Where we were: Luke had a birthday, Vader told him the story of his tragic life, Vader chopped off Luke's hand and kept him unconscious for a few days, stalling before obeying Palpatine's order to send Luke to him. Vader obediently agreed that he would send Luke to Coruscant, but instead arranged for him to go to the Rebellion. Why, neither we nor Luke know. Luke's escort turned out to be Lieutenant Jovay, whom you may remember from many chapters ago as the Imperial Recruitment Officer on Tatooine who let Luke go instead of arresting him...and who refers to Luke as "Luke Lars Skywalker Vader". Why? That's right, we don't know! Hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll try to get back in faster-writing mode.
- - - - - PART 35Luke came to a dead stop. "What're you doing here?" he demanded of Lieutenant Jovay, catching himself before he could continue aloud.
Okay, he was being left out in the cold and he didn't like it. His dad had a Plan, and for some reason the Mos Eisley Imperial Recruiting Officer was part of it. And they were in a public area where their conversation could be overheard, so he couldn't even ask! Luke made an about-face and stomped back down the ramp to face his father. "I changed my mind, I don't want to go."
"The Emperor is bestowing an honor upon you by requesting your presence," Vader intoned.
Yeah, yeah. Luke sighed. This mental-talk was hard. He was getting a headache. "I'd rather stay here and learn stuff. You wouldn't want me to neglect my education, would you?"
"The educational datatapes are in your pack."
"Oh." That explained the extra weight. Krit. He let the pack slip off his shoulder and drop to the deck. "I don't want to go," he repeated, trying not to whine. Why was he even bothering? His dad wouldn't be sympathetic and would only scold him.
Nor do I want you to leave, Vader's fierce thought echoed in Luke's head. But you must, for both our sakes. "You are going and you will be appropriately grateful for the honor."
"Yes, sir." You'll miss me! The need to be hugged by his dad was becoming an almost physical ache. "Will I be coming back... here?" Back to you?
Both black gauntlets raised toward his face and Luke flinched. Don't choke--
The hands rested on his cheeks, cupping his head like it was as fragile as an egg. Which, of course, it would be if those hands decided to squeeze. "Make me proud," the Dark Lord commanded.
With the enemy? Luke pressed his face against the caress, trying to express his confusion and fears. Do you want me to fight with them? Or spy on them? I don't understand.
"Keep up with your studies," Vader said smoothly. "Keep your mind open; be willing to accept new ideas, but with wisdom and caution. The Emperor can teach you much."
He nodded, waiting for a Thought from his father, but nothing came.
The hands dropped. "Remember, your lightsaber is your life. Keep it close always."
"But I don't know how to use it very well."
"When the need arises, when you are desperate, you will know how." Listen to what I am saying, child.
"Okay." Bewildered, he gave the mask one last, searching look. "Be careful. I won't be here to look out for you."
"Thank you." A spark of amusement colored the deep voice, along with something gentler. "I will endeavor to remain safe without your protection."
"Okay, then." He backed toward the ramp. We'll still be able to talk exactly like this, right?
The helmet tilted. As physical distance grows between us, it will become more difficult and will require more focus. Words may not be as clear as they are now, but I will feel your emotions. If you need me, you will be able to reach me.
"Okay," Luke repeated uncertainly, disliking the impending separation more with each step he took. Well, krit! He whirled and marched up the ramp like a soldier, passing into the ship and throwing back a single question.
Can you hear me now?
A mental sigh shuddered through their link, and Luke smiled, satisfied.
- - - - -
Dad? Can you hear me now?
Do not call me that. I can hear you. Stop asking.
Luke craned his neck to look back at the shrinking Devastator. "I changed my mind."
Jovay didn't spare a glance for him. "Hmm?" he murmured absently, intent on whatever manipulations his fingers were doing with the ship's controls.
"I don't want to go," Luke stated. "Take me back to the ship."
Jovay didn't answer.
Luke sighed and leaned back in the copilot's seat. Dad? Can you hear me now? Da-aaaad!
What!
I changed my mind. I want to stay with you.
That is not possible.
But--
I am busy. Cease interrupting with your pointless request.
He rolled his eyes. Fine! "My father says you should turn the ship around and take me back."
"Funny, I didn't hear him say that."
"Of course you didn't! But I did. In my head."
Jovay grinned. "Good try, kid. I see that getting away from the dustball hasn't changed you much."
"Little do you know," Luke said grimly. Nothing about this was fair. He and his dad were still getting to know each other. They shouldn't be separated yet! It occurred to him that when they met, his dad already knew the worst about Luke and went ahead and taught him to be better. Now he knew the worst about Vader (at least, he hoped it was the worst) and he wasn't allowed to stick around to help his dad. "I really, really need to go back."
"Luke." The young lieutenant swiveled in his chair. "Your father is sending you away to keep you safe. You know that."
Yeah, well... "Just who are you, anyway?" he challenged. "You're not really an Imp recruiter in Mos Eisley, are you?"
"Not anymore. I got a promotion," Jovay's smile turned smug, "to captain in Intelligence."
"What for? You let me get away!"
"Did I? Yet here you are." The officer's grin widened. "Maybe I got the promotion because I'm brilliant, clever and handsome."
"Oh, brother! I am so confused," Luke muttered. "Are we really going to the Rebel Alliance?"
"Yep."
"So... my dad is sending me to the enemy?" He struggled with the idea. "Why?"
Jovay shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they're not the enemy."
"Don't do that, I'm confused enough!" Not for the first time, he wished he could read his father's mind and learn what was really going on. "What am I going to do there?"
"I have no idea. I'm not going with you. Somehow I don't think the Alliance would treat me gently if they discovered my secret identity as an Imperial Intel agent."
"What?" Oh, great! "But—I don't—Krit! My dad said you were staying!" Da—aaaad! Can you hear me now?
Stop calling.
"Luke—Oz. If you can survive the streets of Mos Eisley, you can survive anything. You'll be fine."
The words were meant to be reassuring, but he wasn't feeling at all reassured. "Do you think I'm supposed to be a spy?"
"I don't know," Jovay repeated patiently. "Didn't your father tell you anything?"
"He said he has a Plan-with-a-capital-P," Luke said glumly, "but he didn't clue me in about it. He just told me we'd be 'hijacked' and end up at the Alliance."
"That was his intention."
"Was?" Slowly Luke turned his head and studied the other man. "Aren't you following his plan?" he asked suspiciously. Oh-oh. Dad, can you hear me now?
Stop that.
But—
Cease!
"About now," Jovay said by way of an answer, "our hijackers are scheduled to appear." They were both quiet for a few moments before warning beeps began to sound. "Right on time."
Depressed, Luke stared at the two ships that were heading toward them from both sides.
"And about now-- here we go." Jovay depressed a button and space turned into a blur. Luke was jerked back in his seat as they accelerated into hyperspace. The officer checked his instruments, then relaxed and looked over. "A slight alteration of Lord Vader's plan."
"Are you kidnapping me?" Luke demanded, shocked by the audacity of the other.
"I wouldn't dare. I'm taking a different route, but the end result will be the same, you'll be with the insurgents." Jovay frowned, obviously disapproving, then continued after a resigned sigh, "I figured that what Vader didn't know, the Emperor couldn't know."
"Are you insinuating that my father would betray me?" He started to rise, ready to protect his dad's honor.
"No, I'm not. Settle down." The captain swiveled around and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "What I think is that Palpatine has spies and listening devices everywhere. I have no intention of being the one who loses the Dark Lord's son. So I devised a variation on the original plan. I'm not Intel for nothing, kid. Brains as well as beauty, that's me."
"You know, you could be really irritating," Luke observed, then immediately wondered if this was how he irritated his father. "Huh. So, Intel, are you dangerous too?"
"Absolutely." Jovay grinned. "Not to you, of course."
"How fortunate for you."
"No," the newly-minted captain continued, oblivious of Luke's sarcasm, "for you I would lay down my life."
He was taken aback. "Really? Are you serious? You're kidding, right?"
The smile turned small and reflective, and maybe a little sad. "I'm not kidding."
"Oh." Luke folded his arms and glowered. "I don't like any of this," he declared. "We should have followed my dad's plan."
Luke? Luke, where are you? What has gone wrong?
Oh, sure, now you want to talk! Well, never mind, I don't want to talk to you anymore!
"Your dad!" Jovay chuckled. "That's still hard for me to imagine. However... say, are you hungry?"
"Hah, the old distract-him-with-food routine!" Grudgingly, Luke unfolded his arms. "Maybe. What do you have? And where are we going?"
Jovay gave him a tentative smile. "To rendezvous with alternate transportation."
"Then where?" he demanded.
"Too much information is not necessarily a good thing."
"And you call yourself Intel," he scoffed. "Be sure to tell my dad that when he asks what you're doing."
Luke--
Stop interrupting!
Luke?
Go away. Then, worried that he sounded too harsh, Luke added, I'll talk to you later, after I figure out what's going on.
"How's Tessa?" he asked as he caught the box Jovay tossed at him. Peeling off the lid, he stared in dismay at the extensively processed and unidentifiable 'food'. "Ugh. I'm not hungry after all."
"Save it for later then. Now that you've opened it, it will be your next meal. Never waste nutrients when you don't know where your next meal is coming from."
Luke rolled his eyes. Jovay sounded like his father. Lecturing was another of those annoying adult habits. "Did you hear me? I asked how Tessa is."
"She's fine. Some nightmares when she first arrived on Naboo." Jovay glanced at him. "Something about a monster that tried to eat her."
Luke nodded. "A Rillavin hunter."
Jovan swiveled his chair around. "She said you killed the monster and saved her."
He shrugged modestly. "Does she miss me?"
"Not any longer." The captain smiled at his dismayed expression. "A child's sense of time is different from an adult's. She's forgetting a lot of what happened on Tatooine. She's happy with my brother and his wife, and she has many friends in the neighborhood."
"That's good." It was petty and small of him, but he felt a little jealous of Tessa. Quickly he pushed the unwanted emotion aside. "I'm glad for her," he said, and truly was.
There seemed to be nothing more to say. Luke searched carefully, pulled the selected datatape out of his pack, and plugged the audiobuds into his ears. Might as well spend this travel time learning something. He didn't want to let his dad down.
He settled back in the chair and closed his eyes as the tape whispered, Imperial Government Structure Part II: Security and Intelligence.
Perfect.
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