Note: I'm making up a "no incest" tag, which is sort of a warning, I guess. There's some controversial, non-sexual incest/sex education talk which is integral to the entire plot. If you think you would feel uncomfortable reading it, skip this chapter. But there is no, I repeat, no incest, no sex, not even lustful thoughts or romance. Just so you know... :)

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Days filled with gratification and joy passed too quickly. Anakin enjoyed the hours of lessons with his son, as well as having the pleasure of a Skywalker for company. The boy was like a sponge, absorbing each new idea and doubting everything. He had never heard so many questions. It was a good sign. Despite his lack of formal education and discipline, Luke had a brilliant mind. He was canny and skeptical, much more than he had first appeared. Anakin had to be cautious in what he said, careful not to reveal too much before the boy was ready to hear it. There was much about Sith ideals that would disagree with Luke's rudimentary Tatooine patterns of life, and he didn't want to lengthen the educational process by having to shepherd the child over every small disparity in scruples or ideological concepts. In time, Luke would come to fully accept the ways of Sith; it was inevitable. For now, he would be eased gently into the experience of his new life.

"You will like Leodi Windseeker," he commented idly. "She is quite charming."

Luke sighed and pushed the food around on his plate. "I don't want to get bonded."

"I said nothing about bonding," Anakin pointed out carefully. "You will merely be introduced to her."

With startling abruptness, the boy pushed his chair back and stood, throwing his napkin on the table. "I don't want to! I wish you'd leave me alone- quit bothering me about this! I never said I would stay here, I never said I'd get bonded! I want to leave!" And, after that extraordinary outburst, he did leave.

Anakin stared after him. His son was quite sensitive about matters of a romantic nature; he'd noticed it many times. It was almost as though-but no, the very idea was too alien, too extraordinary. Still...alien. Perhaps customs on Tatooine were different. Could it possibly be that Luke was lacking in sufficient education and experience or that his previous sexual or emotional relationships had been unsatisfactory? Unusual, yet it could have somehow occurred, given the boy's peculiar upbringing. He fingered the delicate ruby goblet that held the finest wine Sith created and sipped it appreciatively. He'd learned to allow Luke an hour or two to sulk; then they could discuss the situation rationally. Fortunately, the meeting with the young Windseeker girl was not for two days; surely in that time, Luke would have come around and realized the logic of taking a mate one day. Then, when he was ready, he would be presented with his mate-to-be. In the meanwhile, flirtations with Leodi and her ilk would be good practice for the boy.

"Another crisis?" Alin asked as he removed the nearly-full plate from Luke's abandoned place.

"Another," he confirmed. "I do not recall that you had so many with your offspring."

"I had enough." Alin lowered himself into the vacant chair. "Yet my children were born and raised here. You have a tremendous job still ahead of you, trying to turn him into a true Sith."

"I can see that it won't be easy. Perhaps Kenobi did me a favor. I avoided two decades of drama." Alin tsk'd at him, and he studied the man who was both his servant and companion. It was the traditional role of the Lightshiners to attend Skywalkers. Alin's father had served Arron Skywalker; his son would serve Luke- providing Luke remained on Sith. Though even if he did not, life in his service was still young Laark Lightshiner's destiny. He needed to make Luke understand that if he returned Outside, he would have to take Laark with him in order to continue the tie between master and servant that was a lifelong commitment to be served with honor and trust by both parties. He would be interested to observe their first meeting. "When is Laark due back from University?"

"Next week. We decided that he would finish out the term."

"How does he feel about having to return?"

Alin smiled. "He's thrilled. Much as he loves his studies, he's always longed to work side-by-side with a Skywalker. You should have heard him!" The man laughed, mouth stretching widely. "When I told him you'd returned with a son his own age! He was speechless for a full ten seconds!"

"Quite an amazing accomplishment," Anakin said wryly. "I would be grateful for an entire ten seconds of quiet from my son. Five, even."

"Bah!" Alin rose and gathered the remaining dishes. "You are totally preoccupied with him, it's obvious. If the sun could be made to rise and set according to his whim, you would see to it. I knew-and how often did I tell you?-that you would be an excellent father. What a shame you waited twenty years to discover it."

"I didn't wait twenty years," he answered crossly. "I reproduced on schedule. It was not my fault-"

"It never is." Having had the final word, Alin marched out of the dining room, bearing the plates as if they were trophies.

Anakin learned his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand. There were times when it was a nuisance to be inflicted with someone who knew him so well, but more often it was a blessing. He knew the same would be true of Luke and Laark, and he couldn't help but smile as he imagined his son at the mercy of that bright, impertinent Lightshiner. A Lightshiner who would plague Luke with penetrating comments and endless questions.

It was, in a way, poetic justice.

He allowed the prescribed time for Luke's brooding to pass, then he sought out his child, finding him sulking in the darkness of the garden. "Come," he commanded from the doorway.

Luke obeyed, dragging his feet to be sure his lack of enthusiasm was obvious. But he followed obediently along the corridors to the master Skywalker suite. It was Anakin's favorite room in the huge house, encompassing his sleeping chambers and, at the opposite end, a private sitting area complete with absurdly comfortable furniture and a wide stone fireplace. It was there he settled into the large chair, allowing his son to slouch in one corner of the long sofa. He studied the boy for several minutes, mentally experimenting with several subtle approaches and rejecting each of them. Perhaps a direct attack would be the most expedient.

"I sense you have problems of a sexual nature. Would you care to discuss them?"

"What!" Luke blinked rapidly, violent color washing into his cheeks. "I-no! I mean, I don't have any problems of-no. Nothing."

Evidently he'd selected the wrong approach. Anakin sighed. The cloak of fatherhood seemed to wear so effortlessly on his friends; why could he not gather it to himself with similar ease? "Forgive me," he said carefully. "I am being less than tactful. I only meant that you were not brought up in the Sith way and have no experience in our manners of sexual instruction. What sort did you receive on Tatooine?"

The boy looked faintly appalled. "What sort of what did I receive?"

"Sexual education," he repeated, grasping for patience. "Did your guardians teach you or-" he nearly shuddered at the idea, "-were you instructed in school?"

The mouth opened and remained that way for several seconds. "Uh, no," Luke said faintly. "That is...well…."

This embarrassment over normal biological functioning was difficult to comprehend; fortunately, he had heard of the ways of Outside and knew many civilizations still used barbaric ceremonies to initiate their young into adulthood. "Was there some sort of ritual you did not complete?"

"Ritual?" the boy echoed. "No. There was...nothing."

"What do you mean, nothing?"

"I mean...nothing. Well, except once when Uncle Owen-" The blush returned, deepening until the child's skin appeared mauve in the firelight.

"Ah. Your uncle instructed you." Though he couldn't imagine what that abusive obscenity of a human could have known about the tender arts, it was still something of a relief that his son had at least minimal supervision.

"No, not instructed. He-" The legs shifted, pulling up until they were crossed on the sofa. Luke studied his fingernails. "He caught me. Once. When I was a kid."

Anakin strained to hear the soft whisper. "Caught you?" he repeated, bewildered. "Doing what?"

"You know." Another wave of color washed across the flesh.

He wondered if his son would overheat and have a coronary. So much misplaced shame-had it been anyone else, he would have been disgusted. "No, I do not. If you cannot tell me, then let me see a mental picture."

"No!" The legs were uncrossed again. "He...I was...you know…. " One hand made a vaguely familiar gesture.

"Ah." He nodded, finally understanding. "Pleasuring yourself."

Luke rolled his eyes and slumped deeper into the corner of the sofa like he wanted to dig a hole and hide. "Yeah," he mumbled.

All this agony for no reward at all. Covertly, he checked the chron. At this rate, it would take a week to discover the extent of his son's bizarre Tatooine education. "And?" he prompted.

"And what?" Luke's defiance slowly faded in the face of his determined silence. "He… beat me. Said what I was doing was...that it was wrong, that I was...dirty. The devil's spawn-he called me that a lot. He said that I'd spoiled myself. That I'd ruined myself for...for any girl. That I…." The words trailed off, the blond head turning away. Luke stared into the fire.

Stunned, Anakin stared at the still profile. For one of the few times in his life, he was bereft of words. Luke was not a liar, so what he said must be the truth. But how could anyone-even the despicable Lars-tell such destructive lies to a child? Outside was full of obscenities; the Sith were correct to stay away from it. Maybe they should stay further, should not even be involved in this Empire versus Rebellion drama. Sith needed to be protected from poisons such as this.

He returned his thoughts to his son. He was not, had never been, a weak man, but this was a very difficult matter with which to contend. He was so deep in contemplation that he was startled when Luke spoke again.

"Then there was a girl. She...laughed at me. I was scared. I couldn't...I kept thinking of Uncle Owen and what he said and I thought she'd see that I was… spoiled." Luke slid off the sofa and onto the floor, clutching his knees to his chest, resting his head on them. "So I can't, you see. I don't want to meet any girls here. I don't want to get bonded. I just can't."

Anakin drew a deep breath. Instinctively, he joined his son on the floor, resting one arm around the boy's shoulders. Luke leaned against him. "I am sorry for your experiences," he said awkwardly. "Your upbringing was very different from how it would have been here. You are Sith. You needed to be raised in the Sith way. Because you were not is why you have confusion about such things. The inadequacies are in your education, not in yourself. Here on Sith, you would have received sexual instruction the same as your training in every other area. Sith parents instruct their children, preferring not to leave such tender guidance in the hands of teachers or, worse, strangers." For that was another Outside corruption with which he was familiar, sending one's children into worlds where they would be sexually exploited and even wounded, physically and emotionally, by strangers. "I know it is late, but if you wish I can instruct you."

Luke shrugged. "What's the point? I know everything, I just can't do it."

"Haven't," he amended gently. "Unless you have a physiological abnormality-and you do not-there is no reason why you cannot. You merely require instruction in the physical acts and the emotional complexities."

The head lifted, and Luke gave him a small smile. "You make it sound so simple."

"It is. And totally natural."

The boy laughed. His eyes reflected artless adoration. "I'm glad I found you," he said softly.

"I found you," Anakin corrected.

"Whatever, I'm glad." Luke straightened his back, groaning. "Can we get off the floor now?"

"Gladly." There was a time when he could have leaped to his feet as easily as his son did; now he accepted the assisting hand that was offered. "Shall we begin this evening?"

"Uh… I suppose." Luke appeared less than eager to begin his instruction; that would change soon enough, Anakin thought with amusement.

He crossed to his sleeping area and pulled the tunic over his head, dropping it down the laundry chute hidden beside the armoire. Sitting on the edge of the soft mattress, he unlaced his tall suede boots. After removing one, he became conscious of the unnatural stillness in the room. Looking up, he saw Luke staring at him with huge eyes.

"What are you doing?"

He looked at the laces wound around his fingers. "Disrobing."

Luke's mouth was hanging open in a most unbecoming fashion. "Wh-why?" he stuttered.

Anakin dropped his boot and unlaced the second one, glancing at the boy with some annoyance. "What is wrong with you? You just indicated your willingness to begin your lessons this evening-have you decided it is inconvenient?" He had little patience with vacillation and indecisiveness.

His son seemed to collapse against the wall. "Inconv- Lessons? Lessons? You mean- Wait a minute. Uh...I think you've lost me here. What do you mean by lessons?"

"Instructions. Demonstrations of techniques. What do you think I mean by lessons? Surely your vocabulary is not so limited that you are incapable of understanding such simple words." He unfastened his trousers and slid them down his legs. Did the child not understand this was a sacrifice on his part? He could spend the evening with Elisa Darklighter instead of participating in an ancient parent-child ritual that he never thought he would be called upon to do. Hands on his hips, he glared at the boy. In an even further absurdity, Luke blushed and turned away. "What is wrong with you?" he repeated.

"I think…." Luke swallowed audibly and folded his arms, staring woodenly at the floor. "I think I misunderstood. We… I thought you meant you were going to teach me about sex-with words. Pictures, maybe. A vid? Not... I mean…." He licked his lips and spread his hands. "Look, Father, I've tried to understand everything you've been showing me. I think I'm doing pretty well. But this...this is not the way I was raised."

"I know. That is why-"

"Will you let me finish? And will you put something on? Please?"

Unbelievable. Fuming silently, Anakin fumbled in the armoire for a robe and belted it around himself. He stalked back to the sitting area and faced his son. "What are you attempting to say?"

"I am attempting to say that this is...for me, this is morally wrong. Where I come from, parents don't-don't have sex with their children. That would be an abomination."

"Abomination?" He never remembered being so offended. "Are you quite mad? You just revealed to me your atrocious introduction to sexual matters, and now you say that Sith's loving, sensible approach is an abomination?"

Luke shook his head despairingly. "I'm trying to understand. I can see that this is a Sith custom. And it's valid for you. I'm not criticizing it. I'm just saying that for me it's wrong. I don't come from a culture that handles its children this way."

"No," Anakin sneered, giving full freedom to his quickly rising anger, "your culture abuses and maltreats them. And yet you prefer it. So be it. Perhaps you should go back to your precious Outside. Have children-if you can-and treat them in the manner in which you were treated. Destroy their fragile psyches the way yours was desecrated. You have no respect, no understanding for Sith and its ways. You will never be a true Sith-you will never be a true Outsider. You are-nothing!"

Luke didn't flinch, but his face had gone white. "You don't mean that," he whispered.

Of course he did not mean any of it. He clicked his tongue, annoyed with himself for losing his temper. Nothing would be accomplished by a show of anger-indeed, much could be lost. But the boy was so damn aggravating- "You are correct. I apologize. I find it difficult to accept criticism of Sith customs, particularly one with which I have had no adult experience."

He stopped and considered his words. "To instruct one's child about sexual matters is normal. We do not risk our children with dangerous innocence. We guide and protect them so they know how to develop relationships and are not constrained by sexual inabilities. That is one reason bondings are so successful on Sith. Physical incompatibilities are virtually nonexistent. It is not like other planets where sex takes on mythic proportions. Here it is a simple function, meant for both pleasure and reproduction. It is not an object of anguish. In offering to teach you, I am offering you my wisdom and experience, another part of myself that I wish to share with you. If I am awkward in my approach, it is because it is rare that a parent must instruct a grown child. Generally, by the time they have reached adulthood, they are experienced in all manners of sexual activities. I am trying to assist you in overcoming the abysmal manner in which you were treated and the unhappiness that it has caused you."

Luke's expression had gradually softened. He nodded slowly. "Thank you. I understand. And I appreciate what you are trying to do. But please understand what I'm saying. I have a lot of changes to get used to. This one is too...difficult. This is not...me. I care about you. But not in a sexual way."

"Of course not in a sexual way." Again he felt that bewilderment. "This has nothing to do with desire." They were speaking very different languages. Did it mean they would never find total harmony in any area? "It is parental caring."

Luke smiled and reached over to brush his knuckles across the sleeve of his thick robe. "Well, I'm still getting used to parental caring, okay? Let's skip the sex education bit for now."

"I will, of course, accede to your wishes." Anakin frowned, not entirely convinced. "Perhaps if you had a mother to guide you-" he began.

"Mother? Oh, not the mothers too!" Luke burst into laughter.

He was at a loss to understand the amusing aspect of the conversation. "It is unusual, but I could procure a mother-substitute for you-"

Luke gave a little shriek. "No, thanks! I don't think I could take any more parental caring right now! I'll just, uh, leave." He began backing toward the door, giggling nervously. "Oh, nobody will believe this! I'll-I'll see you in the morning. For breakfast? Maybe you can draw me some little...sex pictures?"

"I do not draw," he replied stiffly.

"Not even stick figures?" Luke inquired with a touch of hysteria. "Good night, Father!" He fumbled for the door handle at his back, slipped through the entry, and slammed the door behind him.

Children. Anakin sighed and removed the heavy robe. Alien children. Had another Skywalker ever been in such a situation? He would have to review the family journals. Or maybe- A smile of hope lit his face. Maybe Laark Lightshiner could explain the facts of life to his unhinged son. Sith knew, someone had to!