Chapter 39: The Prince
Luke pulled on the high stiff collar of his jacket. It was itchy and bothering him, but this was the type of clothing he wore whenever he went out in public with Father. When he was called Prince Luke and people bowed at him. He still wasn't used to it though it had been three years now since Emperor Vader announced his children to the galaxy.
It had now been five years since Luke had left Tatooine. He was now ten years old, so was his twin sister Leia. She was a bit taller than him now. Father said girls got their growth spurts before boys did. Leia looked more like a boy than a girl. She kept her hair short. She often wore boys clothes. Father had tried to talk her into wearing dresses, but she said she liked the clothes Luke wore better.
Even now she was dressed similar to Luke. Like him, she wore a long black jacket with a high stiff collar. The jacket had silver and red detailing with a white Imperial crest on the left arm. She wore long pants with black shiny boots. She stood attentively next to their father, who was talking with a group of older boring white human men except for Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Leia liked being involved with Father's work. She liked listening in on his meetings. Somehow she understood everything that was being said. She always asked Father a million questions about his day and his projects. Luke was not that interested in the going-on's of the Empire. He liked ships and flying. Father had finally let him fly his own small ship now.
He also liked learning about the Force. He enjoyed practicing lightsaber techniques and battling against Leia. But if he was honest with himself, he wasn't that comfortable with using hate and anger to power himself. His father tried. He had told him it was his mother who had poisoned him so she could run away. Run away from him. From their family. She was being selfish.
Yet no matter what, Luke just couldn't muster those dark feelings for his mother. He always felt sad when he thought of her. She might have been acting a bit selfish, but he felt like she was scared. Scared of Father. Scared for the new baby. The baby sister Luke had never met. She would now be four years old.
Leia on the other hand held a lot of hatred for their mother. She hadn't gotten over the so-called betrayal. Luke knew that was why she kept her hair short now. She didn't want long hair like their mother. She didn't want to look like their mother. She didn't want to remember the happier memories where Mother would brush and braid her hair. Because that was too painful.
Luke had walked away from the group. His red guards followed him, but they didn't linger too close giving him some space. He was currently in a huge atrium of a large government building. It extended over forty stories. In the center of the atrium was one large tree known as the Mother Tree. It was rather odd. It had a thin trunk and thin branches that twisted out. The bark was white with specks of silver throughout. The leaves were in various colors. Towards the bottom they were a dull gray, but the closer they got to the sky they changed from blue to purple to finally red.
Small silver lanterns hung off the branches. Each one holding a small warm light. The tree twinkled softly. It was a beautiful sight. Each floor of the building circled around the tree. Luke walked to the railing. He could see the towering tree as well as the various levels of the building. The level he was on had been cleared for the Emperor's visit as well as the two floors above and below them. There were lots of stormtroopers. Lots of security.
Luke sighed as he placed his hands on the railing. He could hear the soft murmur of the people in the atrium. He knew quite a few had spotted him. He could see the distant flashes of holocams as they tried to get a shot of him. That was fine. He didn't care. If his father didn't want press, they would have shut down the whole building to the public.
He looked at the tree. He stared at the leaves. His eyes traveled to the balconies on the other side of the tree. He saw the people looking and pointing at him. He should go back over to his father and sister. He was about to. Had even placed his right foot back, but then he stopped. A little girl had caught his eye. She was small and young. He could only see her through the railing of the balcony.
But even with the railing and the distance, he could see her eyes. They were a startling blue. Blue like the sky. Blue . . . blue like his. Like Father's eyes when he was in a good mood. When he was happy. Which happened so rarely now. Like when Luke and Leia got his father to laugh, truly and genuinely laugh.
The girl was watching him as he was watching her. Her hand was clasping tightly to the skirt of a woman standing next to her. Most likely her mother. She had long curly brown hair which was loose. Luke titled his head to the right. She mirrored the movement. He titled his head to the left. She mirrored it again. He smiled. She smiled.
She was a very cute little girl. It made him wonder about his own little sister. The sister he had never met. She might look just like this little girl. Blue eyes like his father. Brown curly hair like his mother. He followed the girl's hand to the skirt and the skirt up to the woman . . .Whose large brown eyes were staring at Luke. Eyes he knew. He gasped softly.
It was his mother.
She looked just like he saw her in his memories and dreams. Round face and large brown eyes and long curly brown hair. For a moment he wondered if he was seeing things. His mind was playing tricks, but no. He knew. He knew this was his mother. This was her. After four years, this was her.
He looked back down at the little girl. She had to be . . . she had to be his sister. The sister he had never met. No wonder her blue eyes drew him in and made him think of his father. Of course they did. They were his father's eyes.
What were they doing here? And now?
He looked back at her mother. It was clear she knew he had spotted her. Her face crinkled in such heartbreaking sorrow. He was sure he saw her eyes glisten.
Luke, Leia called in the Force. It's time to go.
He ignored her. He didn't want to look away. He wanted to say something. But how could he? Could he signal to her with his hands? What would he signal? Would he be able to properly communicate his thoughts? But his thoughts were a mess. He had so much to say to her.
He was sorry. He missed her. It was ok. He loved her. He didn't hate her. He wanted her to come home.
How could he say that in a hand movement?
Luke, came Father's stern voice in the Force. Come. We are leaving.
Reluctantly and slowly he turned his head away from his mother and sister to look over at his father and Leia. Their group was starting to walk away, though Leia still lingered behind waiting for him. Should he say something to them? Tell them mother was here? He looked back across the atrium. Mother was gone. His heart sank.
Luke? Leia called. What's wrong?
No doubt she had picked up on his emotions. How would she react if he told her? Would she be angry? He didn't know. Father and Leia had a lot of anger in them towards Mother for leaving them. He knew deep down they just really missed her and wanted her to come back and be with them. There were moments when they were both sad about it. But those moments were fleeting and often very private.
He saw movement a floor down from where he had seen his mother. It was her! She was walking briskly and gripping the little girl's hand. She kept glancing over her shoulder. Luke looked through the crowd behind her. There was a figure dressed in black with a hood drawn up following behind them. Was his mother in trouble?
His mother paused and spotted the man. Her face paled. She picked up the girl into her arms and started to move faster through the crowd. She was in trouble!
Luke? Leia asked again. She was walking over. What are you looking at? It's time to go.
He had to help his mother. He started to walk along the railing following her with his eyes. How could he help her? No way would Father allow it. His guards wouldn't let him go anywhere near the public. He looked down at the floor below his and the way the atrium curved. He could jump. He would be able to make it to the floor below. He had made such jumps hundreds of times when he practiced using the Force. Though never was he thirty stories in the air. But he knew he could make it.
The guards were getting restless. The Emperor was getting further away. It was time to go. Soon they would approach Luke. Plus Leia was walking over. She was almost there. If Luke was going to do something, he had to do it now. He wouldn't be able to hesitate as that would allow the guards to grab him. He would have to be fast.
He took a deep breath. He felt Leia's questioning probe in the Force as she sensed his change in mood. He placed his hands on the railing, shifted his feet slight, took another deep breath, and jumped. In one fluid moment his feet landed on the bar of the railing and without a pause he leapt from the railing down to the floor below.
He heard the gasps and shouts. He heard the guards shouting after him. He heard Leia screaming his name. He felt his father's alarm in the Force. But he ignored it all. He landed on the floor below and rolled. The floor was empty as it had been cleared for security purposes. He wasted no time. He bounced over to the railing and launched himself down another level. Then another.
"Luke!" Leia cried after him.
He was vaguely aware she was following him. She had jumped after him. He could sense the panic of the royal guards. He could feel his father approaching.
Luke! Father shouted in the Force. Luke! What are you doing? Stop!
But Luke was now three levels down and amongst the public. They all had jumped away from where he had landed. They all looked at him with big round eyes and open mouths. There were whispers of the word "prince" humming about. He dashed forward. He pushed his way past the people. He had lost sight of his mother, but he had a good idea of where she was going. So he ran. He ran through the throngs of people with Leia chasing behind him and Father behind her.
LUKE! Father shouted. His voice angry and frantic. The cold darkness of his Father's Force presence snapped at his heels. The moment he stopped, he knew the Force would wrap around him and pin him in place.
But then he saw his mother. Moving through the crowd. Moving down a staircase towards a skybridge. He ran after her onto the bridge. He watched as she boarded a turbolift in the next building. He caught one too. The Force told him to get off at the street level. He rushed out of the building. He just caught sight of his mother's hair disappearing around a corner. He ran after her.
He ran down an alley, across a busy street, down two more side streets, through a small marketplace, and down another alley. He stopped at the back of a townhouse. It looked rundown. A few of the windows were shattered. The door wasn't even locked as it slid open rather noisily. Luke cautiously walked in, but he sensed no danger. But he did sense someone in the floor above.
The house was falling apart. Wallpaper was peeling off the walls. There was broken furniture everywhere. It smelled musty and damp. Luke made his way up some unstable stairs to the second floor. He walked down the hallway and turned into a room.
"Mother," he whispered.
She was there. Just as he had seen her at the atrium. She was dressed in a simple purple top and brown dress. The little girl stood beside her. Her large blue eyes on Luke. Mother had taken in a sharp breath and held it when Luke said her name. The two didn't move. Each one not even wanting to take their eyes off the other.
Then finally Mother released her breath. A sad smile grew on her lips, which parted and whispered, "Luke." There was so much mixed into that one word. Longing. Sorrow. Happiness. It was all Luke needed. He rushed forward. His mother opened her arms up, and they hugged.
He squeezed her tightly. He buried his head into her shoulder. He took deep breaths of her smell. The same smell he had always remembered. The smell that had long since faded away years ago with the new palace and even a new ship. The places mother had once been had been replaced. Her clothing was placed in storage and locked away. There was very little of her remaining in Luke's life except his memories and his father's demands to be angry at her to power his connection to the Dark Side.
But feeling her warmth, smelling her smell, hearing her breath, it all came rushing back to Luke. He remembered so vidily all the times he had spent with his mother. He remembered the first few weeks staying on Father's ship as he got to know his new family. He remembered the crystal moon. He remembered being taken away by that man and Leia's papa. He remembered going to the palace. That had been a happy time. Mother had been preparing the nursery for the new baby. Then the bomb. The ship. The poison. And mother ran away.
But she was here. She was here right now! And Luke couldn't help but cry. Hot tears fell down his cheeks soaking his mother's shirt. He could feel his mother's tears on his hair. Feel her body tremble in sobs.
"Oh Luke," she whispered into his hair. "Oh my little Luke."
"Moth- mother," he whispered back.
He wanted this moment to keep going. He wanted to talk to her. Truly talk to her. He was now older. He understood so much more. He wanted to know why she had done what she had done. But of course the Force didn't allow for such things as steps were heard rushing up the rickety stairs and down the hall. Leia burst into the room.
"Luke!" she shouted out of breath.
She stood there panting for a moment. Her eyes taking in the others in the room. They grew wide in shock. She took a small step back.
"Mother?" Leia asked. Her voice unsteady.
Mother stepped away from Luke. She wiped her tears with her hands.
"Leia," Mother said with a small smile.
Leia's eyes darted from Luke to Mother to the small girl, back to Mother then to Luke.
"What . . . how . . . why . . . Luke?" Leia said as she tried to comprehend everything. She looked back at mother. She straightened up. Her hands tightened into fists. "What are you doing here?" Leia snapped.
"Leia . . . I . . ." Mother said softly.
"Mommy?" the little girl asked as she leaned against Mother's leg.
Mother put a hand on the girl's head and smiled at her. "It's ok, Varné," she said in a soft voice. "This is your big sister and brother. Luke and Leia."
The little girl looked at Luke and Leia. She hugged her mother tighter. Luke smiled at her, but knew his face was red and puffy and stained with tears.
A large bang was heard. All four of them jumped.
"Luke!" roared Father's voice downstairs. "Leia!"
They all froze as the heavy steps pounded up the stairs and down the hall. Emperor Vader ran into the room and came to a sudden halt. His eyes had barely touched Luke. Instead Father was looking directly at Mother. His voice caught in his throat as he stared for a long silent moment. Then finally he broke the silence.
"Pad- Padmé?" he asked.