-Chapter Ten-
TEN YEARS LATER
Luke rubbed his eyes as he stared at the datapad in front of him. Sixteen hours straight he had been working on this project. It was an education reform, of sorts. He wanted to delete the hierarchy and elitism within the educational institution. All children deserved the same privileges and resources, no matter who their parents were. He took a sip of the juri juice next to him, rolled his shoulder, and smiled as it cracked loudly
"Eww."
Luke looked up at the door to his office and smiled, "Why Princess Leia, what did I do to deserve such an honor?"
Leia smirked as she leaned against the doorframe, "Shut up, Luke."
Luke grinned, "What's up?"
"You're daddy needs to talk to you."
Luke raised an eyebrow, "Does he now? What troubles him now? Besides your habit of calling him my 'daddy'."
Leia grinned in reply, "His threats have been reduced to simply shaking his head at me." She shrugged and sat in the plush seat on the other side of Luke's desk.
Her face turned from amused to serious, "There is a convention in the Vernon System…"
Luke let his forehead fall against the palm of his hand, "Agh."
Leia leaned forward, looking at him with concern, "How long has it been since you left this office?"
Luke looked up at her, "Do bathroom breaks count?"
Leia's lower lip twisted in disapproval, "Luke--"
He smiled, "Don't worry about me, Leia."
"But I do, Luke. You haven't stopped working since…"
Luke looked down at the datapad in discomfort, "Yeah. I know."
She grabbed his hand suddenly, pulling him out of his grim contemplation.
"Luke—"
"Leia, don't."
Luke glanced down at his wrist-chrono, "I'm going to head over to the school and then I'll go see my father, I have a meeting with the education board this afternoon." He shut the datapad and smiled at the woman seated across from him. She returned the smile.
"You're doing a wonderful job with this education reform… you know this, right?"
Luke smiled sheepishly, "It's nothing…"
She shook her head as she stood and walked towards the door, "Go to you meeting, go see daddy, and then," she pointed a finger at him in warning, "Get some sleep, mister."
He grinned, "Yes, ma'am."
She rolled her eyes and disappeared out the door.
~
Luke strode down the corridors of the Coruscant Academy with a presence that only he and his father could possess. Children chatting in the hallways fell silent as he passed. Luke kept his eyes forward and his stride strong as he passed the children whos futures he'd been mapping out on his datapad for the past several months. If only they knew…
Luke stepped into the office and almost walked right into a flustered receptionist.
"Oh!," She cried, stepping back. "My Prince, you are early!"
Luke nodded absently looking around the small office. As the receptionist scrambling to inform the Headmaster that he had arrived, he wandered into a small waiting room to his left.
As he stepped through the door, his eyes fell upon a small set of legs swinging absently on the side of a straight-backed chair. Luke tilted his head curiously as he stared at the crown of a young boy's golden capped head as the child flipped through a shiny school catalogue.
The child looked up at the silent prince, and then bowed his head quickly.
"I do not see you come in, My Prince," he murmured.
Luke gracefully sat next to the boy, smiling.
"No apologies necessary. Are you new here?"
The youth nodded.
"You look young for the Academy, how old are you?"
"Ten, Your Majesty."
Luke frowned, brushing away the bitter memories that had plagued him over the last decade.
"You have a few years yet before you are old enough to submit your application here," Luke rested his elbows on his knees, "What are you doing here?"
The boy twisted in the stiff chair and looked Luke straight in the eyes, with orbs of sky-blue brightness, and smiled—A flash of infernal yellow passed over his irises and vanished.
Luke stood in shock.
"My Prince."
Luke turned, startled, to face the origin of the voice calling him.
"The Headmaster is ready to see you…" The receptionist stuck her head around the threshold of the doorway, "What are you doing in here—Um, My Prince?
Luke turned and looked down at the empty chair next to him, "Nothing," he murmured as he followed the receptionist and vowed to himself that he would get some more sleep. Lots of it.
~
Vader stared at his son seated across from him. The browned golden locks of his hair fell over his piercing blue eyes as he hunched over the datapad before him.
"Luke."
The other looked up, startled, "Yes, Father?"
"I think you need a vacation."
Luke frowned, "I have too much to do."
Vader shook his head, "Exactly. If you had nothing to do, you'd not need a vacation."
Luke's frown deepened, "I've been working on this for—"
"Too long. Besides, it will be here when you return."
Luke sighed, "Father, I appreciate your concern—but I'm fine. I'm going to go to bed early tonight and—"
"Luke, you haven't stopped working since Mara Jade disappeared."
The younger man narrowed his eyes, "You are outspoken tonight, Father."
"I speak the truth. You cannot deny it."
Luke stood, glaring at his father and stormed out, as Vader had expected.
Ten years, and the reaction was still the same.
~
Luke strode towards his office with his head held high, but his confidence remained tightly tucked between his toes.
He felt as if his world were falling apart. Never had he lost control of his environment, but today at the school he had clearly lost control of something.
He unlocked his office and stepped in, not bothering to turn on the lights. He closed the door again and leaned his back against it, and remained there… just breathing.
Was he hallucinating? Was it a Force vision? What did it mean?
"If you ask me, Skywalker, I'd say you're going crazy."
His head snapped towards the sound of the voice, a red-golden orb rose from the back of his chair, turned away from him, facing out over the gleaming city.
"LIGHTS!" He commanded, rushing forward. He grabbed the plush chair and spun it towards him…
It was empty.
He stood for several moments, just starring at the vacant seat, and finally sank into it. He rested his elbows on the dark wood desk and cradled his head in his hands.
"Luke?"
He looked up, wide-eyed. Leia stood in the doorway looking at him with concern.
"Are you all right?"
He nodded slowly. She stepped into the office and looked side to side, as if seeking an explanation for her friend's strange behavior.
"You sure?" She pressed, as she sat down across from him.
He nodded.
She smiled, "Our birthday is tomorrow."
Luke grinned, his dazed-state fading with each moment of his soothing friend's presence, "It is, isn't it?"
She nodded, leaning forward to prop her elbows on the desk with Luke's, "Isn't it strange that we have the same birthday?"
Luke nodded, "I wonder how far apart in the galaxy we were when we were born…"
She smiled and nodded as she looked up at the ceiling in thought, "I'm not really sure where I was born…" she shrugged, "I was adopted."
Luke nodded, "Me too, basically."
He grinned, "Lets, see? Shall we?"
She nodded and leaned closer, "It's strange we didn't think to do this earlier."
He nodded as he reached over to his computer and tapped a couple keys, "Wow, according to this we were both…" he trailed off, gazing at the screen.
Leia frowned, "Both what?"
Luke stared at the screen wide-eyed, "Leia… Leia…"
"Luke! What is it?"
"We were on the same planet when we were born… in the same hospital…in the same room…" his eyes met hers, "In the same mother."
Luke jumped up as his newfound sister fainted.
~
Vader rushed into the infirmary to find his son holding his friend's small hand. He stopped dead as he saw the pair through the observation window.
"Something's different between them."
Vader nodded as Han Solo stepped next to him.
"There's a bond," Vader whispered, "Something that has always been there, but they were never able to see before."
Han nodded, realizing that this bond was not like that which he and Leia shared, it was something deeper.
Vader looked down at the smuggler who watched the two younger people through the glass intently. He and Solo had many differences, but in their undertaking to restore peace and order in the galaxy, it had been put aside. He smirked, somehow he doubted that Solo would ever fully forgive him for their little encounter on Bespin… his Wookie companion sure as hell never would.
"I'm goin' in, you comin'?" Han interrupted his thoughts.
Vader nodded, "Lead on, Solo."
"You better believe it, Vadey."
Vader shook his head, he was getting soft.
TEN YEARS LATER
Luke rubbed his eyes as he stared at the datapad in front of him. Sixteen hours straight he had been working on this project. It was an education reform, of sorts. He wanted to delete the hierarchy and elitism within the educational institution. All children deserved the same privileges and resources, no matter who their parents were. He took a sip of the juri juice next to him, rolled his shoulder, and smiled as it cracked loudly
"Eww."
Luke looked up at the door to his office and smiled, "Why Princess Leia, what did I do to deserve such an honor?"
Leia smirked as she leaned against the doorframe, "Shut up, Luke."
Luke grinned, "What's up?"
"You're daddy needs to talk to you."
Luke raised an eyebrow, "Does he now? What troubles him now? Besides your habit of calling him my 'daddy'."
Leia grinned in reply, "His threats have been reduced to simply shaking his head at me." She shrugged and sat in the plush seat on the other side of Luke's desk.
Her face turned from amused to serious, "There is a convention in the Vernon System…"
Luke let his forehead fall against the palm of his hand, "Agh."
Leia leaned forward, looking at him with concern, "How long has it been since you left this office?"
Luke looked up at her, "Do bathroom breaks count?"
Leia's lower lip twisted in disapproval, "Luke--"
He smiled, "Don't worry about me, Leia."
"But I do, Luke. You haven't stopped working since…"
Luke looked down at the datapad in discomfort, "Yeah. I know."
She grabbed his hand suddenly, pulling him out of his grim contemplation.
"Luke—"
"Leia, don't."
Luke glanced down at his wrist-chrono, "I'm going to head over to the school and then I'll go see my father, I have a meeting with the education board this afternoon." He shut the datapad and smiled at the woman seated across from him. She returned the smile.
"You're doing a wonderful job with this education reform… you know this, right?"
Luke smiled sheepishly, "It's nothing…"
She shook her head as she stood and walked towards the door, "Go to you meeting, go see daddy, and then," she pointed a finger at him in warning, "Get some sleep, mister."
He grinned, "Yes, ma'am."
She rolled her eyes and disappeared out the door.
~
Luke strode down the corridors of the Coruscant Academy with a presence that only he and his father could possess. Children chatting in the hallways fell silent as he passed. Luke kept his eyes forward and his stride strong as he passed the children whos futures he'd been mapping out on his datapad for the past several months. If only they knew…
Luke stepped into the office and almost walked right into a flustered receptionist.
"Oh!," She cried, stepping back. "My Prince, you are early!"
Luke nodded absently looking around the small office. As the receptionist scrambling to inform the Headmaster that he had arrived, he wandered into a small waiting room to his left.
As he stepped through the door, his eyes fell upon a small set of legs swinging absently on the side of a straight-backed chair. Luke tilted his head curiously as he stared at the crown of a young boy's golden capped head as the child flipped through a shiny school catalogue.
The child looked up at the silent prince, and then bowed his head quickly.
"I do not see you come in, My Prince," he murmured.
Luke gracefully sat next to the boy, smiling.
"No apologies necessary. Are you new here?"
The youth nodded.
"You look young for the Academy, how old are you?"
"Ten, Your Majesty."
Luke frowned, brushing away the bitter memories that had plagued him over the last decade.
"You have a few years yet before you are old enough to submit your application here," Luke rested his elbows on his knees, "What are you doing here?"
The boy twisted in the stiff chair and looked Luke straight in the eyes, with orbs of sky-blue brightness, and smiled—A flash of infernal yellow passed over his irises and vanished.
Luke stood in shock.
"My Prince."
Luke turned, startled, to face the origin of the voice calling him.
"The Headmaster is ready to see you…" The receptionist stuck her head around the threshold of the doorway, "What are you doing in here—Um, My Prince?
Luke turned and looked down at the empty chair next to him, "Nothing," he murmured as he followed the receptionist and vowed to himself that he would get some more sleep. Lots of it.
~
Vader stared at his son seated across from him. The browned golden locks of his hair fell over his piercing blue eyes as he hunched over the datapad before him.
"Luke."
The other looked up, startled, "Yes, Father?"
"I think you need a vacation."
Luke frowned, "I have too much to do."
Vader shook his head, "Exactly. If you had nothing to do, you'd not need a vacation."
Luke's frown deepened, "I've been working on this for—"
"Too long. Besides, it will be here when you return."
Luke sighed, "Father, I appreciate your concern—but I'm fine. I'm going to go to bed early tonight and—"
"Luke, you haven't stopped working since Mara Jade disappeared."
The younger man narrowed his eyes, "You are outspoken tonight, Father."
"I speak the truth. You cannot deny it."
Luke stood, glaring at his father and stormed out, as Vader had expected.
Ten years, and the reaction was still the same.
~
Luke strode towards his office with his head held high, but his confidence remained tightly tucked between his toes.
He felt as if his world were falling apart. Never had he lost control of his environment, but today at the school he had clearly lost control of something.
He unlocked his office and stepped in, not bothering to turn on the lights. He closed the door again and leaned his back against it, and remained there… just breathing.
Was he hallucinating? Was it a Force vision? What did it mean?
"If you ask me, Skywalker, I'd say you're going crazy."
His head snapped towards the sound of the voice, a red-golden orb rose from the back of his chair, turned away from him, facing out over the gleaming city.
"LIGHTS!" He commanded, rushing forward. He grabbed the plush chair and spun it towards him…
It was empty.
He stood for several moments, just starring at the vacant seat, and finally sank into it. He rested his elbows on the dark wood desk and cradled his head in his hands.
"Luke?"
He looked up, wide-eyed. Leia stood in the doorway looking at him with concern.
"Are you all right?"
He nodded slowly. She stepped into the office and looked side to side, as if seeking an explanation for her friend's strange behavior.
"You sure?" She pressed, as she sat down across from him.
He nodded.
She smiled, "Our birthday is tomorrow."
Luke grinned, his dazed-state fading with each moment of his soothing friend's presence, "It is, isn't it?"
She nodded, leaning forward to prop her elbows on the desk with Luke's, "Isn't it strange that we have the same birthday?"
Luke nodded, "I wonder how far apart in the galaxy we were when we were born…"
She smiled and nodded as she looked up at the ceiling in thought, "I'm not really sure where I was born…" she shrugged, "I was adopted."
Luke nodded, "Me too, basically."
He grinned, "Lets, see? Shall we?"
She nodded and leaned closer, "It's strange we didn't think to do this earlier."
He nodded as he reached over to his computer and tapped a couple keys, "Wow, according to this we were both…" he trailed off, gazing at the screen.
Leia frowned, "Both what?"
Luke stared at the screen wide-eyed, "Leia… Leia…"
"Luke! What is it?"
"We were on the same planet when we were born… in the same hospital…in the same room…" his eyes met hers, "In the same mother."
Luke jumped up as his newfound sister fainted.
~
Vader rushed into the infirmary to find his son holding his friend's small hand. He stopped dead as he saw the pair through the observation window.
"Something's different between them."
Vader nodded as Han Solo stepped next to him.
"There's a bond," Vader whispered, "Something that has always been there, but they were never able to see before."
Han nodded, realizing that this bond was not like that which he and Leia shared, it was something deeper.
Vader looked down at the smuggler who watched the two younger people through the glass intently. He and Solo had many differences, but in their undertaking to restore peace and order in the galaxy, it had been put aside. He smirked, somehow he doubted that Solo would ever fully forgive him for their little encounter on Bespin… his Wookie companion sure as hell never would.
"I'm goin' in, you comin'?" Han interrupted his thoughts.
Vader nodded, "Lead on, Solo."
"You better believe it, Vadey."
Vader shook his head, he was getting soft.