CHAPTER FIVE
Imperial Center
Luke had never seen so many buildings in his life. Between growing up on Tatooine and going on the run with the Rebels, he hadn't had much chance to see the developed planets of the galaxy. All the buildings were so clean and new, the speeders orderly in their lanes. The view from the window had more culture and technology than all of Tatooine, and this was only a tiny portion of a planet.
"We'll be landing shortly," one of the pilots called back. Luke nodded, and took his seat next to the window. As they landed, he allowed his thoughts to wander beyond the architecture. After landing on Eriadu, he had been escorted by a man about his age to the transport he was on now. To Luke's surprise, he had never been asked once about how he knew this Palpatine character, or any other questions for that matter.
Without warning the windows blacked out, and Luke looked around in alarm.
"Don't worry, it's for security reasons," the man assured him, speaking for the first time since they had left Eriadu. Luke nodded, leaning back against the seat. He was going to meet another Force-sensitive soon, someone who knew his father. He hoped this man would tell him the truth, unlike the Jedi he had known.
Hoth
"General Organa!" Lira shouted, startling everyone in the control room. "A fleet of star destroyers just dropped out of hyperspace in sector four." Fear was written all over the young womans face, and the room went silent, waiting for the Generals instructions. Things had been going well for the Rebellion, the Empire must be confident to be launching such a bold attack.
"Sound the alarms, the Empire knows we're here," Leia said without skipping a beat, moving forward to get a better view of the readouts. "Reroute all power to the energy shield. We've got to hold them til all the ground transports are away. Prepare for ground assault." The spell was broken, and the control room was a flurry of activity as the technicians raced to their battle stations.
Not wasting any time, Leia Organa walked out onto the main transport deck as the alarms sounded. She raised her hand, and the cargo pilots and crew gathered around her.
"Groups seven and ten will stay behind to fly the speeders," she ordered, her voice loud over the siren. "As soon as each transport is loaded, evacuation control will give immediate clearance for launch." The Rebels acknowledged her orders, and the group quickly disbanded, and the hangar became the embodiment of organized chaos. Alarms sounded, troops, cargo pilots, and technicians were rushing to their duty stations or preparing their ships for take-off. Evacuation groups were loading transports.
Having given the cargo pilots their orders, Leia hurried out, steering clear of the busy crew members. The fighter pilots had no doubt scrambled, but Rieekan was out on surveillance, leaving them leaderless. Climbing the stairs to the fighter deck, she was surprised to see the two Jedi from earlier today block her path.
"Excuse me but I have to get to the main hangar," she said quickly, not waiting on a response. Leia marched through the hangar doors, and saw the pilots had formed a circle near the entrance of the hangar, ready for orders. There was no time for pleasantries, and she walked straight to the center.
"All troop carriers will assemble at the north entrance. The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they're loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be opened for a short time, so you'll have to stay very close to your transports."
"Two fighters against a star destroyer?" one of the pilots said incredulously.
"The ion cannon will fire several shots to make sure that any enemy ships will be out of your flight path," she informed them. "When you've gotten past the energy shield, proceed directly to the rendezvous point. Understood?" the group murmured in assent, and Derlin slammed his hand against the side of the ship.
"Everyone to your stations! Lets go!" he shouted, sending the pilots back to their ships.
"Director Isard, we have detected life forms," General Veers reported. "Com-Scan has detected an energy field protecting an area around the sixth planet of the Hoth system. The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment."
"So the Rebels have been alerted to our presence," Ysanne Isard mused aloud. "Admiral Ozzel came out of hyperspace too close to the system."
"He felt that surprise would be-,"
"I do not require any explanations, Veers. Prepare your ships for a surface attack."
"Yes ma'am," the Captain said obediently, scurrying out of her quarters. Now that she was alone, Director Isard mulled over the turn of events. The Emperor himself had contacted her, and told her to be on the lookout for a rebel starfighter in the Javin sector, but she was to make sure it passed safely to Eriadu. After it had landed, Isard had focused all her efforts on finding where the ship had come from. One probe droid had been all she needed. She was going to be the one to strike the first crippling blow to the Alliance since Vader's death, further placing her in the Emperor's good graces.
She knew the Empire would find out where they were hiding eventually, but not so soon. They had been too careful, rarely going off-world and keeping communications to a minimum. That had always kept them hidden for at least a year. What had the Empire-
"Are you alright?" a familiar voice shouted.
"Why are you still here?" she shot back, looking away from the display for little more than a second. Her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, it really was Han Solo. Why was he still wandering around, she had enough on her plate to worry about!
"I heard the command center had been hit!" Han said.
The hangar is still operational, she thought to herself.
"You got your clearance to leave," Leia shouted back.
"Don't worry, I'll leave," the smuggler retorted, his voice rising as he climbed over the remains of a control board. "First I'm going to get you to your ship."
"Your Highness, we must take this last transport," Threepio fretted. "It's our only hope."
For once Threepio was reasonable. She wouldn't get off this ice ball if she stayed in here until the roof fell in. Leia climbed over to the other remaining controller, making sure all the fighters were getting through.
"Send all troops in sector twelve to the south slope to protect the fighters," she said. The command center rocked again, wiring popping lose and sparking from the force of impact.
"Imperial troops have entered the base," the announcer squawked, his feed cutting to static.
"Come on, that's it," Han said, resting his hand on her arm. She stared at him for a moment, before returning her attention to the readout.
"Give the evacuation code signal. And get to your transports!" she shouted as Han pulled her away. The two tore down the hallway, slipping and sliding on the ice that had formed. Another explosion rocked the base, and Leia screamed as Han tackled her, shielding her from the falling debris in front of them. Dust and snow filled the air, and Leia could barely make out Han's figure moving about.
"Transport, this is Solo. Better take off - I can't get to you. I'll get the princess out on the Falcon," she heard him say, before she was hoisted to her feet.
Han and Leia bolted down the hallway, Threepio scurrying not far behind. The corridor emptied out into hangar, and Leia had never been more relieved to see the junk bucket in her life.
"Hurry up goldenrod or you're going to be a permanent resident!" Han shouted.
"Wait, wait!" Threepio protested.
Another explosion, larger this time, shook the hangar, and Leia cast a worried look at the two arguing copilots, who were busy fixing wires and not flying the ship.
"Would it help if I got out and pushed it?" she snapped, staring down Han.
"It might," he shot back. He raced to the cockpit and began flipping more switches, eventually resorting to slamming the bulkhead. Much to his satisfaction, it started the ship.
"This bucket of bolts is never going to get us past the blockade," Leia said. In seconds the Imperials would be upon them, and they would be done for.
"This baby's still got a few surprises left in her, sweetheart," Han said sardonically. Throwing himself into the pilot's seat, he was surprised when Chewie fired the laser gun.
We have to go now, he thought to himself.
"Come on! Come on, lets switch over," he barked as he heard the Wookie enter the cockpit. "Lets hope we don't have a burnout." He could feel Leia's gaze piercing into the back of his head, and he grinned in satisfaction as the engine purred.
"See!"
"Someday you're going to be wrong, and I hope I'm there to see it," she said cuttingly, her glare unrelenting.
"Punch it," Han said, pointing to the thruster. The ship rocketed out of the hangar, and Han let out a sigh of relief.
"Director Isard, the freighter is heading towards an asteroid field!" one of the technicians shouted from the pit. The woman stared ahead, spotting the floating rocks in the distance.
"Dispatch all available TIE fighters. There's a hefty bounty on the heads of the inhabitants, we cannot lose them," Ysanne said, reminding her subordinates of what was at stake.
Mumbling broke out in the pit, and Isard's mismatched eyes roamed over the crew members, searching for the one that spoke the loudest. Satisfied with her choice, a male recruit she believed hailed from Serenno, she withdrew her sidearm from its holster and fired one shot into his chest.
"Does anyone else object to my methods?" she asked. The pit fell silent, and she turned back to the window. "Stay the course."
Leia got up and walked out of the cockpit, tired of sitting in darkness. Stumbling down the hall, she reached out to catch herself, and screamed in terror when she came into contact with flesh.
"I did not realize I was so terrifying," a soft voice quipped.
"What's going on back there?" Han shouted, his footsteps thundering down the hallway, sure of their way in the blackness.
"Nothing, Captain Solo, I only startled Princess Leia," Obi-Wan said. Her eyes now adjusted, Leia could vaguely see him bow his head in apology.
"A fearsome sight, he is," a gravely voice joined them.
"And who might you be?" Han asked sarcastically.
"This is Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said, "although I'm afraid your proper meeting will have to wait until we are in adequate lighting. He is the fellow who lifted your ship earlier."
"Could have used your help earlier when we were dodging asteroids," Han said. "How did you get on here anyway without Chewie noticing?"
"I believe Chewbacca was fixing an electrical problem," Obi-Wan said kindly.
"Standing in the dark, how long do we intend to be?" Yoda inquired.
"Until the Imperial fleet passes," Han snapped, still sour at the memory of his ship floating away.
"I believe they have already done so," Obi-Wan said.
"How would you know that? We're all blind as bats in here," Han asked.
"A beacon of life star destroyers are, in the vacuum of space," Yoda said liltingly. "Yesterday's events, a believer I hoped to make of you, mmm."
"Come on Leia, lets get back to the cockpit," Han said, glaring at the two Jedi. Whenever one of them was around, something always seemed to go wrong. Yoda and his companion waited for Han and Leia to get out of earshot, before resuming their meditation.
The Imperial Director of Intelligence returned from her conversation with the Emperor, the bridge falling silent upon her arrival.
"Director Isard, our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing. If the Millennium Falcon went into light-speed, it'll be on the other side of the galaxy by now," Captain Veers reported, his voice trembling with fear. If the Emperor had to personally deliver a message, it was never good.
"Alert all commands. Calculate every possible destination along their last know trajectory."
Cloud City
The Falcon touched down on landing pad 327, Leia exchanging an uneasy look with Yoda.
"I don't like this," she said.
"What would you like?" Han asked. Leia glared at him, falling silent at the sight of an approaching landing party.
"Who are they?" she asked.
"That would be Lando," Han said eagerly, getting up from his seat. He looked down at the two Jedi, and froze. "You two might want to stay on the ship. Lando might be alright, but I don't know about his employees."
"I agree, Captain Solo. Yoda and I will remain here," Obi-Wan said warmly. Satisfied they wouldn't be shot at for the time being, Han walked down the ramp.
"Why, you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler! You've got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled," Lando's angry voice echoed off the walls.
'Me?' Han mouthed, pointing to himself innocently. Lando stormed towards him, and for a moment Leia thought he was going to strike him, but he embraced Han instead.
"How you doing, you old pirate?" Lando said with a laugh. "So good to see you! I never thought I'd catch up with you again. What are you doing here?"
"Repairs," Han said, gesturing to the Falcon. "I thought you could help me out."
"What have you done to my ship?"
"Hey, remember, you lost her to me fair and square," Han said. Lando's eyes flickered to the rest of the group, and his eyes settled on Leia.
"Hello," he said smoothly. "I'm Lando Calrissian, the administrator of this facility. Who might you be?"
"Leia," the Princess said coolly.
"Welcome, Leia," Lando said, kissing her hand.
"All right, all right," Han interrupted, taking Leia's hand.
"What's wrong with the Falcon?" Lando asked, briefly returning his gaze to Han.
"Hyperdrive."
"I'll have my people work on it," Lando said. "You know, it may not look like much, but that hunk of junk has saved my life quite a few times," he said to Leia. The trio walked inside, Chewbacca not far behind, surveilling the place. So far it looked the same as it had since he and Han had last been here. But that didn't mean something couldn't still be amiss.
"Chewbacca senses it too," Obi-Wan said, looking out the cockpit window.
"More observant the Wookies are, than humans," Yoda said, hobbling forwards. He watched the four of them disappear inside, a group of technicians walking out at the same time.
"I believe it is time we waited in the hold," Obi-Wan said, ducking back. The two navigated the now-familiar halls of the Falcon, and took a seat at the dejarik table. "I have been trying to reach Luke all day, but he is shutting me out. Understandably so," Obi-Wan said sadly, hanging his head.
"Angry, the boy is. Too much like his father," Yoda said disapprovingly. "Too late it is, to fix past mistakes. To save the boy, find him we must."
"His shielding is too strong. All I can tell is that he is on one of the Core Worlds."
"Then to the Core, we must journey," Yoda said.
"Are you mad? I'm the second most infamous person in the galaxy, second only to Luke...," Obi-Wan trailed off, deep in thought. A look of horror appeared on his face, chasing away any feelings of guilt.
"He's with Darth Sidious," Obi-Wan said solemnly.
"What make you say that?" Yoda asked.
"He's too well-known to get far without someone noticing. Luke has been gone for two days, more than enough time to travel to Imperial Center. We must go at once," Obi-Wan said, getting up from the chair.
"Wait!" Yoda said, his voice stopping Obi-Wan in his tracks. "Fueled by emotion, you are. Plan we must, if we are able to save Skywalker."
"What is there to plan?" Obi-Wan asked, turning to face the Grand Master. "You and I are not enough to stop Sidious. Our only hope is to reach Luke and help him escape. Which I can only do if I am closer to him."
"Calm yourself, Obi-Wan," Yoda said gently. It rarely happened, but every once in a while Obi-Wan would get carried away, especially where Skywalkers were concerned, and not think things through. Obi-Wan took a deep breath, closing his eyes obediently. A moment passed, and the pale blue eyes reopened.
"Master Yoda," he said quietly, his face frozen in deep thought, as if trying to remember a long-lost memory. "What were you saying to me after Luke left? I remember hearing your voice, but not what you said."
"Nothing that will help us now," Yoda said quickly, leaping down from the chair, he clang of the mechanics tools outside covering the sound of his landing. "Together, we must meditate, if to reach Skywalker, we are."
Imperial Center
Luke walked down the ramp, eyes squinting in the reflected sunlight. Palpatine's friend strolled right past him, and Luke followed. The landing pad was vast, and the building in front of them opulent. Hand-sculpted statues adorned the walls, and Luke froze in awe, wondering what he had gotten himself into. Who was this Palpatine person who could afford such a place, yet be in hiding from the government? Alarms going off in his head, Luke reached for his blaster at the sight of the infamous Royal Guard.
"There's no need for that, Luke," the voice of Palpatine echoed across the landing pad, and Luke looked around, trying to find the source. Had he been foolish enough to walk into a trap?
"You can put your weapon away," the man from Eriadu said in a monotone. The Royal Guards had not advanced or indicated they were going to attack, so Luke holstered his weapon.
"I apologize for the surprise, but I feared you would not come otherwise," Palpatine's kindly voice rang out once more. The Royal Guard stepped aside, and Luke was shocked at the sight of Palpatine. He had expected the man to be older then Ben, but the short man in front of him was horrifically disfigured, and seemed well beyond human life expectancy.
"I earned this in a duel with a Jedi Master long ago," Palpatine said, noticing Luke's stare.
"I'm sorry," Luke said lamely.
"Not to worry, you were not the one who gave me these injuries," Palpatine said, showing a wan smile. "Come, we must eat. I'm sure you're famished from your journey, and the cuisine on Eriadu leaves much to be desired."
Luke nodded listlessly, the events of the past five minutes still running through his mind. The Royal Guards, the security windows, could it be...
"You're the Emperor, aren't you?" Luke said, staring in shock and awe at Palpatine. Growing up on Tatooine he had seen and heard little about the Empire, except for their minimal presence on the planet. Even in the rebellion, some feared him so much that they didn't dare to speak of him. Ben and Yoda had discussed him frequently of course, about how he was a Dark Lord of the Sith and had to be stopped, but after they had lied to him about his father, Luke didn't know what to believe anymore.
"Indeed I am, young Luke," Palpatine said, enjoying the look on his face. "Again I apologize for my deception. I do not know what Obi-Wan and Yoda may have told you about me."
"I understand."
"I am glad you are so open-minded. It is a trait many do not have, and it holds them back," Palpatine said. The two had arrived at a rather large set of doors, and Luke moved forward to open them. "Don't worry, I have it," Palpatine reassured him. Without blinking an eye, he opened the two doors smoothly, revealing a large banquet hall.
"All this is yours?" Luke asked, looking around in awe.
"It is. And it is yours as well while you are a guest here," Palpatine said warmly, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Tell me Luke, what did Obi-Wan say about your father?"
The curiosity on Luke's face instantly disappeared, replaced with a hardened look of anger.
"They told me my father was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader," he said shortly, the outrage evident in his voice.
"How did you discover the truth, that Vader was your father?" Palpatine asked gently.
"Yoda told me."
"Yoda is still alive?" Palpatine asked, leaning forward at the news.
"Yes, he was living in exile for a long time," Luke said.
"Interesting," Palpatine said. He knew the galaxy was too vast to ever find Yoda, but he had hoped the old troll had died in one way or another. However, this could still work to his advantage. Yoda was far more powerful than Kenobi, and if he had been the one to teach the boy, then Luke was even more invaluable than before.
"How did you know my father?" Luke asked, ripping Palpatine from his thoughts.
"It is a bit of a long story, I hope the delicious stew will not distract you," Palpatine chuckled.
"It won't," Luke reassured him.
"Very well then," Palpatine said, clearing his throat. "Not long before you were born he became my apprentice. Together we were able to bring peace and stability to the galaxy, but it was at great personal cost to him. The Jedi betrayed him in the worst possible way, and, as a result, I do not believe he ever learned of your existence," he finished, his face gathered in a rather morose look.
"He never knew he had a son?" Luke asked, outraged at the deception. He knew his father had never known his identity, clearly, but Luke had liked to think that his father wondered about his long lost child.
"No. I myself did not know of your existence until you destroyed the Death Star." He noticed the young man go pale at the remark and chuckled. "There's no need to be so nervous, all is in the past. It is not everyday one meets a Force-sensitive such as yourself. Tell me, what all have you learned under the tutelage of Yoda?"
Cloud City
Leia paced in the suite, biting her fingernail. Something was wrong, she could sense it.
"The ship will be ready soon, just a few more things. And, Lando has invited us to a night of gambling, on his dime," Han said, a wide grin on his face. "What do you say?" Perplexed by Leia's silence, he moved closer to her. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
She shook her head, taking his hand.
"No. Let's go see what all the fuss is about."
The casino wasn't as impressive as she thought it would be. It was gaudy and noisy, lacking any of the refinement and class that made the casinos on Alderaan so enjoyable. Balking at the sudden memories, she took another drink of Naboo champagne, watching the game in front of her. It was from the Outer Rim, full of house rules and lots of cheating. Somehow Han managed to make money on it, but she was certain he was being hustled by two Toydarians across the table. The crowd around the table cheered as Han won another hand, and she reached for another cocktail, one that was a little stronger. Hopefully this one would help with her headache.
Without warning, Chewbacca grabbed her roughly by the arm and yanked her back, firing a shot into the crowd. Screams erupted in the casino lobby, millionaires from Coruscant and twi'lek entertainers scattering. A Transdoshan was opening fire on the three of them, and would have hit them if two blades hadn't appeared, slicing the gun and gunman in half. Shoes pounded against the tiled floor, and smoke filled the air as more blaster fire whizzed by. Reaching forward for Han, her hands made contact with a familiar jacket, and she pulled him up, firing at two other bounty hunters.
"This way!" Lando shouted, gesturing to the three of them. Keeping low, they raced across the open floor, blaster fire miraculously missing them. Firing off a few more shots, Leia was pulled into a secret hallway, the two Jedi Masters not far behind.
"How did you know his was going to start shooting!" Han shouted over the sound of their footsteps.
"The Force is good for more than lifting ships," Obi-Wan replied, his voice calm as ever.
The secret passageway emptied out into one of the main corridors, and the three ducked into a hallway as the squadron of stormtroopers opened fire on them from another walk-way.
"Why didn't you tell us Imperials were here!" Leia shouted, returning fire and taking down three of them.
"They came in under a fake call sign. Lobot was just telling me when the bounty hunters started shooting!" Lando explained.
"Can you get us back to the ship?" Han asked. Lando shouted directions, before running down an adjacent hallway, leaving the five on their own.
"Where the hell is he going?" Leia demanded. She knew they should never have come here!
"He's going to lockdown the hallways, come on," Han said, pulling her away from the increasing blaster fire. Yoda and Obi-Wan covered their retreat, the blue and green blades spinning to deflect the red bolts. Her heart pumping, Leia barely noticed she and Han were holding hands as they raced down the hallway. She could hear blast doors closing behind them, and for once was grateful that Lando Calrissian was on their side. The windows they were running past showed the Millennium Falcon on the other side, and she ran faster than ever. They were so close, just one more doorway...
A blast sent them all to their feet, knocking the wind out of Leia as she landed facedown. Coughing the dust out of her lungs, she tried to see in the dust and smoke that was rising. She scrambled to her feet, her back against the wall for support.
"Han?" she coughed.
"Right here, Princess," he said, grabbing her shoulder for balance.
"Chewie?"
"Obi-Wan?"
Chewbacca roared in response, and Yoda waved his lightsaber, barely visible in the thick fog.
"Obi-Wan?" Leia called again.
"I'm here," he wheezed, stumbling forward. The Wookie wrapped his hairy arm under the Jedi's shoulders for support, and helped him down the hallway, firing his crossbow blindly behind him. Blaster fire rained down the hallway with the sound of stormtroopers fast approaching. Yoda's lightsaber moved as quickly and easily as ever, the Jedi Master doing all sorts of flips and flourishes, like that of a dancer performing for the first time after an injury. Han bolted for the ship, already going through the takeoff sequence in his head. Chewie roared something, and transferred the stumbling Obi-Wan to Leia, who nearly collapsed under the surprisingly heavy Jedi Master.
Trusting Yoda to deflect the more accurate bolts, Leia hurried across the landing pad, straining under Obi-Wan's weight. As she climbed the ramp, Han yelled from the cockpit.
"Strap in, we're in for a rough takeoff!"
Not eager to find out what Han's definition of 'rough' was, Leia called out to Yoda before situating Obi-Wan and herself in the med bay, the closest compartment with flight restraints. She heard the hiss of the ramp closing outside, and frantically buckled herself in. The ship lurched, and Obi-Wan groaned, his head lolling to the side.
"Obi-Wan?" Leia said, leaning over to see what was wrong. "Oh no," she mumbled.
"Han, Obi-Wan's been shot!" she shouted, slamming into the bulkhead as the ship rumbled once again.
"What?" Han yelled.
"Obi-Wan's been shot!" she screamed, the ships metal groaning as it rocked from side to side. She heard Han say something to Chewie in the cockpit, and footfalls sounded in the hallway.
"How bad is it?" he asked, grabbing the entryway for support.
"Right there," Leia said, pointing to the Jedi Master's stomach. Han's face hardened, and he ripped open a cabinet, pulling out a box.
"I've got some disinfectant and painkillers. Put some bacta on it, the med droid won't be able to stitch him up until we're in hyperspace," Han barked, tossing the box into her lap. He gave one last look at the Jedi Master, trying to gauge how well he was handling it. The old man might have gotten on his nerves, but he was good in conversation, doubly so in a fight.
"Don't you have a ship to fly?" Leia snapped, already rummaging through the box.
"On it," Han said, racing back to the cockpit, slamming into a few bulkheads along the way.
"Obi-Wan, hang in there," Leia said, cupping his face in her hands. "Can you hear me, Obi-Wan?" The old man nodded weakly, worrying Leia even more. Pushing all that aside, she began to sterilize the wound, her touch getting softer each time Obi-Wan winced. With steady hands she applied the bacta strip, sighing in relief as Obi-Wan relaxed, the cool sensation of the bacta numbing the pain. The ship rocked again, and the Jedi Master grunted.
"We'll be in hyperspace soon, don't worry," Leia reassured him. She had never seen him so pale and shaky, idly she wondered if Obi-Wan would survive the jump to light speed.
"Enough you have done," Yoda said, startling the Princess. "In the Force, we must trust now."
"We only have to make it to hyperspace," Leia protested.
"But a medical droid, we do not need, mmm," Yoda said, placing his ancient hands on Obi-Wan's wound. Eerily steady on the shaking ship, Yoda closed his eyes, recalling everything he had learned about Force healing in his 900 years of life. The two Jedi were still as a rock, and Leia feared the worst, when Obi-Wan woke with a start.
Imperial Center
Luke listened intently as Palpatine told him what the galaxy had been like during the Clone Wars. He had heard legends of the galactic war, but nearly all the records had been destroyed, and those who studied history on Tatooine were few and far in-between.
Sitting with the Emperor was an odd situation, but the man had been nothing but kind to him, and considering all the trouble Luke had caused for the Empire, he wasn't going to question it. A voice in the back of his head was nagging him to go back to Ben, but Luke dismissed it. For once someone was telling him the truth, he wasn't going to brush an opportunity like this aside.
"I believe it is time I retired for the evening," Palpatine said, rising from his chair. Luke followed suit, staying close to the Emperor as he led him through the vast halls of the palace.
"You're very much like your father when I first met him. Lots of untapped potential, betrayed by the Jedi. And they say history doesn't repeat itself," Palpatine chuckled. He stopped at the foot of the stairs, turning to face Luke. "I believe this is where I leave you. It was an honor to meet you, young Skywalker."
"It is an honor to meet you too," Luke said, nodding respectfully. A servant appeared from the shadows, and led Luke to his quarters.
It was the most opulence he had seen in his entire life. Gold-plated wooden furniture adorned the suite, vast tapestries covering the walls, detailing the events of wars long ago. Fingering the fabric of the sheets, Luke was astounded by the quality, it was softer than anything he had touched on Tatooine. Spying a holoport in the corner, he made his way over, determined to learn more about the Clone Wars. He had learned more about his father and the galaxy before his birth in one evening with Palpatine than he had under six months of training with Yoda and Ben. But his hunger for knowledge ocould not be satiated, and Luke pulled up the first database he saw on the Clone Wars. He read how the Jedi had tried to take over the Republic, and an army of clones had to be manufactured to defend the galaxy from them. While his father would wind up becoming a Sith Lord, it didn't make his exploits as a Jedi any less interesting. To read about the things his father had accomplished, and by extension the things Luke himself was capable, made him wonder why Ben hadn't been honest with him about his parentage. Was Ben afraid he would follow in the same footsteps as is father, and vow to destroy the Jedi?
They've put you on the same path as your father because they treated you the same way they treated him, a voice in his head argued.
And this voice was right.
Yoda's grievances against training him had all been because he was too much like his father. He hadn't even looked at Luke as a separate person, only as an extension of his father, who he had never met. It was no wonder the Jedi Order had faded into obscurity by the tie of the Clone Wars, they were too stagnant to keep pace with the times. If they had been so worried about Luke falling, they should have been honest with him. Compared to what Palpatine had told him, the Jedi had only fed him lies and half-truths. They had never given him straight information, always a slant to whatever they said. Furious at the thought that he had been duped by the Jedi like his father, Luke flung one of the holodisks across the room, making a satisfying clunk against the wall.
Luke let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in, feeling the catharsis of releasing his emotions. It felt so good to give in and express himself after months of repression. Politics in the alliance, drama among crew members, frustrations with his training, all things Yoda and Ben had told him to empty into the Force. But now he was free to do as he pleased, with no lectures from Ben or disapproving looks from Yoda. As his eyelids grew heavy, Luke realized the lateness of the hour and began to prepare himself for bed. He hadn't brought much with him, he had left the rebel base in such a hurry. Yet the Emperor had provided him with everything. Lying in bed, Luke tried to fall asleep, millions of thoughts running through his mind.