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Chapter 15

Luke and Pooja's lessons continued over the next couple days, and Luke actually had to admit he learned a lot. A few times Luke sat in on late afternoon senate discussions where bills about military funding and trade routes, and basically everything else was discussed. He did find it a bit odd that the senate passed only those things that the Emperor wouldn't veto, but tried to ignore it. It also wouldn't have made sense if the Senate could overpower the Emperor's opinion, so really there was no other way. Yet it was strikingly obvious to Luke that the senate had no real power. It seemed to Luke that they were only there to give the allusion that the people were deciding things, when in reality it was only the Emperor.

But Luke had sort of known that was the case beforehand, so he managed to make no comment of it. If Pooja noticed how disillusioned Luke was about the government she made no comment, and just carried on with her work.

Luke's Jedi training was going far better. His father was home less and less, but Luke barely noticed he was so engrossed in putting together his lightsaber. It was difficult, patience-trying work, but Luke enjoyed it. The Force told him how to do it, and Luke simply had to trust the Force in a way he never had before. It brought him a sense of calm serenity that all teens sorely needed.

Finally it was almost done. As soon as Luke got home from his lesson with Pooja he could put the crystal in and see if it actually worked. If it didn't… well Luke wasn't sure what he'd do, but he had faith. Faith in himself and the Force. That was, after all, the true purpose of padawans building their own sabers.

"A friend of mine is being inaugurated tomorrow as the new Senator for Alderaan," Pooja told Luke when he got to her office. "I was thinking you could come to the party as my plus one. It won't be too large an affair, but a good chance for you to get out and practice what we've been working on."

Luke imagined it would still be far too big an affair for his comfort zone, but he nodded. Perhaps the party wouldn't be too terrible, and Leia might be there. Luke hadn't seen her since the day they met, but she had said she was from Alderaan…

"The only trouble is we need to review your table manners and I don't have the stuff we need to do that here," Pooja admitted with a sigh. "And I don't want to go back to my apartment because my mother is still there and I don't think you want any more of her comments."

No, not really. He found his aunt to be quite annoying and self-centered, and he didn't really want to have to practice his table manners with her. "We can head back to my apartment. I have everything there I'm sure and if you miss something my protocol droid will surely remind me."

Luke could sense his cousin's curiosity, but she was still hesitant. "I don't know. Are you sure your father won't mind?"

"He's not home, come on," Luke told her deciding it was best if he just acted and forced her to follow. It worked because Pooja came running after Luke just as he got into the pilot's seat of his speeder. She looked annoyed, probably because this was the type of manners she was trying to beat out of Luke, but she got into the passenger seat.

Pooja had an odd look in her eyes as they arrived at Luke's apartment. "I feel like I've been here before," she whispered looking around.

"You probably have," Luke told her with a shrug. "It belonged to my mother. 3PO, this is my cousin Senator Pooja Naberrie, Pooja this is my protocol droid C-3PO and the little blue one is R2-D2."

"It's wonderful to meet you!" 3PO beamed, sounding more excited than Luke had ever heard. R2 didn't seem so impressed, but made a disappointed chirp that Luke interpreted as 'we've already met'.

"You know it's not normal to introduce people to droids like they're sentients," Pooja pointed out as Luke and 3PO got the necessary cutlery for their practice. "I don't mind but many would take it as an insult."

"She is correct Master Luke," 3PO added because when it came to protocol he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Luke had actually known that fact, but he thought it was pretty silly. Sure some droids had no concept of emotion or feelings, but Luke knew some sentients who showed less emotion than R2 and 3PO, his father for one. Just because a droid wasn't organic that didn't mean they weren't just as alive as Luke or Pooja. It bothered him sometimes that people didn't get that. When I'm Emperor I'll push forward a bill to redefine sentient to include some droids.

Luke was shocked by his own thought. Never before had he considered the things he might do as Emperor. Normally he ignored the possibility of him being emperor at all! Still it wasn't a bad idea…

Luke did pretty well at their practice meal. On Tatooine table manners were a very different ordeal, but 3PO had been teaching Luke for years how to act properly. The hardest bit was just how to do it all when standing up, because Pooja told Luke it was more of a cocktail affair than sit-down dinner.

"Alright then, how is the dancing coming along?"

Luke managed to keep his groan internal. It wasn't that he was particularly horrible at dancing, the Force and many years of gymnastics helped him with that, it was that Luke dreaded having to actually do it. With Pooja it wasn't so bad but Luke couldn't imagine actually holding a stranger so low down on her back. It seemed more rude to Luke than not dancing with the girl at all.

"Don't worry," Pooja reassured him. "There won't be that many people there young enough that you need to dance with them. It's just a good thing to know. Every woman likes a man who can dance well."

Luke didn't know why 'every woman' would care, but he got into position as R2 put on some music for them. It was going well enough, until Luke felt a prickling on his back and turned to see his father there looking amused.

"I pity the poor woman who ever has to dance with my son." Luke laughed, but he grew uncomfortable as Pooja stiffened up. She was really not glad to have run into her Uncle. "I'm sorry if I have startled you senator. I did not realize you and Luke would be having your lessons here."

"It was just a onetime thing," Pooja quickly defended. "My mother is home and she tends to talk too much."

Vader nodded, "I recall as much. She enjoyed hounding Padmé about when she would leave the senate and have kids. I'm surprised she approves of you serving."

"She does not," Pooja admitted stiffly. Her thoughts were projecting loudly, and Luke cringed as he and his father picked up on one of her thoughts. So this is what Uncle Ani has become. I don't know how Luke can stand this coldness, he's far too nice for it.

"You should go," Luke told her cousin quickly moving to steer her away before any more ill-thoughts could be projected. It's not like a person can really control their thoughts, but that didn't mean Vader was any less likely to be annoyed. "Father, Pooja was going to take me to the new Senator for Alderaan's inauguration tomorrow, is that alright?" Vader nodded his assent and went towards the training room eager to check on his son's progress as Luke showed Pooja out.

Since Luke had to fly Pooja all the way back to the senate building, it was some time before he made it down to the training room. His father was still inspecting the new saber, but Luke noticed the kyber crystal was untouched. Would it suddenly turn red if my father touched it? That would be so odd.

"You've done well," he told his son putting the saber down. "I did not expect you to complete it so quickly. Between this and spending time with your mother's family have you remembered to do any schoolwork?"

Okay, it hadn't been a priority, but Luke had done most of it. "I've mostly just been working with Pooja, but they did all throw me a birthday party. It was… nice of them. They can be a bit much but that's only because they loved mother a lot and want what's best for me."

Luke didn't need to say it for his father to understand: the Naberries didn't think living with a Sith was best for Luke. "Perhaps they are right. I am not around as much as I should be and you could do well with a mother."

"I've already lived with an Aunt and Uncle before," Luke reminded, sensing that Sola's demands were actually his father's deepest insecurities. "I like living with you, and you're around enough. It's not like I really have time to spend with you even when you are home."

It was true, but Vader still felt bad for leaving Luke alone so often. It was unavoidable, especially as the Alliance grew stronger, but that did not mean it was something he liked. He would much prefer it if Luke was done with school already and could join him on his Star Destroyer. On Naboo or Alderaan many people were doing full-time jobs by Luke's age, but Tatooine and Coruscant had always had different customs. Luke still had two more years of schooling to finish, but perhaps then, or during his next school break…

"You might as well finish your saber now, and then we can test how well it works," Vader told his son, shaking away the thoughts. It did not do to be distracted, and the look of excitement on Luke's face was undeniable.

Luke was excited, but he was also slightly terrified. What if it didn't work? What if he put in the crystal, went to turn it on, and failed? His father wouldn't say anything but he'd be vastly disappointed. It would prove Luke wasn't truly trained or ready and…

Luke took a deep breath, pulled on the Force to guide his hands, and pressed the crystal into place. A surge of energy flooded through the Force telling Luke it had worked, and so he turned it on.

A brilliant green blade burst forth from within and hummed normally. Luke swung it back and forth a couple times, trying to get a feel for it. The blade was longer than with the training sabers he was used to, and far more deadly. He could accidentally cut a limb off if he wasn't careful now when training. Still, there was something whole and right about Luke's own saber that made him smile.

"You have done well," his father agreed. "Now that you have your own blade you must remember that that weapon is your life. I lost more than my share of lightsabers, but you must try to not lose yours, and never give it away. I once gave my saber to your mother and that very day the Senate was taken hostage. If I hadn't been so foolish as to lend her my saber things would certainly have gone smoother."

Luke nodded, "Father, what do lightsaber colors signify."

"It's not really clear," he admitted, not surprised that Luke was wondering. Everyone wondered once they discovered the color their own crystal tuned to. "All Sith's blades tune red, but there is more diversity among the Jedi. I once heard a a joke though that I think explains it well. Three Jedi face a shut door. The Jedi with the Blue blade begins to cut his way through it. The Jedi with a yellow blade hotwires the panel to open itself. The Jedi with the green blade simply knocks."

Luke laughed, probably just proud to be part of the group that did the logical thing. Of course they both knew Luke's lightsaber would not be for life, that he would need a new one once he began his training as a Sith, but it was a fine blade for now, and Luke was right to be proud of it.

Vader pulled his own lightsaber, and Luke quickly responded to stop the blow. He was surprised by his father's sudden move, but couldn't help but smile as they did their first truly dangerous spar. Vader, of course, won (he usually did), but Luke managed not to cut off any limbs, which was all he really cared about at the moment.

"You need to go do your schoolwork," Vader finally reminded his son, not willing to admit that he too was tired. Most of the Jedi were long dead, and Vader had not had a truly worthy sparing partner in years. Luke could actually exhaust him. "I will be home for a few days at least and we can practice more later."

"It was fun," Luke could barely breathe, but he meant the words. "Thanks Dad."

"Father."

"You don't have to call me Father, dad."

Luke was out the door before he could get in trouble for his insufferably good mood, but his father was left amazed. Luke was truly an incredible child, and it was good he had a mask, because the teen would have only been more encouraged should he see the smile on his father's face.