't be enough of a difference to use me. That would just have made him a little bit less like your mother."

"So he's like the Emperor?"

Father kissed my cheek, "Not really. The only similarity is the yellow eyes when he's angry. Other than that, he's you. When his eyes turn yellow it doesn't even mean that he's that angry. It just seems that Palpatine has a bit of a pigment problem that was passed on to him."

I shivered. "I don't like that thought."

Father held me carefully, "I'm not too fond of it either. Just don't think about it too much. He's still your little brother. He's still an innocent little kid."

I nodded. Then I closed my eyes and pressed against my father's neck.

"That's it, Luke. Just sleep now. It won't hurt anymore, when morning comes."

I wrapped my arms a little tighter, and he wrapped the blanket around me and held me until I was asleep.