A/N Luke is fourteen in this one!
"Tomorrow is the last day for you to turn in the field trip chip, get it signed by your parents or guardians for permission!" Luke's teacher, Mrs. Waldar, said as she stood in front of the class. Luke groaned as he remembered once again that he had forgotten to ask. Maybe it was because he wasn't all too excited about this field trip, it was to the Imperial Palace. He had been there, what felt like a million times. He was going to be there later this week for a dinner party. It felt weird to ask permission to go to a building he went to quite often. The field trip was to talk about the structure of the Palace and how it ran the Empire, along with potential job opportunities.
"Will we see anyone important that works at the Palace?" a girl named Lani asked from the back of the class.
"Possibly, it is entirely possible to see the Emperor." Mrs. Waldar smiled as she raised her eyebrows, a couple of classmates gasped and some let out sounds of disbelief. "But, that is highly unlikely, he would have to be walking the same hall we would. The Palace is very large." He knew non of his classmates would genuinely enjoy an interaction with the Emperor, he was possibly the most unpleasant monster to roam the Galaxy. Luke was sure that if his class did run into the Emperor that the Emperor would single Luke out, embarrass him in front of everyone.
The final bell rang, signaling the end of class and the school day. Luke stood from his chair and began to collect his things. "Remember! Field Trip Chip!" Mrs. Waldar said one final time. Luke made a mental note to remember this time, Luke was about to leave the class room when he then felt a tap on his shoulder, Luke turned around and saw another one of his classmates, Dash.
"Hey Luke, I gotta ask you something," Dash said as he adjusted the straps of his backpack.
"What is it?" Luke asked as he quirked his eyebrows, this guy never really talked to him so this seemed random to him.
"So, I am writing an essay about your father." Luke's eyes widened.
"My father?" Forgetting for practically a millisecond that Vader was not just his father, but second in command of the Empire. Dash nodded and ran his hand through his hair.
"Yeah, so- I was wondering if he would be at the palace tomorrow so I could ask him a couple of questions." Luke blinked quickly in confusion, though he knew he heard him correctly.
"You wanna speak with him personally? One on one?" Luke asked, making sure he wasn't misunderstanding him. Dash nodded, Luke took a moment to process, Dash had been one of the few people he had met that requested to speak with his father.
Luke sighed, "Uhm- He doesn't-" Luke paused, trying to figure out how to word it. "He doesn't exactly like personal questions, I can probably answer the questions you have for you." Luke offered, Dash shook his head confidently.
"No, I want a first-hand source. I need one for my essay anyways." Dash smiled, he was a pretty confident kid. Luke knew his father was intense to some people and would not be charmed by Dash's tenacity.
"Yeah, I think he will be there tomorrow. But there is no way of knowing if we will see him-" Luke was cut off.
"We can sneak off to his office," Dash said as he folded his arms over his chest, Luke shook his head.
"No way, I'm not sneaking off, if we don't see him tomorrow just give me your questions and I'll ask them for you." Dash seemed to mull over Lukes rules and nodded.
"Your cool, Skywalker." Dash smiled and playfully punched Luke in the shoulder. Luke laughed somewhat awkwardly as he rubbed his shoulder, the light-hearted punch actually hurt slightly. Dash walked away, Luke let out a long sigh as he left the classroom towards the school's exit. He knew Dash would just get outright turned down for asking any questions about his father and just wished Dash would let Luke answer. His father wasn't going to open up to some strange kid in Luke's class.
If Luke was given the questions Dash had, he would just answer them himself and say his father answered. It would just be easier and far less awkward, Luke turned to leave his classroom and towards the landing pads where Lekauf would be.
"Well, maybe the field trip will be fun." Lekauf said hopefully, Luke sighed.
"I don't know- I mean, I have been there so many times." The speeder Lekauf picked him up in neared the hangar and slowly landed. "And now, this guy named Dash wants to ask my father questions for his essay." Luke shook his head, Lekauf snorted in an attempt to hold in a laugh.
"Well, I hope things work out for Dash." Lekauf said as he exited the speeder, "Com me if you need anything." Lekauf walked towards his office, Luke nodded towards him and walked towards the lift. He entered the lift and felt his father's force presence brush against him as the lift ascended to his floor. Luke poked back at fathers presence as well and cut the bond once the lift doors open.
He walked down the hall towards the conference room, he walked in and saw his father working on a datapad. "Hello, my son. How was your day at school?" Luke plopped down in one of the conference room seats.
"It was good," Luke shuffled through his school bag and pulled out the permission chip. "Will you please sign this for a field trip." His father looked down on the table and picked the chip up with the force and examined it.
"A field trip?" His father asked, "Where are you and your classmates going?"
"Well, actually, we are going to the palace." Luke laughed, his father put the chip in a datapad and quickly wrote out his permission for Luke to go.
"I will be at the Palace tomorrow as well." His father said as he flew the chip back towards Luke, Luke grabbed the chip and put it back in his bag. "Perhaps our paths shall cross." Luke wondered what would happen, then remembered Dash would probably run-up to his dad as his class acted scared of him.
"Hey, if we do, a kid in my class might run up and ask you something." Luke told his father, "His name is Dash."
"If your classmate attempts to speak with me, I will not be an active participant in the conversation." His father said sternly, Luke sighed. "Why does he want to ask me questions?"
"He has to write an essay about you." Luke laughed, "Which is kinda weird."
"Why is that weird? I am a prominent figure in the Empire." His father replied, Luke shrugged.
"I don't know, it's weird to have someone write about my dad, I guess" Luke smiled, Luke stood from his seat and grabbed his school bag.
"I suppose I can understand why you would find it strange." His father commented.
"I am going to go finish my homework." Luke turned and exited the conference room and walked into his bedroom.
"I think the class is waiting over there," Aaron said as he pointed in the direction of the landing pads. They had just left homeroom and were told to meet with their Imperials History Class for pick up on the landing pads.
"Let's go!" Luke smiled, they both ran towards the group. As Luke and Aaron neared their class, their teacher's eyes lit up. Luke handed her the chip his father sighed and she plugged it into her datapad and smiled.
"Okay, Skywalker and Thalcorr are here." Mrs. Waldar mumbled as she wrote something down in her datapad then looked up at Luke, "Alright Luke, your partnered up with Dash and Aaron you're partnered up with Lani." Dash walked up to Luke and smiled.
"Hey Skywalker!" Dash punched Luke's arm playfully, it hurt his arm once again but played it off by laughing.
"Hey Dash." Luke smiled awkwardly.
"C'mon, let's get on the transport!" Dash wrapped his arm around Luke's shoulder and led Luke onto the public transport, they plopped down onto seats right next to each other. The transport lifted and flew into the direction of the palace. Luke watched the city skyline as they moved through Coruscanti traffic, soon enough, they neared the Palace and landed on the landing pads. Luke and Dash stood up from their seats and moved off the transport. Their teacher waited for the group to stand next to their respected partner.
"Alright class, take these," Mrs. Waldar handed out datapads to each of the kids. "Your assignment is to write down something that you learned during this trip." Several of the kids groaned. Luke grabbed the datapad and smiled, somewhat optimistic that maybe he would learn something and this trip wouldn't be totally boring.
"Ugh, I can't believe she is making us do an assignment on the trip," Dash whispered, Luke found himself agreeing with Dash. Luke thought the point of field trips was to have fun and a break from school.
"Follow me, class, we are going to see the main entrance hall." Mrs. Waldar smiled and walked up the steep staircase out front of the palace. Luke and Dash followed, the class made it up the staircase and walked into the main entrance hall. It was huge, with pillars lining the hall. The Emperor had created sculptures of himself to greet whoever walked in. Several of the kids examined the sculptures and artwork lining the hall.
Luke eyed the Emperor's sculpture, he guessed it was from a time before he looked into a wrinkled monster. Luke was half tempted to write, "I learned the Emperor used to look human." In his datapad, but surely, a school funded by the Emperor would not find that all too amusing. He wrote something vague about learning the appreciation of different art forms while examining the artwork.
Mrs. Waldar led them down the hall, Luke and his classmates looked around as they moved deeper into the palace. He then felt his father's force presence brush up against his, "Hello, my son." His father spoke in his head. "Where are you?"
"I am somewhere around the entrance hall." Luke replied.
"How coincidental, I am around that area of the palace as well." Luke froze for a moment, thinking how awkward it would be for his class to see his father. He was always uncomfortable with how scared people got around him, reminding Luke what his job must entail for getting that reaction from others. He did not like to think about this aspect and spent very little time doing so. He much preferred just thinking of him as his father, just his father, the man who raised him.
"How is your trip so far?" His father asked, before Luke could answer he was pulled from his connection when he heard Dash's voice.
"Hey, Skywalker!" Dash patted Luke's shoulders, Luke turned to look at him and blinked his eyes quickly.
"Oh sorry- just- just lost in thought." Luke laughed nervously, Dash laughed.
"No problem, buddy!" he pat Luke on the back, "Now do you think I could ask you questions about your dad?" Dash looked incredibly excited and held his datapad, ready to write down what Luke would say.
"Uhm- what do you want to know?" Luke asked as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well, what is he like? What does he like to do? Does he have any hobbies? Have you seen his lightsabers?! Does he always wear the mask? Is he cool?" Dash asked, Luke looked at him perplexed.
"Is this for- for your essay?" Luke asked, Dash shook his head.
"No, I just want to know cause he is so cool!" Luke almost snorted but his face formed a tight smile.
"You think he is cool?" Luke laughed softly, he has never heard someone else describe his father as being cool. He doesn't know if he would really use that term to describe his father, his dad was strict and not a go with the flow type of person. He stuck with a schedule, he worked a lot and has somewhat of a temper.
"Yeah, I mean, I have seen holos of him, he just looks awe-" Dash was cut off by the class's loud gasps. Luke and Dash turned their heads in the direction their class was looking and saw his father with Grand Moff Tarkin walking down the halls.
"Class, make some room for these men," Mrs. Waldar said as she motioned them all to stand by the hallway walls. The class lined up against the wall, shoulder to shoulder. Luke complied as well and stood next to Dash and Aaron against the wall. Luke looked at his classmates who watched his father and Tarkin walk down the hall with their mouth agape. Luke could feel their shock and amazement as they neared, Luke wasn't sure if his father was going to look over to Luke, acknowledging that he saw him.
Luke saw something flash in the corner of his eyes then saw his partner Dash run-up to his father and Tarkin. Luke's eyes widened and gasped along with the rest of his class, Tarkin looked practically disgusted and his father held his hands behind his back. "Hello Lord Vader! Wow, I can't believe I am actually meeting you! Can I ask some questions?" Dash asked as he held his datapad and looked at his father expectantly.
"It looks like you have a fan, Lord Vader." Tarkin sneered with a grin, Mrs. Waldar walked towards them, though somewhat hesitantly.
"I-I apologies, Lord Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin." Mrs. Waldar gently grabbed Dash's shoulder to pull him back.
"Apologies are not necessary, just remove him from my sight," His father said sternly to the teacher as he clenched his fists tightly.
"I disagree, I believe apologies are very necessary, Lord Vader," Tarkin said sternly, his brows furrowed.
"I was not aware of how easily offended you get, Tarkin." His father said, "Very well, direct all apologies to Tarkin, he needs them apparently." Tarkin looked at him incredulously, his father then turned to Dash, "I have no interest in pursuing an interview with you."
"Please Lord Vader, it will only be for a second!" Dash begged, Mrs. Waldar gasped and dragged him back to the wall next to Luke. Once Dash was placed right next to Luke, Luke looked at him incredulously.
"What's wrong with you!?" Luke hissed to Dash, Dash looked at him confused and then shrugged.
"What!? I am an opportunity seeker!" Dash whispered back, Luke rolled his eyes but looked up and saw his father standing in front of both of them with his arms folded over his chest. "Oh- so changed your mind on the interview, I see." Dash smiled as he pulled out his datapad and looked up at his father.
"Quite the opposite, I do not think I will ever muster the interest to have an interview with you." Dash looked shocked, his eyes wide. His father turned to Luke, "Keep your friend in line."
"I'll do my best." Luke shrugged, his father just stared at him for a moment before turning to the teacher.
"I suggest you keep your students in line, the Emperor is not as forgiving as I am." Mrs. Waldar nodded quickly.
"Yes, my Lord." She bowed, his father turned to leave with Tarkin, several students bowed towards him as he passed, including Dash. They all watched as his father and Tarkin turned the corner at the end of the hall. Luke could hear some of his classmates let out sighs, Dash faced Luke.
"Oh wow, do you think he liked me!?" Dash smiled, Luke crossed his arms over his chest.
"Uhm-" Luke ran a hand through his hair, shocked at how oblivious his partner must be. Then Aaron's partner, Lani, walked up to both Dash and Luke.
"Wow Dash, I can't believe you spoke with Lord Vader, you're so brave." Lani smiled as she twirled her hair between her fingers, Luke looked at her shocked. Dash was not brave, if speaking with Vader was a marker for bravery, Luke was the bravest one in his school, perhaps, galaxy.
"Alright class, let's try to finish this tour without more trouble." Mrs. Waldar sighed, she walked down the hall and the rest of his class followed. Luke followed the group down the hall and felt his father's presence connect with his.
"Do not get into trouble, young one." His father instructed, Luke smiled softly and sent acknowledgment through their bond. His father's end of the bond sent a small burst of endearment to Lukes, then the connection was cut. Luke couldn't help but smile more, he continued through the tour of the Palace without incident.
A/N Luke goes on a field trip with a fanboy lmao, Dash is incredibly oblivious to Vader. I hope you guys liked this chapter! I got a couple of requests to do a field trip story, I did my best so I hope it's good! Please let me know what you thought! I love hearing what you guys thought!