*Standard disclaimers apply (since I forgot on Ch 1. Whoops).
"Your Majesty?"
A knock at the door woke him, Luke flinching slightly. The light had shifted, exposing the later hour of the day. Apparently he had slept the afternoon away, falling asleep almost as soon as he sat down.
"Um, come in?" Luke answered, feeling sick after having woken up so suddenly.
Piett entered crisply. "Your Majesty, I figured you would like to have dinner with everyone."
Nodding, Luke stood, wishing he had a few minutes to gather himself together. "Yes, I would."
Following Piett back out the door, Luke's guards flanked them as they trailed the endless halls to the dining area. "This is your personal dining room. The one used for public events is on the other side of the palace."
Luke needed to remember to ask for a map of the palace – it was going to take forever to learn the ins and outs of the place.
Leia, Han, Chewie, and Obi-wan were already seated as they came in, Luke glancing around at what someone must have considered a more intimate dining area. The whole room still screamed of wealth and power, a table that could be set for twenty people occupying the center of the room. A large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the walls were draped with a darker hued fabric to help buffer the noise of echoing voices.
Sat at the head of the table again, Piett sat down on his right. As soon as they were sat, the droids began to bring in the trays of food.
A wine and water glass was already on the table, Luke picking up the wine glass to take a sip. It was a sweeter red, which suited his inexperienced palate. Not that he hadn't been offered wine on occasion, but he had never found in himself the desire to drink something that would dull his senses.
Leia raised her glass towards him as well. "It's an Alderaanian wine. My father, King Organa, sends his regards."
"I'll have to express my thanks the next time I see him. Has Alderaan been well?"
Han was finally the one to break the mood. "Come on, we all know each other. Does everything have to be so stilted?"
Leia slapped Han lightly on the shoulder, but Luke still managed a grin. "Of course not."
"To answer your previous question, Luke, Alderaan is doing well with the changes."
"Very good. I'm glad."
After everyone was served, the droids took off the covers, revealing a meal very well fit for a King as the expression went. Steaming slices of roasted ham and baked potatoes smothered in butter and cheese sat on the plates before them, Luke shocked. No one else seemed surprised by the entree, however, so Luke figured it must be apart of living at a palace.
"When do you all leave?" Luke asked, poking at his meal rather than consuming it.
Leia wiped her face with a napkin just as a Princess would before answering. "It depends on when the funeral is arranged. We will of course stay until then."
"We are picking a day tomorrow, so I'll let you know."
Everyone was chatting amicably until Luke brought up an apparent sore spot for everyone. "I'm going to fix my ship."
"You're...what?" Han frowned.
Glancing around, Luke realized no one seemed happy. Everyone's displeasure was plainly written across their faces, no one even trying to hide it.
"I'm going to fix my ship. Piett is arranging to have it brought to the palace."
"I don't know, kid…"
"Do you really need to right now, Luke?"
Han and Leia started talking right over one another, both flushing and turning towards one another before falling silent.
Obi-wan cleared his throat, the whole room turning towards him. "Young one, some things are better left unfixed."
Piett was pleased with all the responses supporting his opinion, but he said nothing else on the matter.
Pushing a piece of ham around his plate again, Luke felt bitterness rise up inside his heart. "What, are you all afraid I'll fix her and leave?"
A dropping pin could be heard in the silence that ensued. Glancing around at everyone, Luke felt his stomach churn – they really did think that he was going to run. Of course, he couldn't blame them. It's not like the thought hadn't already crossed his mind.
"N-no, of course not, Luke. It's just it takes a lot of energy to repair something so large, and you are going to have so much to do soon." Leia pretended that she hadn't been thinking just that moments earlier, but it was obvious that even the diplomatic Princess was scrambling for words.
"I see. I think I'm more tired than I thought. Will you all excuse me?" It wasn't completely a lie - his injuries were beginning to ache, and despite his long nap earlier the doctors had warned him to take it easy.
Piett left the dining hall with him. "I'll escort you back-"
"No, thank you. I know most of the way, and hopefully my guards can help me if I get lost." Luke purposefully let the guards overhear.
The one from earlier whose name he had also forgotten to ask stepped forward again. "Of course, your Majesty."
Still looking hesitant, Piett finally gave in. "As you wish, your Majesty. Please rest well, and if you have any troubles your guards know how to reach me or your doctor."
Nodding, Luke allowed a guard to take the lead back to his quarters, finding his bedroom and collapsing on the bed immediately.
Burrowing his head into a pillow, he groaned. Why couldn't they understand why he needed to fix his ship?
Even though the thought had crossed his mind of fixing his ship and running, he did not think his friends would so readily jump to that conclusion. When had he ever abandoned them before?
Heart sinking, Luke thought back to when he was captured. Had they all truly thought that he had switched sides? Or could they see through the mask he was desperately trying to keep up and they could see how weak he felt? Unable to decipher an answer, Luke drifted off, dreaming of a broken ship and broken friendships.
Never before had Luke so understood Leia's hatred for bureaucracy and meetings as he did right then. For the past four hours, they had been trying to decide whether or not Vader would be given an open casket parade or a closed. Palpatine they had no choice considering he had blown away in the Force, but Vader's suit remained.
"Perhaps it would be best if the people began to forget his image. I think a closed casket would be fitting." That was the first and last line Luke had spoken since the beginning of this meeting, and since then the room filled with generals and other administrators had not once found something to agree on.
Piett gave Luke the smallest of nods, encouraging him to step in.
"The former Emperor's casket should be painted gold! He loved everything in gold!"
"But should he be buried on Naboo or Coruscant?" Another spoke up.
"We should put their caskets on a ship and incinerate them out in space!"
At this point, no one was even on the topic of the original subject of discussion. Everyone was simply throwing around random ideas that were winding people up more and more.
"STOP!"
Every man in the room froze, several returning to their seats. Having run out of what little patience he had, Luke fixed his robe and stood up. "As the son of Vader, I declare that we shall have a parade through Coruscant of his closed casket, after which Vader shall be burned in honor of Jedi tradition. Any questions?"
A well mannered general stood, one that had not participated in the now four hour long debate. "And what of the former Emperor, your Majesty?"
Flinching, Luke turned towards Piett for support. Standing quickly, Piett in usual form, took over. "The former Emperor requested in his will that he be placed aboard his personal Star destroyer and that it be destroyed in space. It will be a spectacular end for our former leader."
Frowning, Luke simply nodded. It was better than allowing even the robe of that man to touch the dirt of Naboo, nor did he wish to honor him with any shrines or memorials on Coruscant.
"The funeral will take place a week from today. Thank you gentlemen for your time." Piett dismissed the men, leaving only Luke and him in the conference room.
Laying his head down on the table, Luke sighed. "Are all meetings this bad?"
Thoughtful, Piett shook his head. "We could have ended this meeting in approximately half an hour, your Majesty."
"What?"
"If you had just spoken up four hours ago, the men never would have fallen into such a debate. It is important as a leader to not let those beneath us get astray. Your father never had a meeting last more than an hour unless it was with the Emperor."
A queasy feeling took over Luke's stomach. "You let this happen on purpose."
"Yes. It's an important lesson to learn."
Shaking his head, Luke disagreed. "But it's important to also listen to those you've delegated tasks, even if they are "beneath us", as you say. In the Alliance, it was important that everyone be heard."
Raising an eyebrow, Piett acquiesced, nodding. "That was a poor choice of words on my part, but that could still be done in half an hour, your Majesty. In any case, as the Emperor, you must remember that it is nearly impossible to get an entire room of people to fully agree upon anything."
Processing his words, Luke nodded. "I suppose you have a point, Admiral. I will take your words to heart."
"Thank you. Now, we have a tailor to meet."
Piett brought them to a room in the main palace rather than Luke's personal quarters to meet the designers. Already, Luke was being hammered with rules.
"You must never bring anyone to your personal quarters for any reason. Your room is designed as a lock down of sorts if anyone should ever come after you, so only you, your guards, and I even know where the room is located."
"Even my friends?" Luke asked in confusion. What was the point of all the couches and extravagant design if he was the only one to see it?
"Only those with the appropriate clearance, and even among them I would be careful. Once you expose your private quarters, it becomes impossible for it to be a place to get away."
Nodding, Luke did not have time to think about it at the moment, a designer bowing before him as soon as they entered a private sitting room in the main palace.
"Your Majesty, I am honored you have called upon my services. I am Fraun, owner of Fraun Boutique."
"Thank you for coming, Fraun."
The man was startled by Luke's formality. Hissing into his ear, Piett tugged gently on Luke's arm. "You need not be formal with anyone, Luke."
"Why? Why does me being Emperor make me better than anyone else?" Luke whispered back.
Sighing, Piett looked like a school teacher about to fail a student they had tried to teach for the millionth time. "I'll explain later."
"Please, if you will, your Majesty, I will have my assistant begin taking your measurements. Your aide sent me a list of the clothes you will be needing, so if you have no personal requests, I will take your measurements and get to work."
"I only have one request – make only one outfit in the color black for my father's funeral. Everything else should be colorful."
Blanching, Piett interrupted again. "But an elegant colorful, not out of control colorful, please!"
"Of course. I can have swatches of colors sent for approval if you wish-"
Waving his hand, Luke shook his head. "No, I will trust you understand the fashions of Coruscant far better than I -"
"Please do. I'll coordinate with your assistant."
The designer nodded to Piett, looking uncertain whether he was supposed to listen to the Emperor or the Emperor's apparently newly self-appointed second hand.
Finishing the measurements quickly, both the designer and the assistant dismissed themselves with the promise to be in touch.
As soon as they were alone, Piett cleared his throat.
"Go ahead." Luke knew even without his permission, it would not stop Piett from speaking his mind.
"Your Majesty, your power stems from respect. I am not saying you need to be unkind to people, but in order to appear untouchable to the public eye, you must act so at all times." Piett spoke bluntly.
Sighing, Luke turned away to look out the window while pulling at the ever too tight collar of his robes, watching all the people of Coruscant go about their day. "But if I have to act like the old Emperor, what was the point of everything we did?"
"You don't need to act like the old Emperor, your Majesty, you just need to command respect. People who question their leaders create chaos."
"But I don't want people to listen to me because they are afraid of me!" Luke protested.
A gentle knock came at the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but your aides told me I could find you here." Leia poked her head in the door.
"Leia." Luke greeted her warmly, relief filling him just at seeing her.
"Admiral, Luke is done for the day, isn't he? Might I borrow him for a bit?" Leia, ever the diplomat, had already slipped her hand under Luke's arm and was dragging him away.
"As you wish. If you have need of me, I'll be in my office. We can finish our conversation later." Piett bowed to them both.
Dragging Luke out into the hall, Leia wove their way through the palace until they came across the guest suites. Entering the one she'd been assigned, Luke saw it had been decorated with light colors, almost the opposite of his own. "Where is Han?"
"I made him and Chewie go on a mission so they could duke out their differences. They'll be back in time for the funeral."
"Differences? They're inseparable!" Luke sat at the table Leia brought him to, bringing over a pot of tea.
Humming in agreement, Leia poured them each a cup. "Yes, but those that remain the closest cause the most friction. Chewie took it as an insult that Han and I didn't tell anyone we were eloping."
"Leia, I'm sure it will all work out."
"Oh, I know it will. Chewie is a very good friend of mine. No, I believe our elopement was just an excuse for them to hash out old wounds...and old fears. It's a whole new world we're living in, after all."
Nodding, Luke took a sip of the tea. It was a light rose and honey tea, the water just tinted pink against the white cup.
"How are you doing, Luke? I know it's only day two since you woke up, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Piett."
"I don't know. I think I understand what Piett's trying to say, but I don't want to rule over everyone like Palpatine."
Nodding, Leia sighed wistfully, recalling her own memories. "I grew up a Princess, and therefore I grew up with these expectations on my shoulders. I took lessons for years on proper etiquette and have studied many different government systems to prepare, and you've been thrown into this overnight. You don't need to be a tyrant, but you cannot be seen as fallible. That is why they say being a leader is a very lonely place to be."
"What am I supposed to do, Leia? There is so much I don't know...how can I be good for everyone when I feel like I don't know anything about being an Emperor?" Groaning, Luke buried his face in his hands.
"You know more than you think, Luke. After all, you've been around the whole galaxy and seen so many different planets as Shadow. Doubt is what makes a good leader because it reminds them everything they do not know."
"Leia, do you ever regret becoming the leader of the Alliance?"
Smiling, Leia shook her head. "No. I do not. But there are days that I wish I could forget about everything for a little while and just...disappear. Go sit on a hill somewhere like I used to as a child on Alderaan and enjoy the sunshine. My father always had to come get me when I was younger because any chance I had to escape I would."
Luke found it hard to imagine Leia as a carefree child laying out among the fields of flowers with her always carefully kept hair free flowing down her shoulders in the breeze. Perhaps when she was even younger, she would have picked a flower and ran up to her parents laughing just as Ryoo and Pooja had done once upon a time with Sola.
There was a surge of jealousy as Luke thought about Leia with her father. Bail Organa was a renowned king and was a beloved Senator of Alderaan for many years. Even though he had only met the man a handful of times when he was still Shadow, he could imagine the kind of father the man would be. Comparing him to Vader as a father was not only unfair to Bail, but there was nothing to compare.
"Luke, do you miss him?" There was an urgency in Leia's tone as she abruptly changed subjects, looking into Luke's eyes like she could bare his soul. Somehow, she could always tell what he was thinking.
Everyone talked about his father like they were walking on eggshells around him, always afraid to even bring the subject up. "Yes. I never had the chance to actually speak to him as a son. We were so busy fighting with each other and hurting each other…" Trailing off, Luke wiped at a tear sliding down his cheek. "I just wish that we had been able to have one conversation where he wasn't Darth Vader and I wasn't his prize."
Grabbing Luke's hand, Leia nodded. "I'm sorry, Luke. I cannot imagine having a father like Vader."
Unsure what to say, Luke said nothing.
"I know, the palace gardens are stunning! Why don't we go for a walk? You've been trapped inside all day today, haven't you?" Leia suggested, changing the subject.
Pretending it worked for her sake, Luke nodded. "Could we go explore Coruscant? I've never been outside the palace before."
Leia's lips smiled while her eyes frowned, causing a very mixed expression. "Um...well, we really shouldn't."
"Why not? Especially as Emperor, I should have a better understanding of what I'm ruling." Stopping by the mirror, Luke straightened his robes. "Plus, the guards will be with us. I'm not saying we should try and run off."
"Even then, it would be best for you to stay inside the palace for now."
Giving Leia a look, Luke crossed his arms over his chest. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Luke, you literally just woke up into a whole new world. The whole galaxy is in an uproar right now-"
Turning away before she finished, Luke deflated. "Let me guess – it all comes down to every person seeking power is after my head."
"I'm afraid so. It won't be like this forever, it's just especially right now half the guards in the palace had to be removed and they are still looking to replace them."
Stunned, Luke whirled around. "What do you mean half? Why didn't anyone tell me?" That had been a very convenient detail that Piett had not mentioned before.
"It happened while you were still recovering. The Admiral's been on top of it – we are very lucky that he chose to be loyal to you, Luke."
Snorting, Luke shook his head. "He's just loyal to this Empire. It's all he's known. Fine, let's just go to the gardens for a bit."
Nodding, Leia lead the way once again, bringing them to a meticulously cared for garden in the center of the palace.
"Stunning, isn't it? I've come here almost every day." Knowing the garden far more intimately than Luke, Leia brought them to a fountain.
Sitting down on a bench, Luke let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, closing his eyes. One day, and he already felt like he was failing miserably. Plopping down beside him, Leia also leaned back against the back of the bench.
"Don't worry, Luke. We'll get through this...one way or another."
Letting the silence fill the space between them, Luke did not know how to even pretend to reassure Leia that he believed her.