Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading :) It makes me so happy to see that there are so many people following my story! I hope you like the new chapter.
Some people asked me if Leia would appear in this story. Although she is an absolutely incredible character that I like and admire a lot, in this fanfic I will not write about her,as it shows she wasn't mentioned in the prologue, in the vision that Vader had with Padme through the Force. The reason for this is that since the initial project of this fanfic a few years ago, the plot had been conceived always focused only on Luke's relationship with his father, so all the scenes that I have ready in the scope to be written are only scenes focused on the progressive relationship between them, on Luke's military life and him as Vader's shoulder and main support during the hard work of rebuilding the new empire, and in order to not differ much from this plot that is already planned, I decided to not include Leia. I apologize if this ends up disappointing some of you.
Before I forget, Anakin's phrase is a direct quote from the second movie, Attack of the Clones.
With that explained, I hope you have a good read!
The Black Prince
"I like firsts. Good or bad, they're always memorable."
Ahsoka Tano - Star Wars: The Mandalorian
†
II
Luke swallowed hard, trembling and nervous, doing what he could to keep himself standing up straight with a sober countenance, but for all that was holy, he didn't know how he would get out of the center of that spectacle he had gotten himself into.
After the initial shock had passed, the assassination attempt on the emperor's life was fully absorbed by the crowd and they finally understood what was happening, complete chaos broke out.
Deafening screams erupted throughout the entire capital, people running in all directions and bumping into each other; a hundred soldiers standing in the courtyard fell on the rebel to neutralize the threat while three times that number immediately surrounded Lord Vader to escort him back into the palace in maximum security. Luke had remained exactly where he had fallen, exhausted and dazed, still trying to assimilate what the hell he himself had done, when several pairs of hands suddenly sprouted from nowhere and yanked at his coat and also quickly dragged him inside the imperial palace.
He was thrown into a hall full of people and bombarded by doctors who checked if he was unhurt, while his squadron commander, who was pacing frantically in front of him, keep saying quickly something that was divided between reprimanding him for having disobeyed a direct order and concerning if he was okay. The dozens of voices that spoke all at the same time in the room, making Luke even more dizzy, suddenly fell silent when the tall black figure of the newly crowned emperor entered the place and his harsh order echoed lonely and authoritative.
"Everyone out; leave me and the cadet alone."
And that was how Luke found himself before Lord Vader for the very first time. Utterly memorable; with his disheveled hair, flushed and tired face, his once impeccable uniform now dirty, wrinkled and in some parts even torn, in his best impression of having just emerged from a late night party with his friends and was about to face the worst hangover of his life.
His shame was so great that he really wished a black hole to appear beneath his feet and swallow him inside.
Lord Vader, in turn, was standing on the other side of the room, his black mask turned towards the cadet; the young man couldn't see the eyes behind the black lenses, but he could feel the weight of the man's gaze on him. The emperor had been silent since then, as if pondering a riddle that he was unable to solve and that neither Luke himself was able to understand.
He could only remember to be standing in front of the emperor when the loud sound of the shot echoed aloud and a bright light blinded him momentarily; when he come to be he was lying on the ground, both him and the sovereign alive... somehow his gift had helped them. Luke was afraid of what the others had seen... of what the emperor had seen; if Lord Vader had realized that it wasn't the iron object the cadet was holding that was truly responsible for saving his life... He really hoped that the other hadn't noticed anything.
That silence had been going on for a few minutes now, only the unnerving mechanical breathing echoing constantly in the room, and when Luke thought he was almost exploding with anxiety, the emperor finally spoke to him.
"It was very noble of you, the act you did today; few are those who would spontaneously put themselves in front of a clear mortal shot to save the life of a stranger, especially someone so young and with so many opportunities in life ahead you. Why did you do it?"
His voice, unlike before when he had spoken to the others, now conveyed only sobriety; the sovereign's sudden change in demeneor made some of the young man's nerves calm down.
"You are our emperor, Lord Vader, and the entire galaxy needs you now more than ever. If I could do this, why wouldn't I?"
Luke answered and felt relieved and proud of himself for being able to speak without his voice trembling, thus revealing his nervousness.
"There are those who value their own lives more than anything and wouldn't hesitate to preserve it through inaction or even through actions that would bring shame upon themselves; just as there are those who, at this current moment, would have done everything for that assassin to have succeeded in his attempt. In either way, you are not one of them."
The perplexity on the cadet's face was openly evident; for a moment Luke almost forgot who he was addressing to; he blurted out before he could stop his own impulse.
"But why would they do that?! You offered them peace! Isn't that what everyone wants?"
And as soon as he did so Luke regretted it; he internally reprimanded himself for his stupid recklessness and rudeness; now was not the time to be bold. The emperor only retorted, his voice remained even.
"Peace is relative, young one, it is shaped by one's point of view; there are many who hate the empire and everything it represents and has done in these last years and today I am the empire. While my death may mean a new discord among the masses, it can also mean freedom and one of the forms of manifestation of peace."
"And how can you be so calm about this? It is your life!"
Luke then asked in a mixture of astonishment and incredulity; how could the sovereign give so little importance to what almost happened to him? Vader nodded in mild acknowledgment.
"I am far beyond the reach of such petty inconveniences."
The newly crowned emperor waved his hand toward a chair that was placed next to the cadet.
"Sit down; you are tired."
Luke silently wondered if he looked so like shit as he felt to make it so clear to the man how exhausted he was. Although he was still embarrassed, he felt grateful for the respite; he had barely managed to keep standing... whatever he had done, it had exhausted him. Vader moved away from the entrance into the hall, not to stand next to the young man, but to another point in the room so that he could find more comfort in the conversation and also allow the cadet to maintain his personal space.
Luke remained silent, thinking about the words that had been said to him, and the Sith Lord took advantage of that moment to observe him more closely. He was a young man, between seventeen and nineteen years old; the uniform of the Imperial Flight Academy revealed that he was one of the three graduating cadets selected to participate in the solemn presentations of that early afternoon. He was slender and thin, still of average height, tanned skin and short blond hair that was now disheveled... And those eyes... their very clear and penetrating blue iris contained the sparkle of insight well balanced with the vigor of youth; he was certainly very intelligent.
His gaze... It intrigued the Sith Lord deeply.
His strange dream was still there on the edge of his subconscious, but its true meaning... Padme had refused to reveal it to him.
Their meeting hadn't been a mere coincidence or an accident; it had been destined to happen by the Force. And judging by the way the cadet carried himself, his nervousness palpable in the air, causing his scarred lips to quirk up in amusement beneath his mask, Vader doubted the boy even knew exactly what had happened, although he had some knowledge of the existence of his innate gift. Even sitting down he would repeatedly tug at the hem of his coat, his countenance giving him the impression of a kid who had been caught doing something he shouldn't.
Deciding not to pursue this approach for now, the emperor chose to inquire.
"What is your name, young one?"
"Luke Thesaem, my lord."
The cadet responded immediately with firmness, but through the force the Sith Lord could feel the curious tone of resigned displeasure intertwined with that surname, and Vader understood his feelings at the same time that that piece of information revealed several more things about the brave force-sensitive young man.
Thesaem... it was part of the list of standard surnames that began to be used after the establishment of an imperial decree eighteen years ago. Each planet had its own, and this was intended to register and control the nationality of all beings without a previous family history in the imperial universal registry.
Thesaem...
In addition to his name, the boy also revealed his home planet, and that he was either an orphan, or had joined the military ranks without family consent and chosen to adopt the standardized surname for himself of his own free will. From the cadet's veiled reaction and from what Vader could deduce through the Force, the first option was more likely.
"You're from Tatooine..."
The emperor's voice echoed lonely, dying seconds after hovering in the hall, and from Luke's perspective, for a brief moment Vader seemed strangely distant; the cadet, however, soon was overcome by the discomfort that the mention of that surname usually brought him and he quickly stood up feeling the need to defend himself.
"I know, my lord, that my home planet has a reputation for not being so favorable to imperial interventions, like some of other plçanets located in the Outer Rim, but I swear that my loyalty is completely to the empire and its goals; I will not fail to fulfill my duty, whatever it may be!"
The black mask remained turned in his direction, gaze sober and his tone unchanged.
"Your loyalty has never been questioned, Luke Thesaem, especially after what you did today." Vader inclined his head toward the boy and added in a tone that brooked no objections. "The place of birth does not determine one's destiny. One can be born on the wealthiest planet in the universe and become the lowest of beings, as one also can be born on the most distant and poorest planet and reach the highest positions of social recognition in the empire. You make your own destiny and you will enjoy it or suffer it by the choices you make."
And before those words Luke remained staring with wide eyes to the emperor, completely amazed and speechless. In his first months at the Imperial Academy he was teased mercilessly by his peers because of his home planet, 'only a 'farmboy on a dust ball' they said... and really how could he deny that? Now it was the first time he had heard someone actually speak in such respectful way about the matter.
Vader then turned to face the cadet completely.
"The choice you made today is an example of this... The entire galaxy watched you risk your own life to save mine, holding nothing but an iron object... and that is a debt I cannot leave unpaid. Tell me, Luke Thesaem, what is your greatest wish? What in this entire universe do you want the most? A reward in recognition of the invaluable service you have given me today. Name it, and it shall be yours."
Luke's blue eyes widened even further, and he struggled to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor.
Had he heard correctly?
He had listened so many rumors about this unusual man, and yet, now that he was finally standing before him, he couldn't stop being amazed at every new minute. This was an offer that no being in the entire universe could refuse; the Emperor's grace given to him as freely and spontaneously as the cadet's act of saving his life had been. Many would kill for an opportunity like that, a chance to ask for anything their heart desired, no matter what it was, its size or value; Lord Vader's power and influence were the absolute guarantee that it would be granted.
There were so many things that young men or women like him would like to have... something momentary material like a large spaceship or a mansion on one of the most prestigious planets; or aiming at the long term, peharps power, position and prominent social status in the imperial hierarchy, be it civil or military... so many things... so many things... yet, when the initial astonishment finally faded away from the young man's face, his countenance filled with an unshakable calm, blue irises endowed with a certain partially veiled melancholy.
Luke once again did exactly the opposite of what anyone else would have done in his place; he bowed low and responded with the utmost respect.
"Forgive me, my lord; if I said anything now I would be insincere... I will ask for nothing, because what I truly want, not even you can give me."
It was such a surprising and unexpected answer... unusual and curious; it made Vader find himself even more intrigued by this force-sensitive boy who so suddenly was placed in his life.
The Sith Lord's mechanical breathing echoed in the room and another long moment of silence took place, and Luke become afraid that his answer had caused deep discontent in the newly crowned sovereign... and how could it not? He had refused his grace in plain words.
Who was crazy enough to say no to the emperor's face?
Lord Vader, however, showed nothing, his still somber voice only questioned his motivations.
"And what is it, that is so impossible that not even I have the means to give it to you?"
The cadet only hesitated for a brief moment before answering.
"I want to earn a surname, my lord. Not just any surname, but my family's true surname... I grew up an orphan under the tutelage of a good farming couple who, despite having known my family, they never told me about them no matter how hard I tried. The only things I know are that my mother died in childbirth and that my father was once a great pilot who had also done so many bad things that it wasn't even worth using his surname. When I was six years old, our house was raided by the Tusken and I only survived because I had gone to play hiding in the desert, and when I returned they were already gone and with them died this secret too. I then grew up under imperial custody until I was old enough to enlist in the Flight Academy. Someday, I will be the best pilot ever, and somehow I will find a way to find out who my father is... if he is still alive, I am sure I will get his attention! I will find him!"
Luke then fell silent; he had been completely sincere, but that didn't mean he wasn't embarrassed about having poured his heart out to the emperor; he could feel his own cheeks burning and sweat forming on the palms of his hands, which were clenched into fists at his sides. He fought to keep his face impassive, though it was difficult; he constantly reminded himself that he was standing before the most powerful man in the universe...
...Speaking of his father with the same belief as if he were still that same six-year-old boy he had once been.
What the heck... why couldn't he stop and just not embarrass himself?
Vader turned his head away, closing his eyes under the mask.
He heard the boldness and fierce determination, unshakable as a mountain, greater than the expanse of the infinite black starry mantle... The Sith Lord immediately remembered another time, another young man exactly like that cadet, with the same indomitable and fearless spirit.
Someday, I will be the most powerful Jedi ever!
The words echoed once again in his mind, clear, strong... it left him with a bitter taste in his soul.
I'm not that man anymore...
He answered the cadet a minute later without showing any change in his voice.
"It is a noble and idealistic reason that you do not need to be ashamed of. The empire can indeed provide you with a stable career and the means necessary for you to achieve this much desired position, and peharps in time you may even find your father, if you continue to dedicate yourself and act correctly in the exercise of your military function."
"I will do so, my lord." Luke swore promptly, meaning every word.
The black helmet once again turned towards the cadet.
"You are about to graduate from the Imperial Flight Academy, am I correct?"
"Yes, sir." The Luke confirmed, confused by the sudden question.
The sovereign then moved away from the window and for the first time in the entire conversation he approached Luke; a step away, he extended his hand in greeting.
"Although you ask for nothing, I still offer you my hand in recognition and friendship so that you may accept it one day when you need it."
The cadet's blue eyes observed the black gloved hand extended towards him. Feeling flattered, relieved and very grateful, he accepted it.
The instant their fingers touched, Luke was overcome by a sudden strong energy that seemed to explode from their hands and rise like an untamed storm around them both; it wasn't visible to the young man's eyes, but he could feel it there, immense and palpable, and extremely familiar; he recognized it immediately. The same strange and nameless energy that had always accompanied him since his childhood, that had protected and helped him until then, that had allowed him to save the emperor's life... and now he felt it more powerful than he had ever felt before.
Luke, stunned, staggered back, panting, trembling, his wide blue eyes stared shocked into the black lenses of the mask as realization hit him hard and he understood that the source of that ethereal force was Lord Vader himself.
"Your gift is very rare and special, Luke, and equally dangerous if you do not know how to use and control it; I suggest you to not use it as openly as you did today. Although most are laymen who saw nothing more than a burst of light, there are still a few rare beings from the time before the empire who are able to recognize this for what it truly is. This can be good for you or it can bring you only ruin."
Petrified and speechless, Luke could only continue to stare at Lord Vader's retreating back as the black sovereign opened the door and left the room; the place was once again flooded with people and among the turbulent and confused thoughts runing on the young cadet's head there was only one clear statement.
Emperor Vader had always known...
Emperor Vader had the same strange gift as he did.