The practice sessions in the hangar bay had proved to be an excellent idea. Artoo and Threepio were far more useful than mere sentries to ensure he didn't hit anything. They were both programmed with complete piloting functions, and, unlike his father, gave both practical advice and positive encouragement.
Luke had been relieved to find his father busy with work for the next week, lest he try again to lecture him about growing up too fast. Although, as lectures went, that had been on the mild side, but he had no desire to repeat it. Ben had laughed for ages when he'd told him about the visit to the Grand Moff's residence and the subsequent discussion. If nothing else, it was good that the trials of his life provided amusement for his friend.
When another weekend of being confined to quarters rolled around again, Luke began to feel desperate to get back into the sky where he belonged. His father had only criticized him half as much last time, which he supposed he had to take as an improvement. If it wasn't for the troublesome parking, perhaps he'd already have his license.
All he needed were some final practice sessions on a busy landing pad, the kind he'd likely have to face in the test. His father hadn't mentioned anything about taking him out, but Luke had made a point of following the news on the Higemon system. As he had hoped, it seemed war had been averted. Perhaps his father had forgotten. He'd like to remind him, but his father was likely over at Imperial military HQ or the detention center. Using his comlink wouldn't go down well if he was interrupted in the middle of something important.
Luke considered it for a moment, and then sat down at his computer. In a few seconds, he had entered a message to his father.
Father,
Is there any chance of a flying session this weekend?
He sent it to his father's mailbox id, and then lay down on his bed, staring at a model ship that hung from the ceiling. A moment later, his computer made a noise like an engine revving, indicating a reply. Luke stood up in surprise, and then brought the reply up on the monitor.
Luke,
1) This is my high priority mailbox. Do not use it unless you have something high priority to say.
2) If you wish to talk to me, walk across the hallway.
Luke grinned, and then turned to leave his bedroom. He followed his father's presence to the meditation room. He didn't bother to knock, seeing as he was already invited, and instead walked in and up to the top step. His father was sitting in the middle with the jaws of the chamber open, reading a viewscreen.
"Well?" Luke said. "Was that a yes?"
"Did you think about what I said like you agreed to do?"
"Um … yes," Luke said, carefully. "I thought about it." It wasn't a lie. He had certainly thought about how out of touch his father was with what it was like to be young.
"Did you reach any conclusions?"
"What conclusions did you want me to reach?" Luke asked.
His father was silent for a long while, staring at him blankly. Finally, he put down the viewscreen.
"I will meet you in the hangar in ten minutes."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Luke said, running for the door.
Today's flying lesson was more thorough than their earlier sessions. His father made him fly through tunnels, reverse around sharp corners, and merge in and out of busy airways until he was sure he could do all this in his sleep. According to the information he'd read on the HoloNet, it took an average person his age weeks to learn to do all this. He was picking it up quickly, but it still resulted in no praise from his father. No matter how perfectly he executed the most tricky manoeuvre, his father still found something to criticize. The only indication he had that things were going well was when his father suggested they move on to another exercise.
Finally, after they'd just flown around the city for the tenth time, his father asked something which caused Luke's mood to sink lower.
"After practicing with the droids, do you feel your ability to land has now improved?"
"Absolutely," Luke said. "Why?"
"Because there is a good place to demonstrate," his father said, gesturing down at a busy landing pad that was attached to a giant shopping complex.
The pad was marked out into bays, and appeared to hold around fifty speeders. There were similar pads jutting out for as far down as Luke could see. The constant stream of traffic to and from them was like a swarm of insects feeding from a massive pillar of sugar.
"I'll give it a try," Luke said, following behind a speeder heading for the nearest pad.
"Concentrate," his father said. "Use the guidance computer."
"Look at that speeder in front," Luke said, pointing. "There's about six children crammed in there."
"This is why you make mistakes," his father said, glancing at him. "You are staring at the other speeder instead of thinking about what you are doing. Keep both hands on the controls."
"I am concentrating!" Luke said, starting to feel the pressure. If he didn't do this right, he was never going to hear the end of it.
"There is a space," his father said, gesturing as a speeder lifted off from the pad below.
Luke glanced at the monitor. It was a fairly simple landing area on the edge of the pad between two airvans. He brought the speeder around to hover above it and then slowly brought the vehicle down.
"You are crooked," his father said. "You would know that if you looked at the scopes."
Luke glanced up and saw his father was right. He rotated until the speeder was completely parallel to the pad.
"Now you are too far to the right," his father said, sounding weary.
Luke glanced down, and saw if he continued on his present course, he'd snag the airvan on his father's side.
"Hang on," Luke said, flying back up. If he could just get in the right position in the air, landing would be a lot easier. This time, he stared at the scopes and made small adjustments until he was lined up flush with the landing space.
"I think you are too late," his father said.
"Why?"
"You would know if you paid more attention to your surroundings."
"Look, I'm trying!" Luke said, feeling his temper fray. His father was causing him to make mistakes! This would be simple if he was by himself.
"Try harder," his father said, glancing at him. "And perhaps next time the space will still be there by the time you have finished lining up."
Luke stared out the driver's side window and saw a sleek red convertible had slipped in and stolen his space.
"Koochoo sleemo!" Luke yelled, banging his hand on the controls. That was all he needed.
"Luke! What have I told you about using that vile Tatooine street language?"
"That sleemo stole my space!" Luke shouted. "He could see I was lining up to land there, but no, he just had to go and take it!"
"Don't ever use that language again."
"It wasn't even that bad! I know far worse."
"Then I suggest you un-know it. There is a soon to be free space on your left."
Luke glanced over and saw one of the airvans was lifting away. He set his jaw, and quickly shifted the speeder into position. There were other speeders hovering about, obviously intending to steal this space the second he showed any sign of weakness.
"This time, concentrate," his father said unhelpfully.
Luke lined the speeder up as quickly as he could and then brought it down in a single movement. Unfortunately, he wasn't flush with the pad, causing the back half of the speeder to touch down before the front. The hover system whined in protest, and a warning light flashed on the left of the steering thruster.
His father glanced out the back, assessing the situation. "You are crooked on two axes. As usual, your mind was elsewhere."
"Ah!" Luke thumped the seat in frustration.
"A temper tantrum will not solve anything," his father added in an annoyingly emotionless tone.
"Would it kill you to say something encouraging for a change? I'm sick and tired of your constant criticism of everything I do!"
"Luke, if you want to wallow in your pit of self-pity, you will do it on your own time. Now, why don't you try again?"
"You know what your problem is?" Luke suggested.
"Enlighten me, please," his father said sarcastically.
"You're just an emotionless droid who doesn't feel anything."
"Because I won't pay attention to your whining about your cruel father who gives up his time to teach you to fly?"
"You haven't taught me a single thing!" Luke protested. "If I've learnt anything, it's in spite of your constant nagging."
"Two weeks ago, you claimed you didn't need anyone to teach you to fly. You already knew it all, remember? I have taught you a very important lesson. Do not be so arrogant about your abilities."
"I only said that because you expect me to be some miracle pilot! You wouldn't even agree to teach me if I was anything less!"
"What nonsense."
"Then why am I not allowed to make a single mistake?" Luke said. "Why did I have to be brilliant during my first time in the sky?"
"That is a question to ask yourself, Luke, not me. Now seeing as you clearly do not wish to continue, we are going home. I've had enough of listening to your emotional wrangling."
"Arg!" Luke shoved the accelerator, just as his father reached over to grab the brake. A horribly loud crunch followed, sending both of them lurching forward. Luke stared wide-eyed through the windscreen and felt his stomach turn. The right-corner of the speeder had crunched into the left corner of the red convertible, causing a very large dent in the side. The driver, a young male Balosar, came rushing around to inspect the damage. He stared angrily in the direction of the windscreen and started shouting something. Luke was grateful their speeder had a one-way black tint on the windows.
"Brilliant," his father said in a very dry tone.
"Are you insured?" Luke asked, nervously.
His father reached for the door, and Luke hastily pressed the autolock.
"No! Don't you dare get out!"
"When you have an accident, you must always check the damage before taking off," his father said, sounding like a textbook. "Anything falling off a speeder in mid-air is highly dangerous to those on the ground."
"I'll go," Luke said desperately. "Just don't get out! Please!"
"The other pilot appears irate," his father said.
"I can handle it!" Luke said, reaching for his door. "Stay here!"
"Then swap names and addresses with the man," his father said. "Tell him you will pay for the damage costs."
"What is our address?" Luke said. "I don't even know."
"Care of the Imperial Palace will suffice," his father said. "Hurry up."
Luke sighed and reached for the door. This was incredibly embarrassing.
As soon as the driver saw him, he groaned loudly. "I should have known! A blasted sub-adult!"
Luke walked around to the front. Given the noise of the crunch, he'd been expecting to see more damage than he did. His speeder only had a cracked casing around the front light.
"Sorry," he said, looking up at the man. "I'll pay for the -"
"Sorry isn't going to fix my baby here, is it now? Why can't you look where you're going? You idiot!"
"I'll pay for the damage!" Luke repeated, louder. "Can I have your name and address?"
"Like hell you can pay for this damage. This speeder is worth millions! It's a customized classic. Have you got a million credits on you, boy?"
"That's a SoroSuub showroom model from about three years ago," Luke said, staring at it. "Who told you it was a customized classic?"
The man launched into a long string of something in a language Luke didn't recognize.
"As I said, I'll pay for the damage," Luke repeated. "If I can just have your name and -"
"I'm going to sue your blasted parents for every credit they have!" the man yelled. "They'll regret the day they ever decided to mate!"
"Look, I -"
Before Luke could finish, the expression on the man's face changed from barely controlled rage to pure terror. Luke didn't need to turn around to guess the reason why. He could only stare at the ground and sigh.
In a second, the man had jumped into the driver's seat and launched into the sky, leaving Luke in a blast of engine exhaust.
"Great," Luke said, glancing at his father. "Now how are we supposed to get his address?"
"I don't think he wants me to know," his father said, walking around the front to see the damage for himself.
"It's fine," Luke said, glancing around nervously. Nearby landing pad patrons were already starting to stare and point at his father. "Let's just leave before we end up in the Coruscant Enquirer."
"They wouldn't dare," his father said. He gestured at the passenger side. "Get in. I will pilot on the way home."
Luke was too exhausted to be bothered arguing.
Having cruised around Imperial City for the last hour at a sedate pace, Vader enjoyed pushing the speeder to its limits on the way home. It was less than three minutes before they were flying back into the hangar.
"You will fix the damage to the speeder," Vader said, glancing at Luke. His son had his hand on his head and was staring out the window with a dejected expression. It was difficult to have to chide him when he was clearly already upset, but this had to be said for his son's own good. "And next time, I suggest you learn to control your anger. Such reckless displays could have far worse consequences."
Luke stared up at him with his eyes narrowed. "Did you really just tell me to control my anger?"
"I am glad you listen sometimes." Vader reversed the speeder into a parking space.
"Does any of what you say sound even the least bit hypocritical to you?" Luke asked.
"I did not say that you cannot feel angry. Such emotions will be useful to you one day. Only that you control it."
Luke stared out the window. "I want to sit the practical test tomorrow."
"You think you are ready?"
"Ready or not, I can't take any more of this."
"Perhaps it is for the best," Vader agreed. If Luke hadn't learned what he needed to know already, it was doubtful he could learn it at all. "Very well. I will have an assistant arrange it for you."
Luke left the speeder without another word.
Much later that night, Vader found himself thinking back on Luke's accusations in the speeder. Having attended several meetings and caught up on reports, he had withdrawn into his meditation chamber for some rest. Force knows he needed it after today. He had just closed his eyes and aligned himself to the energy flow around him, when he felt an unwelcome presence. Luke was still awake and leaking strong emotions into the Force like a water bucket with a hole.
It was nearing midnight. No wonder his son was so moody all the time. He didn't get enough sleep.
Luke?
There was no response.
Luke, go to bed.
I am in bed!
Then go to sleep.
Vader closed the link and attempted to ignore Luke's presence. It was naïve of him to have expected his agreement over this flying business would somehow improve Luke's temperament. He seemed more miserable now than when he told him he wasn't going to allow him to fly for at least another year. Because apparently his father criticized him too much. Ridiculous. If his son really wanted to know what constant criticism was, he should have tried flying the Coruscant skies with Obi-Wan in the passenger seat. Now there was a constant stream of criticism.
On the occasion when it finally grew too much for him, Obi-Wan suggested that it wouldn't be necessary if he wasn't so arrogant. Couldn't he see that his youthful arrogance arose from the vast expectations that were placed on him? The only person who had ever encouraged him was Palpatine. He had lapped up every compliment he gave him like a man dying of thirst.
Vader tapped his fingers on the armrest, having a sudden, very disturbing thought. Was Obi-Wan's example affecting his own attitude to Luke? Was he responding to Luke's arrogance in the same way Obi-Wan had responded to his? Perhaps he was setting Luke up to be manipulated by someone who would see his desperate need for encouragement.
Luke?
There was only a muted, peaceful sense of Luke's presence now. The boy was asleep. He hadn't realized his son took his orders so seriously.
Luke had never imagined that he would be nervous on this day, this day he had dreamed about for many years. There was no reason to be nervous. He knew how to fly. There was nothing they could ask him to do which would be a problem. Except maybe the landing, but that would be a lot easier without his father sitting beside him making useless remarks.
He was pacing up and down the length of the conservatory, yet he was too preoccupied to admire the carefully arranged plants. This room was supposed to have a calming influence. So why wasn't it helping?
At the top of his pacing cycle, he found himself looking at a black wall. Closer inspection revealed it to be his father.
"What?" Luke said, quickly. "Is it time? Am I late?"
"I am going to the detention center," his father said. "I do not expect to return until this evening. Lieutenant Dorany has volunteered to take you to your appointment at the traffic control center."
"Oh," Luke said, running a hand through his hair.
"Are you nervous?" his father asked. Luke felt him stretching out with the Force to sense his emotions.
"No," Luke said, attempting to get a hold on his feelings. "I'm fine."
"There is no need to be," his father said. "You are an exceptionally talented pilot."
"Thanks," Luke said, with a touch of sarcasm. He hesitated for a moment, and then realized what his father had actually said. "Um … was that a compliment?" Luke asked, looking up in surprise.
"Yes."
It took several seconds for Luke to fully appreciate what this meant.
"You really think so?" Luke asked, studying his father for any sign of deception.
"Yes, I do."
"Thanks," Luke corrected, this time in a grateful tone. He paused and then said, "Really?"
"Yes. As long as you mind the speed limit and stop daydreaming, you will not experience any problems passing the test."
"What about yesterday?" Luke said, staring at the path below.
"I have endeavoured to forget about yesterday."
Luke smiled. "Yeah, it isn't going in my collection of most treasured memories, that's for sure. I'm sorry I shouted at you."
"Perhaps it was warranted. You were right. I do not encourage you as much as I should."
Luke stared at his father, wondering what had changed his mind. This was certainly a complete reversal from his attitude yesterday. It was hard to know what went on in his father's head half the time.
"I must depart," his father said, reaching out to give Luke an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "We will speak again later."
He turned and left, leaving Luke feeling much calmer. They'd be nothing to this little piloting test. Instead of pacing away the afternoon here, he should be down in the hangar, refuelling the speeder and making sure he was familiar with every last button and switch.
Lev was right on time to take him to his appointment at the traffic control center. He leaned back in the passenger seat and folded his arms behind his head in a mock display of relaxation. Luke grinned. He rarely saw Lev appearing in a way that even resembled informality.
"This is great having you fly me around in a first-class speeder," he said. "Are you available later? I have to pick up some reports from a naval base."
"Unfortunately, I'm still grounded," Luke said. "I'd have to get permission from he-who-must-be-obeyed."
"Ah well. We can enjoy ourselves now."
"You can," Luke said, firing up the engine. "I have to sit a test, remember?"
"You could do it blindfolded. Don't worry about it for a moment. I had to sit dozens of practical tests at the naval academy. If I can do it, you can."
"Thanks," Luke said, lifting the speeder off the hangar floor. "I hope you're right."
It was a clear day in Imperial City, and Luke blinked in the sunlight as they flew out of the hangar. Soon after, the tint on the windshield adjusted, giving him a clear view of the afternoon's traffic. He merged into a lane travelling across the city, slipping in between two massive airbuses. His father would have made some remark if he'd attempted that while he was sitting beside him, but Lev wasn't even paying attention. It was nice to feel trusted.
"Lev," Luke said, as he took up a place in the middle of the lane. "When did you decide you wanted to join the navy? Did you used to dream about it when you were a kid?"
"I wanted to be a pirate when I was a sprout."
"A pirate?" Luke laughed out loud. Lev was the last person he could see becoming a pirate.
"Then I didn't think seriously about my career again until I was a bored nineteen-year-old student studying accounting," Lev said. "There was a poster in the library recruiting for the newly renamed Imperial navy. It said 'See The Galaxy!'. I was sold."
"Did you see the galaxy?"
"Some of it," Lev said. "Are you thinking about your future?"
Luke shrugged. "Aviry started it. She said that in her culture, they believe that everyone has something they enjoy called a boon. It's what you're supposed to do in life. She thought mine was flying."
"I don't think everyone is lucky enough to have their life's meaning so clearly defined," Lev said.
"Well, she did say it could change throughout life."
"Life can take you to all kinds of places. When I was staring at that recruitment poster I never dreamed I'd end up where I am today. Sometimes you just have to do what you know is right for you and see where it takes you."
"Sometimes you just don't know what's right for you," Luke sighed.
"There's no rush to figure it out."
"I dreamed about being a pilot my entire life," Luke said. "I thought I was going to die of frustration if my father didn't let me get my license."
"How did your lessons with your father go?" Lev asked.
Luke made a noise of frustration. "He spent the entire time criticizing everything I did! Finally, he turns around this morning and says I'm an exceptional pilot. I'm still letting that settle in."
Lev grinned. "I'm glad your relationship survived."
"It nearly didn't yesterday!" Luke said. "He was making me so angry, and I ended up crashing into another person's speeder. I don't know what happened to him last night but something's changed."
"Perhaps he just needed time to think things over," Lev suggested. "The traffic center is coming up on your left."
"Oh, right."
"Left, not right," Lev said, with a grin.
Luke shook his head. "If I can survive your sense of humor, I can survive this test."
"That's the spirit."
Luke dived out of the airway and took in the massive polyhedron complex that he had last seen on a night he would rather forget. It appeared very foreboding with the sun behind it, casting a shadow over the side Luke was approaching.
"The licensing center is in gate 10A," Lev said. "The guidance system should pick up the nav beacons."
Luke glanced at the display, seeing Lev was correct. Gate 10A was in the top-right corner of the complex. He fell in behind another speeder heading in the same direction. They split up as they came closer, and Luke pitched up to enter the correct hangar. Inside, there were large holographic signs directing test applicants to a particular landing bay. It was crowded with other speeders, but there were still enough free spaces. Luke chose one with plenty of room around it.
Unfortunately, he slipped on the lift control as he brought the speeder down, causing a bump when they reached the ground. Lev was kind enough to say nothing, to Luke's relief.
When he stepped out of the speeder, he found a young Nautolan was standing a short distance away, gaping slightly.
"Wow," he said. "Nice speeder!"
"Thanks," Luke said. "It's my father's."
"I wish my parents would let me fly something like that. I have to make do with this until I can save enough for a new one." He waved a hand towards the neighbouring speeder. It reminded Luke of an old rusty landspeeder they'd owned on Tatooine, which used to lose at least one piece of metal every time the engine was turned on.
Luke offered a sympathetic grin. "Well, as long as it can take you places, it's better than nothing, right?"
"Right. And it will be taking me many places now that I have my license." The Nautolan proudly showed Luke a datachip that projected a holographic image detailing the conditions of the license, complete with an Imperial logo.
"I'm hoping to get mine," Luke said. "How was the test?"
"Tentacle-curling," he said with a grin.
"Is that the same as hair-raising?" Luke asked.
"Probably."
"I better go and face the tentacle-curling test," Luke said, seeing Lev had already started walking up a nearby flight of stairs.
"Good luck," the Nautolan called after him.
Luke ran to catch up with Lev, dodging several other people on the way. At the top of the stairs, they joined a queue at the administration desk.
"Here, give them this," Lev said, handing him a datachip. "It contains your details and booking information. I'm going to sit down."
Lev walked a short distance away and picked up a hardcopy HoloNet news printout that had been left in the base of a nearby pot plant. He then joined several other people sitting in the waiting area.
Luke shuffled his feet, wishing the queue would shorten itself faster. Why did everything he'd ever done in this building involve waiting? There was an older Twi'lek talking with the reception droid at the moment, and they seemed to be taking a fair amount of time. Luke stared at the carpet, noting it was all a dull administrative grey. Even the office plants were dull.
He glanced over at Lev and found he was chatting with a lady sitting beside him. She was smiling at Lev in a very friendly way.
"My uncle was in the navy," she was saying. "I have so much respect for everything you do, putting your lives on the line for the security of us all."
"Thank you, you're very kind," Lev said. "But I haven't been on the frontlines myself for many years."
"Is that your son?" she said, gesturing towards Luke.
"No, the son of my superior," he said. "He's getting his license today."
"I have a cousin staying with me from Corellia," the lady said. "She needs to get hers converted to a Coruscant license."
"Next, please!"
Luke glanced ahead, and realized his turn had come. He rushed up, giving the droid the datachip. It processed the data in under a minute.
"Mr Skywalker, follow the red line around to the right," the droid said. "Your testing officer will arrive shortly."
Luke nodded and then glanced back at Lev. His friend gave him a salute as a way of saying good luck. Luke grinned and then did as the droid suggested. The red line on the carpet led around to a large viewing area that overlooked the hangar down below. Luke peered down through the glass, seeing the Nautolan had gone. His speeder sat by itself, its bright colors standing out against the dull grey of the hangar. Now that he was looking from above, he could see his parking was slightly crooked. Just what he needed.
"Well, well, well!"
Luke whirled around. A masked and uniformed traffic officer stood behind him, sporting a very familiar presence.
"If it isn't Mr 'let's throw myself out of a speeder for fun'!"
"Oh stars," Luke said, rubbing his forehead. "Officer Rhy! Don't tell me you're taking me for my test?"
"Right on the first try!"
"Why?" Luke said, staring at the ceiling. "Why me?"
"Are you talking to the Force?" Rhy said. "Sorry, we can't issue a license to someone showing signs of insanity."
"Can I request someone else?" Luke asked. "You're biased against me."
"Not true. If anything, I'm biased in favor of you because I know your father is a legendary pilot. But none of that will have any effect on the result because I'm a consummate professional."
"Oh, why don't I feel better?" Luke said, sighing. "How did you end up doing this, anyway? I thought you were on the traffic patrol squad."
"Sergeant Foil found out that I didn't take you entirely seriously when you tried to tell me about you-know-what. As punishment, I have to work down here for a month."
"Sounds like a better punishment than mine," Luke said. "I'm grounded."
"I'd take being grounded any day. At least that doesn't put your life at risk. That reminds me - before we head out, I need you to sign this." Rhy handed him a form. "It just confirms that if you die or are seriously injured during this test, the Coruscant traffic department is not responsible."
"That's ridiculous," Luke said, taking the accepted lightpen. He scribbled his signature on the bottom.
"So you think. I've been doing this for three weeks, and I've had my life flash before my eyes so many times that I'm going blind. That's why I'm wearing my helmet."
"You'll be safe with me," Luke said.
"That's what a girl this morning said," Rhy said, gesturing for Luke to join him. He was walking towards a nearby elevator. "I nearly had to change my pants after flying with her."
Luke grinned, despite his nervousness, and joined Rhy in the elevator.
"Now the test has several parts," Rhy said, as they traveled down to the hangar. "First, pre-flight vehicle inspection. Then the flight test, during which we'll look at take off and landing ability, airway merging, basic airway flying, adherence to airway rules and hazard identification. Not necessarily in that order. Then we'll come back here for the debriefing."
"Okay," Luke said, carefully. "Um, how hard is it to pass?"
"If we're still alive by the end, you're already halfway," Rhy said, stepping out of the elevator. "Which one is yours?"
Luke gestured to the red and silver model, and Rhy whistled. "Nice."
"It's actually fairly average compared to the other speeders my father owns," Luke said.
"Does it have inflight HoloNet?"
Luke nodded. "And adjustable window tint."
"I think that just passes the inspection," Rhy said, ticking something off on his datapad.
"What now?" Luke said, hovering behind him, trying to see his checklist.
Rhy gestured at the pilot's side door.
"After you."