Luke's Discovery

Luke was furious with his father. After all they had been through together the older man just left him. He knew that Anakin felt he was protecting him, but really. Luke had been there with Anakin when he had shed off Vader and saved his life. They hadn't been parted except for the missions Luke had gone on while his father was in the Force- induced coma. And Palpatine was alive, he knew it, he felt it. They were stronger together. Especially with the Emperor on the loose.

Luke was looking into discovering everything about the Empire, which he could do better with his father's help. Leia had explained why his father had left, because she had asked him to put an end to the Rebellion and it was in this act that Leia put her trust in their father. Luke had released his feeling into the Force several times but he couldn't get over this feeling of helplessness. Besides his father and Ahsoka, he was the last Jedi, and if the Emperor was around...he shuddered at the thought. What if the Emperor captured his father again? He wouldn't be happy with the fact that his father had turned traitor.

Luke took a walk down Amidala beach. His parents had been here once, he was sure of it. Anakin's attitude before he had left, left Luke unsure of how to proceed in his search for more Jedi. The only Jedi he had mentioned was Ahsoka and currently she was off with his Father so he had no one to learn from, and he needed to be prepared for an attack from the Emperor. It was coming...he could feel the dark, cold presence it was so different than anything he had ever felt from his father, even before he learned how to sense. Anakin was doing everything he could to make it up to both of them and to the galaxy.

He wondered if the Imps would believe Anakin, would it not be obvious that Anakin was not Vader even if he had spent all of Luke's life trapped behind the mask of Darth Vader. He wondered where his mother was. Luke walked around and found himself tracking the cold feeling despite his better judgment. He closed his eyes and released his fears and frustrations into the Force, until he felt a familiar force presence, although she couldn't use the Force, the Force could use her. He opened his eyes when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He could feel her aura. She was a beautiful person and the Force loved her. The Force had chosen her, for what he wasn't sure, but her beautiful aura was being tainted by darkness.

"Excuse me," came the soft voice. "I'm looking for my son, Luke...he goes by Skywalker, I'm afraid."

Luke turned around slowly noticing her softer features. She had hair and eyes the same shade and shape as his sisters. She was wearing a black dress, that hung loosely on her, suggesting it hadn't been made for her. "I am Luke Skywalker," he answered, looking at her carefully. "Who do I have the pleasure of being introduced to?" he asked, although he was certain that this woman was his mother, the wife of his father, the cause of his father's drunken state.

"I am your mother...Amidala," she stated. Luke again reached out with the Force, and felt something wrong with her. There was confusion within her. Luke took her hand in his and kissed it, a simple gesture, borne of respect and love. He watched as tears filled her eyes. "Were you treated badly?" she asked as the tears pooled together and gathered in her lashes before spilling down her cheeks.

"No," Luke answered thoughtfully. "My aunt and uncle were strict but good to me.

Of course, they had good reason to hide me from the Empire."

"The Empire?" Padme Amidala gasped. Then she smiled, of course Cos had told her he was the Emperor. Something about the word Empire sent shivers through her. She could remember vaguely being in the Senate box. What was it she had said? She looked at Luke, he didn't look anything like Cos, could Cos be his father? Luke looked older than Cos. She could remember sitting in her Senate box beside..someone and looking out, as the Empire was declared and the Senators were clapping! The end of peace, justice, and democracy and they were glad. "So this is how democracy ends with thunderous applause," she replied and everything started to spin as darkness claimed her. Luke picked her up, easily carrying her smaller frame, a frame he realized that he had inherited. He had to get her back to Valykino. Luke looked back at the Palace, the Emperor was there he was sure of it, but he could not fight him alone. How much danger would his mother be in? What did Palpatine have in plan for her? He felt a spike of fear in the force, but ignored it for now. He had to protect his mother.