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The Black Prince

"The Force is strong in my family."

Luke Skywalker - Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi

†

I

As his Tiefighter burst through the golden skies of Coruscant, receiving the first rays of the sun of dawn, Luke could still hardly believe that this was really happening to him.

The line formed by the three cadets followed close to the main line formed by their training commander and three other teaching officers from the academy; the small squadron flew over the capital of the city-planet, heading towards the main military base and command center of the empire, and the eighteen-year-old young man observed with immense curiosity the tall buildings that covered the entire surface of the planet. This was the third one he knew so far, the other two being Scarif, where the Imperial Flight Academy was located, and Tatooine, his own home planet.

It was at the same time something so fascinating and equally so strange, different from anything he had ever seen before, even though he had seen very little in his still young years; he could see no ground and no type of forest, seas, beaches or extensive sand dunes; only buildings that stretched infinitely as far as the eyesight could could an entire planet be a single city with billions and billions of people on it?! Luke had heard about Coruscant in his studies and through other students who had been born there, but the stories paled in comparison to reality. And not only that; he was there because all his talent, effort and dedication over the last three years had been recognized; he was there to fly in the coronation ceremony of the new emperor!

Luke still couldn't believe that this was really happening to him... how could he be so lucky! It's true that he had worked hard to be one of the best in the academy since he had managed to enlist, but how many best students who had come before him had managed to have the privilege and honor of living a unique and special moment like this? He was one hell of a lucky guy, and his excitement and joy were so great that he had barely been able to sleep the last three nights until they finally left Scarif to cross the starry space, heading to the brightest center of the universe.

They spent that time on Scarif practicing the flight maneuvers that would be displayed at the official ceremony, and the young cadet from Tatooine had focused so much on executing the movements that he had memorized them to such an extent he was sure he could reproduce them faithfully and perfectly even with his eyes closed.

Under his breathing mask, Luke had a wide smile spread across his face.

About half an hour after entering the atmosphere, the squadron finally landed in the hangar of the central military base, and after the initial introductions, the group was taken inside to meet with members of the Imperial high command to receive the final instructions necessary for the display that would take place in a few hours.

While the academy officers stopped momentarily to talk to one of the admirals they happened to meet by chance in the hallway, Luke took the opportunity to peer through the window at the intense movement of the military base; from the high place where they were, he could see the large number of personnel coming and going in all directions, crossing the external courtyard and the flight hangars in hurry to meet all the demands that the afternoon's ceremonial required.

Near the young pilot from Tatooine, his two colleagues also glanced outside.

"Wow... they really are excited about the coronation of the new emperor; I've never seen so many military personnel gathered in one place before!"

Gaius commented and Ronald asked him.

"You're from Coruscant, aren't you Gaius? Your home planet?"

The other cadet nodded in agreement.

"I am."

"Then you must have seen Lord Vader several times. What does he look like?"

Luke also observed Gaius curiously, waiting for his answer; he himself had never seen Darth Vader in person, but there was no way he wasn't aware of his enormous fame; he doubted there was anyone in the entire freaking galaxy who had never heard of him.

"I actually saw him very few times; he rarely made public appearances to attend social events while on Coruscant; most of the time he was always off-planet carrying out missions on behalf of the late Emperor Palpatine, but the few times I saw him before I left to join the academy, Lord Vader is really quite an intimidating person; very tall, always wearing that black armor and that mask."

Gaius glanced at their superior officers and, making sure none of them were paying attention to them, he lowered his voice and commented quickly and discreetly.

"I've heard from other pilots that Lord Vader is highly respected by the entire Imperial army, and equally feared; a captain who was a friend of my father's and who served for two years on the Executor told me that on his worst days, the entire bridge would tremble with fear just from his presence! And he also said that after a failure that resulted in a successful rebel attack on an Imperial military base, he killed the officer in charge with just his gaze!"

"Just with his gaze?!" Luke whispered back, amused. "That sounds like an invention..."

Even with his own... strange and secret gift... Luke certainly couldn't kill someone just by staring hard at them; that seemed surreal and clearly fanciful, and Ronald agreed with him.

"Are you sure your father's friend wasn't drunk when he told you that?"

"I swear it's true," Gaius stated vehemently. "My father also said that Lord Vader has defeated thousands of rebels since the rise of the empire eighteen years ago, and that he never, ever takes off that mask; no one has ever seen him without it, in all that time."

"Why does he wear it?" Luka asked his colleague.

"No one knows; and I don't think anyone has the courage to ask Lord Vader directly..."

Gaius's voice suddenly died when he realized that one of the officers remembered that they existed and turned to the cadets, ending the subject for good.

As they were led to another area of the military base, Luke couldn't help but continue to ponder all the rumors and stories he had heard about the new emperor; some interesting, some fearful, and some so bizarre that he doubted they were even true. In the hours leading up to the coronation ceremony, the young cadet reflected on what kind of person Lord Vader was.

~.~

At that very moment, Vader was a very irritated person; trying to keep together what was left of his patience. Behind the black lenses of his mask, the Sith Lord glared at the poor page who had interrupted him for the millionth time that day to ask some futile or stupid question.

Again.

For the Force's sake, did Sidius only have idiots serving him? He had been there for less than three days in the imperial palace and in the first hour he had already realized that, with the exception of the officers he had brought with him, he was surrounded by a bunch of incompetent sycophants.

Vader was on a thin thread to not extend his grip through the Force and strangle the man.

You promised Padme that you would behave.

He reminded himself.

You promised her that you would try to redeem yourself for what you did...

And he really was trying.

He was trying very hard.

"Tell me, do I look like the type of person who would use blue, red, or pink, as you suggested?" The Sith's voice rang sharply through the room, and objects scattered around him trembled unnaturally as he spoke.

The page turned green; he looked as if he were about to fall sick on the spot.

"N-no...no...no.., m-...my... my lo...lor...lord...O-of... co...course... n..not!" The man stamered, shaking from head to toe as much as the objects that vibrated with the invisible manifestation of the Force.

Swallowing hard, he struggled desperately to gather his thoughts and find again his voice.

"Per... perhaps you... you wo-w-would prefer bla-black as the symbolic co... color of your reign?" The page then obligingly offered, and Vader restrained his urge to bang his own head against the wall in frustration.

"Yes; do so. Now go and do not disturb me again until the ceremony begins."

"As... As.. you w-wish, my... my lo-lord."

The page dropped into a low bow and scurried off awkwardly, fleeing the room for his dear life.

Vader sighed and looked out the window, and grimaced by the sight of the crowd ten times larger than that of Palpatine's funeral that was now gathering in front of the gates of the imperial palace hours before the start of the event. He and the rebels were probably the only ones in the entire galaxy who weren't exactly happy with his coronation; and it was certain that that number of people would triplefly by the time the ceremony finally began.

At that very moment, Vader was a person who couldn't wait for all of this to be over with so he could finally die in peace.

~.~

Luke stood at attention amidst the long military lines posted in the extensive outer courtyard of the imperial palace, his face expressionless, his short blond hair combed back, his black uniform perfectly aligned, proudly displaying the imperial symbol on his left chest and the symbol of the Imperial Flight Academy on his right arm; boots of the same color shone so brightly that they seemed to have just come out of the store.

His blue eyes stared at the crowd of ordinary civilians that gathered beyond the entrance to the vast property, internally amazed to actually see so many people gathered in one place; he had the impression that the whole of Coruscant was squeezing there to have a better view through the bars that delimited the heavily guarded entrance, in addition to the screens that had been installed outside for the live broadcast; while a few select groups of hundreds of nobles, politicians, rulers and royalty from other planets and the like were given permission to enter and watch the ceremony in a secluded space with a privileged view near the imposing building.

The commotion outside was so great that the young man felt grateful to be inside, the strict military code of conduct allowing him a comfortable personal space among his peers to attend the event.

The first time in his life that Luke saw Lord Vader with his own eyes was that early afternoon, when the sun was shining brightly on that side of Coruscant and the entire galaxy, like him, had its attention fixed on the iconic and unmistakable tall, all-black masked figure that suddenly appeared through the double entrance doors of the imperial palace, walking with long, firm strides thundering across the expanse of dark marble with a large cape billowing behind him.

He was certainly a very unusual figure; his presence exuded power and command, itself demanding respect; all the military personnel, including the three cadets from the Flight Academy, immediately saluted, and never before had the lines been so well aligned and organized. Luke had the impression that Vader really could be everything the stories said about him, but at the same time he silently wondered how a single man could have been capable of accomplishing so many deeds?

The new black flags were raised displaying the imperial symbol wrapped in its new official color, like all the decorations on the scenario.

Black... for the Ascension of their all-black emperor.

The trumpets played the imperial anthem loudly and proudly, and after the solemn ceremony that officially crowned Lord Vader as the new galactic emperor, the sovereign addressed his subjects for the first time and delivered his speech.

"Yesterday marked the end of an era, and from this day forward a new one begins. For a long time the empire has failed all those who depend on its management; it has failed its citizens by not providing security and a dignified life to the less fortunate; by charging high rates of abusive taxes regardless of prior assessment of income; by condemning without fair trial acts considered 'offensive' to the vision of the old empire and resulting in the death of hundreds of innocent people who had lived and served our nation faithfully; it has failed, promoving discriminatory treatment for several beings born from distant planets and deprived of the constant attention and support of the government; it has failed mainly with its excessive imposition of laws and rules without considering the sociocultural and economic aspect of each race, planet or system under imperial jurisdiction, resulting in the constant rebel conflicts that have increased considerably in all parts of the galaxy and in the loss of even more lives on both sides that could have been avoided. Much blood has been spilled to satisfy the foolish whims of a senile old man, dyeing the imperial symbol in a shamefully red. This ends now. Orders will be issued and laws will be reformulated; the imperial war power and its military force will act as guarantors of peace among people instead of as its oppressive arm. Each system, planet and race will be reevaluated within the next few days and, together with their representatives, a new, fairer, more solid and egalitarian management model will be established, and all those who were forced to remain silent will have their voices heard without distinction, whether they are ordinary citizens, members of royalty or members of the rebel coalition. Today the empire washes the blood from its hands to rise again under the solid and unshakable rule of black; today the empire is reborn with the sole purpose of truly offering the long-awaited peace promised to you eighteen years ago and never delivered; Today we take the first step together towards the rediscovery of democracy."

A great wave of applause followed the last words of the newly crowned emperor; and it was so loud that it drowned out the reactions of astonishment and surprise that had filled the faces of several beings present.

One of them was Luke himself; he stared at the masked sovereign in complete awe. Of all the things he had imagined Lord Vader's speech would be after everything he had heard about him, he certainly would never have thought of that... A call to the vastness of the empire's domain or a demonstration of its extensive power, maybe... but not that... an offer of equality. It was a dignified speech that openly acknowledged the imperial flaws and made proposals for improvement, and above all, offered what so many longed for above all else.

Peace.

And while the applause still echoed loudly and incessantly around him, Luke thought once more about what kind of person Lord Vader was, and right now he seemed to be a leader worth following, not out of fear... but out of admiration.

His musings were suddenly interrupted when Luke felt that strange energy that was always present, always accompanying him and had often helped him before now sound within his being with a sudden and urgent warning message. Something was wrong, something bad was about to happen; an unnamed danger that was rapidly approaching unbridled towards that place.

While all the military staff smiled and applauded, the young cadet's blue eyes searched worriedly amidst the ocean of beings for the source of that disturbance. It took him a moment until he could identify the meaning of the danger and also instantly understand that he was not its target, but the newly crowned emperor.

Luke immediately looked at Lord Vader with alarm; torn between two difficult choices.

He could remain standing exactly where he was and let the natural course of time flow even knowing what would happen, allow the galaxy to mourn once again for the loss of its second emperor, and then live the rest of his life with remorse carrying that guilt upon his shoulders...

...Or he could intervene in the only way possible to save the sovereign's life; using the strange power that he had hidden for years from everyone and everything as his deepest secret.

And in that last decisive second Luke made his decision; even though he was just another unknown and unimportant military in the crowd of others like him standing there in the imperial palace, he couldn't imagine how much his life would change the moment he, against his orders, left the line's formation and took the first step forward.

~.~

A strange satisfaction took hold of him as soon as he finished his speech; it wasn't because of the unwanted coronation or the round of applause that rose throughout Coruscant, no... but for the first time in years he remembered a long time ago when, hidden behind the pillars of the Senate, he had watched Padme's fervent speeches in defense of an argument that she believed in with all her heart; always aiming to help someone.

His words for a very brief moment seemed to echo hers; the same strength, determination and courage; it made him feel good, but it was a satisfaction that wasn't devoid of sadness; his speech made him remember her, how she had been and how the absence of her light had destroyed him.

It was a first step towards fulfilling his promise to her and Vader knew it wouldn't be easy; Sidius had left the government in pandemonium and he didn't expect to win the hearts and cooperation of the rebels for free and so soon; there were many beings who despised him and they had reasons to do so; and his speech had certainly made a bunch of dead Jedi roll inside their graves, but he didn't care.

He would fulfill his promise to his wife to try to make up for all the great evil he had done.

Vader had just finished descending the long marble staircase and stepped in the extensive external courtyard to address the political representatives of another planets when the Force alerted him and he realized the hidden danger close to him. Frankly, it was a pathetic attempt; well-planned for having managed to get this far, he had to admit it; it would have worked on anyone who wasn't Force-sensitive, but against him, it was truly pathetic.

The Sith Lord noticed the exact moment that the rebel disguised among one of the stormtroopers guarding the base of the staircase changed his posture to raise his rifle and point it at the emperor's direction; a clear shot at point-blank range that certainly wouldn't have escapatory or chance of survival, and the rebel probably also didn't expect to be able to get away with it having the guts to proceed with that audacity.

Pathetic, predictable, and so easy to defend... Even so, the Sith Lord remained paralyzed in shock.

Just as the imminent danger revealed itself to him, so suddenly a new presence manifested itself through the Force; strong, young, pure and untrained, but so powerful and overwhelming and unexpected that it took his breath away and took him completely off guard.

Vader had just enough time to turn his head to the side and see a young Imperial cadet burst out of the military lines close to him at the exact moment the shot was fired, and before the emperor's astonished gaze, the Force-sensitive boy, because he was just a boy, stood between him and the rebel and raised an iron object that he was holding in his hands; the shot hit the object and Vader saw the Force build up in the cadet's hands and around the iron item, acting as an invisible protective shield; it repelled the laser, deflecting it to the side and destroying a column near them without hitting anyone.

Absolute chaos broke out in the imperial garden, and while the rebel was immobilized, Vader remained standing frozen still, staring down in disbelief at the fallen cadet who had the same blue eyes as the child from his dreams.