Where was Luke?!

Where did he go?!

Kriff, how was he gone so quickly?!

These questions and more plagued Piett as he raced around his apartment complex and the streets surrounding it, looking everywhere for the boy.

Vader was definitely going to kill him for this, but Vader wasn't here. He still hadn't called Piett back, and he was terrified to make yet another call to inform him that he'd lost his precious son.

Had Luke been taken?

No. He would have heard the commotion.

Had Luke...listened in on his conversation?

No. He was certain Luke hadn't heard him. Even if he had tried to eavesdrop, he'd made sure to keep his voice low. Unless the Force had weird super hearing powers, or mind reading, like the rumors suggested, Piett didn't think that was the case. Besides, if it was, then he would have found out the many times Piett had been listening to Lord Vader thunder in his ear.

So he had to have run. But why? Was he that distressed? That didn't bode well...people made stupid decisions when they were under immense pressure, and Luke most certainly was. The poor kid had been evicted, investigated for murder, and now he was filthy rich with little explanation. Piett was a champion at handling the intense stress Vader put him under, but Luke?

Luke was the kindest, most gentle soul he'd ever met in his entire life. He didn't know how that even made sense, considering who his father was, but it was true. And now he was lost, out of his mind with terror, and his father was going to murder him the moment he told him-

Piett ignored the burning in his lungs, running like a mad man. It was obvious at this point that Luke was long gone, away from his apartment. Where else would the boy go?

Unfortunately, Piett only knew three places: The Screamin' Bean, the repair shop, and his apartment.

The Screamin' Bean would be closed by now, but Piett raced there anyway. What if Luke had a key? He frequently opened shop, right? So maybe that meant he had access to hide out there? And maybe he was stuffing himself with a million rainbow frappes-

He wasn't at the Screamin' Bean.

Next stop: the repair shop.

Piett had only known the place by its address. He hadn't actually been there, but Vader had looked up the address and made him memorize it anyway after he'd learned about his relation to the boy. By the time he got there, he could hardly breathe, and the guy working on a speeder stopped to look at him like he was concerned he was going to drop dead that moment.

"Uh. You okay, dude?" The man asked. He was covered in grease.

"L-Lu- Luke!" He managed to wheeze.

The man frowned. "You lookin for Luke?" Piett nodded vigorously. "He's not here at the moment...strange. He was supposed to work tonight but he never showed. Not like him…"

"Tell-tell- Piett looking-"

"You want me to tell him you're looking for him?" Piett again nodded enthusiastically. "Your name is Piett? The...ah...Imperial?"

Apparently Luke had talked about him. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. It probably wasn't too much on the good side, since Luke had apparently started suspecting he was lying about who he was. That and, well, Vader didn't exactly make conversation with the poor boy normal. "Yes."

"Alright-" He didn't wait for the man to finish. With his promise that he'd tell Luke he was looking for him if he showed up, Piett turned and raced for the last place he knew Luke could be at.

His apartment.

Or...what used to be his apartment. Because when Piett arrived, it was not Luke, or even his roommate who answered the door. It was what Piett assumed to be the new landlord.

By this point, Piett was completely drenched in sweat, and he had to lean on the doorframe to stay standing. The man, a Toydarian, looked him over skeptically, flapping his wings furiously to keep afloat. "Who the hell are you?"

He gasped for air. "L-Lu-Luke-where?"

The man scowled...which was a strange reaction, considering most people were quite enchanted by the boy's charming personality. "Wish I knew. The law enforcement came lookin' for him with a warrant. They think the kid murdered the last-"

"I know-" Piett gasped, closing his eyes tightly as he realized how much trouble Luke was in now. The trouble had upgraded to potentially being investigated for murder to getting arrested for murder. And the murderer was right there standing on the new landlords doorstep! He'd been acting under orders from Darth Vader so technically both murders were legal, but he didn't have any evidence, Lord Vader wasn't around to confirm anything, and who was going to believe him? He'd left his credentials back home-

"Do you know where he might have gone?" He managed to ask after swallowing bile. His entire body was shaking, and it wasn't necessarily only from the running he'd done.

"Why the hell would I know?! If I knew, I woulda given the cops the information-!"

"Oh, shut up, if you're not going to be of any help!" As the man sputtered, Piett turned around and headed back out.

He didn't know anywhere else Luke might go. The boy was slippery. Anytime he'd tried to follow him, he'd quickly lost him. Piett wasn't sure if that was intentional or if the boy was just faster than him. Both were entirely possible.

It didn't matter. What mattered now was that Luke was gone, and he didn't know what else to do. As he exited the apartment building, he stood there on the permacrete, wondering what the next step was.

If Luke was about to be investigated for murder… the law enforcement would be searching for him. It was possible they'd already found him. If not, they had far more resources than Piett did on his own. But...he was a captain in the Imperial Navy. And not just an ordinary captain-he served Darth Vader himself.

Perhaps…

He turned and headed home to grab his identification.

He couldn't tell Luke the truth...not the full truth, at least. But he could use his position to try to help him. And...maybe Vader could think of a way to explain why he was suddenly a captain.

Actually, maybe not. Vader's explanations were odd at best.

Either way. He couldn't not help the boy. Protecting Luke was literally the most important mission in the entire galaxy.

And he would die before he saw harm come to the son of Darth Vader.

Vader finished strangling the officer who'd had the misfortune of telling him the terrible news: The Emperor was not on Coruscant. He'd left before Vader had even arrived. And because the man insisted on living in the redecorated Jedi temple, where the Force was often warped between the Dark and the Light, he had not sensed it.

He did not appreciate his time being wasted. He'd waited around all afternoon to be seen by the Emperor. Turns out, he'd been waiting on a man who hadn't bothered to tell him he wouldn't even be there.

He stepped over the still body, and headed towards his private chambers. Soon, the entire palace would be his...and he'd raze it to the ground. He had no interest in living in the ghost of the Jedi temple any longer.

He entered the pod, settled down on his chair, and growled in frustration. Now what? Perhaps he shouldn't have killed the man before finding out when the Emperor would return. He supposed he could do his school work in the meantime, but…

Reminded of school and, therefore, his son, he called his personal comm into his hand. He doubted anything would have happened, not in the last few hours. But when he opened up his messages, he found a waiting recording from none other than Piett.

Please be calling to tell me Luke tried to adopt another duck again, he thought, a bolt of fear shooting through him. Or that he spilled another cup of caff on you-

But when he played the message, it was so much worse than anything he could have imagined.

Luke suspected.

Or, he suspected something. Not necessarily that he was secretly controlling everything Piett did and said. Worse, Luke was being investigated for the murders he'd had Piett commit to protect him, and now-

Now Luke was about to get in far worse trouble than he had ever intended.

But...he could fix that. He could fix all of this. One word to law enforcement and they'd back down. He could come up with a story...maybe reveal Piett was a captain? And working a secret mission and...somehow that involved Luke? And he needed Luke to have money to be able to complete his mission?

He had no idea if that would work, but it was worth a try. He couldn't tell the boy the truth until the Emperor was dead.

He keyed the redial, and waited for Piett to pick up.

He did so on the second ring.

"My lord!" Piett gasped, his face coming into view.

Vader frowned. He looked terrible. Was he sick? Had he and Luke gotten into a fist fight? Was Luke in the process of trying to murder Piett for his lies and his captain was on the run?

No. That last thought was ridiculous.

"What have you already told Luke?" He demanded, deciding he wasn't interested in why Piett looked like he was about to die at any moment.

"Nothing-Lord Vader, it's grown much more serious."

Ice immediately coated his veins. His free hand clenched, squeezing the arm of his chair so hard it buckled under his grip. "What?!"

"Luke's missing. He ran off while I was calling you. I've been looking everywhere but he's not here. I'm about to go into the law enforcement station and see if they already caught him-"

"Caught him?!"

"Yes, My Lord, there's an arrest warrant." There was a pause. "To clarify, this is the local authorities. The military has not been involved in the search. I already checked with them, and your orders to stand down are still in effect."

Vader didn't need anything else. "I will be there shortly. Find my son and protect him with your life, Captain!"

The threat was obvious in his tone, but he wasn't even necessarily thinking about killing the captain. Not yet, not when his mind was focused on the two main problems:

Luke was missing.

And he was certain he knew where the Emperor had gone.

He didn't know how the Emperor knew, and he didn't care. It was foolish to think the Emperor wouldn't have noticed. Vader had been wrapped up in his school work...or rather, Luke, for a while now. Though he completed his Imperial duties, they weren't as prompt as usual.

Then his orders to cover up two murders on Eriadu, and the Bake Sale fiasco…

The Emperor knew. And maybe even had a hand in the murder investigation situation.

Eriadu was far even for his fastest ship. He wouldn't arrive until the next night-

"You will keep me apprised of the investigation in the meantime, and inform me the moment Luke is found!" He was already on his feet and climbing out of his meditation pod, his mind and fury whirling.

"It will be done, My Lord."

With Piett's promise ringing in his ears, he hung up, striding as quickly as possible towards the hangar.

Luke would be found. He had to be. He'd get there before the Emperor could do anything to him. He would.

He wouldn't let it end any other way.

Local law enforcement was a joke.

"You can verify my credentials in the system." Piett was grinding his teeth together so hard, his jaw hurt. "I am Captain Piett, serving on the Devastator, Lord Vader's flagship. I am here on Imperial business and Luke Lars is part of it!"

"You expect me to believe some kid has the attention of Darth Vader?" The young woman asked, giving him a skeptical look. "What would he want with some eighteen year old criminal from Tatooine?"

"The situation is far more complicated, and way above your pay grade." He glared. "By all means, though. I can get in contact with Lord Vader and have him confirm. You can explain to him why you decided to waste his time instead of looking my credentials up-"

"Fine!" She let out a big sigh and rolled her eyes, taking his identification chip and plugging it into her datacomputer. Under her breath, Piett was certain she muttered, "Imperial officers. Think they're so special-"

He tapped his foot impatiently, resisting the urge to reach over and start shaking her to get the point across: this needed to be done quickly and without attitude. But, finally, the computer made a beeping noise, and she raised her brows, looked at him, then back at the screen. "Huh. Well. Seems you're telling the truth, after all...and you apparently go to the university-"

"Yes, yes, I know what I do with my spare time!" He was painfully aware. "Get me your commander, now!"

This time, she moved faster, and it was only minutes later when an older bearded man stepped out of an office behind her and headed their way.

"Captain Piett, yes?" He said when he approached and stuck a hand out. "The name's Commander Gregory. My men are leading the search for Luke Lars-"

"It is imperative that they do not harm the boy!" Piett interrupted, not caring for the pleasantries or the time being wasted stating obvious information. "If a single hair is missing from his head, I promise, Lord Vader will not be pleased."

Commander Gregory's brows rose. "What...exactly has the boy done to warrant the attention of Darth Vader?"

He couldn't exactly tell the man that Luke was the literal heir to the Empire. He should be able to, if he wanted immediate cooperation, but Vader hadn't said the Emperor was dead yet. He was certain that information would be classified no matter the situation until Vader had taken the throne.

"My Lord has many interests. It isn't my duty to question them, nor should it be yours." He leveled a challenging glare at the man, and he was satisfied to see the man swallow nervously.

Yes. This was what he was meant to do. He wasn't dressed in his uniform or on board the Devastator, but taking command of a search like this in service to Lord Vader…

This was where he thrived.

"I need to know what information you have so far. Not on the murders itself, I don't give a damn about those. I need to know what information I can use to find Luke Lars."

Commander Gregory gave him a strange look at the 'not caring about the murders' comment, but nevertheless he nodded. Finally. Someone sort of competent. "On top of the murders, we have reason to suspect that the boy may be defecting to the Rebellion."

Piett stared at the man, not sure he heard him correctly. "I'm sorry?"

"Yes. A search of his apartment found Rebellion-friendly pamphlets."

Piett frowned. He knew for certain that Luke hadn't had those when he'd searched his apartment less than two weeks ago. Either they were new, or…

Or it was planted.

He had a difficult time seeing Luke joining a lawless group like the Rebellion, especially since he'd expressed interest in joining the Imperial Navy. That, and he was again the nicest person he'd ever met. He couldn't see him killing anyone even with the powers Vader had.

Besides. He was Darth Vader's son. Surely he'd have inherited some kind of...anti-Rebellion ideals? He knew it didn't work that way, but he was Vader's son.

Except he didn't know it. And maybe a Rebel-sympathizer had seen his innocence and preyed upon it.

"We believe he's trying to get the Rebellion to get him off world."

Well. That he could believe. If Luke didn't trust him any longer and was legitimately scared for his life, he might turn to an organization he thought might be able to get him off world. There were plenty of people who joined the Empire for equally desperate reasons.

If that was the case, then even more so than before, he needed to find Luke.

"Have you locked down the ports?" He asked.

"No. We have to get a warrant to do that, we're not the military-"

Piett was already pulling out his comm unit to contact the local garrison. Commander Gregory might not have the authority, but he knew how to get the authority.

He was not going to lose this boy. It wasn't just because he was afraid for his own life, either.

He genuinely liked Luke. And despite the insanity of the last few months, he did think the boy had a good influence on his father.

And he was afraid of what his father would do if Luke was lost.

He managed to lock the ports down. Sometimes it paid to work for Lord Vader, and since the local garrison had already had odd orders from Vader recently, it didn't take nearly as much convincing. He also managed to get Commander Gregory to loop him in on the communications of those searching for Luke. When the commander asked if he knew anything specific about Luke that might help in their investigation...he couldn't exactly tell him most of it without Vader's permission, but he did tell him, "Well he likes ducks."

The commander didn't know what to make of that. Frankly, neither did Piett.

He stayed up the entire night. Every few hours he'd report to Vader, and each time he could tell the news of his son still being missing further soured his superior's mood. And he couldn't blame him. Vader was stuck in hyperspace, left to wonder and worry about his son...because he was worried. Piett was certain he knew Vader well enough to know that like any other parent, he was very much worried about the welfare of his son.

So Piett continued to throw himself into the search. He himself joined a few search parties, hoping that maybe he could help. But he wasn't Darth Vader with his uncanny ability to find people who didn't want to be found, and Luke was clearly one of those people. By late afternoon the next day, Piett was starting to worry that he'd locked the ports down too late and Luke was off in a Rebel base getting brainwashed with terrorist propaganda.

That was, until he got a comm call from Commander Gregory.

"We found the Rebels." He informed him. "They were trying to sneak onto an Imperial transport to try to get around the blockade."

Idiots. Piett had dealt with many a clever Rebel group, but the one on Eriadu didn't seem to be the smarter of the Rebel cells. Especially if they felt bold enough to pass out pamphlets to unsuspecting innocent farmboys.

"And Luke?"

"He's with them."

Piett's shoulders sagged with relief. He had to lean against the nearest wall to keep from collapsing. "Thank the stars...Commander, separate Luke immediately from the rest of the Rebels and do not take your eyes off of him. I'll be there shortly to handle this."

"Captain, this is still a murder investigation-"

"Lord Vader himself will be arriving shortly to take over this investigation." Piett tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice. He wasn't successful, not when he was so exhausted. He didn't even want to think about the last time he slept.

There was a pause. "Lord Vader-? Coming here?"

"Is that a problem?"

"N-no, captain...I...I'll do as you've asked."

"Good. I will be there shortly." He hung up and began walking, punching in Vader's comm number as he did so.

"There had better be good news, Captain." Vader's voice greeted.

Yes. He was in a terrible mood. He may very well be dead when they next saw each other.

At least he wouldn't have to deal with Vader's schemes anymore.

"We have found the boy, My Lord. I am heading back to take custody now."

Vader made a noise that Piett thought might have been a sigh of relief...but he must have imagined it. "Good. Do not let him leave your sight, Captain. I am minutes away from dropping out of hyperspace."

Though he could very well be dead by the time night fell, Piett felt oddly relieved to hear that. The less time he had to wait, the better. "It will be done, My Lord."

When he reached the precinct, he was immediately led into a windowless cell not unlike the ones onboard the Devastator. Luke sat on a bench, head in his cuffed hands, with a chain bolting him to the wall so he couldn't attack Piett if he tried.

Except this was Luke Lars. First of all, he'd seen the boy get into exactly one fight, and...well yes, he did have crazy powers that would immediately best him. But he was also kind and would likely only start fighting him if he thought he was about to hurt someone he cared about. And currently, the only people Piett cared about in that moment was Luke, and Lord Vader.

The moment the door closed behind him, Piett sat down in the chair across from him. "Luke."

Luke's head lifted, and it was obvious from the uncharacteristic bags under his eyes that he hadn't gotten any sleep either. His lips pursed, and he blew out through his nose. "You're not in maintenance."

Well. That much was obvious. So he figured he could at least tell him that. "No. I'm not."

Luke rubbed a hand over his face as if he were trying to wake himself up from the nightmare he'd found himself in...a nightmare partially...okay, mostly created by Lord Vader. Even if it was an accident. "How much have you lied to me?"

Piett winced. "A...fair bit, I'm afraid. And I can't tell you everything." He added quickly when he saw Luke open his mouth again. "But I can tell you that my name really is Firmus Piett, and I am a captain aboard the Devastator."

Luke squinted his eyes at him, then shook his head in disbelief. "A captain? Stars, why would you even bother going to school for engineering? Don't you already have education?"

"From the Imperial Academy, yes. And again, I'm afraid I can't tell you everything about who I am and why I'm here." He leaned forward. "Luke, why would you run? And to the Rebellion, of all things?"

Now it was Luke who winced. "You've obviously lied. And I'm pretty sure a bunch of this is somehow tied to you." He gestured to the room around them. "How was I supposed to trust you? I realized I didn't have time to waste, and asking you for answers didn't sound like a good use of that time, and...I meant it, Firmus. I wanted to just get my degree. I didn't have any desire to join any kind of military. But how else was I supposed to get off world without drawing attention?"

Piett sighed. "I feared as much."

There was an awkward silence between them as they stared each other down, both realizing that they didn't really know the other. Not really.

"So, how much trouble am I in?" Luke finally asked.

Piett made a face. "I...can't say. I'm sorry, Luke. I wish I could. You're a good kid. You...you didn't deserve any of this."

"Then why-?"

But Luke never got to finish his question.

The door opened.

Piett stood, turning, expecting Lord Vader…

But it wasn't.

It was the hooded figure of none other than the Emperor himself.

There was a horrible, awkward, drawn out silence as they stared at each other. Piett couldn't even think. He couldn't even fully comprehend what was happening. He should have bowed. He should have addressed him as Your Majesty. He should have at least asked where Vader was.

But he could only stare in horror...and wonder if some of this wasn't completely Vader's fault, after all.

Because shouldn't the local garrison have told law enforcement about Vader's orders? Shouldn't they have stepped in when two people had been killed under the Empire's orders?

But no. They hadn't. And now Luke was captured and vulnerable.

And Vader wasn't there to stop him.

"Firmus…?" Luke's voice was small. Terrified. Confused. "Why is the Emperor here?"

He wished he knew. He didn't think it was for good reason.

The Emperor stepped into the room, and the door closed behind him. Piett was well aware that he was likely not alone. There were probably the famed royal Red Guard outside the door. If Vader was on his way, he'd have to fight his way through them to get there...unless the guards trusted him to approach?

"Captain Piett." The Emperor's voice was gravelly, like he'd lost half of it long ago. And his face...stars, his face…

Unnatural golden eyes landed on Luke behind him, and they narrowed. "And Luke Lars. Or should I call you Luke Skywalker?"

"Luke Skywalker is just fine, Your Majesty." Though his voice still betrayed his fear, there was a note of defiance there that Piett had heard when he'd stood up to Craig.

Luke was powerful. Far more so than an old, clearly withered old man, but the Emperor smiled, revealing yellowing, rotted teeth. "Such defiance. Just like your dear parents."

"You know nothing about them!" Gone was the fear, replaced by anger.

"Don't I?" The Emperor's eyes landed on Piett. "Step aside, Captain. I will take over from here."

Piett stood rooted to the floor, breathing hard.

This was the Emperor. He should obey a direct order from him, even more so than Vader.

And yet…

"I've been ordered not to leave Luke's side."

The words left his mouth through numb lips.

The Emperor's eyes narrowed. "I believe my orders override any you may have received. Even from Lord Vader."

He could feel Luke's gaze on the back of his head. He didn't acknowledge him. He couldn't turn his eyes away from the man in the room.

There was a reason Vader had wanted to kill this man before Luke could be brought to him. Piett didn't understand why, but...he trusted his superior. Even with everything he'd put him through, he trusted him.

And if Lord Vader thought this man was a threat to Luke, then he had to react accordingly.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. I won't be disobeying Lord Vader's orders."

The Emperor stared at him for a moment. Then, that horrible smile spread across his lips as he let out a terrible cackle. "Such loyalty. It's commendable, captain." The smile disappeared, and the Emperor stepped forward. "But you chose your loyalty poorly."

Then, before Piett could even think to react, the Emperor lifted his hands and lightning shot out of them, slamming into his chest. He went flying, unable to breathe, unable to think or move his body-

Somewhere someone was screaming. Pleading. He couldn't understand the words. All he could do was think about the pain, how his muscles weren't supposed to contract like this, how he could feel his life being drained-

Then, suddenly, it stopped.

There was a gurgling sound...and when Piett managed to pry his eyes open and look, he found the Emperor standing there, mouth agape, staring at Luke with a look of such terrible hatred…

As a red blade protruded from his chest, and behind him stood the hulking form of Darth Vader.

His superiors breathing was loud in his ears. He heard Luke say something...maybe his name? He wasn't sure. All he could hear was Darth Vader's breathing as the Emperor's body slumped forward, and he stepped into the room, his lightsaber disengaging.

Just as he began to lose consciousness, he felt hands move him onto his back.

The last thing he saw was Luke Skywalker's terrified and concerned expression staring down at him as the world blacked out.