[Didn't I say to be careful what you wish for, Shanno? *evil grin*]
"Where are you going?" Vader strode beside his determined son and tried not to appear annoyed by this sudden…mood.
"Leia, Han, the Rogues… where are they?"
"In the room originally designated to them."
"Is the door locked?"
"Yes."
"You Imperials sure have a way with getting others to trust you."
Vader rolled his eyes, "Palpatine did it, and you're one of those 'Imperials' too."
Luke clenched his fist—his artificial fist—as they entered the turbolift.
"What floor?"
"You're rather pushy today…"
"Stop playing stupid with me, Father!"
Vader hit the floor number they needed and remained silent.
Moments later when the doors spread for the pair they stepped out together, striding purposefully down the corridor.
"This one."
Luke nodded and placed his hand over the keypad; it did not respond.
"Damn Palpatine…" he mumbled to himself as Vader reached over his shoulder to type in an override code.
Which also, did not work.
The two looked at each other in bewilderment. Neither speaking but both thinking—Who dare lock us out?
Suddenly Vader's fist slammed into the keypad sending sparks and metal flying. The door slid open.
The two looked at each other one last time, Luke gave his father a slight smile, and they stepped into the room where an audience stood waiting. Staring at the dark pair in the doorway with mixed expressions of horror, confusion, and relief.
"Luke!"
The young man found himself thrown back as Leia ran forward and threw herself into his arms. Luke fell back against his father, and for a moment, made a strange portrait of a three-way hug.
Leia stepped back, taking Luke's shoulders in her hands. "We were so worried about you!"
He smiled, "You don't need to worry about me. Are you alright?"
She nodded, "Yes, no one's come since we were brought here… well almost no one."
Luke raised an eyebrow and glanced at Vader—then back to Leia, "What do you mean—almost no one?"
He turned his head back towards his father as the other man walked towards a nearby doorway concealed in shadows, "Grand Admiral, what a pleasure to see you again."
A striking alien stepped from the shadows and regarded Vader respectfully, "The pleasure is mine, Lord Vader."
~
The discussion went on for hours.
Thrawn and Vader mapped out the available fleet resources.
Leia, Han, Chewie and the Rouges listened; not quite ready to trust, but certainly not willing to miss a word of the discussion between to two tactical geniuses.
And Luke—
Luke stood by the window, gazing out over the city. His mind distant, his attention in a miasma. Vader and Thrawn pretending to ignore the youth, unwilling to expose his weakness to the rebels. Leia and the Rouges respected his need for space, but Han...
Han pushed his seat back with a scowl, Leia reached out to stop him,
"Han."
"No, I want to talk to him."
She nodded.
The smuggler strode to the window and leaned against its flawless surface, being sure to block some of Luke's view.
"Hey Kid."
At the table Vader stopped mid-sentence, he bent his head closer to Thrawn, "Did that Force-forsaken smuggler just call my son 'Kid'?" he hissed.
Thrawn smirked slightly, "I believe so, Lord Vader."
The Sith Lord bent his helmet listening to Solo speak to his distant son at the window.
"Look Kid, I know something's wrong. You can't hide it from me."
Luke didn't respond.
"Why don't you just get it off your chest?"
The younger man didn't even look at him.
Han sighed, "Look, why don't you just stop acting like a---" Han leaned forward and peered at Luke's neck illuminated by the city lights.
"What… the hell… is that?"
Luke's hand quickly cupped his neck protectively, stepping away from the scrutinizing smuggler. Han followed.
Vader stood, mumbling, "Damn smuggler. Leave it to Solo…"
"Luke, what is that?" Han pressed, following his wide-eyed friend until he bummed into the wall of his father's body.
Vader looked down at his son and then at Solo, "Is there a problem, Captain Solo?" he purred dangerously.
"Yeah, there is!"
Vader fought his jerk of surprise, he'd never gotten that answer before. Before he could respond, Han reached out and pulled Luke's hand from his neck, exposing the smear of red.
The others, save Thrawn, had crept closer and could see the mark—and stared at Luke in awe-struck confusion.
Wedge crossed his arms, "What have you been up to, Luke?"
Luke pushed against his father as he tired to back away, horrified at the tone of his friend's voice.
"You think I wanted this?" he choked, "You think I asked for this?"
Vader pulled Luke behind him protectively as the group stepped back—realization screaming through their expressions.
Han swallowed uncomfortably, "You mean--"
"Silence!" Vader roared, stepping towards them.
Luke stood, small, in the shadows, behind his father; covering the mark again. He glared at his father, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Vader glanced over his shoulder at his son, "I did not wish to embarrass you."
"Embarrass me? Well, I'm sure feeling pretty comfortable now!"
Behind the group, Thrawn stood, "There is no need to feel shame, Skywalker. These people are your closest friends. We have a task to focus on, at present: the establishment of the New Empire. Mara Jade can wait."
Luke's eyes widened, "How did you know…?" he whispered.
Thrawn smiled, "Who other than Mara Jade wears that shade of scarlet?"
The young man stared at the Grand Admiral for several moments.
"Your purpose is a just one. This government will not survive if it is not fulfilled, but it will come with time. Patience."
Luke smiled darkly, "Truly spoken, Grand Admiral. We have a government to establish, lets get to work."
Thrawn nodded his head in a bow, "You will make a most interesting prince, Skywalker."
Han frowned, "A prince!? The Kid?"
Vader pointed a finger at the smuggler, "Keep it up, Solo, and the carbonite will be a pleasant vacation in your memory."
Han's eyes widened in fear, and then his expression shifted to anger, "I've been meaning to discuss that with you…"
"Han, Save it!" The entire Rogue Squadron and Leia commanded in chorus.
Han glared at Vader, "You're lucky- THIS time, Vader."
Vader rolled his eyes, "Emperor Vader to you, Smuggler."
"Captain Solo to you!"
Luke and Thrawn exchanged looks.
"Is he always like this?" Thrawn inquired lazily.
"Which one?"
Thrawn smirked, "You'd better break them up before your father's armor gets scratched and Solo ends up with missing limbs."
Luke didn't flinch, "Don't I know it."
Thrawn smiled in approval as Luke stepped forward to break up the ensuing death-match. Finally the child understood the separation of body and soul. He might have lost a hand, but he gained a father; and together they would shape the galaxy.
The loss of the Hand, in the big picture, is insignificant; there is always another.
[Sorry about all the symbolism and metaphors, Deja! But- aren't you glad that no water evaporated from the cup of life? Yet. *grin*]
[ALSO- I know you're all going to be cranky about the length of this… well, here's me pouring a nice glass of ice water down your pants—Chapter 10 is almost done.]
"Where are you going?" Vader strode beside his determined son and tried not to appear annoyed by this sudden…mood.
"Leia, Han, the Rogues… where are they?"
"In the room originally designated to them."
"Is the door locked?"
"Yes."
"You Imperials sure have a way with getting others to trust you."
Vader rolled his eyes, "Palpatine did it, and you're one of those 'Imperials' too."
Luke clenched his fist—his artificial fist—as they entered the turbolift.
"What floor?"
"You're rather pushy today…"
"Stop playing stupid with me, Father!"
Vader hit the floor number they needed and remained silent.
Moments later when the doors spread for the pair they stepped out together, striding purposefully down the corridor.
"This one."
Luke nodded and placed his hand over the keypad; it did not respond.
"Damn Palpatine…" he mumbled to himself as Vader reached over his shoulder to type in an override code.
Which also, did not work.
The two looked at each other in bewilderment. Neither speaking but both thinking—Who dare lock us out?
Suddenly Vader's fist slammed into the keypad sending sparks and metal flying. The door slid open.
The two looked at each other one last time, Luke gave his father a slight smile, and they stepped into the room where an audience stood waiting. Staring at the dark pair in the doorway with mixed expressions of horror, confusion, and relief.
"Luke!"
The young man found himself thrown back as Leia ran forward and threw herself into his arms. Luke fell back against his father, and for a moment, made a strange portrait of a three-way hug.
Leia stepped back, taking Luke's shoulders in her hands. "We were so worried about you!"
He smiled, "You don't need to worry about me. Are you alright?"
She nodded, "Yes, no one's come since we were brought here… well almost no one."
Luke raised an eyebrow and glanced at Vader—then back to Leia, "What do you mean—almost no one?"
He turned his head back towards his father as the other man walked towards a nearby doorway concealed in shadows, "Grand Admiral, what a pleasure to see you again."
A striking alien stepped from the shadows and regarded Vader respectfully, "The pleasure is mine, Lord Vader."
~
The discussion went on for hours.
Thrawn and Vader mapped out the available fleet resources.
Leia, Han, Chewie and the Rouges listened; not quite ready to trust, but certainly not willing to miss a word of the discussion between to two tactical geniuses.
And Luke—
Luke stood by the window, gazing out over the city. His mind distant, his attention in a miasma. Vader and Thrawn pretending to ignore the youth, unwilling to expose his weakness to the rebels. Leia and the Rouges respected his need for space, but Han...
Han pushed his seat back with a scowl, Leia reached out to stop him,
"Han."
"No, I want to talk to him."
She nodded.
The smuggler strode to the window and leaned against its flawless surface, being sure to block some of Luke's view.
"Hey Kid."
At the table Vader stopped mid-sentence, he bent his head closer to Thrawn, "Did that Force-forsaken smuggler just call my son 'Kid'?" he hissed.
Thrawn smirked slightly, "I believe so, Lord Vader."
The Sith Lord bent his helmet listening to Solo speak to his distant son at the window.
"Look Kid, I know something's wrong. You can't hide it from me."
Luke didn't respond.
"Why don't you just get it off your chest?"
The younger man didn't even look at him.
Han sighed, "Look, why don't you just stop acting like a---" Han leaned forward and peered at Luke's neck illuminated by the city lights.
"What… the hell… is that?"
Luke's hand quickly cupped his neck protectively, stepping away from the scrutinizing smuggler. Han followed.
Vader stood, mumbling, "Damn smuggler. Leave it to Solo…"
"Luke, what is that?" Han pressed, following his wide-eyed friend until he bummed into the wall of his father's body.
Vader looked down at his son and then at Solo, "Is there a problem, Captain Solo?" he purred dangerously.
"Yeah, there is!"
Vader fought his jerk of surprise, he'd never gotten that answer before. Before he could respond, Han reached out and pulled Luke's hand from his neck, exposing the smear of red.
The others, save Thrawn, had crept closer and could see the mark—and stared at Luke in awe-struck confusion.
Wedge crossed his arms, "What have you been up to, Luke?"
Luke pushed against his father as he tired to back away, horrified at the tone of his friend's voice.
"You think I wanted this?" he choked, "You think I asked for this?"
Vader pulled Luke behind him protectively as the group stepped back—realization screaming through their expressions.
Han swallowed uncomfortably, "You mean--"
"Silence!" Vader roared, stepping towards them.
Luke stood, small, in the shadows, behind his father; covering the mark again. He glared at his father, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Vader glanced over his shoulder at his son, "I did not wish to embarrass you."
"Embarrass me? Well, I'm sure feeling pretty comfortable now!"
Behind the group, Thrawn stood, "There is no need to feel shame, Skywalker. These people are your closest friends. We have a task to focus on, at present: the establishment of the New Empire. Mara Jade can wait."
Luke's eyes widened, "How did you know…?" he whispered.
Thrawn smiled, "Who other than Mara Jade wears that shade of scarlet?"
The young man stared at the Grand Admiral for several moments.
"Your purpose is a just one. This government will not survive if it is not fulfilled, but it will come with time. Patience."
Luke smiled darkly, "Truly spoken, Grand Admiral. We have a government to establish, lets get to work."
Thrawn nodded his head in a bow, "You will make a most interesting prince, Skywalker."
Han frowned, "A prince!? The Kid?"
Vader pointed a finger at the smuggler, "Keep it up, Solo, and the carbonite will be a pleasant vacation in your memory."
Han's eyes widened in fear, and then his expression shifted to anger, "I've been meaning to discuss that with you…"
"Han, Save it!" The entire Rogue Squadron and Leia commanded in chorus.
Han glared at Vader, "You're lucky- THIS time, Vader."
Vader rolled his eyes, "Emperor Vader to you, Smuggler."
"Captain Solo to you!"
Luke and Thrawn exchanged looks.
"Is he always like this?" Thrawn inquired lazily.
"Which one?"
Thrawn smirked, "You'd better break them up before your father's armor gets scratched and Solo ends up with missing limbs."
Luke didn't flinch, "Don't I know it."
Thrawn smiled in approval as Luke stepped forward to break up the ensuing death-match. Finally the child understood the separation of body and soul. He might have lost a hand, but he gained a father; and together they would shape the galaxy.
The loss of the Hand, in the big picture, is insignificant; there is always another.
[Sorry about all the symbolism and metaphors, Deja! But- aren't you glad that no water evaporated from the cup of life? Yet. *grin*]
[ALSO- I know you're all going to be cranky about the length of this… well, here's me pouring a nice glass of ice water down your pants—Chapter 10 is almost done.]