Greetings everyone! After many years away from writing fanfics, I'm here once more to share with you my first Star Wars project that I've had in my back pocket for some time now and recently I've been able to get inspired to start writing again. I don't know yet how far I'll go with it, but initially it will not have so many chapters. Since the prologue got too long I decided to split it into two parts, so chapter two is already done and I plan to post it in a few days. There's a reason why Luke doesn't use the Skywalker surname yet, which will be explained in chapter three. Also, since I'm not from an English-speaking country, you might find some errors lost around here, so I apologize for them in advance. This fanfic will also be published and updated on both FFnet and AO3 under the same author's nickname.
Thank you very much for reading, I hope you like it :)
Summary: After Palpatine's sudden death, Darth Vader rises as the new Emperor of the entire galaxy. While far away, Luke Thesaem, a promising young pilot about to graduate from the Imperial Flight Academy, receives the news aspiring with his colleagues to one day rise through military to the highest officer ranks, but he is just another unknown face in the crowd... Until their fates collide and the cadet saves the Emperor's life on his very first day of reign.
The Black Prince
"Hold me, like you did by the lake on Naboo. So long ago when there was nothing but our love."
Padme Amidala Skywalker - Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
†
Prologue
Palpatine was dead.
After eighteen years of unquestioned and resigned servitude; long years of darkness, solitude and silent suffering, his master was finally, finally dead.
Darth Vader remained motionless standing beside the bed, observing the lifeless body of the one who had for so long been his tormentor and slaver with deep disgust and repulsion, it dressing his being like a cold mantle. The words of their last conversation from a few minutes ago still echoing fresh in his mind.
"You must find a worthy apprentice to the dark side, Lord Vader... You must find him and train him as soon as possible..."
Not the empire; not the trillions of beings and hundreds of planets that depended on his rule; his master's last concern on his deathbed was only the survival of his legacy.
Stupid and selfish Sidius.
"There are no more force-sensitive individuals, master... You made me kill them all."
Vader answered dryly, and Sidius stared at him with those horrible yellow eyes, unfocused and hallucinating.
"A master and an apprentice exist on the dark side of the force... always one master and one apprentice... find your apprentice, Lord Vader... he is out there... find him... the dark side must prevail..."
He had hard-won his freedom many years ago on Tatooine only to become a slave under the whip of another master... and now that he was finally free once more, the Sith Lord for the first time in decades still stood without showing any reaction. He felt empty and unsure of what to do; had become so accustomed to receiving orders that now that his free will and power of decision were fully restored, he remained motionless for a long time like a statue, with only his mechanical breathing echoing through the silent room being the only sign that he, unlike his master, was still alive.
One of the most loyal servants of the late emperor took courage to approach him, bowed respectfully and spoke.
"My Lord Vader... we will prepare the burial ceremony for tonight; we will take care of everything... the official galactic announcement of his death and also the preparations for your coronation to take place in the early afternoon four days from now..."
The black mask turned slowly towards the servant, his words and their meaning being fully absorbed by the Sith lord.
Now he would officially become responsible for the trillions of lives that were governed by the empire; responsible for the mistakes, atrocities and negligence that Palpatine had arrogantly undertaken in recent years; responsible for the confrontation against the rebels in that war that seemed to never end.
Vader clenched his fists tightly, feeling his disgust quickly turn into deep irritation. This was a burden he did not want; it was Palpatine's cursed legacy, a final duty forced upon him by his former master to torment him for more years to come, prolonging his meaningless and empty existence even further.
The servant, sensing the hatred emanating from the tall black figure, remained wisely bowed low and silent, waiting; the unnerving mechanical breathing still echoing steadily in the room.
"Do it." Were the orders uttered coldly by the Sith Lord before he suddenly turned around and left the room in long, firm strides, never once looking back at the body of his fallen master.
~.~
Vader watched indifferently and unfeelingly after finishing his brief obligatory speech the flames of fire rising from the great funeral pyre in the center of the outer courtyard of the Imperial Palace, soaring into the night sky.
He stood at the top of the grand marble staircase surrounded by Imperial servants on his left, Admiral Piett next to him on his right and other trusted officers of the military, while below and ahead, separated by a long white line of stormtroopers, were thousands of people who were residents of Coruscant or who had arrived from other planets to witness the funeral of the late Emperor.
Silence reigned absolute in the ceremony that was being broadcast live to the entire galaxy; and as he watched coldly and stoically as Palpatine's body burned until nothing more was left, Vader still could not bring himself to care.
~.~
That night, for the first time in eighteen years, Vader dreamed.
Before, whenever he had closed his eyes to rest his physical body, his mind had been filled with a dense, impenetrable darkness; hours that had passed in a fleeting instant, only to vanish in the rising of a new day.
This time, however, he dreamed again, and as soon as he opened his eyes in the ethereal plane he realized that this was no ordinary dream, but something provided by the Force. As his vision adjusted to the scenario and he recognized at once where he was, the Sith Lord felt a bitter taste on his mouth and the weight of a regret and grief so strong that it caught him off guard and seemed to almost crush what was left of his still beating heart.
He was standing in his old home on Naboo; the house where he and his wife had lived in blissful joy for some months before and after their secret marriage. Everything was exactly as it had been in his memory; the comfortable living room, the mahogany and beige furniture, the central table with the basket of fresh fruit next to the balcony from which it was possible to see the extensive gardens, lakes and distant forests of incomparable beauty that only that planet possessed. It still amazed him even to this day... completely the opposite of the planet full of sand and stone from which he came.
Naboo... was as distinct and incomparable as she had been... after all, it was the planet where she had been born...
He was standing on that same balcony where once in the past they had sworn their vows; he watched the slow sunrise with his arms crossed behind his back as he used to do, and also for the first time in long, long years the burden of his black armor did not weigh down his body, nor the severe injuries that had cruelly punished him. He felt light, his breathing serene and normal, inaudible, human, and a rare peace embraced his being.
He closed his eyes and let himself be carried away by that strange sensation; he felt extremely exhausted, beaten by the terrible consequences of his own choices from which there was no turning back... He could not undo what had been done, nor could he go back to live again those short months in which he had been genuinely happy. He had no other option now than to continue following that path that would one day eventually consume him.
It was then that Vader felt that he was no longer alone in the room, and opening his eyes the Sith Lord turned partially back and his gaze fell on her figure, casually standing there only a few steps away, wearing a beautiful white dress that fell smoothly over her slender form; her long curly hair falling loosely like a brown waterfall... She seemed to be made of pure light... an angel.
Vader didn't dare to say her name out loud; paralyzed, he stared at her without being able to show any reaction, and her knowing and kind eyes continued to stare back at him with a small, sad smile resting on her lips.
It was her who broke the silence between them.
"Ani..." Her melodious voice reached him with the same nostalgic tenderness of the past.
"Don't call me that... I'm not that man anymore." The Sith replied dryly; partly bothered by that name, partly suddenly ashamed by the painful memory of what he had done to her the last time he had seen her.
His betrayal, his hatred, her death at his hands... bitter regrets that he would forever carry with him.
And as if aware of the exact thoughts that tormented his mind, she approached.
"Does your heart still love me? Or have the cold and dark years hardened it to the point of making you forget?" She questioned him softly.
"How could I forget everything, Padme?" His voice cracked into a broken whisper; finally daring to say her name out loud for the first time in eighteen years of her absence. "I never stopped loving you... even with my mistakes... even with my unforgivable choices... even though I don't deserve it..."
He looked away then, unable to continue looking into her eyes any longer, and the woman stopped next to him, only a step away.
"No matter what name you've taken for yourself... Anakin... Vader... You're still the same man I've loved so long ago."
Padme touched his face and Vader swallowed hard and closed his eyes; leaning against her warm hand and barely able to believe that this was really happening.
Against his will, tears started to slid down his face, thick and bitter.
"I've missed you so much... your absence has been a deep and eternal pain in my soul."
"I never really left... I was always here by your side through the Force; you were the one who could never see me, so immersed were you in the darkness..."
The Sith's eyes met hers, still yellow as it were on that night in Mustafar, but there was no more hatred in them, only remorse and suffering, and Padme missed the light blue color they used to have.
"I'm sorry, Padme... I'm sorry for everything... I can't change what I did, to you or to all those who perished by my hand when I fell into the darkness... But I regret it, and this suffering and shame I will carry with me even after my death. I can only be grateful to the Force for this brief moment of solace; to be able to see you one last time... Padme... my Padme..."
His trembling hand rose and timidly Vader touched his wife's face, and she did not reject him.
"Haven't you tormented yourself enough over this in eighteen years, Ani?" Padme questioned him. "Please... you can still change; you can still do good and restore the balance between light and darkness; you can still bring peace to the galaxy and rebuild all that your hands once destroyed; find what was once lost."
The Sith Lord suddenly broke the contact between them and abruptly stepped away from his wife; she remained on the balcony bathed in the golden light of the sunrise while he entered into the building and was enveloped by the dense darkness of the night that still hung there.
"It is too late for that, Padme; it's too late for me... I'm too far gone... I have no power to face the darkness that has become part of me."
Padme followed him into their home; the golden rays of the sun followed her footsteps and also entered the room, permanently driving away the shadows and filling the place with light.
"You are stronger than you think... You are still the chosen one. You now have the unique and rare opportunity for change, my love; you will ascend to the throne and become the new Emperor. Use your position and influence to reestablish control, correct Palpatine's wrongdoings, help those who are in need of help, stop the war and make a democratic peace agreement with the Alliance and the other planetary systems. And when your foundation become solid and established, reopen the Senate and rebuild in the coming years the structure of the republic as you once knew it."
His wife's insistence caused a small, fond smile to escape the corner of his lips; it reminded him of their past, she always political, vehemently arguing her point of view and as always she was right. The familiar memory partially lifted the weight of the dark years that followed, but soon after he felt them fall back on his shoulders and let out a long, slow breath.
"I am tired, Padme... So very tired... This is something I did not want, to become responsible for the entire galaxy and its hundreds of planets and trillions of beings that inhabit them. I do not have the patience, nor the tact for diplomacy and politics that you did; I have spent the last eighteen years surviving day after day, forced to continue walking by a master who no longer exists. I have no reason to continue to prolong a meaningless and empty existence for decades. What you are asking of me I cannot give."
The former senator's brown eyes filled with a gleam of determination and fond exasperation.
"The man I married did not back down so easily from any challenge; and you will not do it now."
Padme suddenly closed the distance between them and in an automatic gesture Vader opened his arms and the woman sank into his embrace, holding him tenderly, and deeply surprised, the Sith Lord responded to the gesture measured by strong emotion. It was so real, feeling her there against him, that it almost seemed as if the eighteen years of pain, suffering, regrets, sadness, loneliness and darkness had never existed, and they remained as united as on the day they had secretly made their vows there, in that very house.
It made him forget everything for a moment; it made him forget that this encounter was only a vision of the Force, only a dream.
"Padme..." He whispered.
"You will never be alone, Ani; I will always be here and I will always love you." Padme looked at him then, and their lips met once more in a soft and tender kiss.
And when they separated, the woman moved away momentarily to another room in the house and he remained where he was standing, unable to follow; when she returned, she carried in her arms a small bundle.
Padme smiled.
"You asked for a reason... When the burden resting on your shoulders becomes unbearable, look at this, and you will find the motivation to keep moving on."
She handed it to him, and feeling the dream begin to fade around him and his physical body slowly awaken, in those last seconds Vader's face filled with deep surprise as he looked down at his arms and saw a very small child, only a few months old, watching him back with sky blue eyes, pure and full of light.
~.~
Luke Thesaem flew fast, his Tiefighter tearing through the planet's skies in a steep curve and then plummeting in a perfect vertical line towards the ground.
The young cadet frowned gravely in concentration; he gripped the spacecraft's controls tightly, his blue eyes fixed ahead, sparkling with determination. His two pursuers were close; his sudden movement gave him only a few seconds of advantage, but it was enough. The stun lasers exploded somewhere near his left, but they did not hit him; it had shot down his squad mates and he was the last one still 'alive' in the combat exercise, struggling to overcome the unfavorable situation.
His Tiefighter was now close to the ground, so close that it made the impact warning siren sound madly around him inside the cabin, but it was not yet the right time. It was hard to explain it; he just knew. He trusted that strange sensation that had accompanied him since he was a child, and that enveloped him and seemed to fill him with the knowledge of everything; it guided him, whispered wordless murmurs, and he learned to follow that instinct; it never failed him.
The two opposing Tiefighters, with the danger of imminent impact, soon gave up the chase, correcting their flight path to return to the safety of the skies, but Luke continued to plummet, accelerating his spaceship against the rocks below.
"A little more... Not yet..."
He muttered to himself, holding tightly the flight controls of the spaceship.
"A little more... A little more..."
And then suddenly Luke felt that familiar sensation running fast inside him and also in his Tiefighter, making them one being, and then he was sure.
"Now!"
In a sudden movement the cadet pulled back the controls and immediately his spaceship obeyed him; it made a sudden sharp turn very close to the ground, passing just a few meters from the rows of rocks that lay at the end of the valley, tearing through the air quickly and entering a nearby forest. His flight computer could'not help him there; it was turned off as a part of the requirements of the ongoing training exercise. He was on his own to navigate, but he didn't care, he didn't need it. Luke trusted that strange force, it seemed to know exactly where each tree was and the best way to navigate between them. The wide green canopies hid his trail and in less than two minutes the cadet had crossed the forest field and then emerged back into the skies on the other side, well behind his adversaries.
His Tiefighter spiraled, ascending in height at high speed and straightened horizontally; Luke locked sights on his two opponents and without hesitation fired two precise shots, successfully stunning the last members of the enemy squad and putting an end to the dispute.
"Alright boys, we're done; return to the base immediately."
Their commander's voice came over the intercom; he sounded pleased.
"Yes, sir!"
Luke responded immediately and plotted the new course to attend the orders received, keeping the automatic flight computer turned off and manually guiding his Tiefighter back to the base; it was more fun than letting his spaceship do everything on its own.
As he approached the takeoff hangar to land, the young man saw his two 'opponents' from the other squad, Ronald and Gaius, also approaching, probably sulking over their recent defeat and Luke snickered to himself; they wouldn't forget that any time soon.
In the courtyard his squadmates cheared up on him; as he climbed down his Tiefighter and removed his helmet, Luke grinned at them and showed a discreet tumbs up, but his face son after became expressionless when he saw his commander approaching them with some unknown officers accompanying him.
He and the other cadets saluted in perfect military line.
"At ease." Commander Hauberg spoke to everyone. "The synchronization of movements in both squads has improved noticeably since last time, you did very well today; congratulations." He then addressed the last remaining young men from the combat. "Regardless of the outcome of this training exercise, the three of you demonstrated exceptional individual piloting skills, with good posture, combat reasoning, command and decision-making, and this is an indispensable asset for future officers of the empire. I am sure that after your graduation you will be well placed in respected warships on the front."
One of the foreign officers who accompanied him spoke up then, speaking directly to Luke.
"That final move of yours was very bold, young man; very dangerous, but perfectly executed... that turn close to the ground and the dark navigation into the forest... I would not have believed it possible if I hadn't seen it now with my own eyes. In fact, I know of only one person in the entire galaxy who would be able to reproduce it and live to tell the tale."
"I had it all under control, sir." Luke responded neutrally, but he was vibrating inside with the recognition.
Commander Haubert nodded in agreement with the comment and endorsed it.
"Luke is a natural prodigy, he is my best student and a jewel of this academy; he will be an valuable officer who will one day bring great pride to our empire."
It was a rare open praise coming from an extremely strict teacher, and the young man struggled to keep his face impartial; he was beaming with joy.
Haubert then directed his full attention to the military officers who accompanied him.
"The purpose of this training exercise, as you well know, was to show you the performance of the two best squadrons of this academy and the individual skills of their pilots, who in two weeks will be graduating from this school to be assigned to the various military bases in our galaxy that operate under the imperial flag. Regarding the special request that you have made, I believe that these three young men here are the best suited to meet your demand; they are my personal recommendation."
The men nodded in agreement and the group of cadets nearby looked at each other without understanding.
"Report to the main hall in one hour with the others, until then you are dismissed."
Commander Haubert gave his orders and then walked away with the unknown officers; when they were alone, speculation exploded among the young cadets.
"What was all that?"
"What did he mean by recommendation?"
"Have you seen those guys? I've never seen them here at the academy before."
"Where are they from? Did you see the insignia on their uniforms? They're high-ranking officers!"
"Are they already selecting the graduating cadets for assignment to service after the academy?"
"But I thought they'd only do that after graduation!"
"This is all very strange! Haven't you noticed that the teachers and commanders here at the base have been acting strange since yesterday?"
"After the announcement of Emperor Palpatine's death, it would be strange if they weren't."
"I bet there's something else going on... Why are they gathering all the recruits and cadets of the academy in the main hall all of a sudden again?"
"There must be a reason, otherwise they wouldn't have done it!"
Luke chuckled softly to himself and shook his head; his classmates looked like a bunch of gossipy old ladies; his gesture caught the attention of his two 'opponents'.
"Don't be so cocky, Luke; next time I'm sure we'll beat you."
Ronald said petulantly, but there was no real meaning behind it in his tone; his annoyance at losing in the exercise had already faded. Luke waved lazily back at him and Gaius as he started to walk away to return to his dormitory.
"You can try as many times as you want; you already owe me a month's pay."
"Remind me again the day I'm promoted to your superior officer and you're called to serve on my ship!" Ronald called back.
~.~
Luke watched the main hall burst with live as the last third-year cadets entered the place, completing the entire student body of the Imperial Flight Academy. About a thousand young men and women were spread across the large internal courtyard of the main building, talking quietly among themselves with friends, colleagues and other cadets and recruits from different classes, taking advantage of the occasion of the general meeting which rarely happened, since each squad, depending on the year they were part of, had a different daily routine and rarely saw each other like this.
A congregation like that only happened during festive times or extraordinary summons; the first was usually a joy, the second when it occurred was a cause for alarm, like the day before when they announced the death of the late emperor and broadcast his funeral ceremony through the holonet there in the main hall.
Why were they gathered there again? What happened this time?
The officers responsible for the academy's management were gathered together in another part of the room, away from the students and in the company of the foreign officers from earlier. With the general commotion it was impossible to try to understand what they were talking about among themselves.
After what seemed like an eternity, the trumpets sounded and immediately each one of the students gathered in the room assumed a formation posture, lining up orderly and saluting.
"Hail to the Empire and the Emperor! Honor and glory to the Imperial Flight Academy!" As one their voices came together in perfect synchrony, shouting loudly the institution's motto; it proudly resounded with force through the room, making it vibrate subtly beneath their feet.
The principal, Admiral Larth, waved his hand and let them rest.
"Dear students of this prestigious school, you all are gathered here today to answer the call of the Imperial Palace, which through its representatives who are also present here, brings you instructions for immediate attention. I will pass the word to Admiral-in-Chief Firmus Piett; please, admiral..."
Piett nodded in gratitude and directed his attention to the students; Luke, surprised, recognized him now as the man who had praised him earlier.
"As you already know, it is with great sadness that our late Emperor, Lord Palpatine, passed away yesterday in his chambers on Coruscant. In three days, the coronation of our Lord Vader as the new Emperor Regent of our esteemed galaxy will take place in the Imperial capital. It is our Emperor's wish that all the institutions that are the pillars of the Empire are to be present at the solemn ceremony, which will be broadcast live on the holonet as a demonstration that despite our great recent loss, we remain strong and committed to our purpose of keeping the galaxy united and in order. The Imperial Flight Academy received the important summon to send its three best students to Coruscant to honor our Lord's ascension to the throne with the presentation of a flight exercise with the objective of inspiring young minds to apply to our military program and join us in our purpose."
The unexpected announcement caused several murmurs to escape from the ranks of students, but these quieted down when the high-ranking officer raised his hand again, the room falling silence once more.
"As discussed with the IFA management and after considering their suggestions, I request that the three students I will call next report immediately to the command room for further instructions: Luke Theasem, Ronald Gadarhem and Gaius Portat; the remaining students are dismissed..."
And while all his friends and colleagues from the squad and the academy congratulated him nonstop, Luke could only continue staring forward in complete shock.