Where Am I Going To?

Part One

Chapter One

One of the Rebel's blasts found their target, causing the Star Destroyer to rock ever so slightly. Luke, standing, rocked on the balls of his feet, shutting off his lightsaber temporarily. The remote he'd been training with ceased moving once it noted that the lightsaber was off. Despite the severity of the blow – for an Alliance weapon, anyway – Luke did not fall, or even stumble. He had a good sense of balance. He didn't know why. He just did.

Just one of those things that happened, he guessed.

He speculated that it really oughtn't be this difficult to capture such a puny little consulate ship. It was slightly more maneuverable than the Star Destroyer was, but the later had the advantage of speed and fire power. But, he was to gather, they didn't want to blow the ship to pieces, so only the speed applied.

Once the ship had stopped shaking, Luke raised his lightsaber again, and turned it back on. The remote hummed into life, and sent a small jolt his way. The Sith Lord deflected it with seventeen years of skill under his belt, and glanced at the robotic opponent with a bored look on his face. They really made these things too easy. He'd slice it in two if they weren't such a pain to replace.

But then, slicing it in two would be entertaining…..at least a little…..

Lord Skywalker decided better, and deflected a few more shots until he felt his father trying to speak to him through the Force. He paused a moment, and then ignored it.

Luke, came the slightly more insistent voice. With a smirk, he blocked it out entirely, feeling a wave of annoyed rage wash between the two Force users. Finally, Vader's voice broke through again. Don't do that!

Then come in here and talk to me.

Luke had made it very clear that he wasn't going to have anymore Force conversations, or orders through the mind. At least for a little while. This had been decided after he'd asked about his mother for the millionth time since he was three, and been shot down once again. If Vader would relent and tell him something about his mother – the most he'd ever gotten was that she had tried to betray the Empire in some way or another – then he'd go back to talking with his father via the Force.

The door to Luke's room slammed open, and the eighteen year old glanced up to see his father, who was seething slightly. "Where did you get to be so stubborn?" he demanded, watching as Luke deflected another shot skillfully.

With a smirk, Lord Skywalker responded with "I'm my father's son, remember?"

"Unfortunately, I do remember." Luke was not quite as tall as his father, and had no real way of knowing if he resembled him. Occasionally he was told he did, but he never really knew. And that was the Jedi Kenobi's fault. However, like his father, he dressed completely in black, mostly because it made him look older, but did not wear a cape. They got in his way if he was trying to move quickly.

Luke gave a short little laugh, and struck against his opponent again.

"You're getting very good at that," praised his father, and the boy tried to decide whether he was bribing him, or actually praising him.

"That's because," replied the other, "these things are so easy. I put it on the highest setting I could, and I'm still bored out of my skull."

"You can talk to the Emperor about finding better challenges for your skill next time we're in Coruscant."

Lord Skywalker felt a small knot of revulsion and fear form at the base of his stomach, which always happened when he thought of his master. He still had vivid memories of his childhood, and his absolute terror when his father would take him to Coruscant. At the age of six he'd actually begged Vader not to make him go. The admission of horror had surprised the Lord of the Sith, and Luke had managed to bend his resolve, but in the end, he couldn't break it; he went. At the age of twelve he'd experienced his first brief exposure to Force Lightning and hadn't been in a hurry to repeat the process. That alone made him shiver.

He also hated visiting the Emperor because it meant prostrating himself in front of someone who, in his heart of hearts, he really didn't believe was all that more powerful than he was. Luke was a free spirit, he just wasn't content being locked up, or bowing before another person's will.

But visits to Coruscant did generally reap very nice rewards, so he always got over that small knot of fear. If Palpatine was pleased with what he'd been doing, then he was given more power, more responsibility, or just about whatever else he could think to want. An added bonus was more run ins with Mara Jade, the beautiful Emperor's Hand.

"Anyway," continued Vader, bringing Luke out of his train of thought. "We've caught the ship, and are preparing to board it. Are you coming?"

Lord Skywalker gave it a thought. Well, it was something to do, and his boredom on board the Star Destroy was becoming suffocating. "The plans for the Death Star are on board?"

"They should be, with Princess Leia Organa guarding them."

Luke never really would have thought that the Alderaanian princess would be a rebel, but it was undeniably true. Thinking about it, he might have said hello to her…..once. Yeah, once, that sounded about right. And maybe goodbye, having only met her a grand total of possibly five times on stops in Alderaan, and the very, very, very few meetings of the Senate he attended, just out of curiosity. The last time had been about three years ago, she was fifteen, and caught in the most awkward stage of adolescence known to human species, so his impression with her was not entirely high. A pretty good orator, but that's about all he noticed.

Lord Skywalker strapped his lightsaber back onto his belt, shrugging. "Sure, why not? It'll be amusing."

"I'm not inviting you for your amusement," stressed the Sith Lord. "I want those plans back."

"And you'll have them," assured his son, walking slightly behind him as they left young Skywalker's room. "What can the Alliance do, anyway? They're just a bunch of ragtag 'pilots,' in X-Wings. Give me a TIE Fighter, I'll take 'em out."

"Your skill as a pilot is astounding, no one can deny that, but don't underestimate an enemy."

"But, Father," protested the boy, "this is the first sort of edge they've ever had, and it is minimal at that. They can't possibly formulate an attack on the Death Star and hope to win."

But it made Luke seriously think….Well, they couldn't, could they? The Alliance was a minor thorn in their side. Unfortunately, it was so small that they were having a hard time locating it in order to extract the nuisance. Well, they'd just have to wait and see what happened. Sometimes thorns worked themselves out.

Luke had been interrogating a few rebel officers on board the Alliance vessel when Storm Troopers brought forth the consulate ship's ambassador. She was not quite as tall as young Skywalker, but she walked with a proud sort of height. Her head held high, her brown hair was swept into to buns tightly twisted on each side of her head and her chocolate brown eyes flashed with an independent sort of fire. Lord Skywalker almost didn't recognize the girl.

There was no way that she could possibly be Princess Leia Organa. Three years was not enough time for a human being to metamorphosis into a butterfly…. Was it? Maybe so, for the Lord of the Sith could only just barely cover his shock, his jaw dropping slightly. No, it wasn't Organa. It was some other girl, that was for certain. Intrigued all the same, he came behind his father's shoulder and watched the exchange.

"Darth Vader," she snarled in her smooth, charming voice. "I should have known. Only you could be so bold." But….It wasn't possible! The Alderaanian Princess? Charming, of all things? But it was her, beyond any shadow of a doubt. She sent him a quick glare that was well mixed with confusion, mostly because Luke couldn't stop gawking. What was he staring at? "The Imperial Senate will not sit still for this. When they hear you've attacked a diplomatic-"

Vader quickly cut her off, and Lord Skywalker was inwardly struck with the most curious thought and feeling. "What? No, don't start talking! Let her keep talking!" His heart was knocking at his ribs, his palms had begun to sweat, and he balled them, planting them firmly at his sides. What on earth was the matter with him?

"Don't act so surprised Your Highness." Young Skywalker tuned out most of the conversation in order to nurse his sudden wave of thoughts. He caught onto the most important details about the transmissions, and listened intently to when Princess Organa was talking, but otherwise, ignored it all broodingly. He snapped fully to attention when his father shouted "You are a part of the Rebel Alliance and traitor! Take her away!" and watched out of the corner of his eye in a slightly wistful manner. He nearly volunteered to follow, in case….well, in case of what? What could possibly happen? That's why he didn't do it. It would only make him look even more stupid than he felt at the moment.

Half heartedly he followed his father and interrogated a few more officers, but otherwise remained dead to the world.

What's the matter? Vader echoed in his son's head, and the long silence reminded him that Luke would only speak verbally. However, he soon realized that the reply was delayed for a few moments not from a grudge, but because the boy didn't know how to say it.

….Nothing, came the reply, which alerted Lord Vader to the fact that everything was wrong. He hadn't really had much time to notice his son's attitude towards the princess, but he could easily pick up on the sudden change in emotional state; confusion mostly, nervousness, anxiousness, shock, curiosity, and a very slight glimmer of something Vader was reluctant to name. Love came to mind, but that was highly unlikely. Passion? Hm, that seemed to describe it better. Whatever that glimmer was, it didn't matter, as the emotions were off the scale in strength, and rolled as constantly as a tide.

Nothing? He finally asked again. He could feel Luke struggle, could still sense the boy's shock at the sudden change in his own physic.

I don't really know, was the final response, and he sighed broodingly. Whatever it was, it was bothering Lord Skywalker greatly, and he wanted very much to try and figure out what had just happened to him.

To Be Continued….

Hey, everyone. Well, by popular demand, here's the first official chapter. I don't really like how it came out, but it was late, my neck is hurting the hell out of me, and I really didn't have much time. I'm endeavoring to get as much done as possible before I leave for the east coast on Friday, so if these first few chapters are a little choppy, I greatly apologize. But, that's right: No updates for at least eight days.

Looking over it, I couldn't find anything specifically bad about this piece, I just felt like I was missing something…..But I couldn't find any place to add anything, so I give it to you as it is. And now, to answer all the wonderful reviews you've been sending me:

Luke1: I was slightly reluctant to type this out for that specific reason, but I'm pretty confident I didn't do too badly. Thank you very much for the praise, it is intensely flattering!

Schnickledooger: Heh thanks. You don't need to suck up, really. I may just sort of let it flop for a couple of months when I get busy with other works (the numerous unfinished fics I have prove this point sufficiently) but I'm more than likely not going to let it die. I have a specific direction to go in, and that really helps. Glad you liked it.

Anthestria: Wow, thank you! I'm glad I could write something that not only met with approval but was also given favoritism! Awesome.

Mixza: Yeah, I liked the last line too.

Doreen: Thank you

xInuyashaxAngelx: Here ya are.

Preciousbabyblue: Will do