9 BBY
LARS HOMESTEAD, TATOOINE
"Did you see it?" Owen said behind him.
Obi-Wan took a rag from his toolkit and wiped his hands free of dirt, setting the rockfruit he was inspecting down next to the rest of their meager harvest. It was enough to fill their bellies for the time being.
"I did, just before it jumped the system," he said. It would be difficult to not notice anything larger than a freighter engaged in a battle in the lower atmosphere. Tack on the fact that it was before the first sun had risen, and the talk of a town was brewing in record time.
He turned to see the other man shuffling on his feet. "Are we in danger?"
"That remains to be seen. I do not think it is wise to make any sudden movements. That Imperial Cruiser could have simply been chasing pirates," he offered.
"This is Hutt territory."
Kenobi stroked his beard. "Perhaps the pirates were unaffiliated?"
"Perhaps," Owen said emphatically, "There are no pirates, and it's Stormtroopers who saw you tricking Jabba's goons."
He looked the man in the eyes, and they both became aware of the argument they were about to have. "It was Luke, actually. He accidentally used a mind trick on a thug at the market."
Owen's eyes went wide. "Mind trick? Like the-" he said, waving his hand. "Y'know, this?"
"Not quite as refined as you've seen. He told the man to leave a woman alone a little too strongly, and so he did," Obi-Wan explained. The man traipsed away and nearly plowed through whatever was in the straight line toward his home. He'd have been impressed had it not been so easy for the boy.
Concern was his main takeaway from the display.
Owen narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to trust you didn't teach him that."
"You have my word, Owen, but…"
"But what? You want to start training him?" he asked.
"It's becoming necessary at this point, Owen. The boy is too much of a danger to himself untrained," he said.
"Absolutely not. It's not safe for people like you in this Galaxy," Owen said.
He drew a hand over his beard. "You are right, which is why he must have a fighting chance. Owen, you've taught him how to defend against various threats, yes? Sandpeople, the desert, and all manner of opportunistic predators."
"It's necessary here," the man grumbled.
"Just as rudimentary Force training would be. As he grows older, Tuskens will be the least of his worry. The Empire will come for him. It's only a matter of when. I… know what I've told you, but I simply do not believe he will survive as he is now," he admitted.
Owen closed his eyes and grimaced. "Fine! But you aren't going to be leading him on any crusades! You'll teach him how to hold his own against the Sith or the Empire or whatever, like I did all those times I took him shooting and that is it. Just enough for him to defend himself without drawing too much of a target on his back. We clear, Kenobi?"
He took a moment to study the man. "Yes, Owen."
Owen's lip trembled. "If anything happens to that boy, Ben…"
"I know," he said, feeling the fear within the man.
He felt it too.
THE DEVASTATOR, SCARIF
Blue illuminated the bulkhead of the room. Reflected in her large brown eyes was a young couple holding each other by the hand, one in Jedi robes, the other, in an elaborate wedding gown. Her eyes weren't supposed to see this, she was certain. What she wasn't certain of, were the identities of the two projected by Artoo. She had her suspicions. Only problem was the man wasn't clad in black armor. Although, she thought she could make out a droid hand of some kind on the man. She crept forward, straining her eyes to observe the details.
That was when her father's hissing respirator caught her attention as her door opened. "Leia, I must-"
"Good afternoon, father. How are you?" she asked diplomatically, not even attempting to cover the projection. She hoped he wouldn't notice by some miracle of the Force.
"Fine," he answered absentmindedly, his attention on the holo. "Would you care to explain the origins of that image?"
He was probably wondering what she had done to Artoo in order to get him to project this. For someone so tough, he was awfully soft on the droid, in his own way. Artoo would probably avoid the smelter again this time.
She paused for a moment before speaking. "Well, I think this is you and mother, but I can't see the features close enough to tell. For one, the man in the holo isn't as tall or wearing armor."
"That is not what I meant."
She huffed. "Then you should've been more specific. I was just… curious about what happened before I came along. The parts you don't tell me. Artoo felt sorry for me because I couldn't find anything and showed me this."
Her father folded his arms as he did when he was measuring his response. She had to be careful sometimes because he spared no answer. Other times, he was a durasteel trap. They stood in silence for a moment before he decided to bare his soul. "Your intuition serves you well. That young Jedi… is me. The woman is your mother."
Leia feigned a gasp, holding a hand to stifle it. "But you were a Jedi!"
That was one of the few things she knew about her father from before she was born. Not to mention Darth was a Sith title and not a given name.
He shuffled his feet slightly. "I was once young and foolish. I made… many mistakes. However, that day is one I do not regret."
"What was it like? Getting married?" she asked softly. If holos were to be anything to go by, it was probably one of the best days of his life.
Vader still could not find a good resting position. "We were married on Naboo, in a villa by the Lakes… On the terrace, under the tallest tree, before sunset," he recalled. "Other than the droids, only one man was present, a local priest. We'd spent a short while at the lakes. Her life was threatened, and I was assigned to be her bodyguard."
"Was that before the Clone War?" she guessed.
"Immediately after the Separatist Crisis escalated into the Clone Wars, yes," he reaffirmed. "If only your interest in history extended beyond our family, perhaps your marks would not be suffering as they are now."
She scoffed. "It's not my fault I don't care what they're teaching. Every tutor you bring onto this ship is a big baby who's more focused on impressing you than teaching me. Dad, not everyone is as used to you as I am."
That was why he was making the switch to droids, as she understood it. As it turned out, T-Series Tactical Droids were exceptional at teaching mathematics. They made it rather easy to understand. That is, when their pupils were excelling. More than once she had considered tricking it into the trash compactor, but that would only result in some punishment to make her reflect upon consequences like reassembling the thing. Wouldn't be the first time.
"You may sharpen your diplomacy all you like, but it does not erase your actions. Word of your classroom's broken holoprojector has made its way back to me…"
Leia blanched. "Who told you that? I've done no such thing."
"No one did. I thought it strange for it to be breaking down as often as it did, so I investigated. Not many people could disassemble the components without opening the access panel," he said.
Leia was kicking herself. She could have at least made an effort to cover her tracks- maybe blame it on a mouse droid. "Um- Maybe there was a magnet..."
"You are to go two weeks without holonet after fixing the projector. Do not do it again, or the consequences will be most severe. You are not to be parading the Force around as if it were a novelty," he chastised, shaking a finger at her.
She held her head low. "Yes, father."
"However, you did it well. Even though you merely scrambled the insides, it is impressive that you would be able to do so without seeing it, at your age. It would be wise to cheer up. Before your punishment is enacted, I have prepared a surprise for you," he said, moving towards the viewport. He entered a code to open it.
Leia wordlessly looked out at the tropical planet below. She didn't think this was exactly a vacation spot. It wasn't obvious until she noticed the eight or so Star Destroyers orbiting a small ring, but the entire planet was shielded- and quite heavily, too. Something very important had to be going on planetside for a shield gate of that size. Not to mention how many ships were there guarding it. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm supposed to be here?"
"You are not. However, I am taking you along with me in order to demonstrate one of the Empire's greatest follies. The disapproval of anyone will be shouldered solely to me," he said, beckoning her to follow him.
Leia trotted after her father's long strides, taking notes of the frenzy aboard the Devastator. Stormtroopers and junior officers ran past them with great purpose: after a short lift ride, they were at the bridge, which was significantly more chaotic than the lower decks.
Vader came up to the main viewport, crossing his arms as he reached the cluster of officers observing the surface. "Admiral Erfik, raise the shields."
The considerably nervous Admiral turned around at the mention of his name. He briefly raised an eyebrow at Leia's presence. "Have you sensed an incoming attack?"
"No. There is a possibility that the envoy could have brought debris with it through hyperspace."
He was gobsmacked, and Leia was too. "What? Project Stardust would have to be massive in order for that to happen. The entirety of Moff Tarkin's Outer Rim fleet isn't even large enough to do that."
"It has a circumference of one hundred fifty kilometers. The possibility cannot be ignored," Vader declared. "Do it."
"You're joking," Leia exclaimed. The possibility of a reason necessary for such a construct sent her mind racing. "That's the size of a tiny moon!"
The Admiral shared her sentiment. He turned around, gesturing to the pilots. "Order all ships to raise deflectors- and be alert for objects coming out of hyperspace!"
It was no sooner than those words being spoken that nearly every terminal flashed angry red warnings. "Massive object is approaching," a technician called out.
Vader glanced down at his daughter before turning his attention back to the horizon. She nervously did the same, feeling ever so small. Leia attempted to anchor herself to her father's calm.
What was presumably Project Stardust appeared out of hyperspace, and despite how far away it was, Leia and everyone else aboard could tell it was massive. It quite easily dwarfed the five Star Destroyers escorting it. They were like fleas on a Bantha.
"Oh my stars…" Leia remarked, taking in the sheer size of it. It was possibly even bigger than her father had described. The space station was enormous to a ridiculous degree, despite the holes poking through. She didn't think any man-made object in the history of the galaxy had ever come close to its size, and it wasn't even close to being finished.
"The Sovereign is hailing us, Lord Vader," one of the officers said, catching Vader's attention.
Vader moved to answer, beckoning his daughter to follow.
Wilhuff Tarkin was before them, speaking via projection. "Lord Vader. Your presence is required on the Death Star immediately. The Emperor requires your… abilities to smoke out any who might divulge secrets pertaining to this project."
She wasn't particularly fond of the man, but he seemed to like her. Or rather, her father and how he had raised her. Talking to Tarkin was like talking to a droid. She wasn't sure he cared about anything but the Empire. Or the Emperor, for that matter.
"I will arrive presently."
The transmission cut. Leia whipped around to her father. "The Death Star? That name sounds scary. Is it more than a space station?"
Vader kept his gaze forward, beginning their trip to the shuttle bay. "When fully operational, the Death Star will possess the ability to destroy a planet…"
Leia stopped dead in her tracks, ignoring the Stormtroopers. "What? Is it some sort of radiation weapon to make the surface uninhabitable?"
Her father stopped in turn, looking back at her. "No. It will be able to fire a blast so powerful it detonates a planet's core. In moments, an entire planet can be erased."
Her blood froze as she imagined being on the receiving end.
Leia wasn't stopped during her outburst, so she continued. "What?! What possible need do we have for that?! That's terrifying!"
"Governor Tarkin believes the threat of it will keep rebellion in check. I disagree. The loss of an entire planet would only inspire more to take up arms against the Empire. The line between fear mongering and a rallying cry is a thin one. The Death Star is a tremendous waste of resources. However, The Emperor does not feel the same way…"
"Well, what was it like before the Empire? Before the Clone Wars? Would this have even been considered?"
Her father chose his words carefully. "The level of corruption was about the same. However, that corruption possesses order now. A project of this nature would not have been accepted. At the very least not until the end."
"That's hard to imagine. I do know that mother wouldn't like this. Artoo has shown me her uncensored speeches, her standpoints. You two were so different."
Vader was taken aback. "Yes… she… definitely would not approve. No doubt she would be spearheading some form of rebellion…"
She chuckled nervously, unable to resist peeking out every viewscreen for the Death Star. "That's so weird to imagine."
"Not for me," he countered, resuming his long strides with clenched hands.
DUNE SEA, TATOOINE
Old Ben came up slowly over the dune. Ahead of him was a young boy with a blonde head staring at the binary sunset of Tatooine. Lukewarm light bathed them both. The temperature was soon to drop below a comfortable level for humans.
"Luke," he called out.
He turned around, focusing his bright blue eyes on his friend. "I've been waiting for you!"
Kenobi chuckled. "I am sorry, then. My body just doesn't move as quickly as it used to"
He clipped his rangefinder to his belt, tromping down to meet Ben in the middle. "You're not that old, Ben… So what did you want to tell me?"
Obi-Wan smiled softly, observing the picturesque horizon. "Nothing too important… Your Aunt and Uncle have merely deemed you mature enough for me to reveal a few truths to you."
Luke looked at him expectantly, a million possibilities no doubt running through his head.
Ben reached into the folds of his robe, pulling out a cylinder that he held carefully in his cupped hands. "Do you know what this is?"
"Is that… a laser sword?"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "A lightsaber," he corrected. "Your father's…"
Luke's entire world had been shaken. He four times gave Obi-Wan a cautionary glance. "Dad was a Jedi? You were a Jedi?!"
"That's right. Your father and I were among the final generation of Jedi Knights. We fought together in the Clone Wars, upholding peace and justice in the Galaxy. Anakin Skywalker was my pupil,' he said. "And a good friend…"
"A- Are you pulling my leg? Did Biggs put you up to this?" he said cautiously.
Obi-Wan levitated the lightsaber to him, destroying any shred of doubt the boy had. Luke accepted it gingerly, as if it were made of glass. After he finished taking in every detail, he looked back up to Ben incredulously.
"You have my apologies. We all hid the truth from you in order to protect you. The Jedi are all but extinct, and are persecuted to this day."
"Wait a second. Are you saying that…"
"The Force favors you. You are Force-sensitive, just as I am. And as your father was," he answered, reminiscing of how things used to be.
Luke stood in awe for a moment before steeling himself. He ignited the lightsaber, holding it high before swinging it slowly from side to side. "This is so wizard…"
Obi-Wan smiled fondly. "If you so choose, I can train you to be a Jedi. Your uncle forbade it for the longest time."
Owen and Beru came up behind them, the former's arms crossed. "Don't make me out to be the bad guy. I just… Having Jedi skills would only make your life better, especially on a rough planet like this. Can you really blame my hesitation, Ben?"
Kenobi's smile turned melancholy. "No. Luke, just as your father wasn't a navigator on a freighter, he wasn't killed in a crash."
"He was killed by the Empire, wasn't he?" Like guessed, turning off his saber. Beru took his hand as he grew downcast.
Owen and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance. "He was destroyed by my apprentice, Darth Vader. He was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force, and assisted the Empire in the extermination of the Jedi."
Obi-Wan sensed a spike of anger in the force.
"You don't have to become a Jedi if you don't want to, Luke," Beru began. "We can still send you to the academy when you come of age. Consider your options. Even no decision is a decision."
"The path of a Jedi is not an easy one. You will be marked as an enemy of the Empire," Obi-Wan explained.
Owen stepped in, thoroughly frustrated. "I'm sorry for dropping this on you, son, but you had to know. You're old enough. I know you'll make the right decision, you're a good boy."
Luke looked up, blue eyes full of hope. "I'm going to be a Jedi, like my father."
Obi-Wan was taken aback, surprising even himself. Did he truly wish that the boy would reject his offer? Perhaps some part of him hoped he wouldn't be responsible for the destruction of another Skywalker... "Are you absolutely-"
"He's made his decision, Ben. Can't you see his conviction?" Owen said, his face contorted with begrudging acceptance. "He'd be found out by the Empire as soon as he entered the Academy, just like they found us here. Midi-whatever's in his blood, remember? No matter what he chooses to do with his life, he just isn't destined for obscurity on this planet."
"Luke, why do you wish to follow this path?" Obi-Wan asked.
The boy took a moment. Even he was curious. "Well… All the stories I've heard about Jedi say that they were great heroes. Mostly... my father, too, I guess."
His intentions were oversimplified and idealistic, but pure just the same. Ben smiled. "I see. You have much to learn."
Luke shook the lightsaber slowly, looking at his guardians. "I will learn, and I will become a Jedi."
"Yes you will," Obi-Wan said, nodding. Painful memories of Qui-Gon Jinn surfaced. The pact he made regarding Anakin's training. "I promise."
THE DEATH STAR, SCARIF
Leia glanced around everywhere as they boarded the Death Star. She just couldn't help it, the station was too massive to not make note of it. There was no way of telling where they were aboard the station until they took the lift to the conference room.
Some of the highest ranking Imperial officers, bureaucrats, and leaders all sat around a long table. Leia could only recognize a few. General Motti, Moff Tarkin, Colonel Yularen, and Admiral Tagge to name a few. Some blowhard wearing a cape stood up, approaching her and her father.
"Lord Vader, I'm glad you could make it," he said. "I am the direc-"
"Orson Krennic. I am familiar. Your reputation… precedes you." Vader interrupted. Everyone could sense the displeasure.
His merry facade crumbled. "I see. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with your… smaller companion. Does she have security clearance?"
Murmurs erupted around the table.
Leia resisted the urge to roll her eyes so far back she could see her thoughts. "I'm Leia Vader."
Krennic went pale. "My apologies- I was unaware you had a daughter, Lord Vader."
"I'll take complaints, not him," Leia said, turning her "fierce politician" mode on. She only said it because he wouldn't challenge her- not with her father next to her.
"You've my apologies, then. I meant no disrespect."
"It's quite alright. I understand my stature paints a picture of… underestimation," she said, and she could feel her cheeks heating.
"Now that introductions are out of the way…" Tarkin said from across the room. "Lord Vader, I would like to ask you to explain to the room why I've called upon your services."
Vader moves to the head of the table. "Director Krennic has spent too much time patting himself on the back, and not enough selecting trustworthy personnel for this project. He even allowed a child aboard this vessel merely because she is accompanying me…" Vader explained. Krennic sat down defeatedly. "That changes now. Anyone with even a seditious thought will be dealt with swiftly and accordingly. This project depends upon Imperial loyalty."
"I could not have said it better myself," Tarkin added. "Would you care to demonstrate the level of mercy the Empire will provide for traitors?"
"As you wish. Leia?"
She had to take a moment to make sure she heard him right.
"Right." Although she hesitated, Leia stood forward, reaching out through the Force, like she had been taught. One of the particularly slimy looking men was radiating anxiety. "Him," she pointed. "He's afraid."
"Blast!" He stood up suddenly, reaching for a blaster. He fired a wild shot that Leia sidestepped easily. She ripped it from his hands with the Force, pointing it at him.
"I think that's him," she said, with much more intensity than expected of someone of her age. In all actuality, she was struggling to keep her cool. It had been a while since she'd been shot at. She didn't like the attention either, but she despised being underestimated even more.
His hands shot up as two Death Troopers apprehended him. Her father's attention was glued to them, and the man. "Take him to the detention block to await my arrival…"
That didn't sound good for the man.
"Admiral Katma…" Tarkin chided. "I had my suspicions about you…"
"You all can go to hell! This project is insane! How can you brand something called the Death Star a peacekeeper?! It's an enormous- hck!" He said, only stopping when Leia shot him with his own weapon's stun setting.
"Thank you for your assistance," Moff Tarkin said, nodding to her. "Take him away," he ordered. He turned to the Director. "This is not an Empire Day ball. You will gain control of this project, or someone else will…"
Krennic grit his teeth. "It will be done."
Darth Vader looked away from the door when the troopers left with the Admiral and folded his arms. "I should hope so, Director Krennic. For your sake…"
THE DEVASTATOR, SCARIF
Vader threw the lifeless Admiral to the ground, turning around and exiting the cell. He motioned to the guards who went about cleaning up the mess he had made. Leia was never in any danger, but Vader was certain she didn't feel that way. It was all his fault, and he had died for it. Good riddance.
It was an uneventful walk back to his and Leia's quarters. His comm buzzed almost the moment he arrived back. An Inquisitor's frequency.
"Speak," he said when he answered it.
"I've got eyes on a high priority target," the hunter said. "Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Vader's sudden shift in mood caused the temperature to plummet. "Where?" was all he said.
"Tatooine, some farm in the Dune Sea."
He waited for the transmission of coordinates before he went to disconnect. "Leia," he said, knocking on her door. "Prepare for a field mission. We will leave soon."