Chapter 10: An Unexpected Problem
Rest came easier to Vader after the conversation with the Emperor. Luke was safe for the time being, and he could keep him away from his master without arousing suspicion. Soon, very soon, he could teach him the means to defend himself against any future attacks.
In the morning, the doctor and a medical droid arrived to examine Luke and replace his bandages. Vader left his son in their capable hands and returned to the palace, to see to his own medical requirements. Despite the Emperor's desire to be the master of a galaxy of machines, he was very much still a lifeform with biological needs.
When he returned to the medical center in the afternoon, he found Ben was there, playing cards with a much healthier looking Luke. His arrival had an immediate effect on the peaceful scene. Ben jumped out of the chair and backed up against the bed, looking like a cornered animal.
Vader stared at him for a moment, and then glanced at Luke. His son gestured towards Ben with an upturned hand and raised an eyebrow, expectantly.
"Hello, Ben," Vader said, doing his best to sound neutral.
Ben made an unintelligible noise that could have been anything. He then cleared his throat, and spoke again. "H-hello, sir. Uh ..." he glanced back. "Bye, Luke."
"You don't have to leave," Luke said. "Wait! You forgot your cards—"
But Ben had already vanished. Vader closed the door behind him.
"Are you feeling better?" he enquired, moving closer to inspect Luke for himself.
"I have more energy," Luke said, packing up the cards. "But there's one burn on the underside of my arm ... it really stings!"
"You will recover soon," Vader said, removing the cards from the bed. "The doctor said you may be able to leave the medical center today."
"What then?" Luke mumbled, looking down.
"I will not leave you alone on Coruscant, but I still have business to attend to on Quasher. I will take you to Mustafar where you can recover."
"What about school? The principal said I can't come back until they discuss the fight I had with Tyloid."
The Quasher delegation on Coruscant had been arrested early this morning on the charge of treason. Vader had considered adding the crime of striking his son to the charges, but it seemed unnecessary, given the current state of the Quasher government.
"I will take care of it."
Vader moved to place the cards on the bedside table and found a large bouquet of flowers.
"Where did those come from?" he enquired. "I hope they have been cleared of any danger."
"Dad, they're flowers," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "Hardly life threatening. Ben brought them in ... they're, uh ... they're from my classmates."
"You could be allergic to them, or they could have been deliberately poisoned," Vader said, pushing the buds apart to make sure there were no hidden surprises in the bottom. The only thing he found was a card with a shiny pink heart on the front. He pulled it out and read the text inside.
Dear Luke, I hope you get well soon. I'm really missing you. I can't wait for the graduation ball.
Luke tried to snatch it from him, but Vader lifted it out of his reach, and gave it closer inspection.
The words were followed by a row of hearts, including one with Luke's initials in the middle. Vader stared down at his son, who was looking very pink. "Is this one of your existing three girlfriends, or a fourth one?"
Luke groaned. "Can we change the subject, please?"
Vader put the card back among the flowers, deciding it was unfair to tease Luke while he was recovering.
"Very well."
"Have you spoken with the Emperor?"
"Yes."
"Does he want me dead?" Luke asked, bluntly.
"No. Son, he never intended to kill you. You offended him and he sought to teach you a lesson. I blame myself. I should not have left, knowing he was meeting with you."
"It wasn't your fault," Luke said. "It was him. He's a power-mad tyrant who wants everyone in the galaxy to do exactly what he wants when he wants it, or he'll unleash hell on them. But why does he even care whether I become his apprentice or not? He already has a massive military and thousands of loyal soldiers."
"You do not understand your importance, Luke. You have a great potential for power—quite possibly more than the Emperor."
"Are you telling me that I could produce electricity out of my hands?" Luke said, staring at them in surprise.
"With time and training ... you could do anything. The Force has no limits. A Sith Lord is only limited by his receptiveness to it."
"If I could be so powerful," Luke said, "I'd expect the Emperor to not want me trained. You once told me he sees me as a threat."
"He wants you trained, but only if he can be sure of your absolute loyalty," Vader explained.
"So what now? I'd rather die than be his apprentice."
"What if I were the one to teach you?"
Luke met his gaze for a moment and then looked away. "What would I have to learn?"
"How to defend yourself from Force lightning would be a good start."
"If I didn't want to learn how to ... hurt people, would you make me?"
"I believe you have already taught yourself how to do that quite effectively," Vader pointed out.
Luke frowned and glared at his hands.
"I have never been able to make you do anything, Son," Vader added, realizing his comment had not given his proposal the best support.
Luke grinned. "You're right." He glanced back at the flowers then, and said, "I have a better idea."
Vader waited, having a premonition about what it might be.
"You can tell the Emperor I won't be trained and I won't practice anything on my own. Instead, I'll go to the academy next semester and have a normal life."
Luke sounded so convinced that was actually a possibility, Vader didn't have the heart to immediately dismiss the idea. "You have a few weeks to consider it," Vader said, instead. "We will proceed after your graduation."
"Don't remind me," Luke said, flopping back down on the pillow. He rubbed his temples. "I've got to start cramming for my finals. My study routine has been non-existent lately. Too busy dealing with arrogant senators and homicidal galactic rulers."
"I can identify," Vader said. It was a relief to see Luke looking like his old self. But a moment later, any relief Vader felt vanished. Luke's expression had suddenly changed. There was no longer any trace of humor.
"I thought I was going to die."
He sounded on the verge of tears. Vader instantly heightened their mental link, seeking a reason for this abrupt mood-swing. Luke was reaching out, seeking something to hold onto. His son's fingers closed around his cape. The gesture caused a wave of pain and guilt, which Vader quickly tried to contain.
"It is all right, Son. You are safe now. I won't fail you again."
Luke breathed slowly for a few moments, and then said, "I'm not afraid of dying. But I was thinking about you ... and how we spent our last moments together fighting. I was thinking about how I'd never have a chance to say anything to you again."
"I understand," Vader said. The exact same thoughts ran through his mind a thousand times on the journey back to Coruscant.
"We shouldn't argue so much," Luke said, tilting his head to meet his gaze.
"Yes," Vader agreed.
"But we're probably going to anyway."
"If the past is anything to go by."
"So maybe I should just say this," Luke said. "If I die, just remember that no matter what I've said in the past, you're my father and I—"
Vader raised a hand, quickly cutting him off.
"There is no need. You are not going to die—I will not allow it."
"Well sometimes it's outside of anyone's control," Luke said. "A building could fall down on top of me, or I could be piloting a speeder when suddenly the engines die. Let's face it, I could die at any given moment."
"Stop it!" Vader said, annoyed. "You are not going to die, young one!"
"Don't call me that," Luke said, frowning. "And I could so die! I just want to be prepared by saying what I need to say—"
"I don't want to hear anymore about dying," Vader said, pointing at Luke.
"But—"
"I mean it, young one."
"Stop calling me that! Oh, now look! We're fighting again already!"
"Then stop arguing."
"I'm not the one who's arguing!"
Someone cleared his throat behind them.
Vader turned around and found the doctor was standing in the doorway.
"Sorry to interrupt. I'm ready to give Luke a final examination now."
"Give us a moment," Vader said.
The doctor gave a small smile, and then retreated into the corridor. Vader turned back to Luke. His son had rolled over slightly, so he was facing the wall. Although Vader couldn't see his face, he could well imagine the expression.
He reached out, placing his hand on Luke's shoulder.
"Son." He paused for a moment, until he was certain he was saying the right thing. "If anything should happen to you, I will never hold anything you said in the past against you. On the condition that you agree to do the same for me, should the situation be reversed."
Luke rolled back. A smile had returned to his face.
"Fair enough."
Vader removed his hand, and turned to leave. "Now, cooperate with the doctor. I will be waiting nearby."
Just as he reached up to press the door release, a small voice came from the bed.
"I love you."
Vader froze for a brief moment, staring fixedly at the door controls. As always, when Luke used the l-word, an overwhelming mix of conflicting feelings stirred in his chest. Guilt over Padmé ... anger that he wasn't there when Luke was born. But in contrast, a rush of hope for the future. Maybe everything wasn't lost.
He walked on, deciding to act as if he'd never heard.
His doctor had left him with a prescription of painkillers and instructions on getting rest and eating well. Fortunately for Luke, his father was still in one of his guilt spirals, and that meant it only took a bit of pressure to convince him to let him pilot on the way to Mustafar, and to allow Threepio and Artoo to collect a care package of junk food from the serving droids at the palace.
Unfortunately, he dozed off while they were in hyperspace and woke to find he had been shifted into the co-pilot's seat and wrapped in a blanket. His father had merely given him a look when he suggested he take over for the landing.
The Sith Lord parental unit had then ensured he was settled in his room, given the droids and Vaneé a long list of things to make sure he didn't do, and then had departed for Quasher, insisting he would be back as soon as possible. Luke decided it was better not to ask exactly what he was planning to do there.
As soon as his energy returned, Luke made a start on reading the study notes his teachers had sent through at regular intervals. Vaneé proved to be an invaluable help at getting him to focus and actually commit some of the material to memory. As he pointed out to Luke, he did have two master's degrees, and knew a thing or two about passing an exam.
One afternoon, they were sitting in the dining room, datapads laid out between them, when Luke had been interrupted by a comlink call from his father. He'd been calling every few hours just to check that nothing was amiss, which was starting to wear thin. When Luke returned to the room, he found Vaneé was making himself some tea. He gestured to the table.
"Someone else appears to have left a message on your comlink while you were speaking with your father."
Luke looked at it nervously. Armith had been leaving regular messages, asking how he was recovering and letting him know she was thinking of him. This was both flattering and anxiety-inducing. He hadn't had much experience with this type of relationship, if that was in fact what Armith intended. He sunk his head to the table and started the message playing.
Hi, Lukey! Are you actually getting these messages? Just checking, as you haven't responded to the last one yet.
Vaneé smiled as he brought over a glass of blue milk and placed it beside Luke.
"Do you have an admirer?"
"I guess so?" Luke said, switching it off. "I … she hasn't actually said she likes me. In that way. But I guess she wouldn't be calling me if she didn't."
"That's a fair assessment," Vaneé said, sitting down and sipping his tea. "What do you think of her?"
"She's pretty," Luke said. "And she likes my speeder bike. But I don't really know her that well." He looked down. "I'd like to know her better. I've met girls before and thought I'd like to spend time with them, but normally they're scared off by the thought of my father."
"But she isn't?"
"No. At least … she asked me to be her date for our graduation ball."
"Ah. Well, if my wife had never gone ahead and asked me out, I'd have been far too shy to ever do so."
Luke raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You're married?"
He took another sip of his tea. "I was. She was a pathologist with a speciality in flesh-eating bacteria, so my interest in Sith lore seemed tame in comparison. Sadly, Gloriani was killed during the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo. We were rounded up into camps and she was trying to assist an older person who had fallen. A battle droid took exception."
"I'm sorry," Luke said, looking down at his milk.
"It was a long time ago now. The galaxy is a much safer place."
Not for those on Quasher, Luke thought. But he didn't want to argue with Vaneé about the Empire. He knew whose side he'd take.
"So when you first began dating, how did you know what to do? Or what to say? How do you know when it's okay to hold someone's hand? Or even kissing? Honestly, it's more complicated than algebra. I know she's had boyfriends before so maybe she expects a guy to be romantic and confident."
"Very few of us are blessed with confidence the first time we attempt such a thing, young Luke. You'll do fine. Just be yourself, treat the young lady with respect, and always ask for permission before escalating any physical contact."
"Wait, I think I need to take notes," Luke said, bringing up a clean page on his datapad.
Vaneé smiled. "Does your father know about this?"
"I hope you're not suggesting I ask him for guidance, because that's not going to happen," Luke said, writing down what Vaneé had said. "He doesn't want me alone with a girl without a chaperone."
"Ha! I can well imagine. He is somewhat protective."
"Over-protective. I don't know what he imagines a girl could do to me."
Vaneé looked troubled then. "Relationships can be somewhat fraught. I suggest proceeding with caution until you are sure of her intentions. You do have a very open and trusting heart." He studied Luke for a moment, and then frowned. "Although, knowing what I do about your lineage, caution does not come naturally." He glanced at the comlink. "Perhaps it would be best to politely decline such attentions until you are older. You are of great importance to the future of the galaxy."
"Don't start that," Luke said, raising his hands. "Can I just be allowed to be seventeen?"
Vaneé merely continued to look troubled, until Luke waved a datapad in front of his face.
"Let's get back to algebra. We have at least another two hours before my father calls."
Two hours was a good guess, but it wasn't a comlink call that interrupted the study session, but the perimeter alarms going off to indicate an arriving ship. Vaneé became anxious at the sound, but Luke could sense it was his father without having to look at the monitoring screens. Despite the annoyance of the frequent calls, it was a relief to have him back, and Luke made the trip down to the hangar to greet him, with Artoo hot on his tail.
"Finished invading Quasher?" Luke asked, as his father came down the ship's ramp.
"There is now a permanent garrison established and an interim overseer appointed. Have you been following your doctor's instructions?"
"Let's see … since I last spoke to you two hours ago … I've taken your TIE fighter out for a spin, gone for a hike up one of the volcanoes, and borrowed Vaneé's blaster to go hunting down by the lava river banks. There's a real lack of womp rats here, do you know that?"
"You had me up until the suggestion that Vaneé would lend you a blaster," his father said, reaching up to ruffle his hair.
Luke grinned, following his father out of the hangar and across the bridge. He paused at the central platform, surveying the view over the grey horizon.
"You have recovered further since I left," his father noted.
"Getting there," Luke agreed. "You want to go back to Coruscant?"
"No. I would like you to remain here indefinitely. You can complete your exams at the nearest Imperial education centre."
The idea of staying far away from the Emperor was attractive to Luke for a moment, but only for a moment. "No, I … all my friends are on Coruscant, and I want to be there for graduation day. And Lieutenant Hicks is getting married soon … I'm invited to the wedding. Which reminds me … next time you're at Sienar, can you pick up one of those fancy limited edition models with the gold display stand? I need it for a gift."
His father studied him. "Are you certain you wish to go back?"
Luke looked down at his boots. "You'll be there too, right?"
"If I have to leave, I will take you with me."
"Then it will be fine."
His father continued to stare at the lava river, and then he said, "We will return in a few days. I also need time away from the capital."
Luke glanced at his father.
"Are you still angry with the Emperor?"
His father didn't respond, but Luke didn't feel any shift in his mood to indicate the question had annoyed him. He felt resigned.
Eventually, he said, "My relationship with the Emperor is not something you need to concern yourself with, young one."
"You know, whenever you tell me I don't need to worry about something, I usually later find out it was incredibly important."
"When you are older—"
"I am older."
"When you have a deeper understanding of the nature of the Force, there are things I can share with you."
Luke frowned. "I don't need a deeper understanding of the Force. I just need some honesty. What would have happened to me if I had agreed to become the Emperor's apprentice? I had dreams, and they weren't pretty."
His father looked at him then, and Luke felt a sudden sense of regret and sadness. His eyes widened in surprise, but before he could ask further questions, his father turned away, walking quickly back into the fortress. Luke considered going after him, and then concluded he'd made it clear he wasn't going to discuss it further.
His father remained in a depressed mood for the following days, and spent most of his time in the bacta tank. Luke had been hoping they might take advantage of the unexpected time off to go for a flight, or work on some of the modification projects, but at least the lack of such distractions meant he was feeling increasingly confident that he wouldn't completely fail his finals.
They returned to Coruscant at the end of the weekend, and Luke found himself feeling hopeful as he woke up the next morning and began getting ready for school. It felt good to return to his normal routine. His normal life. The palace staff were all pleased to see him back, and he had to hurry not to be late after Lev dropped by the hangar to say hello before he left for the day.
Ben was already waiting on his apartment building landing pad when Luke stopped to pick him up and exchanged a half hug as he climbed in.
"Good to see you back, bud."
"Yeah, my father wanted me to stay on Mustafar, but I remembered you still had my Moon Bandits game," Luke said. "Besides, there's no tunnel racing there, and lava river racing is a bit too crazy, even for me. How have things been here? Have people been talking about me?"
"Let's see," Ben said, doing up his seat restraint as Luke accelerated into the air. "Armith asks every day when you're coming back."
Luke swallowed nervously.
"Greein and Cadi are completely convinced that you are a secret Sith Lord and have been nagging me to tell them about all your other mysterious Force powers."
"Oh, stars. I wonder if it's too late to go back to Mustafar?"
"But the good news is, Miss Silva gathered everyone who witnessed the fight into the assembly hall and told us that Tyloid choked on chewing gum. Everyone other than Greein and Cadi completely bought it. She also said security measures at the school had been increased to prevent unauthorized visitors, and there would now always be security droids in the cafeteria."
"Choked on chewing gum. Good, let's go with that," Luke said. "And you didn't tell anyone about me getting zapped by the Emperor, did you?"
"No." Ben looked down. "I had a big argument with my father about it the night it happened. I asked him how he could defend someone who would do that, and he started spouting all this absolute loyalty stuff he learned in guard training. Made me wonder why I even bother talking to him."
"I wish my father would actually talk about it with me," Luke said. "I've always thought his relationship with the Emperor was weird, but now that I'm older, I'm really starting to see how truly messed up it is. It's like he has some hold over him that he's not telling me."
Ben glanced up. "Like … he has to serve him or he'll kill you?"
"It was going on before I came on the scene. No, I think it's about something that happened when my father was still a Jedi. That's why he never wants to talk about the past. And why he seems to have to go along with anything the Emperor asks him to do, even if he doesn't agree."
"Maybe the Emperor has some Force power which can make people obey him," Ben suggested.
"I've been wondering about that. Like if I'd actually agreed to become his apprentice, maybe I wouldn't have been able to disobey him either." Luke shuddered at the thought. He felt sick every time he thought about his experience in the Emperor's office.
But that particular memory faded when they landed at the school, and he received a lot of welcoming smiles and greetings when he entered the locker hall with Ben. Then Armith came running up and wrapped her arms around his neck, followed by a kiss on the cheek. So much for wondering about when it was okay to do these things.
"Oh, Luke! So glad you're back."
"It's nice to see you," Luke said. And it was—she looked so happy.
"Lunchtime—come sit with us. Promise?"
"Uh, sure. Would Ophelia allow it?" Luke asked.
"Of course!"
She kissed him again and disappeared down a nearby corridor.
Ben sighed. "I will be in the library."
"No, this is a good chance for Ophelia to get to know you better."
"I don't think the invitation was for me as well," Ben said.
"Of course it was," Luke said, "I'm sure they've outgrown treating their lunch table like an exclusive club."
"So you'd think," Ben said, closing his locker.
Ophelia only gave them a look of unspoken suffering when he arrived at their lunch table with Ben in tow. But she kept quiet. Armith immediately pulled him down beside her and curled her fingers around his hand, giving it a squeeze. Luke felt self-conscious then, knowing that was his prosthetic hand, and wondering if she'd immediately feel the difference.
But she seemed happy enough flipping through a holo magazine with Ophelia, while they critiqued every outfit and hairstyle in great detail. Luke observed that Armith and the other girls would always agree with Ophelia, even if it meant changing previously expressed opinions. There was obviously some unspoken rule that she was the ultimate authority.
The guys weren't any better. As far as he could tell, they were only there because they were desperately trying to secure a graduation ball date with Ophelia. They'd take every opportunity to spout off about how richly successful or famously powerful their parents were, and would even resort to arm wrestling with each other when the first approach didn't gather much attention.
The conversation soon moved on to the size of their parent's holiday mansions on distant planets. It went on and on and Ben put his hands over his ears, trying to concentrate on some biology notes he was reading. Luke put his viewscreen down on the table with just enough force to cause the others to glance in his direction.
"Will you guys please tone it down?" he said. "Ben is trying to study."
"Yeah, shut up," Armith said, reaching over to hold Luke's hand again. "Besides, I'm sure Luke's vacation home is bigger than all of yours combined."
Ben smirked. "Oh yeah, it totally is. Spectacular views. Not much sun, though."
"You've been there?" the guy next to Ben asked, curious.
He nodded.
"So where's my invitation?" Armith asked, smirking.
"It's not a vacation home," Luke said, holding up his hands in protest. "It's a fortress built on top of a river of lava."
Armith laughed like he was kidding. Everyone else at the table looked at him with a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"If the scary haunted castle on a volcanic planet isn't your scene, he also lives at the Imperial palace," Ben said, causing Luke to cover his face with his hand.
"Yes! Good point!" Armith said.
The guys looked subdued for a moment, and then one of them spoke up.
"So, Ophelia ... have you decided who's going to the ball with—"
"I already told you yesterday," Ophelia said, rolling her eyes. "I'll start reviewing applications next week."
"But—"
"Next week."
"But—"
Ophelia stood up, and gestured to a girl on her other side. "Refresher." They quickly walked off towards the exit.
"Armith, can't you do something?" the guy said, in a slightly whiny tone. His name was Kart, and he had annoyed Luke ever since he'd discovered he'd dated Armith at one point. "For old time's sake ..."
Luke was about to ask if he had any pride at all, but Armith was already replying.
"You don't have a chance. I've told you before, she's a picky snob."
Luke looked at Armith in surprise. "I thought she was your friend."
"She is," Armith said, looking confused. "Why?"
"Uh, never mind," Luke said, deciding this was another thing he was unlikely to ever understand.
When he returned to the locker hall towards the end of lunch, he noticed Ophelia was putting a water bottle back in her own locker and didn't have any entourage, which was rare. Perhaps she had needed a break from that crowd as well. He could see an opportunity here.
"By the way," he said, when she looked up as he approached, "if you're really going to be reviewing ball partner applications next week ... I know someone who'd really like to be considered."
"Of course I wasn't serious," she said, "that was just to shut them up." She paused for a moment, and then said, "Who?"
"He's smart, funny, and your long time admirer. He doesn't have millions of credits, or live in a mansion, but I can guarantee you'd have a better time with him than any of those other guys."
"Please tell me you're not talking about your charity case friend."
"I don't know anyone called charity case," Luke said. "His name is Ben."
She started to laugh. "Nice joke. Sorry, I don't do pity dates."
"I'm not asking you to go out of pity. You should go because this is your last chance to get to know someone who wants to know you for you, not for your looks, or for your money or power."
"Luke, why don't you go back to that farm you grew up on? You'd be happier there."
Luke ignored the slight. "He's always saying there's more to you than other people see ... is he right?"
Ophelia stared at him blankly for a moment, and then said, "Are you feeling all right? Armith said you'd been in the med center."
"Of course I'm feeling all right!" Luke said, annoyed. "Do you have to be sick to talk about liking someone for reasons other than their bank balance around here?"
He then noticed Cadi looking at him from across the hall. His expression was a mix of awe and fear. He groaned, looking down. Thankfully there was only two weeks of school left, because trying to keep his temper in check, lest anyone think he was a secret Sith Lord, would get old very fast.
"Forget it," Luke said, turning away. "Just don't mention this to anyone."
"There's no chance of that," Ophelia said.
It had been a bad idea to even try, but it was too late now. Hopefully, it would never get back to Ben.
Armith suggested they meet up and go for a walk in one of the local parks after class, and Luke readily agreed. Walking among the flowers and trees with a girl and talking about nothing in particular? This is exactly what he felt like after the pure insanity of the previous week. The weather was warm and there were many couples doing exactly what they were doing. Armith stopped to admire a loth-dog chasing after a ball, and Luke smiled at the sight of a young boy streaking past on a hoverboard. That might have been him five years ago.
Afterwards, they lay under the trees, and every so often Armith would cuddle in a little bit closer, while Luke tried not to get nervous about it. At one point, she leaned her head up to kiss him. It was on the mouth this time, much to Luke's surprise. The experience was short-lived, however.
"Oy!"
They both sat up quickly. A stormtrooper stood in front of them, brandishing his blaster.
"This is a public park, not a fly-in holomovie. There are children here. Get a room!"
"We were just kissing," Armith said, annoyed. "And my mother is a senator."
"Really? Maybe I should make a holo and sell it to the tabloids."
"That's not necessary," Luke said, quickly shifting away from Armith.
The stormtrooper watched them for a few more seconds, and then moved on to hassle the next couple. Luke gave Armith an apologetic look.
"Sorry."
"He did make a good suggestion," Armith said, suddenly grinning.
"Selling it to the tabloids?"
"No, getting a room. Can we go to your place?"
"Uh ..." Luke felt himself turning red. "Well, first I'd need to get you a security pass. I know the officer in charge of guest passes so that shouldn't be too much of a problem." For a moment, he imagined Lieutenant Hicks' reaction to such a request, and wondered if he'd believe she was a platonic friend. "Then I'd need to make sure my father was on the other side of the galaxy. He's been protective lately, so I don't think he'll be leaving anytime soon."
"Really? I figured he'd be always doing something important somewhere."
"He's often over at IMH or ISB, so maybe I can find a good day. I could give you a tour."
She smiled. "Sounds like fun. I've never been behind the scenes at the Imperial Palace. Only the parts where they host events for the senators and their families." She nudged him. "I bet you know all the dark and mysterious corners."
"The library has a lot of dark corners," Luke said. "But my favourite place is actually the ship hangar. That's where I tune up my speeder bike."
"Ah, your other girlfriend," she said, squeezing his hand playfully.
Luke blinked a few times, feeling amazed she actually thought of herself as his girlfriend. Did this mean she considered him her boyfriend?
"So, uh … should I … should I introduce myself to your parents?"
She picked up a handful of grass, and then let it blow away in the wind. "Not possible."
"Why not?"
"I promised my mother I wouldn't date so much this year. She wanted me to focus on my studies. I'm not sure she'd approve anyway."
"Because of my father," Luke said, hugging his knees.
"She's not one of those Rebel sympathizers, like Princess Organa. But your father ... well, that would be a big step and they don't like drama."
"You know Princess Organa?" Luke said. "She's great! So beautiful ..."
Armith gave him a look of disbelief, and Luke realized he'd slipped up.
"Uh ... but you're a hundred times prettier," Luke said. He paused for a moment, realizing he sounded like Ophelia's shallow lunch table admirers. Stars, this was difficult. He was so awkward. "And you have a warm, caring personality. Not like Ophelia."
This seemed to please Armith, and she reached out to hold his hand. "Yeah. She's a real pain."
Luke considered asking why they were friends, but decided he was better off not knowing. Armith had shuffled up next to him again, and was leaning up to kiss him again, but then she quickly turned away.
"Prude stormtrooper, twenty meters behind you."
Luke sighed, and picked up his study notes. Maybe he should try distracting himself with galactic history.
Armith didn't forget his offer to give him a tour of the Imperial Palace, and Luke realized he was just going to have to get all the mockery and loaded remarks over with. The first step was innocently quizzing Lev about his father's schedule over the next few days and identifying an appropriate time. Conveniently, his father would be attending a classified meeting at ISB the following afternoon.
Then he had to brave the security office. He brought along Lieutenant Hicks' favourite snack to help his case, and purposely chose the last ten minutes before his shift ended, just to make sure he wouldn't drag this out.
It started out well enough. At first, he insisted he couldn't eat the food because of some wedding preparation health regime, but then he ate it anyway, while asking Luke how his studies were going, and if he was looking forward to graduating, and Luke answered everything as casually as possible. Then it was time.
"So, the other reason I'm here," Luke started, adjusting so he was sitting backwards on the revolving chair in front of Lieutenant Hicks' desk. "I have a friend who needs a pass to visit me here."
"A new friend?"
"Sort of. One of my classmates."
"What's his name?" He'd brought up a search screen where he could perform some basic identity checks.
"Her actually."
His head snapped around. "Not that Alderaanian princess?"
"No, this is someone else. Armith Yeelin. Her mother is a senator."
He stared at him with his clear green eyes for way too long, and then leaned back in his chair, turning his head to the side so Luke could see his gills. "Hey, Commander. Luke wants to have a girl over."
"Oh, stars," Luke said, covering his face. Commander Julius came out of the back office at a sprint.
"Who?"
Lieutenant Hicks gestured at the screen, where he'd brought up copies of all Armith's government records.
"I thought you were friendly with that princess, Cupcake?" Commander Julius said, looking at him with suspicion. "Did you break up already?"
"We were never dating!" Luke insisted. "We're friends!"
"What about this one?" she said, gesturing at the screen.
Luke hesitated. That's all it took.
"Oh, this is serious," Lieutenant Hicks said, glancing up at his boss. "We're going to need to thoroughly vet this one. ISB profile, parents histories, everything."
"Does your father know about this?" Commander Julius said, pointing at him.
Luke closed his eyes, telling himself that maybe one day he would look back on this humiliation and laugh. Hopefully.
"No, and it's at a really early stage now. There's no way she's ready to meet my father. She just wants to come over and have a tour."
"A tour," Lieutenant Hicks said, smiling. "Is that what you kids are calling it these days?"
Luke groaned. "Why is this a problem? Seriously, you sorted out the pass for Ben in a few minutes."
"I know, and you made sure I regretted that," Lieutenant Hicks said. "Besides, he already had basic clearance."
"Don't you have exams next week, Cupcake?" Commander Julius asked, frowning at him. "Are you sure this is a good time to be pursuing a new relationship?"
"I'm seventeen. Dating is what a normal seventeen year old does. Can I please be allowed to be normal for once?" He looked between them, and saw both their expressions soften.
"We'll sort this out for you," Lieutenant Hicks said. "But it might take a few days."
"Thank you," Luke said, trying not to sound too dejected. They would miss the window of opportunity tomorrow afternoon, but perhaps his father would have another late afternoon meeting elsewhere before too much longer.
"In the meantime, make sure you aren't holding hands with this girl in public if you want to keep your father out of the loop," Commander Julius said. "I heard about those pictures taken at the Senate. Those media droids are getting worse."
Luke swallowed, remembering the kissing in the park. He had to be more careful.
Armith was understanding when he explained the situation at the palace, and even suggested some other places they could go where they wouldn't be bothered by stormtroopers or media droids. Ophelia and her friends frequented numerous private clubs and lounges for the exclusive use of members who paid a large fee for the privilege.
It wasn't until the end of the week when it occurred to him he was sitting an exam tomorrow in galactic history, the accumulation of an entire year's work, and he had barely revised a quarter of the material since returning from Mustafar. It was time to cram like he'd never crammed before.
As evening became nighttime, he filled his head with everything from the first days of interplanetary commerce, to the rise of the Empire. There were dates, quotes, events and names but few of them were linking together. His bed was looking more enticing by the minute.
Finally, he called the kitchen droids, and ordered hot chocolate laced with caffeine. That should see him through to the early hours.
When the bedroom doors finally opened, it wasn't a moment too soon.
"Put it there," Luke said, gesturing toward the corner of his study desk. He didn't look up from his notes on the origins of the Clone Wars.
"Put what where?"
Luke jumped, and glanced up quickly. A parental unit was standing just inside his room, with his arms folded in a business-like way.
"Uh ... nothing."
"It is nearly midnight, Son. Go to bed."
"But I have an exam tomorrow. I need to finish studying!"
"Bed. Now."
Luke had heard him use that tone with officers. Never a good sign. He released a long sigh, and then stood up.
"Goodnight, then."
"Get in the bed."
"Yes, sir," Luke said, sarcastically. He obeyed his father's instructions, however, and shuffled in under the covers. His father watched until satisfied, and then turned out the room lights with the Force.
Luke listened as the doors closed, and then he counted to twenty. Once satisfied his father had returned to his own room, Luke stood up and fumbled for his portable light. Turning on the room lights was too much of a risk, but he could continue studying under the covers. If his father happened to check on him, which he most probably would, it would be easy to switch it out and pretend to be sleeping.
It wasn't the most comfortable way to study, as it grew stuffy under the blankets, and the sheets kept getting in the way. But it worked, and he managed to get through the final part of the origins of the Clone Wars. Now onto the formation of the Empire, the last topic he had to cover. At this rate, maybe he could be finished in an hour.
Luke had just begun to read the first paragraph of his summary notes, when the distant sound of approaching footsteps caused him to reach for the light. He swept his datapads aside and shuffled up to lie on the pillow. By the time the bedroom doors opened, he was lying completely still and breathing gently.
His father stood inside the door, and Luke expected him to go away once he was satisfied. But soon the familiar breathing moved closer. Luke was just debating whether to say something, when he felt a sudden surge in the Force. A rush of air surrounded his body, and Luke quickly sat up. The sheets were folded back, and the portable light was floating through the air towards waiting arms.
"Hey!" Luke protested. He scrambled for his datapads, but they were already going the same way as the portable light.
"That, Son, is the oldest trick in the galaxy. You can have these back in the morning."
"But ... I need them! I'll only be another thirty minutes, I promise!"
"You should have been asleep hours ago."
"Do you want me to fail?!"
His father dumped the portable light and datapads on a shelf by the door, and then walked over to the bedside. "You will fail if you do not get a good night's sleep." He raised a hand, and the sheets folded back over Luke. "I recall a legend about a Jedi who tried reading under the covers, using his lightsaber for illumination."
"What happened?" Luke said, anticipating something gruesome.
"He ended up chopping his bed in half."
"I thought you were going to say he ended up chopping his hand off, and that Jedi was actually you," Luke said.
"I would never do anything so stupid. Nor did I ever leave all my study to the last minute, so I felt compelled to try it."
"I knew there would be a lesson in there."
"Haven't you been studying during the week? Artoo complained you have hardly been home, and I assumed you were at the library with your spineless friend."
"Uh ... "
What could have been an awkward interrogation was interrupted by the sound of the door-comm. His father turned around immediately, and walked over to see who it was. A droid stood on the other side, holding a steaming mug.
"Greetings, sir. Master Luke requested this drink."
"What is it?"
"Hot chocolate with added caffeine."
His father glanced back towards the bed, and Luke dragged the pillow over his face.
"Discard it," his father said. "And never give Luke anything with caffeine at night."
"Yes, sir."
The droid left, and soon Luke felt the pillow being removed from his face.
"Caffeine?"
"I'm sleepy now," Luke said. "You can leave."
"If not, you soon will be."
He reached up and touched his forehead. Luke was about to ask what he meant, when he felt an unstoppable wave of sleep. The last thing he remembered hearing was a distant goodnight.