Chapter 12: A Way Out
Artoo and Threepio had prepared his school bag with datapads and snacks, and even laid out his uniform, but Luke was in two minds about whether to go into school or not. At any rate, he wasn't staying. He had too much to do today without bothering with school. Still, he would like to see Ben, if only to say goodbye. And he had a few useful possessions in his locker that needed collecting.
The students gave him a wide margin as he entered the school, but he no longer cared about their curious glances and hushed whispers. He would never see any of them again anyway. When he entered the locker hall, it was mostly deserted, as classes were almost due to start. Fortunately, Ben was still unloading datapads from his bag. Luke approached quietly, but Ben looked up before he reached him.
"Luke! You're back?"
Luke nodded and quickly opened his locker. He didn't have much time to do this.
Ben came closer and then did a double take.
"What happened to you? You look like you sold your soul."
"I'm fine," Luke mumbled, into his locker. He took out a datapad and a multi-purpose tool and then slammed it shut.
"Why aren't you wearing your uniform?"
"I just came to get my stuff," Luke explained.
"You mean you're not going to school here anymore?"
Luke shook his head.
"What happened? It isn't about everyone knowing about your father, is it? Because no one cares about that anymore. They're all talking about Chilee Lerrod ... did you hear his father lost the election?"
"No," Luke said. He might have been interested in that yesterday morning, but now he was only thinking about one thing.
"He's moving away," Ben continued, not reacting to Luke's distant tone. "I'm not sad to see him go, for one. So will you stay now?"
Luke shook his head. "I can't. It's a long story." He was wary of explaining in too much detail. Ben wouldn't understand. No one could understand ... he doubted there was anyone in the school who had a personal history as morbid as his.
"Are you going to another school?"
Luke shook his head. "I ... I won't be on Coruscant anymore."
"You mean you're going away to boarding school?" Ben asked.
"No ... I ... listen, it's complicated."
"You're not running away, are you?"
Luke turned to his friend in anger, but his concerned expression forced him to calm down.
"You have to promise me you won't tell anyone," he said, quietly. "This is important."
Ben looked away. "I suppose I can't blame you. Your father is the scariest person I've ever seen in my life. But isn't this a little drastic?"
"I didn't ask for your opinion. I just came to say goodbye. I'm leaving tonight or maybe early tomorrow. If I ever come back here, I'll look you up."
Luke turned away, feeling a lump form in his throat. He'd done enough crying yesterday—he didn't want to start now. It was better that he left quickly.
"Wait," Ben said, following him. "Where are you planning to go? Do you even have a plan?"
Luke didn't reply. He didn't stop walking until he emerged onto a landing pad. The only way to go from here was down one of the public elevators. In the distance, the signal for the start of classes sounded, and Luke turned around to face Ben.
"You're going to be late," Luke said. He knew Ben hated being late for class. He'd run to avoid it.
"I'm coming with you."
"Why would you want to leave? You've got everything ... you've got a father who loves you."
"I'll just see you to the spaceport or wherever you're planning to go. You're acting crazy—I can't let you go wandering around Imperial City alone. If your father found out, he'd hunt me down and kill me."
"He couldn't care less what happens to me. He regrets finding me in the first place."
"I'm not risking it."
"Fine," Luke said, turning away. "But I'm going to a junkyard. I hope you don't mind rats."
"Lead on."
Vader had concocted some excuse to speak to the Emperor, involving an update on the search for the Spectrum and security along the shipping routes. It wasn't necessary, of course, but he preferred to make enquiries about his son of secondary nature to the business of the Empire.
When he did bring up the subject, his master seemed only too happy to oblige.
"Luke has appeared disturbed, Master. I hope he did not displease you."
"Not at all. He was a model of good behavior. It is fortunate he did not remain on Tatooine. Such a bright, curious and sensitive child would not have been served well in such a remote place."
Vader breathed for a few cycles of the respirator, looking for the hidden meaning in this flattery.
"What was he curious about, Master?" he asked, finally.
"You, of course. And his mother. It is understandable you would find discussing that subject difficult. Do not trouble yourself. I shared all my fond memories."
If it were possible, Vader knew he'd have his face in both hands right now.
"I am afraid he may have reacted badly to one of them in particular. Never mind. He'll get over it, I'm sure. He does seem to have inherited a tendency towards, shall we say, strong emotions."
It was his own fault, of course. If he'd taken the time to talk with Luke himself, he wouldn't have left him open to be manipulated like this. He should have been more vigilant.
"And if he doesn't," his master continued, waving a hand in dismissal. "No matter. You appear to be having a detrimental effect on the child's psychological state in any case. As I suspected. Dedication to the ways of the Force does not lend itself to parenthood."
Vader felt heavy at the words. The memory of Luke's expression as he'd turned away from him last night was still fresh in his mind.
"He wouldn't go away to school," Vader said. "He insisted on staying here. Perhaps I could suggest it again."
"Yes, you may find him more receptive. Or perhaps you could find some other guardians for the boy, at least until he has come of age."
Vader found himself wondering where the Naberrie family were now. Padmé's sister and her husband might be potential candidates. Being raised by an aunt and uncle was already a familiar situation to Luke and this time he would have the added benefit of cousins. Naboo was a safe world under full Imperial control.
The Emperor looked thoughtful. "Amedda mentioned Senator Organa had been asking after the boy. He and his wife were good friends of his mother, weren't they?"
"Yes, Master."
"Putting him on Alderaan would give you a good reason to visit regularly and keep an eye on their activities. Perhaps we could even have the boy himself act as a spy."
"I believe it more likely Bail Organa would corrupt him with his extreme political views," Vader said, bristling at the thought of naive Luke being used as a spy.
"Perhaps. But still …" His master chuckled to himself. "I would enjoy seeing the royal house of Alderaan ruled by a Sith Lord."
It took Vader a moment to understand what his master meant. If he was already imagining Luke as a future Sith Lord, it seemed Luke's Force potential had impressed him, if nothing else. Knowing at least some good had come of their meeting gave him renewed hope.
"I will discuss the matter with my son when I return from Mustafar," Vader said. "This may be premature. I still believe the safest place for him is under my watch."
"The decision is in your hands, Lord Vader. But I hope you will make the right decision for all concerned. I would hate to see either of you suffer any further over this."
Luke watched the buildings stream past outside the window of the airbus, half wishing he was riding on the back. He glanced over at Ben, wondering if his friend was regretting his decision to come with him.
"I'm sorry for acting like a sleemo back there," Luke said. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am crazy. But I don't see any other choice."
"What happened? Did he hurt you?"
Luke shook his head. "He ... I just can't live with him anymore. He only has two modes—completely indifferent, or angry. He looks at me like I'm a mail order droid that he never wanted and he can't send back. I don't want to be his son."
Ben nodded, slowly. Luke didn't know if he completely understood, but he didn't want to tell Ben about his mother. It was too shameful to share with anyone.
The airbus came to a halt, and Luke stood up.
"We're here," Luke said. "Come on."
"You still didn't tell me exactly where 'here' is," Ben said, following Luke onto the landing pad. Luke looked around, trying to remember how he'd found his way to the lower levels last time.
"This way."
They joined a trail of people who led them to the public elevators. By the time the level Luke wanted was reached, he and Ben were the only people left. It seemed everyone else was smart enough not to come down here.
Ben stayed close behind him as they walked down the dark and dirty street.
"It smells like deathsticks," Ben complained, as Luke led him into the alley beside the hologame parlor.
"Deathsticks?" Luke enquired.
"That is why it's a bad idea for you to come down here alone," Ben said, stepping over a broken water pipe. "If someone offered you a ride, you'd probably take it."
"Just because I was raised on a farm, doesn't mean I'm that naive. By the way, I told Crix and Val I'd been adopted by your father, so don't mention Vader, whatever you do."
Luke couldn't see Ben's face, but he could sense his friend was rolling his eyes.
"Do they know my father is a royal guard?"
"Yes."
"I guess that will cover why I'm dressed in the uniform of an exclusive private school."
"You really should've changed," Luke said, dragging the tarp away from the tunnel to the junkyard. "It's dirty down here."
Vader had made a detour to the library on his way to his ship hangar. Something his master had said, about parenthood being incompatible with dedication to the ways of the Force, was still gnawing at him. After the Jedi were no more, they had made an effort to salvage the contents of their vast databank of knowledge. At times like this, it was proving useful.
Anakin Skywalker was certainly not the first Jedi to have had children. Curiously, he discovered in the depths of the archives that it was not a given a Jedi's children would inherit his or her Force sensitivity. Some were born completely Force-blind. There were also cautionary tales of Jedi expelled from the order after flouting the code and not taking steps to be responsible with their procreation.
But nothing about what happened to those deluded former-Jedi after that. No records of whether they succeeded as parents after spending their own formative years so far removed from your typical family unit. No mention of any unusual effects of closely related Jedi living in proximity.
Perhaps his master was right, and this was a result of the powerful nature of the Sith. Perhaps he should travel back to Lygun and see if he could learn more about the Sith parent who had once lived there. Although, given how her life had ended, perhaps it was better he didn't know.
Footsteps interrupted his musings, and he looked up to see an assistant had entered the library. The man came to attention before him.
"Sir, we just received a message from Luke's school. He did not show up for classes today, and his friend is missing as well. I was of the belief that Luke had left for school this morning."
"He did," Vader said, feeling a sudden concern.
"I took the liberty of speaking with Ben's father, sir. He says the same thing of Ben."
"Who is Ben?"
"Luke's friend, sir."
"The one I had the displeasure of meeting?"
"The trash compactor, yes, sir. Ben's father said he has a tracer on Ben's comlink, and he was leaving immediately to go and track the boys down. I have already tried Luke's comlink, but he left it in his bedroom. If you would like me to arrange another search effort—"
Vader clenched his fingers together, thinking. "Is this man trustworthy?" he enquired.
"Yes, sir. He is a captain of the royal guard."
"I would expect someone who takes responsibility for the Emperor's security to also have enough responsibility to keep his son under control." As soon as he said the words, Vader became uncomfortably aware the words would equally apply to him. He released a weary breath. "Go and get me an update on his progress. If he hasn't located them in ten minutes, I will go and find Luke personally."
"Yes, sir. You should also know that there's been a new development in the Spectrum case. The ex-Commander Dul has been found. He has been taken into custody and is being held on the Obliterator. The ship is due in system shortly and he will be transferred to the ISB detention centre."
Vader had to wonder if the lieutenant had purposely chosen to give him the good news second. Whatever the reason, it did improve his mood.
"Tell them I will meet them there." The chance to interrogate that traitor was worth delaying his departure by a few hours.
When he and Ben had first arrived in the junkyard, Luke found Val and Crix were gone. Their meager belongings still occupied the crate, however, so he assumed they were somewhere nearby. The first and most obvious place to look had been the hologame parlor, but soon he and Ben were distracted by the glowing images and flashing high score lists.
In the end, it was Crix and Val who found them.
"Luke!"
Luke turned around, already smiling in recognition. "Hi! Val, Crix—this is my friend, Ben."
Val smiled politely, but Crix seemed distracted.
"Did you bring any more ... things?"
"What? Oh ... no, I didn't. Why?"
"We got some good money for the heating units," Crix said. "The blankets weren't bad either."
"You sold them?" Luke said, surprised. "I thought you'd use them yourselves."
"We did, last night," Val said. "I would have kept at least one blanket, but Crix went and sold them without telling me."
"We've been over this, Val," Crix said, with a hint of annoyance."We need the credits!" He looked around, and then gestured for them to move. "Let's get out of here ... we can't talk here."
Personally, Luke thought the hologame parlor was a far better place to talk than the cold, dirty junkyard, but Crix seemed to have a lot on his mind. His friend had changed a lot since he'd first met him. Although, at fourteen, Crix was only a couple of years older than he was, he talked and acted a lot older. His voice had taken on a hard edge, and there was no longer any joking around or spontaneous laughter.
On the way back to the junkyard, Crix walked beside him, talking in a quiet voice about the deals he'd made recently. Val hung back with Ben. Luke had no idea what they were talking about, but they didn't seem to be having any trouble finding something to say.
"Did you hear me?" Crix prompted.
Luke glanced back. "Sorry ... what were you saying?"
"One of my employers asked me where I got the heating unit— he recognized it as military issue, see. I told him about you."
"You did?" Luke said, wondering if that was a good idea. From what he'd heard so far, Crix's employers didn't sound like the kind of people anyone would want to meet.
"Yes—he said he'd pay money—big money—for anything you could get from the Imperial Palace. He said he'd pay five thousand for a complete set of stormtrooper armor. And that's just what he said. I bet if I played a few of them off each other I could get a lot more. How about it? We could have enough to get off this planet and more."
"I ..." Luke looked around, trying to think straight. "I don't know if I could do that. I don't know where they keep their spare armor ... even if I did, I don't know if I could carry something like that without it looking suspicious."
"Do you want to get out of here, or not?" Crix asked, looking dejected at Luke's reluctant tone.
"I do!" Luke insisted. "Listen, I'll think of something."
"Maybe your friend can help," Crix said, pointing back at Ben.
"Leave him out of it," Luke said, hastily pulling Crix's arm back before Ben noticed.
Luckily, Crix took the hint and didn't mention his plans any further. Things were silent between them until they reached the crate, at which point Crix grew tired of listening to Ben and Val talk excitedly.
"What is so interesting?" he asked, looking down from the top as the rest of them scaled the stack of crates.
"We're just talking about the mystery of the missing Alderaan cruiser," Ben said.
"The what?"
Crix glanced at Luke, but Luke could only shrug. "Politics," he explained. "I've found it's better not to ask."
"Val knows all about it," Ben said, smirking at Luke. "I'm surprised you haven't heard about it through your father."
Luke's eyes went wide at Ben's slip, and he glared at him in annoyance. His friend immediately looked apologetic, but it was too late to take it back. The word went over Crix's head, but nothing could get past Val.
"Val knows everything," Crix said. "She's always reading the news flimsis. Hey, has anyone got any food?"
"Forget about food," Val said, quickly. "What's this about your father, Luke? I thought you said—"
"It's nothing," Luke said, quickly.
"Nothing?! Did you find your father? Your real father?"
Luke sighed. "Sort of. But I don't want to talk about it. I wish I hadn't."
"He's not what you expected," Val said, nodding. "It's just like I'm always telling Crix— the fantasy family doesn't exist. People only stay with parents because their biological conditioning forces them to. We have to fight it."
"I don't need to fight it," Luke said. "Nothing could make me stay with him. I'm completely over my whole father thing."
Ben had been digging in his pack, and he pulled out several pieces of fruit. "Here." He threw one at Crix, who caught it gratefully. He gave another one to Val, and he and Luke halved the third.
Val continued to philosophize while they ate, and Luke found himself agreeing with her more and more.
"Family is just an old-fashioned institution," Val said. "They try and sell you this image of a perfect, happy family, but it's all a smokescreen for hiding the ugly reality."
"So true," Luke mumbled. "Friends are the only people you can truly rely on. And you can choose your friends ... you're stuck with family."
"I wish I was stuck with my family," Crix said. "As soon as we get out of here, I'm looking up my father. I don't care if it takes me years ... I'm going to track him down."
"After we earn enough to buy our own ship, you mean," Val said.
"Yeah," Crix agreed. "But that shouldn't take long." He glanced at Luke. "Maybe less time than we think."
"Are you sure you want to track down your father?" Luke said, uncomfortably. "What if he's changed? What if he doesn't want to know you?"
"He isn't like that," Crix mumbled. There was something unsure in his voice, though.
"He is like that," Val insisted. "That's why they took you away from him, remember? You should listen to Luke."
"Good parents are just a fantasy," Luke said, bitterly. "Real parents make your life a nightmare. They try and control you, they lie to you, they ignore you. They try and make you feel guilty for the fact that they have to look after you. They complain that you take up too much of their time. They scar you for life with their neglect!" Luke was silent for a moment, thinking.
"Maybe we should talk about something else," Val said, carefully.
Ben sounded relieved. "Actually, I think it's time I went back."
Luke looked up. "School has finished? I didn't realize it was so late."
"About an hour to go," Ben said. "Luke, are you staying here?"
"He's going back," Crix said, staring intently at Luke.
"But—" Luke met Crix's gaze, and then stood up, somewhat reluctantly. "All right. But I'll be back ... as soon as I get what you need. Then we're leaving for good. Right?"
"We'll be waiting for you," Val said.
Crix nodded in agreement. Satisfied, Luke walked over to the edge and lowered himself down backwards. It was a lot trickier getting down than up, and Ben ended up slipping beside him and falling in the dirt down below.
"I hope you have a spare uniform," Luke said, dropping down beside him.
"I'll just throw it in our auto-washer," Ben said. "That's what I did with the clothes I was wearing when we went in the trash compactor. They came out fine."
Luke grinned at the memory. "Thanks for coming with me."
"No problem."
Luke had to admire his friend's spirit. He hadn't complained about anything so far, not even the vermin in the tunnel. The best way to deal with it was to get it over and done with as soon as possible, and they didn't talk until they were safely on the other side.
Luke started down the alley, digging in his pocket to find some credits for the airbus.
"So you're really going with them?" Ben asked.
"Of course," Luke said. "We'll be leaving tomorrow."
"I was talking with Val. She said that they had an arrangement to join a shipping crew."
Luke nodded. "The captain can't leave Coruscant until he's paid off his debt to a local crime lord. He said that if we could provide the money, we could join his crew."
"Val's pretty smart. I think she wants to go to school. She can't do that on a ship."
"Who needs school?" Luke said. "They just teach lots of boring things which aren't relevant to real life."
Ben looked like he'd just punched him in the stomach. "There are so many things wrong with that, it's just not funny. Anyway, what is to stop this captain kicking you off the ship at the first spaceport?"
"At least we'll be away from here," Luke said. "This is the worst planet in the galaxy."
"That is a complete exaggeration. Besides, that's what you said about Tatooine."
"Before I came here. But this place is worse. At least he isn't on Tatooine."
Ben glanced at him. "He really hurt you, didn't he?"
Luke looked away, not wanting to remember the Emperor's words.
"You don't have to tell me, but it sounds like something really bad."
"It's bad," Luke agreed. He sat down on a nearby water pipe. "Are you sure you want to hear it? You already have nightmares about him."
"Only when I was a kid!" Ben protested.
Luke was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He needed to tell someone about this, but it wasn't easy. It was hard to get the words out without breaking down.
"The Emperor told me I've inherited my father's Force powers," Luke said. "And he only took me in because he thinks I can be useful to the Empire when I'm older." Luke paused, shuddering at the memory.
Ben didn't say anything, and Luke clenched his hands together, trying to control his anger.
"He refused to tell me anything about my mother. Now I know why. He killed her." Luke's voice broke on the words. It sounded worse to hear his own voice say it, than it did to hear it from the Emperor.
Ben was still quiet, so Luke continued.
"He's murdered lots of people ... even children. The Emperor said he was surprised he hadn't lost his temper and hurt me yet. "
"It seems a little strange that the Emperor would tell you all this," Ben said, suddenly. "It sounds like he was purposely trying to hurt your relationship with—"
"Did you hear what I said? He killed my mother!"
"I heard it," Ben said, kicking a stone against the wall. "That's awful if it's true. I don't understand why adults can be in love one day and then hurting each other the next. My mother walked out on my father when I was a few weeks old. She's never so much as sent us a message in twelve years."
"Oh," Luke said, taken aback. "I ... I didn't realize. I thought she was dead."
"She could be, for all I know. When I think about it, it makes me angry. I wonder why she cares about me so little that she can't even take one minute to send a message. But I'm not going to let it rule my life. I have my father ... people like Val and Crix don't even have that!" He paused for a moment. "My father says that adult relationships can be very complicated ... there's no easy answers as to why things don't work out."
"And why they kill each other?" Luke asked.
"I didn't mean that," Ben said, frowning. "Look, how do you know he really did? Did he say he did?"
"Of course he wouldn't tell me."
"It doesn't make a lot of sense to me," Ben said. "You told me your father didn't know you existed. How is that possible if he killed your mother? Either you had already been born, or ... you'd have died too."
"I don't want to think about it," Luke mumbled. "Val made a good point. Family is just a fantasy."
"You didn't believe all that, did you? Wake up, Luke! She only thinks that way because she wants a family of her own so badly. Perfect families don't exist, but loving families do … I have one myself. There may be only two of us and maybe we argue sometimes, but he's my father. No friend can replace that."
"Then you're lucky," Luke said, sighing. "But Val and Crix care about me more than he ever has."
"He's going to kill me," Ben said, suddenly.
Luke looked up. "Who?" He followed Ben's gaze and found himself looking at a figure standing at the other end of the alleyway. A second later, he recognized him as Ben's father.
"I think we're busted," Ben said. He waved feebly at his father, who was walking quickly towards them.
"Ben! Luke!" He reached Ben and grabbed him in an embrace. "Thank the Force you're all right!" After a brief moment of silence, he pushed Ben back and held him by the shoulders. "What the hell were you thinking? Do you have any idea how worried I've been? You could have been killed down here!"
"Uh ... I ..." Ben mumbled.
"Get your butts out of here, right now!" He gave Ben a push towards the street-end of the alley. Luke was in two minds about following or running but one look from Ben's father and he stood and ran to catch up with Ben.
An Imperial-marked speeder was parked a few meters away, and he and Ben were herded into it. Ben tried to get in the back with Luke, but his father pulled him into the passenger seat.
"I couldn't believe it when the school had to call me at work," he said, starting the speeder's engine and lifting off. "I said—'no, you must have the wrong Ben! My son would never do a thing like that!"
"Dad ..." Ben started.
"You'll be lucky if they don't use this as an excuse to cancel your scholarship," he said, managing to fly and point at Ben at the same time.
It reminded Luke of some of the lectures he'd received from Uncle Owen over the years. But at least his uncle had always waited until they got home. Ben's father didn't even pause for breath until they entered the heart of Imperial City. Luke could sense his friend was feeling increasingly upset at this onslaught, and his conscience couldn't let this continue. When the pause came, Luke quickly took advantage of it.
"Sir, it wasn't Ben's fault," Luke said, leaning over the seats. "It was my idea. I wanted to play hologames, and I made him come with me."
"He should have said no," he glanced over at Ben. "You should have known better. Stars, do you know how many kids your age disappear in those lower-level neighborhoods on any given day? Do you?"
Ben pointed out the window in response. "You missed the turnoff ... where are we going?"
"The palace." Ben's father turned the speeder out of the traffic lane, and they dived towards one of the underground landing pads. "I have a job to do, in case you've forgotten. You can sit in my office and watch holovid until I'm off duty."
"Holovid? But I have to work on my math assignment ... it's on my computer at home."
"Oh, so now you're interested in school! You can forget about doing homework."
"I'm banned from doing homework?" Ben said, incredulous.
"You can forget about visiting the library, also. Nothing but holovid for you."
They had landed at this point, and Ben's father switched off the engine.
"That is so unfair!" Ben protested.
"Do you hear that sound in the distance?" Ben's father asked. "That is the sound of the galaxy's smallest violin, playing a sad, solo tune, just for you."
"You can't stop me from doing homework!"
Luke couldn't help but think it sounded like a very good deal to him, but he decided it was probably better that he kept out of it. If he timed it right, he could sneak away unnoticed.
He trailed behind as they left the speeder and walked down the corridors. When they reached a part of the palace Luke thought he recognized, he tried to shift away. He was halted by a hand on his shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Uh," Luke looked up at Ben's father. "To my room."
"Not so fast. You can stay with Ben until someone comes to escort you."
"But it's only—" Luke pointed towards the elevators.
"I wasn't born yesterday, Luke."
Luke didn't argue further.
As they walked through the halls of the office levels, Luke found himself analyzing every object for its street value. There were certainly plenty of possibilities, with statues, vases and elaborate wall hangings. There were also guards, droids, and security officers around every corner. Not to mention Ben's father breathing down his neck. He would have trouble taking any of these things unnoticed.
When they reached the guard headquarters, they passed through two sets of security doors, the latter of which was flanked by a single guard. He turned his head as Ben's father approached.
"Hello, Captain Jarnet. Glad to see you found your son, safe and sound."
"So am I. Is Quintan still substituting for me at the conservatory?"
"I haven't seen him here, so I'd presume so."
"Good, I'll go and relieve him. Make sure these boys don't leave."
"Both of them?"
Luke could feel the second guard was staring at him, perhaps in recognition. "Lieutenant Dorany asked me to keep him secure until someone could come and escort him back to his quarters. Lord Vader may come personally. Use your discretion."
Luke had to refrain from shuddering at the words. The last person he wanted to see right now was his father. He'd been hoping he'd have left by now.
The second guard nodded, and they walked on. Once inside, Ben's father pointed them in the direction of his office.
"I'm going to get dressed. Make yourselves comfortable."
He disappeared down the dark, black corridors, and Ben led Luke down a side passage. Every two meters, they would pass crystal statues of the Emperor set in hollows in the wall. Luke stared at them, wondering if anyone would even notice if one was gone.
"Here," Ben said, pushing open a door.
The office was surprisingly normal, given the mysterious nature that hung in the air outside. There was a desk with a computer terminal and en-suite kitchen and refresher facilities. The wall beside the desk was covered with holo-images. Ben flopped down on the couch with a loud sigh and switched on the holovid.
Luke had moved over to look at the holos, but he glanced back at the sound of Ben sighing.
"Thanks for not telling him why we were down there."
"I might have, if he'd asked," Ben said. "Did you notice how he didn't even bother to ask? He always thinks he knows everything."
"You can't tell him," Luke said, nervously. "At least until I've gone. He would tell my father."
Ben nodded, and Luke turned back to the holos. He spotted one of a very young Ben, dressed in a homemade royal guard outfit.
"Look at that," he said, pointing and grinning. "How cuuute!"
"Don't look at those," Ben said, embarrassed.
The picture above it showed both father and son on top of a snowy mountain. They were holding their pick-axes in the air and smiling like they'd just won a million credits.
"You went mountain climbing?" he enquired.
"Oh yeah, that was a year ago. On one of the moons of Cludavin. Once you reach the top, you can go on this ride which takes you down to the bottom in ten seconds. Listen ... when are you planning to leave?"
Luke shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs.
"As soon as I can. Maybe tonight."
"What do you think your father will do when he finds you've gone?"
"Throw a party? He won't care. He's going away anyway. He probably won't even notice I'm not there until he comes back."
"Are you sure? Because if not, I'm going to be the first one they ask."
"Just say you don't know," Luke said.
Ben was about to reply, but he was cut off by the office door sliding open. Ben's father was on the other side, decked out in his red robes and carrying his helmet under his arm.
"Luke, someone should be along to escort you upstairs in a few minutes. There's food and drink in the kitchen if you're hungry." He turned and prodded Ben with his pike. "You stay put."
"Thank you," Luke mumbled. Ben's father was being surprisingly nice to him, seeing as he was entirely responsible for what had happened today. "Sorry about causing you all this trouble."
"I'll survive. I suppose I need a little disruption every now and then. Keeps the old reflexes on edge."
He waved at Luke and made an exit. After the doors slid closed, Ben frowned in annoyance. "Oh, sure, he forgives you," he said. "I'm going to have to grovel just to be allowed to go to the library again."
"I'm sorry," Luke said, feeling terrible. "I didn't want to drag you into this."
"Yeah, I know. It was my decision to go with you. Moaning about it just seems to help. Hey, Droid Battles is on!" He turned up the volume, and sat closer. "I love this show."
Luke didn't say anything further. He rested his head on the desk and listened while Ben laughed and cheered his way through the show. Eventually, there was a tap on the door, and Ben stood up to open it. Another guard was on the other side, and he gestured at Luke.
"Come on. Lieutenant Dorany is here for you."
"Lev!" Luke said, jumping up. He silently thanked the Force that it wasn't his father. "Ben ... um, if I don't see you ... I'll send you a message."
"Be careful," Ben said, looking concerned.
He always did worry too much, in Luke's opinion. "Goodbye."