Chapter 1
"Are
you sure you brought everything you'll need?"
Thirteen year
old Luke Skywalker looked up at his father, clad black, still a
relatively young man, with blond hair and blue eyes like his own.
Luke met his stare and nodded but didn't answer in so many words.
"What's the matter, don't you want to go? We both decided
this would be good for you to get away for awhile."
"What
if...they find out? The other kids might laugh at me."
"Luke,
you should never be ashamed of your heritage."
"You
mean, the son of the Jedi 'chosen one' or the son of the sith lord
who is second in command to Emperor Palpatine? You know a lot of
people don't like Palpatine so they won't like us either."
"That "Jedi" business is in the past. I saw
through their lies, I am where I need to be now. We have power and
influence, that is all we need. If anyone makes fun of you, you
should force choke them at once."
"Aww, Dad, you just
can't go around doing stuff like that if you want kids to like you! I
feel like such an outcast!"
"You want to pretend to be
an ordinary child? I am offended. I want everyone to know you are my
son, and the heir to the empire."
Luke sighed and turned his
back on his father. He didn't agree with the way the empire ran
things, and he wanted to change them. He had heard tales of how
heroic is father had been when he was a Jedi, and he wanted him to be
that man again. He tried to hide his expression, but he couldn't hide
his feelings.
"I can sense a conflict in you, Luke. There
must be no conflict. You take this time away at camp to think over
your purpose in ilfe. Endor is very beautiful this time of year. You
have yourself a good time, son."
Luke looked back at his
father, Anakin Skywalker, but now going by the name Darth Vader since
his Sith conversion about the time of his birth. He seemed almost
normal sometimes, if only he could reach him in the right way. "I
will, father." He managed to smile.
Vader smiled back at
him, waved, and turned and walked away. The shuttle took off in the
direction of the Endor summer camp.
"Leia! Leia! Don't forget to write!" Padme Amidala
Organa called out to her daughter as she followed her to the landing
pad. "You know that holovids and telecommunicators don't work on
Endor anymore since the satellite in that area was destroyed in one
of the battles, and hasn't been rebuilt yet. You take care now, try
to act like a normal thirteen year old girl."
"Oh,
Mama, I don't want to leave Alderaan. I like it here. It's pretty and
it's fun and all my friends are here."
Padme walked over and
put her arm around her daughter, biting her lip, tears welling in her
eyes. "I know things have been bad for you since we lost you
Daddy." Padme's husband, Bail Organa, who had married Padme soon
after the death of his wife about the time of Leia's birth, had been
the only father Leia had ever known. He was not her biological
father, but he had always been her Daddy. Padme never told her the
truth about her parentage, due to a forced deal with the empire that
broke her heart and nearly killed her 13 years ago. Leia never knew
who her real father was, but Padme did. It was a secret she couldn't
tell. Now Padme and Leia ruled all of Alderaan, though one of Bail's
late wife's cousins was making a play to take over the throne, for
now it was safe. Padme and Leia were much loved by the people.
Despite all the priviledge, they were always heartsick inside,
something nagging at them, never happy. Padme thought a chance to get
away and spend carefree time with other kids her age would do Leia
good. Leia knew her mother's intentions were good, and went along
with it. "I love you, Mom." She hugged and kissed Padme
goodbye.
"I'll look forward to your letters, though
considering the way the mail runs, and with lack of technological
communications over there we won't be able to get in touch much. You
just take this time for yourself, dear. It's beautiful there, and
you'll have so much fun."
The royal ship left the dock and
headed for the summer camp on Endor.
