"Clever trick back there, Son."

"It was no trick. I will kill myself before turning to the Dark Side."

"Killing yourself WILL turn you to the Dark Side." Vader informed him.

Luke fell into the copilot's seat in defeat. Great.

Vader threw a glance in his son's direction, "If you're quite finished with your suicidal aspirations, we'll proceed to my ship now."

Luke scowled, "Where are we going?"

"Coruscant."

Luke's features froze.

"What?"

"I'm taking you to the Emperor. HE is your master now."

"But you said-"

"What happened to that Skywalker cleverness?"

The younger of the men clenched his jaw in absolute rage.

"I will not serve him."

"You will not like the alternative." His father warned.

Luke blinked. "Won't he just kill me?"

Luke heard a laugh-like sound come from his father, "Of course not. The Emperor knows better than to waste valuable resources."

Luke spun around in his seat to glare at the man next to him, "I am NOT a resource!"

"Nor was I once," Vader muttered.

Luke caught it.

Luke crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, "No, YOU were always nothing more than Palpatine's RESOURCE- it was Anakin who was a never a resource."

Luke's temple crashed into the controls above him as Vader backhanded him sharply.

"That name," Vader warned, "no longer has any meaning to me."

Luke rubbed his head, "Then why'd you hit me?"

The shuttle made a perfect landing in the bowels of the Super Star Destroyer as Vader tried to ignore his son's question.

~

"Luuuuuke!" Leia screamed as she ran after the rising shuttle.

"Leia, no!" Han had the distraught women by the arms before she could get to close to the ship. She, in turn, directed her aggression on him- punching him in the jaw.

He fell back, staring at her in disbelief.

"Leia," he pleaded, stretching a hand out to her. "He's Vader's son-"

"NO! He's not! He can't be!"

"Leia, stop." Mothma ordered. "We must evacuate. If Vader decides to renege on his deal with Commander Skywalker- The Alliance will be lost."

Leia turned slowly to face to white-robed woman, "It is already lost." She whispered, and left the bay.

~

Luke followed his father in bitter submission. Oddly feeling at ease as he stared into his father's back. What's the matter with me? He asked himself as the door to Vader's quarters slid open. The room was unremarkable in itself; it appeared to be nothing more than an office. Vader continued across the room to the far wall, mildly to the younger man's surprise, it slid open at his approach. As Luke entered he couldn't prevent a small gasp. This room was another matter entirely. It was richly decorated, with every function one could need- kitchen, fresher, library, training room. Luke unconsciously wandered about the quarters once again resembling a wide-eyed child. Vader shook his head. Luke noticed the gesture and turned to the black clad man.

"What?"

Vader paused to find the appropriate words, "It is simply that I am troubled that my son suffered to live such a sheltered life."

"This is sheltered if you ask me." Luke mumbled, not outside Vader's notice.

"You would not have grown up in a cage, my Son. You would have learned all the skills you would need- you would be honored by your title now- not appalled by it."

Luke regarded his father silently- Were there emotions in those words-?

"And," Vader continued, "You'd not feel so ill at ease in an outfit which befits you so immaculately- Son of Vader."

Luke pressed his lips together, fighting not to fall into his father's trap.

"You lied to me."

"I lied to you in the shuttle- yes."

Luke shook his head in frustration. "What?"

"The shuttle was bugged Luke."

Luke couldn't help but hear his father's words in his head again-- What happened to that Skywalker cleverness?-

Luke dropped into a large leather chair, his cloak spreading around him, Vader matched suit in the chair across from him.

A short silence ensued until Luke spoke.

"So," Luke asked, feeling his innocence dissolve away, "What's the plan?"

~

Leia walked briskly towards the Falcon, a single bag thrown over her shoulder. The evacuation of the base was proving nearly impossible because of the scarce number of hyperspace capable crafts. Leia shook her head, remembering Luke's fervent warnings concerning their present emergency- Pressing her lips together she entered the waiting Falcon, and fell into Han's waiting arms.

"We just got you back," She sobbed into Han's shoulder, "And now we've lost Luke."

"The Kid can take care of himself," Han gently reminded her. "He'll be fine- and we'll find him."

Leia nodded as Han hit the ramp release switch. Several minutes later the Millennium Falcon slipped out of the Alliance fleet unnoticed.

"Where to, Princess?" Han asked from the NavComp.

Leia looked out the viewport, remembering the sight of the Executor disappearing into hyperspace.

"Coruscant." She said softly.

All of her companions regarded her in shock. Leia herself was still a bit in shock at the company she'd acquired. She'd expected Han and Chewie- but Lando and Wedge had also slipped aboard during the confusion.

Five people, two droids and modified junk pile-- against the entire Empire.

Lando opened his mouth-

"I know, I know-" Throwing a look at Han she smiled.

"Never tell me the odds."

[Sorry it's so short, I wanted to put SOMETHING up for you. The next chapter will be up very soon, I don't like to make you wait!] ;)