Chapter 3: LJ-151

"Well, I guess Imperial City was a bad idea," Crix said.

"No kidding," Val mumbled.

Luke didn't reply. He was staring numbly out the window of the airspeeder, watching hundreds of speeders streak by in the opposite direction. He'd give anything to be on one of them. The windows were shut tight, however, and the doors were locked. He was here to stay.

He glanced in front, where the stormtrooper pilot was maneuvering onto a landing pad. He recognized the place from the first time he'd arrived on Coruscant. He'd been so innocent then, of the fate that awaited him. Not so, this time.

The second stormtrooper stepped out of the speeder first and raised his blaster.

"Get out!"

"Can't he say please?" Val mumbled.

"That's not in their vocabulary," Crix replied. "Come on, Luke! Before they stun you."

Luke reluctantly dragged himself away from the window and found himself being pulled out of the speeder by the pilot stormtrooper. He was then pushed in front, and all three of them were escorted through the building, back to the IFS office.

Once there, they were handed over to the guards, who gave them all a thorough search. Luke was carrying the most of the three, with bits of wire and circuitry he'd collected during their time on the outside. It was all removed from his pockets, and swept into a bag.

After a short trip to the refresher, the guards took them down an unfamiliar corridor with strange lighting in the walls that made Luke feel anxious.

"Where do you think they're taking us?" Luke whispered.

"Back to the dormitories?" Val suggested.

"They're down the other end," Crix said. "We're heading for the offices."

Eventually, they stopped outside an office door marked 'Administrator'. One of the stormtroopers pressed the door-comm, and they waited for a response from within.

The doors soon slid open. Luke was surprised when he caught sight of the room. Unlike the rest of the building, it was spacious, well-lit and had several windows, overlooking the traffic lanes. It was also stacked high with datapads, all organized in neat little piles. There was a large display screen on the wall, showing a schedule of appointments over the next month.

A woman sat behind the desk, studying the computer screen and drinking a steaming beverage. The sign on the desk said 'Administrator Pel Larcy'.

A stormtrooper stepped forward to report.

"Administrator, we have recovered the children who went awol from room B7. What are your orders?"

She gave them a glance over the rim of her mug. Luke noticed she stared at him a bit longer than the others.

"What are their numbers?" she asked.

A second stormtrooper—there were three in total—held up a datapad and read from it. "12291, 12221, 15123."

"Take this," she said, passing a datapad to the lead trooper. "Sign it after you have transferred them to the high-security dorms and return it to the internal affairs desk."

Crix and Val seemed to flinch at the words, and Luke glanced at them curiously.

"Sir, there is only room for another two people in the high security rooms."

"Then transfer one out."

"Which one, sir?"

"Oh for star's sake." She slammed the mug down on the desktop. "Anyone. Can't you see I'm trying to file a tax return here?!"

The stormtroopers began herding them out. Just as Luke was nearing the door, she spoke again.

"Wait. Which was the one who broke the lock?"

Luke spoke up, suddenly seeing a chance to voice his misery. "I did! I hate it here!"

"Put that one in an isolation room," she replied, ignoring his plea. "And make sure the room is guarded at all times. We can't afford another break-out. I've got the precinct security office breathing down my neck already."

"Yes, sir."

Luke was held by the forearm as he was pushed towards the exit. The last thing he heard as they left the office was some reminder about filing transfer forms.

"Don't worry, Luke," Val said, seeing his distressed expression. "You'll get out of here again."

"I hate it here," Luke repeated.

"At least you're not going in the high-security rooms with all the pyromaniacs," Crix moaned.

"They're not all bad," Val insisted. "Once you get to know them."

"I don't want to get to know them! I want to go back to room B7. That was luxury."

They walked on in miserable silence for a few minutes, until one of the troopers behind them spoke.

"Will someone remind me how we ended up with the babysitting duty?"

"We'll be transferred soon," another trooper insisted.

"That's what they said last week. And the week before. I want out. I've had it with filling in her stupid forms. We were trained to be soldiers, not paper pushers."

Crix and Val exchanged amused glances at the trooper's whining, but Luke was too depressed to even smile. They reached a junction in the corridor, and the whining stormtrooper shifted forward to separate Val and Crix from Luke.

"We'll take these two." He gestured to the third trooper, and then to Luke. "You take that one. Then fill out the forms."

"I'm not filling out any forms!"

"Someone's got to do it."

The troopers stared at each other, at a stalemate.

"You know," Crix said, "if you just let us go ... none of you will have to do it."

"Yes we will," the whining trooper said. "We'll have to fill out 'notification of incompetent performance' forms."

"How about we fill in one form each?" the trooper next to Luke said.

"We need to complete four individual forms."

"Then we'll fill in one and one third of a form each."

"Done—meet you in twenty minutes."

Luke felt the trooper grab him by the shoulder, and he looked desperately at Val and Crix.

"If I make it out, I'll come for you," he insisted. "Watch for me!"

"Same here," Crix said. "Good luck."

With that, Crix and Val were taken away by the troopers, and Luke felt himself being pulled down the opposite corridor.

As soon as Obi-Wan saw Bail's expression on the other end of their encrypted holocom call, he knew it wasn't good news.

"Well?" Obi-Wan asked, struggling to keep his emotions under control. "Anything?"

"Not yet. I'm afraid the bureaucracy is proving … difficult. My agents have been told repeatedly to make appointments before they can even make enquiries after Luke. We're currently trying to locate the right person to bribe."

Obi-Wan made a noise of frustration. "Coruscant. Well, the staff on Inorix were helpful, at least. They spoke to the other children who confirmed Luke was still on board when the transport left. I'll go on to Chootis." He hesitated, and then added, "I have a strange feeling like I'm being followed."

"I'll send Captain Antilles to—"

Obi-Wan raised a hand. "No, my friend, that will only attract unwanted attention. I'll contact you again from Chootis. Keep up your efforts on Coruscant."

He disconnected the call before Bail could protest further.

"Kid?"

Luke felt someone prod him in the side. He didn't respond.

"Kid?! You still alive?"

He was prodded harder this time. Hard enough to hurt.

"Stop it," he mumbled, into the pillow. This was interrupting his attempt to dream about his father.

"What? Can't hear you."

Luke pulled the pillow over his head, hoping it would send out the right message. No such luck.

"Kid?"

He was prodded again.

"What is your problem?" Luke said, shifting the pillow away and looking up. A stormtrooper stood beside his bunk, staring at him with the blank helmet eyes he'd become so used to looking at.

"You haven't eaten anything. The trooper on watch before me said you didn't eat anything during his shift, either."

"So what?"

"So, you have to eat if you want to keep living. Basic rule of survival."

"I'm not hungry," Luke said, letting his head flop back onto the pillow.

"During training, I learned how to force feed a prisoner," the stormtrooper said. "Maybe I should test it out on you."

Luke shifted away in horror. "Go away! Aren't you supposed to be watching me from behind there?" Luke pointed to a glass window, behind which was a viewing area. Stormtroopers occupied it in shifts.

"Relax, I was only joking, kid."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Stormtroopers don't have a sense of humor."

"Maybe the others don't. I do."

"I thought you were clones," Luke said.

"We are. The others don't choose to develop their sense of humor."

"Well yours needs a lot of work," Luke said. "Because force feeding people isn't funny."

"That wasn't my best material."

"Oh stars," Luke said. "Can you please leave me alone?"

"Sure, kid. After you eat your food."

Luke eyed the plate, deciding it was probably worth it. He pulled it towards him and picked up the fork. Vegetables. Green ones, at that. He pushed them around in circles, wondering whether he could sneak them under his pillow.

"All right, I'm eating it," Luke said. "Can you go now, please?"

"After you take a bite."

Luke groaned.

"It's for your own good, kid. You're too skinny."

"I am not," Luke said. "And stop calling me 'kid'."

"What's your name, then?"

"What's yours?" Luke asked, unconsciously taking a mouthful of vegetables. He wasn't serious—he didn't think stormtroopers had names, but he was answered, nonetheless.

"LJ-151."

"151," Luke repeated. "That's the start of my IFS serial number."

"Coincidence, huh? Are your initials L and J?"

Luke smiled. "No. But close. My name is Luke Skywalker."

"So you can smile. There was a bet going around the squad that you were permanently unhappy."

"What do you expect?" Luke said, gesturing at his surroundings.

"You wouldn't have to stay in here if you'd stop trying to break out. We could put you back with your friends."

"I hate it here," Luke said.

"So do I, Luke. But you think living on the street is better? I've done street patrol. I know it's not pretty out there."

Luke took another few mouthfuls, thinking it over. LJ was right about life on the street, that was for sure, but it was still better than living in this world of boring routines and routine boredom.

"Why does anyone care if I break out? You wouldn't have to guard me anymore. You wouldn't have to feed me, or give me these ugly clothes."

"The Emperor doesn't want people living on the streets. It's disorderly and spreads disease."

"Who cares what the Emperor thinks?"

"I do," LJ said. "It's our duty to enforce his will."

Luke mashed his fork into the last remaining mound of vegetables, imagining the green mush was the Emperor. If he was Emperor, he'd let people live on the streets. He'd let people do whatever they wanted, as long as they weren't hurting anyone.

Eventually, he pushed the plate in LJ's direction and turned away.

"I've had enough."

"Better than nothing," LJ said. Luke heard him remove the plate and turn towards the door.

"My shift is ending," he said. "I'll be back to watch you late tonight."

"You're all the same to me," Luke said.

LJ didn't reply, but he did look back for a moment. Luke ignored him

Luke had eventually drifted off to sleep, half-hoping he wouldn't wake up until he was an adult and too old to stay here. The past week had felt like a year already. Several hours later, he was shaken awake by his stormtrooper watcher, with his own cries ringing in his ears.

"Luke?"

Luke blinked at the white helmet, feeling his heart beating rapidly in his chest. The stormtrooper moved towards the switches beside the door.

"No, don't turn on the—" Luke started, weakly. Too late. "Light." he groaned, shielding his eyes.

"Are you all right, Luke? Do you need to go to the medcenter?"

"It was just a nightmare," Luke said, still rubbing his eyes. "I'm not sick. And how do you know my ...?" He looked up at the stormtrooper. "Oh," he said, understanding. "It's you. LJ."

"LJ-151," LJ said. "There are a thousand LJs out there. I'm the only LJ-151."

Luke lay flat and turned sideways so he was facing the wall.

"I'm fine," he said, blankly. "You can go now."

"You don't look fine to me," LJ said. "You look like you're crying."

"I'm not," Luke said.

"Sure. Well, if you want to talk anyway ..."

"You don't quit, do you?" Luke said, sniffing.

"Quitting? What's that?"

Luke pulled the pillow over his head, hoping that would convince LJ to leave him be. He should have known better, though. Before long, the sensation of a blanket being draped over his body caused him to flinch.

"What the—? What are you doing?" Luke reared away.

"You lost this on the floor," LJ said. "Thought you might want it back."

"I don't need tucking in!" Luke yelled.

"What do you need, then?"

"I need my aunt and uncle," Luke said, finally cracking. "Not you. You're a stormtrooper."

"You used to live with your aunt and uncle, huh?"

Luke nodded, wiping away a tear. "On Tatooine." He propped his head up on his elbow and fidgeted with the pillow fabric. "They're dead," he mumbled. "It's all my fault."

"You killed them?"

"No," Luke said. "Some stranger murdered them. But I could've saved them."

"How?"

"I could've fought him ... instead I was hiding in the garage." Luke thumped the pillow repeatedly. "Hiding in the garage like a cowardly Hutt-faced sleemo."

"Luke, you're a kid. You barely reach my chest. You think you'd be a match for some murderer? You'd have been killed too. Do you think your aunt and uncle would've wanted that?"

"But I could've done something! I bet my father would've known what to do. He'd have been ashamed of me."

Luke sniffed, imagining his father looking at him in disapproval. It was all he could see whenever he thought of the man lately. He could no longer take any pleasure in daydreams of flying around the galaxy with his father. What father could have adventures with a son who was too frightened to save his own aunt and uncle? That was a stretch of the imagination too big for even his overactive mind.

"Your father?" LJ said. "You're losing me. I thought you said you lived with your aunt and uncle."

"I did," Luke said. "My father died. I never knew him."

"Then how do you know he would have been ashamed of you? That's crazy."

"I don't know." Luke fidgeted with the bedclothes. "But I bet he was braver than me. Anyone would be."

"It sounds like you've had it pretty rough, buddy," LJ said, finally. "I know what that's like."

Luke was curious. "You do?"

"A year ago, I was stationed on the Hondero asteroid belt, and I had it all. A squad I'd trained with for so long, we could predict each other's movements without even thinking about it. We were unstoppable. We didn't know what the word 'failure' meant."

"What happened?"

"A pirate attack. They were all killed. I was the only one who survived. Then the powers that be thought I was too conditioned to work with another squad, so I was transferred to the light duty roster. See this is what they call 'light duty'."

"Do you miss them?" Luke asked. "Your squad, I mean."

"Every day."

"Does it ever stop hurting?" Luke asked. "Sometimes ... it hurts so much, I feel like I can't breathe."

"It hurts in different ways," LJ explained. "At first ... before it's settled in, it doesn't really hurt that much, because you just feel numb and shocked. Then the reality starts to settle in, and that's when it hurts the most. You may feel angry, guilty ... you wonder what you could have done to prevent it. But time can heal all wounds, buddy."

Luke nodded, feeling a little better. "Sorry I was mean to you," Luke mumbled.

"It's okay. You're sick of being in here, huh? I'll tell the administrator that you're suffering psychological stress, and she'll probably agree to have you transferred back in with your friends."

"You'd do that?" Luke said, almost feeling the urge to smile.

"Anytime, buddy."

"You know, LJ-151, you're not like the other stormtroopers," Luke said, lying back and stifling a yawn.

"That is the best thing anyone has ever said to me," LJ said, covering Luke with the discarded blanket.

Choontis had been a separatist planet during the Clone Wars, reliant as they were on their giant droid research and manufacturing industry. The capital city appeared even more prosperous now than it had then and going by the excessive display of Imperial flags, they were attempting to defend themselves from any economic interference by enforced patriotism. A droid was handing out flyers advertising the city's upcoming Empire Day parade at the intersection beside the Family Services office, and Obi-Wan didn't resist as one was pressed into his hand.

Another droid greeted him as he entered the office, floating up on repulsors to direct him to a service point on the side wall.

"Welcome to Imperial Family Services. My name is MQ-39, how may I help you this morning?"

Obi-Wan held up the small holo he'd retrieved from the Lars farm. Luke was a little younger in the image, but it was a clear picture of his face.

"I'm looking for this boy. I'm his uncle. He was possibly brought here by mistake from Tatooine during the last week, and his family wants him back."

The droid scanned the holo, and then said, "Interesting. You are the second person today claiming to be that boy's uncle. How many uncles does he have?"

Obi-Wan felt a cold sensation creep into his chest. "What did the other uncle look like?"

"Taller than you. Thin. From some type of sectoid species."

"Please tell me you didn't give him the boy!"

The droid shifted back at his tone and raised its hands.

"The boy isn't here. We did accept some Outer Rim children recently, and one confirmed this boy was still on the transport when it left. I believe you should find him on Coruscant. I'm afraid we don't have details as to the exact office and there are several thousand branches of—"

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said, forcing himself to calm his voice. He was already attracting the attention of the security droids. "You've been most helpful."

He walked slowly towards the door but began to run once he was back on the street.

"Morning, LJ-151," Luke yawned, noticing the stormtrooper walking carefully between the rows of bunks.

"How do you know it's me, kid?" LJ asked, looking down at him in surprise.

Luke thought about it for a moment. He couldn't really explain it himself ... he just knew it was LJ.

"You wear your helmet on a certain angle," Luke suggested.

"Sure I do. Go back to sleep—it's not even 0700 yet."

"We woke at dawn back on the farm," Luke explained. "You had to get as much work done as possible, before the midday heat."

"Sounds like this planet of yours was a real sizzler."

"It was one big desert," Luke said, "and it had two suns. I couldn't wait to leave it. I just wish it hadn't been like this."

LJ nodded. "And speaking of places you can't wait to leave," he said, "I noticed you giving the laundry droid a once over during the duty rotation last night."

Luke shrugged. "I thought it might have needed fixing. I'm good at fixing droids."

"I don't doubt it. I don't doubt that you know how to sabotage them, too."

"Who me?" Luke said, with a careful mix of innocence and surprise.

"Yes you, buddy. And you know where you're gonna end up if I see you doing that again, right?"

"Flying free as a bird?" Luke suggested, with a smirk.

"You wish." He gave Luke's hair a brief ruffle. "Now sleep—or fake it, at least. If you start running around, they'll all start waking up, and the early morning shift is the only peace and quiet I get."

Luke nodded. "Sure—but, ah, before that ... um ... can you take me to the refresher?"

LJ made a groan that was oddly distorted through his helmet.

"Hey, it's not my fault," Luke insisted.

"I know. Come on, then."

Luke crawled out of his top-bunk and followed LJ over to the main doors. Unlike his first dormitory, this new high-security one did not include refresher facilities. They had to be requested and then personally escorted when they were needed. Crix said it was due to vandalism. Still, even monitored refresher breaks were worth it to be back with his friends. He owed LJ for that.

Luke had initially thought a trip to the 'fresher would be the best time to attempt escape, but that idea soon faded when he saw how vigilant LJ was. Giving up didn't even occur to Luke, however—there was a weakness somewhere, he just had to find it. The laundry droid had been his latest idea, but LJ had caught on to that one a little too quickly for his liking.

It was a little frustrating, how perceptive his new friend could be, but Luke knew he wouldn't change the situation for anything. It felt good to know there was someone watching out for you, in this cold and dreary institution, even if they were watching out for you in ways you didn't want them too. If only he'd let him escape from this place, it might have been the perfect friendship.

He kept a firm hand on his shoulder, though, all the way to the refresher and again on the way back. Luke walked with his head bowed, staring at the floor, but he looked up when LJ's grip tightened slightly.

Ahead of them, a couple were being led down the adjacent corridor by a droid. LJ gestured for him to pause, and they waited until they were gone before they resumed their journey back to the dorm.

"Who were they?" Luke asked.

"A couple looking to adopt, I guess. Pretty early—maybe they thought you guys would look better while you were sleeping."

"Adoption?" Luke asked, surprised. "So kids really do get adopted from here?"

"Of course. What do you think those one-way windows are for?"

"So you guys could stare at us without us knowing about it."

"We can do that anyway."

"Do you think anyone would ever adopt me?" Luke asked, curious at the thought.

"Luke, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to adopt you. Heck, I would adopt you if that was legal."

"I'm not sure I want to be," Luke said, waiting to one side as LJ took him through the dorm security doors.

"Why not? I thought you were desperate to get out of here."

"I am, but ..." Luke shuffled back up the bunk ladder, trying not to shake it too much. The occupants of the lower tiers were still asleep. At the top he crawled back under the blankets and looked back at LJ. "What if I ended up with some mean adults who hated me?"

"Wouldn't happen. They don't just let any person who comes in off the street adopt. They check them out for suitability and all that."

"But what if there was a perfect family who I really wanted to move in with, but they wouldn't let me because they said they were unsuitable? What then?"

"Then too bad."

"But what if—"

"You know, you sure ask a lot of questions for 0700," LJ said, pushing the pillow over Luke's face.

"There's no time to lose," Obi-Wan said, as soon as Bail answered the call. His sleepy expression suggested it was the middle of the night on Alderaan, but he appeared alert enough. "Luke is on Coruscant and this fallen Jedi knows it. He has a head start. I must go there immediately."

"To Coruscant? But what if—"

"I must go, Bail. Can you help me?"

His friend looked distant for a moment, clearly remembering another time Obi-Wan had returned to Coruscant under grave circumstances. The inherent danger in existing as a Jedi on that world had only increased exponentially since.

"I will come now in the Tantive IV to pick you up."

"No, my friend, you must stay there and watch after young Leia. I still have friends on Coruscant." He smiled in a sad way. "I used to live there."

"Do you mind?" Crix said, leaning over the top of his bunk.

"Mind what?" Luke asked, turning to pace through another cycle.

"He's been like this all morning," Val said, jumping gracefully to the floor. She stopped Luke at the top of his pacing length and forced him to sit on the bunk below Crix's.

"I can't help it," Luke said, rubbing his head. "I just feel like something is going to happen, that's all. Something big."

Crix leaned over further, giving Luke a good view of his upside down spiky head.

"You mean you've thought of a new plan for getting out of here?" Crix asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

Luke glanced up and down the length of the dorm, making sure LJ wasn't on duty. They were safe for the moment.

"I checked out the laundry droid. It would be possible to sabotage it so it would return during the early hours of the morning. I'll be awake … I always am then. There's one problem, though."

"Go on," Val said, sitting beside him.

"There is still one stormtrooper on guard duty from 0100. I haven't figured out how to get him out of the room."

"No problem," Val said, immediately. "I'll get him to take me to the refresher. You two get out. Then, once you're on the outside, you can come up with another plan to rescue me."

"No way," Crix said, teetering under the effect of gravity.

"Don't talk like you're the boss of me," Val snapped.

"I'm not going to leave you behind to rot in here!"

Luke rolled his eyes. He didn't quite understand the relationship between his two friends. Some days they weren't even speaking and other days they could pass for overprotective siblings.

"Can you keep it down?" Luke said. "Okay, here's an idea. The laundry droid will come back tomorrow night as well. We can distract the stormtrooper guard by throwing something at the window. Then you can escape."

"Fine, it's settled then," Val said, standing up.

Crix looked distant for a moment, before pulling himself up and out of sight.

An opportunity for sabotage arose later that afternoon, when a laundry droid visit happened to coincide with the absence of LJ from dormitory patrol duty. The laundry droids were programmed to travel around the room, picking up all provided red bags and placing them in a cart. Most of the residents ignored them—except those who had forgotten to put their laundry in the red bags. They ended up chasing after the droid and trying to fool it to do an extra pickup.

This time, however, the droid made a longer than normal stop at the foot of Luke's bunk. Crix and Val provided the perfect distraction by starting a pillow fight in the opposite corner. Once Luke had completed his adjustments to the droid's internal clock, he gave them a signal. Now all they had to do was wait and see if this was going to pay off.

The other two drifted off to sleep immediately, but it took Luke longer than normal. The thought that this might be his last night in this place was making his mind buzz. Freedom could only be a few hours away.

He must have drifted off eventually, because the next thing he knew, it was two am and the main doors hissed open. Luke reached under his pillow for the end of a length of string. The other end was tied to one of Val's head appendages, and she had assured him that a single tug would wake her.

It took her a few seconds to come around, but she performed her part without a hitch. The lone stormtrooper on guard duty escorted her out without a question. Clearly he wasn't aware that laundry droids never visited the dorms at night.

Luke jumped to the floor lightly and then climbed up to wake Crix. His eyes were already open, though.

"Ready?" Luke said.

Crix began to sit up, then stopped. "Listen, you go without me. We'll both join you tomorrow."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't leave her behind! What if she gets blamed for our absence, and they shipped her off to some youth prison, or—"

"Crix, I—"

"Go," Crix repeated, pointing to the droid. It had nearly finished its run. "You need your freedom more than us."

"I'll come back for you tomorrow," Luke said. "I swear. Watch out for me—it will be soon."

"I will."

Luke picked up his bag and ran for the door. Something was telling him that this was the right thing to do.

It wasn't until much later that Luke discovered why.