Hi :)

Well, I've made it  :)  Here is part 8 of my other story, I hope you'll like
it too :)  As you can see from the warning, the Emperor's obsession will
shift in this one... nothing graphic, but you know why he wants the kid.

Previously: Luke has accomplished another mission for the Emperor, and
gravelly hurt two of his misbehaved pilots to assert his reputation.  Then,
he discussed his regrets with Jade and isolated himself in his room... from
which came a wave of pain...

Characters: Luke, VAder, the Emperor, Mara, Xizor, Guri
Type: dark drama, romance, family.

Dear Son Part 8/? : Teenagers
by SJ
______________
Disclaimers: None of those characters belong to me. See my
front page for more details. (http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/3702)

Note about the story's copyrights: All the rights related to the basic idea
of
Vader finding Luke as a child at his school, protecting him from any bad
things and the Emperor, as well as the Emperor's scheme concerning Luke
belong to
Jessica (MoonArtist7@aol.com). Thanks for your suggestion, my friend ; this
story wouldn't have come to be without it.
Also, special thanks to my shy, secret beta-reader and best friend,
Adrianne,
for her help with the final editing of my new stories. (Eh, I have no choice
but to mention you, my friend ; your secret is still safe though ;) Thanks
for
giving us some of your precious time, my friend :)
____________________

Gods, it hurt, Luke groaned inwardly as he cradled his injury.
He had been determinate to always bear a reminder of his mistake of today,
but only now was he realizing that he had overdone it once again.
Strong arms wrapped around his kneeling body, then his father's large hands
forced his head upward to make him look at him.
"Luke!? What have you done??" his father inquired in horror.
"I've avenged my victims." he managed to whisper, then his tears escape his
control as his fresh stump sent lancing pain up his right arm and into his
spine.
His father pulled his head down against his shoulder, then rocked him as he
sent healing energies into what remained of his right wrist.
Luke's right hand was still laying a few meters away from him, along with
his lightsaber handle.
"I knew that you weren't ready for this kind of mission," his father berated
himself, "I shouldn't have let you go all alone."
Luke continued to sob.
"It wasn't your fault, Father." he tried to say. "I've---"
"No, it was my fault, Son." his father corrected, making him look up at him
once again. "I have never given you any advice as to how to generate fear
without scarring yourself for life in the process. I should have."
"Why didn't you?" Jade's voice inquired.
Luke snapped a look in her direction, expecting to see her scowl down at
him, but instead, he noticed that she also seemed worried about him.
She was keeping her distance from the two of them though.
"I didn't want you to become like me, Luke." his father answered, addressing
him once again. "I... didn't want to corrupt your purity of soul."
A burning bracelet of fire seemed to appear again around his stump ; he
hissed even as he brought his remaining hand around his stump to fight the
pain with a pressure on the wound.
Through his daze, he reflected that this felt exactly like his soul was
feeling at the moment, caught within a circle of fire that was slowly
tightening around him to engulf him.
And he had just brought it closer to himself, destroying the 'shield' that
his father had carefully erected between him and the fire.
"I'm sorry, Father." he apologized once again.
His father held him for long, long minutes, until his stump had become an
annoying instead of monopolizing wound.
He dimly wondered what the medics would say when---
Oh, Sith, he cursed at his foolishness. He couldn't go to the medcenter or
else the whole ship would know about his feelings and his pain would be for
nothing.
"Nobody will know about this, Son." his father reassured him.
He turned toward Jade.
"Go to the medcenter and get a prosthetic hand from there."
The girl nodded.
"No one must know about this, Jade." Vader specified warningly.
"I understand, Lord Vader." she reassured him, then left the two of them
alone.
"She's a strange one, isn't she?" Luke asked his father.
"That's an understatement." he agreed with him. "But she does seem to take a
liking to you, Son." he then pointed out.
Luke reflexively snorted at the thought of the fiery red-head attracted to
him.
"Don't be ridiculous, Father", he groaned. "We're barely friends."
"Ah, but it's a start, young one. Believe me." his father added somewhat
wistfully. "Now up you go."
While he used his father's help to recover a standing position, Luke
reflected on his words about Mara.
What if she truly was beginning to like him?, he thought seriously. Did he
like her in return?
At first, he answered no, but then, he remembered all the conversations that
he had had with her, the gazes that he had stolen at her when she hadn't
been watching him.
Perhaps, he finally admitted.
His father helped him walk toward their private medcenter.

******

After that incident, Luke was careful to never be too hard on his troops,
but at the same time, he disguised his care into cold utility.
Now that he had proven himself in the cockpit of a fighter, he was given
missions at the head of stormtroopers squads, then as the general of the
ground units, then as the commander of his father's whole ship until he had
nothing left to prove but that he could take command of the whole fleet.
Thanks the Force, the troops obeyed him blindly.
Adding one unit at a time, and finding more and more difficult challenges
for his 'little wonder', the Emperor gradually pushed him to the limits of
his limits, hoping to find a limit somewhere.
And so it went for months.
When he wasn't involved with imperial duty, he found ways to make young Luke
spend his time honing his Jedi skills for when 'he' needed them, then, aware
that the youth's skills were wasted if they were confined to the bridge of
his ships, he assigned him as the new partner of his consort.
Unbeknown to both of them, it was also a way for the despot to make the two
teenagers fall for one another once they got past their personal animosity.
Slowly but surely, the two youths began to grow closer and have other
discussion topics than constant bickering, but they never completely gave
into their attraction, no matter how hard he tried to push them by making
them disguise themselves as young lovers.
Young Vader just wouldn't bow to his will in any way, he soon learnt.

By the end of their first year together, the youths were very good friends,
but they had never even willingly kissed one another, much to the Emperor's
damn since it was yet another resistance from the amazing youth.

******

On Coruscant, the Emperor was both pleased and displeased by the latest
reports. On the good side, young Vader was still serving him so well that he
was satisfying him beyond his greatest expectations. Vader was also
behaving, having given up any plans of treachery, and his Empire was
steadily growing to encompass all known universe.
On the other hand, what he had dismissed as a puny gnat was now growing into
quite a fierce beast.
A rebellion was spreading from the rim worlds to the mid rim's, poisoning
'his' worlds with dissent, uprisings and strength.
Up to now, he had always entrusted those matters to his newest commanders,
but now that the animal had leaped out of its cave and was on the hunt,
rallying hundred of allies behind it, he needed to do something more drastic
about it.
Of course, he mused unhappily as he stood up from his throne, setting the
Vaders on this enemy meant that he would have to interrupt his chase of the
young one for the time being. He couldn't risk being distracted by a game
while dealing with such an important matter, nor could he risk the boy
loosing control when he needed his powers for real.
Besides, he conceded, he wasn't that close to catching him. The frustrating
youth had a knack to upset all his plans of gaining custody of him with his
uncanny talents and stubbornness.
In time then, he nodded to himself.
But first, they would crush the Rebellion.
Then, and only then, would he break the boy.

******

Two years later
Luke Vader, seventeen years old, stood on the bridge of the Executor, his
father's new flagship which was six times bigger than his old one. Their
quarters were also much larger and better equipped for their ongoing fight
against the rebels.
They had had no choice but to request that ship since the Rebellion had kept
growing and growing throughout the past three years. They had needed a more
able flagship, and the Emperor had presented them with that monstrosity of a
ship.
Not that its sheer size deterred the rebels, he sighed in resignation.
As he surveyed the operation that was going on at the moment on Rialteer, he
wondered how long it would take before another cell popped out of nowhere.
He and his father were always successful in their missions, taking all the
time that they needed to complete them, yet they never seem to completely
destroy the rebellion.
The only thing that mattered to them though was to not disappoint the
Emperor.
While the ruler had stopped heaping challenges over his head, both Luke and
his father were aware that the obligation to succeed was still active.
Thanks the Force though, the Emperor understood what was going on with the
Rebellion and wasn't holding them responsible for the galactic chaos.
"Incoming, vector 23-74, four frigates." the comm officer said to his
subordinates.
"Send out ten squadrons of Ties," Luke ordered calmly, "and set the
turbolasers to three-quarters of their power."
"Yes, prince Vader." the Admiral saluted, then hurried to dispatch his
orders.
Except for some strong-headed new comers, nobody dared defy his orders
anymore. After his sickening demonstration, he had needed little more than a
few beginnings of strangling through the Force and everybody in the ship had
learnt to obey his every order without any questions.
Even his father's admiral had reluctantly bowed to him.
It was the same thing with the rest of the fleet, but only as far as the
officers were concerned.
It was up to them to control 'their' men.
He had enough work doing it in his ship, he didn't need to worry about the
rest of the fleet.
That was his father's job.
He focused his attention on his left and studied the ongoing fight against
the escaping transports.
Down on the surface, small explosions continued to pepper the landscape.
The rebels wouldn't get away, he sighed in resignation.
Once again, he had done his job well.

******

After Rialteer, the rim worlds seemed to be galvanized by the defeat: they
openly declared war to the Empire, rallying their strength into an important
army.
Luke and his father found themselves with their hands full with missions of
all kinds.
Between their attacks from space, their ambushes, their secret operations
and their ultimatums, they didn't notice time as seven months passed by
them.

That evening, Luke returned to his quarters, trying hard to not drag his
feet on the well-polished tiles of the deck.
He was so tired, he thought, that he felt like he was going to collapse on
the spot.
Even though he had been victorious again, crushing yet another rebel base
and uncovering the location of at least three other bases, he couldn't
summon up the energy to celebrate this latest, crushing success.
The chase had been long, twisted, had required the questioning of far too
many individuals who would soon be transferred to the mines of Kessel... and
he had yet again destroyed what could be the last hope for the galaxy.
They were getting closer and closer to completely annihilate them now,
but... he wasn't eager to reach this point.
He knew now that he didn't want to win against the Rebellion ; he was
careful to keep those thoughts for himself though.
Not even his father knew that he approved of the Rebel Alliance. If the
Emperor ever discovered that... he shuddered at the images of what he might
do to him.
He had tried to crush those rebellious thoughts, he really had, but he
hadn't been able to keep them from resurfacing then and again.
If he didn't have to serve the Emperor, he now knew, he would be with the
Alliance. More than anything else in his life, he wanted to get rid of the
Emperor, of his unfair, harsh ruling... and he wanted to be free with his
father.
If he could, he then added, he would also take his friend with them. Mara
also deserved better than the life that she had.
No one should be forced to live with someone that they hadn't chosen, he
thought seriously as he crossed the doorframe of their quarters. Of course,
they didn't complain anymore about the arrangement, but if they had a
choice, they probably wouldn't be together, he finished while he stepped
through the entrance of the secret rooms--- a heavy weight slammed into him,
throwing him down on the deck.
Luke instantly struggled to throw her off of him, but he noticed that she
had been working on her techniques.
She had him pinned before he could gather his strength.
"I win, farmboy." she smiled at him.
Luke groaned as he heard her diminutive. Kreth, he shouldn't have told her
about that part of his life, he berated himself, then he felt the cool tip
of her pocket blaster graze his cheek.
"Seems so." he conceded, meeting her gaze. He knew when---
Their smile died on their lips.

Mara remained astride on him, gazing deep into his eyes.
Gods was he handsome, she thought lustfully. Even though she was living with
him, was his only friend aboard the ship and that she had worked in close
quarters with him more than once, she always seemed able to find a new
characteristic about him whenever she looked at him.
Right now, the gentle yet hard curve of his cheekbone was mesmerizing her.
Combined with the blue of his eyes, she was enraptured.
She had always vowed that her 'consort' would never be anything more than a
distraction, a duty for her Emperor, but... lately, he wasn't a duty at all.
It was an immense pleasure to be with the young man: pleasure for her eyes,
her feelings, her mind.
Never in her life had she thought that having friends could be this
strengthening, this interesting. She had always seen any kind of emotional
opening as a weakness, but it was far from being the case.
Whenever she spoke with Luke, she always came out of the conversation
stronger, having taken benefit of his opinions, his ideas, even his humor...
and vice versa.
She was looking forward to their next mission together, when the Rebels
would be crushed.
She had gotten used to have him at her side and she was missing him now.
"Jade?" he asked, cutting in her thoughts.
"What?" she asked as coolly as she could.
"Are you getting comfortable or can I expect to be let up sooner than
later?" he inquired playfully.
Ooooh, that smile that made him look like an innocent, very handsome
farmboy.
She leaned closer to him, setting her armed hand on the deck.
"I'm getting comfortable, farmboy." she answered lustfully, then didn't
resist his magnetism anymore.
She kissed him.

Luke was too startled by her action to react in any way.
Whoa?? What was that about?, he wondered as she continued to claim his lips
with her owns.
It wasn't the first time that their lips touched ; they had mimicked kissing
lovers more times than he could count, but this one was different.
It wasn't cool like the other times. Instead, it was burning with passion.
Passion?, he wondered as he moaned in slight protest.
Mara didn't let go, only tried to deepen their kiss by taking hold of his
hair.
*Mara,* he sent. *What are you doing?*
*I love you.* she answered lustfully.
Her answer threw him for a flip.
Love??
Before he could think further, or return her kiss, the main door opened
again, this time allowing his father inside.
Even as he felt his father's shock about their position, he also felt Mara's
doubt and discomfort as she looked up at the dark lord.
Faster than neither of them could react, she bolted away from him and
disappeared inside the inner rooms.
Luke leaned up on his elbows, wondering about what had just happened.
"I'm sorry, Son." his father apologized as he walked closer to him. "Have I
interrupted anything?"
Luke shook his head, then sat up.
"I... I don't know, Father." he admitted softly.
His friend had just added a strange piece to her puzzle.

******

While Luke considered his friend's strange behavior, the Emperor considered
his options.
Three years now, he thought as he studied an holovid of young Vader at work
on the bridge of his father's ship. Three years since he had decided to
sacrifice his desire for his fight against the rebels.
His cravings had only grown more powerful during that time, as well as
shifted into something that he hadn't really expected.  He didn't only crave
to own the boy's soul now... but his body as well.
He hadn't seen the youth for quite a while now since he had never had time
to risk to make him come 'home' and need him on the front.
The rebels had been too busy and had proliferated too quickly to take any
chances with his 'little wonder'.
On the other hand, what he had discovered lately was far from his liking.
The little runt was pro-rebels.
He had used his link with him to explore his psyche yet again, and that
discovery had greatly angered him.
He had barely restrained himself from hurting the boy upon discovering that.
That, he decided, was a break in their contract.
Oh, not a real one since the boy still served him as best as he could, but
he wasn't 100% devoted to him either.
He had waited long enough, he decided. It was time to put an end to his
cravings, preferably without Vader's knowledge.
He began to plan a way to make the boy return alone to Coruscant for a
'legitimate' reason.
His father would take care of the rebels while 'he' would finally be his, he
cackled to himself.

******

The report came in around 0300 in the afternoon, and kept him busy until
1100 at night.
Prince Xizor had overstepped his rights and had borrowed no less than twenty
star destroyers for a special transport through embattled territory.
Luke couldn't believe that the cautious Falleen would dare do something as
outrageous as this without any fear to loose his place of choice in the
Emperor's favors ; he asked for other reports.
They all corroborated.
Xizor had weakened the fleet to transport spice.
Since he was the one responsible for everything related to material
resources, it was up to him to settle this.
Of course, he conceded as he took off his shirt and pants, leaving his
father alone wasn't a problem. He could more than take care of the rebels on
his own for a while.
No, the problem was that he would have to report to Coruscant alone... Now
there was a prospect that was giving him Goosebumps.
He hadn't been there for years, hadn't been within a hundred meters of the
Emperor's presence in a long, long while.
Sure, he was a grown man now, no longer a child, but still... he wasn't
looking forward to his report to his master.

The next morning, he warned his father of the situation. They tried to come
up with an alternative, but couldn't think of anything.
He 'had' to go to Coruscant. Mara offered to go with him ; he accepted.
Having her at his side would reassure him, but he knew that it wouldn't be
any use if the Emperor got any mean idea in mind while he would be within
reach.
They made the trip to Coruscant in silence, both of them focused on their
thoughts, and their bad feelings.

******

The Emperor felt the boy's presence enter his field of awareness the moment
that he exited hyperspace.
By the time that he was kneeling at his feet, like the good servant that he
was supposed to be, he could barely restrain himself from putting his plans
to execution right there and then.
No, he reminded himself, better wait and do it right. That way, it would be
even better. Not even Jade would know what had happened to the boy until he
was ready to 'free' him from 'Black Sun'.
As he listened to the youth's report, he bit his lip to contain his jubilant
cackle.
In two days, he silently promised himself.

******

As soon as his report was made, Luke hurried to leave the castle and find
refuge in his father's.
Kreth, he swore, not only was the Emperor still looking forward to break
him, but he was now also lusting for him.
He had felt his desire as if it had been his own.
Fortunately though, he had also felt that it was kept under control since he
was a good servant.
That was the only good thing about his situation though ; otherwise, those
were very, very bad news indeed.
Determinate to leave this cursed place as soon as possible, Luke decided to
face Xizor right away.

Mara silently followed him as he headed once more for his shuttle that would
bring him to the dark prince's castle.
She had noticed how worried he looked since they had set foot on Coruscant,
but she didn't know why he was so nervous.
He couldn't possibly be afraid of Xizor, she thought in bemusement. Luke was
invincible ; his intelligence would give a run to the Falleen. She had no
doubt that the traitor would pay dearly for his crimes.
While they waited for him to receive them, she discreetly studied her
friend.
He had selected to wear his long cloak, leaving no doubt as to who and what
he was.
He was prince Luke Vader, servant of the Emperor and dark Jedi.
Not someone to trifle with.
And someone that she loved.
Yes, she loved him. She could barely believe it herself, but her heart had
been screaming the truth at her for days now... ever since her kiss in fact.
It was a shame that Luke's father had come in when he had though. If he
hadn't come in... what would have happened next, she wondered for the
hundredth time since that day.
Did Luke love her too? He hadn't pushed her away, but he hadn't kissed her
back either, she conceded.
Ooooh, just why did Vader step in when he did? If he hadn't, she would have
her answer today.
Xizor's HRD informed them that they could enter the reception room.

Luke straightened his shoulder so much that his back couldn't arch up
anymore than his actual position, then he took a deep breath and stepped
inside the office.
For the first time since his father had taught him a lesson, Luke was facing
the criminal who had openly thought about eliminating him as a teenager.
The cool green eyes gazed at him, barely betraying his dislike for him.
"Prince Xizor." he bowed curtly once he had stopped a few meters away from
the other's desk.
"Prince Vader." the other bowed beautifully. "To what do I owe the honor of
your visit?"
Oh, he was good at small talk, and at hiding his true feelings, Luke
admitted.
"A most unpleasant matter, prince Xizor." he answered coolly. "It appears
that some of your highly placed agents have taken liberty to use twenty of
the Emperor's star destroyers to escort a convoy of spice."
Now, he thought to himself, what would he answer to that.
Luke noticed the minute darkening of the alien's complexion, then the cool
control once again.
"Do you have names, my prince? I shall take actions immediately."
"Unfortunately, the traitors have already been executed, dark prince. I am
simply here to deliver a message." he said evenly.
The other nodded, as if contrite.
"We are at war with the rebels, and as such," he said, his voice taking a
darker edge. "we do not have a single ship or fighter to spare for criminal
business. The Emperor has been very explicit when he's mentioned swift and
cruel retribution upon the head of anyone, and I mean anyone, found
responsible of such a crime."
Xizor bowed, as if in acceptance.
"I understand, Prince Vader, and I will pass the message along. I am
extremely sorry that this has happened in the first place." he answered
suavely.
"Be grateful that this 'loss' hasn't been too damageable this time, dark
prince." Luke warned him, glaring shortly at him. "I suggest you keep a
closer eye on your underground Empire."
"Of course, prince Vader." Xizor bowed again.
Luke didn't give him time to stand up again ; he turned his back to him and
walked out of the room.
Behind him, he heard Xizor's sharp teeth grind together in dangerous anger.

******

Since he had to report to his master, and that it was already late at night,
Luke reluctantly decided to stay on the planet for the night.

The moment that he felt the boy go to sleep, the Emperor cast a sleeping
veil over his and Jade's mind, then ordered his secret agents to kidnap the
boy.
Since they would make it look as if Black Sun had captured the young man,
not even Vader would know what had happened to his son.
His fury would also give him the drive needed to destroy the annoying
underground organization.

TBC Sunday

Liked it?  Let me know please :)  (Is Lucime the only one who's reading
this? Just curious ;)

SJ