Precipice by shadowsong26

Part 4: Commander

Commander: Chapter 4

Founding Week parties on Coruscant, Luke found, were just as boring than the ones at home on Naboo.

The only real difference there was the people. They were a lot more...he didn't exactly know the word for it, but it wasn't just that they were pretending they really liked what was going on, but they all wanted things from each other, and they were not very nice about getting it. Even if they pretended to be.

Plus, at least today, there were red guards everywhere, not just the regular ones, which meant the Emperor was probably here somewhere. Which definitely made Luke a little scared, but-well, the Emperor wasn't all that hard to hide from, at least on public days like this. Luke always, always, always knew when he was coming.

Not like Lord Specter, who snuck up on him sometimes, and then disappeared just as quick, leaving Luke feeling a little bit like that one time when he'd climbed up on the balcony railing in the apartment just to see if he could; only not at all exciting like that had been, and without the comfort of home behind him, only the long, long fall through traffic all the way down to ground he couldn't see.

But Lord Specter wasn't here. Which was weird. Luke was pretty sure he was supposed to be. Partly because he usually was, and partly 'cause Mamma and Aunt Mon and Uncle Bail had been whispering about it, the way grownups always did when they didn't want Luke to know what was going on.

He didn't know where Uncle Bail and Aunt Mon were right now, except they were somewhere in the room. He was standing next to Mamma, like he was supposed to, while she talked about boring things with a Senator he didn't know. It was all he could do not to sigh, or start fidgeting and maybe make Senator Stranger ask him questions. Which was always really, really awkward 'cause he could tell they didn't actually care about his lessons, or any of the other things grownups asked him when they were trying to fill time waiting for Mamma or trying to make her like them by pretending to be nice to him.

And he knew he wasn't supposed to, but Mamma probably wouldn't even notice for a few minutes, and he was really, really tired of standing still and pretending to smile at people who ignored him.

So he backed up a few steps and, when Mamma didn't catch him, snuck off to the edge of the room, out of the press of the crowd and started wandering around aimlessly, trying not to catch anyone's eye.

He ducked behind a column to avoid Grand Moff Tarkin-who, luckily, usually didn't even pretend to be interested in him, but was mean; Luke didn't want to have to talk to him at all. Besides, Grand Moff Tarkin might try to walk him back to Mamma if he saw him by himself, which would probably mean talking, and not be good.

He waited until he was sure he'd been missed, then he breathed out slow, relieved. That was close. He was turning to wander back into the crowd-he probably should go back to Mamma; he didn't want her to worry-when he spotted the little girl. Who was probably the only kid here except him. Or, at least, she was the only one he'd seen, or had a chance to talk to.

Obviously, that meant he should go say hello. Even if she was littler than him.

She was perched on the edge of a bench, totally still; not even swinging her legs or anything, like Luke probably would have been if he'd been left by himself like it looked like she was. She had red hair that was just long enough to braid, and was wearing a white dress. Except-not a nice, friendly white, like Aunt Mon always wore. It was harder, more like stormtroopers.

It looked sort of...wrong, on a kid. And it made her look even more small and sad and lonely.

By the time he'd noticed all that, he'd reached her bench, and she'd noticed him, too. She tilted her head, like she was wondering what he was doing there.

"Hi," he said, and smiled.

She blinked at him, twice. "Hi," she echoed.

"I'm Luke," he said. "Naberrie." He bowed a little, like Aunt Sabe had showed him, for when you know someone's Important but you're don't exactly know how much.

"Lavinia," she said, pronouncing it really careful, like she had a little trouble with it sometimes and wanted to be sure to get it right the first try. She didn't add her last name, but she might be little enough that she didn't know it.

"It's nice to meet you," he said. "Can I sit on your bench?"

"Okay," she said, and scooted over a little bit to give him room.

"Thanks," he said. "Did you get bored, too?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "Lotsa people."

He nodded. "Yeah." This was bigger than any of the stupid parties on Naboo got. "...we could probably go outside. I think there's a balcony…"

She shook her head. "Not s'posed to."

"Oh," he said, a little disappointed. He wasn't really supposed to, either, not without one of his aunts or the other security people, but if Lavinia had said yes, then he probably could've gotten away with it. And it was probably nicer outside than in here.

He swung his legs back and forth. "Wanna play a game?" he asked.

"What game?" she asked.

"Um, Mamma and I play one where we pick a color, and see who can find someone wearing it first?" That game was easier on Naboo. People wore a lot more pretty colors there. But it was something they could play without getting in trouble for being somewhere they weren't supposed to be, and didn't need any toys or running around or anything. Best kind of game for stupid grownup parties.

"Okay," she said. "Blue?"

He nodded, and started looking at the crowd. "There! In the corner, with the gold necklace, talking to Senator Taa."

She leaned forward a little, frowning. "See it!" she finally said, and smiled a little uncertainly at him. "You pick."

"Okay," he said. "Red. And guards don't count," he added, quickly, realizing after he said it that it had been a stupid choice.

"Oh," she said, and studied the crowd. "There," she said, pointing. "With the kitty hat."

It took Luke a minute to find who she was pointing at. "Right! That's really good, Lani, I didn't see her." Then he paused. "Uh. Is Lani okay?" It was easier than Lavinia, probably especially for her, and it felt-right. Like she should have something little and private, like Mamma was Padme Naberrie with him and his aunts and his cousins and Uncle Bail, but Senator Amidala with other people, when she had to do important things.

"Um." She frowned, thinking it over. "Okay. Lani's okay."

"There you are."

Luke jumped a little, and turned to see Mamma coming around the corner, looking like she was a little bit mad at him for sneaking off, but mostly happy to see him there and okay.

And, just like he'd guessed, "Lulu, sweetheart, please don't wander off like that."

"Sorry," he said, ducking his head a little because he was.

"It's all right," she said, ruffling his hair. And then glancing over at Lani, like she was seeing her for the first time.

"This is my friend, Lavinia," he said. "Lani, this is my mamma, Senator Amidala." Because when you introduce someone, you're supposed to use their public name, not the private one. At least not at Court.

Mamma tensed just a little bit next to them, and said real nicely, "It's lovely to meet you, Your Highness."

Highness? Luke blinked. Lani must be a princess. Like Winter.

Except...she wasn't really all that much like Winter, and Mamma didn't think she was, either. And there was a red guard right there, which maybe meant…

He didn't like to think about that.

"Hi," Lani said, then, just as careful as when she'd said her name, like she'd practiced a million million times, she added, "Nice to meet you."

Mamma smiled again, and it felt a little less tense. Maybe. "Thank you," she said. "I'm really sorry, but I need to take Luke back now. Is that all right?"

Lani nodded, her eyes flicking over to him. She smiled a little, uncertainly.

He smiled back, letting Mamma take his hand and pull him up off the bench in the meantime. "I'll find you later, okay?" he said.

"Okay."

Mamma hesitated a second before drawing him away, glancing over at the red guard for a minute. "Is there someone looking after you?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," she said, and nodded at the guard. "Him."

That didn't make Mamma happy at all. Luke felt her tense up again just a little bit, frustrated. "All right," she said. "Say goodbye, Luke."

"Bye," he said automatically, then hesitated half a second before asking, "Can I give you a hug?"

Lani blinked, and then looked uncertainly at her guard before nodding. "Okay."

So he did, quick, because she seemed sort of confused by the whole thing, and he didn't want to make her unhappy. Hugs weren't supposed to upset people.

And something about the way Lani reacted-but he didn't know what-made Mamma a little mad, and really, really sad. Which was not good.

"Bye, Luke," Lani said, when he let go.

"Bye," he said again. "See you later!" And he would, somehow, even if "Highness" plus a red guard watching her probably meant a lot more times when he'd maybe have to be close to the Emperor. But Lani really, really needed a friend.

Even if Mamma did not seem happy about any of this.

She nodded, and he let Mamma pull him away, back into the crowd to talk to boring grownups instead.

The event had not gone the way it was supposed to. Yes, Padme had planned to use this opportunity make contact with the Emperor's daughter, try to begin establishing a rapport with her. It was the child's first public appearance; their first chance to try and do something to help her.

But it was supposed to be her, or Bail, who did it. (Mon had begged off, with the reasonable-and not entirely inaccurate-excuse that she wasn't all that good with kids.) It certainly wasn't supposed to be Luke.

Except she and Bail had gotten distracted by Darth Specter's conspicuous absence, trying to figure out what it might mean and how much trouble their movement might be in as a result, and Luke had wandered off, and…

Padme had spent the last six years very carefully keeping Luke on the periphery; present but in a position to be more or less ignored. Or, at least, not attract any attention.

But Luke had wandered off, and come across a lonely little girl, and she couldn't fault him for reaching out. She wasn't even all that surprised; Luke had a seemingly endless capacity for making friends with people. She hadn't even told him that Princess Lavinia was supposed to be at the event, concerned that he might actively try to find her if she did.

Maybe I should have left him back at the apartment. She'd seriously considered it, but she had always brought Luke to Founding Week events on Naboo, unless they were restricted or too late in the evening. This one wasn't either, and she'd been worried that breaking pattern would draw too much attention.

There was no help for it now. Luke had made contact. She would just have to adjust her plans-and the layers of protection she had tried to give him-accordingly.

Somehow.

This also meant that they had to have a serious talk, one she'd hoped to avoid for at least another couple of years. She knew-she'd always known-that someday she'd have no choice but to involve her son in her illicit activities, but she'd wanted his-he should have been able to hold on to his innocent ignorance for longer than six years.

Both of them were very quiet on the ride back to the apartment, after the event was finally over. Luke was fidgeting a little in his seat, off and on, but he waited until they were home and she led him into the sitting room.

"Are you mad at me, Mamma?" he burst out, before she could say anything.

"What?" He must have realized how upset I was. Damn it. She could never tell him much he picked up from her, and how much of that was dangerous, and how much was just children being way more perceptive than adults gave them credit for. "No. No, sweetheart, of course I'm not mad at you."

He nodded. "I know I'm not s'posed to wander off an' talk to people you don't know, only-only she needs someone to be her friend," he said, all in a rush, "and-and-"

She hugged him close. "I know," she said, as soothingly as she could. "I know. I would never tell you not to be her friend." As complicated as it made their lives-as dangerous as it was for him…

That had been the plan. And that poor child did need someone. It just...wasn't supposed to be Luke.

He nodded against her shoulder, clinging tight.

She just held him for a minute, thinking through exactly what she was going to say next. "But I want you to be careful," she said at least, pulling back to look him in the eyes.

He nodded again, little face very serious. "'Cause she's the princess?" he asked.

"Yes."

"And 'cause of…'cause of what you and Uncle Bail whisper about?"

She went still for a second. Speaking of children picking up more than we give them credit for-I hope that's all this is.

"I won't tell anyone," he said, quickly. "I promise."

"I know you won't," she said. "That's not why we whisper in front of you." She paused, considering the best way to phrase it, then very carefully added, "Lulu, there are things I can't tell you. Things Uncle Bail and I are doing, and you might get in trouble if you know about them. With some very scary people."

"Like Lord Specter?"

Who was still missing, and that bothered her. "Like Lord Specter, yes. We're trying to make it so no one has to be scared of people like him anymore. But right now, that's hard, and we have to be very, very quiet about it. Okay?"

He nodded. "Okay." He hesitated for a minute. "Does me being friends with Lani make that harder?"

A little. "We're going to be watched even more," she said. She wasn't going to lie to Luke. Not about something this important. "At least for a while. But I think you're right, and she needs someone to be her friend right now. And I think that, someday, that's going to help us all. Even if it gets scarier first."

He pondered that for a long minute, then took a deep breath, set his jaw in a familiar, mulishly stubborn angle, and nodded. "Okay. But I can still be her friend?"

Oh, my brave, sweet boy. She wasn't sure whether she was more grateful or upset that he seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation. She did know that she was proud, very proud, that he was still willing to help, that he still wanted to reach out and make friends, anyway. She just hoped that, whatever happened with Lavinia in the long run, this didn't burn that open sweetness out of her son.

So Padme smiled, and kissed his forehead. "I won't tell you no," she said. "But I can't promise that the Emperor will let you."

"Oh." Another thoughtful silence. The kind that, if this were her, or Ani, she'd be worried he was considering doing something dangerous to get around that problem.

"Be careful," she reminded him.

Luke nodded, and hugged her again. "I'll be good."

"I know you will," she said, holding him close. But that's not the same as careful.

It wasn't how she would have chosen this to happen-any of this; reaching out to Lavinia, or starting to bring Luke into her work. But what was done was done, and Luke had all the right instincts, now that he was in play.

So she took comfort in his promise anyway, and resolved to be careful for him if she had to. That would have to be enough.