Revealed Identities

Chapter 3: Reactions

Luke looked at Darth Vader in disbelief. The dark lord had a proposal for him? That was hardly believable. He knew that Vader did what he wanted, no questions asked. If there was a proposal, it meant that it would be in Vader's favor.

"You think that you know me that well?" Vader voiced, seemingly reading Luke's thoughts. With a sudden shudder, Luke was not sure that he couldn't.

"Why should I listen to any proposal of yours? If you're going to kill me, or start torturing me, you better start now because I'm not going to tell you anything." Luke bit out, a bit of his personal hatred for Vader seeping into his voice. That thing, who could hardly be called a man, who killed his father just stood and looked at him.

Vader looked at his son with greedy eyes. The boy's eyes showed only hatred, and his Force presence darkened visibly with his hatred towards his own father. Vader's mood darkened when he realized that the boy's anger was at him. If the boy only knew, Vader thought, then he would respect me.

On the other hand, if Luke really was like he had been at that age, the darkside could be fueled by that hate. His first small step towards the darkside had been when he was thirteen, when he had killed that slave trader who had dared to frighten his mother.

"I have a proposal for you," Vader repeated, "one that I am sure you would be most willing to hear."

"I-"

"Hold your tongue, or I will do it for you." Vader threatened, letting Luke feel the Force clamp down his jaws for only a fraction of a second. When he released the Force grip, Luke flexed his jaw, and glared at Vader, a new sense of hatred washing over the boy.

Luke kept his silence.

Vader felt the flow of the Force, and couldn't help but relish in the strength of Luke's Force signature. He was pleased with how quickly his son had been brought to him. He had a feeling that it would not have been so easy if he had not had help from someone so high ranking in the Rebellion. Clearly the man must not have meant Luke any harm – the reward had been for alive after all – so there was no Force warning to help save Luke. After all, that was why all the great Jedi had fallen during Order 66. The clone troopers hadn't wanted to necessarily killed the Jedi who had been their leaders, but it was what they were ordered to do.

Vader had believed he would have time to think through things, but the strange sense to act sooner rather than later washed through him.

"I want to end the brutalities that the Empire is so infamously known for." Luke raised an eyebrow not believing that Vader was serious at all.

"You are behind the brutalities the Empire is known for! What kind of joke is this?" Luke demanded, his eyes blazing. Vader felt amusement wash over him; his son was brave. Not even the Emperor dared to speak to him like his son just had.

"No joke, Luke." This time, a look of confusion passed over Luke's face. Being called his first name by his worst enemy came as somewhat of a surprise, and Vader wanted to see if he could use that to his advantage. "Do you have any idea what it is like to be a puppet? Someone else's game piece? The Emperor made one too many promises that he did not keep for my liking. It is time that he was made to step down." Vader explained, his treasonous words making Luke think.

Luke knew that the Emperor was as evil as anyone got, but it seemed impossible that Vader would actually see that. It was even more unlikely that Vader would tell him. Yet as he reached out, tentatively touching the Force with his underdeveloped Force skills, he felt something akin to the truth. Of course, he wasn't trained enough to know if he could trust Vader. What was Luke thinking? Of course he couldn't trust Vader!

"You are quite strong in the Force. There are no Jedi left. Save you, youngling. Even though your grasp for the Force is fledgling, it could be forged into greatness, greatness enough to overpower the Emperor." Luke frowned. He had a feeling he knew where this speech might be heading now.

"Does that mean you want my help to discredit the Emperor's strength?" Luke asked slowly, his eyes blazing, "You can forget it! I'll never help the man who murdered my father!" Luke spat out. Immediately he noted a change in Vader's mood. He may not have had much experience with the Force, but Vader's mood echoed so strongly, Luke could not help but feel it.

Vader's anger soared. So Obi-Wan had told Luke that he had killed his father. If he had not felt so angry, he might have found some dark amusement in the fact that Luke hated him for killing his father when he, in fact was, his father.

"First of all young one," Vader stepped closer to Luke, making him hunch back slightly in his place, "I do not need your help to discredit Palpatine. I have enough information on him to make the citizens of the Empire to never trust him again. I need someone else strong in the Force to help kill the Emperor. The only thing that has kept me from doing so is my loyalty to him for turning me to the darkside. As for why I want you to help...perhaps you would understand better if you knew what really happened to your father."

Leia's eyes blazed after she read over Wedge's report. Luke had seemingly been the only target, and they had not been able to take out the vessel in the risk of killing Luke, and they also could not over power the larger ship. She felt dread well up in her as she remembered the incredible bounty placed on Luke. Everyone in the galaxy would want him. Alive, she hoped.

"Princess Leia, we have the information on who hired the smuggler gang to capture Commander Skywalker." C-3PO explained as he hustled into the room, followed immediately by Han Solo who had a look of incredible anger and frustration on his face. She didn't even have to wait for a response before Han exploded in fury.

"That krething traitorous piece of shit!" Han cursed, slamming the file down on the table where Leia and Wedge sat.

"Master Solo! Such language is uncalled for and, as I protocol droid fluent in over six million forms of communications I have no problem saying that such words do not-"

"Shut up Threepio!" Han yelled as he plunked down into the chair next to Leia.

"Nekem!" Han bellowed.

"I'm Leia, remember?" Leia said, unnerved at Han's vulgar attitude.

"No, Nekem! He was the murglak who ordered the attack on Luke. He wanted the money." Han sighed exasperated.

"Why that bastard." Leia breathed in her rage. "Princess Leia, as I told Han-"

"Shut up Threepio!" Han and Leia spat at him in unison.

"What is Nekem's claim?" Wedge asked, his concern seeping through his calm voice. Though he had only known Luke for a short amount of time, he had come to greatly respect his young commander.

"Apparently they have him in a meeting room downstairs." Han explained. Leia looked at the ex-smuggler. She could tell just how much he really cared for Luke, though he knew that he would never admit it.

"Did you send Chewie to look over the meeting?" Leia asked.

Han winced.

"I haven't told him yet. I'm not sure the leaders would appreciate a Wookie coming in, in an attempt to dismember Nekem." Han explained. Leia nodded in understanding. Chewie had also taken a liking to Luke.

"You should tell him. He'll have to get in line behind me after I get through with Nekem," Leia said as she got up. "Come on. I don't want to miss Nekem's pathetic excuses." The other two got up and followed her.

His father? What on earth did Vader know about his father that he'd be willing to share? And what did he mean what really happened? Would it only be lies to throw him off guard?

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Next part...Revealed Identity