Luke, Prince of Fashion
Summary: A direct sequel to a previous one-shot in this collection: Vader, Lord of Fashion. A modern AU in which Vader is a world famous fashion designer that has recently discovered his long lost son, Luke. Now Luke is thrown into the vicious world of the rich and famous and the dread paparazzi.
Bixene Rubix was a trust fund baby, yet still aspired to be a singer. She had a decent voice, and her first single had hit the top 10 in the pop charts. Though it wasn't due to singing prowess, but more due to the easy catchy tune. Bixene would be attending her first big award show, and of course she wanted to wear a Vader. She stood in front of a series of mirrors in a private room in Vader Studios. It was the final fitting. The award show was only a week away.
Luke thought she was a good looking young woman. Tan skin. Straight long blonde hair. Her nose was too big though. She was also on the tall side. In her heels she towered over him. She looked like the type of woman who had to struggle to keep her thin shape. He thought she would look better with a bit of a fuller figure. Some curves would suit her well.
Her Vader dress was sleeveless with a plunging neckline. The straps were a nude color made to match Bixene's skin. Gold and bronze scales started at her chest and thickened until they merged in a lovely metallic pattern. The dress tightened around her waist and then flooded out. The metallic scales again tapered away to a beautiful dark gold fabric.
Bixene swayed back and forth in front of the mirror as she examined the dress from different angles. The entire room was quiet except for the soft swoosh of the dress and light tinkles of the scales hitting each other. Luke sat on a stool near the back wall, and he examined the others in the room.
There was of course the world renowned fashion designer Darth Vader, whom Luke had recently learned was his father. He wore his normal all black and plain but well tailored clothing. His dark blonde hair fell in well groomed waves and curls. His face was stern. He always looked stern. Han Solo said that the old man had a resting b*tch face. Luke couldn't argue for that was the mask Vader showed the world, but it wasn't the one he showed his son. If Luke was honest, he had been scared and a bit intimidated by his father at first. But Vader had a soft caring side. He could also be a bit goofy. Like the goofiness you would expect from a father. It felt good. It felt right.
But here at his work, Darth Vader was completely serious. He had looped his thumbs into his belt as he silently watched Bixene. There were a few assistants standing around. Troopers they called themselves. Always running out to the frontline. There was Piett, his father's assistant. His hand was in his pocket clutching his phone. He was ready for anything and everything. There was also a small entourage that had come with Bixene.
The singer pursed her lips. Her brows furrowed, and Luke frowned. He could sense it, the upcoming storm. She placed her hands on her hips and did a twirl to face Vader causing the dress to dramatically spin in the air and settle at her feet. Vader was unphased. He stood unmoving.
"I don't like it," Bixene announced. She was projecting every bit of her arrogant spoiled rich girl fearless attitude. "The neckline should be lower. Also maybe a slit. Or two. These legs have been working too hard to hide under all this fabric."
Bixene seemed to be completely unaware how the rest of the room had tensed up. The troopers stood on the balls of the feet. Piette squeezed his phone tighter and pulled it up to the cusp on his pocket's opening. Bixene's entourage casted nervous glances amongst each other. Vader was the only who hadn't changed. He stood unmoving.
"These alterations shouldn't take that long," Bixene continued. "You should be able to complete them for the show."
"No." Vader's voice was deep and dark. It almost seemed like with that one word, everyone in the room had stopped breathing. All eyes had turned to him.
Bixene cocked her head to the side as she placed her hands on her hips. "No?"
"There will be no alterations," Vader said.
"Excuse me? I am not going on the red carpet in this."
"Then don't."
Bixene took in a sharp breath of air.
"I do not do alterations, girl. Wear it or do not. There will be no changes," Vader said. That was simply how Vader designed. You either loved what he did or didn't. He was rarely wrong in his assessment of what was needed for a design. He was a great designer. He knew how to read a body and make stunning clothes for it. He easily foresaw fashion trends. His creations never made a worst dressed list.
"This is my dress. I have already paid $20,000 for it. If I want it turned into a mini skirt and a tube top, it damn well will be that."
"It is not your dress," Vader replied. For the first time he moved. He brought his hand up and pointed at her. "That $20,000 was a down payment. It was for supplies and man hours. It was in the contract you signed. To actually own that dress, it would be another $30,000. Right now, that dress is still mine."
Bixene's eyes widened. Her perfectly lip glossed mouth fell open, but she quickly recovered. Her mouth close and twisted into a scowl. She bent over and grabbed fistfulls of the skirt. Then she turned and marched towards the door. The room exploded into a flurry of motion. The troopers jumped to the door, barring her exit. Piett's phone was already up to his ear as he called security.
"Out of the way!" Bixene shouted at the assistants blocking the door. "This is my dress and I'm leaving with it!"
Luke had been so focused on Bixene, that he hadn't noticed his father move. For someone who was tall and dark and demanded so much attention, he could move fast and stealthy if he wanted to. A small shiver ran through Luke as he knew it was from Vader's past experience. When he had gone by the name Anakin Skywalker. When had been a JEDI Knight. The elite of the elite of the military.
Vader grabbed Bixene's arm and spun her around. He pulled out his scissors and with one clean swipe, the dress was cut right down the side on the seem. Bixene gasped as she saw the dress fall open revealing her body. At once she let go of the skirt and grabbed at the dress to bring it together. Vader took the opportunity and grabbed a fistful of the dress. He slashed the dress again with his scissors right across the middle almost severing the dress in two. Metallic scales scattered across the floor. Luke could easily make out of the soft pinging noise they made as they hit the floor.
At once the dress left a huge gapin hole revealing Bixene's not very tasteful underwear on display to the whole room. Her face had gone red. Her mouth open and gaping, but no sounds came out except a strange choking noise.
"Walk out of here with that dress if you wish," Vader said. He glanced over at Luke. It was a look that said it all. Luke slid off his stool and was at once taking large strides to catch up with his father as he left the room. Vader stormed down the halls. Any who saw him knew to flatten themselves to the wall and let him pass undisturbed. He marched up the stairs to his private office and design studio where it was empty and quiet. It was just the two of them.
Vader plopped onto a large gray sofa by one of the large windows. He slumped into the cushions and let his head hang back. Luke quietly sat on a large armchair opposite of him.
"You disagree," Vader said softly. He lifted his head to look over at his son.
"I don't know if that was the . . . the best way to handle it," Luke said.
"And how would you have handled it?" Vader said as he sat up a bit straighter. "Let her go? Sue her for not following the contract?"
Luke looked down at his lap.
"I have done this a long time, Luke. I would much rather deal with an angry little wannabe starlet than have one of my designs walk out of here without my permission."
"What if she sues you?"
Vader let out a small laugh. "Whatever legal team her daddy has is nothing compared to mine."
Luke could personally attest to that. When Vader revealed Luke was his son, at once the designer wanted Luke to be apart of his family. Luke was nineteen, legally an adult. There would be no custody battles. Instead Vader reworked his will and holdings to include his son. Overnight Luke had gone from having nothing but a patched-up skyhopper to his name to having millions of dollars and being a significant shareholder in all of Vader's companies.
Luke had been surprised by all the different companies Vader owned. It wasn't just his high end fashion line. He owned a few fashion lines, including some that were much more reasonable priced. It was actually these lines that brought in a lot of money for Vader. Though the one that surprised Luke the most was the Empire luxury car company.
That fateful day Luke and Vader met in this same studio, Vader had dragged Luke to the parking garage. He was going to drive the boy to Anchorhead to speak with his uncle at once. Luke was gaping as Vader pushed him into the passenger seat of a black TIE Advanced X1. Vader was saying something to Luke, but he wasn't paying attention. Instead his hands were gently gliding over the smooth black leather. He eyed the dashboard and the gearshift. Later when Vader told Luke he owned the Empire car company and also designed the cars, Luke was left completely speechless.
In the studio, Vader had pulled out his scissors. They were the strangest pair of scissors Luke had ever seen, especially since they were made from a rare red crystal. Supposedly the scissors were very sharp. Vader had a special leather hilt made for them and carried them on his belt. The sunlight was coming through the window. The way it hit the blades made the scissors almost seem to glow red. Vader sighed as he tucked the scissors away.
"My mood had been soured," he said as he looked back at Luke. "I will get no more work done here today. Let us return home."
Luke only nodded as he got up and collected his coat and scarf from his desk. He wasn't sure why he had been given a desk here. Not like he knew anything about designing clothes, but Vader had wanted to include and welcome Luke in all facets of his life. Including giving him a spot in his personal and private studio.
The father and son walked quietly to the elevator. Two large men in black waited by doors. All four entered the elevator quietly. Vader had just finished buttoning up his jacket when he glanced over at Luke. The boy noticed his father's frown. At once Vader tugged on Luke's sleeve so Luke would face him. The designer spent the rest of the elevator ride adjusting Luke's coat and tying the knot in his scarf so it would look just right. As the doors opened, Vader gave a small smile and nod. Luke was presentable.
And presentable he needed to be. Waiting by the front doors of the skyscraper that housed Vader Studios stood a throng of paparazzi. The two bodyguards that had come down with them, at once took positions in front and behind them. As the bodyguard opened the door, a cacophony of shouts and camera shutters blasted against Luke's ears. Vader looped his arm through Luke's and tightly pulled him to his side.
"Luke!"
"Prince Luke!"
"Luke! Over here!"
"Luke! Prince Luke."
The group pushed pass the throng into the waiting white Empire AT-AT SUV. The sound of the paparazzi didn't die out until they had driven away.
"I wish they didn't call me that," Luke said softly. He and Vader sat in the backseat. He could feel his father's gaze on him.
"That is what you are," Vader replied softly.
The rest of the ride was in quiet. Luke was glad that the parking garage to Vader's apartment was underground and private. He didn't have to deal with the paparazzi as they exited the car and made the long ride up in the elevator to the penthouse suite. Luke said nothing. He heard the whistle of Artoo and Threepio's greeting, but responded to neither. He went straight to his room. He ripped off his coat and scarf and fell face first onto his bed.
It was hard to believe his life just three months ago had been so different. He had just been a farm boy working at a car shop half time. Now? Now he was a millionaire. Now he was royalty. Actual royalty. He hadn't just inherited his father's clothing empire, but he also got his mother's legacy.
Padmé Amidala. He knew about her. She had been a young and famous senator of New York who died tragically and young at the end of the war. Like Luke, she hadn't been raised as royalty. She had been raised as Padmé Naberrie, a well known Nubian family. But when the old queen died and left a vacant spot on the throne, it was revealed the Padmé was actually an illegitimate daughter of the late king. At fourteen, she took the throne. She would eventually abdicate, handing the throne over to a cousin, relocate to the US, and become a senator. She would also secretly marry Anakin Skywalker.
Luke had stayed up light into the night texting. Mainly he talked to his best friend from Anchorhead, Biggs Darklighter, and Han Solo. The fashion model and Luke had become close friends over the few months since their meeting had started the chain events that led to Luke finding his father. Han kept wanting Luke to meet his girlfriend, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan.
He woke up groggy the next morning. The sun was already a decent way up the horizon, but still peaking through the New York City skyline. He checked his phone, and the alarm was turned off. Odd, he hadn't turned it off last night. He had been accompanying his father to work everday, and Vader was an early riser. Luke shuffled into the kitchen.
Threepio and Artoo sat at the table drinking coffee together. While Vader had no other biological family, he did have these two as his family of sorts. When Vader had gone by Anakin, he had been born to an immigrant mother who had come to the United States illegally as a victim of sex trafficking. Threepio had been adopted into the family when Anakin was a child and his mother still nothing more than a slave. Threepio had stayed with the Lars after Anakin left to attend the prestigious military Temple Academy and Shmi married Cliegg Lars. Threepio was a pale tall man with bright blond hair. He liked to wear outlandishly yellow or gold outfits. Though sometimes he opted for a more subtle grey or silver.
Artoo had been Luke's mother's companion at first. He was a short African man. He had been born with white hair and bright blue eyes. The people of his tribe thought he had been touched by the gods. They had cut off pieces of him to cook into potions to heal the sick or give power to the healthy. It was why he was unable to talk and had several prosthetics. Like Threepio, he seemed to favor certain colors. He wore a lot of white with accented blue and black.
The two had been the only ones aware of Padmé and Anakin's secret marriage. They were the only witnesses to it besides the priest. Even back then they were a family. The four of them, and it continued to be so after Padmé's death. Though Luke doubted any of its members actually called it that. Technically Threepio was Vader's butler. Artoo a personal assistant. Though Artoo didn't act like one. Mostly he sat at a computer. He was supposedly a master slicer.
"Master Luke!" Threepio said happily. "Good morning!"
Luke had asked Threepio to just call him Luke, but Threepio just continued to use the title. Artoo whistled a happy greeting. He often communicated via whistles and clicks. It almost seemed to be a whole language that both Vader and Threepio seemed to understand.
"I shall get breakfast going at once," Threepio said as he got and walked off to the kitchen. Artoo picked up his phone and started tapping away at it. Luke reached for the nearby slender remote of the tv mounted to the wall. He clicked it on, but right as he did so Artoo let out a sharp warning whistle. Luke looked over at him questioningly. Artoo just shook his head sadly.
Luke looked over at the TV. It was the news featuring him. Artoo had known what the TV was going to show when Luke turned it on. Had Artoo and Threepio been watching this? It showed the scenes from yesterday of Luke and Vader exiting the building into their waiting car.
"Luke Skywalker continues to be seen with his father, fashion designer Darth Vader. Is Vader grooming his recently found son to take over his brand? Will the little prince become a fashion emperor?"
Luke moaned and clicked off the TV. Artoo whistled as if saying "I told you not to watch." When the media found out that Vader had a secret child, Vader decided to put to rest any rumors that would spring up about Luke's legitimacy. It meant revealing he was the well-known and assumed-dead war general known as the Hero With No Fear. It also meant revealing Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala had been lawfully married. Luke was not a bastard.
Neither Luke nor Vader had expected the Nubian response. Padmé, despite her scandalous claim to the throne, had been a much loved queen. Since his mother had been queen, the nickname of prince quickly stuck in the press. Luke had no claim to the throne. Despite that, he had met with the queen and she had welcomed him to the family as well as made him an official citizen of Naboo.
He had also met his mother's family. Luke had been nervous. What would the Naberrie family think of him? He was just some poor American farm boy. He met his grandparents first. The moment they saw him, their eyes watered as they pulled Luke into a big hug. The whole family had been so happy and accepting of Luke, including his mother's sister and her family. His grandparents gave him what was left on his inheritance from his mother. It wasn't much (though still quite a lot) as most of it had gone into charities and scholarship funds in his mother's name. They also gave him the Varykino lakehouse. Luke didn't really want a Nubian lakehouse, but it was his father who convinced him to keep it once Vader revealed the intimate history the house had for Luke's parents.
The past few months had been overwhelming. He enjoyed getting to know his father and extended family, but everything else still felt like it was part of another world. He still hadn't wrapped his head around the fact he was a millionaire European prince. And the press was having an absolute field day with the story. It was a trending topic across social media websites. A modern day rag to riches story.
Luke sighed. "You know, my alarm didn't go off this morning," he said.
Really? Artoo seemed to whistle. It wasn't a tone that was surprised.
"Did you turn it off?" Luke asked. Bright blue eyes snapped up from the phone. Artoo shrugged then went back to his phone. "You did, didn't you? Why did you turn it off?"
Artoo continued tapping. Luke's own phone pinged. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. It was a text from Artoo that read, [Yes I did. Anakin asked me to do it. He said to let you sleep.]
"But he went to work?"
Yes, came a whistle.
Luke moaned. "Can you call the car?"
[You want to go to the studio?] Artoo texted.
"Yeah. Why not?"
[You don't have to. You could do something else.]
"Are you trying to keep me away from the studio?"
[No,] Artoo texted while also shaking his head. [Just reminding you there are other things you can do. All you seem to do is go to the studio of late.]
"Is that what Vader said as well?" Luke asked a bit darkly.
Artoo flashed a smile. [Of course not. Anakin loves that you come with him to the studio. He wouldn't ask you to stop coming.]
"Yet he didn't want me to come today," Luke mumbled.
[He's worried about you, Luke. He fears all this media attention is too much for you. He thought you could use a day away from it.]
"Doesn't he need it too?"
[He's used to it.]
"He never seems to take a break. Even at home he's got a little studio where he's up all night. I've woken up to the sound of his sewing machine in there. Does he ever do anything else?"
Artoo whistled and rolled his eyes. Of course he does. But then he texted, [You've seen his other houses and the garages. He loves working on cars and racing.]
"Yes, but he has no garage here in his apartment," Luke noted.
Artoo sighed. [It's how he shows his love.]
"What?"
[When he's up late at night sewing and designing, it's not for a client. It's for you, Luke.]
Luke looked down at his shirt and pants. Both simple, but both Vader had gifted him. In fact Vader had given Luke a whole new wardrobe. Vader not-so-secretly hated Luke's old clothes. He called them dirty rags or scum. If Luke wasn't careful, his old clothes would disappear never to be seen again.
[He didn't pull those clothes off a rack in one of his stores,] Artoo continued. [He made them himself specifically for you.]
Vader had . . . had hand made all the clothing in Luke's room? Luke opened his mouth. He was going to say that Vader didn't need to do that, but the soft ping of his phone stopped him.
[He's bad at showing his love,] Artoo's text read. [So he shows it through designing, something he loves to do. Where do you think Threepio and my clothes come from? Anakin made them all.]
"He made your clothes?" Luke said. He couldn't believe Vader designed the outlandish clothes of Artoo and Threepio.
[That surprising? But, yes he does. Yes, even these bright colors and horrible designs. Oh he hates making these clothes. But he knows what Threepio and I like. He wants us happy. He wants us to feel loved, and that is the best way he knows how to show it. Your father is a bit hopeless at times. If your mother were still alive, she would be drowning in a mountain of handmade Vader couture like I'm sure you eventually will.]
Artoo smiled a bit sadly, but softly. Luke at once thought back to the scene yesterday. What did that say about Vader to his clients? He clearly didn't care if Bixene was happy or not. In fact Vader only seemed to care about his design. He didn't want to change the design, because the design was already perfect. He would keep the design instead of making the client happy.
Threepio returned with a simple breakfast of eggs and toast. Luke was quiet as he listened to the almost one-sided conversation between Threepio and Artoo. Threepio was worrying about the upstate house and if the staff had dealt with the moth problem in one of the hallway closets. Artoo whisteled or clicked a few comments, which either sent Threepio into a new fit of worry or him throwing snarky comments at Artoo.
"Artoo?"
A whistle.
"Did you text the driver to bring the car?"
[You're going to go to the studio?]
"Yes," Luke replied.
Half an hour later, Luke stood at the elevator door as they swung open. He entered the elevator and keyed the parking garage floor. The elevator started to move down, but shortly stopped. The doors swung open and a lady walked in. Luke didn't get a good look at her. He glanced down hoping she wouldn't recognize him and start up a conversation.
"Luke . . . Skywalker?" came a sweet high voice.
Luke internally groaned as he looked up. He was surprised to see Bixene Rubix. She was dressed in a all white fur coat with a long gold tunic and black leather tights and boots. As soon as his eyes were on her, her eyes lit up. She crossed the small distance between them in two large steps. She was close. He could feel the fur of her coat and smell the sickly sweet stench of her perfume.
"I don't think we've properly met," she purred.
Luke backed up and bumped into the wall of the elevator. Was it just him, or was this ride taking forever? Bixene followed him. This time she was closer. Her coat was pressed against him. He could just make out the warmth of her body. She gave him a devilish smile. The ping of the elevator and the doors sliding open, gave Luke the distraction he needed to press himself flat against the elevator wall and slide away. Once into the parking level, he was met with a black car that would take him to Vader Studios.
Of course Vader had noticed the boy come into the studios. He had told Artoo to keep the boy at home today. He needed rest. Vader was trying to work in a vacation to get the two of them away. But with an award show coming up next week, he was still quite busy. Then Artoo had texted him saying Luke was coming.
The boy had chosen to avoid his father. Insead he hung around the designers and the assistants. They seemed to have taken to Luke easily. They now laughed and joked with him. He sat at a table while two assistants hand sewed tiny crystals into a gown. Vader was tempted to go over there and order the boy back home. To go rest, but he had learned over the past few months Luke did not take direct orders well. The boy had a stubbornness in him that reminded Vader far too much of a brown-haired senator and perhaps a bit of a young war hero.
So for now he let the boy be, but he would be bringing up the topic of Luke resting and staying at home again. Vader went back to work. He was in the main studio space where his senior design teams worked. He was meeting with teams as he checked in with their progress on several outfits. He was examining some detailed seam work when Piett approached.
"Sir," he said in a soft but stern voice. That one word said it all. Something was wrong and needed Vader's attention. Vader nodded to the design team and marched away to a quiet corner. Piett was right on his heels. The moment they were alone, Piett pulled out his phone and showed him a video streaming in live from a news site.
The headline across the bottom read: Prince Luke in Love?
Vader recognized the interior of the elevator of the building where his apartment was located. Luke stood in the elevator with Bixene Rubix. They were close and with the camera angle, it looked like they were more than just close. It looked like they were intimate. Possibly kissing. The feed changed to a live interview with Bixene. Her cheeks were bright red. She still wore the same outfit from the elevator security camera.
"We met at Vader Studios," she said, "When I was doing consultations for a dress for the award show. Love at first sight." She shrugged her shoulders in a way that would be read as 'cute and flirty,' but to Vader it only enraged him. At once his eyes snapped onto the boy across the room. He was smiling and laughing as he talked to the two assistants.
Vader gripped the phone and marched through the room. Luke saw him approaching and stood up.
"Fath-" he started to say, but Vader cut him off.
"Come. Now," he barked and marched away not even waiting for Luke's response. He didn't even turn to see if he was following, but luckily the boy was. He led Luke up to the second floor of the studios to Vader's private work area and office. As soon as they were alone, Vader turned on his heels and shoved the phone into Luke's chest.
Luke took the phone and looked down. Vader watched his reactions carefully. First there was nothing, just earnest curiosity. Then Luke's face scrunched up in confusion which quickly turned into horror. His mouth hung open. His eyes were wide.
"What . . . What?" Luke looked at Vader. His eyes were large and pleading. It was a single look that sent a stab of pain through Vader. "I . . . I am not in relationship with her! We did nothing in the elevator! How did they get this?"
"When did you meet her in the elevator?" Vader asked.
"Today, on my way down to come here."
"This was all planned," Vader growled.
Luke glanced back down at the phone and then back up at his father. "What . . . what should I do?" he whispered. It was so painfully clear the boy was in over his head. The world of the rich and famous was not a merciful one. Vader hadn't wanted to reveal to the public he had a long-lost son. But when a lower assistant of Vader's legal team leaked the news to the media, Vader had to act quick before the media ruined Luke's reputation by painting him as an illegitimate bastard.
It meant Vader had to reveal a lot of truths about himself to the world. That he previously went by the name of Anakin Skywalker. That he had been in a secret marriage. And of course the media was enjoying every second of the Skywalker family scandal. And now this.
"You do nothing," Vader said.
"Nothing?" Luke said disheartened. "I can't do nothing! I have to . . . to something! This isn't true!"
Vader walked forward and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "The story is already out in the news. There is no way to take what has been said and seen back. If we argue that this never happened, it'll only create more waves and more of a media storm."
Luke paused as he considered the words and then nodded his head. Like the day before, Vader left work early. Waiting on the street was a thick swarm of paparazzi. Vader pulled Luke close to him as they pushed through the shouting reporters. The ride back to the penthouse apartment was quiet, so was the long elevator ride. Both Luke and Vader eyed the security camera. Once home, Luke disappeared into his room.
Vader march straight to Artoo's office. He had a large desk with an impressive computer setup with three display screens. The small dark-skinned man sat in a rolling chair hunched over the keyboard. He whistled and clicked as Vader walked in.
How is Luke? Artoo asked.
"Handling it," Vader replied. Artoo looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow, but he turned back to his work. Vader walked up and stood behind Artoo. There wasn't much to see on the screens. "Found anything?" Vader asked.
Not much, Artoo said. But just give it time. I will find something. He looked up at Vader with an evil little grin. I always do. Yes Artoo was excellent at slicing into people's lives and uncovering their dirty little secrets. Secrets Vader would use against Bixene Rubix. He wasn't surprised when Piett texted him later in the day saying Bixene had contacted the studio and left a personal message for Vader.
She was blackmailing him in revenge for his stunt with the dress. Bixene wanted a Vader dress to wear to the award show. Once she got it, then she would tell the media the relationship between her and Luke was but a mere passing thing. It would no longer be much of a story, and the media would move on. He texted Pieet back. He wanted Bixene in the studio as soon as possible. He would make whatever blasted dress she wanted to get this to go away as painlessly and quickly as it could. His own revenge would come later. Vader could be patient, but he wasn't patient when it came to Luke.
A fresh stab of pain hit him as he recalled Luke's pitiful look in the studio earlier as he first saw the media coverage. Part of the reason it had been decided to keep Vader's marriage a secret was to avoid the media storm. There was a war going on. Both Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala had work to do. Hard and serious work to end the war. When they went working, all they both wanted was to be with each other. If the media found out, those small peaceful rendezvous would have been shattered.
Now their child was having to pay the price of their secrecy. Vader sighed as he watched Artoo work. He crossed his arms across his chest. Vader would right this. He wanted Luke to feel welcomed here. He wanted . . . he wanted Luke to stay. Each time Luke asked to go back to Anchorhead to visit the Lars, Vader had a deep rooted fear Luke was leaving. Leaving him like so many had. Already Vader had missed out on so much of Luke's life. He didn't want to miss out on any more. He wanted to be apart of Luke's life and for Luke to be apart of his.
Yes, one way or another, Vader would fix this. He would make sure Luke felt comfortable and that the boy wanted to be here.
Luke sat curled up on the big couch in his father's apartment. A large flat screen TV was tuned to the channel showing the award show. Vader sat next to Luke. His back was straight and he didn't lean against the couch. His arms were crossed. His eyes narrowed as he watched celebrities walk down the red carpet. Threepio sat on the other end of the couch, while Artoo sat in a large chair with a laptop on his lap.
The rich and famous paraded down the red carpet in front of a sea of photographers, cameras, and reporters. They would often pause at some point so the camera could get a good shot of their outfit. It was then followed by a reporter asking them about the clothing. Vader said nothing, but made small noises such as grunts, huffs, and rarely he would hum in approval with a slight nod of his head.
Then the shouts started to come. "Bixene! Bixene here! Bixene!"
Bixene had stepped out of her limo and onto the red carpet wearing a brand new gown. Vader had been working on it the past several days. He had almost lived at the studio. Luke had stayed home. His father had insisted he stay out of sight until everything died down.
It was an interesting gown. It was nothing like the previous one. It was strapless and showed off her pushed up breasts. A large portion of fabric folded down from the top in a cream color, while the rest of the dress was in a soft olive green. The sleeves were long and belled out. The skirt sucked tightly around her rear then flowed out with two slits up either side off her legs. The dress was simple. There were no embellishments. Probably no time for it. Though the most striking feature of her outfit was her headwear. Headdress? It was almost a gold helmet that pointed straight up and out to each side. Her blond hair spilled out the back.
The room had become quiet. Luke turned his head to look at his father. His face had darkened. Vader kept looking straight ahead.
"Bixene! Who's your date?" asked one female reporter.
Luke's head snapped back to the screen. Standing next to the starlet was a young man. He was very average looking. Pale skin. Short brown hair.
"Oh this is Befa!" Bixene said. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Artoo let out a few whistles.
"Is that so?" Threepio asked. "He's of the Jedha Crystal family fame?"
"Why aren't you with Luke Skywalker?" one reporter asked.
"Weren't you a couple?" another one chimed in.
"Oh that was such a passing thing," Bixene giggled. "We've called it off and both have moved on. Myself? I've moved on to Befa here." Bixene stroked Befa's arm. He smiled at her.
And then the next celebrity arrived and the cameras and reporters swooped back down the red carpet. It was a famous rapper, who had two ladies on his side. His current hit song started to play while he walked down the carpet.
"Shawty was gettin' low. Her booty touchin' them red Garrett heels~," rapped the lyrics.
Vader let out a low groan. Artoo let out a cheerful whistle. Garrett was a shoe company and one of Vader's many companies. Luke had asked his father why did he name a company Garrett. Vader only responded with a low, "It was a joke." Artoo later filled Luke in that Vader had been gifted the company by an old 'friend.' The name had been a jab at Vader. Instead of changing the name, Vader had turned the company into a booming success.
Artoo whistled something.
"It does not," growled Vader in response.
"Did he say the dress looked good?" Luke asked softly. Vader's sharp blue eyes darted over to Luke, but that was the only part of him that moved. Then the eyes were back on the TV. "It didn't look that bad."
"Harumph," Vader said. "That bad? 'That bad' is still a degree of bad. It is just another way of saying 'not that good.'"
"Oh I do hope you don't end up on the Worst Dressed List," Threepio chimed in.
"Doubtful considering what else has been walking the carpet," Vader said as he waved his hand at the TV. It was showing a thicker woman with a very short crop top that showed off a bit of underboob. Luke had to agree. Bixene's gown wasn't the worst at the show.
Vader's fingers tapped impatiently on the tray table. His laptop was open. His eyes kept dashing between the screen and Luke. His son sat curled in a chair opposite of him on Vader's private jet. Now that the award show was over, Vader was taking his son to his estate in northern California. It was a large secluded estate that included an old airport tarmac. Vader now used the runway as a place to race his cars. He was sure Luke would enjoy it.
A small smile graced Luke's lips as he looked down at his phone. He was busy texting with his friends. The boy did seem calmer now that the incident with Bixene was over. The media had moved on to other stories. But Vader was not done with Bixene Rubix. His eyes went back to the computer screen. His fingers still tapped on the table.
It was time for his revenge. He wanted to strike while Bixene was still a trending topic though a fading one. An alert popped up on his computer. Vader at once clicked it. It was a message from Artoo. It was a single line: It's done. Vader smiled as he opened the attachment.
The scene showed Bixene walking to her car after leaving one her shows. A group of people had gathered which consisted mostly of teenage girls. They shouted the singer's name. Bixene smiled and waved, but otherwise kept walking. But then she took a step wrong on her high heeled pumps. Her foot wavered and she stumbled towards the crowd of girls. One girl grabbed at Bixene's arm. The starlet ripped her arm out of the girl's hold and swung her other arm slapping the girl clear across the face.
"Don't touch me!" she shouted. Then she stormed off towards her car. The crowd of teenagers stood there stunned.
A new alert popped up. Vader clicked on it. Already a gossip website had gotten hold of the footage. They tweeted the video out with the caption: Bixene attacks teenage fan! Then a second alert popped up, followed by a third and a fourth. Artoo was doing his job making sure the footage was spread far and fast. Bixene's reputation would be reeling.
Vader muted the alerts and instead brought up a different message from Artoo. He had dug into the Rubix estate. The family fortune came from mining precious ores. They're most profitable ones were out in the Shu-Torun region in the Pacific Ocean. Underwater mining was dangerous, but there were good veins of precious metals down there as well as oil. It was a shame that Rubix's main mining platform had malfunctioned a few hours ago. A pipe had unexpectedly cracked causing the ocean water to flood in effectively cutting off power to the underwater drills and halting production.
The only shame in all of this was that they wouldn't know it was Vader. They rarely did. They would just curse the galaxy for their cruel luck not knowing it was he who had orchestrated this all. But that was fine. Bixene Rubix may have thought she got one over on Vader, but in the end he had the last laugh. There was no way she would be able to afford one of his designs for a long time.
"Father?"
Vader looked up from his laptop. Luke was looking at him. His face scrunched up just a bit as he wondered what Vader was laughing at. Vader could only smile. It was an expression so much like Padme. Vader slowly shut the lip of his laptop.
"It's nothing," Vader said. "Merely . . ." he paused as he thought of the right words. "Merely something from Artoo."
Luke gave him a skeptical look. The child might know of Vader's various companies, but he didn't know everything. He didn't know the dark side of Vader. The one who would cruelly destroy anyone who dared hurt his son.
"Father . . . I was talking to Han Solo . . ."
Vader groaned. He wasn't shy about showing his disdain of that model. Luke sighed.
"I know you don't like him," Luke said. "But he's my friend." Luke paused as he gave his father a look. "Anyways he's invited me to meet his girlfriend."
"Leia Organa?" Vader asked.
"Yeah. Apparently she wants to meet me," Luke said as he blushed a bit. Vader smiled again as his heart warmed at how innocent and fresh Luke still was. How he got flustered at the thought of meeting a pretty girl.
"And where would you be meeting?"
"They want me to come to her country. Alderaan . . ."
Ah, that was the catch. The Scandinavian country was quite beautiful, but Vader had never visited even though his late wife had been close friends with the royal family, the Organas. He wondered if perhaps that was why the princess had asked Luke to come visit. Had Bail Organa told his daughter of his old friend Padme Amidala?
"I do not see why you shouldn't go," Vader said. A huge smile spread across Luke's face. One that Vader would never tire of seeing. But then the smile fell.
"Ummm. Uhhhh . . ." he said as he wiggled in his seat. "They uh . . . want me to go alone . . . Without you . . ."
Vader frowned and crossed his arms. If Luke had asked to go alone, he would have respected his son's wishes. But the fact that Solo and Organa were asking him not to come . . .
"Han says it would be good for me," Luke mumbled as looked down at his lap.
"No doubt that smuggler has some planned a few activities I would frown upon," Vader said.
Luke glanced up and a sheepish smile spread across his face. Vader sighed.
"You are old enough to make your own decisions, Luke," he said. "If you wish to go to Alderaan alone, you can."
Another heart melting smile from the boy. His boy. His son. "Thank you!"
Perhaps a trip to Alderaan would be good for Luke. What was the worst that could happen?