Chapter 11: Meetings

Luke left the palace early the next morning, not wanting to encounter Vader again too soon after the incident last night. Upon waking, his first thought had been to go into school and do more research in the library but reality had soon checked in. School wasn't an option, at least for a few days. His second idea was to go and visit his friends at Family Services. He'd been meaning to do so for a while now, but the opportunity never came up.

After making his way to a public transport hub, he jumped onto the back of a hoverbus. He had enough credits to pay for a ride, but he couldn't resist the opportunity. It all seemed a lifetime ago now, living on the streets with his friends from Family Services. As the wind streamed through his hair, he found himself wondering if LJ had heard that Vader was his father. Would he still be willing to speak with him if he had? Doubtful. Hopefully he didn't read the Coruscant Enquirer.

The hoverbus pulled out of the traffic lane, and Luke held on tight as it dodged a few stray speeders. When it landed on the pad, the waiting patrons started pointing at him. Luke only grinned in response, but he stopped grinning when he noticed a couple of stormtroopers were among the waiting passengers. One of them began walking towards him, and Luke quickly jumped off and ran for it. His Imperial City ID was good for a lot of things, but he doubted it would get him out of that one.

Once Luke was in the building, he glanced around, trying to regain his sense of direction. It had been a while since he was last here.

He turned a corner and found himself in the plaza that housed IFS. The guards said nothing as Luke entered, and once inside, Luke blended easily into the crowd. He was pleased to see that BB-675 was still servicing the reception. The queue wasn't too long, and after a five minute wait, Luke stepped up to the desk.

"Welcome to Imperial Family Services. How may I—?" the droid broke off, which was something Luke had never heard BB do before. "Oh. It's you. I thought you were gone for good."

"I just need to talk to LJ-151," Luke said. "Can you go and find him for me?"

"I'm not a messenger droid."

"It's really important!"

"He's probably on duty. Stormtroopers are not allowed personal visits while on duty."

"Says who?" Luke said. "You just made that up. Besides, if he finds out I was here and you didn't go and tell him, he might blast you into pieces."

The droid reluctantly began to move.

"Wait over there."

Luke did as the droid requested and hoped fervently that BB would hurry up. If the administrator should walk by and see him, he could find himself on a way one trip back to Imperial City.

BB soon returned, followed by the unmistakable white armor. Luke grinned in recognition as LJ came to a halt in front of him. "LJ!"

"Yeah? Who are you?"

Luke frowned in confusion. "I'm Luke ... your friend ... ?"

"Stormtroopers don't have friends."

"You don't remember me?" Luke said, disbelieving. As if things weren't bad enough right now ... the thought that LJ could have forgotten him was horrible. Was this some kind of cruel joke the universe was playing on him?

Luke thought for a moment, and then something occurred. He looked up at LJ in sudden annoyance.

"I really had you going," LJ said, rubbing his gloved hands together. "That was great!"

"It wasn't 'great'," Luke said. "Not even close to being funny!"

"You say that about all my jokes," LJ said, ruffling Luke's hair. "Seriously, it's great to see you, buddy. Just don't tell me you've come back to stay. I'd heard you were adopted."

"Something like that," Luke said. "I was feeling ... a little lonely. I wanted to visit some friends. Are Crix and Val still here?"

"Those two low-lifes? Gone a month ago, thank the stars."

"Gone where?"

"Val was shifted to a school facility, and soon after she left, Crix disappeared, and hasn't been seen since."

"Can you give me the address?" Luke asked. "Of the school?"

"I can't. The droid can, but good luck getting that out of him without a blaster."

Luke sighed. It sounded like he was never going to see them again.

"I did hear something, though," LJ said. "A street patrol caught a young Twi'lek and a Zabrak that sounded like them, but they escaped from their custody. That was near that smuggler's spaceport."

"Address?"

"I don't know ... just south of the Gyon-Price Financial district. But that's just where they were last seen. I doubt they'd still be there."

Luke shrugged. "I'm willing to try."

"Good luck, buddy. Hey— guess what? I got a transfer."

"A transfer?" Luke said. "You mean you're leaving IFS?"

"In three days. I'm joining an entertainment district security squad. I'm going to try and get assigned to a comedy club."

Luke grinned. "If anyone misbehaves, you could threaten to do your stand-up routine."

"Thanks, buddy. I'll send you some tickets when I've got my own show."

Luke shook his head in disbelief. "I better go. I hope I see you again some day."

"I won't forget you, buddy."

"No, you'll just pretend, right?" Luke called, waving as he headed for the exit.

Vader had retreated to the ship hangar for the morning, working on a damaged Corellian snubfighter. This was his outlet for all the stresses and frustrations he experienced during the course of his work and also a form of moving meditation. It was easier for him to think while doing something with his hands.

He'd spotted this particular ship in the hangar of an orbital docking station. It was pre-Clone Wars and with a bit of work, could make a nice addition to his collection. It had been recovered from a recent pirate attack, if an assault with such an ancient ship could even be called that. They had been so thoroughly eliminated, it was a wonder this ship had made it through in as good a condition as it was. Perhaps this was meant to be.

Some might say this ship was a lost cause and he was wasting his time. Perhaps it was, but he needed something to keep his mind off the latest incident with Luke.

Maybe he'd treated the boy unfairly. It was only natural he wanted to know about his mother. Those memories may be painful, but withholding them from Luke was obviously causing him much distress and did no justice to her memory. With everything else the boy had learned about him, perhaps he was beginning to wonder if he was the result of a loveless union, as the tabloid had implied. If he was in Luke's position, he would find it hard to believe otherwise himself.

It was true that his last moments with Padmé had been ... difficult. He would live with that guilt and regret forever. But he loved her. Luke needed to know that.

He wouldn't have to go into all the details. Maybe some basic information about who she was and how they had met. Any further details about the less than ideal aspects of their relationship, like the secrecy of their marriage, could wait until Luke was older.

But this conversation would have to wait until after they had met with the Emperor. Doubtless the boy was sulking over the incident last night ... perhaps thinking that he wasn't wanted, or some other insecurity. Given the behavior he'd observed in the past, Luke was sensitive about these things. He should be more careful.

There were many things he should do, of course. Fatherhood was many times more complicated than he'd initially imagined. Maybe he should attempt to apologize. They were perhaps overdue for a talk about how Luke needed to be careful around his temper, and if he asked him to leave the room, it was for his own safety. He had a few hours to consider it, at least.

A hover-taxi took Luke to the area LJ had described, and Luke caught an elevator down to a lower street level. There were fewer stormtroopers down here, and a lot more people. It wasn't as seedy as some of the places he'd seen, but it was a far cry from affluent Imperial City.

"Buy a necklace! Buy a necklace! Buy two, get one free! Buy two, get one free!"

"No thanks," Luke said, hastily shifting away from the pushy droid. It followed him for a while, before latching to another passer-by. He'd scarcely moved on from that, when another person tapped him.

"Will you please sign my petition?" he asked, thrusting a lightpen into his face. "They are going to demolish a three hundred year old historical building to build a new apartment block! We must put a stop to it!"

Luke shook his head and ran for a bright looking place on the other side of a courtyard. He was never going to find Crix and Val in this crowd of nutters ... maybe he should give up and go back home. He wandered into the building and was met with a rush of lights and sounds. A hologame parlor! Now this was more like it! He and Crix used to dream about these places, but they'd never had any credits to make it worth their while. Now he had a whole pocket full and time to spare.

Lunchtime had rolled around before Luke had begun to weary of Gundark Slayer: The Ultimate Revenge. He'd managed to get himself third on the high score list, and Val had always said the top two were machine set and impossible to beat. Besides, his credit stash was running low, and he might need some money to get back home.

As he turned to leave, he found a Zabrak was waiting to use the game machine.

"It's all yours," Luke said.

"Luke?! Luke!"

Luke blinked in surprise. "Crix?"

"I thought it was you! But you humans ... you all look so alike."

"I came down here to look for you!"

"It's great to see you!" Crix said, grabbing him by the shoulders. "LJ told us some crazy story about you. He said you'd been adopted by someone in Imperial City. Not the senator—someone else."

"Probably just one of his jokes," Luke said, looking at the floor. "Where are you staying?"

"In a junkyard. It's not far. Listen, wait right here—I just have to go and see a guy about some things. I'll be right back and then I'll take you to go and see Val."

Luke nodded and watched as Crix made his way to a holochess table in a dark corner. He appeared to be playing a game with the figure who sat on the other side, but Luke noticed they were exchanging something. Crix handed the man a brown cloth bag, and he received an envelope in return. Then he stood up and returned to Luke.

"Come on."

"What was that about?" Luke asked, following.

"Never mind. So, where are you staying? Those are nice clothes you've found yourself."

"Um ..." Luke thought quickly. "I was adopted by a royal guard. He has a son the same age as me—we go to the same school."

"A royal guard?! So have you been inside the palace?"

Luke nodded. "A few times."

"That's awesome! Wait 'til Val hears about it."

They had gone down a narrow, dark alleyway at this point, and Luke followed close behind. When they came out the other side, there was a thick duracrete wall with barbed wire lining the top.

"Looks insurmountable, right?" Crix said. "Wrong! Follow me."

Luke did so. Crix pushed aside a thick tarp and revealed a tunnel entrance.

"It's a little slimy down here," he admitted. "But it's short. Pull the tarp back over the hole once you're in."

Luke had to resist the urge to hold his nose as he bent down to climb into the hole. He could see vermin tunneling into the sides. He didn't want Crix to think he was a wimp, though, so he dropped down and squeezed out as fast as he could.

On the other side, broken machines and wrecked speeders were stacked high in every corner. He could have occupied himself for hours looking through all this for spare parts, but Crix didn't pause. He led Luke through a narrow gap between a torn engine casing and a drainage pipe, and then climbed up a stack of crates. At the top, the final crate had been turned on its side and emptied of whatever trash it had formerly contained. A pile of old news flimsis covered one edge.

"Val?" Crix called. "Guess who's here?"

From underneath the news flimsis, a head poked up, and Luke grinned in recognition.

"Val!"

"Luke!?"

Luke climbed up into the crate and found himself being pulled into a hug.

"Where did you come from?"

"Bumped into him at the hologame place," Crix said.

"Did you get the money?" Val asked.

Crix held up the envelope. Val took it and began to count the credit chips inside.

"There's only fifty credits here," she said. "Didn't he say he'd give you a hundred?"

Crix snatched the envelope from Val and counted it again. "I don't believe it! That lying cheater!"

"What was he paying you for?" Luke asked.

"Running packages for him."

Val began to explain further, but she paused to cough. It was a nasty, chesty cough, and it didn't sound good to Luke.

"She's saying that we need two thousand credits to get off this hellhole planet," Crix explained. "I found a smuggler who is willing to let us join his crew, but he said he has to pay off his debts before he can take on new crew members. He wants a thousand credit investment from both of us."

"Most of what we earn goes towards food," Val explained.

"Speaking of food, I'm starving," Crix said. "Let's go and get lunch."

The words caused Luke to pause for a moment. Lunch ... he'd been planning to be back home by lunch. Why? What was it that was nagging in the back of his mind?

"Oh stars!" Luke said, suddenly. "The Emperor!"

"What about him?" Val asked, confused.

"Listen, I've got to run," Luke said. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise! Will you be here?"

They both nodded, still looking confused. Luke didn't blame them, but he didn't have time to explain.

"See you later!"

At five minutes after thirteen-hundred, Luke stepped out of his bedroom. He'd combed his hair and changed his clothes, hoping to avoid any suspicious questions. His old ones had stunk like the junkyard and were covered with oil from the crate.

Vader was waiting outside in the corridor and appeared unaware that he'd even been out of his room this morning, never mind in a junkyard in the lower levels of Coruscant. That was exactly the way Luke wanted it.

"Are you ready?" he enquired.

"Yes."

"Come on."

Vader said nothing else to him on the journey through the palace, and Luke trailed behind, wary of his bad temper. The memory of last night was still fresh in his mind, and he doubted his father had forgotten.

The silence continued as they walked through the massive and luxurious corridors that led to the palace spires. Luke couldn't help but wonder at the vast gap between this place, and the crate where Crix and Val were living. He paused beside a glass sculpture, which glittered as if it were made of solid diamond. The price of this could get his friends the two thousand credits they needed and more besides.

He heard breathing beside him and looked up to find Vader was towering over him.

"This is no time to be admiring the artwork."

"I'm not admiring it," Luke said, walking on. "I'm just thinking that the price of that statue could probably feed a Tatooine family for a month. There was a kid in my class who used to come to school without lunch. We would take turns at sharing with him. Aunt Beru told me about this other family where they were all sleeping in one room—"

"I am aware of the poverty on Tatooine."

"If I ruled the galaxy, they'd be no poor people anywhere," Luke mumbled.

"Really. And how would you achieve that?" Vader enquired.

Luke had a feeling he was being humored, but he answered anyway. "They'd be no money. Everything would be free."

"And you think people would work for free?"

"Yes. They'd work for something to do."

"You have overlooked two things. People are greedy and people are lazy."

Luke personally thought Vader was just overly cynical, but he didn't argue. They had arrived at a large elevator in the centre of the palace, and the presence of the royal guards on either side gave a big clue as to who awaited at the top. Luke swallowed nervously, and Vader turned to face him.

"Remember, Luke, be polite. Address him appropriately."

Luke tried to answer him, but his throat was too dry. Eventually, he settled for nodding. He looked up, meeting Vader's gaze. Despite the mask, there was a sense of protectiveness about his father. He hadn't felt anything like this from him before and it was oddly comforting.

"I'm sorry about last night," Luke said, suddenly. "I didn't mean to annoy you."

"Never mind that now. We will talk about it afterwards. There is much I need to discuss with you, but we must not keep the Emperor waiting."

He turned and entered the elevator. Luke followed slowly.

"Welcome, young Skywalker."

Luke merely stared, wide eyed, at the cloaked figure seated behind the large desk. This man couldn't be human, could he? His flesh appeared to be rotting right off his face. It was disgusting!

His father glanced at him, and Luke realized he was expected to reply.

"Uh, thank you ... your highness."

There was an awkward silence, save for Vader's steady breathing. Luke remembered his father's instructions, though, and didn't speak. The Emperor was staring at him like he was a museum piece on display, and it was making him feel self-conscious.

"He is afraid," the Emperor said, finally.

It took Luke a moment to realize the Emperor's statement was directed at his father.

"He is just a child, Master. He has much to learn."

Luke stared up at Vader, struggling not to frown in annoyance. He wasn't just a child!

"Yeeees," the Emperor said, thoughtfully, continuing to study Luke.

There was a vast window covering the back wall, and Luke tried to focus on the distant buildings. His father had never said how long this would take, and he was hoping the nightmare would be over soon. But when the Emperor spoke again, Luke realized it was only just beginning.

"Why don't you leave us, Lord Vader? Let me and the boy have a nice little chat."

It was obvious to Luke that Vader was against that suggestion. He glanced quickly at Luke, and then turned back to the Emperor.

"My master, I—"

"Don't worry yourself, Lord Vader—he is quite safe with me. The boy doesn't need you to hold his hand."

Luke considered arguing with that statement, if only to avoid being abandoned with this living corpse. But Vader was already walking back towards the exit. Luke stared after him, wondering if this was the last time he was going to see him. He suddenly wished he'd tried a little harder to get to know him.

When the doors slid shut, Luke turned back to the Emperor, trying to look brave.

"So, young Skywalker," the Emperor said, beckoning him to come closer. "Please, sit down." He sounded almost gentle, but somehow it made Luke even more afraid. He did as asked though and perched on the edge of a comfortable red armchair, directly in front of the desk.

The Emperor smiled at him, and Luke gripped the edges of the seat, wishing his palms weren't so sweaty.

"You look a lot like your father when he was your age."

Luke raised a disbelieving eyebrow. It was impossible to imagine Vader not being impossibly tall, dressed in black and hidden behind a mask. Also, how ancient was this man, if he knew his father at his age?

"We used to have some nice talks, he and I. How are you enjoying your new life with him?"

Luke considered how to answer. "It's okay," he said, finally.

The Emperor was silent.

"Your highness," Luke quickly added.

"You don't need to worry about formalities—it's just the two of us, after all." He smiled again, in a way that made Luke's skin crawl. "I have worried about how you were getting on. It must have been quite a change."

Luke nodded, looking down.

"I must admit, I was surprised when your father told me he was going to become your guardian," the Emperor continued. "I had concerns. He has quite the temper, after all." Despite his words, he actually sounded proud about that for some reason. "It's only natural you would raise his ire from time to time. It would be a tragedy if you were hurt."

"He's never hurt me," Luke mumbled quickly.

"Not yet," the Emperor said. "But I can see that's not quite true, though, is it? He's hurt your feelings many times."

Luke closed his eyes for a moment. It felt disloyal to speak ill of his own father to a complete stranger. But he couldn't outright deny it, either. Eventually he settled for nodding his head once.

"You must not take it to heart. All will become clear in time. The pain you endure today will become a great source of power when the time comes for your potential with the Force to be properly cultivated."

Luke could only stare at the Emperor, his eyes wide. "My potential … with … what do you mean? I don't have any Force powers."

"He has never discussed this with you?" The Emperor sounded equally surprised. "Dear boy, of course you have inherited all his power. That is why he has brought you here. He believes you will be a great asset to the Empire one day. I just hope he can be patient with you until then."

Luke stared at his hands, scarcely able to believe what he was hearing. Was this all he was to his father? Some future tool to carry out the things that really mattered to him? The all-important missions for the Empire? No wonder he seemed so distant and uncaring.

"Don't judge him too harshly," the Emperor said, as if he somehow knew what Luke was thinking. "He's had a difficult life, filled with tragedy. The Jedi took him away from his mother and brought him here as a child. They exploited his vast power and trained him as a weapon to further their own selfish ends. He was only a young man when the Jedi led the galaxy into the Clone Wars. Fighting in constant battles for three years would leave anyone in a fragile psychological state."

"How … was he injured during the Clone Wars?" Luke asked, feeling bad for his father. He'd never thought about the reasons why he might be like he was.

"That came at the end of the war, when the Jedi tried to take over the galaxy entirely. Your father was loyal to me and the Senate, and out of revenge, his Jedi master tried to kill him. He very nearly succeeded."

Luke's eyes widened. "Is that the same Jedi who took me away?"

The Emperor nodded.

"What was his name?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The man in his dream! He was about to mention this, but the Emperor was already changing the subject.

"But let us speak of happier things," the Emperor said. "Tell me ... has your father ever spoken to you about your mother?"

Luke shook his head. "No, he ..." Something suddenly occurred to Luke, and he looked up with renewed interest. "You knew my mother?"

"Oh, yes. We were great colleagues and friends. We were both from Naboo, you see. I knew her from when she was only a little older than you, until her tragic death."

Luke instantly saw an opportunity and rose slightly from the chair. "Was she a senator? Senator Padmé Amidala?"

"Your father has told you a little, then?"

"No, nothing—only that she died. He doesn't want to talk about her. I did some research ... but ... what was she like?"

The Emperor leaned back in his chair. He didn't seem so frightening anymore. If his mother was his friend, then maybe he wasn't so bad. At least he was telling him the truth.

"She was absolutely committed to improving the galaxy for everyone, from the lowliest street dweller to the wealthiest member of the nobility. She could sway the entire Senate to her way of thinking with a single speech. I only wish she were still alive today—she would cry tears of joy at the good we have managed to achieve."

He smiled at Luke and it didn't seem so creepy now.

"And she would love to see how well you've turned out."

"I never knew her," Luke said, distantly. His heart ached as he considered just how much he'd lost. It all seemed so unfair. "So how did she die? Did the Jedi really murder her?"

The Emperor looked aside. "I'm not sure you're old enough to hear that story."

"I am," Luke insisted. "My own aunt and uncle were murdered by a Jedi. I deserve to know the truth about what happened to my own mother."

The Emperor was silent for a long moment, and then he said, "You must not blame your father. As I said, the war had left him damaged. Nightmares, depression, violence. He had to do awful things during the war. It was his duty to kill men, women … even children."

"Children?" Luke said, his mouth falling open. "He killed children?"

The Emperor nodded. "The Jedi trained them as soldiers, you see. There was no choice. War can demand a heavy price. My hope is your generation will never see such terrible days."

Luke looked at the carpet, feeling stunned.

"This Jedi, Kenobi, used these facts to manipulate your mother into leading him to your father. He lost his temper with her. I know he regrets this, but it happened, and you do have a right to know. He attacked her with the Force and …" The Emperor bowed his head in sadness. "She only survived long enough to give birth to you, it seems."

"What are you saying?" Luke said, horrified. "My father murdered her? No, that's impossible!"

"I know he didn't mean to," the Emperor said, gently. "You must understand what the Jedi had done to him."

Luke glanced back towards the door, wondering how far the refresher was. He felt like he was going to vomit. He wasn't hearing this ... it couldn't be true!

"I … I must go," Luke said, standing up shakily.

"I've upset you, haven't I? Perhaps it was wrong of me to share so much with you. Never mind. We can talk again another time."

Luke didn't wait. He had already heard enough.

Vader had spent the last few minutes pacing up and down at the bottom of the elevator shaft, worrying about his son. His master had promised that he wouldn't harm Luke, but how far could he really trust him? If Luke said something out of place, he might lose his temper and—

The doors slid open, and Vader turned in anticipation. The only satisfaction he received was seeing a blur streak past his vision and disappear down the corridor.

"Luke!" He started after him and then paused, glancing back at the elevator doors. Perhaps he should talk to his master first—Luke's version of events could be highly distorted. On the other hand, if he disturbed his master while he was angry, he might order him to kill the boy and be done with it. He could not disobey a direct order from his master, so it was not wise to make an issue of this.

He turned and walked down the corridor where Luke had fled, stretching out with the Force to try and get a lock on the boy. For one so small, he could certainly move quickly. His sense of him faded as if he was already a fair distance away.

At the entrance to the main hall, he stopped to talk to the guards.

"Did you see my son come this way?"

"Yes, sir. Luke went into the elevators."

"Did he appear injured in any way?"

"He was moving too fast for me to notice, sir. If you wish, we could review the security recording."

"Never mind."

Vader walked past them, deep in thought. Luke was likely up his bedroom. Perhaps he should give him some time to calm himself before attempting to talk. It was difficult enough to have conversations with the boy when he wasn't causing the Force to swirl with his untamed emotions.

Uncle Owen had once told him that big boys didn't cry. He'd been six years old at the time, so Luke couldn't help but wonder what his uncle would think of him now, at twice that age. He'd cried so much he'd soaked his sleeves, but still the tears wouldn't stop.

You were right, Uncle Owen, Luke thought, you were right about my father. No wonder you didn't tell me about my parents!

His father was no better than the monster who'd murdered his aunt and uncle. The thought of actually sharing blood with someone so evil left Luke shaking with the sheer horror of it. He owed his existence to a person who had murdered his own mother.

The sound of a door opening caused him to look up from the stairwell he'd hidden himself under. He was down in the lower levels, near the storage lockers where the guards kept their supplies. His heart began to beat rapidly at the thought that his father might have found him down here, but the sight of white armor made him sigh in relief. It was only a stormtrooper, collecting some supplies from a small room off to the side.

He didn't notice him, but Luke noticed the supplies he was carrying. Field blankets, food rations ... a portable heating unit. The stormtrooper must be going on a camping trip, or he was restocking a shuttle. Either way, Luke could think of some other people who were in need of supplies like those.

The stormtrooper left, and Luke moved out of the corner. Sitting here crying about things wasn't helping anything, and he'd promised Val and Crix he would return today. Perhaps he could return with a surprise for them.

After attending a Joint Chiefs meeting at IMH and receiving an update on the Spectrum investigation, Vader had returned to the Imperial Palace only to find Artoo in a state of distress and Threepio attempting to calm him. The astromech droid was spinning around outside Luke's bedroom.

"There, you see, Artoo," Threepio said, when he'd seen Vader approaching. "Lord Vader will know where Master Luke is."

"What's wrong?" Vader asked, while reaching out with the Force. Luke was not in the immediate vicinity.

"Artoo says you took Master Luke to see the Emperor this afternoon and he hasn't returned. He's been speaking in riddles, sir. I can't understand. Something about the Emperor reprogramming Master Luke and turning him into a Sith Lord, whatever that is. My memory banks are incomplete on the subject."

Artoo rolled towards him, in a way that was almost threatening.

Where is he? he beeped out, his tone demanding.

"Calm yourself," Vader said, pointing at the droid. "That was not the purpose of Luke meeting the Emperor. Do not speculate about things you can't understand. Are you telling me he never returned to his bedroom?"

"We have not seen him since this morning, sir," Threepio said.

Vader looked towards the glass doors that led out to the balcony. It was dark outside. Far too late for a boy of Luke's age to be out on his own.

Any further discussion on the subject was ended at the sound of the elevator doors opening, at the far end of the corridor. Artoo whistled happily as his sensors picked up who the new arrival was. Vader's relief was tempered by concern at the sight of his son's appearance, however. He appeared dirty and tired and his face was devoid of any emotion.

He made as if he was going to walk past all of them without so much as a greeting, but Vader reached out to stop him, causing Luke to flinch away.

"What did he say to you?" The matter of his long disappearance could be left until tomorrow. He could only deal with one thing at a time where Luke was concerned.

"Nothing," Luke said, quietly.

He didn't meet his gaze and was instead staring at the carpet.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No."

"Then why did you leave so quickly?"

Luke didn't bother to reply this time.

"If you will not tell me, I can easily find out from the Emperor," Vader said, hoping that would provide some motivation to prompt Luke out of his sulk. It didn't work, though.

"I'm going to bed."

He started to leave, but Vader again reached out a hand to stop him. As his hand made contact with Luke's arm, Luke suddenly reared back and assumed a defensive posture. His expression was fearful. Artoo whistled in concern, and Vader, almost instinctively, took a step back.

"I received a message from your school," he said, trying to sound as calm as possible. "The principal said you are welcome to return to classes."

Luke relaxed slightly and nodded once.

"I am leaving for Mustafar tomorrow. If you should encounter any problems with the other students, make sure you inform someone in authority."

Luke nodded again, not unlike a droid sticking to rigid programming. He made to walk on again, and this time, Vader didn't stop him. He quickly disappeared into his room.

"Oh dear," Threepio said. "I fear he is not his usual self."

"Stay with him," Vader said, turning away. His patience was short at the best of times, and he didn't know how much more of this he could take. The boy was impossible to understand.

Tomorrow, he would get some answers from a higher source.