Chapter 7 : A Visit to Tatooine

The Imperator class Star Destroyer Assurance exited hyperspace near the Outer Rim world of Exarga. On its bridge Darth Vader silently paced the length of the command walkway, trying to keep his thoughts focused on the task at hand. The Exargan Mining Authority had failed to pay the expected amount of taxes to the Empire, and the Emperor had sent him to correct that deficiency. He pushed away his personal thoughts by reviewing the information he had been given about Exarga.

Exarga had a history of underreporting their production of ore, and hence the payment of fees, to their own Mining Guild almost a decade ago, before the start of the Clone Wars. Now it was possible they were trying the same ploy on the youthful Empire. Perhaps the Exargans felt their remote location protected them from their governors, or that the Empire was spread too thin trying to keep the systems of the former Republic in line.

Whatever their reasoning, Vader was here to convince them that the Emperor did notice the small things. The Empire was a ravenous mouth that demanded to be fed; revenue sources would never be allowed to dry up. If the Exargans could not be depended upon to provide the expected level of taxes, then perhaps the Empire would have to assume control of the entire mining operation. The metallic ores produced therein were more directly valuable to the Empire than credits. The expanding Imperial Navy,with its the planned Super Star Destroyers, and projects like Governor Tarkin's Great Weapon required almost incomprehensible amounts of materials.

The seizing of an independent authority by the Empire would have some repercussions in the Senate, but most of the commercial organizations that banded together under the Separatist flag had already been absorbed by the Empire. The Emperor's ability to handle criticism had never been in doubt, and Vader knew Palpatine could convince the Senate, as he done countless times in the past, that such an action was taken only for the good of the Empire, Senators and citizens alike. For those systems that whole heartedly supported the Emperor, the explanation would seem quite reasonable. For those that glanced at him with distrust, they would be powerless to act on their suspicions.

For Vader, the trip to Exarga presented another opportunity, one he had gently nurtured into fruition. With the Emperor's blessing, he was being sent into the same region of space that also contained Tatooine. Since his first vision of his child two years ago he had hidden that secret deep down, Jedi-style, not trusting himself to keep it concealed by cloaking.While the delay in beginning the search had been trying, the truly difficult task had been finding a way to come to Tatooine that did not draw the Emperor's attention. He did not understand why, but it seemed the existence of his child was something the Force had not shared with his Master, and he meant to keep it that way.

------

The agents of the Imperial Revenue Squad were not all from the same species, but they might as well have been. The emotion that pervaded their thought processes was suspicion, profound suspicion of all things.This was true whether they were computer technicians, financial specialists, or the elite interviewers. Whether they had been selected for this outlook, or whether it had been trained into them, Darth Vader was not sure.It had made them remarkably effective in their work, though, and more than one system had confessed to misdeeds when simply threatened with the prospect of being reviewed by the Imperial Revenue Squad.

It helped that the Emperor had given the Squad expanded police powers with which to conduct their business. Minus the weaponry, of course. It would have been irresponsible to arm a group so inclined to see the enemy in everyone. They could, however, enter private property, open sealed records, and confiscate computers with impunity. It was probably safer to spit on an Imperial Guard than to try to evade the civic duty of paying taxes. But pride in one's intellect was a common fault among the Galactic citizenry, and the IRS was kept quite busy by those who thought they could outsmart the Empire.

The Squad supervisor on board the Assurance, Special Agent Srre, sat next to Vader, and across from the ship's commander, Admiral Tresad.

"Admiral, it is your responsibility to safely bring the IRS to the offices of the Exargan Mining Authority. You are to provide complete troop support to their needs, transport them to further sites as needed, and most of all, keep them completely protected. The Emperor will be quite displeased if any member of the IRS is harmed," Vader said.

"But I thought you, as the Emperor's representative, would be escorting the IRS," said Admiral Tresad.

"Are you telling me that you are incapable of landing troops into this situation ?" said Vader.

"Of course not, Lord Vader. I could place troops in the living room of the Hutt Syndicate. That is not the issue," said Tresad.

"Everywhere we go, we are treated the same," Special Agent Srre interrupted."Other Imperials avoid us as if we carried the brain plague.You should be more grateful. We may not be soldiers, but we are likely the most valuable squad in the Imperial service. Without us, the Emperor would have no credits to place in your accounts on payday. You eat because of our work."

"Agent Srre, I couldn't agree more. The successful resolution of this shortfall is of extreme importance to the Emperor. I'm sure the Admiral is in complete agreement, and will be proud to escort your squad to the Exargan headquarters. Isn't that correct, Admiral ?" Vader had learned more than Sith skills while at the side of the Emperor.

Admiral Tresad stared at Vader's mask in a manner some might have found intimidating. "Yesss...The crew of the Assurance can always be counted on to follow the Emperor's will. We are at your disposal, Agent Srre."

Srre brightened for a moment, then let his happiness slip away quickly, lest it take hold. "I will go prepare my men. This is likely to be a complicated investigation."

Tresad turned back to face Vader. "So, if you will not be helping me with the IRS, what will you be doing?"

"This mission has two phases. While the IRS looks for the record trail of the missing funds, I will be determining what happened to the ore production."

"I suppose that involves the rattletrap ship you loaded into my hangar ?" Tresad said.

"Making planetfall in a new Imperial shuttle about guarantees that the locals won't talk to you," Vader said.

"I'd hardly call you inconspicuous."

"I know more about the common man than you think, Admiral. Besides, I have an assistant to do the actual legwork."

"You mean that criminal I wanted kept in the brig ? I'll have to have the utensils in the mess counted since you let him loose on the ship."

" Kel Wezla is an interpreter, not a thief. He speaks 24 languages, and will be most helpful in Mos Eisley."

" Mos Eisley, eh ? Well, as long as you take him with you, I'll be happy."

------

Darth Vader had to admit Agent Srre was right about the IRS being responsible for the credits in all of their accounts. Courtesy of the Emperor, he had an expensive apartment in Imperial City, access to most any ship he wanted, and an ever rising sum in his personal account. It rose mostly because he had never acquired the habit of spending, having gone from being a slave to being a Jedi Padawan, neither of which had much opportunity to handle credits.Every once in awhile he did come across something he wanted to buy, like the battle scarred ARC-170 that Admiral Tresad had spoken of with such distaste. He recognized it would suit his needs for the expedition to Tatooine, so he had bought it from the salvage yard, refurbished the hyperdrive, and made it spaceworthy again.His credits had also facilitated the release of the former Separatist operative Kel Wezla, who sat in the copilot's seat of the ARC.

"I haven't seen one of these for awhile," Wezla said, "not since the War for Freedom."

"On what planet was that ?" Vader said.

"You know, the Clone Wars. Except in the Confederacy of Independent Systems, we called it the War for Freedom.That's how I ended up in detention on Coruscant. My neighbor heard me call it that, and turned me in. One slip of the tongue, and they turned me in for having an anti-Imperial attitude."

"Fortunately for you, your talent for languages was noted. I expect you to make good use of those skills while you are in Mos Eisley," Vader said. "I need you to listen for any mention of Exargan metals being bought or shipped out through Mos Eisley. It is equally important to listen for the buyer's identity."

He flipped a credit disc into Wezla's hands. "There's 1,000 credits on this to feed yourself, or buy access to information. You decide which is more important, but do remember I expect results when I return."

"Return ? Are you leaving me alone in Mos Eisley ?" Wezla asked.

"I have business elsewhere on Tatooine. I will return shortly for you. And remember, the credits on that disc are completely traceable, so don't have any thoughts about running off. If I have to hunt you down, you will regret it. Give me the information I am seeking, and I'll pay you 5,000 credits. Come up empty handed, and it's back to the detention center in Imperial City."

"Don't worry," Wezla said,"if I could find embezzlers among the Neimodians, I can find your smugglers."

------

After leaving Wezla on the outskirts of Mos Eisley, Vader flew the ARC far enough out beyond the city to be certain he would be alone. He closed his eyes, emptied his mind, and made himself completely receptive to the Force. Only his ventilator made background noise in his head. He felt its pull, the Force, first faintly, then stronger as his concentration increased. He turned his body towards the pull, at last feeling it rush to him and through him. He remained in meditation for a moment, reveling in its touch.

When he opened his eyes, he saw he was facing the direction of Anchorhead. Of course. The child would be at the Lars homestead. Someone would have brought the baby there : Obi-Wan. Would Obi-Wan be there, too, helping to raise his child ? The thought made his heart turn black. He cloaked his emotions to prevent the imagined Obi-Wan from detecting his presence.

He returned to the controls of the ARC, hit the throttle, and flew the craft near its atmospheric limits. Focusing on the signal coming from the direction of Anchorhead, he let go of conscious piloting control and followed the trail that the Force set before him.

The homestead came into view at the edge of the horizon. He turned on the zoom function of the helmet, something he rarely did, preferring to keep his visual field as natural as the helmet allowed. He scaled back on the throttle of the ARC to make a reasonable approach to the homestead. It had been six years since he had been here last. He had come then to rescue his mother, but he had been too late. He would not be too late for his child.

The Force resonated in him now. Was this what Qui-Gon had felt at their first meeting ? He landed the ARC, setting it down in the glaring Tatooine sand. The homestead looked the same. He looked towards his mother's grave, finding it neat and well tended. A fourth headstone stood near hers; had Cliegg Lars died ?

He turned his attention to the entrance of the home, and saw what he had come for, a small boy, blond and fair, in whom the Force sang. Inside the ARC he froze, not able to take his eyes off the boy. He had wondered if the child would be like Padme', dark haired and intense, but instead he looked just like his father.So, it was true; his son lived. Palpatine was wrong, disasterously wrong, whether by deceit or ignorance.

If Palpatine was wrong about his son, then perhaps he had lied about Padme' as well.He reached back into that dark place, relived the memory that he could not bear, and once again felt his certainty that she had been alive. He had hurt her, no doubt of that, but maybe he had not killed her. The relief contained in that possibility washed over him. He felt his tears, hot as they left his eyes, then cold as the pressurized air of the ventilator hit his face. Maybe there was hope in life after all, in this boy, in this last trace of Padme'. If he could not save her, he would save their child.

A woman came up from the interior of the home. Beru, he recognized Beru. A man came from around the garage, and walked toward the ARC : his step-brother, Owen. His mind raced. He had not fully thought out what he would do if he found the child; he had only known that he had to discover if his vision was true.

He had to take the boy, of course, his son, his and Padme's. He would take him now, raise him, teach him everything he would need to know. But how ? If he were to remove his mask and helmet, struggle to breathe in the hot dry air, Beru would not recognize him. She would not hand over this child she had raised as her own. To take the boy, he would have to kill Beru and Owen.

He watched the boy talk excitedly to Beru, pointing at the ship. He felt the excitement within the boy, but also his underlying security. He remembered his own mother, how good she made him feel, the sense of peace and safety she brought to him. How could he replace that, if he were to take the boy by violence, tear him from the only home he had known ? And then there was the matter of Palpatine. How could he continue to keep the boy hidden from his Master, who would only be too delighted to have another toy ? With that thought he knew that he could not take his son, no matter how much he wanted to, not until he could keep him safely out of the Emperor's reach.

Owen continued his approach to the ARC, meaning to engage the stranger on his homestead. He knew not that the shadow of death had passed over him.

Vader climbed out of the ARC into the blazing Tatooine sunlight, his cloak billowing in the desert wind. Beru called the boy-- he heard her call him "Luke"-- and took him downstairs into the home. He repeated the name, "Luke", softly so that the voice modulator did not pick up the sound, so that he could hear it in his own voice.

Owen stood before him now, a man who had offered to be his brother once, might still offer to be his brother now. " Are you lost ?" Owen said to him. "Can I help you find something ?"

"I'm looking for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Have you seen him ?" he said. Not the truth, but it would do.

"No, I don't know who that is," Owen said.

Not the truth either, he sensed. The mention of Obi-Wan's name had made Owen flash with fear. Obi-Wan had definitely been here, was probably watching over the boy. His boy. It didn't sit well with him to leave him here with Obi-Wan close by, but the Emperor was the greater threat.

"Probably have the wrong town. I'm probably supposed to be over by Mos Espa, " he said.

And with that he made himself turn away from Owen, and Beru, and Luke. I will return, Luke. I promise you, he thought.

The battered ARC-170 rose off the sand and headed back towards Mos Eisley.

------

Back on board the Assurance Darth Vader was eager to give his report to the Emperor. Kel Wezla had done an exceptional job on Tatooine. Vader had been so pleased with Wezla's findings that he not only paid him, but let him vanish into the desert shadows. The information that Wezla had unearthed could be used to stop the growing opposition to the Empire. With this mission, Vader had accomplished something of importance, made a real contribution to protecting the Empire. He was sure Palpatine would be equally pleased with the information.

"So, Lord Vader, have you found where the Exargans have been hiding their credits ?" Palpatine asked.

"Yes, Master. The Exargans have been holding back part of their ore production to sell on the black market to Chandrila. I'm sure Chandrila is processing the ore to use in building their own starships."

"Why would you think that, Lord Vader ?"

"Chandrila is an agricultural planet. What need would they have for shiploads of doonium ?"

"Farm machinery, perhaps. The leap to the idea that they are building a secret navy is quite large."

"But the Chandrilan Senator Mon Mothma is your most outspoken critic. She could be working with other senators to build an opposition force.This possibility demands immediate investigation."

"When I want political analysis from you, Lord Vader, I'll ask for it."

"But if they are building a rebel force, wouldn't you want to crush it right away ?"

"Why would you think that you know better than I how to run the Empire ? Perhaps you should look up the meaning of the word 'apprentice'. But don't worry, we will separate Exarga from its ill-gotten profits. If they are selling materials to Chandrila, they will have income to spare."

Darth Vader was dumbfounded. He had been certain the Emperor would congratulate him on his efforts, and send him on to Chandrila to bring an end to their rebellious activities. Instead, Palpatine was turning a blind eye to the situation. If he didn't know better, he might think Palpatine wanted the resistance to grow.

"Did you find anything else on your travels, Lord Vader ?" Palpatine asked.

Even though he had triple barricaded his thoughts of Luke, Darth Vader was suddenly relieved that this was only a holographic conversation. "No Master, a few stories of doonium mines in Mos Eisley, but nothing of importance."

------

With his belly full, Obi-Wan Kenobi should have felt content. Instead, he felt the leadened lump in his gut that usually followed him out the door of the Lars homestead. Another week, another family dinner, and another opportunity to feel he was doing the wrong thing. Sure, the Lars were good people, but this was no way to raise a Jedi.

Owen Lars came up the interior stairs to join him outside the entrance to the home.

"Someone came asking about you today," Owen said casually, as if it were a common occurrence.

Obi-Wan stared silently at Owen, unaware that his mouth had fallen open. He probed Owen's mind, feeling for amusement, but found only confusion. "So are you going to tell me who it was, or make me guess ?"

Owen shook his head."I don't know who it was. A ship came, smaller, pretty beat up. Only one person on board. He didn't say much, just asked me if I knew where Obi-Wan Kenobi was. I told him 'no', and he got in his ship and left."

"If you didn't recognize him, what did he look like ?" Obi-Wan said.

"Well, that's the thing. His face was covered by a helmet. I couldn't see any part of him. He was really tall, though, dressed all in black."

Obi-Wan's face tightened. "Did he ask about the boy ?"

"No," Owen said, "Luke was right there with Beru, but he never said anything about him. He just asked if I knew where you were. So, do you know who it was ?"

"I must take Luke. We need to leave right now," Obi-Wan said.

"What are you talking about ? Who was that?"

"That was Anakin, or what's left of him. Senator Organa saw him just as you described at the Imperial Senate. He's come for the boy. I must take him to safety," Obi-Wan said.

"He didn't say anything about taking Luke, he just asked about you," Owen replied."You're not taking Luke anywhere."

"You don't understand. He will come back. He must not be allowed to see the boy."

"The only one talking about taking Luke is you, and I'm not going to let you do it."

"The boy is not yours to keep. You are only watching him for the Jedi. You don't know his importance."

"Luke is not property. He does not belong to you. We love him as our own son, and you are not taking him from us."

"You don't understand who Anakin has become. Luke cannot be allowed to go with his father. You must send Luke with me now."

"If that was Anakin, I felt no danger from him. The only one threatening Luke is you. I'm tired of all your Jedi nonsense. Don't ever come near my family again."