Obi-wan gave the spare, worn walls of his domicile one last look before lifting his bag and slinging it over one shoulder. This place had been his home for nine long years, sheltering him from the blistering heat, biting cold, and vicious sandstorms of Tatooine… and the prying eyes of the Empire. He had put hours of backbreaking labor into making it livable when he'd first come across it, deserted and in shambles, infested with vermin and every surface crusted with sand. And though there were few good memories within these walls, nor were there any truly unpleasant memories.
It was a shame that he had to leave it.
Yoda had been most explicit on that point – "an eye on young Skywalker keep, Obi-wan. His safety upon you rests. Your own judgment and no one else's trust." Well, his judgment told him that, with Vader back in Luke's life, it was best if he were close by. He may have killed the Emperor to save the boy's life, but that hardly made up for nearly ten years of life as a Sith.
But it was a step in the right direction. And perhaps they could encourage him to take another step on that path.
He turned to disconnect the holocomm unit and pack it away, but it chimed urgently with news of an incoming message. Frowning, he activated the unit.
"General Kenobi!" exclaimed Senator Bail Organa, his image blipping to life. "I'm sorry to contact you – you said unless it was an emergency…"
"And I trust this is an emergency?" asked Obi-wan.
"The Emperor has gone missing," Bail replied. His dark, handsome features were creased and tight, as if he couldn't decide whether he should be concerned or ecstatic about recent events. "Grand Moff Tarkin announced it to the entire Senate just this morning. The Emperor is gone… and Lord Vader as well."
Obi-wan nodded. "I know."
Bail blinked. "You do?"
He nodded again. "Just this last evening, I watched Darth Vader cut down his own master to save his son's life."
The senator just stared.
Obi-wan laughed. "It's quite the story, old friend. But I sense there's something else on your mind?"
It took Bail a moment to recall what else he was going to say. "Tarkin further stated that, until the Emperor was found, the Council of Moffs would govern the galaxy."
Obi-wan's brow wrinkled. Now that was news to him – and disturbing news at that. The Council of Moffs was not exactly known for kind and fair leadership. Having that twisted party of sycophants and sadists hold the welfare of the galaxy in their hands was not a pleasant thought.
"Did the Senate take any action?" asked Obi-wan.
"What could we do?" Bail spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "Palpatine had no use for us beyond ceremonial duties, but the Moffs…" He shook his head. "It's only a matter of time before they find some excuse to dissolve the democracy once and for all."
Obi-wan shook his head sadly. "I had long believed that, if Palpatine were to be eliminated, the galaxy would be much better off. It seems I was wrong."
Bail saw fit to change the subject. "You said Vader killed the Emperor. How under the stars did that come about?"
So Obi-wan found himself repeating that entire sordid tale over again – how a luckless Jedi Knight named Jax Pavan had come to Tatooine impersonating Anakin Skywalker, how Luke had stalked the man for over a week, how he and Vader had confronted Pavan at the same time, how Pavan had spirited Luke away in the hopes of training him… and how a brutal showdown between the rogue Jedi, Vader, and Palpatine had resulted in Jax's death, the Emperor's downfall, and Luke's realization that his father was something else entirely.
Bail's mouth was hanging open by the end of the story. "My stars… Luke must have been traumatized…"
"Far from it," Obi-wan replied amusedly. "On the contrary, he is delighted to be with his father again. He looks upon Vader with a child's pure vision and sees, not a fallen Jedi, but a father figure." He smiled sadly. "Would that we all had that gift."
Bail drew a deep breath. "I'm coming down there."
Obi-wan's smile faded. "I would not advise that, Bail. The situation on Corusant sounds delicate."
"My comrades can handle it without me," Bail insisted.
"Your wife is not in the best of health, Bail," Obi-wan tried again. "Shouldn't you remain there with her?"
"She has a touch of the flu, not White Plague," came the retort. "I'm coming to Tatooine, whether you like it or not."
Obi-wan gave a sharp nod, deciding it was time to negotiate. "Very well, Bail. I will look forward to seeing you and Leia again."
Bail scowled. "I'm not bringing Leia…"
"Whether your wife has the flu or the plague, leaving her alone with a rambunctious nine-year-old can hardly be fair."
"But Obi-wan, Leia on Tatooine! She would be petrified…"
"Either bring Leia, or don't come at all," Obi-wan said firmly. "She deserves to know that she has a brother… and a father."
Bail glared from the holo. The senator had never played games with Leia's mind, and it was common knowledge that he had adopted her as an infant. But that didn't change the fact that he saw her as his own daughter, loved her like his own flesh and blood… and had no desire to lose her to what he saw as a murderous beast. And naturally he would be extremely protective of her.
"Be very careful, Obi-wan," Bail said at last. "The situation on Tatooine sounds just as delicate as the situation here."
"I have it under control," he lied to assuage his friend's fears.
The holo faded.
Obi-wan sighed and packed the holoprojector. Bail was right. Things on Tatooine were just as complicated as matters on Corusant. And the outcome of affairs on both worlds would affect the entire galaxy in profound – and potentially devastating – ways.
Break…Vader let his head fall against the headrest of his medical cot, closing his eyes, wincing at the lingering pain deep in his bones. Luke had fallen asleep just a few minutes ago, and he lay curled beside him like a nexu kitten against its mother, his head still on Vader's chest, just over his heart. And the boy's hand was nested in his black gauntlet, looking strangely pale and fragile in his grip.
/My son… my flesh and blood…/
How had this child survived? When Padme had… passed away, he had believed the child she carried had perished with her. But someone had managed to save the child, save Luke and take him to Tatooine. Strange. The Jedi weren't exactly known for supporting family values. And only a Jedi – or, specifically, Obi-wan – could have whisked Padme off of Mustafar and either helped her give birth or remove the child from her dead body.
But one had to wonder why…
The anger burned deep in his chest, stirred to life by his realization. Obi-wan had saved his son, but he couldn't be bothered to save Padme. Padme had meant nothing to him. She was just a politician to him – he'd said so before, hadn't he? She was only worthwhile as a quick ride to Mustafar… and as a mother to a Force-strong child.
He clenched his jaw. The Jedi wanted an apprentice, a malleable mind to twist to their desires. And when they discovered the child Padme carried was his, they jumped at the chance to claim him as their own. Son of the Chosen One, so strong in the Force he shone with it, suddenly dropping into the Jedi's hands with no guardian, no home… it had been too tempting an offer for them to pass up. After all, who better to overthrow Obi-wan's wayward apprentice than his own ignorant offspring? And so they had taken Luke for themselves, let Padme die, and pawned the child off on Luke's closest living relatives for them to wet-nurse until they deigned to train the boy.
But then, why hadn't they begun teaching him the way of the Force? Luke was powerful, but he had yet to move so much as a grain of sand with the Force. If Obi-wan and Yoda (he had to remain among the living; neither Vader nor the Death Squads had located him yet, and the diminutive Master was just too ornery to die of old age) truly wanted Luke as a true Jedi Apprentice, they would have begun his lessons years ago.
Unless Owen forbade it. He had to smile at that. They had certainly failed there. He didn't know his stepbrother very well, but from what he'd learned in his few encounters with him, Owen Lars was just as stubborn and intractable as his father had been. And after learning what had happened to Anakin, of course he'd be reluctant to let the Jedi train Luke. And now Luke was too old to begin the training, too exposed to fear and anger…
Luke stirred in his sleep, moaning and frowning. Vader gently brushed his thoughts and caught a glimpse of a nightmare… fire? Blades? Anger? Terror?
/He's picking up on my thoughts/ he realized. /Even as young as he is, he can sense my anger./ He struggled to quell his mounting rage, but it was a great effort – he had never been good at suppressing his emotions.
At last he tore himself away from any thought of the Jedi or their plans for Luke, and the boy's face relaxed in a smile as he sank into a deeper sleep. If he was this sensitive to his father's mental processes, the bond between them was stronger than he'd thought. Having to watch his every thought from now on was not a pleasant prospect… but it was worth it.
Stang, how he loved this child already! He hadn't loved in so long… he had given up all hope of ever feeling love again, had surrendered himself to the misery and constant fury of life as a servant of the Emperor… until this boy had stepped forward and offered him his trusting, unconditional, uncomplicated love. Love that had long been denied Vader. Love that had been as sweet as water to a man dying of thirst.
Love that the Jedi would have forbade them both had they had the chance.
Vader closed his hand around Luke's, making a promise to himself and to his son then and there. Luke had been without a proper father for too long. He didn't need the Jedi and Owen squabbling over his fate, using him as a bargaining chip or a tool of power. He needed someone truly concerned for his welfare, someone willing to give him a home and a family.
/I swear to you, Luke, that I will die before I leave your side again. And I swear that you will not suffer the same fate I did./
Break…
Biggs Darklighter sighed. "Do I have to go over this again?"
"We want to know everything," Owen Lars told him sternly. "What went on in Mr. Skywalker's house while you and Luke were there?"
"I already told you! Luke and I were playing spy again – which I'm not getting in trouble for if I'm telling this, right?" He eyed his father, who stood slightly behind Owen with an amused expression on his face.
"That was part of the deal," Dad acknowledged with a wry smile. "Keep talking."
"Right. We followed Mr. Skywalker into his house, Luke was going to jump out and ask if the guy was his dad, when Darth Vader marches in and starts going 'We meet again' and 'you won't escape this time' and all that. Then Luke jumps out and starts kicking him, shouts 'Run, you're my father' to Mr. Skywalker, then head-butts Vader in the gut and they took off."
"Is that all?" demanded Owen.
Here he squirmed uncomfortably. Meeting with Vader hadn't exactly been pleasant… "Vader asked why we were there… and he asked a lot of questions about Luke. Then he told me to get lost. Not in those words, but he meant them." He met Owen's gaze. "Can I go see Luke now?"
"Not yet," Owen replied, practically jumping on Biggs' request. "The doctor has a few more tests to run. Then we'll see."
"Can Luke still come to my house for a sleepover this weekend? We've been talking about it for two weeks…"
"We'll see." Owen turned to Dad. "Mr. Darklighter, I'm going to have to ask you if we can borrow that old hoverbike garage on your property. I've suddenly become the proud owner of two dewbacks and have no place to put them."
"No problem," Dad replied. "I'll have a few of my farmhands disassemble it and bring it over."
The two men walked out, leaving Biggs alone in the waiting area, kicking his feet and cradling his get-well present for Luke in his lap. He still didn't know what had happened to his friend after their little… encounter with the Dark Lord. His dad had told him something about an accident that had killed Mr. Skywalker and injured Luke, and Beru had hinted that Mr. Skywalker had been using a fake name and wasn't related to Luke at all, but that was it. No details about the supposed "accident," no explanation as to why that crazy wizard Ben Kenobi was suddenly back in Anchorhead, and no hint as to what exactly Mr. Lars had meant when he'd complained about "one more mouth to feed," though he suspected it had nothing to do with a pregnancy and everything to do with whatever had gone on in the past two days.
He lifted the present and eyed the title – the latest edition of "Mandalorian," the hottest holovid game in the galaxy. His Alderaani uncle had shipped it to him as a "just because" gift, and though he would have loved to claim it for himself, he decided Luke needed it more than he did. Maybe, though, they could get the doctor to set up a holo in Luke's room and they could play together…
Speaking of which, here came Luke's doctor right now, a pretty Chiss woman who was currently engaged in a hot debate with someone over a portable comm unit.
"No, I'm not joking! Why would I joke about something like this? I called you as soon as I could after he came in, it's not like I'm not busy!"
Biggs pretended to be engrossed with the back of the game box, keeping his ears tuned.
"Look, I'm sorry if me not dropping everything and calling the minute it happened put a hitch in your plans, but I had patients to see to… Overreacting? Don't give me that 'quit overreacting…' I'm not hysterical! What makes you think I'm hysterical?"
Biggs pressed the box to his lips to squash a laugh.
"YOU have problems! YOU HAVE PROBLEMS! I dare you to pull your fat butt out of your cozy little office on Corusant and come here to see what I have to put up with… I don't care how long it's been since you were last in your office… and whose fault is that? YOU chose this line of work! Don't give me that 'the Emperor would have killed me if I didn't accept the job' poodoo…"
The doctor's gaze moved to Biggs. He feigned awe over something on the back of the box, and she dismissed his presence and returned her attention to the comm.
"Well, I sure hope you have a backup plan, because with Target One gone and the Moffs in control… what did they have in mind… oh brother, not Fett, don't bring him into this mess… remember what happened the last time you hired him on? We're still paying off the debts… Yes, I understand… uh-huh… maybe… I'll have to check… I'll call you back when I know."
Biggs tried to keep a confused expression off his face, but it was hard. What was she talking about anyway? Who was Target One? What were the Moffs in control of? Was she really referring to the infamous Boba Fett, the best hunter in the galaxy? And what was she going to check out?
"Yes, you take care of yourself. Oh, by the way, you owe me fifty thousand. Yes, I kept track, I know how much it costs. A secure channel isn't cheap. Okay, out." She clicked the unit off and turned to Biggs, giving him a sweet smile.
Biggs pretended he hadn't heard a thing. "Can I go see Luke now?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "I don't see why not."
"Great!" He held up the game. "Can I bring this in?"
She laughed. "I'll bring in a holoprojector."
Biggs stood and followed the doctor into the back. "So what happened to Luke?"
She frowned down at him. "No one's told you?"
"No one tells us kids anything," Biggs complained.
She glanced about as if about to impart a great secret, then crouched before him. "Promise me you'll keep this between us. I could lose my medical license if this gets out."
He nodded. "Sure." It thrilled him to know she trusted him with… whatever this was.
"Your friend… was attacked by the Emperor."
Biggs gaped. "The EMPEROR?"
"Shh," she advised. "Yes, the Emperor. I don't know why, but he tried to kill your friend. But Darth Vader saved his life, and he's back in the medical center with Luke."
Biggs just stared at her. The Emperor here on Tatooine! And trying to fry Luke with Force lightning! How come everything cool happened to Luke anyhow? No one ever came chasing Biggs down, except maybe his older sister when she caught him reading her diary…
"But… why would the Emperor want to kill him? And why did Vader save him?"
She shook her head. "Perhaps it's best if you hear it from Luke."
Biggs swallowed hard and nervously followed the doctor into the back.