Palpatine guided the dazed young man to the plush sofa positioned next to
Vader's massive desk; he stroked the youthful face as he hit the comm
switch on the desk.
"Squad 34, Sir," the speaker cracked.
Palpatine leaned over the speaker, grinning at Vader, "Commander, please go to Platform 2A and escort our guests to the suites on level 32," he glanced at Luke, who was now watching him closely, "Tell them Luke sent you."
Luke opened his mouth weakly to protest, but found no words. He closed his mouth again as his eyes moved to the floor.
"Awww," Palpatine cooed, "Young Skywalker finds himself not quite in the dream he expected."
Luke slowly looked up at the man, question in his eyes.
Palpatine smiled as he leaned down to face him, "This is MY dream, not yours."
Luke's eyes narrowed and turned to his father. "So this is it?" his voice was hollow. "I come to you, I take my place as your son…. And you turn on me?"
The air hung still for several moments, Palpatine had stepped back to observe to two.
Vader remained facing away from his son, "I wish only the best for you, my son…"
Luke stood, "You 'wish' to manipulate me!"
Vader did not reply, but Luke felt the disappointment radiating from his father.
"What did you except, Father? That you could lie to me and I would just follow blindly behind you?"
He growled and turned towards the door, "I won't allow this…" he moved to open the door when he felt an awful sensation rocket through his body.
"Agh!" his body crumbled where it stood.
Palpatine walked to his side smiling, "Your father might be touched-- but I, young Skywalker, am not."
He crouched next to the curled figure and smiled into the sweat soaked features, "My, this is going to be such fun…"
~
The group followed behind the honor guard sent by Luke.
Han leaned and whispered into Leia's ear, "What do you figure kept the Kid?"
She shrugged, an uncomfortable look smudging her features.
"I don't like this…" a Rouge muttered from behind them.
The honor guard suddenly came to a halt; the commander stepped forward and opened the door before them.
"Your quarters."
Cautiously the group entered the spacious apartment.
Han whistled as the door slid shut.
"This is nice…" Wedge commented, moving deeper into the room.
"Yeah," the Rouge closest to the door agreed, "Except we're locked in."
The entire group turned in unison.
"Shit," Han growled.
"You'd better watch it Solo, you wouldn't want your last words to be something so meaningless."
The group did an about turn again, this time towards the shadowy doorway leading to another room of the large quarters.
"Who's there?" Leia demanded, stepping forward.
Leia made out a silhouette leaning casually against the polished wood doorframe.
'"Someone you desperately need, Princess, trust me."
[I know… it's short. I'm sorry. But I need to go to bed. I actually know where I want to go with this one! So, no worries! *grin* Thanks for the reviews- they do wonders for my motivation- as do the emails – THANK YOU. Really, I can't say it enough.]
"Squad 34, Sir," the speaker cracked.
Palpatine leaned over the speaker, grinning at Vader, "Commander, please go to Platform 2A and escort our guests to the suites on level 32," he glanced at Luke, who was now watching him closely, "Tell them Luke sent you."
Luke opened his mouth weakly to protest, but found no words. He closed his mouth again as his eyes moved to the floor.
"Awww," Palpatine cooed, "Young Skywalker finds himself not quite in the dream he expected."
Luke slowly looked up at the man, question in his eyes.
Palpatine smiled as he leaned down to face him, "This is MY dream, not yours."
Luke's eyes narrowed and turned to his father. "So this is it?" his voice was hollow. "I come to you, I take my place as your son…. And you turn on me?"
The air hung still for several moments, Palpatine had stepped back to observe to two.
Vader remained facing away from his son, "I wish only the best for you, my son…"
Luke stood, "You 'wish' to manipulate me!"
Vader did not reply, but Luke felt the disappointment radiating from his father.
"What did you except, Father? That you could lie to me and I would just follow blindly behind you?"
He growled and turned towards the door, "I won't allow this…" he moved to open the door when he felt an awful sensation rocket through his body.
"Agh!" his body crumbled where it stood.
Palpatine walked to his side smiling, "Your father might be touched-- but I, young Skywalker, am not."
He crouched next to the curled figure and smiled into the sweat soaked features, "My, this is going to be such fun…"
~
The group followed behind the honor guard sent by Luke.
Han leaned and whispered into Leia's ear, "What do you figure kept the Kid?"
She shrugged, an uncomfortable look smudging her features.
"I don't like this…" a Rouge muttered from behind them.
The honor guard suddenly came to a halt; the commander stepped forward and opened the door before them.
"Your quarters."
Cautiously the group entered the spacious apartment.
Han whistled as the door slid shut.
"This is nice…" Wedge commented, moving deeper into the room.
"Yeah," the Rouge closest to the door agreed, "Except we're locked in."
The entire group turned in unison.
"Shit," Han growled.
"You'd better watch it Solo, you wouldn't want your last words to be something so meaningless."
The group did an about turn again, this time towards the shadowy doorway leading to another room of the large quarters.
"Who's there?" Leia demanded, stepping forward.
Leia made out a silhouette leaning casually against the polished wood doorframe.
'"Someone you desperately need, Princess, trust me."
[I know… it's short. I'm sorry. But I need to go to bed. I actually know where I want to go with this one! So, no worries! *grin* Thanks for the reviews- they do wonders for my motivation- as do the emails – THANK YOU. Really, I can't say it enough.]