Chapter 9: The Emperor's Offer
"Are you going to offer some kind of explanation?"
Luke felt a rush of anger at the diminishing tone. His power flared, fighting to be unleashed on the source of his ire. "Don't talk to me like that. My mission was a success. It was good enough for the Emperor. Why isn't it good enough for you?"
His father turned away, pacing in the conference room. Luke sat back on the table and picked up his lightsaber hilt. He tossed it to the floor and then used the Force to pull it into his hand.
"You were ordered to kill the Quasher crown prince," his father said. "That was all. Not his wife, children, in-laws, and infant grandchildren."
"I was just being thorough," Luke said, with a smirk. He stretched out a hand, attempting to steal his father's lightsaber away from his belt. It never even twitched. His power had doubled in the last year, but he still wasn't that powerful. Not yet.
"You indulged in a wanton murderous rampage!" his father insisted.
Luke snorted. "Like you haven't."
"We are not talking about me. Even if we were, I have never killed children for my own amusement."
"Oh, let me bow down in your presence, guardian of moral virtue," Luke said, standing up. "It's always one standard for you, one standard for me. I'm sick of you and your hypocrisy. You're just jealous of my power! The Emperor appreciates me."
"The Emperor is not your father."
"He treats me better than you ever did!"
"He has defiled you."
"He's shown me true power," Luke said. "He cares for me enough to let me express myself."
"He doesn't care for you. You are naïve to think so. He simply uses you to further his own ends."
"Just because you failed him doesn't mean that I have. I'm what he always wanted you to be. The future of the Sith Order! He said so himself."
There was a prolonged silence.
"I do not believe I know you anymore," his father said, quietly.
"You just can't handle change. Anyway, I don't have time for your complaining right now. The Emperor has given me a new mission."
"What mission?"
"I'm going to hunt down my twin. He knows that you've failed ... or maybe you weren't even trying."
His father turned away, staring at an empty stretch of wall. "Perhaps I don't want to see another child of mine become the Emperor's slave."
"Traitor!" Luke spat. He then turned and walked towards the exit with grim determination.
A sudden jolt in the Force caused Vader to look up from his work on the Dunesea's forward defense mounts. There was only one person who could cause such tremors in the Force, and it was far too early for him to be awake.
Luke? What is it?
There was no response to his query. Vader started walking towards the elevators, but he was halted by an embarrassed acknowledgment.
I'm okay.
What happened?
Nothing. I'm going back to sleep.
The link was closed. It was abrupt for Luke, but then, he was never at his best when he first woke up. It was tempting to consider going to Luke's bedroom and ensuring there really was nothing amiss, but that would likely annoy Luke further. As his son was always telling him, he was seventeen years old and more than capable of handling a bad dream.
Vader turned back to the shuttle, idly wondering how it was possible for his son to have inherited something so abstract as a tendency to have nightmares. He would take it back in a second if only he could. He took his frustration out on a misaligned stabilizer, bending it with a pair of pliers until it snapped. Although he didn't like to acknowledge it, he sometimes broke things simply to give him something to fix.
Twenty minutes later, he heard the sound of an elevator arriving. He didn't need to look to know it was Luke. When he appeared alongside him, he stared at the stabilizer in annoyance.
"I spent ages on that!"
"Clearly not long enough," Vader said, glancing at him. His son was fully dressed in his school uniform and carried a steaming mug in his hand. "It fell off. What happened?"
Luke shrugged. "I guess it wasn't sealed properly."
"No, I mean earlier. Did you have a nightmare?"
"It was nothing," Luke said, wandering over to sit on the boarding ramp. "I just couldn't get back to sleep."
"It didn't feel like nothing. What was your dream about?"
"Nothing," Luke repeated, sipping his drink. "It was stupid. For example—in the dream, I had a twin. Imagine that."
"A twin? There were two of you? Definitely a nightmare."
Luke gave him a long-suffering look of non-amusement and then took another sip. He stared into the mug for a moment, and then said, quietly, "That's impossible, right?"
Vader stared at his son, considering the idea. Padmé had not visited a medical facility during her pregnancy, for fear of discovery. Only a medical droid had examined her, and it was possible something could have been missed. But the chances of that were almost non-existent, and besides, if there had been two children, Obi-Wan would have taken them both.
"Impossible," Vader agreed.
Luke nodded, and Vader sensed both relief and disappointment. His son fidgeted for a moment, and his face was covered with an expression as if he really wanted to ask something, but wasn't sure if he should. It was familiar to Vader, but he hadn't seen it in a long while.
"Do you think you'd have had more?" Luke said, finally. "If things had been ... different."
"More what?" Vader asked.
"You know ... children."
"Why are you asking this?" Vader said, struggling to push back the terrible memories.
"Sorry," Luke said, quickly. "I didn't mean ... let's just change the subject."
"Luke, the only thing that matters is the here and now. Dwelling on what might have been is pointless."
"Forget I mentioned it," Luke repeated, standing up.
"Besides," Vader said, distantly. "As a father, I have already been blessed far more than I deserve. To wish for more would be ... audacious."
Luke stared in surprise, before looking away and smiling to himself, in a slightly embarrassed way. He sat down again and stared at the floor.
Vader returned to working on the stabilizer mount, wondering why he'd said that.
"How are your studies progressing?" Vader asked, to break the silence.
"Okay," Luke said. "My final exams are in a few weeks."
"Perhaps you are having nightmares because you are stressed."
"I won't start stressing over them until a few days before," Luke said, grinning. "Ben, on the other hand ... he's been worrying since last summer. I don't know why ... he already has provisional acceptance into medical school based on his mid-year results, and now he has a scholarship too."
"Perhaps growing up among the children of the powerful has given him an inferiority complex, which manifests in a need to prove himself."
"What?" Luke said, looking blank. "Anyway, speaking of him, we were talking yesterday about going for a hyperspace trip after graduation."
"A hyperspace trip?"
"You know ... cruising around the galaxy, sight-seeing. There are a few places I'd like to see."
"You will have your own ship, I take it," Vader said. "Because none of mine will be leaving this hangar bay."
"You mean we can go if I have my own ship?" Luke said, his eyes shining. "Great!"
"I did not say that. You will have far more important matters to attend to after you graduate. And speaking of your preparation ... you have an appointment with General Mylock, a senior military strategist, at IMH. 1600 tomorrow afternoon. If I return from Quasher in time, I will take you myself to introduce you."
"You're going to Quasher?"
"Yes. I have a particular task to perform at the Emperor's request. It should not take long."
A vague feeling of unease passed over their link, and Luke looked away. "What task?" he mumbled.
"It is no concern of yours."
Luke sighed. "What will I be learning at IMH? Flight techniques?"
"IMH deal more with the larger issues surrounding military deployment. Combat strategy but on a galactic scale."
"You know where I'd learn even more about combat strategy? Pilot academy."
"Luke …"
"I know, I know, but I really want to do it."
"You do not need to go to the academy to learn how to fly in combat. I can teach you myself."
"I know, but you're busy most of the time. Besides, I want to earn a rank. I don't want every other pilot saying I'm only Commander Skywalker because I'm your son."
"Commander Skywalker," Vader repeated, feeling some old memories try and creep into his thoughts.
"Nice ring to it, don't you think?"
"If you are not careful, Commander, you are going to be late for school. Eat some breakfast—a proper breakfast. Whatever you're drinking does not count."
"I was waiting for that," Luke said, standing up and stretching.
"And do not concern yourself with the future, young one. The Force will guide you towards your destiny."
For some reason, the words made Luke look uncomfortable. Vader stretched out along their link, seeking further understanding, but his son brushed him away.
"I'll see you later if you're still here," he said, walking off towards the elevators.
Vader stared after him, making a mental note to confront Luke about this resistance in the near future. He had thought they'd covered that after the incident with the hydrospanner, but perhaps not. It was becoming a worry. In all his years at the temple, he had never encountered a Jedi who was reluctant to embrace his or her power. In his own experience, it had felt like the most natural thing in the world to let go and let the Force take over.
Perhaps his son was still worried about being considered a 'freak' by his peers. Or perhaps this was more fallout from the choking incident. Either way, he would need to get to the bottom of this, as the Emperor would take it as a sign of Luke's instability and declare him unsuitable for training.
He glanced back at the Dunesea, considering whether he trusted Luke's skills enough to take this ship to Quasher, or whether he would do better to take an interceptor or a larger starfighter. Given the nature of his mission, something with some stealth might be preferable.
A minute later, an assistant entered the hangar, and Vader turned away from the ship in anticipation of an update on the ground situation on Quasher. The timing of his own mission would need to be carefully considered.
"My lord, we have received an update from Admiral Thurwill. All troops are now deployed, and the next phase of the operation is underway. There is a Joint Chiefs meeting scheduled in an hour for a full briefing."
"Very well."
"We also received this from a protocol droid." He passed him an old-fashioned black flimsi envelope. "We were told it was vitally important you receive it but the droid said the sender was classified."
There was nothing inside but a blank piece of card. The ensign looked anxious at the realization.
"My apologies, sir, it must have been a mistake."
Vader ran a hand over it, sensing a stirring in the Force. This card was hiding something.
"If you wish, I could have it analyzed by ISB."
"I will look into it myself," Vader said, immediately. If the sender of this message intended it to go through ISB, they would have had it delivered there first. Someone had wanted it placed directly into his hands.
Either it was an assassination attempt, or information of such value that the sender feared any discovery.
"As you wish, sir. I will return to my duties."
As the ensign walked away, Vader turned the card over in his hands. This was going to require some thought.
"That wall must be really interesting."
Luke blinked rapidly and then forced himself to focus on Ben.
"Huh?"
"The wall. You've been staring at it for half an hour. But don't let me disturb you."
Luke gazed around, remembering they were in the library. He groaned in frustration and then scrolled his datareader back to the start. He was going to learn this galactic history until he could recite it in his sleep.
"Throw something at me if I do that again," Luke said. "I need to concentrate."
"You've been doing it all morning. In politics, the teacher called your name twice, and then he just gave up. I think your mind is still winning that tunnel race."
"I wish."
Ben was silent. He was pouring over something that looked like another language to Luke. Numbers and strange symbols.
"Ben," Luke said, suddenly. "Can I ask you a ... philosophical question?"
"You mean like the meaning of life?"
"Do you think a dream can ever be a vision of the future?"
Ben stared at him. His work lay forgotten. "You had a dream about the future?"
"I never said that."
"You had a dream, and you're wondering if it was a vision of the future? What was it about?"
Luke was about to speak, but then he hesitated. He glanced around to make sure no one was listening and then mumbled a reply.
"I killed someone."
"You dreamed about killing someone?" Ben looked vaguely disturbed. "Who?"
"I didn't kill anyone during the dream. But there was talk ..."
"Maybe it was a sign of repressed anger," Ben said. "You should run it by the counselor droid." He resumed his work. "I'd visit you if you were committed."
"Thanks," Luke said, rolling his eyes.
"You could ask your father," Ben said, finally.
"I'm afraid he'll say it's a Force thing," Luke admitted. "That dreaming about the future happens all the time."
"I don't think so," Ben said. "If that were true, the Rebellion wouldn't exist. The Emperor or your father would have foreseen it, and ended it before it started."
"I never thought of that."
"And your father would have already known you would crash the Dunesea before it happened—and told you not to do it."
"Maybe it only happens sometimes," Luke said. "Maybe the Force is trying to warn me about something."
"Warn you not to kill someone? Have you ever even wanted to kill someone?"
"Once," Luke admitted.
"Who?"
"The person who killed my aunt and uncle," Luke explained. "But in my dream, it isn't a revenge killing. It's some strangers that I was ordered to kill by ... by someone."
"Maybe it's not the future, but instead it represents your fears about the future," Ben suggested.
"I have been worrying about ... certain things," Luke said, thinking of the Force powers he'd exhibited in the dream.
"About what you'll be expected to do when they start giving you more responsibilities?"
"Yes, and … other things." Luke started to voice his thoughts, but then stopped. As smart as Ben was, his friend would not understand the Force.
"Or maybe you're right, and I'm just going crazy."
For the first time in many long years, Vader found himself wishing Obi-Wan was still around. Solving problems that required a lot of patience had always been his domain. He could still recall one particular mission when Obi-Wan had spent an entire week working on a Migoli sliding cube, which had been gifted to them on arrival by the Migoli prime minister. His former self had spent an hour trying to solve it and then thrown it out a third-story window in frustration.
He wished passionately he could do the same with this annoyingly blank piece of something. It didn't respond to heat or light of any spectrum, and putting it underwater merely made it wet. The most annoying thing was the fact that whoever sent it clearly thought him smart enough to figure it out, which made him feel more stupid by the minute.
Finally, he'd withdrawn to his meditation chamber to get some rest before departing for Quasher. But as was a common occurrence, when he withdrew deep into the Force, Vader found his thoughts were occupied by Luke. His son was deeply troubled about something. And when Luke was troubled, nothing good ever came of it. He should endeavor to spend more time with him, and then perhaps he'd feel able to confide in his father.
As he watched Luke's glowing presence in the Force, he became aware of a new element. The Dark Side, swirling below his son's presence. His destiny.
Perhaps that was the nature of his son's fears. Even if he didn't understand the specifics, he understood his father had lost who he was in the pursuit of complete understanding of the Force. That would not happen to Luke. Destroying Anakin Skywalker had been necessary. Luke could retain as much of himself as he wanted. There was so much he needed to explain, but it would have to wait until he returned from Quasher.
Not for the first time, Vader felt unease as he thought of his pending departure, although the Force yielded no answers as to why. Perhaps the answer was contained on that blank piece of nothing that had been driving him crazy all day.
Vader glanced over to where it lay, resting innocently on top of the monitor. The sight of it caused him to suck in a breath in shock. The movement instantly made him cough, as he wasn't wearing the respirator.
When the pain subsided, Vader snatched the card and held it up. It was covered in a few short sentences, etched out in purplish marks clearly caused by some kind of chemical reaction. Vader glanced around, instantly comprehending. The pure oxygen atmosphere. As blindingly obvious as he'd expected it would be.
He focused on the words and began to read.
A moment later, his fingers contracted, and the message disintegrated into a withered ball. His first instinct was to storm up to the towers, find his master, and make his displeasure known. Preferably with the blade end of a lightsaber. But even as he pressed the button to lower the mask, he realized that was a foolish idea. He would die very quickly, and Luke would be left at the Emperor's mercy.
Even if he left his lightsaber behind, it still did not amount to a fruitful plan of action. It was more than obvious who had sent this note. Only someone who worked closely with the Emperor would be privy to the unfortunate visitors lured into his private office.
If any whiff of this breach of loyalty reached the Emperor's ears, he who was responsible would be scheduled for immediate execution. If usual procedure was followed, the task would fall to the Emperor's personal executioner. Perhaps Luke had mellowed him, but somehow the thought of having to execute the father of his son's friend was deeply disturbing.
So perhaps discussing this with his master could be put on hold for now. But there was someone else who was going to provide an explanation.
Luke's head was full of thoughts of the Bloodfin as he stepped out of his speeder. After spending two hours after class in the library with Ben, he had earned some time for more interesting activities. He needed to get to work on fixing that broken stabilizer, and then start finding ways to force some more acceleration out of it. After all, he had a title to defend in the next tunnel race.
The workroom where he kept the bike had the lights off, and he ran his fingers over the controls as he walked in. As the lights flickered on, illuminating the room, he was brought up short by the sight of his father. For some reason, he was waiting in the middle of the room, still and silent.
"Stars, do you have to be so dramatic?" Luke complained, putting his bag of fast food on the bench. "A little warning, next time! I thought you were leaving?"
His father didn't reply. Instead, he swept past him and sealed the doors.
Luke glanced up at his father, sensing all was not well with his mood. He quickly established some distance between them, backing up against the workbench. Before he had a chance to ask what was wrong, his father waved a hand towards him, lifting him into the air and pushing him back until he was sitting on the raised surface. The gesture put them on eye level.
His father then took a step back and folded his arms.
Luke's gaze wandered to the Bloodfin, still hidden under a sheet. Perhaps he had found out about the Speedsters and the tunnel race. His father still hadn't spoken, and he was clenching his fingers together as he often did when trying to control his anger. Luke began to fidget nervously. Perhaps he should apologize, although he wasn't entirely sure which one of his many recent adventures was to blame for this.
"Son," his father said, finally, "I want to know two things."
"Okay," Luke said, carefully.
"What have you been discussing with the Emperor, and why did you not tell me these meetings had taken place?"
Luke stared blankly, wondering how in space he was going to handle this. He was completely unprepared.
"Answer me!" his father snapped.
"Stop overreacting!" Luke said, holding up his hands.
"Overreacting?! I have spent years protecting you from the Emperor." He unfolded his arms in order to point at him. "Is this how you show your gratitude?"
"He told me not to say anything, and I didn't want to cause an argument between you and him! It was no big deal ... just talk about politics and the Empire. He wanted to know how my senate lessons were going."
"And did he mention the Force?"
"He's always talking about the Force," Luke said, waving a hand in dismissal. "So are you."
"That's not what I mean, and you know it, Son. Has he been training you?"
"I ... I don't know," Luke said, fighting back tears. The only thing he could remember at the moment was his dream from the night before. "I ... maybe you should ask him."
"You are lying!"
"All right, yes, he talked about the Force!" Luke heard his voice break as he spoke his next words. "I went to him because I wanted to stop this. I don't want anything to do with the Force!"
"You went to him?"
Luke was silent, looking down.
"You have betrayed me."
"What?" He looked up, hardly believing what he was hearing. "Betrayed you? That's ridiculous!"
His father stepped closer, and Luke hastily pushed himself off the workbench, back to the floor.
"He has been training you to replace me. Admit it!"
"That's not true. How can you even say that?! What's wrong with you?"
In response, his father's hand moved towards his lightsaber, and Luke felt a rush of fear that sent him stumbling back towards the Bloodfin. There was nowhere to hide in the small room, and his father, or whoever that was impersonating his father, was blocking the exit. Luke looked back, dreading what he was going to see.
But his father, whether he'd come to his senses, or merely tired of the conversation, had turned away. The last thing he saw, through his blurred vision, was the edge of the cape disappearing out the door.
Shortly afterward, it was followed by the sound of his TIE fighter engine igniting.
Two hours into hyperspace, it occurred to Vader that perhaps there was something in Luke's comment that he had overreacted. Things always seemed clearer out here, away from the crushing confines of Coruscant. His anger over the Emperor's actions had not receded, but rationality had returned. Of course Luke had not betrayed him. It was more likely the Emperor had threatened to hurt the boy's friends if he didn't go along with this. He could only feel gratitude that he still had the presence of mind to leave before he'd lost his temper entirely and hurt the boy.
The Emperor was entirely to blame for anything that might have occurred between them. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken the time to find out exactly what that was. But he knew this: all his master's veiled threats, all his disapproving remarks about Luke's very existence ... it was all an act. Another one of his distracting displays to hide his true intentions. His real plan was to replace him with his son. And who could blame him? His son was young, healthy, and bursting with potential. Just as a young Anakin had usurped Dooku, his master saw an opportunity to make a new apprentice out of Luke.
As usual, his master was clearly convinced that this plan would work. Instead, it would be his downfall. The Emperor did not understand Luke, and he never could. Luke was his son, and the ties of blood between them would withstand any false promises used to lure Luke away.
It was time he made some plans of his own. He would go along with this for now and allow the Emperor to train Luke. Then, when Luke had reached his full potential, they would be unstoppable. They would take the galaxy back from the Emperor's grip, and rule it together, as father and son. At last, there would be peace and order. Everything he'd sacrificed and suffered would finally produce results.
But all this was still far into the future. There was something in the here and now to deal with. As soon as he came out of hyperspace, he needed to contact his son and have a more rational discussion about the Emperor and his ways and means. A discussion that didn't involve shouting and accusations. If past arguments were anything to go by, his son had probably been hurt by his remarks. He should attempt to set things right.
Then he would complete this mission on Quasher and return as soon as possible. Leaving Luke alone on Coruscant when his master clearly had some nefarious plan wasn't wise. If he hadn't been so fearful of his own temper, he would have taken the boy with him for his own protection.
After another half hour of brooding, Vader was relieved to see the hyperspace reversion alarm light up. When normal space once more filled the cockpit window, he activated the appropriate security encryption, and then he entered Luke's frequency. The equipment flickered for a few seconds, negotiating the connection to Coruscant, and then it went straight to a message service.
"Hi. I'm not available right now, so please leave a message."
The holographic Luke disappeared, and a light came on to indicate he was being recorded.
"Luke, how many times have I told you not to switch your comlink off?" Vader said, annoyed. "Especially when I am away from Coruscant. Never do so again!"
He paused for a moment, wondering if that was really the best opening for an apology call. It was too late now, regardless.
"I want you to be careful while I am not there. Be on your guard. Pay attention to your instincts, and listen to your feelings. I will return as soon as possible."
He was about to stop the recording, but he had a feeling he should add something more. This wasn't easy.
"Perhaps I said some things during our earlier conversation that I might not have said had I taken more time to consider the situation. I hope you have not taken anything I said to heart."
He hoped Luke would understand what he meant.
"You may contact me at any time if you wish to discuss anything, but be warned, there is no guarantee of privacy while using this method of communication. It may be prudent to wait for my return to discuss anything of a sensitive nature. Be sure to get to bed early and eat proper meals."
He shut down the comlink and looked back at the cockpit window. The growing fleet around Quasher was spread out in front of him. As always, duty called.
It was halfway through his second class of the day when Luke made it to school. Lev had kindly written him a note explaining his lateness, which B-60 had accepted after five minutes of arguing. Ben took one look at the circles under his eyes and didn't bother to ask.
When the lunch break rolled around, they went to the locker hall. Luke tried to start a conversation about the Bloodfin's engine, but Ben interrupted.
"Why was your comlink switched off last night? Did you get my message?"
"I didn't feel like talking to anyone," Luke said. "I haven't checked the messages yet. Why, what was it?"
"Nothing," Ben said. "My father said I should check up on you, and I wanted to see if you'd taken my history notes by accident. What happened? You look like you didn't sleep. Was something going on at the palace? Or another weird dream?"
Luke shook his head. He opened his locker and started loading all his datapads in.
"I had an argument with my father. Well, he had one with me."
"What about?"
Luke closed the locker door and sunk his head against it. "He found out the Emperor had been talking to me. Then he accused me of betraying him."
"That sounds familiar," Ben said. "Parents can be such nerf herders sometimes."
"Yeah," Luke said, distantly. He turned away. "Let's go eat."
Ben glanced at him again as they walked down the corridor towards the cafeteria. "He'll probably apologize later. Maybe he was just surprised and lost his temper."
Luke didn't reply. How could he explain to Ben that he was worried his father had a point? He felt deep shame whenever he thought about his chats with the Emperor. He could have walked out of that office at any moment. He could have avoided speaking with him in the first place. Instead, he'd let himself be drawn into this, and the terrifying dreams were the result.
When they entered the cafeteria, they headed immediately for their usual corner table. But someone was already sitting there. Armith. He and Ben glanced at each other, and then Luke approached the table. "Hi, Armith."
She glanced up and then gave a small smile. "Oh. Hi, Luke. Sorry, is this where you usually sit?"
She made to stand up, but Luke hastily gestured for her to sit back down. "It's no problem." Luke sat down on the other side. Ben joined him. They began to eat, and Luke glanced around, trying to think of something to talk about with Armith. Before the silence had lasted too long, Ben came to his rescue.
"Did you argue with Ophelia?" Ben asked, gesturing over to the other side of the lunchroom.
Luke looked over and saw Ophelia was in her usual place, sitting among the other sons and daughters of the Imperial aristocracy. Armith would normally have been sitting on Ophelia's right, much like how his father always stood or sat on the Emperor's right at official events.
"She said I can't sit with them until I break up with Tyloid," Armith said, poking miserably at her lunch.
"What? That's so mean," Luke said, annoyed. "And I thought you did break up with him?"
"So did I," Armith said, twirling one of her long braids around her finger. "But he asked me to be his date for a ball at the Quasher embassy next week, and somehow I just said yes."
Luke made a mental note to make sure he was busy on that day.
"You could always say you changed your mind," Ben said.
Armith stared at Ben for a moment, and then said, "You look familiar. What's your name again?"
Ben gave Luke a look, which clearly said 'will you forgive me if I say something rude?'. Luke was in the process of considering the answer to that question when a loud voice caused them all to jump.
"Surprise!"
Armith started and turned around, only to find Tyloid had slipped into the lunchroom and crept up behind her. He was carrying a large bunch of flowers, which he tossed on the table, letting them fall into Ben's lunch. Then he pulled her up by her arm and started kissing her, much to Luke's annoyance. Younger students at nearby tables began to giggle and point.
Armith finally managed to extract herself, and then took a step backward.
"Why are you sitting with Darth Junior and his pleb sidekick?" Tyloid demanded, finally noticing them. "Never mind. I've come to bust you out of here."
He grabbed her hand and started to pull her away. Luke was about to protest, but Armith yanked her hand back.
"Ty, I ... I'm trying to eat lunch. We'll do something later."
"We can do something now and later," Tyloid said, reaching back to grab her again. "Although you'll need to get changed for later. That school uniform does nothing for you."
"Get your hands off her!" Luke said, standing up.
Tyloid looked at him in amusement. "Sorry, this one's taken, junior. You'll have to get your own girl if you want one."
"Excuse me?" Armith said. "Look, please just leave, Ty!"
Other students had begun to gather around at this point, anticipating a fight. Luke walked out from behind the table, and Ben quickly stood up to join him.
"She doesn't want anything to do with you!" Luke said, feeling his anger rise. "No one does! Why are you even here? The Empire has invaded your planet and they're probably bombing the cities to rubble as we speak! Don't you even care about the people you're supposed to represent?"
His words caused several bystanders to cheer and applaud.
Tyloid stepped towards him, eyes flashing. "My planet hasn't been invaded, you puddle of hutt slime!"
"Stop it!" Armith said, sounding distressed. "Fine, I'll go with you. Just leave Luke alone—"
Before she'd finished, Tyloid shoved her back into the table. "You stay out of this!"
All desire Luke had to keep his temper in check, disappeared in a flash of red. He rushed at Tyloid and pushed him away from Armith. They struggled briefly while the crowd cheered around them, and then Tyloid managed to hit him squarely in the jaw, sending him sprawling backward.
Ben caught him, preventing him from falling over. Greein and Cadi, some of the other boys in their class, were pushing through the crowd to come and help. Even Ophelia had appeared, moving to pull Armith away to safety.
Ben was urging Cadi to trip the security alarm, which would immediately summon the school's security droids. This couldn't be allowed to end like that. Luke shook off Ben's hand and then raised his hand. Tyloid was walking determinedly towards him, baring his teeth like an animal. Deep inside him, Luke felt his anger swelling; it was almost a living thing. He could squeeze the life out of this vile person with only a thought. Just like shattering that glass.
Tyloid's mouth fell open in surprise, even as he was raising a fist to hit him again. A strangled cry left his mouth, and his hands reached frantically for his throat.
Luke watched in satisfaction as Tyloid fell to his knees, his eyes bulging in fear. The power surging through his body was ... indescribable. He could do anything. The cries of the other students had faded away, there was no one here but—
Something cold and wet hit him square in the face, obscuring his vision. His concentration slipped, and the power rushed away, just as quickly as it had gathered. It left him feeling cold and empty, and he shivered involuntarily. The shouts and screams around him became loud once again, and a hand tightened around his forearm. The last thing he saw, as Ben dragged him away, was Tyloid's wide-eyed fear.
Luke stared at Ben as his friend paced up and down, munching non-stop on a packet of Cosmo Crunchies. They were waiting in an unused office. Every so often, Ben would see people walking past outside, and report back to Luke on who was talking with the principal, Miss Silva.
They had been here for over an hour.
"Want one?" Ben said, pushing the packet in Luke's direction.
"No," Luke said, distantly. He didn't bother to tell his friend that he'd already offered five minutes ago.
"What's taking so long?" Ben said, finally. "She's been talking with that Quasher aide for twenty minutes now."
Tyloid had been inspected by the school medical droid, and declared in good health, according to the information Ben had extracted from B-60. But when his staff had arrived, they had instantly had him transferred to a medical center in an ambulance ship. That was no surprise to Luke.
He rubbed his arms, feeling like he had goosebumps under his school uniform.
"Is it cold in here?" Luke asked.
Ben shook his head.
Behind him, there was the sound of a door sliding open. Ben instantly went to the doorway and watched as the Quasher aide left the room.
"Hopefully that means we're next," Ben said.
Luke wasn't so eager to speak with the principal, but it appeared Ben's prediction was right. B-60 appeared in the open doorway.
"Miss Silva would like to see you now," he said.
Luke stood up and started to follow Ben, but B-60 stopped him.
"Not you. Just him."
Ben glanced back at Luke. "Don't worry. I'll tell her what really happened."
Luke nodded. His friend left, and Luke began to pace, trying to make sense of his circular thoughts. As soon as he began to feel guilty about what he'd done, he remembered Tyloid's treatment of Armith and felt nothing but anger. But then he remembered his expression of fear, and the vague feeling of guilt returned.
But Tyloid had attacked him, and hurt Armith. Wasn't it right that he defend himself? It wasn't like he had killed him.
You could have, an annoying voice reminded him, you wouldn't have stopped. Ben knew it. That's why he threw the water at you.
"I would have stopped," Luke said, annoyed. "I'm not a murderer!"
Would you?
"Arg!" Luke rubbed his head, wondering if he was going crazy. Everything that had happened over the past few months began flooding his mind. The hydrospanner, Captain Yahza, the Emperor, the shattering glass, the dreams. His father's accusations ...
His father. Luke stared at the ceiling, wishing more than anything that he was here right now. If nothing else, at least he'd be able to explain how he had managed to do this.
But he wasn't here. He was far away and angry with him, and it was all the Emperor's fault. Luke paused for a moment, savoring the thought. Everything was the Emperor's fault. If he hadn't forced him to meet Tyloid, he'd never have come to this school and met Armith. If he hadn't given him that lesson in Force visions, he'd never have started having these dreams. And he'd never have learned how to focus his anger and ...
"Miss Silva is ready for you now."
Luke stared at B-60 in surprise. It just seemed like a few minutes ago that Ben had left. He walked out into the foyer and saw Ben was waiting in the corridor beyond the principal's office. It seemed they didn't have much to discuss.
B-60 walked ahead of him into the office. Miss Silva wasn't sitting behind her desk. Instead, she was pacing in front of it.
"Luke Skywalker," B-60 said. "Is that it?"
"Yes, thank you, B-60," she said. "You can go."
Luke hovered by the door as B-60 left, not feeling like sitting. Miss Silva obviously felt the same way.
"Well, Luke," she said, "It seems everyone agrees you were severely provoked and this was all the Quasher senator's fault ... except for the Quasher senator."
She sounded nervous. Luke had never heard her sound nervous before. Before she was a principal, Miss Silva was a navy officer and used to instruct at the navy academy on Coruscant. It showed. In a moment, the nervous tone was gone.
"But I'm sure you can understand that we can't pretend nothing has happened. Students are going to tell their parents, and parents are going to worry about student safety, and the school board will have to answer for it."
"It won't happen again," Luke said, quietly. He couldn't lift his gaze from the carpet.
"I hope not. But regardless ... I know there are only a few weeks of the school year remaining, and class time is important right now, but I will have to ask you to refrain from attending school for a few days. At least until we can discuss this with your father."
"He's not on Coruscant," Luke said, surprised.
"Then we will contact him by comlink. In the meantime, I will make sure you are sent any work you require."
Luke thought about protesting, but considering what he'd done, he really had little to complain about. Maybe he needed a few days off. He could go and visit the Speedsters.
"I'll go home now, then," Luke said.
"Thank you, Luke. Get some rest. You look tired. And you should probably put some bacta on that bruise on your jaw."
Luke reached up to feel it as he left the office. He'd forgotten Tyloid had hit him.
Ben met him in the corridor, looking concerned.
"What happened?"
"I have to go home," Luke explained. "I can come back after they've discussed this with my father."
"What do you think he's going to say?" Ben asked, walking beside Luke.
Luke had been wondering that himself.
"It's not like he can tell you off for losing your temper and choking someone," Ben said, grinning.
"Hypocrisy has never stopped him before."
"I never knew you could choke people like he can," Ben said, glancing sideways at Luke. "It was pretty scary."
"I didn't know myself," Luke said, distantly.
"Speaking of your father," Ben said, suddenly reaching into his tunic, "your comlink fell out of your pocket during the fight. I was listening to the messages while I was waiting."
"What?!"
"I thought there'd just be me on there," Ben said. "I wanted to see what I looked like in hologram form. But there was one from your father as well."
"What did he say?"
"I don't know, it didn't make a lot of sense to me. But I think he was telling you he was sorry for what he said to you yesterday."
"Really?" Luke said, snatching the comlink away from Ben. He was about to switch it on when a female voice interrupted them.
"Luke?"
They both turned around to find Armith was standing in the locker hall.
"I just wanted to say thank you."
"Uh ..." Luke stared at her, wondering why his mind had gone blank. "Um ... you're welcome, I guess."
"I hope you didn't get in too much trouble ... I told everyone that Tyloid deserved it."
"I won't be at school for a few days," Luke said, "but it's okay."
"I'll miss you," she said, moving closer. "You're the sweetest guy I've ever known."
Ben made a noise like he was the one choking now. Luke could only stare blankly.
"Listen," Armith continued, "the senior graduation ball is coming up soon, right after exams. If you haven't got a date yet, I'm free."
Luke's mouth fell open. He quickly closed it. He'd never been asked out on a date before, and something told him that staring blankly wasn't the appropriate response. "Sure! I mean, I'd love to come with you!"
Armith smiled and waved goodbye as she left the locker hall. There was silence for a few seconds, and then Ben began to snicker.
"Wow. I think she's got a crush on you."
Luke turned red. "No, she doesn't." He went over to his locker and started loading all his datapads into a bag. He'd need all these if he was going to be studying at home for a few days.
"Who would have thought choking someone's ex was a good way to get a girl to like you?"
Luke rolled his eyes. "She doesn't like me."
"She just asked you out!"
"It's the graduation ball. You're supposed to have a date. It doesn't mean she likes me."
"She likes you. Trust me."
"I'm going home," Luke said, closing his locker. "Listen, want to go visit the Speedsters tonight?"
"Good idea. Maybe you could invite Armith as well."
"No, maybe I'll invite Ophelia," Luke said, raising an eyebrow. "I'll tell her it was your idea."
"Okay, okay," Ben said. "I better get back to what's left of my biology class. See you later tonight."
Luke grinned. "Okay, buddy."
Ben started to leave, but Luke suddenly spoke again. "And ... uh ... thanks. For always having my back."
"No problem."
Luke smiled to himself, and then set off towards the landing pad. It was all too easy to focus on everything bad that had happened recently, but he still had so many good things in his life. Friendship was invaluable. Another reason why his first so-called future vision was entirely bogus. The idea of being more interested in power than in friends ... ridiculous.
Even if it made you feel like you felt before?
Luke pushed the thought away. He should get home and take the afternoon off. Maybe he could convince Threepio to play a few rounds of beep ball. Or he could go down to the guard training gym and work up a sweat.
On the landing pad, the fresh air and sunshine did away with the last of his cold feeling. He started thinking about the way Armith's eyes lit up when she told him he was the sweetest guy she knew. If he was going to be her date for the graduation ball, he should pick her up in the MX speeder. Or maybe she'd prefer the Bloodfin ...
Luke tossed his bag of databooks into his speeder's backseat while considering the question. It wasn't until he was about to enter the pilot's seat that he realized he was still holding his comlink. Of course, he'd been about to listen to his father's message when Armith interrupted him.
He pressed the button and then skipped over Ben's short message. He already knew what that one said. When his father appeared, he thumbed up the volume.
"Luke, how many times have I told you not to switch your comlink off? Especially when I am away from Coruscant. Never do so again!"
"Yeah, yeah," Luke said, rolling his eyes. This from someone whose comlink regularly gave an 'out of range' signal.
"I want you to be careful while I am not there. Be on your guard. Pay attention to your instincts, and listen to your feelings."
"You worry too much," Luke said.
The sound of boots on metal drowned out his father's next words. Luke glanced up and found himself staring at two stormtroopers.
"Uh ..." Luke lowered his comlink, and looked around, wondering if there was a dangerous Rebel behind him. "Can I help you?"
"Come with us," the one on the right said.
"Why? What do you want?"
They didn't reply. Instead, the one on the left stepped forward and grabbed him by the upper arm. Luke tried to pull away, but then he caught sight of Sate Pestage, one of the Emperor's aides. He stood beside the open door of a speeder marked with the royal crest.
The stormtroopers pushed him forward.
"The Emperor has requested your immediate presence, young Mr Skywalker," Sate Pestage said, stepping back from the speeder to allow Luke to get in.
"Why stormtroopers?" Luke said, annoyed. "For star's sake, I'm not a Rebel!"
"For your protection, of course," Sate Pestage replied. He gestured to the troopers. "Put him in the back."
Luke began to feel increasingly frightened as the speeder rose into the air. Did the Emperor think he wouldn't come? Is that why he sent stormtroopers? Was he angry over the treatment of Tyloid?
"What's this about?" Luke said as they slowed to pass through the security perimeter.
"That is between you and the Emperor."
Luke turned his head from side to side, looking at the two bulky stormtroopers who sat on either side of him. Making a break for it in the hangar bay was feeling like a good idea, but he had an odd feeling he wasn't going anywhere but to see the Emperor.
Once they set down in the palace, two royal guards joined them. The stormtroopers walked behind him, and the guards and Sate Pestage in front. He felt like a dangerous prisoner, requiring five guards to subdue him.
They walked out of the hangar bay into a large office area where the Emperor's aides were based. The Grand Vizier was there, standing in front of a large, wall-sized screen. He glanced at Luke briefly, and then looked away. His expression was grim.
Behind him, the screen was filled with images of flaming buildings and bombed-out streets. Luke didn't need to ask to know it was Quasher. Sate Pestage paused, taking it in.
"The capital has been taken?"
"Soon. Lord Vader is on his way down."
Luke looked away in disgust.
The guards gestured for him to keep walking, but Mas Amedda suddenly raised a hand. "Wait."
He turned and met Luke's gaze.
"Do what he asks, young man. For all our sakes, put that Skywalker arrogance aside and learn your place."
Luke glanced past his shoulder and then nodded towards the screen. "So much for your diplomatic solution."
He walked on, not waiting for a response.
When they reached the base of the main tower, the stormtroopers remained at the bottom of the elevator, but the royal guards and Sate Pestage accompanied him on the journey up. The Emperor sat in his usual place, silhouetted against the vast viewing windows that overlooked Imperial City. Sate Pestage stepped out first. The royal guards followed, with Luke between them. They walked silently past the artwork that lined the antechamber, boot steps echoing into every shadowy corner.
The Emperor turned and watched their approach until they stood in front of him. Luke didn't look up.
Sate Pestage bowed to his master and then spoke. "My Emperor, I have brought the boy as you requested."
"Well done. Now leave us. Young Skywalker and I will speak in privacy."
He smiled at Luke, but Luke still couldn't bring himself to meet his gaze. He already felt sick as it was. The cold and empty feeling had returned to the pit of his stomach, even stronger than it had been in the cafeteria. He had a feeling he knew who was causing it.
The sound of the elevator door closing indicated they were now alone. Luke wished the Emperor would hurry up and say something.
But he kept him waiting for a good minute, simply studying him in silence.
"I am very proud of you, young Skywalker," he said, finally. "You are everything your father promised you would be."
Luke blinked in surprise. He had been utterly convinced he was in trouble.
"Uh ... thank you, your highness."
The Emperor stood up and began to walk towards him.
"With the barest of knowledge, you have accomplished things it would have taken an average Force user years to master. You can touch the Force as easily as breathing the air. You defended yourself admirably against the pilot in a far superior craft, relying on nothing but instinct. And now, you have shown yourself capable of embracing the true power of the Force."
He paused for a moment, while Luke struggled to understand what he meant. How did the Emperor know about the attack on the Dunesea? He had only told him about the crash, not the attack.
"My boy, do you have any idea how powerful you will become? Do you recall how you felt, just a short time ago when you unleashed a small fraction of your potential?"
"How ... how do you know about that?" Luke said, trying to push away the knowledge that he did indeed remember exactly what it felt like.
"You want to feel that way again ... don't you?"
"Are you spying on me?" Luke said, nervously.
"I can show you power you've never even dreamed of," the Emperor continued. "What you felt before was only a small taste of the grand adventure that awaits you."
Luke was silent. Despite himself, he was interested to know more. He wanted to know how to control that power he felt within himself.
"You may recall, a few weeks ago, when I asked you not to tell your father of our conversations," the Emperor said. "I suspect you have been wondering why."
Actually, that had never crossed Luke's mind. Judging by the way his father had reacted when he found out, Luke wasn't surprised the Emperor hadn't volunteered the information.
"You know your father has wanted to train you since the moment he learned of your Force potential?"
Luke nodded, slowly. It wasn't something they had discussed at any great length, but it was more than clear.
"I promised him I would assess you, now that you have nearly come of age, to see if you were worthy of the honor. But I did not wish to raise his hopes before the time was right."
This didn't quite add up with his father's reaction last night, but Luke didn't interrupt.
"And now, we will have a surprise for your father when he returns. The time has come for you to become what your father always wanted, young Skywalker. The time has come for you to become a Sith apprentice."
Luke rubbed his hands against his pants. They felt cold and clammy. "A Sith? But ... I don't know if ..."
"Don't deny your feelings," the Emperor said, sounding almost gentle. "Embrace your true potential. It is your destiny."
"What do I have to do?" Luke said, feeling an odd tingling down his spine.
"Pledge yourself to me ... pledge your obedience, your devotion ... your desire to know the ways of the Sith. Through me, you will experience power unlike anything you can possibly imagine."
The memory of his experience with Tyloid came rushing back. He could feel that way again ... he wanted to feel that way again. Somewhere, there was a part of him that had been dying to express itself, and he'd been steadily denying it. No longer. He could change the galaxy! Luke stared at the floor in front of the Emperor, feeling an almost overwhelming desire to kneel down and let the Force surge through him once again.
But even as he started to move forward, his head was filled with a babble of words.
"I do not believe I know you anymore."
"You have clearly chosen sides in this, Luke."
"Pay attention to your instincts, and listen to your feelings."
His feelings ... overwhelming confusion. And his instincts ... had been fighting since he first saw those stormtroopers. His mind was telling him he was about to make a life-changing decision on very little sleep and a dubious experience that had nearly resulted in murder.
"No!" Luke said, backing away. A rush of fear filled his mind as he remembered the dreams. A future where he killed without remorse ... a future where his father didn't know him anymore ... a future where he was the Emperor's apprentice! Those dreams weren't the future ... they were warnings to prevent him from making this very decision!
"No?" the Emperor repeated. There was a slight edge in his voice now. He wasn't so friendly.
Luke had a funny suspicion he hadn't been expecting this.
"I don't want to be your apprentice, your highness," Luke said. His voice sounded strained. He took a few deep breaths, and then repeated his decision before he started regretting it. "I've learned the lesson you were trying to teach me about Quasher. You've shown me how you run the galaxy, and I want no part of it. If you don't mind, I'll leave now."
"Why you insolent fool!" The Emperor raised a hand, and Luke was lifted a meter into the air. "Do you have any idea what you just rejected?"
He's going to kill me, Luke realized. His heart was beating in his ears.
"I don't want to rule through terror and murder!" Luke said, hearing his voice shake. "I don't want to be like you!"
"You dare to resist me, you pitiful child!?"
He was shaken violently, and Luke saw stars.
"You have not learned a lesson from Quasher at all. Understand this, young Skywalker. You serve me, or you will be destroyed."
Luke reached desperately for the Force, but his efforts were easily squashed.
"Ah, and now you try and call on the Force. Such blasphemy. You expect it to answer you when you denied it?"
"You're not the Force!" Luke protested. He refused to believe the universe was held together by this vile sack of evil. "You're nothing but a wrinkled old corpse!"
"Let me educate you to the contrary, young Skywalker. Let me give you a taste of what could have been yours."
The Emperor raised his other hand. Luke was blinded by a sudden flash of blue and white light. Then he felt pain beyond anything he had ever experienced. He screamed in agony, writhing involuntarily as he slammed hard against the ground.
Burning tendrils of electricity arced over his body, and smoke began to rise from his school uniform. He gasped, feeling the pain rise and subside.
When his vision began to clear, he found the Emperor was standing over him.
"You know what is wrong with you, young Skywalker?"
Luke stared up at the putrid yellow eyes. His head hurt so much, he could see four of them.
"Your father never taught you discipline."
He raised his hands again. Even before the electricity surged into his body, Luke was screaming into the Force.
Father! FATHER!
Vader steadied himself against the bulkhead, barely able to withstand the violent surges in the Force. It tore at every remaining living cell in his body, begging him to put an end to whatever was causing this.
"Lord Vader?"
The bureaucrat in charge of the datawork behind this annexation was standing between him and the cockpit, his expression filled with both fear and concern. Vader stretched out a hand, shoving him aside.
The pilots were concentrating on the landing. The Quasher government citadel filled the shuttle cockpit window, relatively undamaged in comparison to the chaos around it. Their escort TIE fighters hovered in front as they approached the landing pad.
"Coming into land now," the co-pilot said into her headset. She had an open channel with the Devastator.
"Move," Vader said. The pilot merely turned and gaped at him. He was fortunate he didn't have time to kill him.
A second later, he had removed the man from the shuttle's controls and had the ship turned around and accelerating full speed back towards the Devastator. Only then did he feel able to test his bond with Luke, almost dreading what he would receive in return. As expected, the barest touch sent him reeling in pain, once again.
"Has our mission changed?" the co-pilot asked, looking at him in surprise.
"Tell the Devastator to prepare the fastest ship to leave immediately. I must return to Coruscant."
As she rushed to obey his orders, he could only curse himself for his stupidity.
When the pain finally stopped, Luke knew he must be dead. For some reason, all he could think about was his father. He'd always said he'd be lucky to reach his twentieth birthday. Now he had proved him right.
But soon the pain returned, and he was groaning in protest again. But this wasn't the raw agony of the lightning. Someone was picking him up, causing aching bones to flare up in protest.
From far away, he heard the Emperor's voice.
"Get him out of my sight!"
After being carried for what felt like a kilometer, in which every jolt made him wince, he was placed on the floor again. A loud humming pounded through his head. He couldn't see anything but blinding white lights. Soon, a fuzzy red blob came into view.
"Luke? Stay with us, Luke. Hold on."
Luke tried to say he couldn't, that all he wanted to do was sleep, but the words came out as moans. When he was lifted again, his head fell back and he knew nothing more.
The best they could do for him was a heavily modified blockade-runner, confiscated from the Rebels during a battle. It could get him to Coruscant in two hours.
That was two hours too long for Vader's liking, but it couldn't be helped. For all his power, the laws of time and space would not change for him, even when his son was in danger.
Why had he ever left Coruscant in the first place? He should have known something like this would happen! Why would Captain Jarnet have bothered to risk his life informing him of the meetings unless he knew Luke was at great risk?
While calculating the jump, he tested the link again. It was clouded and indistinct, which meant Luke was either unconscious or sleeping. His mind filled with a vision of his son lying unconscious and injured, perhaps bleeding to death ... perhaps with only minutes to live!
He slammed his hands against the controls, mentally willing the ship to go faster.
After he'd calmed down a small degree, he activated the comlink and started to enter the Emperor's frequency.
But then he paused, and a clear thought entered his mind. If the Emperor wasn't responsible, did he really want to tell him that Luke was in mortal danger? And if he was responsible, then contacting him would not help Luke's situation. He might order him to remain here.
He deleted the partly entered frequency and changed it to the palace assistant's office. The ensign who answered looked half asleep, but she quickly woke up when she saw who the caller was.
"Sir!"
"Where is Luke?" Vader asked, immediately.
The woman hesitated for a moment, looking puzzled. "I haven't been informed of any deviation from his normal daily routine, sir."
"I can sense he is unconscious," Vader said, hearing an unbecoming panic in his voice.
"I will investigate immediately, sir."
"Contact me the second you have any information."
He cut the call and leaned back to wait. More horrible images of possible situations Luke could be in assailed his mind, and he began to shake with anger. Life was so unrelentingly cruel. To grant him a son, and then to rip him away ...
When the comlink began to beep, Vader rushed to activate the device. It lit up with an image of Lieutenant Dorany, the palace assistant who was friendly with Luke.
"Sir, I just arrived at the medical center. A droid informed me that Luke is undergoing treatment."
"What happened to him?!" Vader demanded. The lieutenant's words had brought a small amount of relief, however. The images of a dying Luke, lying alone in some Coruscant lower-level alleyway, had faded from his mind.
The lieutenant hesitated, an action that nearly caused Vader to smash the comlink in frustration.
"Tell me!"
"Sir, all I know is that Captain Jarnet brought him here," the lieutenant said. "He cannot tell me anything else."
The meaning was clear to Vader. As he suspected, the Emperor was responsible.
"What kind of injuries has he sustained?" Vader asked.
"I am still waiting to hear, sir. But the medical droid told me he was in one piece."
Another small relief. He couldn't stand for Luke to lose another limb.
"Sir, Ben is here beside me. I've just been speaking with him about something that happened earlier today. Apparently, Luke was in a fight with the young Quasher senator, and the principal sent him home. That was the last he saw of him."
There was a faint voice from outside the projector field, and the lieutenant looked away. Then he spoke again.
"Ben just said that Luke choked the senator. Excuse me, sir." The lieutenant looked away and spoke to someone off-field. "You mean choked him physically, or using the Force?"
Vader clearly heard Ben's reply. "The Force."
"Let me speak to him," Vader said, impatiently.
"Of course ... uh ... he's backing away, sir."
"Don't tell him that!" came a young voice in the distance.
"May I take a moment to speak with him, sir?"
"Very well," Vader said, trying not to lose his temper. He supposed he only had himself to blame for this. He hadn't exactly gone out of his way to foster a healthy relationship with Ben.
The Imperial logo appeared in the projector field, indicating he was on hold. After a minute, Ben appeared, looking nervous as usual. Vader wondered exactly what he thought he could do to him when he was only a hand-sized hologram, but apparently it was something terrible, judging by the boy's expression.
"Ben, I need to know exactly what happened," Vader said. "From the beginning. Was Luke all right when he came to school?"
"Well ... h-he was late, Sir," Ben said. He swallowed and then continued. "He mentioned you'd argued the night before. He looked like he hadn't slept much, sir."
"And then?"
"At lunch, Tyloid showed up, and he and Luke started fighting ... he hit Luke, and Luke choked him without even touching him. The principal said he had to go home until they'd discussed it with you. Luke went off to the landing pad ... that's the last I saw of him. Then my dad called and said he'd been seriously injured, so I left school and rushed over here, and then I bumped into Lev, but they can't tell us anything yet and … wait, Luke's doctor is coming out! I'll pass you on to him!"
There was a brief pause, and the comlink was placed on mute. Vader imagined someone was telling the doctor to be careful, as he was in a bad mood. The doctor would understand—he was a father too, something Vader appreciated in moments like this. He knew how devastating it would be to lose a child.
The doctor's face appeared, and the comlink was taken off mute.
"Hello, sir. Luke is out of danger."
More relief. "What happened to him?"
"I cannot say for certain. It is the strangest thing. He has internal and surface damage as if he's been electrocuted, but it is unlike any electrical burn I have ever seen."
"Force lightning," Vader said, angrily. That explained the pain he'd experienced.
"I have been treating the surface burns with bacta. Luke regained consciousness briefly, but I have sedated him to ensure he gets the rest he needs. I am more than open to further suggestions."
"You are doing exactly as you should," Vader said. "I will be there as soon as possible."
"I will not leave Luke unsupervised until you arrive," the doctor said. "And I will inform you of any change in his condition."
Vader couldn't bring himself to say how much this meant to him.
"Thank you, doctor," he said, finally.
In the midst of an indistinct, colorful dream, Luke became aware of voices in the distance. They were talking in hushed, serious tones, hinting they had something interesting to say.
"—it's not my place to wonder."
"Well it's not mine, either, but I'm wondering, all the same. If anyone else had hurt Luke, he would be a walking dead man. I can't see how their relationship could possibly survive this."
"I don't believe it's that simple. But understanding his loyalty to the Emperor is not something in which I invest my time."
Luke stirred slightly. He recognized that voice. Lev ... what was he doing here? For that matter, where was here?
"I may not understand the politics, but I understand how he feels about his son."
"Well, I can't say it would surprise me if young Luke managed to single-handedly bring down an Empire." Out of half-closed eyes, Luke saw Lev come and stand in the doorway. "Sometimes I get this funny feeling he's going to change the galaxy."
"I know exactly what you mean."
Luke tried to sit up and talk, but he was too weak. Memories were stirring in his mind, now. The Emperor ...
His indistinct moan caused both men to come running. His doctor adjusted a tube that ran out from under his bedclothes and spoke gently.
"Go on back to sleep, Luke. You need to rest."
Luke made a noise of protest. He didn't want to sleep. He wanted to get as far away from here as possible.
The doctor was speaking to Lev again, but he sounded far away.
"He'll drift off again in a few minutes. I'll keep an eye on him if you need to leave."
"No, I'm staying right here until Lord Vader arrives," Lev said.
"Father?" Luke mumbled.
There was no reply. Only the sound of a chair being pulled up. Luke tried to roll over, so he could see Lev properly, but sudden pain in his arm caused him to give up on that idea.
"Tell him ... sorry," Luke said, hearing his words slur. "My ... fault."
"Shhh," Lev said. "It's okay. Your father will be here very soon."
Luke gave in to the overwhelming urge to sleep and fell back into indistinct dreams. There were more distant voices and odd beeping sounds. He was running away in his dreams, running back to Tatooine. All his old friends were still there. Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were still there, welcoming him with open arms.
And his father was there. Luke smiled at him, enjoying the sense of familiarity. The presence grew stronger, growing bigger than his aunt and uncle ... bigger than Tatooine.
He could hear the breathing and hear the voice. The doctor was speaking with him.
"The painkillers will not wear off for another hour. If he wakes in the night, he may require another dose. I will be here to monitor him."
"Has he woken since I spoke with you?"
"He stirred about an hour ago. Went right back to sleep, though."
"I will stay with him."
"Of course, sir. I will be in my office if you require anything."
Luke felt his father's presence move closer. He wanted to open his eyes, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to let on that he was awake. The thought of a 'your reckless behavior almost got you killed!' speech was almost too much to bear.
He felt his father adjust his blankets, and then he placed a hand on his chest. A second gloved hand brushed his fringe away from his face, and Luke felt leather-clad fingers resting lightly on his forehead. Deep within, a calming sensation began to spread, filling his torso, and then creeping into his limbs. The dull ache in his bones began to recede. The refreshing wave of energy began to rise into his skin, bathing the painful burns away.
The Force, Luke realized. Once again, it was flowing through him. But this time, there was no pain and violence. The exact opposite—it was healing him. He could have stayed like this forever, basking in the wonder of it. But soon the touch was broken, and the energy flow faded. But where the incident with Tyloid had left him cold and empty, now he felt whole and content.
"You are supposed to be asleep."
Luke opened his eyes and found himself staring into his father's reflective gaze. Even through the mask, he could tell he was worried ... and angry.
"I'm sorry," Luke said, shutting his eyes again.
"No apologies are necessary, young one. I am the one who should be sorry. I should never have left you."
"I should have told you ... I need to tell you ..."
"No, you need to sleep."
His father's hand still rested on his chest, and Luke felt the Force link between them begin to heighten, once again. But he recognized the attempt to ease him into sleep, and he fought it.
"No," Luke said, struggling to sit up. "No, I need ... I need to tell you!"
"Calm down, Son. I am listening."
"He told me about the Force," Luke explained. The drowsiness was beginning to wear off, and the more he spoke, the more memories returned. "He showed me how to use my anger. I know I should have told you, but I was so ... confused. He said it was supposed to be a surprise for you."
"He taught you how to choke someone?"
Luke shook his head, feeling suddenly ashamed at the memory. "I ... that was an accident. How did you know about ...?"
"The hydrospanner was an accident, young one. A Force choke requires sustained concentration."
"The hydrospanner wasn't a fluke," Luke said, looking down at the bed cover. If he was going to be honest, he might as well start from the beginning.
"What do you mean?"
"When I was younger, I used to practice. On small things. I just wanted to see if I really could do it. Now I can do it whenever I want ..." Luke stretched out towards a nearby medical scanner, demonstrating.
His father watched in clear surprise as the scanner jumped off the table, and came to rest in Luke's outstretched palm.
"I know, I shouldn't ..." Luke started.
"And the Emperor discovered you could do this?"
"Yes. He said my mind was already opened to the Force and I had to be trained to control it. He asked me to become his apprentice." Luke faltered, remembering all too well what had happened next. He sunk back down on the pillows.
"What happened then, Son?" his father said, almost gently.
"I ... I said no. Then he became angry ... he'd never spoken to me like that before."
"He electrocuted you?"
"Not straight away. That was after I called him a wrinkled old corpse. I know, I know ... big mistake."
Luke cringed, waiting for a reprimand. It never came.
"This isn't your fault, my son. Don't concern yourself with what happened."
"I was so angry with you for choking that officer," Luke said, his voice breaking. "It was because I knew. Everyone thinks I'm a good person, but I knew … deep down, I was capable of doing the same thing, and I hated it. I don't want … Father, I want to get away from him." He paused to cough. "I need to or I'm going to … things will get worse. He's so evil, it makes me sick. Is this what he did to you?"
"He will never hurt you again, young one," his father said, placing his other hand on his shoulder. "I promise you. Now, you need to rest."
"But I don't want ..."
Even as he said the words, he knew he was fighting a losing battle. The last thing he saw was the stark outline of his father's helmet, glowing around the edges from the dimmed ceiling lights.
Vader wasn't used to sitting still for any length of time. He was used to action. Sleeping had always been one of his most disliked activities. But now that he was here with Luke ... he didn't want to be anywhere but by his side.
His son slept peacefully, rising up and down gently beneath the blanket. The monitors beside him flickered now and then but indicated there was nothing out of the ordinary. Every so often, a medical droid would enter the room and study the readouts, but they never stayed longer than a minute.
Several times, he nearly drifted off himself, but disturbing thoughts would always rouse him. Thoughts of an alternate reality where he might have been making funeral arrangements right now. The idea filled him with anger that threatened to overwhelm the entire room. But one look at Luke's peaceful, sleeping face and he forced himself to calm down.
His revenge would have to wait. But when the time came, it would be a great revenge, and the galaxy would never be the same again. He and Luke would lead the galaxy into a new era of peace and order.
The doors hissed open behind him, but Vader didn't bother to turn. He could sense it was only a droid.
"Lord Vader."
He looked up and saw it was not a medical droid, but L-160, the receptionist.
"A royal aide is in the lobby. He said the Emperor requests your presence."
A list of possible replies passed through Vader's mind. Everything from 'the Emperor can wait for my convenience' to 'I will speak with the Emperor when my son is healthy'. But if his plan to defeat his master was to succeed, he could not allow himself to give in to such emotional responses.
"Ask him to tell the Emperor that I will be there momentarily."
"Yes, sir."
"And I want a medical droid to stay in this room every second I am not here," Vader said, standing up.
"Of course, sir."
The droid left, and Vader moved closer to Luke, studying his son's face. Perhaps he should leave him a note. It might distress his son if he should wake up and find him gone. But Luke appeared in a deep sleep, and he intended to make this meeting as brief as possible.
"I will be back soon, Son," he said, quietly.
Vader had been prepared for anger or accusations. He'd even been prepared for a complete denial that the incident had even taken place. The idea that his master could simply pretend this attack on his son was nothing to be particularly upset about, had never even crossed his mind.
"Lord Vader," he said, as Vader entered the sculpture hall. The Emperor was studying a vast work of tapestry art covering one wall.
Vader came to a halt a short distance away.
"Master."
"You have abandoned your mission."
Vader was silent, struggling to maintain control. Finally, he felt focused enough to speak.
"My son is my responsibility. If the boy had erred, then I should suffer any consequences. Not him." He was unable to keep the frustration out of his voice.
"Calm down, my friend. He was never in any mortal danger. I assure you of that."
The Emperor began to walk, gesturing for Vader to join him.
"As I'm sure you have heard by now, I have been assessing the boy, to determine if he would make a worthy Sith apprentice. He certainly has the raw potential and the mental capacity. But two things stand in his way. One, is his deplorable lack of any concentration. He's too busy daydreaming to focus on anything for any length of time."
Vader couldn't argue with that point.
"Secondly—and this is the most fatal—he lacks discipline. He bristles under authority and becomes stubborn and disrespectful when faced with correction. If you could see past your anger, you would recognize I have done you a great favor. I am sure you will find the boy far more docile and obedient from now on."
Vader could hardly bring himself to comprehend what the Emperor meant. A favor?
"He is still a boy. A teenager. I was the same at his age."
"Believe me, he is far worse."
The Emperor turned to study a sculpture that resembled a rancor.
"It continues to amaze me, Lord Vader, that you manage to keep the entire Imperial military trembling in fear, yet have failed to instill similar discipline in one adolescent boy. He could never display the total obedience needed to succeed as a Sith apprentice. I suspect he has been doted on and spoiled."
"He simply lacks maturity."
"And how do you propose to correct this problem?" The Emperor glanced at him, pointedly. "Holding his hand as he recovers from injuries he brought on himself?"
Vader refused to let his anger rise. "With time and training, he will overcome these obstacles."
"Training? By whom? He has made his opposition to becoming my apprentice quite clear, Lord Vader. Unless you are suggesting you have some influence that I do not, I think your proposal has reached a dead end. One cannot force a person to embrace the Dark Side."
"I am his father," Vader said. "He will willingly do so if I am the one who asks." Vader paused for a moment, and then added, "I can teach him to be loyal to you. He will readily accept you as his master after he has made his journey to the Dark Side."
This seemed to satisfy the Emperor. "If you could accomplish this, I would be willing to give him another chance, if only for his great potential. How long do you suggest this will take?"
"A few weeks if I devote my complete attention to it," Vader said. "I can take him to Mustafar after he has finished his studies."
"Very well, you may take time away to accomplish this. But heed this warning, Lord Vader. Your son, as he is at this moment, is not capable of doing any damage, as far as his fledgling Force awareness is concerned. He could serve the Empire in a leadership capacity for the rest of his life, without ever needing to be trained. However, if you choose to do this, if you choose to train him, and he fails ... and I believe this is a real possibility ... he will be far too dangerous to be left alive. A remnant Jedi may find him, and he could be used as a powerful weapon against us. You would have to kill him. If you agree that you take this risk with full knowledge—and that if it should come to that, you will not hesitate to do what must be done—then you have my blessing."
"He will not fail you, Master. But I do take this risk in full knowledge and will face any consequences that may result. But when he is trained, he will be the greatest asset the Empire possesses—his potential to bring about galactic prosperity will far eclipse that of the Death Star."
"Ah yes, our special project ... young Skywalker's brother, in some sense. You will have to forgive my lack of wholehearted enthusiasm, but I believe I have more confidence in the Death Star. I have never had the occasion to complain about its lack of obedience."
Vader clenched his fingers into fists, finding that remark more irritating than anything else his master had said. It was always this way with the Emperor. He wanted all his subjects to be machines. Lifeless tools he used to accomplish his goals. Luke would show him what raw power, combined with an independent spirit, could accomplish.
"But I would not be disappointed if you proved me wrong, my friend."
"My son will be the one who surprises you, Master," Vader said, turning to leave.
He hesitated then and looked back.
"When Anakin Skywalker lived on Tatooine, there was a hutt who used to regularly beat his slaves. A weequay mother became so enraged on seeing her child beaten, she attempted to escape that night. The hutt activated their transmitters and they were both destroyed in the resulting explosion."
"A suitable warning to the other slaves, I'm sure."
"The hutt had no other slaves. And after he destroyed the mother and her child, he had no slaves at all, which proved a costly mistake. On such a ruthless world, there is no survival when one is alone."
Vader felt the shift in his master's presence in the Force. He understood.
It was time to return to his son.