Luke Vader: From Slave to Dark Lord of the Sith
Part 3: Vader's servant
SJ 26-04-00/10-00 (skyjade@globetrotter.net)
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Even though Vader was never uncomfortable with his master, only subservient, he
was glad to leave his presence.
Especially now that he had agreed to let Luke live; he didn't want to waste a
single second that he was granted with his son; he would make them worthwhile,
proving to the wary ruler that his son was better alive than dead.
While he would continue to lessen the distance between them, he would also make
sure that his boy's good nature would never put him on the dangerous end of the
Emperor's attentions.
Instead, he would help him bring out his abilities and powers which would ensure
his survival in the Emperor's ranks.
His son 'would' be a servant of the Emperor, he determined even as he strode
past the said boy. The child fell in step behind him and walked, his head bowed
like the good servant he was.
In time, he promised himself, he would earn the right to walk straight and tall,
but first, he reflected, they had some serious work to do.
Luke followed his master out of the splendor of the Imperial Palace... and into
the dark splendor of his own palace.
The first thing that the child noticed was the change of colors. Whereas the
Imperial palace had been celestial white with colorful, artistic articles of
decoration, Vader's palace was dark with black walls, floors, and dark wooden
furniture. However, the works of art where mind-enrapturing.
He tried to not let himself be distracted by them as followed his master;
instead, he tried to remember all the rooms the adult indicated to him while
they walked down the corridors. It was much bigger than aboard the Executor, he
reflected seriously.
His quarters were also bigger, he gaped slightly in surprise. He had been so
used to his closet that he hadn't expected anything different here. However,
instead of a cot, he had a bunk, and he even had a small desk and a private
'fresher.
However, what attracted his attention were the datadisks which had been piled up
on the corner of the desk. He wanted to check them out right now, aware that
they were probably the Jedi/pilot data that his master had told him he would
find for him, but his master wanted otherwise at the moment.
Luke obediently followed him.
He brought him into a computer room at the end of the last floor, keyed in some
files, then turned sideways.
"Take a look at those individuals, boy," he told him seriously.
Luke stepped closer and studied the portraits that were being shown on the large
screen. Women, men, aliens.
"Look at them carefully. They are not to be trusted," his master informed him.
"If you ever have to escort them anywhere in the palace, never let your guard
down while in their presence. If you detect anything suspicious from them, warn
me immediately. Do you understand?" he asked him.
"Yes, Master," Luke nodded although he was surprised yet again by his master.
Escort his visitors?? Him? A child?
The dark lord pointed to a blond woman. "This one isn't human. It's a droid;
probe it the right way," he advised him.
"I understand, Master." Luke reassured him.
Yes, he reflected seriously, he had just understood that Vader had made him his
majordomo, giving him permission to practice his probing skills on his visitors.
Vader turned toward him---- then crouched in front of him, something which he
had never done before, well, almost never.
Luke held still in worry, his eyes locked on his master. He thus tracked his
hand as it moved closer to his face, then barely stroked his cheek with his
fingertips; now that had never happened before, he thought in utter shock.
He stood stock-still, unable to shift even one muscle.
"You really are clever, boy," his master observed in a strangely warmer voice
than usual. "Don't hesitate to use your intelligence to serve me better," he
told him in that same fashion. "You will not regret it."
Luke jerkily nodded, his voice caught in his throat now.
"Err... Thank you, Master," he finally managed.
Vader remained crouched for a few more seconds, making Luke even more uneasy,
then he stood up once again, back to his normal, cool self.
"Tour the palace now. Make yourself familiar with all its rooms," he instructed
him.
"Yes, Master." he bowed, then left him.
Vader watched his son leave, a bitter-sweet feeling lingering in his heart.
He had been forward with the child this time, openly showing his care for him;
the child had answered by almost fainting thanks to his shock.
They had a long way to go, he sighed to himself even as he turned back toward
his computer. He couldn't even foresee a delay when his masquerade would be
over. However, he tried to comfort his newly sensitive self, the more time it
took, the more time he had to initiate Luke to the rest of the abilities that he
would need to make the transition from his slave to the Emperor's servant.
He had already found a way to make him improve his probing skills, his piloting
skills were growing by leaps and bounds, and his levitation and mind-control
abilities were perfectly honed already.
He was almost done with the basic training... for a Sith, but not for an
imperial servant, he reflected even as he called up the training program of
agents.
He thus thought of another exercise to add to his son's schedule. It wouldn't
really be a duty, he reflected, but his son was aware that he was training him
more than making him work.
He would accept the new challenge... and would thus develop his self-defense
skills.
Meanwhile, six floors lower, Luke studied his master's home.
He couldn't help but wonder about what had happened in the computer room though.
His master had never, ever shown him any sign of care before. Sure he had
taught him many things, had given him privileges he had only dreamed of, but he
had also been cruel with him, and he had never hesitated to strike fear in his
young heart if he had deemed it necessary. His master had also never brought
himself to his level, except if he wanted to have a better view of something and
didn't want to hurt his arms or strangle him. He had even less ever touched him
without causing him any pain of any kind.
He honestly couldn't comprehend what had gone through the dark lord's mind a
moment before.
He refocused on his self-guided visit. He noticed that not many beings
inhabited the lord's castle. He was mostly surrounded by droids. The few
beings he had seen here and there were mostly there for maintenance purposes.
Hours later, he knew that he was the sole living servant in the castle.
He returned to his master's side.
******
Even though Luke was on Coruscant, his routine didn't change much. He served
his master and his guests when he had to, he continued to work on his muscles
since he had many more places to clean up now, but there were also a few
changes. The most important one was that since he now knew his lord's schedule,
he was now semi-autonomous to organize his days. Considering that he knew when
he was supposed to welcome a guest, either from the lower levels or from the
landing platforms, it was up to him to organize the rest of his day so that his
duty was complete when he went to bed.
New Force-exercises were also part of his routine now. First of all, whenever
he led a guest to his master's location, had to probe them in order to inform
his master of their intentions 'before' they reached him. Second, his exercises
with remotes now involved them shooting stinging bolts at him, forcing him to
improve his danger-sensing skills, not just his focus. Finally, he also had to
develop new physical skills by facing a fighting droid every day. His goal with
this task was to deactivate the droid and put it away despite their fights'
increasing levels of difficulty. Thus, after a few, difficult first days, he
managed to figure out how to use Force to guide his body in self-defense
movements.
Since he had to do the remote and droid exercises every day, his dodging and
fighting skills improved quite rapidly.
******
Nearly a month and a half later, Luke rolled away from the droid's arm--- then
kicked him in its middle section with all his strength to make it tumble on its
back. As expected, the machine fell heavily on the deck. The young boy hurried
to roll to its side and turned it off via the switch that was on its neck. The
droid powered down, at last.
Groaning in tiredness, Luke sat back and rubbed his aching muscles. It had been
tougher today. He had noticed that it had been becoming easy for a while, but
not anymore. Oh well, he mentally shrugged, he was improving once again.
Pushing himself to his feet, he straightened and stretched a little, then
reached out with the Force and pulled the droid to its feet before he levitated
it all the way to its normal place.
There, done.
Young Luke checked the chrono on the wall. He had just enough time to change
back in his formal clothes and clean up a bit before receiving his master's next
guest.
After that, he would have to take care of the remotes that his master had left
activated in an other training room.
******
It took Luke approximately ten minutes to make himself presentable; he finally
headed for the higher landing pad and not a minute too soon.
He had barely reached his waiting station that the expected couch arrived.
A tall, green-skinned alien stepped out of it and waited patiently. Even
without reaching out, Luke could feel that this visitor wouldn't be to his
master's liking. There was something downright filthy about him. However, his
orders were to escort him, so escort him, he shall.
The young boy walked forward and bowed in welcome. "Welcome, Prince Xizor," he
bid the other. "My master, Lord Vader, is awaiting you. If you'll follow me."
He turned around and walked toward the inside of the building. The alien
followed but it didn't escape Luke's notice that he was displeased by something.
'A child!?' he heard him think when he probed him. 'What kind of game is Vader
playing with me now? This can't be serious. I've heard about the boy, but
there has to be something else behind this. Vader has never had slaves before,'
the alien finished with a touch of disgust directed at his master.
Luke heard and felt it all--- and strove to remain impassive, in control. Once
he felt cool-headed once again, he contacted his master. Vader told him to stay
around for this guest.
Two minutes later, he keyed open the door of the room where his master was, then
invited the Dark Prince to enter. He followed him inside.
He almost instantly discovered that Prince Xizor was a master deceiver.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Vader," the alien purred suavely as if
he held the other in great respect. "It was extremely nice of you to send your
youngest servant to welcome me."
"We may dispense with pleasantries, Prince Xizor," Vader retorted curtly, not
turning away from the window behind his desk to meet with his visitor. "I know
what you really think about the boy."
Luke felt the Falleen's composure falter slightly yet he had yet to detect any
sign of anger on his cool features.
"But this is not why I requested your presence here," Vader continued coldly.
"I have discovered that one of your groups of traders is serving itself right
off the imperial stocks," he finished, turning around to 'glare' at the tall
alien.
"What?.., I didn't know about that, my Lord," Xizor lied.
While Luke noticed his own, reflexive lack of proper thought toward the Falleen
creature, he became aware that his master was gazing unwaveringly at the alien.
If he didn't know better, he thought in bemusement, he would swear that his
master was smirking in amusement.
"Just as I thought," his master finally nodded, "Now that you know though, I
suggest that you correct the situation before I have to take drastic measures
concerning them," he warned seriously. "Remember that if you want to retain
your deal with the Empire, you'll have to keep your end of it, on all aspects,"
he added more darkly.
"I shall take a look at it immediately, my Lord," Xizor reassured him earnestly
even as he bowed his head in respect.
Vader barely acknowledged him, then dismissed him with a wave of his hand before
returning to his study of the captivating Coruscant landscape; Luke prepared
himself for his escort duty. Xizor bowed again... and had turned around to
follow him when Lord Vader spoke up once again.
"By the way," his master commented, drawing once again the attention of the
angry alien while he turned back toward them, "I didn't know that you kept such
a close eye on me, Prince Xizor," he almost sneered.
As he saw the alien turn back toward Vader, Luke decided that the Falleen was
more than a master deceiver; he was in perfect control of himself. None of his
previous, hateful thoughts were showing on his features.
"I'm afraid I don't understand, my Lord," the Falleen commented, pretending to
be confused.
"How else would you know about my slavery habits?" the dark lord inquired
seriously.
"I---" the other stuttered, caught off-guard this time at having his own
thoughts shoved back at him.
Lord Vader stepped forward this time. "You should mind your own business and
not start rumors on my account, Prince Xizor," he warned him with just the
slightest hint of a serious threat in his voice. "That would be better for you
and your business."
Luke could feel the boiling anger in the dark prince, even his murderous
intentions, but it, like the rest, didn't show on his features.
He, for his part, was currently growing hateful toward the alien for
entertaining such thought about his master, but he forced himself to remain
unresponsive. He was only his master's slave; it wasn't his place to think for
him.
"Accept my apologies if I have miffed you, Lord Vader," the alien finally bowed
in deference.
"Apologies accepted," his master retorted as if it were inconsequential. "You
may leave now," he finished, then Luke caught his master's barest glance in his
direction. He snapped to attention. *Take him back to his couch without any
detour,* he instructed him coolly.
Luke respectfully bowed his head, then prepared to leave once again.
Meanwhile, the alien bowed once again, offered another menial retort, then
followed Luke out of the room.
As the young boy watched the personal ship leave the area of the castle, he
reflected that his master was courageous to dare turn his back, let alone openly
threaten a being such as the Falleen.
He now knew how dangerous the dark prince was.
He turned around---and started when he saw that his master was standing a few
feet away from him, watching him he realized even as he bowed his head in
welcome.
"It is not courage to face cowards like him," the dark lord told him coolly.
"It is merely my duty."
"He wants to kill you, Master," Luke informed him, keeping his head bowed to
apologize for his earlier misjudgment, perhaps even an unwilling insult if his
master was not in a good mood.
"I know," Vader agreed without any sign of usual anger. "but so do I...
However, the Emperor likes to have him around his court; I cannot get rid of
this snake," the dark Lord explained, annoyance creeping into his voice and
senses.
Aware, and relieved, that his master wasn't angry at him, Luke dared look back
up at his master--- who walked closer to rest his hand on his shoulder.
He couldn't help but still completely in surprise. He still wasn't used to his
master's caring touch.
"You were perfect in his presence, boy," his master praised him. "If he ever
sends an assassin, he won't even think that you might detect him before he
reaches me," he informed him seriously.
Luke, who had tensed when the dark lord had touched him, could now only gape
up at his mask as the other crouched to be at eye level with him. "An assassin?
Stop him?" he asked in disbelief.
"I saw you train with the droid today," his master commented in the strangely
warm voice that he seemed to use only with him. "You are getting very good in
fighting techniques, and you can sense deceit when it is present," he continued,
this time with the lightest touch of pride in his voice. "From now on, boy, you
will think of yourself as my bodyguard when you escort guests inside," he
instructed him.
"Master?.." Luke gaped in bemusement. He couldn't believe the words he had just
heard. Him? A bodyguard? But he was barely eight years old!
"A servant merely takes people from one place to another, but a bodyguard serves
and protect his master," Vader explained warmly. "Am I wrong when I say that
you would've attacked Xizor if he had moved on me?" he queried in his still
strangely gentle voice.
Luke avoided his eyes, ashamed for entertaining such thoughts of disobedience.
"No, Master, but I'm sorry," he hurried to add.
Vader brought his large hand to the boy's face, eliciting another flinch even as
he gently made him face him once again. "There is nothing to be sorry about,
child," he reassured him. "You controlled yourself, yet remained open for any
danger. This is exactly what I want you to do. Do you think you can do it?" he
queried more seriously.
Luke, who had kept his eyes down despite his master's encouragement to look at
him, now courageously met his gaze. "Yes, Master. I will do it," he assured
the adult.
"Good. You can forget about the remotes for today," his master commented next.
"I give you the rest of your day."
Luke's face lit in a smile. "Thank you, Master."
The dark lord straightened back up and gently nudged him toward the door.
"Go now, don't waste your free time," he encouraged him.
"I won't, Master," Luke told him earnestly before eagerly running toward the
door.
As the child ran inside, Vader felt his delight at having the rest of his day.
'Now he could play', he heard him think; it made him smile behind his mask.
No matter how strong his boy was growing, he still remained a child when free.
Children would always be children, he realized.
Even when they were on the right path to become powerful darksiders.
******
The same evening, just before retiring for the night, Lord Vader went into his
son's room, as he now did every night.
Even though his son wasn't aware of his visits, he himself liked those moments
of quiet observation; they allowed him to do what he couldn't do when the child
was awake.
That night, he found the boy asleep at his desk; he surmised that he had
finished his evening with some reading... about computers, he smiled when he
caught sight of the still turned-on pad. Gently, he bent closer to the boy and
picked him up in his arms before he carried him toward his bed. His boy
reflexively snuggled closer to him.
When he was awake, Luke never did any of this, but the more he spent silent
moments with him while he was asleep, and the more his subconscious was showing
signs that he thought of him as a father, or so his snuggling reflexes and
mumbles told him, he conceded seriously as he sat on the bed, his boy still
cradled in his arms. As he studied his sleeping features, he admitted that he
was surprised by the game that his son had chosen once he'd left him for the
rest of the day.
He had chased the remotes after all.
He had first deactivated the firing of bolts, but then, the child had really
relished jumping and running after the silver balls; he had even giggled
whenever he had managed to catch one on the first try. The dark lord shook his
head in amusement as he realized that his son had turned his chore into a game.
'Children', he smiled to himself, then grew more serious at the memory of the
rest of his son's permission. Once he had grown tired of his game, he had worked
on his fighting skills, having the possibility to use a book to guide his
practice, then, later on, he had taken a turn in the flight simulator. Those
two activities hadn't been games, he reflected seriously; they had been chosen
by his son to help him improve his abilities.
The boy was beginning to see past his actual service, he smiled to himself; he
was willingly working hard to prepare himself for the future, whatever that
future was. The more he was removing the tight bonds around his son's life, he
then reflected in relief, and the more the child was taking pleasure in his new
life.
He then admitted to himself that he positively relished every smile that he
could draw from his up-to-now unhappy child; the more it happened, and the more
he wanted to tell him the whole truth. But Luke wasn't ready to hear it, he
reminded himself as the events of the afternoon came back to him.
Even though the boy was beginning to 'like' his new life, he was also still
uncomfortable whenever he himself tried to shorten the emotional distance that
was still standing between them. So, he decided that he would slowly continue
to bridge this distance; when Luke wouldn't be afraid of him anymore, and that
he would truly accept his new life with the Empire, he would tell him the truth.
In the meantime though, he would try to obtain permission from the Emperor to
further the boy's training. Luke was now ready for more than the basic skills,
he reflected as he stroked his son's fair-colored bangs. A haircut might not
be a bad idea either, he reflected more warmly, then made a note to take care of
that the next day.
A short while later, he delicately set the child in his bed, then pulled the
warm blankets over him. Luke turned on his side.
Vader brushed his blond hair one last time with the tip of his fingers, sending
warm feelings of well-being into his son's mind, aware that they kept the
nightmares at bay, then remained with his sleeping son for a while longer.
Eventually, he left the room, taking off the light sleeping spell which he'd
cast on the boy.
******
Months passed during which Luke went back aboard the Executor with his master,
then back on Coruscant.
Every time that they came back, his master reported to the Emperor, leaving him
to wait in what he had discovered was called The Grand Corridor.
The more Luke waited there, and the more he began to distinguish the kind of
beings that were composing the Emperor's court.
There were rich citizens of every places, military officers, courtesans, and
spies who were trying to pretend to be someone else.
Most of those beings were humans and adults, but... amongst them, there also was
a child just like himself.
However, unlike him, she wasn't a slave. From the first time he had seen her,
he had known that she was part of the Emperor's direct entourage. She was
dressed in nice clothes, her red-gold hair was always shining from cleanness and
hidden jewels, and unlike any other being except for his master, she was allowed
alone inside the throne room.
While he had noticed all that though, he had never even entertained the thought
of asking her questions: he knew all too well that he wasn't allowed to speak
with anybody but his master.
That day, Luke noticed that the red-gold haired girl was also waiting in the
Grand Corridor. She was also very close to him this time. Since he knew that a
slave wasn't supposed to address a free citizen, he fought doubly hard against
his desire to speak with her, although it was suddenly proving to be quite a
challenge to him.
Her nearby presence was acting like a magn-----
"What's your name?" a voice suddenly asked him, drawing him out of his internal
fight.
Luke looked up in surprise and worry---- and gaped when he identified the source
of the voice: it was the fascinating little girl.
For a moment, both children gazed at each other, silent as if in surprise, then
Luke hurried to lower his gaze before someone noticed his improper behavior and
decided to punish him for it. "I'm sorry, my Lady, but I don't have a name
anymore," he half-whispered respectfully, barely feeling a wince as he heard his
own words... It had been hard to accept the fact that his tag made him
nameless, but he had finally learnt to live with this status when not alone.
"You may tell me," she insisted, taking a step closer to him to see his eyes
again.
"... Luke," he finally whispered even as he dared look up again at her.
"I'm Mara," she told him warmly. "I noticed that you are often seen here.
Who is your master?"
"Lord Vader, my Lady," he answered with all the respect and decorum that he
could muster in regards to his master.
"I'm not a Lady, Luke," she commented, then surprised him when she sat beside
him. "My guardian hasn't given me a title yet; call me Mara."
"Your guardian?" he asked, careful to keep his voice down even as he forced
himself to not turn toward her to speak with her.
It wasn't proper, he reminded himself; his master wouldn't like this, and what
Lord Vader didn't like got 'him' into trouble---
"The Emperor," she answered him proudly. "He teaches me so that in time I may
serve him."
Luke nodded in understanding, then reflexively answered: "My master also teaches
me, but through my servitude."
"How long have you been with him?" Mara asked, tilting her head in curiosity
until she could see him again despite her being beside him.
"Almost a year and a half now," he answered simply. Luke noticed the surprised
face she made. "What?" he queried with uncertainty. He hoped that he hadn't
upset her; he certainly didn't want to anger the Emperor in any way.
"I've been with the Emperor for the same time," she commented wistfully, her
eyes moving downward to study the tiling for a moment, then they went back up to
meet his own. "Do you miss your home?" she asked him seriously.
"I used to," he barely whispered, careful to not look like he was talking to her
although he was, in fact, not behaving properly. "I learnt to accept my life
with my master," he added seriously.
"Well, I don't miss them," she told him in a strangely cooler voice. "They
tried to sell me as a slave. My guardian saved me."
"You're lucky that he came by then," Luke commented instantly. "If I could, I
would save everybody from being a slave," he told her earnestly yet still
kept his gaze down on the floor.
Mara might have answered something to this, but the door of the throne room
opened, attracting her attention.
Luke equally looked up just in time to see his master step through the opening.
He snapped to attention and hurried to cut his discussion with the girl named
Mara.
However, she didn't do so, not right away anyway. "It was fun talking with you,
Luke," she said as she walked toward the door.
It was her turn to go inside.
******
Inside the throne room, Vader was reporting his son's progresses to the Emperor
when they both felt a slight, Light-born disturbance nearby.
The Emperor instantly activated the screen on the wall behind him, then selected
a close view of Luke...
And Mara Jade.
Uh-oh, Vader winced even as he took a step closer to the screen to study the
unfolding scene from a closer point of view. The children had found each other,
and Luke's kind nature was recovering faster than it took him to levitate an
object.
"Do you truly want this boy to become a full-fledged Dark Jedi, Lord Vader?" the
Emperor sneered in disgust even as he activated the sensitive microphones which
were closest to the children.
To his relief, they heard his son behave properly with the girl. Luke knew that
he wasn't allowed to talk to her.
Good boy, he sighed---- then winced again when the girl insisted, drawing a
first answer, then a second... and then the child answered her as if they were
instantaneous friends.
"Yes, Master," he finally answered, then turned toward the Emperor. "The child
is lonely, this shouldn't be taken into account, especially since Mara Jade is
leading him on," he added with a mean touch in his voice. "Normally, he isn't
influenced by such feelings anymore; this is a very unique situation."
"Perhaps," the ruler conceded, then focused his attention on the girl. "This
certainly isn't part of what I taught her," he grumbled unhappily.
Despite the fact that he himself was resenting the girl for ruining his attempt
to convince the Emperor of Luke's worthiness to complete the Sith training, he
couldn't help but be worried for her.
A silence followed, punctuated only by his mechanical breathing, until it
was broken again by the Emperor.
"Well, this certainly is most unexpected," he commented under his breath even as
he stood from his throne to study the images of the two chatting children.
"What is, Master?" he asked diligently.
The Emperor remained silent for a little while longer, then finally turned back
toward him, a strange smile playing on his craggy lips.
"It seems that we have managed to find two Force-mates, my friend," he commented
even as he turned back toward the image of the children.
"Force-mates??" Vader gaped despite himself. "As in soul mates ordained by the
Force?"
"Just so," the older man smiled in that strange smile of his once again. "Young
Jade and your son have been feeling the pull between them for a few weeks now,
as if drawn like magnets."
"What do you wish us to do about this, Master?" he asked respectfully, aware
that the Jedi bonding thing 'couldn't' help his son in any way.
"We will not intervene yet, my friend," the other answered him, his anger and
frustration gone from his voice, instead being replaced by interest.
Vader instantly understood that his master had seen a vision of the two children
when older, and he had liked it.
"You may further the boy's training, but you will also initiate him more
obviously to his future service to 'me'," he added more seriously. "And," he
finished with warning undertones, "make sure he learns to not feel anymore."
Like he himself lived, Vader understood.
"As you wish, Master," he bowed respectfully, then turned on his heel and
returned to his son who was fighting hard against his temptation to talk more
openly with young Jade.
When he crossed the double doors, his eyes immediately sought the two children;
they both stood at attention, then his son resumed his perfect servitude.
Young Jade, however, told him something before she walked away from him; she
bowed her head to his own presence when she crossed path with him, then
disappeared in the throne room.
He himself walked past the waiting boy; Luke silently fell in step behind him.
Luke didn't know what to expect from his master; he knew that he couldn't hide
anything from him, so he 'knew' that the other knew about his recent meeting.
*You spoke with someone,* his master stated.
*Yes, Master,* he instantly admitted, repentant. *She told me to speak with
her.*
His master seemed to consider his excuse; he hastened his pace. *Since she is
special to the Emperor, you may speak with her if she speaks to you, but you
will not talk with anybody else but her,* he instructed him warningly.
*I understand, Master,* he sent in obedience, then breathed in relief.
He hadn't angered his master, and, he thought with some earnestness, he would be
able to talk to Mara again if she came again around him.
He had to admit that he had really liked to talk with her.
******
The following days, his master reported several other times to the Emperor; Mara
was almost always in the corridor, much to Luke's delight.
During their second meeting, they compared what they were learning from their
masters, and thus discovered that they were both able to use the Force; they
exchanged a few thoughts that way.
On their third meeting, they began to talk mentally to keep their dialogue and
behavior secret from the rest of the court.
The more they talked, and the more they discovered that their lives were quite
similar, except that Luke had to accomplish chores as well as train in the
Force. However, slowly but surely, they became friends; they even began to
exchange thoughts at night, when they were ready to go to bed but could delay a
little bit.
However, they both knew better than to push the limits on that habit; neither of
them wanted to anger either their master or guardian.
Still, Luke slowly became eager to accompany his master in the Imperial Palace
in hopes to see his friend while young Mara spent most of her free time around
the Grand corridor in hope to be there if her friend came around.
Unbeknown to both children, their behavior with one another was monitored very
closely by their true master who constantly weighted the risk of allowing them
to care about one another with the potential advantages of using their Force-
bond in his strategy to rule unchallenged.
Thus, while he chose to tolerate the necessary care to strengthen the natural
bond between the children, he made sure that neither of them allowed themselves
to 'feel' for anybody or anything else.
He especially ordered the boy's father to make him use his aggressive feelings
in combats or against challenges. He insisted that he had to be deeply steeped
in the Dark Side before he taught him any lightsaber technique. He himself
didn't want to take any chance with the boy's tendency to return to the Light.
Meanwhile, Luke didn't feel anything but fear for his master's master: the
Emperor. Up to now, the boy had never been in his direct presence, but as he
grew aware of the boy's powerful fear, he decided that a change of routine was
in order.
******
Ever since Luke had set foot on Coruscant, his master had always left him in the
corridor to wait for him. Thus, he now that he had met with Mara, he crossed
his fingers that it would always be so.
However, the day came that his hopes were crushed. The dark lord brought him in
the throne room with himself.
And did so every other time that he reported to the Emperor, as if unaware of
how frightened the child was whenever he was within the Emperor's space.
Two weeks and half later, Luke reluctantly followed his master in the throne
room once again.
This time, his master wanted him to carry a gift for the Emperor: a lightsaber
from one of the recently defeated Jedi. Luke understood that such a duty also
meant that he would be closer than ever to the Emperor's chilling presence, but
he had no choice, he reminded himself. He bravely followed in his master's
wake, taking strength in the fact that he was not alone with the galactic ruler.
Holding the weapon's new, richly decorated case in front of himself, Luke kept
his eyes down on the deck, then on the steps that he climbed as he obediently
followed his master toward the powerful ruler.
Like every other time that he had been in the ruler's presence, either via
holonet or not, he felt cold terror creep up his spine before it invaded every
cell of his body. He knew all too well now that the Emperor was even more cruel
than his master was; he hurried to clear his mind from such thoughts, aware that
they would anger the ruler.
He didn't want to give him a reason to punish him, but unlike for his master, he
didn't know what the Emperor tolerated and what he didn't accept. Even Mara
didn't really know; she only knew that he was not someone to upset.
Hence, he himself always feared that the Emperor would find a reason to punish
him while he was in his presence.
Once on the last platform of the stairs, he knelt respectfully, then remained
still on his knee and kept his mind blank... until his master signaled him to
give him the gift for the Emperor.
Once again, Luke sighed inwardly in relief, he was glad that his master was
taking it from him before offering it to the galactic ruler instead of making
him do so.
The less he would have interactions with the Emperor, the better he would feel.
And so it went every time that he followed his master inside the throne room.
And unbeknown to the child, his reactions greatly pleased the evil darksider.
******
When on Coruscant, Luke's routine of chores continued. Time passed until they
were a few weeks away from his ninth anniversary.
That morning, he brought the usual black cloak to his master and helped him
fasten it around his broad shoulders, then continued with their normal routine--
- until his master gave him a most unusual order.
He instructed him to bring him his lightsaber.
Normally, Luke reflected reflexively, his master always picked it up himself; he
didn't allow him to touch any kind of weapon...
However, he didn't question his order; he walked over to the shelf and picked up
the deadly weapon, then brought it to his master as fast as he could... but not
before taking a nano-second to take a closer look at it. It had always
fascinated him... once it had stopped being a threat to him.
It really was an elegant weapon, he thought seriously even as he gave it to his
Master, who hooked it to his belt before he left him alone to make his room.
Luke went about his morning chores. That morning, he had to sift through the
data that were sent by his master's spy and file them away for his master; his
lord would study them later that day.
******
The next morning, and the following ones, his master repeated his new order...
allowing him to give him his lightsaber. The more young Luke came in contact
with the weapon, and the more he yearned to manipulate it like his master did...
And as his father had surmised would happen.
Vader was very aware of his son's interest for his weapon; he also knew that it
would be easier that way to make his upcoming new training look like a new
privilege instead of a planned operation. That way, he would not arouse the
child's suspicions; clever as his son was, he had no doubt that he would figure
out that something was going on if he were to simply tell that he would teach
him about lightsabers now.
Huh-uh, that wouldn't be wise at all, he reflected seriously.
On the other hand, if he created opportunities for the boy to find a 'saber',
then waited for him to give him an occasion to intervene... without punishing
him, he could feel that Luke's new transition toward a higher level of knowledge
would happen without any mishap at all.
Hence, he had already scattered a few metallic rods in a few strategic places of
the palace. Now, it was up to his son to find one of them... and use it.
Vader's patience paid off. A few days later, while tidying up the lower storage
area, Luke finally 'stumbled' on a metal bar.
Luke was using the Force to push crates and apparels back in their proper place
when a slim, metallic bar appeared in amongst his latest selection of items. He
dropped them and pulled the bar to his hand; he carefully hefted it. It would
be just about the right size of a lightsaber, he reflected carefully even as he
checked in his back to see if he were being watched.
He was alone.
Gingerly, he half-crouched in a ready position, then began to shift the bar from
right to left, imagining that he was blocking the blade of an attacker. He
tried it a few more times--- then caught himself and put the bar down before he
continued his chore. However, he didn't put the bar away.
He now had an idea about how he could try his hand at lightsaber techniques.
******
Since he didn't have much free time for the rest of the day, he barely practiced
his fake movements before going to bed that night, but, the next day, he earned
himself a period of free time.
He fetched his bar and headed for the remote-training room.
Normally, he had to dodge the bolts while catching the remotes, but tonight, he
thought eagerly, he would stop them with his 'blade'.
He picked two remotes, set them on sting, then took a deep breath and focused on
this new exercise. Deep in touch with the Force, he felt the origin of the
bolt and shifted his arms to block the bolt.
A loud zinging sound informed him that he had succeeded---- then an other
warning came and he shifted again, and again, and again, trusting his feelings
to guide him.
The more he blocked the bolts, the more confident he became, satisfied of
himself.
He never missed.
When the bar became too hot to hold though, he reluctantly put an end to the
exercise. He grinned in pride. He had been great, and he knew it; he had also
been especially good when he had gotten angry at the small little hornets.
******
A few days later, he was once again practicing lightsaber moves, even though he
hadn't revealed his new activity to his master yet.
He didn't know if he would approve or not... but he himself didn't want to put
an end to his new ability. He loved to beat the annoying remotes with his
'weapon'. He continued to focus his frustration on the robots and was blocking
a bolt from one of his three remotes when the door behind him opened.
Naturally, Luke immediately knew who was there as well as why he was there; he
should have told him, he instantly admonished himself even as he stopped his
remotes, dropped his bar and turned toward his master.
He bowed his head in repentance. "I'm sorry, Master," he apologized with all
his heart. "I just wanted to try it."
Vader silently stepped closer; Luke cringed, having a bad feeling about this.
The dark lord Force-called the metal bar to his hand. A long silence ensued,
filled with unwelcome fear.
Finally, his master spoke. "If you want to learn lightsaber skills, child, you
have to use a real lightsaber," he stated coolly.
Luke looked up at that, confused and doubtful. Vader brought his free hand to
his belt and pulled his weapon from it.
He offered it to the bewildered boy; Luke could only gape at the offered weapon.
"Take it, and try it for real this time," the older man encouraged him.
Luke hesitantly reached forward and took the handle from his master's large
hand, then turned his back to him and faced the remotes once more.
"You were very good against three remotes set on slow," his master told him
seriously. Two remotes retreated toward the wall. "Let's see how good you are
against one on a fast setting."
Luke nodded even as he swallowed hard, then he turned on the lightsaber. It's
ruby-red blade shot forth, dazzling him with its brilliance.
"Don't look at your blade, boy," his master instructed him. "Always focus on
the opponent."
Luke took his eyes off the beautiful blade. It seemed to disappear from his
field of vision, but he knew that it was still there. He focused, turned on the
remote, and flowed with the Force's guidance.
He instantly discovered that it was much more difficult than he had thought.
He got hit a couple of times at first until he adapted to the weight of the
weapon. Once he was good against the medium setting, the pace increased,
frustrating him anew. He barely had time to block before the other bolt came.
When he got hit three times in a row, he let his anger come forth; he felt the
Force's energies increase unlike anything he had ever felt before.
The darn little blasts wouldn't touch him again, he resolved defiantly.
Darth Vader watched his son work and smiled in fatherly pride. He truly was his
father's son. Both a natural in flying and lightsaber skills. And as he had
surmised, the boy had been drawn like a moth to the traditional weapon, as if
aware that it was part of his destiny.
He had gotten one step closer to revealing the truth to him, he thought
seriously.
Then just to add to the challenge and be prouder of his son, he activated
another remote.
Luke's anger increased when the two remotes managed to hit him.
Darn, he just couldn't move fast enough to step out of the way of both attack...
The remotes' drones died out. "It'll be enough for a first time, boy," his
master told him coolly.
Luke turned off the blade and gave the weapon back to his master. "I didn't
know that it was this difficult, Master," he commented, disappointed.
Vader took his weapon for his son's small hand, then crouched in front of the
boy, ending up at eye level with him.
Luke didn't flinch in the least, now used to his master's strange behavior.
"It is not a question of being difficult, boy," he comforted him in his
strangely warm, caring voice. "It is a matter of knowing the advanced
techniques. Do you think you're ready?" he then asked him.
Luke's eyes shone with expectation. Advanced techniques? His master was going
to teach him more about the Force???
"Yes, Master!" he smiled in eagerness.
"Good, we begin tomorrow evening," he informed him.
The two of them gazed at each other for a short while, then Luke initiated a
step toward his master, but stopped himself.
Instead, he bowed his head in respect. "Thank you, Master," he told him
gratefully.
"You're welcome," Vader returned, standing up. "Go get a shower now."
"Yes, Master."
As Luke walked out of the room and headed for his room, Vader watched him go.
His son had been about to open up to him, he reflected seriously. He had been
on the brink, had definitely meant to shorten the distance between them, but he
wasn't there yet.
His conscious self had stopped him.
He decided to pay attention to other similar signs before telling him the truth,
but he knew that it would happen sooner than later now.
He couldn't wait to give him back his full name.
******
Throughout the following days, Luke trained with his master. Unlike the other
times that he had taught him how to use his abilities, the dark lord didn't
simply give him instructions, he showed him how to do it and also offered him
physical support when needed.
Throughout the first days, his master taught him how to use his focus to flip
himself, levitate himself, then how to use his physical strength to move with
incredible speed, even when he somersaulted. Then, once he was ready, they
resumed his practices with the lightsaber.
The more Luke learnt to use all his knowledge and skills together, the more he
felt a connection with his master until he almost felt like a younger version of
him... sometimes. However, he never allowed himself to share that thought with
his master; it was a ludicrous one.
Of course, he knew that the dark lord had bought him for the sole reason that he
had been Force-strong, and he also knew that his master had always meant to
train him like this, once he would be ready. But to think that the he was
somehow meant to be with the dark lord...
That was somewhat farfetched.
And yet, it grew in strength... especially when his regular service began to
extend to the Emperor's as well.
The more he served the galactic ruler, and the more he felt in his heart that
there was something between himself and his true master... The Emperor was truly
treating him like a servant... a slave, whereas Lord Vader was... like a
guardian, kind of...
******
Later that night, after another training session with Lord Vader, Luke laid
awake on his bed.
Today had been a very tiring day, he admitted; he was even more exhausted than
when he had begun to use his levitation skills.
Since the Emperor requested perfection, something that his master had never
really mentioned, serving him was very demanding. Lord Vader wanted things to
be done the right way, and completely, but perfection... that was something
else.
Today, after a party in the Court and serving the Emperor and Prince Xizor, he
had been left alone with the Emperor when his master had had to supervise an
emergency.
Between finding a copy of a very precise newsreport for the Emperor, to filing
in the correct order the data that had just been given to him by one of his
sycophants, Luke had constantly feared to do something wrong and upset him.
He had been very, very happy when his master had finally returned with a report
to the Emperor.
However, he reluctantly conceded that serving the Emperor had served him right
today.
Up to now, he had always thought that the man was pure evil, but thanks to the
reports that he had filed for him, he had seen how wrong he had been. Kind of
like for his master, he thought seriously, but his master was still better than
the other, somehow.
The Emperor, for his part, was trying to unify the galaxy and bring it peace and
justice. His own master was given the military tasks that this goal implied.
Sometimes, he thought with a wince of sympathy at the victims of attacks, these
two beings had no choice but to use violence...
If the galaxy didn't rebel, he then thought seriously, they wouldn't be hurt,
just like himself wasn't now that he behaved---
Suddenly feeling the need to share his thoughts with someone, he reached out and
searched for the only other mind that he had learnt to find: Mara's.
The moment he contacted her, he felt that she was studying something; her
ankles, he felt, were crossed under her desk while she was leaning her head
against her hand. Her hair was undone and tickling her neck.
*Luke!* she mentally smiled at him. *How are you? I haven't seen you lately.*
*I know, I'm sorry,* he apologized. *I don't want to disturb you, but I have a
question about your master,* he asked seriously.
He felt her abandon her datapad to focus on him.
*Okay, what is it?*
*Do you... think that what he does is good?* he asked with slight hesitation.
His friend remained silent at his question, obviously shocked that he had asked
it in the first place.
*Of course, why do you ask?* she finally inquired with the barest hint of
defiance in her voice.
*I, huh,* he tried to justify himself, *I am beginning to think so too,* he
admitted, *but I'm not sure... that's not how I felt before today.*
*Then you're improving,* she commented warmly--- then shortly left their contact
when someone entered her quarters. She returned a few seconds later. *I'm
sorry, Luke, it's time for bed. Take care of yourself,* she told him warmly.
*You too, and good night,* he sent, then reintegrated his own senses.
That's when he became aware of the approaching presence of his own master.
He hurried to get rid of his shirt even as he pulled his bed open with the
Force, then slipped under the blankets.
However, he wasn't fast enough to turn off his light before his master opened
the door.
"I felt that you were still awake," the dark lord commented as he stepped in the
room. "Is something troubling you?" he asked him in his no-longer surprising
caring fashion.
At first, Luke meant to hide the truth from him; it was his mind, his worries,
it wouldn't upset his master if he didn't tell him, he thought seriously.
However, he was also aware that he didn't want to lie to him.
"It's about the Emperor, Master," he admitted even as he sat up in bed to gaze
at his master.
The tall man sat on the foot of his bunk. "The Emperor?" he asked in what felt
like surprise to the child.
"I... I don't mean to insult him, Master," he explained right away, then lowered
his eyes in shame when he realized what he had just said.
He had done just that with the mere mention of this word. To his surprise
however, his master didn't react in a bad way.
"Very well," he nodded agreeably, "I will understand. What question do you
have?"
Unsure if he should proceed or not, Luke slowly raised his head until he could
meet his master's eyes once again, then veiled them with his eyelashes in shame.
"Is the Emperor an evil man, Master?" he barely whispered.
The ensuing silence didn't reassure him.
For a moment, Vader couldn't believe his ears. While he had been aware of the
intense fright that the boy felt for the Emperor, and that the other was pleased
by it, the ruler had never been a subject of discussion or question between
them.
He had always assumed that the intelligent boy was able to see the facts for
what they were, and Force knew that he had witnessed more than one aspect of
what his life would be in the Empire, but it was only dawning on him that
the child was just a child.
He couldn't make the difference between evil and necessary strength.
"No," he reassured his son, "he is not evil. He is hard," he conceded,
"demanding, and ruthless, but he is not evil. He seeks to unify the galaxy, to
bring back peace and justice."
"I... I saw it today," the worried child admitted from the other end of the
bunk. "You taught me to use my feelings about people, Master," he continued
slowly, "I... until today, I didn't have a good feeling about the Emperor," he
admitted truthfully.
Vader, who was more than aware that he hadn't told the whole truth to the boy,
suddenly understood that he didn't have to; the child already knew, but he had
also begun to see past the negative part of the Empire to see its positive side.
It was a very good thing, he thought seriously.
However, he still couldn't tell him the truth; he needed to gain the boy's
willingness to serve the Emperor, not to scare him away from him.
"It was probably due to your witnessing only the military side of the Empire,"
he half-lied to the boy. "It biased your judgment. However, now that you can
see the rest of the Empire, it is readjusting itself; it's normal and a good
thing."
"So... I was wrong, but not completely?" the child inquired hesitantly.
"In a way," Vader nodded, "but you must understand one thing about the military
actions," he told him more seriously, aware that he was playing the child's
whole future with his next sentence. "The Empire doesn't generate them, they
are always the results of violence in the population; we merely intervene to
insure security and peace."
The child's brilliant blue eyes locked themselves on his hidden ones, then, as
if putting together his memories from their time aboard the Executor with what
he had just been told, he slowly nodded in agreement.
"I understand, Master. Thank you," he told him gratefully.
"Do you have any other question?" he asked him.
"No," the child shook his head, then slipped back under his blanket. "I'll be
able to sleep now."
"Good, we have a busy day tomorrow to catch up on today's lack of practice," he
informed him even as he stood up, then, after keeping himself from caressing the
boy's hair like when he was visiting him when he was asleep, left him to his
rest.
On his way to his own room, Vader reflected that the Emperor couldn't have asked
for a better opening for the child's willing servitude. However, he conceded
that it remained to be seen if Luke's fear would become a little more subdued
after tonight... or if he needed more help to control it and see the Emperor as
also part of his life.
******
The next day, young Luke spent a lot of time considering what his master had
told him about the Empire.
True, he conceded, his master was more than what he seemed and he himself now
gave him his respect despite that title. He still didn't want to displease him,
but now, it was because his master didn't need this kind of problem over his
other ones, and, he conceded that he himself was beginning to care a lot about
his new... guardian.
Lately, he regularly saw beyond the harsh, cruel front of the dark lord; he knew
that the other had a heart after all, but kept it well hidden, except from him.
Ever since he himself had been allowed to follow him outside, he had seen him
protect this or that population, or even certain persons, and on a more personal
aspect, he had given him many privileges which now left no doubt as to his
master's care for him in particular.
Those latest actions were also giving him undeniable hints that the dark lord
was obviously sharing his thought that he was his new guardian more than master
now.
So in short, lord Vader was a good man, a military commander and administrator
who was trying to save pain to the citizens of the Empire.
Kind of like the Emperor, he then shyly admitted. The difference though was
that the ruler was above his master, making difficult decisions which his master
then carried out.
Those decisions, though, could be avoided. He now knew now for sure that if
nobody would rebel against the Empire, nobody would get hurt. If only he could
talk with some of them, he thought seriously, then shook his head in scolding.
Now what was he thinking about, he asked himself. Despite what his master was
teaching him, he was still a servant, bound by his obligation to please his
master. He couldn't allow himself to dream... of being like him...
And yet, he was. Ever since he had begun his more intense training, he had
grown aware that like the dark giant, he was becoming powerful in the Force; he
had no doubt that with a little more training, he would be able to serve him
still, yes, but by helping him pacify the galaxy for the Emperor.
That way, he would be able to save the lives of children... and of their parents
if he could.
Perhaps, he then thought hopefully, his dream wasn't completely impossible this
time. He now knew that his master considered him more like an excellent servant
than a slave... Perhaps it was the condition to free him.
And, Luke conceded seriously, he would indeed be glad to recover his freedom
that way, but he wouldn't return to dreary Tatooine.
Instead, he would stay with his new guardian and serve him, this time freely.
After all, he shrugged next, the situation was not this bad when he took a
moment to analyze it.
It was almost even better than at his uncle's the farm. Almost...
******
Two weeks later, after their going back to the Executor for a quick mission,
Luke nodded to Mara in salutation, then followed his master inside the throne
room.
Again.
Once they reached the top of the stairs, he remained, as usual, a few steps
behind his Lord, then knelt on the last platform before the highest one. Lord
Vader continued up until he was standing on the Emperor's platform; he bowed in
respect.
"Welcome, my friend," the Emperor said, turning his throne around. "What news
do you have about Diella?"
"The mines and shipyards are already secured, Master, and it shouldn't be long
before the system is safe again," his master informed the galactic ruler.
"Yes... It was very clever of you to act during the night, Lord Vader. The
resistance was minimal," the Emperor commented.
"The cost of lives as well, my Master," Vader added wisely.
Luke couldn't help but feel pride at his master's tactical genius. No one could
defeat him thanks to his clever ideas.
"As long as I don't hear about those rebels again," the ruler told him in
a dismissive manner.
"You won't, Master," Vader assured him.
"Good," the Emperor commented as he stood up and walked closer to them. "On
another matter," he said more seriously, "I feel a strong current in the Force
lately."
Even as Luke suddenly became aware that 'he' was at the origin of the current,
he felt his skin crawl thanks to his reflexive fear; the Emperor was looking at
him.
Despite what he had begun to understand about the galactic ruler, he couldn't
help but give in to his old fears. He didn't want to attract his atten---
"Is it the boy?" the ruler inquired, his grating voice cutting into his thoughts
and freezing them with unparalleled fear.
He 'already' had the Emperor's attention.
"Yes, Master," his master confirmed seriously. "He has begun to learn the
advanced techniques."
The Emperor's feet came closer; Luke felt his heartbeat quicken in fear.
Mara trusted him, he reminded himself. His master had told him that he wasn't
evil--- but he had also told him about his reactions to the Jedi, like him...
and the Emperor killed the Jedi Knights for their renegade nature---
"Stand up, boy," the ruler ordered him, cutting in his thoughts once again.
Luke hurried to obey, then answered the Emperor's beckoning finger; he climbed
the rest of the stairs to stand in front of the galactic ruler, then dared raise
his head to let the Emperor scrutinize him as he wished.
Even though it wasn't the first time that he was this close to the ruler, it was
the first time that he was looking at him this directly. It terrified him. He
felt very lonely all of a sudden---
The Emperor brought his spindly fingers under his chin and slightly pushed his
head further backward.
"Hmm, he is fairly young," he commented as if displeased. "How old are
you, boy?" he asked him.
"Almost nine years old, Sire," Luke answered him as respectfully as he could.
The Emperor turned sharply toward the dark lord at that. "Advanced techniques
at nine years old?" he asked for confirmation.
Luke already knew that he was young to learn those things, that he was powerful
to be this good at his age, but the Emperor's reaction was telling him that it
was also unheard of as of now.
Uh-oh...
"Yes, Master, and he's growing fast," his master nodded in answer to the
Emperor's question. "He works hard and constantly seeks to improve himself," he
Continued as he slowly walked closer to the two of them.
Luke noticed the subtle movement and his mind did the rest. Could his master be
Worried that---
The Emperor gazed back at Luke, locking his yellow eyes on his terrified blue
ones; the child hurried to empty his mind.
"Do you do it to please Lord Vader?" the ruler asked him seriously, almost
dangerously.
"No, Sire, I love to learn those things," he answered earnestly.
Vader gazed down at him at this, but Luke knew that his answer hadn't shocked
his master. Lord Vader had known that already.
"Interesting," the ruler commented as thankfully he let go of his chin. He
turned back toward the dark lord. "You may continue to train him, Lord Vader.
I want to see him train in three days from now," he then added as if in after
thought.
"It shall be my pleasure to train him here, Master," Vader bowed respectfully.
"Excellent." He turned back toward the boy. "I am eager to see you in action,
boy," he commented, his voice now charged with a dark edge.
Luke bowed his head, working on automatism. For some reason, he was truly
afraid to show his talents to the Emperor. In fact, he was more afraid of that
than to upset him with a mistake. His master had told him that he was a Dark
Jedi-to-be...
Despite the adjective in front of the title, he was still a Jedi in training...
Not a Sith like his master and the Emperor were.
"I shall try to not disappoint you, Sire." he managed to answer, although he
somehow knew that his powers would stupefy the ruler...
He feared what would happen if he saw him as a threat. He knew all too well
what happened to those who were seen as a threat...
"Just so," the Emperor smiled thinly, then walked back to his throne. "I will
see you both then. Dismissed."
The two of them bowed respectfully, then Luke fell in step behind his master.
As he followed him in the stairs, he wondered why the Emperor was suddenly
paying attention to him. He had seen him for months now, had undoubtedly felt
his presence in the Force before now. Had he done something that he wasn't
aware of, he wondered even as he hastened his steps to exit the currently
opening doors of the throne room.
The moment that they were out of the room, he felt better. He sighed in relief
and followed his master--- who entered a deserted waiting room, then, to Luke's
continued surprise, sat down in one of the plush chairs, something he rarely did
unless he wanted to be at eye level with him.
"Are you alright?" his guardian asked him without preamble.
Luke, who was already trying to process both the Emperor's and his master's
strange behavior, turned completely mute, stumped by his master's obvious
display of care, especially in a moment when he felt extremely lonely, as he'd
been feeling for years now, sure, but worse too.
"Uh, yes, Master. Now I am," he blurted out.
"I didn't think that the Emperor would address you today, boy. Otherwise I
would've warned you," he told him in the warm voice that he was now using more
and more with him.
At first, Luke nodded as if in understanding, then, when he felt that the other
was not buying it, spoke up again. "Master? Why did he do it?" he asked, his
voice breaking up. "I am merely your slave, and he saw me before today---"
"Yes, but you are a Force-strong individual as well, and your potential has just
begun to attract his attention," Vader explained seriously. "The Emperor always
wants to know the exact potential of every Jedi who lives. You may be serving
me, but he wants to see for himself that you aren't dangerous to him," he
reminded him meaningfully.
"Dangerous?.." he asked, furrowing his small brows.
Oh no, he whined silently in growing worry, it was just like he had thought. He
knew that he would be deemed as dangerous. He was aware that he always managed
to impress his master, that he was more powerful than any other Jedi child Lord
Vader had ever seen----
"More powerful than him," the dark lord answered his incoherent question.
"Nobody can be stronger than him," he tried to reassure himself.
"You are not completely wrong, nor right. There is still a chance..."
Luke paled and his heartbeat picked up to its previous speed as he remembered
the shock that he'd felt coming from the Emperor when he had told him his age.
"What if I look like I'm dangerous to him?.." he asked, his voice beginning to
break up under his current tension.
Lord Vader gently rested his large hand on Luke's strong yet small shoulder.
"Don't be concerned, I am still your master. I will protect you," he reassured
him.
Protect?, Luke stopped on the word. So he was right to be afraid---
His tears began to work their way down his cheeks. "Would... would he hurt me?
Or kill me?" he inquired in a small, terrified voice.
Vader's hand moved from his shoulder to his cheek, gently brushing the tear that
had wormed its way out of his left eye. A similar one was running down his
right cheek.
"No such thing will happen as long as I am your guardian, boy," he comforted him
seriously.
Luke dimly noticed the other's choice of word to describe their relationship.
Had it been in any other circumstances, he would have smiled in relief.
However, he was too afraid to react.
Vader continued to reassure him. "Only I can allow those things to happen to
you, and if you show what you can truly do, it will never happen," he assured
him.
Luke looked into the dark lord's dark eye screens, definitely feeling the care
and love that the other felt for him... and for the first time since that
faithful day on Tatooine, he didn't feel alone anymore.
Someone was now really looking after him and cared enough about him to protect
him.
It was emotional overload for the young boy who had been isolated from such
things for too long in his young life. Without thinking, he took a step forward
and hugged the dark lord with all his strength. "Thank you, Master," he
whispered.
The dark lord brought his hand to the boy's hair while his arms offered him the
strong, physical comfort that he needed.
A moment later, Luke finally realized what he had done, but when he felt his
master's embrace, he didn't step away.
Vader was very tempted to tell everything to his son right there and then, but
he couldn't. The boy was too fragile at the moment, too scared from the Emperor
to accept his service to him. He resolved to wait for a better time, which was
now coming closer and closer, he smiled slightly to himself.
At last. But not now.
Once the emotional moment was over, Luke drew away from him. "I'm sorry,
master. I... I didn't mean to---" his son tried to apologize.
"It's all right, boy. I understand," he reassured him, careful to not scare
him. "Do you feel better now?"
Luke took a deep breath and recovered his control. "Yes."
"Good." Another leathery caress, then he stood up from his seat. "Let's go
back home; we have some work to do," he reminded him seriously.
Luke followed him out of the room... unaware that they would, in fact, prepare
to push open the door of his future with the Empire.
******
Luke trained harder than ever throughout the following days, focusing all his
energies and thoughts on being able to show his 'true' potential to the Emperor;
he trusted his master to protect him if he did so.
Then... the faithful day arrived.
The day of his birthday.
Again...
As he followed his guardian down the Grand Corridor, Luke reflected glumly that
he seemed to have a knack to live special events on that day, events he would
rather avoid, he added more grimly.
As usual, they entered the dark throne room, then climbed up the stairs. Once
they reached the top, he knelt behind his master, not knowing what to expect,
but bracing himself for anything.
"Ah, Lord Vader, I have been expecting this meeting," the Emperor commented
coolly, as if trying to be kind but was unable to be so, Luke dimly reflected.
"We are ready to begin, Master," his master answered equally coolly.
"You will not have to intervene this time, my friend," the ruler commented even
as he stepped closer to the two of them.
Even though Luke knew that he would be addressed at one point during the
meeting, he couldn't help but wince as the other's crawly-feeling presence
loomed closer.
"Take this," he ordered him even as he produced a lightsaber from his long
sleeves, "and go in the room which will be opened for you."
Luke hurried to stand back to his feet, humbly took the weapon from the
Emperor's hand, then, his head still bowed, turned on his heel and headed toward
his destiny.
Vader and the Emperor watched the young Jedi's actions via a holocam.
The moment that the child entered the room, remotes fired at him with the
intent to stun him. Even as Vader felt a cold flash of fear from the boy, he
felt him focus his thoughts, then how he abandoned himself to the Force.
A fraction of a second later, his son rolled aside as he deflected the bolts
with his shields--- then a droid came to life and tried to grab him. Even as
Vader registered the presence of the new danger, Luke rolled away again,
slashed--- only to discover that his blade wasn't useful against the droid.
Vader cursed inwardly at that, but his son was well prepared for even that kind
of challenge. The child almost instantly reached out and pulled wires inside
the robot, rendering it lifeless within the next second. Meanwhile, the
remotes, which were now firing real bolts of energy, came back onto him, trying
to catch him in the legs while distracting him, but Luke jumped out of the way,
again, and again while he continued to deflect their fire.
And so the exercise proceeded, with his son facing down every challenge that was
thrown at him.
Beside the boy's father, the Emperor nodded in approval at what he saw. Ever
since the boy had entered his world, he had been worried about the potential
danger that he represented.
He had also been reluctant to allow the child to learn about the Force, but he
had been more than aware that if he wanted to retain Vader's loyalty in that
matter, he needed to give him 'some' privilege.
Of course, he had carefully monitored the said privilege, ready to destroy him
at a moment's notice, but now that he was seeing him in action, he congratulated
himself for allowing the boy's training to take place.
The child, although still able to care for others, was only using the dark side
but without relying on the corruption of his heart to feed power to his soul.
He was also much, much more powerful than what he had surmised from Vader's
reports. In time, he smiled to himself, the boy would be able to replace his
father while providing him with even more power to use as he saw fit.
However, he reminded himself grimly, he would first have to make sure that the
child's devotion would be total and flawless; he didn't want to risk his turning
against him. Vader's child, he realized, truly was the most powerful Jedi of
all times, hence more powerful than he himself was.
Still, he reflected greedily, the danger was well under control at the moment,
and he had more than enough time to groom the boy as he saw fit... once Vader
would have told him the truth.
"He is extremely skilled, my friend," he finally commented to the nearby dark
lord. "Even more than any Jedi I've ever encountered," he added greedily.
"Yes, he is, Master," Vader agreed. "I think that he might be 'the' most
powerful of all times."
On the screen, Luke jumped away from a stun trap before it could activate
itself, then dug his adult-sized lightsaber in it to deactivate it. The remotes
continued their attack on him.
"Hmm, the most powerful Jedi, and in my ranks," the Emperor stated, then turned
toward the dark lord, waiting for him to deny this.
"I haven't told him yet about us, Master," he informed him seriously. "He is
not ready, but once he will be ready for us, I'm sure that he will understand
the implications of his true status. He is very clever," he commented proudly,
then, as if in afterthought, continued: "Lately, I sometimes catch some of his
thoughts; I think that he hopes to fight at my side for you."
"Most interesting," the Emperor nodded in satisfaction.
The child was indeed aware of his link with his father. If he wanted to become
like his father, then bending him to 'his' will would be much easier than he had
foreseen. However, he thought more seriously, he would also 'teach' him where
his devotion had to lay from now on, but only once the child would be told the
truth, he reminded himself.
"I will not wait for him to be sixteen to use him, Lord Vader," he informed the
boy's father. "As soon as you will tell him the truth, he will begin the
agent's training."
Vader turned sideways at that, as if in confusion.
The Emperor noted the protective reaction, briefly pondered whether he should
intervene or not, then dismissed it as inconsequential. Vader could react; he
wouldn't object to his plan.
"It will make him even more deadly and versatile when he will be old enough to
join you in commanding duties," he explained with a white lie.
Besides, he shrugged to himself, for the moment, he had no intention to allow
the boy to become a Sith while his father was still serving him well. He had
other plans for the powerful child and future adult.
"As you wish of course, Master," the dark lord bowed in obedience. "Will you
allow me to keep him close by?" he then inquired coolly.
On the screen, a third remote came out of nowhere and tried to surprise the boy.
It didn't work. Instead, he sliced it up in two.
"When you are on planet, yes," the despot nodded magnanimously, " but I will
mostly have use for him here; he will stay when you leave," he stated with
finality.
A fair enough deal, he then thought in slight disgust at his own, unusual
bargaining attitude. However, given the boy's caring habits, his father was now
openly caring for him in return.
As long as it didn't worsen, the Emperor thought with a sneer, he would
'tolerate' it, but barely so.
"Yes, Master," his servant bowed his head in acceptance of his deal.
On the screen, the boy stood alone amidst a room that was now filled with wrecks
and deactivated traps.
His son truly was powerful, he beamed with pride. Now that he had gained the
Emperor's protection, everything was slowly setting itself in place to give him
a future unlike anything he had ever thought would be granted to him.
*Come back, boy,* Vader sent him.
*Yes, Master.*
Even though the contact lasted less than two seconds, Vader felt his son's
slight fear as to the result of the demonstration. The clever child 'knew' that
he had been astounding.
For a moment, he considered the option of comforting him, then decided that the
Emperor might not appreciate this gesture. He forced himself to remain cool,
unworried.
Besides, he tried to convince himself, he himself already knew about the
Emperor's intentions. He didn't have to worry anymore.
Luke climbed the stairs and knelt at the Emperor's feet.
"Impressive, boy, most impressive in fact," the ruler told him with barely
concealed awe. "You truly are gifted."
"Thank you, Sire," Luke said as humbly as he could, keeping his head down.
"Lord Vader will complete your training," the very old adult then informed him
coolly, but also with a hint of another, unknown feeling in his voice.
Luke filed it away for later analysis but didn't dwell on it at the moment. He
was in the Emperor's presence; he needed all his attention to please him.
"When you will finish it," the ruler continued in that same strange voice, "we
shall talk again."
"Yes, Sire," Luke answered, feeling as if he had just committed himself to a new
life.
******
The very same night, just before going to sleep, Luke sat on his bed, brought
his legs to his chest, then thought about his meeting with the Emperor.
He hadn't felt fear in the Emperor this time, he reflected as he called back to
memory the other's strange intonation. No, that hadn't been worry... It had
been... Greed!, he suddenly understood. The Emperor was greedy to have him at
his service!
Could he be fomenting something against his master? he wondered with some
uneasiness, but no, he reassured himself, his master would know about it... At
least he hoped so. Besides, he thought more confusedly, what would be the
point? He was already serving him if his master told him to do so; why would he
want to take him from his guardian?---
The door of his room opened, surprising him out of his thoughts; his master
stepped inside.
"Master," Luke instantly snapped to attention, hurrying to get to his feet.
Had he missed one of his req----
"Don't," the adult reassured him. "I am not here to scold you," he explained as
he sat beside him on the bed.
Luke noticed the casual way in which his master spoke. Something seemed
wrong... "Is something bothering you, Master?" he queried diligently.
"No, I just wanted to tell you how proud you made me today," his master told
him kindly. "It is always a prideful delight to watch you in action... Luke,"
he added, calling him by his name, something which had never happened before.
"You are proud of me?" he asked in confusion, unsure to understand what was
going on.
He knew that he impressed the dark lord, sure, but pride... he had never thought
about it. And why had he called him by his name?, he wondered next. He had
always thought that the other had never bothered to learn it.
"Yes," Vader nodded, patting his closest, small hand with his large one. "You
could have missed, you could have crumpled under your fear, but instead, you
impressed the Emperor. As your... guardian, it makes me proud of you," he
repeated, his pride more than obvious in his voice and senses.
Pride and... something else, Luke noticed. He slowly inched closer to his
master, somehow feeling drawn to the dark man.
"I don't know what happened while I was fighting, Master," he began
hesitatingly, "but thank you for protecting me. Nobody has ever done that for
me," he admitted, bitter-sweet, then looked up at the dark lord.
As if understanding his silent message, his master invited him in his embrace;
Luke buried himself in it, content to be with someone once again. As long as he
would be with the dark lord, he knew that he would never be left to his own
devices until he were old enough to do so... "Thank you, Master," he whispered
in gratitude, tears threatening to invade his eyes once again.
The dark lord silently answered him by tightening his hold around him. They
remained entwined for a while before Luke decided that he had to tell the truth
to his master about what he used to think about him.
He wanted him to know that he didn't see him as a monster anymore.
He braced himself then spoke up again. "I must tell you something, Master," he
began.
"Yes?" Vader asked, his strong arms tightening slightly around him while he
himself continued to rest his head against the other's leathery, surprisingly
soft armor.
"Before I met you, one of my slavers wished for me to be bought by the
cruelest master there was," he continued sadly. "When you became my master,
I... I thought that he had had his wish but not anymore," he hurried to add.
When the older man remained silent, he went on: "I couldn't have been bought by
a better master than you, Lord Vader... You've given me a life better than what
I had before. I want to thank you for that," he told him earnestly.
As his son's words registered in his brain, Vader understood that the moment
of truth had arrived. He had, of course, hoped for it when he had decided to
visit his son, but he had forced himself to be realistic and not hope for too
much.
However, given his son's silent beg to be held by him, then his revelation of
his feelings for him, he knew that it was now or never.
He slightly pulled away from his son and gently brought his index under his
small chin before he made him look up at him.
The child's young features locked on his, his eyes brimming with unshed tears
of happiness and relief. He looked so much like he himself used to, he thought
for the millionth time since he had found him; he 'was' like him, he was his
flesh and blood, but he was also a unique being: his son.
His strong, courageous little Jedi who had already begun to conquer the galaxy
by earning his place in the Emperor's prestigious Darksider ranks.
"You don't have to thank me, Luke," he finally told him gently, feeling his
throat tighten under the unusual emotion of love. "It was... the least that I
could do,... for my only son," he finished warmly, definite love pouring out of
his senses this time.
It had taken a long while, but at last, he thought in relief, the masquerade was
over.
Luke's brain took a moment to register the last word; when it finally computed,
he was gaping at the dark lord, emotions fighting for dominance in his heart.
Son?!?
"I love you, my son, Luke Skywalker," Vader said in the silence, caressing his
cheek with his index.
The child tried to speak but couldn't articulate a single word. He finally
managed one. "F---F---Father?"
He didn't pull away from the dark lord.
"Yes, I am he," the other nodded, as if in sadness. "I'm sorry that I haven't
told you before," he apologized earnestly, " but I had no choice. You weren't
ready to hear the truth."
Luke remained silent, thinking back to all the things that he had been through
with the dark Lord.
His father?..
"I'm sorry about the past, Son... I also didn't have any other choice," the dark
lord continued in repentance, then slowly drew him back in his embrace.
Luke was too shocked to resist the gentle pull.
His father?, he was still wondering. His father was alive?? He was with his
father? The man he'd learnt to respect and even love as a guardian was in fact-
-- his father?? His father!!!!!!!!
Even as he understood all the implications of his father being alive, he
tightened his arms around his father's frame and let out his tears of joy.
"Father," he whispered, practically unable to speak.
"If I could have, Luke," his father told him warmly. "I would have found you
before this horrible experience of slavery, but I didn't even know that you
existed. I discovered it when you told me your name," he reminded him
wistfully.
"I remember..." Luke nodded against his chest. "I love you, Father. Now, I
love you," he specified warmly, telling him that the past was behind now.
"And now I love you too, Son," the dark lord answered in kind, slightly
tightening his hold on his boy. "I have been waiting for more than a year now
for the right moment to tell you the truth."
Luke thought back to the past year, to all the flashes of fear that he'd felt
whenever the dark lord had come closer. "You were right to wait, Father," he
conceded sadly.
Of course, he also wished that he had known his father earlier, but he had no
doubt that he would have had a bad reaction to this secret.
"I know," his father agreed with his thoughts. "I didn't want to scare you
again."
Yes, Luke admitted, his father was right. Waiting had been the only option, but
it was now over and he was with his father, forever now. "So what happens now?"
he asked as he slightly pulled away until he could look up at his father's mask.
"We will have to see this with the Emperor," he answered him briefly, "but we
will certainly continue your training and your observing me. However," he added
more lightly, "no more chores. We'll use that time of the day to spend more
time together," he told him warmly.
"That'd be great, Father!" he smiled through his tears of happiness, having
already dismissed the detail about the Emperor. He was with his father!
"I want to share so many things with you, Son," his father commented
earnestly. "I want to build other memories with you, Luke," he told him,
seriously.
"So do I, Father," Luke smiled. He felt a change of mood in his father. "What
is it?" he inquired worriedly.
"Two years ago, I gave you an horrible birthday gift," he commented glumly, "I
want to make it better for you this year."
Luke remained silent, not knowing what to expect.
"Today, Luke Skywalker, I give you back your freedom," his father stated
solemnly. "You are no longer my property, nor can you be the property of
anybody else."
Luke felt his eyes dance with happiness upon hearing the words that he had never
thought he'd hear any time soon. He hugged his father yet again. "I am your
son, Father. I'm Luke Vader, and I want to become like you," he
revealed to him with pride. "I love you."
Vader was surprised to see the depth of his son's love for him, but he didn't
comment on it. However, he was deeply relieved by it; he knew that his son
would willingly serve the Emperor now.
Father and son silently hugged each other, satisfied to be reunited at last---
until the youngest of the two fell asleep in his dad's strong embrace.
Vader for his part spent the best part of the night cradling his son in his arms
as he watched him sleep peacefully.
Such a beautiful, intelligent, strong, wonderful child, and now he didn't have
to torment him anymore, in any way.
Luke Vader.
His destiny would be as powerful as his name suggested, he promised himself.
He finally set his son in his bed and left him for the night. Not for the first
time recently, he wished he could kiss him good night.
******
The next day, they continued his training between Vader's meetings and duties,
then finally reported to the Emperor, near the end of the afternoon. Their
impromptu visit told him all he needed to know: the child had been told the
truth now.
He was pleased that the masquerade was already over, as least in private, and
that Luke had claimed what was 'rightfully' his, or so the Vaders believed.
He himself continued to play the game of white lies with them: he promised the
boy to acknowledge him as a Dark Lord of the Sith, but only once he would be old
enough... and that he had proven himself worthy of the title.
While he himself knew that he would not allow the boy to claim that title until
'he' decided otherwise, he still reassured the naive child and his father that
he would give him all the tools that he needed to fulfill his dream, namely the
training of an agent while he completed his Jedi training. When ready, he told
him, he would allow him to prove himself as his best agent, thus worthy of more
than this simple duty while pretending to be a puny slave at his father's
service.
Both Vaders bit at his hook, assuring him that the boy would be his best element
ever.
While the two of them exited the room, protecting the boy's image of a slave by
continuing the masquerade while in public, he cackled lowly to himself.
Events were finally proceeding as he had foreseen; he now only had to set them
in motion.
On his way out of the throne room, Vader noticed that young Mara Jade was in the
waiting corridor, obviously hoping to see his son.
As if aware that she needed a reason to speak with his son this time, the child
pretended to have a problem with her dress' closure. He himself naturally
stopped by her, aware of her 'predicament'.
"It looks like you could use some help, child," he told her coolly.
"Please? I can't see the Emperor like this," she answered as regally as she
could while trying to pull her dress completely closed once again.
Vader nodded to his son. "Go in the side room with her and help her."
"Yes, Master," the child nodded obediently, then followed the nervous girl
inside a side room.
Once alone, the children dropped their pretense and smiled at each other.
"It's great to see you again," Mara smiled at him. "It's been so long that I
was beginning to worry that you had gotten hurt during your lightsaber
training," she admitted.
"No, it's going incredibly well. I wish you could try it too. It's very cool,
if dangerous," he conceded with a shrug of his black-covered shoulders.
Mara pouted slightly at that. "I guess I'll never know. The Emperor told me
yet again that I couldn't do what you yourself did. My potential is, well,
limited," she admitted sadly.
"Oh," Luke winced gently, "I'm sorry... but hey, you'll never guess what
happened yesterday!" he challenged her with fresh, suddenly barely controlled
excitement as he remembered why he had come in this room in the first place.
"You pleased the Emperor?" she asked her with a shrug of her shoulders.
"No, it's even better!" he shook his head. "Vader gave me back my freedom.
He's my father!" he told her, his excitement now bubbling out of his control.
"Your--- He adopted you?" she frowned in bemusement.
"No, he's my real father!" he tried to explain in spite of his joy. "Remember,
I told you he was dead? Well, he isn't, and he didn't know about me before, but
now we can be together," he finished in one breath.
It took his friend a second or two to process everything that he had said, and
what he hadn't, but finally her face lit up with a new, huge smile as she
understood 'exactly' what had just happened between him and Vader. "It's
great!" she briefly hugged him, then asked him: "So do you have a name
now?"
"Luke Vader," he smiled proudly. "In time, I'll become like him, but until
then, the Emperor will train me to be an agent and I will have to prove to him
that I can be like my father."
"An agent?," the girl gaped in surprise. "Hey, it's like me!" she exclaimed.
"You too?" the boy gaped in turn. "I thought---"
Mara shook her head, interrupting him. "He finally made his decision and told
me that he would train me to become an agent when I'll be older."
"Wow!, we'll be working together then," Luke smiled happily
"That would be fun," she smiled back although she didn't agree with his
certitude about their being together.
"Yeah. We'll see what he'll decide," Luke nodded more somberly.
"It would not only be fun of course," Mara observed more rationally, "but it
would give us a little more time to be together and talk," she concluded
lightly.
"I hope we will," Luke commented, then his eyes glazed shortly as his father
contacted him. "I have to go. Don't tell this to anybody, okay? To the
others, I must still be Vader's servant," he informed her.
"You can trust me, Luke. My lips are sealed," she reassured him.
"I know," he smiled, then left the room, lowering his head to assume his role of
servant once again.
Behind him, Mara tried to recover her cooler, proper composure to meet with
her master... who might just give her permission to 'be' with her friend, not
just talk with him, she thought wistfully.
She had to admit that it would be great.
******
That evening, Luke prepared for the night, like usual, then went into his
father's private observatory.
He had been there a couple of times before, when he had been learning about
astrography, but he had never dared come at any other time but when his master
had been with him.
Now though, he couldn't resist the lure of the space-like room.
He sat in one of the chairs there, leaned back and gazed at the stars which were
shining in the night sky. Before tonight, he had taken solace in their cool
beauty, dreaming that someday, he would leave his life behind and see them for
himself, but tonight, his thoughts were different.
Soon, he thought expectantly, he would begin his training as an agent, and
someday, he would help to keep the galaxy safe, like his father did. All of a
sudden, he wasn't a puny boy lost in the galaxy; he was one if its future
rulers!
It made him smile in happiness and pride.
His father entered the room. "I thought I'd find you here," he commented gently
as he walked closer to him.
"I love stars too much to not watch them, Father," he smiled back, then turned
his attention back to the stars that were shining down on them.
"I know," He offered him his hand once he was close to him. "Come, I want to
show you something."
Luke sat up and took his father's hand. They walked toward a wall--- which
opened to reveal a protected observation balcony. Luke gaped at the millions of
stars that were suddenly visible to his bare eye--- then understood that his
father had chosen this side of the building for his observation balcony because
it was facing the lightless, internal sea of Coruscant.
"Wow!!" he gaped in awe.
"Yes. Do you think that you can name a few of them now?" his father inquired
softly.
"There's Alderaan," he identified quickly, immediately indicating the blue star
that was closest to them.
"Good."
"And there's Ryalteer, and the Hapes cluster," he added quickly while he shifted
his pointing finger to indicate two other star clusters.
"Excellent," his father praised him. "When you'll fly a ship, those will be
your reference points," he told him seriously.
"Fly?" Luke frowned, turning back toward his father. "For real?"
Vader sat on a chair. "Of course, for real. Don't you want to fly?" he queried
next.
"Yes, I do, but aren't I too young?" he commented, bemused by his father's
sudden offer... which would make his dearest wish come true.
"If you aren't too young to become a Jedi, then you aren't too young for any
other skill, Son," his father stated proudly.
"Great!" he smiled instantly, content with his father's explanation. "I've
always wanted to fly!"
Vader reached over and ruffled his hair in pride. "You're so much like me," he
Commented earnestly.
Luke smiled at that, then climbed onto his father's lap and leaned against him
as he continued to watch the stars.
"Tell me about you, Father," he demanded more seriously.
His father's voice took on a slightly thoughtful tone this time. "What would
you like to know?"
"How did you earn your freedom?" he asked him earnestly, then shivered as the
cool night-air made it past his light pajama shirt.
Probably sensing his trembling, Vader wrapped his arms around his son, thus
covering him with his cape to keep him warm, then he leaned back so that they
could watch the stars together, a passion they shared.
Then, he told him about his first adventures. Luke was very interested by
everything he revealed, especially when it concerned his mother. His father
was his only way to know her a little.
His father also told him about the Jedi's betrayal, then told him the name of
their arch-enemy: Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Kenobi?" Luke openly frowned at that. "I know that name," he commented under
his breath.
Vader stopped cold. "What did you say?" he asked him, sitting straighter in his
chair. "From where?" he asked him seriously.
"Tatooine," the child answered him truthfully. "When I was there, there was a
strange old hermit around the town of Anchorhead. People called him Ben Kenobi,
or old Kenobi," his son finished with a sneer.
Suddenly feeling like he had just found the hiding place of his one and true
enemy, Vader slowly shifted his son's position on his lap until he was facing
him.
"What did he look like? Have you ever seen him?"
Luke frowned slightly at his inquiry, but he didn't question it. "He was always
dressed in a brown cloak----"
That simple detail was enough for him to know that he had indeed found his
former mentor. The man responsible for his actual state, his wife's death, and
his son's torment, was currently on Tatooine, probably cowering in fright, as he
had always had when faced with 'true' challenges.
"What is it, Father?" the boy inquired, cutting in his thoughts. "Do you think
that he is the same Kenobi?" the intelligent child inquired seriously.
For a moment, Vader gazed at his son... and saw his anger reflected in the
younger eyes. "Yes," he finally nodded. "I believe so. Tomorrow morning, I
will report his presence to the Emperor."
"I want to be there when you find him," the child instantly commented, his voice
informing him that he had already made up his mind about this.
"It will depend if the Emperor allows it or not, Luke," he reminded him even as
he winced slightly at his son's lust for revenge.
While he was proud of who he had become with him, he conceded that the child was
still fairly young to be feeling such dangerous emotions.
"But---" the object of his thoughts objected unhappily.
"But I promise to bring him here if you can't come with me," he told him
seriously.
The child remained silent at that, then nodded in acceptance.
A silence stretched between them, then Luke spoke up again. This time, he was
just a child once again, no longer a would-be avenger of his family.
"Father?," he queried, "Could we go back to Tatooine, but only to see my foster
family?" he asked him earnestly.
The dark lord arched an unseen eyebrow at that. "Why?" he probed him seriously.
He knew all to well how intelligent his son was; if he had something in mind
regarding Kenobi, he didn't want to encourage him without having the Emperor's
permission.
"I want to reassure Aunt Beru that I'm okay," Luke told him earnestly,
truthfully. "I know that she and uncle Owen lied to me, that they were probably
working with the Jedi, but they took care of me while I was little; they deserve
to know that I'm at least well," he finished seriously.
Vader couldn't help but sigh in strange relief at seeing that his son's good
heart was still strong enough to even overcome his hatred for the Jedi.
Consider that this trait would make him spare the innocents when he would be
older, he reflected that it would make him a good servant of the Dark Side.
"You know that if they find out about you and me..." he reminded him seriously.
"I won't tell them," Luke reassured him. "You can drop me for a quick visit,
then pick me up. Nobody will know but us."
"And you give me your word to not attempt anything about Kenobi while there?" he
asked him pointedly.
"I promise," the boy answered truthfully.
The dark lord pondered this request for a while. Finally, he asked him: "Is it
important for you?"
"Yes, very," Luke nodded.
He sighed. "Then we'll go. But just for an hour or two at most, and I have to
clear it first with the Emperor," he informed him coolly.
"I understand," Luke smiled, then leaned back once again and buried himself in
his father's cape and arms. "What's that one?" he asked, pointing to a star.
As the dark wave of revenge washed away from their hearts, Father and son spent
the rest of the evening giving names to the diamonds in the sky.
To be continued in part 4: Servant of the Emperor
Copyright 2000, SJ (skyjade@globetrotter.net)
(Any positive stuff is welcome, but any mean stuff won't even be read.)
Part 3: Vader's servant
SJ 26-04-00/10-00 (skyjade@globetrotter.net)
______________________
Disclaimers: None of this belong to me; everything in the Star Wars Universe
belongs to George Lucas.
See my home page for more details.
Http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/3702
Special thanks to my shy, secret beta-reader and best friend, Adrianne, for her
help with the final editing of my new stories. Thanks for giving
me some of your precious time, my friend :)
_____________________
Even though Vader was never uncomfortable with his master, only subservient, he
was glad to leave his presence.
Especially now that he had agreed to let Luke live; he didn't want to waste a
single second that he was granted with his son; he would make them worthwhile,
proving to the wary ruler that his son was better alive than dead.
While he would continue to lessen the distance between them, he would also make
sure that his boy's good nature would never put him on the dangerous end of the
Emperor's attentions.
Instead, he would help him bring out his abilities and powers which would ensure
his survival in the Emperor's ranks.
His son 'would' be a servant of the Emperor, he determined even as he strode
past the said boy. The child fell in step behind him and walked, his head bowed
like the good servant he was.
In time, he promised himself, he would earn the right to walk straight and tall,
but first, he reflected, they had some serious work to do.
Luke followed his master out of the splendor of the Imperial Palace... and into
the dark splendor of his own palace.
The first thing that the child noticed was the change of colors. Whereas the
Imperial palace had been celestial white with colorful, artistic articles of
decoration, Vader's palace was dark with black walls, floors, and dark wooden
furniture. However, the works of art where mind-enrapturing.
He tried to not let himself be distracted by them as followed his master;
instead, he tried to remember all the rooms the adult indicated to him while
they walked down the corridors. It was much bigger than aboard the Executor, he
reflected seriously.
His quarters were also bigger, he gaped slightly in surprise. He had been so
used to his closet that he hadn't expected anything different here. However,
instead of a cot, he had a bunk, and he even had a small desk and a private
'fresher.
However, what attracted his attention were the datadisks which had been piled up
on the corner of the desk. He wanted to check them out right now, aware that
they were probably the Jedi/pilot data that his master had told him he would
find for him, but his master wanted otherwise at the moment.
Luke obediently followed him.
He brought him into a computer room at the end of the last floor, keyed in some
files, then turned sideways.
"Take a look at those individuals, boy," he told him seriously.
Luke stepped closer and studied the portraits that were being shown on the large
screen. Women, men, aliens.
"Look at them carefully. They are not to be trusted," his master informed him.
"If you ever have to escort them anywhere in the palace, never let your guard
down while in their presence. If you detect anything suspicious from them, warn
me immediately. Do you understand?" he asked him.
"Yes, Master," Luke nodded although he was surprised yet again by his master.
Escort his visitors?? Him? A child?
The dark lord pointed to a blond woman. "This one isn't human. It's a droid;
probe it the right way," he advised him.
"I understand, Master." Luke reassured him.
Yes, he reflected seriously, he had just understood that Vader had made him his
majordomo, giving him permission to practice his probing skills on his visitors.
Vader turned toward him---- then crouched in front of him, something which he
had never done before, well, almost never.
Luke held still in worry, his eyes locked on his master. He thus tracked his
hand as it moved closer to his face, then barely stroked his cheek with his
fingertips; now that had never happened before, he thought in utter shock.
He stood stock-still, unable to shift even one muscle.
"You really are clever, boy," his master observed in a strangely warmer voice
than usual. "Don't hesitate to use your intelligence to serve me better," he
told him in that same fashion. "You will not regret it."
Luke jerkily nodded, his voice caught in his throat now.
"Err... Thank you, Master," he finally managed.
Vader remained crouched for a few more seconds, making Luke even more uneasy,
then he stood up once again, back to his normal, cool self.
"Tour the palace now. Make yourself familiar with all its rooms," he instructed
him.
"Yes, Master." he bowed, then left him.
Vader watched his son leave, a bitter-sweet feeling lingering in his heart.
He had been forward with the child this time, openly showing his care for him;
the child had answered by almost fainting thanks to his shock.
They had a long way to go, he sighed to himself even as he turned back toward
his computer. He couldn't even foresee a delay when his masquerade would be
over. However, he tried to comfort his newly sensitive self, the more time it
took, the more time he had to initiate Luke to the rest of the abilities that he
would need to make the transition from his slave to the Emperor's servant.
He had already found a way to make him improve his probing skills, his piloting
skills were growing by leaps and bounds, and his levitation and mind-control
abilities were perfectly honed already.
He was almost done with the basic training... for a Sith, but not for an
imperial servant, he reflected even as he called up the training program of
agents.
He thus thought of another exercise to add to his son's schedule. It wouldn't
really be a duty, he reflected, but his son was aware that he was training him
more than making him work.
He would accept the new challenge... and would thus develop his self-defense
skills.
Meanwhile, six floors lower, Luke studied his master's home.
He couldn't help but wonder about what had happened in the computer room though.
His master had never, ever shown him any sign of care before. Sure he had
taught him many things, had given him privileges he had only dreamed of, but he
had also been cruel with him, and he had never hesitated to strike fear in his
young heart if he had deemed it necessary. His master had also never brought
himself to his level, except if he wanted to have a better view of something and
didn't want to hurt his arms or strangle him. He had even less ever touched him
without causing him any pain of any kind.
He honestly couldn't comprehend what had gone through the dark lord's mind a
moment before.
He refocused on his self-guided visit. He noticed that not many beings
inhabited the lord's castle. He was mostly surrounded by droids. The few
beings he had seen here and there were mostly there for maintenance purposes.
Hours later, he knew that he was the sole living servant in the castle.
He returned to his master's side.
******
Even though Luke was on Coruscant, his routine didn't change much. He served
his master and his guests when he had to, he continued to work on his muscles
since he had many more places to clean up now, but there were also a few
changes. The most important one was that since he now knew his lord's schedule,
he was now semi-autonomous to organize his days. Considering that he knew when
he was supposed to welcome a guest, either from the lower levels or from the
landing platforms, it was up to him to organize the rest of his day so that his
duty was complete when he went to bed.
New Force-exercises were also part of his routine now. First of all, whenever
he led a guest to his master's location, had to probe them in order to inform
his master of their intentions 'before' they reached him. Second, his exercises
with remotes now involved them shooting stinging bolts at him, forcing him to
improve his danger-sensing skills, not just his focus. Finally, he also had to
develop new physical skills by facing a fighting droid every day. His goal with
this task was to deactivate the droid and put it away despite their fights'
increasing levels of difficulty. Thus, after a few, difficult first days, he
managed to figure out how to use Force to guide his body in self-defense
movements.
Since he had to do the remote and droid exercises every day, his dodging and
fighting skills improved quite rapidly.
******
Nearly a month and a half later, Luke rolled away from the droid's arm--- then
kicked him in its middle section with all his strength to make it tumble on its
back. As expected, the machine fell heavily on the deck. The young boy hurried
to roll to its side and turned it off via the switch that was on its neck. The
droid powered down, at last.
Groaning in tiredness, Luke sat back and rubbed his aching muscles. It had been
tougher today. He had noticed that it had been becoming easy for a while, but
not anymore. Oh well, he mentally shrugged, he was improving once again.
Pushing himself to his feet, he straightened and stretched a little, then
reached out with the Force and pulled the droid to its feet before he levitated
it all the way to its normal place.
There, done.
Young Luke checked the chrono on the wall. He had just enough time to change
back in his formal clothes and clean up a bit before receiving his master's next
guest.
After that, he would have to take care of the remotes that his master had left
activated in an other training room.
******
It took Luke approximately ten minutes to make himself presentable; he finally
headed for the higher landing pad and not a minute too soon.
He had barely reached his waiting station that the expected couch arrived.
A tall, green-skinned alien stepped out of it and waited patiently. Even
without reaching out, Luke could feel that this visitor wouldn't be to his
master's liking. There was something downright filthy about him. However, his
orders were to escort him, so escort him, he shall.
The young boy walked forward and bowed in welcome. "Welcome, Prince Xizor," he
bid the other. "My master, Lord Vader, is awaiting you. If you'll follow me."
He turned around and walked toward the inside of the building. The alien
followed but it didn't escape Luke's notice that he was displeased by something.
'A child!?' he heard him think when he probed him. 'What kind of game is Vader
playing with me now? This can't be serious. I've heard about the boy, but
there has to be something else behind this. Vader has never had slaves before,'
the alien finished with a touch of disgust directed at his master.
Luke heard and felt it all--- and strove to remain impassive, in control. Once
he felt cool-headed once again, he contacted his master. Vader told him to stay
around for this guest.
Two minutes later, he keyed open the door of the room where his master was, then
invited the Dark Prince to enter. He followed him inside.
He almost instantly discovered that Prince Xizor was a master deceiver.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Vader," the alien purred suavely as if
he held the other in great respect. "It was extremely nice of you to send your
youngest servant to welcome me."
"We may dispense with pleasantries, Prince Xizor," Vader retorted curtly, not
turning away from the window behind his desk to meet with his visitor. "I know
what you really think about the boy."
Luke felt the Falleen's composure falter slightly yet he had yet to detect any
sign of anger on his cool features.
"But this is not why I requested your presence here," Vader continued coldly.
"I have discovered that one of your groups of traders is serving itself right
off the imperial stocks," he finished, turning around to 'glare' at the tall
alien.
"What?.., I didn't know about that, my Lord," Xizor lied.
While Luke noticed his own, reflexive lack of proper thought toward the Falleen
creature, he became aware that his master was gazing unwaveringly at the alien.
If he didn't know better, he thought in bemusement, he would swear that his
master was smirking in amusement.
"Just as I thought," his master finally nodded, "Now that you know though, I
suggest that you correct the situation before I have to take drastic measures
concerning them," he warned seriously. "Remember that if you want to retain
your deal with the Empire, you'll have to keep your end of it, on all aspects,"
he added more darkly.
"I shall take a look at it immediately, my Lord," Xizor reassured him earnestly
even as he bowed his head in respect.
Vader barely acknowledged him, then dismissed him with a wave of his hand before
returning to his study of the captivating Coruscant landscape; Luke prepared
himself for his escort duty. Xizor bowed again... and had turned around to
follow him when Lord Vader spoke up once again.
"By the way," his master commented, drawing once again the attention of the
angry alien while he turned back toward them, "I didn't know that you kept such
a close eye on me, Prince Xizor," he almost sneered.
As he saw the alien turn back toward Vader, Luke decided that the Falleen was
more than a master deceiver; he was in perfect control of himself. None of his
previous, hateful thoughts were showing on his features.
"I'm afraid I don't understand, my Lord," the Falleen commented, pretending to
be confused.
"How else would you know about my slavery habits?" the dark lord inquired
seriously.
"I---" the other stuttered, caught off-guard this time at having his own
thoughts shoved back at him.
Lord Vader stepped forward this time. "You should mind your own business and
not start rumors on my account, Prince Xizor," he warned him with just the
slightest hint of a serious threat in his voice. "That would be better for you
and your business."
Luke could feel the boiling anger in the dark prince, even his murderous
intentions, but it, like the rest, didn't show on his features.
He, for his part, was currently growing hateful toward the alien for
entertaining such thought about his master, but he forced himself to remain
unresponsive. He was only his master's slave; it wasn't his place to think for
him.
"Accept my apologies if I have miffed you, Lord Vader," the alien finally bowed
in deference.
"Apologies accepted," his master retorted as if it were inconsequential. "You
may leave now," he finished, then Luke caught his master's barest glance in his
direction. He snapped to attention. *Take him back to his couch without any
detour,* he instructed him coolly.
Luke respectfully bowed his head, then prepared to leave once again.
Meanwhile, the alien bowed once again, offered another menial retort, then
followed Luke out of the room.
As the young boy watched the personal ship leave the area of the castle, he
reflected that his master was courageous to dare turn his back, let alone openly
threaten a being such as the Falleen.
He now knew how dangerous the dark prince was.
He turned around---and started when he saw that his master was standing a few
feet away from him, watching him he realized even as he bowed his head in
welcome.
"It is not courage to face cowards like him," the dark lord told him coolly.
"It is merely my duty."
"He wants to kill you, Master," Luke informed him, keeping his head bowed to
apologize for his earlier misjudgment, perhaps even an unwilling insult if his
master was not in a good mood.
"I know," Vader agreed without any sign of usual anger. "but so do I...
However, the Emperor likes to have him around his court; I cannot get rid of
this snake," the dark Lord explained, annoyance creeping into his voice and
senses.
Aware, and relieved, that his master wasn't angry at him, Luke dared look back
up at his master--- who walked closer to rest his hand on his shoulder.
He couldn't help but still completely in surprise. He still wasn't used to his
master's caring touch.
"You were perfect in his presence, boy," his master praised him. "If he ever
sends an assassin, he won't even think that you might detect him before he
reaches me," he informed him seriously.
Luke, who had tensed when the dark lord had touched him, could now only gape
up at his mask as the other crouched to be at eye level with him. "An assassin?
Stop him?" he asked in disbelief.
"I saw you train with the droid today," his master commented in the strangely
warm voice that he seemed to use only with him. "You are getting very good in
fighting techniques, and you can sense deceit when it is present," he continued,
this time with the lightest touch of pride in his voice. "From now on, boy, you
will think of yourself as my bodyguard when you escort guests inside," he
instructed him.
"Master?.." Luke gaped in bemusement. He couldn't believe the words he had just
heard. Him? A bodyguard? But he was barely eight years old!
"A servant merely takes people from one place to another, but a bodyguard serves
and protect his master," Vader explained warmly. "Am I wrong when I say that
you would've attacked Xizor if he had moved on me?" he queried in his still
strangely gentle voice.
Luke avoided his eyes, ashamed for entertaining such thoughts of disobedience.
"No, Master, but I'm sorry," he hurried to add.
Vader brought his large hand to the boy's face, eliciting another flinch even as
he gently made him face him once again. "There is nothing to be sorry about,
child," he reassured him. "You controlled yourself, yet remained open for any
danger. This is exactly what I want you to do. Do you think you can do it?" he
queried more seriously.
Luke, who had kept his eyes down despite his master's encouragement to look at
him, now courageously met his gaze. "Yes, Master. I will do it," he assured
the adult.
"Good. You can forget about the remotes for today," his master commented next.
"I give you the rest of your day."
Luke's face lit in a smile. "Thank you, Master."
The dark lord straightened back up and gently nudged him toward the door.
"Go now, don't waste your free time," he encouraged him.
"I won't, Master," Luke told him earnestly before eagerly running toward the
door.
As the child ran inside, Vader felt his delight at having the rest of his day.
'Now he could play', he heard him think; it made him smile behind his mask.
No matter how strong his boy was growing, he still remained a child when free.
Children would always be children, he realized.
Even when they were on the right path to become powerful darksiders.
******
The same evening, just before retiring for the night, Lord Vader went into his
son's room, as he now did every night.
Even though his son wasn't aware of his visits, he himself liked those moments
of quiet observation; they allowed him to do what he couldn't do when the child
was awake.
That night, he found the boy asleep at his desk; he surmised that he had
finished his evening with some reading... about computers, he smiled when he
caught sight of the still turned-on pad. Gently, he bent closer to the boy and
picked him up in his arms before he carried him toward his bed. His boy
reflexively snuggled closer to him.
When he was awake, Luke never did any of this, but the more he spent silent
moments with him while he was asleep, and the more his subconscious was showing
signs that he thought of him as a father, or so his snuggling reflexes and
mumbles told him, he conceded seriously as he sat on the bed, his boy still
cradled in his arms. As he studied his sleeping features, he admitted that he
was surprised by the game that his son had chosen once he'd left him for the
rest of the day.
He had chased the remotes after all.
He had first deactivated the firing of bolts, but then, the child had really
relished jumping and running after the silver balls; he had even giggled
whenever he had managed to catch one on the first try. The dark lord shook his
head in amusement as he realized that his son had turned his chore into a game.
'Children', he smiled to himself, then grew more serious at the memory of the
rest of his son's permission. Once he had grown tired of his game, he had worked
on his fighting skills, having the possibility to use a book to guide his
practice, then, later on, he had taken a turn in the flight simulator. Those
two activities hadn't been games, he reflected seriously; they had been chosen
by his son to help him improve his abilities.
The boy was beginning to see past his actual service, he smiled to himself; he
was willingly working hard to prepare himself for the future, whatever that
future was. The more he was removing the tight bonds around his son's life, he
then reflected in relief, and the more the child was taking pleasure in his new
life.
He then admitted to himself that he positively relished every smile that he
could draw from his up-to-now unhappy child; the more it happened, and the more
he wanted to tell him the whole truth. But Luke wasn't ready to hear it, he
reminded himself as the events of the afternoon came back to him.
Even though the boy was beginning to 'like' his new life, he was also still
uncomfortable whenever he himself tried to shorten the emotional distance that
was still standing between them. So, he decided that he would slowly continue
to bridge this distance; when Luke wouldn't be afraid of him anymore, and that
he would truly accept his new life with the Empire, he would tell him the truth.
In the meantime though, he would try to obtain permission from the Emperor to
further the boy's training. Luke was now ready for more than the basic skills,
he reflected as he stroked his son's fair-colored bangs. A haircut might not
be a bad idea either, he reflected more warmly, then made a note to take care of
that the next day.
A short while later, he delicately set the child in his bed, then pulled the
warm blankets over him. Luke turned on his side.
Vader brushed his blond hair one last time with the tip of his fingers, sending
warm feelings of well-being into his son's mind, aware that they kept the
nightmares at bay, then remained with his sleeping son for a while longer.
Eventually, he left the room, taking off the light sleeping spell which he'd
cast on the boy.
******
Months passed during which Luke went back aboard the Executor with his master,
then back on Coruscant.
Every time that they came back, his master reported to the Emperor, leaving him
to wait in what he had discovered was called The Grand Corridor.
The more Luke waited there, and the more he began to distinguish the kind of
beings that were composing the Emperor's court.
There were rich citizens of every places, military officers, courtesans, and
spies who were trying to pretend to be someone else.
Most of those beings were humans and adults, but... amongst them, there also was
a child just like himself.
However, unlike him, she wasn't a slave. From the first time he had seen her,
he had known that she was part of the Emperor's direct entourage. She was
dressed in nice clothes, her red-gold hair was always shining from cleanness and
hidden jewels, and unlike any other being except for his master, she was allowed
alone inside the throne room.
While he had noticed all that though, he had never even entertained the thought
of asking her questions: he knew all too well that he wasn't allowed to speak
with anybody but his master.
That day, Luke noticed that the red-gold haired girl was also waiting in the
Grand Corridor. She was also very close to him this time. Since he knew that a
slave wasn't supposed to address a free citizen, he fought doubly hard against
his desire to speak with her, although it was suddenly proving to be quite a
challenge to him.
Her nearby presence was acting like a magn-----
"What's your name?" a voice suddenly asked him, drawing him out of his internal
fight.
Luke looked up in surprise and worry---- and gaped when he identified the source
of the voice: it was the fascinating little girl.
For a moment, both children gazed at each other, silent as if in surprise, then
Luke hurried to lower his gaze before someone noticed his improper behavior and
decided to punish him for it. "I'm sorry, my Lady, but I don't have a name
anymore," he half-whispered respectfully, barely feeling a wince as he heard his
own words... It had been hard to accept the fact that his tag made him
nameless, but he had finally learnt to live with this status when not alone.
"You may tell me," she insisted, taking a step closer to him to see his eyes
again.
"... Luke," he finally whispered even as he dared look up again at her.
"I'm Mara," she told him warmly. "I noticed that you are often seen here.
Who is your master?"
"Lord Vader, my Lady," he answered with all the respect and decorum that he
could muster in regards to his master.
"I'm not a Lady, Luke," she commented, then surprised him when she sat beside
him. "My guardian hasn't given me a title yet; call me Mara."
"Your guardian?" he asked, careful to keep his voice down even as he forced
himself to not turn toward her to speak with her.
It wasn't proper, he reminded himself; his master wouldn't like this, and what
Lord Vader didn't like got 'him' into trouble---
"The Emperor," she answered him proudly. "He teaches me so that in time I may
serve him."
Luke nodded in understanding, then reflexively answered: "My master also teaches
me, but through my servitude."
"How long have you been with him?" Mara asked, tilting her head in curiosity
until she could see him again despite her being beside him.
"Almost a year and a half now," he answered simply. Luke noticed the surprised
face she made. "What?" he queried with uncertainty. He hoped that he hadn't
upset her; he certainly didn't want to anger the Emperor in any way.
"I've been with the Emperor for the same time," she commented wistfully, her
eyes moving downward to study the tiling for a moment, then they went back up to
meet his own. "Do you miss your home?" she asked him seriously.
"I used to," he barely whispered, careful to not look like he was talking to her
although he was, in fact, not behaving properly. "I learnt to accept my life
with my master," he added seriously.
"Well, I don't miss them," she told him in a strangely cooler voice. "They
tried to sell me as a slave. My guardian saved me."
"You're lucky that he came by then," Luke commented instantly. "If I could, I
would save everybody from being a slave," he told her earnestly yet still
kept his gaze down on the floor.
Mara might have answered something to this, but the door of the throne room
opened, attracting her attention.
Luke equally looked up just in time to see his master step through the opening.
He snapped to attention and hurried to cut his discussion with the girl named
Mara.
However, she didn't do so, not right away anyway. "It was fun talking with you,
Luke," she said as she walked toward the door.
It was her turn to go inside.
******
Inside the throne room, Vader was reporting his son's progresses to the Emperor
when they both felt a slight, Light-born disturbance nearby.
The Emperor instantly activated the screen on the wall behind him, then selected
a close view of Luke...
And Mara Jade.
Uh-oh, Vader winced even as he took a step closer to the screen to study the
unfolding scene from a closer point of view. The children had found each other,
and Luke's kind nature was recovering faster than it took him to levitate an
object.
"Do you truly want this boy to become a full-fledged Dark Jedi, Lord Vader?" the
Emperor sneered in disgust even as he activated the sensitive microphones which
were closest to the children.
To his relief, they heard his son behave properly with the girl. Luke knew that
he wasn't allowed to talk to her.
Good boy, he sighed---- then winced again when the girl insisted, drawing a
first answer, then a second... and then the child answered her as if they were
instantaneous friends.
"Yes, Master," he finally answered, then turned toward the Emperor. "The child
is lonely, this shouldn't be taken into account, especially since Mara Jade is
leading him on," he added with a mean touch in his voice. "Normally, he isn't
influenced by such feelings anymore; this is a very unique situation."
"Perhaps," the ruler conceded, then focused his attention on the girl. "This
certainly isn't part of what I taught her," he grumbled unhappily.
Despite the fact that he himself was resenting the girl for ruining his attempt
to convince the Emperor of Luke's worthiness to complete the Sith training, he
couldn't help but be worried for her.
A silence followed, punctuated only by his mechanical breathing, until it
was broken again by the Emperor.
"Well, this certainly is most unexpected," he commented under his breath even as
he stood from his throne to study the images of the two chatting children.
"What is, Master?" he asked diligently.
The Emperor remained silent for a little while longer, then finally turned back
toward him, a strange smile playing on his craggy lips.
"It seems that we have managed to find two Force-mates, my friend," he commented
even as he turned back toward the image of the children.
"Force-mates??" Vader gaped despite himself. "As in soul mates ordained by the
Force?"
"Just so," the older man smiled in that strange smile of his once again. "Young
Jade and your son have been feeling the pull between them for a few weeks now,
as if drawn like magnets."
"What do you wish us to do about this, Master?" he asked respectfully, aware
that the Jedi bonding thing 'couldn't' help his son in any way.
"We will not intervene yet, my friend," the other answered him, his anger and
frustration gone from his voice, instead being replaced by interest.
Vader instantly understood that his master had seen a vision of the two children
when older, and he had liked it.
"You may further the boy's training, but you will also initiate him more
obviously to his future service to 'me'," he added more seriously. "And," he
finished with warning undertones, "make sure he learns to not feel anymore."
Like he himself lived, Vader understood.
"As you wish, Master," he bowed respectfully, then turned on his heel and
returned to his son who was fighting hard against his temptation to talk more
openly with young Jade.
When he crossed the double doors, his eyes immediately sought the two children;
they both stood at attention, then his son resumed his perfect servitude.
Young Jade, however, told him something before she walked away from him; she
bowed her head to his own presence when she crossed path with him, then
disappeared in the throne room.
He himself walked past the waiting boy; Luke silently fell in step behind him.
Luke didn't know what to expect from his master; he knew that he couldn't hide
anything from him, so he 'knew' that the other knew about his recent meeting.
*You spoke with someone,* his master stated.
*Yes, Master,* he instantly admitted, repentant. *She told me to speak with
her.*
His master seemed to consider his excuse; he hastened his pace. *Since she is
special to the Emperor, you may speak with her if she speaks to you, but you
will not talk with anybody else but her,* he instructed him warningly.
*I understand, Master,* he sent in obedience, then breathed in relief.
He hadn't angered his master, and, he thought with some earnestness, he would be
able to talk to Mara again if she came again around him.
He had to admit that he had really liked to talk with her.
******
The following days, his master reported several other times to the Emperor; Mara
was almost always in the corridor, much to Luke's delight.
During their second meeting, they compared what they were learning from their
masters, and thus discovered that they were both able to use the Force; they
exchanged a few thoughts that way.
On their third meeting, they began to talk mentally to keep their dialogue and
behavior secret from the rest of the court.
The more they talked, and the more they discovered that their lives were quite
similar, except that Luke had to accomplish chores as well as train in the
Force. However, slowly but surely, they became friends; they even began to
exchange thoughts at night, when they were ready to go to bed but could delay a
little bit.
However, they both knew better than to push the limits on that habit; neither of
them wanted to anger either their master or guardian.
Still, Luke slowly became eager to accompany his master in the Imperial Palace
in hopes to see his friend while young Mara spent most of her free time around
the Grand corridor in hope to be there if her friend came around.
Unbeknown to both children, their behavior with one another was monitored very
closely by their true master who constantly weighted the risk of allowing them
to care about one another with the potential advantages of using their Force-
bond in his strategy to rule unchallenged.
Thus, while he chose to tolerate the necessary care to strengthen the natural
bond between the children, he made sure that neither of them allowed themselves
to 'feel' for anybody or anything else.
He especially ordered the boy's father to make him use his aggressive feelings
in combats or against challenges. He insisted that he had to be deeply steeped
in the Dark Side before he taught him any lightsaber technique. He himself
didn't want to take any chance with the boy's tendency to return to the Light.
Meanwhile, Luke didn't feel anything but fear for his master's master: the
Emperor. Up to now, the boy had never been in his direct presence, but as he
grew aware of the boy's powerful fear, he decided that a change of routine was
in order.
******
Ever since Luke had set foot on Coruscant, his master had always left him in the
corridor to wait for him. Thus, he now that he had met with Mara, he crossed
his fingers that it would always be so.
However, the day came that his hopes were crushed. The dark lord brought him in
the throne room with himself.
And did so every other time that he reported to the Emperor, as if unaware of
how frightened the child was whenever he was within the Emperor's space.
Two weeks and half later, Luke reluctantly followed his master in the throne
room once again.
This time, his master wanted him to carry a gift for the Emperor: a lightsaber
from one of the recently defeated Jedi. Luke understood that such a duty also
meant that he would be closer than ever to the Emperor's chilling presence, but
he had no choice, he reminded himself. He bravely followed in his master's
wake, taking strength in the fact that he was not alone with the galactic ruler.
Holding the weapon's new, richly decorated case in front of himself, Luke kept
his eyes down on the deck, then on the steps that he climbed as he obediently
followed his master toward the powerful ruler.
Like every other time that he had been in the ruler's presence, either via
holonet or not, he felt cold terror creep up his spine before it invaded every
cell of his body. He knew all too well now that the Emperor was even more cruel
than his master was; he hurried to clear his mind from such thoughts, aware that
they would anger the ruler.
He didn't want to give him a reason to punish him, but unlike for his master, he
didn't know what the Emperor tolerated and what he didn't accept. Even Mara
didn't really know; she only knew that he was not someone to upset.
Hence, he himself always feared that the Emperor would find a reason to punish
him while he was in his presence.
Once on the last platform of the stairs, he knelt respectfully, then remained
still on his knee and kept his mind blank... until his master signaled him to
give him the gift for the Emperor.
Once again, Luke sighed inwardly in relief, he was glad that his master was
taking it from him before offering it to the galactic ruler instead of making
him do so.
The less he would have interactions with the Emperor, the better he would feel.
And so it went every time that he followed his master inside the throne room.
And unbeknown to the child, his reactions greatly pleased the evil darksider.
******
When on Coruscant, Luke's routine of chores continued. Time passed until they
were a few weeks away from his ninth anniversary.
That morning, he brought the usual black cloak to his master and helped him
fasten it around his broad shoulders, then continued with their normal routine--
- until his master gave him a most unusual order.
He instructed him to bring him his lightsaber.
Normally, Luke reflected reflexively, his master always picked it up himself; he
didn't allow him to touch any kind of weapon...
However, he didn't question his order; he walked over to the shelf and picked up
the deadly weapon, then brought it to his master as fast as he could... but not
before taking a nano-second to take a closer look at it. It had always
fascinated him... once it had stopped being a threat to him.
It really was an elegant weapon, he thought seriously even as he gave it to his
Master, who hooked it to his belt before he left him alone to make his room.
Luke went about his morning chores. That morning, he had to sift through the
data that were sent by his master's spy and file them away for his master; his
lord would study them later that day.
******
The next morning, and the following ones, his master repeated his new order...
allowing him to give him his lightsaber. The more young Luke came in contact
with the weapon, and the more he yearned to manipulate it like his master did...
And as his father had surmised would happen.
Vader was very aware of his son's interest for his weapon; he also knew that it
would be easier that way to make his upcoming new training look like a new
privilege instead of a planned operation. That way, he would not arouse the
child's suspicions; clever as his son was, he had no doubt that he would figure
out that something was going on if he were to simply tell that he would teach
him about lightsabers now.
Huh-uh, that wouldn't be wise at all, he reflected seriously.
On the other hand, if he created opportunities for the boy to find a 'saber',
then waited for him to give him an occasion to intervene... without punishing
him, he could feel that Luke's new transition toward a higher level of knowledge
would happen without any mishap at all.
Hence, he had already scattered a few metallic rods in a few strategic places of
the palace. Now, it was up to his son to find one of them... and use it.
Vader's patience paid off. A few days later, while tidying up the lower storage
area, Luke finally 'stumbled' on a metal bar.
Luke was using the Force to push crates and apparels back in their proper place
when a slim, metallic bar appeared in amongst his latest selection of items. He
dropped them and pulled the bar to his hand; he carefully hefted it. It would
be just about the right size of a lightsaber, he reflected carefully even as he
checked in his back to see if he were being watched.
He was alone.
Gingerly, he half-crouched in a ready position, then began to shift the bar from
right to left, imagining that he was blocking the blade of an attacker. He
tried it a few more times--- then caught himself and put the bar down before he
continued his chore. However, he didn't put the bar away.
He now had an idea about how he could try his hand at lightsaber techniques.
******
Since he didn't have much free time for the rest of the day, he barely practiced
his fake movements before going to bed that night, but, the next day, he earned
himself a period of free time.
He fetched his bar and headed for the remote-training room.
Normally, he had to dodge the bolts while catching the remotes, but tonight, he
thought eagerly, he would stop them with his 'blade'.
He picked two remotes, set them on sting, then took a deep breath and focused on
this new exercise. Deep in touch with the Force, he felt the origin of the
bolt and shifted his arms to block the bolt.
A loud zinging sound informed him that he had succeeded---- then an other
warning came and he shifted again, and again, and again, trusting his feelings
to guide him.
The more he blocked the bolts, the more confident he became, satisfied of
himself.
He never missed.
When the bar became too hot to hold though, he reluctantly put an end to the
exercise. He grinned in pride. He had been great, and he knew it; he had also
been especially good when he had gotten angry at the small little hornets.
******
A few days later, he was once again practicing lightsaber moves, even though he
hadn't revealed his new activity to his master yet.
He didn't know if he would approve or not... but he himself didn't want to put
an end to his new ability. He loved to beat the annoying remotes with his
'weapon'. He continued to focus his frustration on the robots and was blocking
a bolt from one of his three remotes when the door behind him opened.
Naturally, Luke immediately knew who was there as well as why he was there; he
should have told him, he instantly admonished himself even as he stopped his
remotes, dropped his bar and turned toward his master.
He bowed his head in repentance. "I'm sorry, Master," he apologized with all
his heart. "I just wanted to try it."
Vader silently stepped closer; Luke cringed, having a bad feeling about this.
The dark lord Force-called the metal bar to his hand. A long silence ensued,
filled with unwelcome fear.
Finally, his master spoke. "If you want to learn lightsaber skills, child, you
have to use a real lightsaber," he stated coolly.
Luke looked up at that, confused and doubtful. Vader brought his free hand to
his belt and pulled his weapon from it.
He offered it to the bewildered boy; Luke could only gape at the offered weapon.
"Take it, and try it for real this time," the older man encouraged him.
Luke hesitantly reached forward and took the handle from his master's large
hand, then turned his back to him and faced the remotes once more.
"You were very good against three remotes set on slow," his master told him
seriously. Two remotes retreated toward the wall. "Let's see how good you are
against one on a fast setting."
Luke nodded even as he swallowed hard, then he turned on the lightsaber. It's
ruby-red blade shot forth, dazzling him with its brilliance.
"Don't look at your blade, boy," his master instructed him. "Always focus on
the opponent."
Luke took his eyes off the beautiful blade. It seemed to disappear from his
field of vision, but he knew that it was still there. He focused, turned on the
remote, and flowed with the Force's guidance.
He instantly discovered that it was much more difficult than he had thought.
He got hit a couple of times at first until he adapted to the weight of the
weapon. Once he was good against the medium setting, the pace increased,
frustrating him anew. He barely had time to block before the other bolt came.
When he got hit three times in a row, he let his anger come forth; he felt the
Force's energies increase unlike anything he had ever felt before.
The darn little blasts wouldn't touch him again, he resolved defiantly.
Darth Vader watched his son work and smiled in fatherly pride. He truly was his
father's son. Both a natural in flying and lightsaber skills. And as he had
surmised, the boy had been drawn like a moth to the traditional weapon, as if
aware that it was part of his destiny.
He had gotten one step closer to revealing the truth to him, he thought
seriously.
Then just to add to the challenge and be prouder of his son, he activated
another remote.
Luke's anger increased when the two remotes managed to hit him.
Darn, he just couldn't move fast enough to step out of the way of both attack...
The remotes' drones died out. "It'll be enough for a first time, boy," his
master told him coolly.
Luke turned off the blade and gave the weapon back to his master. "I didn't
know that it was this difficult, Master," he commented, disappointed.
Vader took his weapon for his son's small hand, then crouched in front of the
boy, ending up at eye level with him.
Luke didn't flinch in the least, now used to his master's strange behavior.
"It is not a question of being difficult, boy," he comforted him in his
strangely warm, caring voice. "It is a matter of knowing the advanced
techniques. Do you think you're ready?" he then asked him.
Luke's eyes shone with expectation. Advanced techniques? His master was going
to teach him more about the Force???
"Yes, Master!" he smiled in eagerness.
"Good, we begin tomorrow evening," he informed him.
The two of them gazed at each other for a short while, then Luke initiated a
step toward his master, but stopped himself.
Instead, he bowed his head in respect. "Thank you, Master," he told him
gratefully.
"You're welcome," Vader returned, standing up. "Go get a shower now."
"Yes, Master."
As Luke walked out of the room and headed for his room, Vader watched him go.
His son had been about to open up to him, he reflected seriously. He had been
on the brink, had definitely meant to shorten the distance between them, but he
wasn't there yet.
His conscious self had stopped him.
He decided to pay attention to other similar signs before telling him the truth,
but he knew that it would happen sooner than later now.
He couldn't wait to give him back his full name.
******
Throughout the following days, Luke trained with his master. Unlike the other
times that he had taught him how to use his abilities, the dark lord didn't
simply give him instructions, he showed him how to do it and also offered him
physical support when needed.
Throughout the first days, his master taught him how to use his focus to flip
himself, levitate himself, then how to use his physical strength to move with
incredible speed, even when he somersaulted. Then, once he was ready, they
resumed his practices with the lightsaber.
The more Luke learnt to use all his knowledge and skills together, the more he
felt a connection with his master until he almost felt like a younger version of
him... sometimes. However, he never allowed himself to share that thought with
his master; it was a ludicrous one.
Of course, he knew that the dark lord had bought him for the sole reason that he
had been Force-strong, and he also knew that his master had always meant to
train him like this, once he would be ready. But to think that the he was
somehow meant to be with the dark lord...
That was somewhat farfetched.
And yet, it grew in strength... especially when his regular service began to
extend to the Emperor's as well.
The more he served the galactic ruler, and the more he felt in his heart that
there was something between himself and his true master... The Emperor was truly
treating him like a servant... a slave, whereas Lord Vader was... like a
guardian, kind of...
******
Later that night, after another training session with Lord Vader, Luke laid
awake on his bed.
Today had been a very tiring day, he admitted; he was even more exhausted than
when he had begun to use his levitation skills.
Since the Emperor requested perfection, something that his master had never
really mentioned, serving him was very demanding. Lord Vader wanted things to
be done the right way, and completely, but perfection... that was something
else.
Today, after a party in the Court and serving the Emperor and Prince Xizor, he
had been left alone with the Emperor when his master had had to supervise an
emergency.
Between finding a copy of a very precise newsreport for the Emperor, to filing
in the correct order the data that had just been given to him by one of his
sycophants, Luke had constantly feared to do something wrong and upset him.
He had been very, very happy when his master had finally returned with a report
to the Emperor.
However, he reluctantly conceded that serving the Emperor had served him right
today.
Up to now, he had always thought that the man was pure evil, but thanks to the
reports that he had filed for him, he had seen how wrong he had been. Kind of
like for his master, he thought seriously, but his master was still better than
the other, somehow.
The Emperor, for his part, was trying to unify the galaxy and bring it peace and
justice. His own master was given the military tasks that this goal implied.
Sometimes, he thought with a wince of sympathy at the victims of attacks, these
two beings had no choice but to use violence...
If the galaxy didn't rebel, he then thought seriously, they wouldn't be hurt,
just like himself wasn't now that he behaved---
Suddenly feeling the need to share his thoughts with someone, he reached out and
searched for the only other mind that he had learnt to find: Mara's.
The moment he contacted her, he felt that she was studying something; her
ankles, he felt, were crossed under her desk while she was leaning her head
against her hand. Her hair was undone and tickling her neck.
*Luke!* she mentally smiled at him. *How are you? I haven't seen you lately.*
*I know, I'm sorry,* he apologized. *I don't want to disturb you, but I have a
question about your master,* he asked seriously.
He felt her abandon her datapad to focus on him.
*Okay, what is it?*
*Do you... think that what he does is good?* he asked with slight hesitation.
His friend remained silent at his question, obviously shocked that he had asked
it in the first place.
*Of course, why do you ask?* she finally inquired with the barest hint of
defiance in her voice.
*I, huh,* he tried to justify himself, *I am beginning to think so too,* he
admitted, *but I'm not sure... that's not how I felt before today.*
*Then you're improving,* she commented warmly--- then shortly left their contact
when someone entered her quarters. She returned a few seconds later. *I'm
sorry, Luke, it's time for bed. Take care of yourself,* she told him warmly.
*You too, and good night,* he sent, then reintegrated his own senses.
That's when he became aware of the approaching presence of his own master.
He hurried to get rid of his shirt even as he pulled his bed open with the
Force, then slipped under the blankets.
However, he wasn't fast enough to turn off his light before his master opened
the door.
"I felt that you were still awake," the dark lord commented as he stepped in the
room. "Is something troubling you?" he asked him in his no-longer surprising
caring fashion.
At first, Luke meant to hide the truth from him; it was his mind, his worries,
it wouldn't upset his master if he didn't tell him, he thought seriously.
However, he was also aware that he didn't want to lie to him.
"It's about the Emperor, Master," he admitted even as he sat up in bed to gaze
at his master.
The tall man sat on the foot of his bunk. "The Emperor?" he asked in what felt
like surprise to the child.
"I... I don't mean to insult him, Master," he explained right away, then lowered
his eyes in shame when he realized what he had just said.
He had done just that with the mere mention of this word. To his surprise
however, his master didn't react in a bad way.
"Very well," he nodded agreeably, "I will understand. What question do you
have?"
Unsure if he should proceed or not, Luke slowly raised his head until he could
meet his master's eyes once again, then veiled them with his eyelashes in shame.
"Is the Emperor an evil man, Master?" he barely whispered.
The ensuing silence didn't reassure him.
For a moment, Vader couldn't believe his ears. While he had been aware of the
intense fright that the boy felt for the Emperor, and that the other was pleased
by it, the ruler had never been a subject of discussion or question between
them.
He had always assumed that the intelligent boy was able to see the facts for
what they were, and Force knew that he had witnessed more than one aspect of
what his life would be in the Empire, but it was only dawning on him that
the child was just a child.
He couldn't make the difference between evil and necessary strength.
"No," he reassured his son, "he is not evil. He is hard," he conceded,
"demanding, and ruthless, but he is not evil. He seeks to unify the galaxy, to
bring back peace and justice."
"I... I saw it today," the worried child admitted from the other end of the
bunk. "You taught me to use my feelings about people, Master," he continued
slowly, "I... until today, I didn't have a good feeling about the Emperor," he
admitted truthfully.
Vader, who was more than aware that he hadn't told the whole truth to the boy,
suddenly understood that he didn't have to; the child already knew, but he had
also begun to see past the negative part of the Empire to see its positive side.
It was a very good thing, he thought seriously.
However, he still couldn't tell him the truth; he needed to gain the boy's
willingness to serve the Emperor, not to scare him away from him.
"It was probably due to your witnessing only the military side of the Empire,"
he half-lied to the boy. "It biased your judgment. However, now that you can
see the rest of the Empire, it is readjusting itself; it's normal and a good
thing."
"So... I was wrong, but not completely?" the child inquired hesitantly.
"In a way," Vader nodded, "but you must understand one thing about the military
actions," he told him more seriously, aware that he was playing the child's
whole future with his next sentence. "The Empire doesn't generate them, they
are always the results of violence in the population; we merely intervene to
insure security and peace."
The child's brilliant blue eyes locked themselves on his hidden ones, then, as
if putting together his memories from their time aboard the Executor with what
he had just been told, he slowly nodded in agreement.
"I understand, Master. Thank you," he told him gratefully.
"Do you have any other question?" he asked him.
"No," the child shook his head, then slipped back under his blanket. "I'll be
able to sleep now."
"Good, we have a busy day tomorrow to catch up on today's lack of practice," he
informed him even as he stood up, then, after keeping himself from caressing the
boy's hair like when he was visiting him when he was asleep, left him to his
rest.
On his way to his own room, Vader reflected that the Emperor couldn't have asked
for a better opening for the child's willing servitude. However, he conceded
that it remained to be seen if Luke's fear would become a little more subdued
after tonight... or if he needed more help to control it and see the Emperor as
also part of his life.
******
The next day, young Luke spent a lot of time considering what his master had
told him about the Empire.
True, he conceded, his master was more than what he seemed and he himself now
gave him his respect despite that title. He still didn't want to displease him,
but now, it was because his master didn't need this kind of problem over his
other ones, and, he conceded that he himself was beginning to care a lot about
his new... guardian.
Lately, he regularly saw beyond the harsh, cruel front of the dark lord; he knew
that the other had a heart after all, but kept it well hidden, except from him.
Ever since he himself had been allowed to follow him outside, he had seen him
protect this or that population, or even certain persons, and on a more personal
aspect, he had given him many privileges which now left no doubt as to his
master's care for him in particular.
Those latest actions were also giving him undeniable hints that the dark lord
was obviously sharing his thought that he was his new guardian more than master
now.
So in short, lord Vader was a good man, a military commander and administrator
who was trying to save pain to the citizens of the Empire.
Kind of like the Emperor, he then shyly admitted. The difference though was
that the ruler was above his master, making difficult decisions which his master
then carried out.
Those decisions, though, could be avoided. He now knew now for sure that if
nobody would rebel against the Empire, nobody would get hurt. If only he could
talk with some of them, he thought seriously, then shook his head in scolding.
Now what was he thinking about, he asked himself. Despite what his master was
teaching him, he was still a servant, bound by his obligation to please his
master. He couldn't allow himself to dream... of being like him...
And yet, he was. Ever since he had begun his more intense training, he had
grown aware that like the dark giant, he was becoming powerful in the Force; he
had no doubt that with a little more training, he would be able to serve him
still, yes, but by helping him pacify the galaxy for the Emperor.
That way, he would be able to save the lives of children... and of their parents
if he could.
Perhaps, he then thought hopefully, his dream wasn't completely impossible this
time. He now knew that his master considered him more like an excellent servant
than a slave... Perhaps it was the condition to free him.
And, Luke conceded seriously, he would indeed be glad to recover his freedom
that way, but he wouldn't return to dreary Tatooine.
Instead, he would stay with his new guardian and serve him, this time freely.
After all, he shrugged next, the situation was not this bad when he took a
moment to analyze it.
It was almost even better than at his uncle's the farm. Almost...
******
Two weeks later, after their going back to the Executor for a quick mission,
Luke nodded to Mara in salutation, then followed his master inside the throne
room.
Again.
Once they reached the top of the stairs, he remained, as usual, a few steps
behind his Lord, then knelt on the last platform before the highest one. Lord
Vader continued up until he was standing on the Emperor's platform; he bowed in
respect.
"Welcome, my friend," the Emperor said, turning his throne around. "What news
do you have about Diella?"
"The mines and shipyards are already secured, Master, and it shouldn't be long
before the system is safe again," his master informed the galactic ruler.
"Yes... It was very clever of you to act during the night, Lord Vader. The
resistance was minimal," the Emperor commented.
"The cost of lives as well, my Master," Vader added wisely.
Luke couldn't help but feel pride at his master's tactical genius. No one could
defeat him thanks to his clever ideas.
"As long as I don't hear about those rebels again," the ruler told him in
a dismissive manner.
"You won't, Master," Vader assured him.
"Good," the Emperor commented as he stood up and walked closer to them. "On
another matter," he said more seriously, "I feel a strong current in the Force
lately."
Even as Luke suddenly became aware that 'he' was at the origin of the current,
he felt his skin crawl thanks to his reflexive fear; the Emperor was looking at
him.
Despite what he had begun to understand about the galactic ruler, he couldn't
help but give in to his old fears. He didn't want to attract his atten---
"Is it the boy?" the ruler inquired, his grating voice cutting into his thoughts
and freezing them with unparalleled fear.
He 'already' had the Emperor's attention.
"Yes, Master," his master confirmed seriously. "He has begun to learn the
advanced techniques."
The Emperor's feet came closer; Luke felt his heartbeat quicken in fear.
Mara trusted him, he reminded himself. His master had told him that he wasn't
evil--- but he had also told him about his reactions to the Jedi, like him...
and the Emperor killed the Jedi Knights for their renegade nature---
"Stand up, boy," the ruler ordered him, cutting in his thoughts once again.
Luke hurried to obey, then answered the Emperor's beckoning finger; he climbed
the rest of the stairs to stand in front of the galactic ruler, then dared raise
his head to let the Emperor scrutinize him as he wished.
Even though it wasn't the first time that he was this close to the ruler, it was
the first time that he was looking at him this directly. It terrified him. He
felt very lonely all of a sudden---
The Emperor brought his spindly fingers under his chin and slightly pushed his
head further backward.
"Hmm, he is fairly young," he commented as if displeased. "How old are
you, boy?" he asked him.
"Almost nine years old, Sire," Luke answered him as respectfully as he could.
The Emperor turned sharply toward the dark lord at that. "Advanced techniques
at nine years old?" he asked for confirmation.
Luke already knew that he was young to learn those things, that he was powerful
to be this good at his age, but the Emperor's reaction was telling him that it
was also unheard of as of now.
Uh-oh...
"Yes, Master, and he's growing fast," his master nodded in answer to the
Emperor's question. "He works hard and constantly seeks to improve himself," he
Continued as he slowly walked closer to the two of them.
Luke noticed the subtle movement and his mind did the rest. Could his master be
Worried that---
The Emperor gazed back at Luke, locking his yellow eyes on his terrified blue
ones; the child hurried to empty his mind.
"Do you do it to please Lord Vader?" the ruler asked him seriously, almost
dangerously.
"No, Sire, I love to learn those things," he answered earnestly.
Vader gazed down at him at this, but Luke knew that his answer hadn't shocked
his master. Lord Vader had known that already.
"Interesting," the ruler commented as thankfully he let go of his chin. He
turned back toward the dark lord. "You may continue to train him, Lord Vader.
I want to see him train in three days from now," he then added as if in after
thought.
"It shall be my pleasure to train him here, Master," Vader bowed respectfully.
"Excellent." He turned back toward the boy. "I am eager to see you in action,
boy," he commented, his voice now charged with a dark edge.
Luke bowed his head, working on automatism. For some reason, he was truly
afraid to show his talents to the Emperor. In fact, he was more afraid of that
than to upset him with a mistake. His master had told him that he was a Dark
Jedi-to-be...
Despite the adjective in front of the title, he was still a Jedi in training...
Not a Sith like his master and the Emperor were.
"I shall try to not disappoint you, Sire." he managed to answer, although he
somehow knew that his powers would stupefy the ruler...
He feared what would happen if he saw him as a threat. He knew all too well
what happened to those who were seen as a threat...
"Just so," the Emperor smiled thinly, then walked back to his throne. "I will
see you both then. Dismissed."
The two of them bowed respectfully, then Luke fell in step behind his master.
As he followed him in the stairs, he wondered why the Emperor was suddenly
paying attention to him. He had seen him for months now, had undoubtedly felt
his presence in the Force before now. Had he done something that he wasn't
aware of, he wondered even as he hastened his steps to exit the currently
opening doors of the throne room.
The moment that they were out of the room, he felt better. He sighed in relief
and followed his master--- who entered a deserted waiting room, then, to Luke's
continued surprise, sat down in one of the plush chairs, something he rarely did
unless he wanted to be at eye level with him.
"Are you alright?" his guardian asked him without preamble.
Luke, who was already trying to process both the Emperor's and his master's
strange behavior, turned completely mute, stumped by his master's obvious
display of care, especially in a moment when he felt extremely lonely, as he'd
been feeling for years now, sure, but worse too.
"Uh, yes, Master. Now I am," he blurted out.
"I didn't think that the Emperor would address you today, boy. Otherwise I
would've warned you," he told him in the warm voice that he was now using more
and more with him.
At first, Luke nodded as if in understanding, then, when he felt that the other
was not buying it, spoke up again. "Master? Why did he do it?" he asked, his
voice breaking up. "I am merely your slave, and he saw me before today---"
"Yes, but you are a Force-strong individual as well, and your potential has just
begun to attract his attention," Vader explained seriously. "The Emperor always
wants to know the exact potential of every Jedi who lives. You may be serving
me, but he wants to see for himself that you aren't dangerous to him," he
reminded him meaningfully.
"Dangerous?.." he asked, furrowing his small brows.
Oh no, he whined silently in growing worry, it was just like he had thought. He
knew that he would be deemed as dangerous. He was aware that he always managed
to impress his master, that he was more powerful than any other Jedi child Lord
Vader had ever seen----
"More powerful than him," the dark lord answered his incoherent question.
"Nobody can be stronger than him," he tried to reassure himself.
"You are not completely wrong, nor right. There is still a chance..."
Luke paled and his heartbeat picked up to its previous speed as he remembered
the shock that he'd felt coming from the Emperor when he had told him his age.
"What if I look like I'm dangerous to him?.." he asked, his voice beginning to
break up under his current tension.
Lord Vader gently rested his large hand on Luke's strong yet small shoulder.
"Don't be concerned, I am still your master. I will protect you," he reassured
him.
Protect?, Luke stopped on the word. So he was right to be afraid---
His tears began to work their way down his cheeks. "Would... would he hurt me?
Or kill me?" he inquired in a small, terrified voice.
Vader's hand moved from his shoulder to his cheek, gently brushing the tear that
had wormed its way out of his left eye. A similar one was running down his
right cheek.
"No such thing will happen as long as I am your guardian, boy," he comforted him
seriously.
Luke dimly noticed the other's choice of word to describe their relationship.
Had it been in any other circumstances, he would have smiled in relief.
However, he was too afraid to react.
Vader continued to reassure him. "Only I can allow those things to happen to
you, and if you show what you can truly do, it will never happen," he assured
him.
Luke looked into the dark lord's dark eye screens, definitely feeling the care
and love that the other felt for him... and for the first time since that
faithful day on Tatooine, he didn't feel alone anymore.
Someone was now really looking after him and cared enough about him to protect
him.
It was emotional overload for the young boy who had been isolated from such
things for too long in his young life. Without thinking, he took a step forward
and hugged the dark lord with all his strength. "Thank you, Master," he
whispered.
The dark lord brought his hand to the boy's hair while his arms offered him the
strong, physical comfort that he needed.
A moment later, Luke finally realized what he had done, but when he felt his
master's embrace, he didn't step away.
Vader was very tempted to tell everything to his son right there and then, but
he couldn't. The boy was too fragile at the moment, too scared from the Emperor
to accept his service to him. He resolved to wait for a better time, which was
now coming closer and closer, he smiled slightly to himself.
At last. But not now.
Once the emotional moment was over, Luke drew away from him. "I'm sorry,
master. I... I didn't mean to---" his son tried to apologize.
"It's all right, boy. I understand," he reassured him, careful to not scare
him. "Do you feel better now?"
Luke took a deep breath and recovered his control. "Yes."
"Good." Another leathery caress, then he stood up from his seat. "Let's go
back home; we have some work to do," he reminded him seriously.
Luke followed him out of the room... unaware that they would, in fact, prepare
to push open the door of his future with the Empire.
******
Luke trained harder than ever throughout the following days, focusing all his
energies and thoughts on being able to show his 'true' potential to the Emperor;
he trusted his master to protect him if he did so.
Then... the faithful day arrived.
The day of his birthday.
Again...
As he followed his guardian down the Grand Corridor, Luke reflected glumly that
he seemed to have a knack to live special events on that day, events he would
rather avoid, he added more grimly.
As usual, they entered the dark throne room, then climbed up the stairs. Once
they reached the top, he knelt behind his master, not knowing what to expect,
but bracing himself for anything.
"Ah, Lord Vader, I have been expecting this meeting," the Emperor commented
coolly, as if trying to be kind but was unable to be so, Luke dimly reflected.
"We are ready to begin, Master," his master answered equally coolly.
"You will not have to intervene this time, my friend," the ruler commented even
as he stepped closer to the two of them.
Even though Luke knew that he would be addressed at one point during the
meeting, he couldn't help but wince as the other's crawly-feeling presence
loomed closer.
"Take this," he ordered him even as he produced a lightsaber from his long
sleeves, "and go in the room which will be opened for you."
Luke hurried to stand back to his feet, humbly took the weapon from the
Emperor's hand, then, his head still bowed, turned on his heel and headed toward
his destiny.
Vader and the Emperor watched the young Jedi's actions via a holocam.
The moment that the child entered the room, remotes fired at him with the
intent to stun him. Even as Vader felt a cold flash of fear from the boy, he
felt him focus his thoughts, then how he abandoned himself to the Force.
A fraction of a second later, his son rolled aside as he deflected the bolts
with his shields--- then a droid came to life and tried to grab him. Even as
Vader registered the presence of the new danger, Luke rolled away again,
slashed--- only to discover that his blade wasn't useful against the droid.
Vader cursed inwardly at that, but his son was well prepared for even that kind
of challenge. The child almost instantly reached out and pulled wires inside
the robot, rendering it lifeless within the next second. Meanwhile, the
remotes, which were now firing real bolts of energy, came back onto him, trying
to catch him in the legs while distracting him, but Luke jumped out of the way,
again, and again while he continued to deflect their fire.
And so the exercise proceeded, with his son facing down every challenge that was
thrown at him.
Beside the boy's father, the Emperor nodded in approval at what he saw. Ever
since the boy had entered his world, he had been worried about the potential
danger that he represented.
He had also been reluctant to allow the child to learn about the Force, but he
had been more than aware that if he wanted to retain Vader's loyalty in that
matter, he needed to give him 'some' privilege.
Of course, he had carefully monitored the said privilege, ready to destroy him
at a moment's notice, but now that he was seeing him in action, he congratulated
himself for allowing the boy's training to take place.
The child, although still able to care for others, was only using the dark side
but without relying on the corruption of his heart to feed power to his soul.
He was also much, much more powerful than what he had surmised from Vader's
reports. In time, he smiled to himself, the boy would be able to replace his
father while providing him with even more power to use as he saw fit.
However, he reminded himself grimly, he would first have to make sure that the
child's devotion would be total and flawless; he didn't want to risk his turning
against him. Vader's child, he realized, truly was the most powerful Jedi of
all times, hence more powerful than he himself was.
Still, he reflected greedily, the danger was well under control at the moment,
and he had more than enough time to groom the boy as he saw fit... once Vader
would have told him the truth.
"He is extremely skilled, my friend," he finally commented to the nearby dark
lord. "Even more than any Jedi I've ever encountered," he added greedily.
"Yes, he is, Master," Vader agreed. "I think that he might be 'the' most
powerful of all times."
On the screen, Luke jumped away from a stun trap before it could activate
itself, then dug his adult-sized lightsaber in it to deactivate it. The remotes
continued their attack on him.
"Hmm, the most powerful Jedi, and in my ranks," the Emperor stated, then turned
toward the dark lord, waiting for him to deny this.
"I haven't told him yet about us, Master," he informed him seriously. "He is
not ready, but once he will be ready for us, I'm sure that he will understand
the implications of his true status. He is very clever," he commented proudly,
then, as if in afterthought, continued: "Lately, I sometimes catch some of his
thoughts; I think that he hopes to fight at my side for you."
"Most interesting," the Emperor nodded in satisfaction.
The child was indeed aware of his link with his father. If he wanted to become
like his father, then bending him to 'his' will would be much easier than he had
foreseen. However, he thought more seriously, he would also 'teach' him where
his devotion had to lay from now on, but only once the child would be told the
truth, he reminded himself.
"I will not wait for him to be sixteen to use him, Lord Vader," he informed the
boy's father. "As soon as you will tell him the truth, he will begin the
agent's training."
Vader turned sideways at that, as if in confusion.
The Emperor noted the protective reaction, briefly pondered whether he should
intervene or not, then dismissed it as inconsequential. Vader could react; he
wouldn't object to his plan.
"It will make him even more deadly and versatile when he will be old enough to
join you in commanding duties," he explained with a white lie.
Besides, he shrugged to himself, for the moment, he had no intention to allow
the boy to become a Sith while his father was still serving him well. He had
other plans for the powerful child and future adult.
"As you wish of course, Master," the dark lord bowed in obedience. "Will you
allow me to keep him close by?" he then inquired coolly.
On the screen, a third remote came out of nowhere and tried to surprise the boy.
It didn't work. Instead, he sliced it up in two.
"When you are on planet, yes," the despot nodded magnanimously, " but I will
mostly have use for him here; he will stay when you leave," he stated with
finality.
A fair enough deal, he then thought in slight disgust at his own, unusual
bargaining attitude. However, given the boy's caring habits, his father was now
openly caring for him in return.
As long as it didn't worsen, the Emperor thought with a sneer, he would
'tolerate' it, but barely so.
"Yes, Master," his servant bowed his head in acceptance of his deal.
On the screen, the boy stood alone amidst a room that was now filled with wrecks
and deactivated traps.
His son truly was powerful, he beamed with pride. Now that he had gained the
Emperor's protection, everything was slowly setting itself in place to give him
a future unlike anything he had ever thought would be granted to him.
*Come back, boy,* Vader sent him.
*Yes, Master.*
Even though the contact lasted less than two seconds, Vader felt his son's
slight fear as to the result of the demonstration. The clever child 'knew' that
he had been astounding.
For a moment, he considered the option of comforting him, then decided that the
Emperor might not appreciate this gesture. He forced himself to remain cool,
unworried.
Besides, he tried to convince himself, he himself already knew about the
Emperor's intentions. He didn't have to worry anymore.
Luke climbed the stairs and knelt at the Emperor's feet.
"Impressive, boy, most impressive in fact," the ruler told him with barely
concealed awe. "You truly are gifted."
"Thank you, Sire," Luke said as humbly as he could, keeping his head down.
"Lord Vader will complete your training," the very old adult then informed him
coolly, but also with a hint of another, unknown feeling in his voice.
Luke filed it away for later analysis but didn't dwell on it at the moment. He
was in the Emperor's presence; he needed all his attention to please him.
"When you will finish it," the ruler continued in that same strange voice, "we
shall talk again."
"Yes, Sire," Luke answered, feeling as if he had just committed himself to a new
life.
******
The very same night, just before going to sleep, Luke sat on his bed, brought
his legs to his chest, then thought about his meeting with the Emperor.
He hadn't felt fear in the Emperor this time, he reflected as he called back to
memory the other's strange intonation. No, that hadn't been worry... It had
been... Greed!, he suddenly understood. The Emperor was greedy to have him at
his service!
Could he be fomenting something against his master? he wondered with some
uneasiness, but no, he reassured himself, his master would know about it... At
least he hoped so. Besides, he thought more confusedly, what would be the
point? He was already serving him if his master told him to do so; why would he
want to take him from his guardian?---
The door of his room opened, surprising him out of his thoughts; his master
stepped inside.
"Master," Luke instantly snapped to attention, hurrying to get to his feet.
Had he missed one of his req----
"Don't," the adult reassured him. "I am not here to scold you," he explained as
he sat beside him on the bed.
Luke noticed the casual way in which his master spoke. Something seemed
wrong... "Is something bothering you, Master?" he queried diligently.
"No, I just wanted to tell you how proud you made me today," his master told
him kindly. "It is always a prideful delight to watch you in action... Luke,"
he added, calling him by his name, something which had never happened before.
"You are proud of me?" he asked in confusion, unsure to understand what was
going on.
He knew that he impressed the dark lord, sure, but pride... he had never thought
about it. And why had he called him by his name?, he wondered next. He had
always thought that the other had never bothered to learn it.
"Yes," Vader nodded, patting his closest, small hand with his large one. "You
could have missed, you could have crumpled under your fear, but instead, you
impressed the Emperor. As your... guardian, it makes me proud of you," he
repeated, his pride more than obvious in his voice and senses.
Pride and... something else, Luke noticed. He slowly inched closer to his
master, somehow feeling drawn to the dark man.
"I don't know what happened while I was fighting, Master," he began
hesitatingly, "but thank you for protecting me. Nobody has ever done that for
me," he admitted, bitter-sweet, then looked up at the dark lord.
As if understanding his silent message, his master invited him in his embrace;
Luke buried himself in it, content to be with someone once again. As long as he
would be with the dark lord, he knew that he would never be left to his own
devices until he were old enough to do so... "Thank you, Master," he whispered
in gratitude, tears threatening to invade his eyes once again.
The dark lord silently answered him by tightening his hold around him. They
remained entwined for a while before Luke decided that he had to tell the truth
to his master about what he used to think about him.
He wanted him to know that he didn't see him as a monster anymore.
He braced himself then spoke up again. "I must tell you something, Master," he
began.
"Yes?" Vader asked, his strong arms tightening slightly around him while he
himself continued to rest his head against the other's leathery, surprisingly
soft armor.
"Before I met you, one of my slavers wished for me to be bought by the
cruelest master there was," he continued sadly. "When you became my master,
I... I thought that he had had his wish but not anymore," he hurried to add.
When the older man remained silent, he went on: "I couldn't have been bought by
a better master than you, Lord Vader... You've given me a life better than what
I had before. I want to thank you for that," he told him earnestly.
As his son's words registered in his brain, Vader understood that the moment
of truth had arrived. He had, of course, hoped for it when he had decided to
visit his son, but he had forced himself to be realistic and not hope for too
much.
However, given his son's silent beg to be held by him, then his revelation of
his feelings for him, he knew that it was now or never.
He slightly pulled away from his son and gently brought his index under his
small chin before he made him look up at him.
The child's young features locked on his, his eyes brimming with unshed tears
of happiness and relief. He looked so much like he himself used to, he thought
for the millionth time since he had found him; he 'was' like him, he was his
flesh and blood, but he was also a unique being: his son.
His strong, courageous little Jedi who had already begun to conquer the galaxy
by earning his place in the Emperor's prestigious Darksider ranks.
"You don't have to thank me, Luke," he finally told him gently, feeling his
throat tighten under the unusual emotion of love. "It was... the least that I
could do,... for my only son," he finished warmly, definite love pouring out of
his senses this time.
It had taken a long while, but at last, he thought in relief, the masquerade was
over.
Luke's brain took a moment to register the last word; when it finally computed,
he was gaping at the dark lord, emotions fighting for dominance in his heart.
Son?!?
"I love you, my son, Luke Skywalker," Vader said in the silence, caressing his
cheek with his index.
The child tried to speak but couldn't articulate a single word. He finally
managed one. "F---F---Father?"
He didn't pull away from the dark lord.
"Yes, I am he," the other nodded, as if in sadness. "I'm sorry that I haven't
told you before," he apologized earnestly, " but I had no choice. You weren't
ready to hear the truth."
Luke remained silent, thinking back to all the things that he had been through
with the dark Lord.
His father?..
"I'm sorry about the past, Son... I also didn't have any other choice," the dark
lord continued in repentance, then slowly drew him back in his embrace.
Luke was too shocked to resist the gentle pull.
His father?, he was still wondering. His father was alive?? He was with his
father? The man he'd learnt to respect and even love as a guardian was in fact-
-- his father?? His father!!!!!!!!
Even as he understood all the implications of his father being alive, he
tightened his arms around his father's frame and let out his tears of joy.
"Father," he whispered, practically unable to speak.
"If I could have, Luke," his father told him warmly. "I would have found you
before this horrible experience of slavery, but I didn't even know that you
existed. I discovered it when you told me your name," he reminded him
wistfully.
"I remember..." Luke nodded against his chest. "I love you, Father. Now, I
love you," he specified warmly, telling him that the past was behind now.
"And now I love you too, Son," the dark lord answered in kind, slightly
tightening his hold on his boy. "I have been waiting for more than a year now
for the right moment to tell you the truth."
Luke thought back to the past year, to all the flashes of fear that he'd felt
whenever the dark lord had come closer. "You were right to wait, Father," he
conceded sadly.
Of course, he also wished that he had known his father earlier, but he had no
doubt that he would have had a bad reaction to this secret.
"I know," his father agreed with his thoughts. "I didn't want to scare you
again."
Yes, Luke admitted, his father was right. Waiting had been the only option, but
it was now over and he was with his father, forever now. "So what happens now?"
he asked as he slightly pulled away until he could look up at his father's mask.
"We will have to see this with the Emperor," he answered him briefly, "but we
will certainly continue your training and your observing me. However," he added
more lightly, "no more chores. We'll use that time of the day to spend more
time together," he told him warmly.
"That'd be great, Father!" he smiled through his tears of happiness, having
already dismissed the detail about the Emperor. He was with his father!
"I want to share so many things with you, Son," his father commented
earnestly. "I want to build other memories with you, Luke," he told him,
seriously.
"So do I, Father," Luke smiled. He felt a change of mood in his father. "What
is it?" he inquired worriedly.
"Two years ago, I gave you an horrible birthday gift," he commented glumly, "I
want to make it better for you this year."
Luke remained silent, not knowing what to expect.
"Today, Luke Skywalker, I give you back your freedom," his father stated
solemnly. "You are no longer my property, nor can you be the property of
anybody else."
Luke felt his eyes dance with happiness upon hearing the words that he had never
thought he'd hear any time soon. He hugged his father yet again. "I am your
son, Father. I'm Luke Vader, and I want to become like you," he
revealed to him with pride. "I love you."
Vader was surprised to see the depth of his son's love for him, but he didn't
comment on it. However, he was deeply relieved by it; he knew that his son
would willingly serve the Emperor now.
Father and son silently hugged each other, satisfied to be reunited at last---
until the youngest of the two fell asleep in his dad's strong embrace.
Vader for his part spent the best part of the night cradling his son in his arms
as he watched him sleep peacefully.
Such a beautiful, intelligent, strong, wonderful child, and now he didn't have
to torment him anymore, in any way.
Luke Vader.
His destiny would be as powerful as his name suggested, he promised himself.
He finally set his son in his bed and left him for the night. Not for the first
time recently, he wished he could kiss him good night.
******
The next day, they continued his training between Vader's meetings and duties,
then finally reported to the Emperor, near the end of the afternoon. Their
impromptu visit told him all he needed to know: the child had been told the
truth now.
He was pleased that the masquerade was already over, as least in private, and
that Luke had claimed what was 'rightfully' his, or so the Vaders believed.
He himself continued to play the game of white lies with them: he promised the
boy to acknowledge him as a Dark Lord of the Sith, but only once he would be old
enough... and that he had proven himself worthy of the title.
While he himself knew that he would not allow the boy to claim that title until
'he' decided otherwise, he still reassured the naive child and his father that
he would give him all the tools that he needed to fulfill his dream, namely the
training of an agent while he completed his Jedi training. When ready, he told
him, he would allow him to prove himself as his best agent, thus worthy of more
than this simple duty while pretending to be a puny slave at his father's
service.
Both Vaders bit at his hook, assuring him that the boy would be his best element
ever.
While the two of them exited the room, protecting the boy's image of a slave by
continuing the masquerade while in public, he cackled lowly to himself.
Events were finally proceeding as he had foreseen; he now only had to set them
in motion.
On his way out of the throne room, Vader noticed that young Mara Jade was in the
waiting corridor, obviously hoping to see his son.
As if aware that she needed a reason to speak with his son this time, the child
pretended to have a problem with her dress' closure. He himself naturally
stopped by her, aware of her 'predicament'.
"It looks like you could use some help, child," he told her coolly.
"Please? I can't see the Emperor like this," she answered as regally as she
could while trying to pull her dress completely closed once again.
Vader nodded to his son. "Go in the side room with her and help her."
"Yes, Master," the child nodded obediently, then followed the nervous girl
inside a side room.
Once alone, the children dropped their pretense and smiled at each other.
"It's great to see you again," Mara smiled at him. "It's been so long that I
was beginning to worry that you had gotten hurt during your lightsaber
training," she admitted.
"No, it's going incredibly well. I wish you could try it too. It's very cool,
if dangerous," he conceded with a shrug of his black-covered shoulders.
Mara pouted slightly at that. "I guess I'll never know. The Emperor told me
yet again that I couldn't do what you yourself did. My potential is, well,
limited," she admitted sadly.
"Oh," Luke winced gently, "I'm sorry... but hey, you'll never guess what
happened yesterday!" he challenged her with fresh, suddenly barely controlled
excitement as he remembered why he had come in this room in the first place.
"You pleased the Emperor?" she asked her with a shrug of her shoulders.
"No, it's even better!" he shook his head. "Vader gave me back my freedom.
He's my father!" he told her, his excitement now bubbling out of his control.
"Your--- He adopted you?" she frowned in bemusement.
"No, he's my real father!" he tried to explain in spite of his joy. "Remember,
I told you he was dead? Well, he isn't, and he didn't know about me before, but
now we can be together," he finished in one breath.
It took his friend a second or two to process everything that he had said, and
what he hadn't, but finally her face lit up with a new, huge smile as she
understood 'exactly' what had just happened between him and Vader. "It's
great!" she briefly hugged him, then asked him: "So do you have a name
now?"
"Luke Vader," he smiled proudly. "In time, I'll become like him, but until
then, the Emperor will train me to be an agent and I will have to prove to him
that I can be like my father."
"An agent?," the girl gaped in surprise. "Hey, it's like me!" she exclaimed.
"You too?" the boy gaped in turn. "I thought---"
Mara shook her head, interrupting him. "He finally made his decision and told
me that he would train me to become an agent when I'll be older."
"Wow!, we'll be working together then," Luke smiled happily
"That would be fun," she smiled back although she didn't agree with his
certitude about their being together.
"Yeah. We'll see what he'll decide," Luke nodded more somberly.
"It would not only be fun of course," Mara observed more rationally, "but it
would give us a little more time to be together and talk," she concluded
lightly.
"I hope we will," Luke commented, then his eyes glazed shortly as his father
contacted him. "I have to go. Don't tell this to anybody, okay? To the
others, I must still be Vader's servant," he informed her.
"You can trust me, Luke. My lips are sealed," she reassured him.
"I know," he smiled, then left the room, lowering his head to assume his role of
servant once again.
Behind him, Mara tried to recover her cooler, proper composure to meet with
her master... who might just give her permission to 'be' with her friend, not
just talk with him, she thought wistfully.
She had to admit that it would be great.
******
That evening, Luke prepared for the night, like usual, then went into his
father's private observatory.
He had been there a couple of times before, when he had been learning about
astrography, but he had never dared come at any other time but when his master
had been with him.
Now though, he couldn't resist the lure of the space-like room.
He sat in one of the chairs there, leaned back and gazed at the stars which were
shining in the night sky. Before tonight, he had taken solace in their cool
beauty, dreaming that someday, he would leave his life behind and see them for
himself, but tonight, his thoughts were different.
Soon, he thought expectantly, he would begin his training as an agent, and
someday, he would help to keep the galaxy safe, like his father did. All of a
sudden, he wasn't a puny boy lost in the galaxy; he was one if its future
rulers!
It made him smile in happiness and pride.
His father entered the room. "I thought I'd find you here," he commented gently
as he walked closer to him.
"I love stars too much to not watch them, Father," he smiled back, then turned
his attention back to the stars that were shining down on them.
"I know," He offered him his hand once he was close to him. "Come, I want to
show you something."
Luke sat up and took his father's hand. They walked toward a wall--- which
opened to reveal a protected observation balcony. Luke gaped at the millions of
stars that were suddenly visible to his bare eye--- then understood that his
father had chosen this side of the building for his observation balcony because
it was facing the lightless, internal sea of Coruscant.
"Wow!!" he gaped in awe.
"Yes. Do you think that you can name a few of them now?" his father inquired
softly.
"There's Alderaan," he identified quickly, immediately indicating the blue star
that was closest to them.
"Good."
"And there's Ryalteer, and the Hapes cluster," he added quickly while he shifted
his pointing finger to indicate two other star clusters.
"Excellent," his father praised him. "When you'll fly a ship, those will be
your reference points," he told him seriously.
"Fly?" Luke frowned, turning back toward his father. "For real?"
Vader sat on a chair. "Of course, for real. Don't you want to fly?" he queried
next.
"Yes, I do, but aren't I too young?" he commented, bemused by his father's
sudden offer... which would make his dearest wish come true.
"If you aren't too young to become a Jedi, then you aren't too young for any
other skill, Son," his father stated proudly.
"Great!" he smiled instantly, content with his father's explanation. "I've
always wanted to fly!"
Vader reached over and ruffled his hair in pride. "You're so much like me," he
Commented earnestly.
Luke smiled at that, then climbed onto his father's lap and leaned against him
as he continued to watch the stars.
"Tell me about you, Father," he demanded more seriously.
His father's voice took on a slightly thoughtful tone this time. "What would
you like to know?"
"How did you earn your freedom?" he asked him earnestly, then shivered as the
cool night-air made it past his light pajama shirt.
Probably sensing his trembling, Vader wrapped his arms around his son, thus
covering him with his cape to keep him warm, then he leaned back so that they
could watch the stars together, a passion they shared.
Then, he told him about his first adventures. Luke was very interested by
everything he revealed, especially when it concerned his mother. His father
was his only way to know her a little.
His father also told him about the Jedi's betrayal, then told him the name of
their arch-enemy: Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Kenobi?" Luke openly frowned at that. "I know that name," he commented under
his breath.
Vader stopped cold. "What did you say?" he asked him, sitting straighter in his
chair. "From where?" he asked him seriously.
"Tatooine," the child answered him truthfully. "When I was there, there was a
strange old hermit around the town of Anchorhead. People called him Ben Kenobi,
or old Kenobi," his son finished with a sneer.
Suddenly feeling like he had just found the hiding place of his one and true
enemy, Vader slowly shifted his son's position on his lap until he was facing
him.
"What did he look like? Have you ever seen him?"
Luke frowned slightly at his inquiry, but he didn't question it. "He was always
dressed in a brown cloak----"
That simple detail was enough for him to know that he had indeed found his
former mentor. The man responsible for his actual state, his wife's death, and
his son's torment, was currently on Tatooine, probably cowering in fright, as he
had always had when faced with 'true' challenges.
"What is it, Father?" the boy inquired, cutting in his thoughts. "Do you think
that he is the same Kenobi?" the intelligent child inquired seriously.
For a moment, Vader gazed at his son... and saw his anger reflected in the
younger eyes. "Yes," he finally nodded. "I believe so. Tomorrow morning, I
will report his presence to the Emperor."
"I want to be there when you find him," the child instantly commented, his voice
informing him that he had already made up his mind about this.
"It will depend if the Emperor allows it or not, Luke," he reminded him even as
he winced slightly at his son's lust for revenge.
While he was proud of who he had become with him, he conceded that the child was
still fairly young to be feeling such dangerous emotions.
"But---" the object of his thoughts objected unhappily.
"But I promise to bring him here if you can't come with me," he told him
seriously.
The child remained silent at that, then nodded in acceptance.
A silence stretched between them, then Luke spoke up again. This time, he was
just a child once again, no longer a would-be avenger of his family.
"Father?," he queried, "Could we go back to Tatooine, but only to see my foster
family?" he asked him earnestly.
The dark lord arched an unseen eyebrow at that. "Why?" he probed him seriously.
He knew all to well how intelligent his son was; if he had something in mind
regarding Kenobi, he didn't want to encourage him without having the Emperor's
permission.
"I want to reassure Aunt Beru that I'm okay," Luke told him earnestly,
truthfully. "I know that she and uncle Owen lied to me, that they were probably
working with the Jedi, but they took care of me while I was little; they deserve
to know that I'm at least well," he finished seriously.
Vader couldn't help but sigh in strange relief at seeing that his son's good
heart was still strong enough to even overcome his hatred for the Jedi.
Consider that this trait would make him spare the innocents when he would be
older, he reflected that it would make him a good servant of the Dark Side.
"You know that if they find out about you and me..." he reminded him seriously.
"I won't tell them," Luke reassured him. "You can drop me for a quick visit,
then pick me up. Nobody will know but us."
"And you give me your word to not attempt anything about Kenobi while there?" he
asked him pointedly.
"I promise," the boy answered truthfully.
The dark lord pondered this request for a while. Finally, he asked him: "Is it
important for you?"
"Yes, very," Luke nodded.
He sighed. "Then we'll go. But just for an hour or two at most, and I have to
clear it first with the Emperor," he informed him coolly.
"I understand," Luke smiled, then leaned back once again and buried himself in
his father's cape and arms. "What's that one?" he asked, pointing to a star.
As the dark wave of revenge washed away from their hearts, Father and son spent
the rest of the evening giving names to the diamonds in the sky.
To be continued in part 4: Servant of the Emperor
Copyright 2000, SJ (skyjade@globetrotter.net)
(Any positive stuff is welcome, but any mean stuff won't even be read.)