Exploring the Palace
Chapter 3
The Firebolt navigated quickly through the crowded skylanes of Coruscant, Lord Vader piloting.
"I didn't know you could pilot, Father." Luke spoke up after a few minutes.
Vader glanced at his son. "Indeed? I sometimes command TIE fighters in battle."
"You fly TIE fighters?" Luke's blue eyes stared at his father. "Whoa!" He shouted as a bright orange speeder whizzed past and nearly cut them off. As soon as the alien driver noticed who was piloting the Firebolt, he dropped from the lane and disappeared.
"Where do you wish to eat?" Vader questioned.
Luke leaned back against the fine leather seat. "I dunno. There weren't many places to eat on Tatooine – we had to grow our own food."
"There are many fine restaurants near the Imperial Palace."
"Why don't you choose?"
A little shock made its way through Vader. It had been years since he had done what he wished, in another lifetime. He remembered a quaint little café on the three hundredth floor of a skyscraper near the Senate chambers where he and Padmé had dined together…
Vader resisted the urge to retreat into his past. I am a Sith Lord. I will not dwell on a life long gone. But seeing his young son in the seat beside him made him feel conflicted. "There is a fine restaurant directly below us: the Coruscant Grill. Would that be suitable?"
"Sure." Luke replied.
Vader dropped from the skylanes and toward the restaurant.
Luke yawned and tried to catch up with his father, who had stopped farther ahead. It was only twenty–one hundred hours, but he was exhausted after his rather busy day. But something from all of that seemed a little peculiar to him. After they had entered the restaurant, everyone seemed to become suddenly terrified of his father. Why, he didn't know.
"It is time for bed, son." Vader said once Luke caught up with him.
Another yawn confirmed his father's words. "Okay, Father." They reached his room and Vader turned on the switch using the Force. Luke looked around his room. "It looks different, somehow."
"I had Ceethreepio deliver some supplies to your room while you were out and give it a standard cleaning." Vader explained. He left out one detail that generated some sympathy in him. One specific item that he himself had ordered the droid to take to Luke's bedroom.
Luke cleaned himself up in the 'fresher and climbed into bed. Vader pulled the covers over him and rumbled, "Sleep well, son."
"Good night, Father. See you in the morning."
Vader tried not to give into his wanting to ruffle Luke's blonde hair and stood up to leave, flicking off the lights as he exited the room. Luke waited for the overpowering, frightening darkness, but instead the room was filled with a soft blue glow.
He leaned over the edge and saw something small radiating with light in a wall outlet.
It was a nightlight.