Luke Vader: part 1
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SJ  26-04-00/10-00

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Little Luke Skywalker had known that he shouldn't have gone too far from the 
farm, but his desire for adventure had been too strong.
Uncle Owen had often rebuked him about his straying, saying that it was not safe 
out there in the sand.
Tonight, Luke wouldn't need his uncle to tell him that ; he knew now what his 
uncle had meant.
He kicked again against the cover of the landspeeder's trunk that he had been 
throw in.  
He had been exploring a dune that had seemed to be calling to him when the 
speeder and burly men had come up on him from the other nearby dune.  It had 
flown low and fast ; one of the men had grabbed him as he had been trying to run 
to safety.  
They had first knocked him out and thrown him on the backseat, but when he had 
been too rambunctious to their taste... 
Well, he had behaved real bad by pulling their hair out and biting them, but 
they had deserved it; they hadn't wanted to let him go.  
Anyway, they had gagged him and put him in the trunk.  
It was very hot in there, but Luke kept banging on the closed opening, hoping 
that his free feet and legs would be strong enough to push it open.  
He didn't know who those persons were, but he knew one thing for sure: they were 
not good people.
Even though he was seven years old, well almost..., he could feel when people 
wanted his welfare or not.
They didn't.
The trunk suddenly opened and a strong hand pulled him up and out of the trunk.  
Luke struggled against its hold, kicking his holder in hopes to make him release 
him.  
"Oww!" his captor exclaimed before his grip on Luke's baggy tunic loosened.  
Luke pulled free from it, only to be caught by the other's companion.  The 
taller man didn't waste time and hauled him onto his shoulders.  
Luke kicked against his chest, moaned and tried to tell them to let him go, but 
his gag was making that very difficult to accomplish.
The man he had kicked closed the trunk and straightened.
"Jabba has better not haggle for this one cause I've just had it." he warned his 
companion.
Luke's feet were suddenly pinned against the man's stomach as he trapped his 
ankles in a strong grip. The boy wriggled furiously on his shoulder, trying hard 
to break his bonds or at least fall off from the man's shoulder. 
That way, he thought, his feet would be free.  
"Don't worry, he won't." the man answered the other as if nothing wrong was 
going on.  "Nobody's gonna do his job for him if he doesn't have us on his 
payroll."  
Luke then screamed as the other pinched him hard.
"Give it a rest, Child.  There's no way out for you." he warned.
Luke continued to struggle against his restraints.  

******

They entered the throne room and stopped in front of Jabba the Hutt.  
It didn't impress Luke.  All he wanted was to break free and run for it.  He 
wanted to bury himself in his aunt's arms.  Even his uncle's scowls would be 
better than this.
"Got another one for you, Jabba." one of his childnapper sneered.
*And how do I know that it is a good pick this time?* the slug rumbled 
unhappily.
Through his rage, Luke was surprised to discover that he could understand 
Huttese.
"He's full of energy, and will probably be the rage among those who like them 
tough." the other man pointed out.
Upon hearing this, Luke redoubled his efforts to kick the man.
*Very well, five thousands.* Jabba said dismissively.
"Ten grans." the other man corrected.  "This child ain't been fun to catch, and 
we ain't gonna do it again unless you pay us for the trouble we bear up for 
you."
Jabba growled lowly.
Somehow, Luke could feel that bargaining with Jabba was an extremely bad thing.
*Very well.  Ten.*
His carrier threw him on the hard floor.  Luke yelped in pain.  Before he could 
recover though, two ugly Gamorrean guards picked him up by his arms and pulled 
him off the floor.  Luke small legs kicked in the air, trying to hit them.  
*Take him to the transport.  He'll be part of our next sending.* Jabba ordered.
"Now you pay us." the man said greedily.
*Of course.*  
Luke heard a grating sound, then the two men shrieked in horror as they 
disappeared under the floor.
For a moment, he felt his guards' hesitancy to obey their orders.  They wanted 
to watch the Rancor feeding, he realized.  
They took him out of the throne room.
*It ain't fair.  We never get to see those." one of the aliens grunted, and Luke 
understood him.
*Shut up!  You wanna be the next one?  I don't." his companion snapped.
Luke continued to try and kick his captors, but he couldn't.  And even if he did 
connect, they were too well padded for him to really be able to hurt them.
He fought against his urge to cry.  He was too small, too weak to stop them from 
childnapping him.  
It wasn't fair.
They brought him aboard a ship where a droid registered him, fastened a collar 
around his throat, then shot him with some kind of spice.
The Gamorreans freed him from his bonds and threw him inside a holding cell.
Luke landed hard on his stomach. 
"You can't do this!!" he screamed as he turned toward the closing door. 
Once alone, he pounded the steel floor, letting his great anger take the best of 
his normally even temper.  
Then, he looked around himself.  At least fifty other children were in here with 
him, all of them more or less asleep on the hard deck.
They had also been drugged to sleep during the transport, he realized in 
understanding.
He wouldn't sleep, he decided.  He wasn't going to let them take control of him 
this easily.
They had childnapped him ; they'd learn what a Skywalker was about.
If his dad were still alive, he'd be proud of him.
He crossed his arms, sat cross-legged, and fumed inwardly.
Strangely, he really succeeded to fight off the sleeping drug.  He just didn't 
know how.

******

Some time later, but Luke couldn't tell how much, his collar shocked him into 
full awareness.  Something was about to happen... He stood up and walked toward 
where he remembered that the door was.  He heard footsteps that were coming 
closer.  He pushed his back against the wall and waited for the door to open.  
He was going to get out of here.
He could catch womprats that way, he would break free, he thought seriously.
The door slid open.  Luke jumped through the opening, intent on bowling over 
whoever was coming to collect them.
Luke ran straight into strong, large legs.  The fat, portly alien picked him up 
by the throat, studied him, then violently threw him back inside the cell.  
"Hmm, feisty little one." he commented to his companions.
Luke had barely recovered from his rough landing onto still awakening children 
when bolts of electricity bit into his neck.  
He shrieked in pain as he tried to pull the collar off of himself.
His torment went on for an extra minute, then it stopped, only to be replaced by 
vicious kicks in the stomach and chest.  
"If you dare pull another stunt like this, puny boy, you will be punished for 
real." he snarled in a dark voice.
He kicked him one last time, then left him alone.
"Get up, slaves." he snapped angrily.
The alien man emphasized his order with a few kicks into the slower children.  
Luke tried to get up, but it still hurt too much. 
A new kick, this time in his back, punished him again, then rough hands pulled 
him up and shoved him toward the other prisoners.  They were being tied one to 
another via their collars.  
Luke's body protested this fast move by causing him more pain.  He fell to his 
knees.  
The man in charge of the herding pulled him back to his feet before tying him to 
the rest of the group.  
He took hold of the leash attached to the first child, then pulled roughly on 
it.  The still half-drugged child stumbled forward before following him.  The 
others followed suite, Luke included.
It was hard enough to walk without having to strain against the group, he 
thought sadly.  One of the children tried to talk, but was silenced by a sharp 
jolt in the neck.
"That's what awaits any of you who'll dare open its trap." the burly alien 
growled.
The children cringed in fear; they followed in silence.  
They were brought into a large courtyard where people of all races and ages were 
being abused one way or another.  Luke closed his eyes in horror ; his leash 
jerked him forward, forcing him to pick up his pace.
The children were herded toward the far corner of the yard where they were lined 
up.
A richly clothed woman came forward and studied them.  What she saw seemed to 
please her.  
She stopped in front of the young farmboy ; she made a face as she saw his 
bruise.  She turned toward one of their guards.  
"He misbehaved." he told her.  
Luke glared at her ; his collar shocked him again.  
"Listen to me now, children." she began.  "You are now slaves and you will do as 
we say or you will pay for your defiance.  This is a training center.  You will 
be evaluated and classified before being sent for selling."   She met each of 
the children's frightened gaze with her steely one.  "Behave and you will be 
well treated, which in return will make you available for the better classes."  
She glared at Luke.  "Defy us, and you will be kept for the worst beings of this 
galaxy."
She viciously pulled a little girl free of the ranks.  
"None of you have an identity or a family anymore.  You are pets, servants, 
slaves, whatever we please."  She pulled on the little girl's arm.  "What's your 
name?"
"Lila...Hir---- I don't have a name." she said as the other tightened her grip 
on her arm until it hurt.
"Good."  
She threw the little girl back into the group.  She repeated the procedures with 
every child.  Some were obedient, some tried to hang onto their names, but she 
always managed to break them.
Luke noticed that those childs, mostly boys, were gathered in a different group.  
His turn came.  His name was Luke Skywalker, and no one would ever make him 
forget it or deny it.
He was the last proof that his father had once lived.
The woman's grip tightened on his arm.  Luke didn't give in.  He tried to kick 
her.  
"I'm Luke S--aaaaah!" he yelped as she pulled him up from the ground.
She let him fall down before two of her guards picked him up.  She viciously 
took hold of his chin.  
"For the last time, what's your name?" she demanded harshly.
"Skywalker." Luke spat in rage.  
The woman slapped him hard in the face, then again.  
Luke's head rang under the assault.  
"This one will not be fed until he's changed his mind."  she ordered.
"Good, I'll die." he told her. 
Luke knew from his survival courses that the body needed food to survive.
"You will not, slave.  Trust me." she sneered at him.  "Take them away." she 
told the guards.

******

Luke and the other boys were thrown into a dark, dank holding cell which had no 
amenities whatsoever.  
"There has to be a way out of here." one of the boys said to the others.
"How?  We're too young, and not strong enough to fight against them." another 
pointed out.
"Not to mention that they can shock us anytime they want." a third one added.
"We can't escape from here anyway." Luke said, joining the conversation.
"Why?" the first one asked.
Luke rubbed his aching cheek.  
"It's as armed as Jabba's palace was." he moaned slightly.
"So we should wait till they sell us?" a new boy asked in disbelief.
"If they don't break you till then." Luke nodded.
"I want to go home." a younger one said.
"We all want that." the young farmboy said.  
Before anybody else could add anything, a warning to be silent came from the 
corridor.
"I'll talk if I want to." Luke defied, having enough of being ordered around.  
He and his group collapsed to the floor, screaming in pain as they were 
punished.  

******

The following days were pure hell.  They made them do different things to test 
their skills.
Luke never obeyed their orders.
Every time he defied them, he got hit more or less viciously.  
Every evening, the woman tried to make him deny his name, and every evening, 
Luke held strong.  
They shot him with nutrient to feed his cells, but his growling stomach became a 
constant torment.
By the fifth day, he was kept away from the rest of the group since his defiance 
was fueling theirs.  
His captor had told him that he was too much a good element to kill him, but 
that he was going to pay for his attitude.
As if he hadn't paid yet, he thought darkly.
In a way, he hadn't.  
Whenever they weren't with him, he was held in check via his collar, and when he 
was out of his cell in the courtyard, they were always hurting him one way or 
another.
The more they hurt him, and the more he resisted.  
They were getting ready to ship him off with the others now.  It was his turn to 
be stripped of all his clothes and marked as an animal would be.  

The woman watched the little boy struggle against his chains as his guards 
ripped his ragged clothes away from his sweaty body, then covered his loins with 
a sarong-like clothe.  
Unlike the other childs, this one was fairly built for his age.  Yes, he would 
bring back a large quantity of money.  He looked like a younger version of an 
adult slave.  
Which he was.
The guards set about marking his arm with the laser marker.  The child was 
struggling too much to make it doable.  She decided to drug him for the 
procedures.

Something sharp and really painful bit into his left biceps, but other than 
scream in reaction, Luke couldn't move as he'd like to.
He was caught as if in a fuzzy, warm blanket that was immobilizing him.
He dimly heard voices, knew that he should be fighting against those people, but 
he couldn't.
He heard voices in the distance.  
"We'll keep him for the last show.  Make sure to give him a double dose of spice 
before you bring him with the others." The mean woman was saying.  "I don't want 
him to make a scene on the stage.  Do you have what you'll need to prepare him?"
"Yes, but why do we cover up his bruises?  It would show how tough a child he 
is; I've heard that they're very appealing to some out there."
Luke inwardly cringed at his words.
"Because there's rough and there's bratty.  No one will want him with that many 
bruises and marks.  Cover them up, except one or two." the woman ordered.
"You're the boss."
Luke felt himself being freed from his locks, then they brought him aboard a 
ship.  He followed them docilely, unable to do anything else.  

******

When he recovered his full senses, it was to realize that one of the guards he 
hated the most was applying something on his leg, covering up the ugly black and 
blue that he bore on his thigh.
He did the same with the rest of his strung-up body until he focused on his neck 
and face.  
Luke wanted to bite him, but they knew him well now.  They had gagged him in 
case he tried something like that.  
The other finished his job, then patted his head as if in care.  
"I hope you'll end up with a very cruel master, brat." he sneered meanly.  "You 
deserve it, even more than the others in this group."
*And I hope you'll someday go through slavery yourself.* Luke thought.
The other's eyes bulged in shock, then he slowly recovered his coldness and 
smirked at him.
"We've been together for too long; now I can hear what you'd say if you could." 
he guffawed to himself as he shot him yet again with some kind of drug.  
"Make me proud of you, brat." he sneered before leaving him alone.

Luke's head was swimming wildly when they came for him and brought him to the 
rest of the group.  The recalcitrant boys had all been drugged like him; none of 
them would be able to resist much of anything.  
They followed the pull that was urging them onward.

******

Darth Vader hated Naureal.  He hated it because it was far from any decent 
world, which meant that the population was awfully bad, and it was also one of 
the major trade center for slaves.  
If only he could put an end to that slavery thing, he thought darkly, not for 
the first time since he had unfortunately set foot on the planet.
He walked swiftly down the streets, cursing yet again the fact that he couldn't 
use a speeder in such crowded streets.  He tried to block out the calls of the 
slave traders as they offered fresh flesh to whoever could afford their prices.  
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.  
Someone nearby was Force-Sensitive and he was trying hard to use his powers.  
Vader scanned around himself.

Luke's group was slowly diminishing as one boy after another was sold to the 
highest bidder.  
Luke's senses were slowly overcoming the effect of the drug, but not fast enough 
to try and dash for it.  It enraged him that he couldn't defend himself against 
this.  
He knew about slavery, about its horrors, even worse than what he had already 
suffer ; he didn't want to step onto those planks.
Unfortunately, his turn came.  He tripped in the steps as the woman violently 
pulled him beside herself.  He bunched his small fists and wished for the 
ability to punch the evil woman, or even break free from this nightmare.
He remained still, his eyes glazed as if in a dream.

Vader told his troops to wait for him before he made his way toward the stage 
that seemed to beckon to him. 
He came up just in time to see a young, fair-haired boy being pulled into view.  
He was obviously very unhappy about his situation, he noted clinically.  
Vader scanned him with the Force.  He was the one.  
"And the last but not the least: Luke, aged of seven.  This boy is strong for 
his age, and brilliant.  He is very enduring, has stamina and has lived on a 
farm since his young age.  We start the bid at twenty thousand."
"Twenty-five." a first alien yelled.
"Thirty-five." a second bidded.
"Fifty." a third one added.
Vader noticed the way the boy was tightening his fists ; he had been drugged, 
but he was slowly breaking free of it.
"A hundred thousand." someone said in the crowd.
Nobody answered to that.  
"A hundred thousand once, twice---"
"Five hundred thousands." the dark lord said calmly.  
It would barely make a nick in his fortune.
Everybody present gasped, then cringed away as they saw who had just purchased 
the last child.  Vader walked forward.
"Once, twice, Sold to Lord Vader." the woman purred.  
He gave her the credits and took the boy's leash from her.  
"It's been a pleasure making a deal with you, my Lord.  If you ever want more, 
here is my card."
Vader dismissed her attempt to seduce him. 
"That one will be enough." he said curtly.  
He pulled the boy off the stage and made his way out of the selling court.

Luke was aware of the black-clad giant who had just purchased him, he knew that 
he was afraid of him, but he couldn't resist him either.  
He followed him all the way through the city until they reached the spaceport.  
By then, the drug had really begun to recede from his system and he was able to 
think for himself.
The first thing he did was to pull against his leash, trying to pull it free 
from the other's hold and run away from him.  
The second thing he did was gasp in pain as something burning ran along his 
spine to punish him for his defiance.  
*You might be a child, but that will not stop me from hurting you even more if 
you try this again.* he heard in his head
Luke froze as he heard the other in his mind.  He let go of his leash.
*Better.* he praised him darkly.
They boarded the shuttle ; Vader sat in a seat, then pulled Luke down and beside 
his feet.  The boy sat there, wincing as his bruised ankle hit the deck a bit 
too hard to his liking.  He rubbed it to alleviate his pain.
On his way to his ship, Vader studied his new Jedi-child.  
He was untrained, felt a great deal of dark emotions and was obviously strong 
and intelligent for his age.  He saw him raise his head even as he felt his 
intention to address him.  
*Silence.* he told him darkly.  
The boy's eyes grew large again as he heard him again in his mind.  

Luke wrapped his arms around his knees and tried to warm himself in the cold 
environment of the shuttle.  
It looked like the cruel guard had had his wish, he reflected sadly ; Luke knew 
who Darth Vader was.  He was the dark henchman of the Emperor, and he was 
responsible for some of the worst atrocities in the history of the galaxy.
He had learnt to fear even the mention of his name.
Now he was in his very presence.
Up to now, he knew that his father would've been proud of him, but now... with 
this new master... could he resist him?, he wondered doubtfully.
Considering the amount he had paid, Vader wouldn't kill him, he knew ; he would 
punish him.
He clenched his fists and kept his tears inside his eyes.  

******

They reached the Dark Lord's ship.  
There, Vader went straight to his quarters. The troops left him alone.
Once the door had closed behind them, he unhooked the leash from Luke's collar.
"You know that you are mine now." he told the small child very seriously.  "I've 
paid for you and you are now my registered property.  I am your master." he said 
ominously, as much to gauge the boy's strength of will as to warn him not to try 
anything.
"I know..." Luke pouted.  
That sign of defiance displeased the dark lord.  He grabbed the boy's arm and 
lifted him free of the deck.
To his astonishment, the boy howled as if in torture.  He had a strong grip on 
him, yes, but not 'that' strong.
He let go of him ; Luke fell back on the hard deck, more or less on his feet. 
The boy noticed the make-up that had been rubbed off from his skin.  
Vader also noticed it.  He pulled the boy close to him once more, this time 
crouching in front of him to have a better look at the child.
Where his skin had looked normal, it was now covered by an ugly black and blue.  
The boy's actual state had been covered up, he realized unhappily.  
"How many more bruises are you hiding from me?" he asked the young boy.

Luke remained silent.  He didn't know himself anyway.
This time, Vader took hold of his almost-broken arm, pulled him off the floor 
and didn't let go.  Luke shrieked in pain.
"When I ask you a question, you will answer me." his slaver ordered darkly.
"Ahh!" he pedaled in the air.  "I don't know!!!" he howled in torture.
"Would you say many?" the dark lord asked him, still not letting him go.
"Yes!!"  Luke screamed, desperate to be set back on the cold deck.
"Where?" Vader asked, as if unconcerned. 
"Ahh!!!" he shrieked again "Everywhere!" he told him as truthfully as he could.
Vader let him fall to the deck once more.  Luke winced as his bad ankle 
complained against the rough landing.

"Everywhere?"  the dark lord queried in disbelief.
He himself had been a slave and had never been beaten this much.  Only the most 
stubborn of the lot were--- he studied the boy.  Yes, this little one was 
hardheaded.  
The child took hold of his painful arm and rubbed it as he fought against his 
pain.  Vader noticed that more make up was coming off of his skin.
"Come." he told him as he turned around.
The boy didn't budge from his place ; Vader wrapped a Force-leash around his 
throat, tormented him yet again via nerve-inflammation, then pulled him hard 
after himself.

Luke was still screaming and twisting when the pain disappeared and his hurt 
body was relentlessly pulled on the floor until he managed to get back to his 
feet and limp after the towering dark lord.  
How could the dark lord do what he'd done?.., he wondered in fear.  He hadn't 
even touched him!  
Vader entered a luxurious 'fresher.  It contained a deep bath that Luke had only 
ever dreamed about, and a shower stall.  Water was already going down its tap.
Water?!  A real shower?!, he gaped wide-eyed.  
Luke had never seen such a shower except in the holos of the rich and famous 
people.  
Vader then came up behind him and took hold of his collar ; Luke instantly 
cringed in fear.  Then he felt the other strain against it.  To his disbelief, 
it broke, then, to his utter confusion, the dark lord took it away from his 
bruised neck.  
The boy dubiously looked at the giant.
"Take off your clothe and get inside." Vader told him curtly.  
"Why?" Luke asked him, unsure of what the dark lord wanted.  
First he was asking him about his bruise, and now he was asking him to take off 
what little clothe he still had.
Even though he was young, Luke didn't like being naked if front of people.  
To answer his question, Vader's unseen power shoved him into the shower ; he 
trip over the edge of the stall, then his piece of fabric was ripped off of him 
and the door was closed.  

"While you're in there, boy, take the soap and wash yourself.  I'll be back in 
ten minutes." the dark lord ordered him.
He had some things to prepare concerning his new slave.

Luke stood up, fought his tears that had been brought about by his new injuries, 
then tested the door.  
He couldn't open it.  
The soap fell on his head, reminding him of what he was supposed to do.
He reluctantly lathered himself, careful not to push too hard against the places 
where his bruises were.  The water at his feet was a peach-brown color thanks to 
the make-up that had been used on him.  
When he finished his lathering and simply stood under the water, he realized 
that it was the first time ever that he was standing under so much water.  It 
was fun!..  It was just too bad that he had had to become a slave to experience 
this... For a moment, he wondered if his aunt and uncle had figured out what had 
happened to him... his aunt must've been so very worried about him... Uncle Owen 
a bit less so, but he was probably searching for him like he had done every time 
he had been playing too far from the farm.  
Luke closed his eyes, fighting again against his need to cry.  No, his father 
wouldn't cry.  He wouldn't cry... not until he was sure to be left alone for a 
while.
The water stopped and the door suddenly opened as the dark lord returned.  Luke 
started, took a step backward only to fall on his butt thanks to the slippery 
stall.  He yelped as he landed hard on his behind.  Vader threw him a towel, put 
some clothes on the cubicle beside the bath, then turned away from him.
"Dry yourself and wrap the towel around your waist." he ordered.  "I want to see 
your real state." he told him calmly.
"My real state?" Luke asked.  "It---aaah!" he yelped.
The dark lord's voice rumbled up yet again.  "It'll hurt every time you'll speak 
without permission, boy.  Haven't they taught you to be silent?" he wondered out 
loud. 
He remembered his own experience.
"They've tried." Luke answered as he dried himself.
He awkwardly wrapped the medium-sized piece of cloth around his hips, then 
carefully stepped outside the stall.  
Vader turned around ; he shook his head.  
"I see what you mean.  Do you wish for me to add to those?" he asked him 
seriously.
"No, I want to go home." Luke told him truthfully.
The clothes he'd previously seen suddenly landed on his head, effectively 
smothering it.  
"It is impossible, boy." his slaver told him seriously.  "I am your new home and 
you'd better accept it."
Luke took the clothes off of his head and glared at the dark lord.  
"I will never accept it." he yelled in anger.  "I am not an animal ; I'm a 
person and my name is Luke Skywalker."

The name shocked the dark lord, but he would have to think about it later.  For 
the moment, he couldn't bring this young Jedi to the Emperor just yet, but he 
had a few ideas as to how to break this little one's will.  
"You are my slave, boy ; never forget it." he warned him darkly.
He waved his hand in the boy's direction.
Luke tried to retort, but he was suddenly unable to produce any sound.  He tried 
to speak, still with the same result.
The boy's horrified eyes shot upward to meet his dangerous ones.
"When you will have learnt to control your tongue, boy, I shall let you speak 
again.  Now, get dressed and clean up after yourself.  I will be in the room 
next door." He ordered as he turned away from the boy.
He left an horrified young Skywalker in his wake.
Skywalker... could this boy be his son?.., he wondered in amazement.   But he 
didn't have any son... 
He decided to take a sample of the boy's blood.  
And if he were his son, then he would truly have to wait until the boy would be 
subservient before he brought him to the Emperor, let alone told him the truth 
about his situation.  
The child hated him too much right now.
But hate was good in his Jedi training, he reminded himself.

In the 'fresher, Luke remained still for an extra five minutes, trying to 
generate any sound at all, but he couldn't.
He was completely, utterly mute.  Vader wanted him to disappear, to become like 
a ghost that would serve him, he realized.  
If he could take his voice, he could probably take something else like his 
hearing, or his sight... or his thoughts.  
He couldn't risk loosing that... not now that he was alone, mute and helpless.  
He angrily shoved his arms in the arms of the rough shirt the dark lord had 
found for him, then he did the same with the large, beige pants.  
It was not fair, he thought once more.  
He turned toward the shower, picked a towel and began cleaning it up.
When he was finished, he exited the door and headed for the room next door... 
only there were three such rooms.  The three doors were closed and he wasn't 
given any clue as to where Vader was.  Even stranger, none of the doors were 
opening when he was stepping closer.  
*Trust your feelings and find me, boy.* the dark lord sent him.
Luke made a face.  Great, games now.  He didn't want to---  He fell to his knees 
as the pain he'd felt in the anteroom assaulted him again.
*Do it.* Vader ordered darkly.
Still dazed from his punishment, Luke looked at the doors and tried to decide 
which one felt most 'attractive'.  He headed for the door on his right.  It 
didn't open.  
*Ask me to let you in, boy.* Vader taunted him.
'How?' Luke thought.  Had the Darksider forgotten that he couldn't speak thanks 
to him?
*Think of me, then imagine that you're talking to me.* he instructed him 
seriously.
At first puzzled, the child made a face and decided not to make a fool of 
himself, then he felt the previous agony build up again in his back.  'Okay, 
okay...' he relented.
He imagined the black-clad giant ; he surprisingly got a very clear image of 
him.  Feeling like a fool, he pretended to talk to him.
*Can I come in?* he asked him.
As he did so, he felt a strange new awareness enter his senses, an awareness 
that allowed him to feel the other's presence on the other side of the door.
*Who am I?* Vader asked him.
Luke sighed since he thought that Vader was playing yet another game.  He 
focused like he had done before.  
*You're Lord Vader.*
*I'm your master, boy.  Now, ask me to let you in, the right way this time.*
Luke felt the other's satisfaction about this victory.  He withdrew from him.  
Playing along with whatever game the dark lord was playing was weird but 
bearable, but he simply couldn't imagine calling him by that word.  It would 
mean that he thought of himself as a slave.
No, he wasn't a slave.  He was a person. 
He had barely taken a step backward when his senses were assaulted with 
wrenching pain.  He collapsed on the floor, clutching his head as he silently 
screamed in agony.
*Say it.* Vader commanded ominously.
*Please, Master!!* he screamed through the Force.  
The door opened, then he was pulled to his feet and urged inside by the 
invisible leash Vader seemed to use on him.  
He fell on his knees as soon as the pull disappeared ; he clutched his head 
whish was still throbbing.  The pain had disappeared, but it had left 
aftereffects this time.  
He did not consider himself as a slave, but he had had no choice but to call the 
dark lord by that word.  
Vader was comfortably sitting in a large, plush-covered armchair.  
"As long as you'll rebel, boy, I will have no choice but to keep you in line." 
the dark lord explained seriously.  "I'd rather not, but if you do not give me 
any other choice, I will.  Am I clear?"
Luke nodded weakly.  
"Good.  Less than a moment ago, you have learnt another way to communicate with 
me.  You will only use it when I contact you first, and you will make sure that 
nobody else but me hear you." he informed him.
Luke raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth.  He didn't have the reflex yet to 
use that mysterious power he had just discovered.  
"How?" the dark lord suggested.  "Like I've told you.  Think only about myself 
and your message."
Vader was waiting for something... Luke could feel it.  Then, his head was 
nudged down, as if he had bowed it.
"When I will give you an order, boy, you will have two choices.  Either you 
acknowledge it mentally, or you'll bow your head in respect, but I want either 
of them." he warned him darkly.
Luke bit his lip in confusion.  What did he mean?  
His head bent down again in spite of himself.  
"That was the last example I'll give you.  Do you understand now?"
Luke thought about it a bit.  If Vader gave him an order, or made a demand, he 
had to acknowledge it.  Bowing his head would be the easiest of the two choices.  
He nodded to indicate that he understood.  
"Good.  You will not leave my quarters, under any circumstances, and you will 
stay out of sight unless I tell you otherwise." His slaver continued to instruct 
him, setting his rules clear.
Luke bowed his head, a bit less gracefully than when Vader had nudged him.
"You will do what I tell you, and how I tell you to do it."  he continued with 
finality.
Luke bowed again.
"Now come closer ; pull up your sleeve." he ordered. 
Luke hesitated a bit before standing up, but the moment he felt a twinge in his 
back, he hurried to his feet.  He stood as close as he dared to the dark lord 
and pulled up his left sleeve.  He winced when he saw his slave mark on his arm.   

Vader smiled when he saw his reaction.  He had known that the boy would react 
that way.
"Did you know that you will never be able to erase it from your skin?" he asked 
the boy as he prepared the tool he needed to take a blood sample.
The boy threw him a terrified look.
"It's unfortunately the truth... laser marking can only be taken care of by 
having your limb hacked off.  I know... I bear such a mark myself." He told him 
less harshly than usually.

Luke jumped slightly as he felt the bite of the sampling tool, but he was even 
more startled by the dark lord's revelation.
He looked at him in disbelief.  The powerful dark lord had been a slave before?  
"Yes, but I've been strong, have adapted to the situation, and I've made the 
most out of it." he told him.  "You are lucky in a way, boy.  Unlike most 
masters, I will reward you if you behave and deserve it, even give you back some 
of your freedom, in time."
Now Luke's eyes really looked as if they were going to fall down from their 
orbits.  
"In time, boy," Vader said seriously, "means that you will have to behave, 
control yourself, prove that you're trustworthy and subservient.  But if it can 
help you achieve this, then yes, keep in mind that you will not regret it.  I 
give you my word as a former slave." He finished seriously.
The dark lord didn't say so, but Luke knew that it would be hard to achieve what 
he had just enumerated.  Especially that subservience thing... he had never 
liked to be ordered around.
Vader put away the blood sample as he let go of his arm.  
"I'll show you to your cell." he told him, reminding him that he might have open 
up, but the situation was still the same.  
Luke reluctantly followed the dark lord down the dark corridor.  The man opened 
a kind of secret door.  Inside, there was a sleeping roll with a blanket, and 
that was it.  
It was better than the other cells he had been in lately, he thought sadly but 
it was still small and dark inside.  
Vader had to nudge him into motion to make him step inside.  
"When you will be awaken, you will have fifteen minutes to eat your breakfast.  
When the door will open, report to me." he instructed him.
Luke looked around himself, remembered to bow his head, then did it more 
obviously to make sure that Vader had seen it.  
The door slid shut between them.
He sat down hard on his cot and let his tears flow freely.  
He had never been this miserable since he'd been taken away from his family...  
Now, he couldn't even talk, couldn't resist the other's orders because the pain 
was too unbearable as well as leaving very unpleasant after-effects.  Bruises 
were not bad at all compared to the slight burning sensation that was still 
inhabiting his spine and head...  
He curled up on the sleeping mat, hid his head in his arms, then he mentally 
hummed the song he had hummed every night since that dreadful day on Tatooine; 
the song his aunt used to sing to him when he had been a younger boy. He let it 
and his tears carry him into sleep, like every evening since he had been 
childnapped... 

******

In the anteroom of his quarters, Vader put the bio sample into the computer, 
then waited for the results.  
Even though he had kind of expected this result given the fact that the boy 
looked very much like he himself had at his age and that he was bearing his 
name, the confirmation that the boy was his son came as a shock.
He had a son???  How?..  Had Amidala..?  
Then he remembered the treacherous Kenobi.  Of course, Kenobi had hidden from 
him the fact that his wife had been pregnant, then he had hidden her as well.  
He had abandoned his son like an orphan, much like he had deserted his dear, 
beloved wife to let her die, shortly after the dark victory of the Emperor... 
She had died in his arms..., Vader remembered sadly, reliving that awful, 
saddest moment in his life, because of his troops... because of him.  
Leaving his son all alone...
Vader's rage rose, pure and powerful.  
The cursed Jedi had abandoned his son to fend for himself!  He might have been 
in a family, but it hadn't been his family.  If he had been with him, he would 
never have gone through slavery, and he would not have to drill him and teach 
him the proper behavior for his future service to the Emperor.  
He wouldn't have to keep this masquerade of slavery going for the Force knew how 
long.  
After all, Luke, his boy, had obviously inherited his mother's stubborness as 
well as her strength of will.  If he were to reveal the truth to him now, he 
would never win him to his side.  No, he had to first teach him to stay in his 
place, like any good imperial servant, himself included, then he would slowly 
warm up to him until the boy would feel okay with his situation.  
The way to achieve that, he reflected, would be to teach him about the Force, 
bit by bit.   
But now, he had to contact the Emperor and tell him about this new Force-user.

The Emperor's holo towered above him.
"What is it, Lord Vader?" the Emperor queried gratingly.
"My master, I have found a young Jedi-child today." the dark lord said 
respectfully.
"A Jedi-child?" the ruler asked, suddenly interested.  
"He is now my registered property and will not cause you any problems." He 
reassured him.
"So he's a slave."
"Yes.  I will prepare him for you, and will bring him to you when he'll be 
ready.  He is in rather bad shape at the moment." he dutifully informed his 
ruler.
"A feisty little one." the Emperor nodded in understanding.
"Yes." Vader agreed.  "He is my son, Master." he then specified.
This last revelation surprised the Emperor.  
"Your son?" he queried doubtfully.
"I have the scientific proof, Master.  My wife must've hidden it from me at the 
end." he explained reasonably.
"Yes, probably." the galactic tyrant mused as he considered those news.  "Will 
this status change his?"
"Not right now, Master.  He is not ready for this truth.  When he will be tamed, 
I will set things straight with him.  He's seven years old." he pointed out.
"Oh," his master nodded once, as if it were unimportant now.  "then take all the 
time you need, Lord Vader.  Will you teach him about the Force?"
"Yes.  I've already begun." he informed him.
"Very well, keep me informed then and again." he told him seriously.
Vader bowed his head in respect.  
"Yes, Master."

As he made his way toward his specially designed room, Vader reached out and 
checked on the sleeping child.  
He was asleep, but his mind was clouded by grief and sorrow.  
The dark lord entered his room,  surprising himself with the thought that he 
would like to be able to hold the child in his arms and comfort him.  
Later, he sternly told himself.
He went to bed.

******

Luke started awake when a loud buzzing sound went off in his cubicle.  The 
moment he moved though, it stopped.  Still sleep-disoriented, he looked around 
himself, saw nothing but black, steel walls, and a ration bar.  
He slowly sat up, scratching his head as he tried to remember where he was now.  
His back complained a bit when he stretched himself.
Ouch! he yelped silently as he immediately change his mind about stretching- Oh, 
yeah, Vader... he reminded himself.  
The momentary burning was most unforgettable.  
Luke picked up the ration bar and began eating it.  It was tasteless, but at 
least it would help to calm down his growling stomach.  
He had finished his breakfast and was laying again on his cot when his door 
opened.  
He sat up at this.  
Uh?  Could he escape now?  
'When you'll be finished, report to me.' the dark lord had said.  
Luke groaned silently, pushed himself to his small feet, and headed down the 
corridor.  
Aww, great, how was he supposed to know where the other was?, he pouted in 
annoyance.  
Then he remembered his experience after his shower.  Vader was expecting him to 
find him again.  
Reluctantly, Luke closed his eyes, thought about the dark lord, then searched 
for him while he was in the strange state he still wasn't used to.  
He found him very easily.  He was even still asleep.  Luke walked up to the 
door, then wondered what he should do.  He decided to sit down and wait.  The 
door wasn't opening for him anyway.

He was nodding off sleepily, his elbows resting on his knees so that his hands 
could support his head, when the door swished open.  Luke started, looked at the 
door, then stood up.  He had no intention to wait for the dark lord's probe to 
urge him inside.  He stepped inside the room.  
"Close your eyes." Vader's voice said, but it wasn't like yesterday.  
It lacked the deep baritone quality that was so frightening...  The power was 
still the same though.  Luke obeyed the moment he felt the burning sensation 
appear at the small of his back.  
"Keep them closed for as long as I don't tell you to open them." he warned him.  
Luke nodded in obedience so the dark lord continued.
"Now, when this will be over, I do not want to see any negative reaction from 
you when you'll see the real me, am I clear?" he warned him in a dangerous 
voice.
Luke nodded once again, careful to keep his eyes closed.  
What was Vader trying to do?, he wondered uneasily.  Was he that ugly?  
"Imagine a man, a normal one."  his slaver told him.
Luke frowned, unable to understand what the other wanted him to do.  
"Do it." Vader warned him.
Luke called up an image of his uncle, a more than normal man.  
"Good, now, imagine what this person might look like if he were burnt and 
awfully wounded."
Luke couldn't do it.  He opened his eyes to keep himself from seeing his uncle 
the way the other was describing him.  His eyes fell onto the uncovered form of 
the dark lord.  
He stepped back in fright.  The man was horribly scarred in the face, was bald, 
his skin was pasty white, and he was most displeased with him.  
"You little stubborn pest." he growled angrily.  
Luke tried to excuse himself, but he couldn't talk.  Before he could think about 
mental conversation, he was once again caught up in the same pain that had 
assailed him the previous day.  
This time, it lasted a bit longer than usual.  
The pain came to an end.  
"Look at me, boy." his master snapped curtly.
Luke obeyed, weakly pushing himself to a sitting position.  The dark lord was 
standing a few feet away from him now.  
"Every morning, you will see me like this, so you had better get used to it.  I 
will not tolerate any sign of horror or disgust.  Do you understand?" he asked 
darkly.
Luke nodded.  
"Good.  Get my armor on the chair."  he ordered him.
Luke looked up, scanned the furniture, and finally found the dark armor that was 
laid on the chair and desk.  He slowly stood up.  Still shaky on his legs, he 
picked up the pieces of the suit and brought them to his tormentor.  
Then, he brought him his shoulder plate.  
He fought against his terror when Vader told him to fasten it in his back.  
Since Luke was standing on the bed behind the dark giant to do so, he was less 
than ten centimeters away from the ugly scar that was running along the other's 
skull.  
He hurried to accomplish this task, then hopped down the bed as soon as the 
other stood up.  He picked up the helmet, gave it to the tall man, his hands 
shaking in fear, then he hurried to get his cloak and to bring it to him.  
It was truly frightening to witness the scarred man's transformation into the 
dark giant that everybody knew.  
Luke was surprised when the dark lord gave him back his helmet.  
"Not yet.  After breakfast." he told him seriously.
He turned toward another room.  Luke stared at him, bewildered, until he felt 
the leash appear around his neck.  He didn't resist the first pull.
Vader sat at his table.  Luke noticed that a droid was turned off in a corner 
where steaming plates were waiting.  
It didn't take a genius to understand what the dark lord was expecting of him 
now.  He moved toward the corner, picked up the first plate and brought it to 
the tall man.  
Vader ate silently.  When Luke finished to serve the plates, he began to fidget 
and to look for something to do.  
Vader's heavy hand gripped his shoulder ; he inadvertently touched one of his 
bruises so Luke winced under his grip.
"Stand still, boy." he warned him seriously.  "Wait in the corner and be ready 
to come forward when I'm done."
Still?..  Luke gaped.  He slowly walked backward toward the closest corner, but 
he still had much trouble figuring out how he would make himself stand still.  
He had rarely been still in his life, except when he was asleep of course.

Vader watched the boy from the corner of his eye.  Yes, that little one was 
filled with energy and had a need to move.  He would provide him with physical 
things to do.  Unbeknown to him, he would thus begin his Jedi training.
He reached out and prepared his next assignment.
Once he was done with this, he discreetly studied again the boy ; he really had 
to learn to still his mind and body, he decided with some annoyance.  It would 
be hard, would probably earn him more pain, but this difficult period of his 
life would do him much good, he reflected.  And, it would save his life when the 
time to introduce him to the Emperor would come.  Yes, he would do what needed 
to be done to reach this goal.
On the other hand though, he hoped that his stubborn son would quickly learn to 
obey him without resistance ; he had less than relished the pain he had 
inflicted upon him less than half-an-hour earlier.  
Vader had never liked to hurt children or innocents, and now that he knew the 
truth about the boy, he really wished he didn't have to hurt him anymore.  But 
if he had to, he would, no matter how bad he felt when doing it.  
Luke would learn his place.
The dark lord finished his meal, stood up, put on his helmet then turned toward 
the uncertain boy. 

The moment the mask was sealed, Luke noticed that the quality of the air 
changed.  
As if reading his thoughts, the dark lord answered his question.  
"The room is filled with pure oxygen for the night.  That way, I can take this 
off to sleep and eat." he explained coolly, then resumed his role of harsh 
master.  "Clear the table, make the bed, then put away the remotes that are in 
the training room."
Luke jerkily nodded his head.  
"Tell me when you're finished."  *And don't touch this food.* he warned 
dangerously, indicating the remaining fruits and other very good food.
Luke was left alone.  
He picked the first plate, went toward the place where he had picked them up in 
the first place, touched the control for wash, then brought the other ones 
there.  
It was hard not to eat the untouched fruits.  They looked so very delicious.  
No, he ached enough right now, he thought glumly.  
He turned away from the appetizing remnants of food, started the clean up cycle, 
then left the dining room.  He entered the dark lord's room.  The bed was huge.  
He began by doing one side of it, then the other side, then walked from one side 
to the other until it looked right.
And to think that it would be undone tonight and that he would have to do it 
again tomorrow..., he thought unhappily.
He exited the room and checked in the other rooms to find the training room.  It 
was hard to miss: it was the only one with about twenty floating remotes in the 
air and no furniture whatsoever.  
Luke entered the room and looked around himself.  Was there a control somewhere 
that he could use to bring them down?  No.  He'd have to pick them or jump after 
them.  He moved to take the closest one to his height.  It moved away.
Luke tilted his head at that, tried again, with the same result.  He tried 
another remote.
The same thing happened.  
He scratched his head, wondering how he'd be able to put them away if they kept 
moving away from him.  He tried moving faster on them.
He could make contact with them, but still couldn't catch them.
About half an hour later, beginning to be fed up with the little things, he 
began to jump at them, hoping to be faster then their sensors.  
He came close to catching them, but they always slipped through his fingers in 
the end.

He was sitting in the middle of the room, the remotes still hovering above him.  
He was nursing a new bruise he'd collected when he'd landed hard against the 
wall when he suddenly felt a cold presence invade his mind.
*Have you put away the remotes?* Vader asked him.
Luke took a moment to focus his mind.  
*No, I can't catch them.* he told him in dejection.
*You can't catch them...* the other rumbled.
Luke understood the undertone of warning.  He clenched his fists in displeasure.  
*Master.* he added.
*Imagine that they are immobile in the air, boy.  You'll be able to catch them 
this way.* the man instructed him.
Luke's eyes opened in disbelief.  *Just like that?* he asked in disbelief.
*Do it, I'll check on you later.* he told him in a dismissive fashion.
Luke was standing up when he realized that the other was still in touch.  He 
clenched his teeth.
*Yes, Master.* he half-whispered.
He was left alone.
Okay, imagine them still..., he thought, feeling determinate to succeed this 
time.  He focused on the closest ball, slowly approached it, then thought that 
it wasn't going to move.  Inches by inches, he moved closer.  The ball twitched 
a bit, but he was finally able to hold it in his hands to turn it off.  
He dropped it into the waiting box.  
Nineteen to go.
The first ones were easy, but the higher ones were not.  He had to jump to catch 
them, and he had trouble keeping his focus when he did so.  

Two hours later, he was still jumping after the last four remotes.  He had 
discovered that when he gathered his muscles for a jump forward instead of 
upward, it was easier for him to still the ball.
He felt like he was a fierce animal on the prowl and that he was catching his 
preys.  
At last, he turned off the last remote and dumped it in the box with the others.  
*Good, boy.  Again now.* his master told him almost immediately, surprising Luke 
with his presence.
He hadn't known that he had been watching him---
The remotes came back to life and flew out of the box to take positions in the 
room.  
Luke was already drenched in sweat, very tired and sore from all his leaping and 
banging on the walls or the floor, and he was fed up of the little hornets.  
*Why?  What's the point?* he asked him in frustration.
A stinging bolt hit his backside, making him jump in the air, then an other.  
*Would you prefer to have to turn them off that way?  Gather them up again.* 
Vader ordered angrily.
Luke rubbed his backside, mentally grumbling curses.  
*Yes, Master.* he finally said.
He darkly eyed the little electronic balls.  
'Here we go again.' he thought humorlessly.

It took him almost two hours to turn them all off, but he did. 
He shut the box and sat on it to make sure that they wouldn't get out again.  
He then took a long moment to bring his breath back to a normal rate.  He was 
tired, and more than sore now.  He had lost count of the number of times he had 
roughly landed on his stomach or side, or against a wall for that matter.  He 
gently rubbed his aching shoulder.  He was very tired now and could only hope 
that his captor would let him rest a bit.
He also suspected that if he didn't contact him soon, he would bring down more 
punishment upon his poor, painful shoulders.  
He braced himself.  *Master?*
*Not now, stay where you are.* he snapped.
Luke couldn't believe his luck.  He almost, almost smiled.  
*Thank you, Master.* he said gratefully
He broke the contact and sat cross-legged on the box, resting his head on his 
hand as he closed his eyes.
It wouldn't be as comfortable as the floor, but he didn't dare get up from the 
box.
He had had enough chasing probes for the day.

When the dark lord finally contacted him, Luke nearly fell off his box in shock.  
It took him a moment to refocus, but the building pain in his spine helped him  
recover his orientation.
*Master.* he sent.
The pain disappeared.  Whew!!
*Now that you're finished with this, boy, you may go to the dining room and take 
something to eat, then you'll clean up all the floors of the quarters.  I want 
them to shine under the light.* he specified coolly.
Luke sighed.  *Yes, Master.*
Great, more chores.  And the most frustrating thing was that Vader had probably 
never cared about those things before.  
The boy hopped down his box and headed for the dining room.  

******

Vader had obviously done something in the room since he himself remembered 
having left it empty but for the furniture and the deactivated droid.  Now, 
there was some food, if you could call those things food... and a message.  
'You may eat only one of those choices.' he read.
He had the choice between another ration bar, nutrient pills, or a single fruit.  
Since his stomach was growling in starvation, he knew that the fruit wouldn't be 
enough.  As good as it might look, he knew he had to choose something else.  Not 
feeling up for another tasteless ration bar, he picked the pills and downed them 
with a small quantity of water.  
That was tasteless too, but at least it was a normal feeling, not at all like 
the disgusting ration bar.
Luke then picked up the rag and product that was on the floor under the small 
counter, somehow knowing that he was supposed to wash the floor with them.  He 
began in the corner of the dining room.
It soon became obvious to him that he had to push hard on the rag to make the 
floor shine.
He alternated between one arm and the other, giving some rest to the other to be 
able to finish the job.

Two hours later, he was still on four, now in the dark lord's anteroom.  He had 
given up cursing and ranting about his actual assignment.  He was just rubbing 
the floor until it shined, then moved to another spot nearby.  
Suddenly, he felt the presence of the dark lord close by.  He wasn't alone.
Luke raised his head as he heard them talk in the corridor.  
'You will stay out of sight unless I say so.' Vader had said.
He had to get out of here!
He hurried to collect his things, stood up, almost went back to his knees since 
they were all cramped up, then hurried to run toward the secret door.
He barely made it.  The door was finishing to slide close when the others 
entered.  Luke collapsed to his knees, biting his lower lip in pain.  He 
should've stood up once in a while... He forced himself to his feet, leaning 
against the wall to support himself.  
If he could've made a sound, he would've screamed.  Tears burned his eyes.  He 
fought them.
He allowed his body to get used to standing again.
Once he wasn't wracked with pain anymore, he sighed, walked a bit, then braced 
himself and resumed his chore.  He knew what would happen if he didn't.  
This time though, he took the time to stand up every five or six sections.  He 
wasn't interested to repeat the same experience than in the anteroom.  
Vader remained there for the rest of the day, so Luke remained in the secret 
rooms.

The moment he had finished and was getting ready to relax a bit, the dark lord 
entered the corridor.
"Finish the anteroom, then report to me." he ordered him.
Luke reluctantly bowed his head before walking into the outer room.  He wished 
the day would soon be over and that he would be allowed to retire to his cell.
He was very tired now.
He painfully finished the large room, then stood for the last time, rubbed his 
aching back, knees and arms, then went back inside the secret rooms.  He brought 
his things back where he had picked them up, then focused and searched for 
Vader.  
He found him in his office.  
He had to ask him to be let in, then he was told to stand still in the corner.  
Luke's limbs were downright shaking from exhaustion ; it was very hard for him 
not to fidget.  
After a few more or less fiery nerve inflammations, he forced himself to stop 
moving.  
It wasn't easy.  

Vader kept an eye on his boy.  Not bad for his first day with him.  He had both 
begun to work on his physical strength and mental abilities, and he knew now 
that he would bend to his will in time.  He could only hope that this 'time' 
wouldn't be too long...  He really didn't like causing him pain, even if it was 
the only way to teach him what he had to learn.
When the boy resumed his shaky fidgeting, he reluctantly punished him again, 
then told him to go to his cell.
He was done for the day, he reflected as he watched him leave the room.  He was 
obviously exhausted and needed rest, so punishing him was pointless.  

******

An hour later, the dark lord keyed his son's cell open and stepped inside.  The 
child was sound asleep, his mind a blank thanks to his physical exhaustion.  
Vader crouched low beside the small boy, studying his features with great 
interest.  
During the day, he looked tough and strong, but now, at the moment, he looked 
nothing but that.  He could see just how young his boy truly was, and how much 
vulnerability he was hiding when in his presence.  
And to think that Kenobi had abandoned him..., he growled in dark anger. 
When the masquerade would be over, he would make it up to his son, he promised 
himself.  
He gently stroked his sleeping features, then left him alone.  He also took away 
the sleeping spell he had cast on him.

******

The following days seemed to be a repeat of his first one, with some variants 
here and there when his obedience varied.  
When he served the dark lord right, he was allowed, every few days, to wash 
himself and his clothes. 
The days merged in weeks, which in turned became months.  
At first, Luke entertained some thoughts of escape, but Vader quickly got him 
rid of those.  Double charges of chores combined with that still unexplainable 
pain he used on him made him change his mind in less than a week.  
Once this was dealt with, Vader set about breaking his will.
It was hard for both of them: Vader enraged every time he had to hurt his boy, 
at least twice a day, sometimes more, while Luke grew resentful, which was the 
last thing his 'training' was supposed to teach him.  Vader did everything he 
could to quash that tendency.
To his credit, Luke quickly stopped showing any signs of displeasure, saving 
himself from bad punishments, but his thoughts remained the same.  
Nerve inflammations, Force-choking, increasing of his chores, slaps and/or tight 
squeezes, nothing managed to make his resentful thoughts disappear for good.  
They always reappeared then and again, and when they did, the dark lord always 
lashed out at him, more out of frustration than anything else.  
Vader wanted to love the boy, but Luke wasn't doing anything right now to earn 
this love.  He was too defiant for his own good.
He, unfortunately, truly was his mother's son.

******

Luke had been with Vader for almost four months now.  
As his master told him his chores for the day... those darn remotes... he 
reminded himself not to show or even think about that.  He still limped thanks 
to his last punishment.  
Vader really had quite a mental grip, he winced as he rested his weight on his 
bad ankle.
He was left alone to clean up after the dark lord.
Like every morning since he had begun his service under the man's yoke, there 
were fresh, untouched fruits left in a bowl.  
Luke picked up the other plates and noisily shoved them into the cleaner.  
When only the bowl remained, he studied it.  It seemed like a waste of good food 
to throw them away without eating them.  
He knew he would never waste them if he could.  
Hey, what was there to stop him?, he wondered suddenly.  He was alone, even that 
useless droid was gone now, and Vader would never know about it since he would 
throw the rest away.  
Looking around himself, just in case he had missed something, he picked the 
biggest fruit, hurried to eat it, then threw the remains and the rest of the 
bowl in the recycler.  
Luke kind of felt bad about what he had just done, but he surmised that it was 
only because he had never dared do it before.  
But he felt good about doing it.  Especially since it was his seventh birthday 
today, he reminded himself.  Yes, this had been his gift to himself, one he had 
deserved, he decided in satisfaction.  
He resolved not to do it too often though.  
He washed his mouth and made sure that nothing would betray his action, then he 
began his day of servitude.  

When Vader came back in the quarters, Luke was busy polishing his boots as he 
had been ordered to do.  
The invisible leash appeared around his neck and roughly pulled him to his feet, 
choking him in the process.  
"Did you think that I wouldn't know about your little defiance?" his master said 
darkly, bringing the boy very close to himself.
Luke's eyes grew wider as he felt the anger and cruelty that were suddenly 
coming off from the dark lord.  He shook his head in denial, then focused his 
thoughts.
*I haven't done anything---aaah!*
His spine felt like it was afire.
"Really?  What about that fruit you've eaten this morning?  Or have you 
forgotten about it already?" the dark lord demanded darkly.
Luke was stricken.  He knew...  
His shirt was pulled off his body to reveal his bruised chest.  Vader turned on 
his lightsaber ; Luke tried to cringe away, but he couldn't move.  He could 
barely breathe.
"So you thought you deserved a reward?  A gift?"  his master sneered 
contemptuously.
A first sweep cut off Luke's attempt to defend himself.  He gave every sign that 
the cut on his chest had been painful, but no sound came from him.  
Vader continued, walking around the crying boy: "I am your master, slave.  Only 
'I' have the privilege to decide whether you deserve a reward or a punishment."
Another cut, this time across the child's shoulder blades.  Another writhing 
movement indicated that the boy was in agony.
"Am I clear or do you need more convincing?" he queried angrily.
Luke was too dazed to answer.  
A sharp burnt on his right hand and wrist made him scream silently again.  Once 
his hand and forearm bore an ugly burnt, Vader shut down his blade and released 
him.  
Luke, who had been half-choking in the invisible hold that had been holding him 
upright, collapsed, half-conscious, on the deck.  
He cried in great pain ; his cuts seemed to be cutting deeper, burning through 
his skin.  Whatever he had suffered before had been nothing compared to this 
torment.  
"Pick yourself up and get lost." the dark lord snapped.  "You'll finish your 
chores tomorrow."
Luke didn't answer, until a sharp tip of boot buried itself in his stomach.  
*Aah!-Yes,... Master.* he moaned.
He strained against his shaking muscles, picked his shirt and forced himself to 
his small feet.  

He gratefully sank onto his cot, cursing himself for his foolishness.  He 
should've known that Vader would find out about his action, he scolded himself.
'Happy birthday, Skywalker.' he thought sarcastically.  
He tried to fall asleep to escape the burning pains against which he couldn't do 
anything.  

******

In his office, Vader couldn't focus on his planning.  He changed his mind and 
headed for his training room where he vented his rage on the remotes.
Kreth!  This time he had really done it.  He was so caught up in their role of 
master/slave that he had hurt his son like the Emperor would have, he raged.  
Even his own master Watto hadn't been this mean with him when he had misbehaved.  
And to think that it was his birthday... He had given him a real slave mark as a 
gift.    
Terrific, he snarled to himself.  
Of course, now he couldn't heal him and that left him in an even more seething 
mood.  
If only his little pest would stop rebelling!.., he thought in dark frustration.    
He didn't want to hurt him anymore!  He had tried to find other ways than 
physical pain to bend him, but it hadn't produced any results.  
Moreover, the child still sometimes chose resistance over a lack of punishment 
for his obedience.  
He was annoying him to the utmost!
Vader spun on his heel, thus slicing up the four remotes he had been fighting 
against.  
He closed down his blade and hooked it back to his belt.  
All right, he thought in a cooler mood, the child had earned a punishment, 
perhaps less terrible than what he had inflicted upon him, but he had still 
earned one.  As to why he had done what he had done, he had wanted the boy to 
learn his lesson once and for all, to put an end to those frequent disciplines.  
Now it remained to be seen if he had succeeded.
As he stepped out of the training room, he felt sudden fear coming from his 
son's cell.
When he checked on him, he realized that the boy was beginning a nightmare.  
After making sure that the boy wouldn't wake up, he stepped inside the cell and 
knelt by his side.  
His son had been crying a lot, he noticed ; he realized that ever since he'd had 
fallen asleep, he had constantly been reviving his latest bad moment with him, 
his cruel master.  
Not wanting him to suffer anymore than he had to, Vader reached out and 
delicately plucked those subconscious thoughts from his boy's mind.  The 
agitated child quieted down and fell back in more normal sleep.  
Like he had done every time that he had taken a look on his sleeping son, Vader 
rested the back of his gloved hand against his cheek.  
This time though, the child sleepily snuggled closer, bringing his right, 
wounded hand into his.  Vader watched, bemused and more than a little stricken 
as his son's small hand sleepily grasped his big hand.  
Never in his life had he ever imagined that he would someday hold his son's hand 
in his own.  It made it even more impossible to deny the feelings he had for the 
boy.  They had been growing throughout the past months, despite his trying to 
control them, but now, they were definitely inhabiting his heart.  
He saw him lip a word, a single, most wonderful word.  
Father.
Vader tightened his hand around his son's.  Yes, Father, that was who he was, 
and from now on, that was how he would act with his son, he resolved.  His boy 
had always hoped for someone to protect him, to love him.
He had always wanted to know his father.
Vader studied the ugly burnt that now marked his son's hand and forearm.  He 
scowled inwardly.  He had overdone it this time, but never again, he promised 
himself.
Tonight it had been the last time that he had acted like a cruel master with 
him.  He resolved to act more like the father he was.  He still couldn't reveal 
the truth to his son, but he would at least have the satisfaction not to hurt 
him anymore.  
He slowly set his son's hand on the rough mat, then stood up and left him to his 
recovery.  
Just before going to bed himself, he reached out and reinforced his son's 
healing.  
Then he was able to go to bed.

******

The next morning came too fast for the small boy.  He scrunched his face in 
disappointment and pain as his cuts resumed tormenting him.  Fighting his tears, 
he slowly sat up.  
While he mechanically ate his tasteless breakfast, he considered the events of 
the previous day.
Okay, he had deserved a punishment, he thought seriously.  The dark lord had 
made his rules clear the first day he had been with him, and he himself had also 
known that he would face the consequences of any defiance.  
He also knew that he was totally under Vader's control.  Even when he had tried 
to resist him, the dark lord had always been able to make him do what he wanted 
him to do.  
It was time to face and accept the fact that Vader truly was his master and that 
he himself was a slave.  
He might still be a human being, with a name and everything, but here, with his 
master, he didn't have any rights, any freedom of actions or thoughts, not even 
access to any tending of any kind.  
He didn't even have a voice of his own anymore, he reminded himself as he 
touched his throat, suddenly fighting fresh tears.  
He forced them down.
His door opened, like every morning, and like every morning, he headed for his 
master's room.  
Unlike the other mornings, he didn't think while he did his chores, didn't show 
any sign of disgust or anything.  He just obeyed his orders.  

Vader noticed the change of attitude in the child, which greatly pleased him ; 
he didn't say anything and waited to see if it would be momentary like usually, 
or if it would last this time.

******

To his relief, it lasted.  
About a week after 'the' cruel discipline, Vader checked on his sleeping son, 
like he did every few nights now.  
The child looked angelic when asleep.  He crouched at his side and gently 
stroked his sweaty hair out of his eyes.  He brushed his mind with his, careful 
not to awake him.  
He felt as well as saw the decisive turn of mind his young son had taken.  He 
had finally accepted his situation.  
Phase one was over, he sighed in relief.  
Now, unless he stepped out of line again, he shouldn't have to discipline him 
ever again.
He hoped so.  He had tried to find ways to punish him without hurting him, and 
he had had much trouble coming up with ideas.  He had thanked the Force every 
night of the past week for not having to discipline his child during the day.  
He stroked his son's sleeping mind, then slowly withdrew from the contact.  Now, 
if only his son could learn to see himself as part of his life and not just as 
forced into it, he would be able to reveal the truth to him, he thought with 
some eagerness.
Of course, he knew that phase two would be time consuming.  But he would be 
patient, would bring up his son in the Force and other imperial ways until he 
felt the connection between them.  He would also show him care, shyly at first, 
then more obviously.
In time, they would truly be together, he resolved.
Luke agitatedly stirred in his sleep, as if caught in a nightmare.  The child 
had had many of them lately, he knew.
Vader gently stroked his cheek.
"Don't fear, little Jedi.  Father's here now... nobody will ever kidnap you nor 
hurt you again.  I give you my word." he told him soothingly.
And he meant it.
The young Jedi quieted down under his gentle touch.  
He stood up and left his son to his rest.  He had another busy day for him 
tomorrow.  Levitation skills had a knack to drain a beginner from all its 
energies.  

******

Two months passed, without many events, either positive or negative.  Luke did 
his job, even if it was difficult sometimes, but he did it without even 
complaining in the privacy of his thoughts.  
As he used the Force yet again to dust an upper shelf with a damp rag (his 
master had made it clear that he could not climb up to it to clean it up so he 
had no choice but to use the Force), he thought about the past month.
The first time he had had to dust those shelves, he had barely managed to finish 
the first two shelves that were out of his reach before his master had returned, 
but now that he knew how to use his frustration and anger to focus his 
abilities, he could easily finish the three huge book case in a little over half 
a day and could use the rest of it to read the book of his choice.
He had been surprised the first time his master had told him about this 
privilege, but it had come back every week, with him improving his performance 
until he had more than ten minutes free to actually practice his reading skills.  
It had been a long while since he had been able to practice the skills he had 
begun to learn at school back home.
The book he was reading right now was dealing with the Jedi skills he had begun 
to learn.  
He now knew that his master had purchased him because he was a Jedi-child... a 
being that could tap into the incredible source of power that was the Force, 
once he knew how to do it.  
He gaped as he read the description of what he might someday be able to do.
Lift a ship?  It would require that he practiced hard and diligently to be able 
to achieve 'that'.  
He would also need to become strong physically to be able to do some of the 
physical feats he read about.
It slowly dawned on him that his master was giving him all the exercises he 
needed to do to work on those abilities.
He decided to serve him better than before, for himself this time.

Thus, Luke tried to improve his time whenever he had to put away the remotes, 
strained harder against the deck when he had to make it shine, ditto for the 
walls and ceiling.  He used the Force to make the bed or reach anything that was 
too big or out of his reach.  He also worked on the control of his mind in his 
master's presence.  
He finally figured out how not to fidget in his presence.  
When he read about the healing powers of the Force, he first asked permission to 
his master to practice them, then he worked on healing his still ugly cuts.  
They were healing very slowly and were still tormenting him whenever he moved 
too fast.  
At first, his master didn't seem to notice anything, but then, Luke discovered  
that he was aware of his progress.  Sometimes, he was given fresh fruits for 
breakfast instead of ration bars, or he was allowed free time when he had 
finished this or that.  Even better, he wasn't punished when he was striving to 
do what he had to do but failed.  
He had finally understood what his master was trying to teach him, for the 
future.
About a month after his personal intensifying in his training, Vader gave him 
back the privilege to take a shower whenever he wished, as long as it was 
reasonable.  

******

Lord Vader was pleased with his son's progress.  Not only was the child training 
diligently, but he was also clever enough to learn quickly what he could earn 
for himself if he behaved.
Vader had made it a point to give him a privilege or two every two or three 
days.  He was also trying to dose the amount of work he gave to the boy so as to 
not overwork him, just push him against his limits.  
He left his meditation chamber and was making his way toward his room when a 
mental scream of anguish came to his senses.
He hurried to mentally check on his son ; he had checked on him earlier and 
nothing had seemed amiss. 
The child was having a very bad nightmare from which he couldn't wake up... 
reliving the past yet again.
His father entered his cell ; the boy was writhing around on his cot, as if 
trying to escape something.  His single blanket was tangled around his legs.
Having enough to see his son caught in traumatic dreams, he decided that 
'master/slave' or not, his boy needed comfort.  
He gently took him in his arms and cradled him on his lap.  Luke continued to 
fight sleepily against something or someone.  
"Sshh, little one, you're safe now." he cooed gently.
He reached out and mentally stroked his son's mind with all the reassurance and 
warmth he could conjure up.  
The still-asleep boy's fight lessened gradually, until he cuddled closer to the 
dark lord's chest.  
Vader continued to reassure him, even though the boy couldn't really hear him 
since he was kept asleep.  
"No one will take you away again, Luke." he told him reassuringly.  "I will not 
let anyone hurt you again."
He continued to delicately stroke his mind, even as he stroked his blond hair.  
It was the first time that he had dared hold his son in his arms.  He had to 
admit that he was glad to have done so tonight.  The strong, courageous boy had 
needed a father, and that was what he was.  
As he helped him fall into a good, dreamless sleep, he tried to imagine what his 
life would've been like if he had had his son with him from the beginning.  
The child was still small enough to be held like a baby, but he was also much 
older than a baby.  
Yet, he was dwarfed by his large hands and strong bulk.  
Strangely, that made him even more protective toward his son.  
How he wanted to tell him the truth, especially now that he had learnt his 
place, but if he wanted to protect him from harm, he had to wait for a while 
longer.  
Luke was still scared of him and didn't see him as a human being.
He was still his cruel master, even if he had mellowed a bit lately...
Sighing, the dark lord caressed the child's hair one last time, then set him 
back on the cot and wrapped his new, warm blanket snuggly around him.  
*Sweet dreams now, my son.* he sent into his subconscious.
*Sweet dreams, Father.* his subconscious answered sleepily.  
Vader knew that the boy would wake up the next morning, thinking that he had 
again dreamed about his father.  
It had happened quite frequently lately.

******

The next evening, Luke was standing in the corner of his master's office, 
waiting for his orders, when the dark lord beckoned him closer.  
It rarely happened, Luke reflected as he stepped closer.  His master slightly 
pulled away from his desk to let him see the screen of his computer.  
"Watch attentively, boy." he instructed him.  "From now on, you'll clean up the 
memory of my computer."
Luke was elated by this new privilege.  He had always wanted to work on the 
computers in the quarters.
"Whenever I work in the framework, temporary files are created and remain there 
until I clear them away." Vader explained coolly.  "It is a tedious work and 
it's time consuming.  Every morning, once you'll be done with my room, you'll 
clear them out."
*Yes, Master.* Luke sent, looking at his master.
"Now look."
The dark lord showed him how to clean up the myriad of files that were hidden in 
the framework.  
Once he had shown it, he told him to give it a try.  
Luke took hold of the seeker with his right hand.  He winced as his wounded 
wrist complained, but focused on his task.  He found a file on his first try.
"Good." his master praised.  "You're a quick-learner, child."
*Thank you, Master.* he said, bowing his head.
Vader waved his hand, a gesture which reminded Luke of something but he couldn't 
remember what.
"From now on, boy, you can talk out loud when we're together." he informed him 
as if it wasn't really important.
"Aloud?" Luke whispered, almost disbelieving the order.  He gasped as he heard 
his voice after all his time being mute.  "I can really speak?" he asked, 
keeping his voice down.
"I've told you that once you had learnt to control your tongue I would give it 
back to you.  I always keep my word." the dark lord told him coolly.
Luke brought his hand to his throat, still shocked but the suddenness of the 
return to normal.  He dropped his hand, bowed his head and said:  "Thank you, 
Master.  Thank you very much." he told him earnestly.
"I trust I will not have to do it again, boy." Vader warned as he initiated the 
locking down procedures of the computer.  
"No, Master."
He stepped away from the desk to give more room to his master.  

That night, he hummed his aunt's lullaby to go to sleep ; he did it for real 
this time!  He could really speak!..  He wasn't mute anymore!  Tears of joys 
streamed down his cheeks as he hummed the sweet song.

The next morning, he stood alone in his master's office, cleaning up his 
computer.  He had been eager to begin the day today just to get to this part of 
his assignments.  At first, finding the files proved to be hard, but then he 
discovered that the Force could be useful in this case too.
Every day that followed, he tried to improve his speed.

******

Five other months passed during which Luke grew both physically and spiritually.  
He also begun to grow out of his clothes.  
Seeing this, Vader decided to use this opportunity to initiate the boy to his 
future life and his dark heritage.  
The child had spent a year cooped up inside his large quarters.  Now, he would 
take him with himself aboard the ship and on Coruscant.  Since he wasn't wild 
anymore, he could bring him home... not that he had minded that much the 
obligation to remain away from Imperial Center.  He had spent a lot of time with 
his son, getting to know him better, and he had kept a better eye on the fleet's 
operations.  
He wouldn't complain either about taking a break from the Executor though.  
He was in need of a change of sight.
He ordered a droid to sew a small set of black clothes and to find shoes for his 
son.

******

Luke stretched his sore muscles under the warm curtain of water.  He had read 
how to alleviate his cramps after his most physically oriented day of the week.  
He also knew that the pain meant that he was building muscle mass.  
It made the ache more bearable he conceded.  He was glad that his master had 
given him his evening.  He wanted to read more about the physical exercises he 
had stumbled on this week.  
He stopped the shower, pulled his towel inside the cubicle and dried himself, 
then he wrapped it around his small waist and carefully stepped out of the 
stall.  
He started when he saw the clothes that were where he had left his clothes.  He 
stepped closer, picked them up and checked them up.  
The clothes were black, less rough than his other clothes had been, and they 
came with a set of underwear.  
He hadn't wore anything similar in more than a year, he gaped.  
He gingerly put the new clothes on, then looked at himself in the mirror.  He 
looked older than he actually was, and his muscled arms and strong shoulders 
were now obvious thanks to his short sleeves and body-tight shirt.  
He noticed that unlike his previous clothes, they seemed to be tailored to his 
size.  
Their color also reminded him of his master... he now knew that not many people 
wore completely black clothes... but his master did.  
Of course, he realized, it was to identify him as his personal slave.  It made 
all too much sense.
He saw the shoes that were at the foot of the bath.  Shoes?..  Could he still 
wear those?..  He had been barefoot for quite a while now.  
He gingerly put them on.
While he wasn't extremely comfortable, he realized that he had forgotten what it 
felt like not to have his feet rest on a cold floor.  
He cleaned up after himself, then went where he knew his master was.  

Vader looked up from his plan as he felt the presence of his son come nearer.  
He smiled under his helmet when he saw him step through the door.  In time, his 
son would make a very handsome young man, and a powerful Jedi as well, he 
reflected proudly.  His black clothes seemed to belong on him.
"Do they fit you?" he asked him.
"Yes, Master.  Thank you." he bowed in respect.
Vader turned back to his plan, as if it was of no consequence, but it wasn't.  
Unbeknown to Luke, he had begun to draw him toward his future.  The pick of 
black clothes had been voluntary to give the boy yet another clue that he was 
related to him now, that his future was linked to him.
By gradually showing Luke what his 'master's' life really was about, the child 
would slowly learn to know him better than he did now ; it would thus enable him 
to show his care for the child when Luke would be ready.
"You needed new clothes and I wanted you to be presentable if I were to take you 
with me." he told him seriously.
"With you, Master?" the boy gaped.  
He recovered fast and fell silent.
"Yes, I'm going back to Coruscant for a while ; I will need you to serve me 
during conferences and such."  he informed him.
"As you wish, Master." Luke said, bowing his small head once again.  
While his son had picked up the perfect pattern of speech of adult imperial 
servants, Vader had to remind himself that his son wasn't even eight years old 
yet.  In a few months, the boy would hit the age of eight, which would still 
make him little more than a child, but a powerful one.  He was already more than 
any other child in this galaxy.  Of course, Luke didn't know about that.  
He had allowed his son to discover the truth about his being a Jedi, about his 
powers so that he knew what his future would be like ; his training had taken 
care to make his mind mature so that he was now thinking as a young teenager 
instead of a child.  It was a good thing since Luke couldn't afford to think 
about playing or having fun although he sometimes did: he was 'still' a child 
after all. 
But his future was already waiting for him and Luke was on the right path to 
fulfill it.
Vader noticed that the boy was studying with great interest the holo display of 
the upcoming space battle.  
When the time would come, the boy would learn about those, he thought seriously.  
"That will be all for now, boy.  I think you wanted to study something tonight." 
he reminded him coolly.
Luke snapped to attention.  "Yes, Master.  Thank you."
He bowed again, then left with as little noise as he could.
Vader shook his head in amazement.  The boy had even learnt to make himself 
scarce and invisible in his environment without his teaching about it, proving 
yet again how clever he was.  
In time, those skills would be most useful to him.

******

It took them another month to return to Coruscant, a month during which Vader 
took the boy with him wherever he was aboard the ship.  At first, the troops and 
officers were surprised by the presence of a young child aboard the ship, but 
they discovered quite rapidly  that he wasn't a danger nor that they should pay 
him any attention.  
He was a slave ; he was always remaining out of the way, he bore a slave mark 
and number, which was barely hidden by his clothes, and he was serving the dark 
lord even though Vader hadn't spoken. 
Luke was silent most of the time, practically acting like a ghost when he had to 
do something.
Throughout his first two weeks as his master's personal servant, he came to 
realize that he would like this new aspect of his slavery.  He was allowed on 
the bridge of the biggest ship of all time, which in itself was extremely 
exciting, and also got to watch the dark lord work as he planned attacks, 
received reports of spies and such.  Since his master knew that he would hold 
his tongue about those secrets, he allowed him to stay inside the rooms when 
such things happened.  
The more it happened, and the more Luke was thrilled by his privilege to be 
present to the meetings, no matter that his job was to serve drinks to the 
officers present or pass out datacards or any menial thing his lord needed him 
to do.  
The only drawback of this latest development was that he unfortunately sometimes 
witnessed the death of incompetents.  He didn't like those times. 
At first, he'd almost wanted to cry every time he'd seen it happen, but then 
he'd learnt to steel himself.  
He still didn't like it though, especially when it involved prisoners instead of 
militaries.  
He was kind of a prisoner himself... 
The only good thing when it happened was that his master never asked him to take 
care of the body.  He probably surmised that he wasn't strong enough to do that.  
When his master didn't take him out of the quarters, for whatever reason he had, 
Luke was left with chores that were meant to make him practice his Jedi skills.  
He had also come to like those.  
All in all, he preferred finding something positive in his situation than to be 
punished because he was displeased, thus displeasing his master in the process.  

******

That day, Luke was scrubbing the shiny black metal ball of the anteroom when his 
master came back.  
"Welcome, Master." he said, bowing his head.  
"Drop your rag and stand tall." his master clipped.
Through his newly developed sensitivity, Luke felt that something was bothering 
his master.  He hastened to obey him.  

Vader threw a look at his boy.  The child was presentable even if he was 
barefoot.  He seemed to forego his shoes whenever he wasn't out of the quarters.  
It was a strange habit he would have to study, if just for the fun of it.
He refocused on the empty area behind his throne, then knelt on the receiving, 
newly polished pod.  

A huge hologram of the Emperor appeared.  
Luke gaped and flinched, taking a step backward as he did so.  The Emperor?!  
Luke had witnessed a few communications between the ruler and his master, but 
never this big.  
Even then though, even if he hadn't heard anything because he had been too far, 
they had never made him comfortable at all.  
Right now, he was down right shaking in his pants.  
"What is thy bidding, Master?" Vader asked the other.
Luke's head perked up at that.  Master?  Vader was calling the Emperor like he 
himself addressed his master?
"I'm afraid you'll have to make a slight detour by Alderaan before you come back 
home, Lord Vader." he informed him in a grating voice.  "It seems that some 
pamphlets are circulating planet-wide.  Find the source and bring them to me."
"As you wish, Master." his master said, bowing his head in the exact gesture he 
had taught him.
The holo disappeared.  
His master straightened and stood up.  Luke didn't dare move just yet.  
"Get on with your chores." his master told him.
Luke bowed his head and picked up his rag.  He threw a look at his master ; the 
dark lord was already working on a wall computer, calling up files.  Luke knew 
better than to ask him a question.  
Although one such question was burning his lips.  
Why had his master made him witness this larger than life encounter?  He had 
seen how his master had bowed to the Emperor before, but to actually hear his 
words and feel his deference... it was something else altogether.  
He had always assumed that his master was a powerful commander in the Emperor's 
army, but now... nah, he had to be wrong, he told himself.  Just because his 
master spoke similar words to his owns to the Emperor didn't mean that he was a 
slave himself.
"I've told you that I once was, not still am." his master's deep voice cut in 
his thoughts.  
Luke jumped out of his skin, turned around and backed himself against the 
meditation pod.  He hurried to bow his head in regret and apology.  
"I'm sorry, Master.  I didn't mean any disrespect." he told him earnestly.
The dark lord stepped away from him, shrinking back to his normal, if still 
imposing, size.  
"Don't think this much, boy.  Just do what I've asked you to do." he told him 
seriously.
"Yes, Master." Luke said in deference.
He resumed his scrubbing.  His master watched him a bit longer, then left him 
alone as he entered his inner quarters.  Luke attacked the upper part of the 
ball, thus having no more time for stray thoughts.  Using the Force required all 
his focus.

******

Luke was on the bridge when the ship reached Alderaan.  His master immediately 
contacted the surface.  A very handsome man with a little girl sitting on his 
lap answered him.
"Lord Vader, it is a pleasure to have you in our system.  Won't you come down 
for a visit?" the man purred.
"That won't be necessary, Viceroy, I'm only here to collect the writer of the 
criminal pamphlets, as well as all the told pamphlets." he informed the other 
man.
Luke watched the man as he faked ignorance of the matter.  Then, his gaze 
fastened itself on the young girl on his lap.  She was dressed in a beautiful 
dress that seemed to be made of shining material, her hair was neatly pinned up 
on her head and she was following the debate with as much interest as he was.  
He wondered who she was.  
She didn't seem afraid of the dark lord.
His master spoke again.  "I will come downside in two days, Vice-Roy.  By then, 
I want to be handed all the pieces of poetry, as you call them, as well as the 
writer of this propaganda.  If not, I will collect them all my way." he warned 
the viceroy.
"I will do my best to save you that effort, my Lord." the other man answered 
with a bow of his head.
"I hope so, for your sake." Vader reminded him before cutting off the 
transmission.  
He turned toward his commanders, gave orders, then surprised Luke by contacting 
him.  
*You have a question.* he stated.
Luke noticed that it wasn't a question.
*Yes, Master.  Who was the little girl?*
*She is Princess Leia Organa, the viceroy's daughter.* he told him shortly.
*Thank you, Master.* Luke sent in gratitude.
No wonder she had looked like a princess, she was one, he thought ruefully.  No 
doubt that she didn't have to fear much in her life, his master included.  
He remained in his corner until his master asked for the pad that he had in his 
hands.

******

The incident on Alderaan was quickly dealt with.  The viceroy had been quite 
cooperative in fact.  
Afterward, they resumed their way toward Coruscant.
They arrived a few days later.  
Luke sat at his master's feet in the shuttle that brought them straight to the 
Imperial Palace, at least Luke found out so when they exited the shuttle.  He 
couldn't help but gape as he saw the view that surrounded the landing pad on 
which they were.  
When he dawdled a bit too long to his master's taste, he felt the invisible 
leash around his throat as it pulled him into motion.  Luke didn't resist and 
fell in step with his imposing master.  
The beauty of the place was overwhelming for his farm boy's mind.  It was hard 
not to stop every five steps to gape in awe.  
Finally, his master told him to wait for him in the corridor while he himself 
continued on toward the heavily guarded throne room.  No less than four guards 
were standing in front of its doors.  
Luke stood near a wall in the grand corridor, looking around himself.  Never had 
he dreamed of such a place.  Unlike his master's ship, it was full of vibrant 
colors and of beings of all races and species.  Luke noticed something peculiar 
about them.  They were all rich.  He noticed the presence of a few other slaves 
like himself among the crowd.  
Those ones were all aliens.  
He continued his discreet observations as he waited for his master.

******

In the throne room, the Emperor studied the image of the young boy who was 
waiting in the corridor.  
"I see you've tamed his rebellious side, my friend." he observed seriously.  
Congratulations."
"Yes, Master, this much has disappeared from his temper, but he still relishes 
freedom instead of his service." Vader informed his master.  "He is not ready."
"He is strong." the Emperor stated.
"Very strong.  That is why I don't want to rush things and alienate him to your 
service." the dark lord explained.  "In time, I know that he will forget about 
his former life and focus on the present and the future."
The Emperor mused his words for a few seconds, then nodded in agreement.
"Very well, Lord Vader.  You know him better than I do.  Continue to train him 
as you see fit."
"With pleasure, Master."  Vader said, bowing deep in respect. 

******

The dark lord collected his son on his way out.  
They left the splendor of the Imperial Palace... and entered the dark splendor 
of his own palace.  
Vader discreetly studied his son's mind as he reflected on the rather drastic 
change of colors between the two palaces.  

Luke followed his master, trying to remember all the rooms he indicated to him 
while they walked down the corridors.  It was much bigger than aboard the 
Executor, he reflected seriously.  
His quarters were also bigger.  Instead of a cot, he had a bunk and a small desk 
on which datadisks had been piled up.  
He wanted to check them out right now, but his master wanted otherwise.  He 
followed him.  
He brought him into a computer room, keyed in some files, then turned sideways.  
"Take a look at those individuals, boy."
Luke stepped closer and studied the portraits that were being shown on the large 
screen.  Women, men, aliens.
"Look at them carefully.  They are not to be trusted." his master informed him.  
"If you ever have to escort them anywhere in the palace, never let your guard 
down while in their presence.  If you detect anything suspicious from them, warn 
me immediately.  Do you understand?" he asked him.
"Yes, Master." Luke nodded.
He pointed to a blond woman.  "This one isn't human.  It's a droid, so probe it 
the right way." he advised him.
"I understand, Master." Luke reassured him.
Yes, he understood that Vader had just made him his majordomo and that he was 
ordering him to practice his probing skills on his visitors.  
Vader turned toward him, then crouched in front of him, something which he had 
never done before, well, almost never.  
Then he barely stroked his cheek with his gloved hand ; now that had never 
happened before.
Luke was stricken in shock.  He stood stock-still.
"You really are clever, boy." His master observed in a strangely warmer voice 
than usual.  "Don't hesitate to use your intelligence to serve me better." he 
told him in that same fashion.
Luke jerkily nodded, his voice caught in his throat now.  
"Err... Thank you, Master." he finally managed.
Vader remained crouched for a few more seconds, making Luke even more uneasy, 
then he stood up once again, back to his normal, cool self.  
"Tour the palace now.  Make yourself familiar with all its rooms." he instructed 
him.
"Yes, Master." he bowed, then left him.

******

While he studied his master's home, Luke couldn't help but wonder about what had 
happened in the computer room.  
His master had never, ever shown him any sign of care before.  Sure he had 
taught him many things, had given him privileges he had only dreamed of, but he 
had also been cruel with him, and he had never hesitated to strike fear in his 
young heart if he had deemed it necessary.  
His master had also never brought himself to his level, except if he wanted to 
have a better view of something and didn't want to hurt his arms or strangle 
him.  He had even less ever touched him without causing him any pain of any 
kind.
He honestly couldn't comprehend what had gone through the dark lord's mind at 
the moment.  
He refocused on his self-guided visit.  He noticed that not many beings 
inhabited the lord's castle.  He was mostly surrounded by droids.  The few 
beings he had seen here and there were mostly there for maintenance purposes.  
He himself was the sole living servant in the castle, he realized hours later, 
when he returned to his master's side.  

******

Luke's routine didn't change much now that he was on Coruscant.  He served his 
master and his guests when he had to, he continued to work on his muscles since 
he had many more places to clean up now (the dark lord really liked it when the 
dark walls and floors shone under the light, not to mention the furniture), but 
there were also a few changes.  Since he now knew his lord's schedule, he knew 
when he was supposed to welcome a guest, either from the lower levels or from 
the landing platforms ; he also always had to probe them and to inform his 
master of their plans before he met with them.  
The other main changes were that his exercise with remotes now involved them 
firing bolts at him, and he also had to accomplish a new exercise: to deactivate 
and put away a fighting droid.  
He had to do those two things every day.

******

Luke rolled away from the droid's arm, kicked him in the middle section with all 
his strength, thus making it tumble on its back ; it fell heavily on the deck. 
The boy hurried to reach its side and turn it off via the switch that was in its 
neck.  
The droid turned off.  Luke sat back and groaned as he rubbed his thigh where 
the droid had hit him good.  It had been tougher today.  It had been becoming 
easy lately, but not anymore.  
He picked himself up, pulled the droid to its feet with the Force and levitated 
it all the way to its normal place.  
There, done.  
He checked the chrono on the wall.  He had just enough time to change back in 
his formal clothes and clean up a bit before receiving his master's guest.  
After that, he would have to take care of the remotes that his master had left 
in an other training room.

It took Luke about ten minutes to make himself presentable, then he headed for 
the higher landing pad.  
The couch arrived barely a minute later.  A tall, green-skinned alien stepped 
out of it and waited patiently.  
Even without reaching out, Luke could feel that this visitor wouldn't be to his 
master's liking.  There was something downright filthy about him.
The young boy walked forward and bowed in welcome.
"Welcome, Prince Xizor.” he bid the other.  “My master, Lord Vader, is awaiting 
you.  If you'll follow me."
He turned around and started toward the inside of the building.  
The alien followed but was displeased by something.  
'A child!?’ he heard him think while he probed him.  ‘What kind of game is Vader 
playing with me now?  This can't be serious.  I've heard about the boy, but 
there has to be something else behind this.  Vader has never had slaves before.' 
he finished.
Luke heard it all, strove to remain impassive, in control, then contacted his 
master.  
Vader told him to stay around for this guest.  
Two minutes later, he keyed open the door of the room where his master was, then 
invited the Dark Prince to enter.  He followed him inside.  
Xizor was a master deceiver, he noted.  
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Vader.” the alien purred suavely.  “It 
was so nice of you to send your youngest servant to welcome me."
"We may dispense with pleasantries, Prince Xizor.” Vader told him curtly.  “I 
know what you really think about the boy."
Luke felt the Falleen's composure falter a bit.  
"But this is not why I've asked you to come here." Vader continued coldly.  
"I've discovered that your group of traders is serving itself right off the 
imperial stocks."
"Really, I didn't know about that, my Lord." Xizor lied.
Luke could swear that his master was smirking in amusement.  
"Just as I thought.” He nodded, “Now that you know, though, I suggest you 
correct the situation before I have to take drastic measures concerning them.” 
he warned seriously.  “If you want to keep our deal going, you'll have to keep 
your end of it, on all aspects." he added darkly.
"I shall take a look at it immediately, my Lord." Xizor said, bowing in respect.  
Vader barely acknowledged him.
"By the way,” his master commented, “I didn't know that you kept such a close 
eye on me, Prince Xizor." he almost sneered.
"I'm afraid I don't understand, my Lord." the Falleen said, pretending to be 
confused.
"How else would you know about my habits of slavery?" the dark lord inquired 
seriously.
"I---"
Lord Vader stood from his large chair that was behind his desk.  
"You should mind your own business and not start rumors on my account,  Prince 
Xizor.” he warned him with just the slightest hint of a threat in his voice.  
“That would be better for you and your business."
Luke could feel the boiling anger in the dark prince, but it didn't show on his 
features.  
"Accept my apologies if I have miffed you, Lord Vader." he bowed instead.
"Apologies accepted.” his master retorted as if it were inconsequential.  “You 
may leave now."
"Yes, Lord."  
He bowed again, then followed Luke out of the room.  

The young boy watched the ship leave the area of the castle, reflecting that his 
master was courageous to dare attack a being such as the Falleen.  
He knew how dangerous the dark prince was.
He turned around---and started when he saw that his master was standing a few 
feet away from him.  
"It is not courage to face cowards like him.” the dark lord told him coolly.  
“It is merely my duty."
"He wants to kill you, Master." Luke said, bowing his head in respect.  
"Yes,” Vader agreed.  “but so do I... The Emperor likes to have him around his 
court though, so I cannot get rid of this snake." he explained in annoyance.
He then walked closer and rested his hand on the boy's shoulder.  
"You've been perfect in his presence, boy.” he praised him.  “If he ever sends 
an assassin, he won't even think that you might detect him before he reaches 
me." he informed him seriously.
Luke had tensed when the dark lord had touched him, but now he could only gape 
up at his mask.  
"An assassin?  Stop him?" he asked in disbelief.
"I've seen you train with the droid today.  You are getting very good in 
fighting techniques, and you can sense deceit when it is present.” the dark lord 
commented with the lightest touch of pride in his voice.  “From now on, boy, you 
will think of yourself as my bodyguard when you escort guests inside." he 
instructed him.
"Master?.." Luke gaped in bemusement.
Luke couldn't believe the words he had just heard.  Him?  A bodyguard?  But he 
was barely 8 years old!
"A servant merely takes people from one place to another, but a bodyguard serves 
and protect his master.” Vader explained.  “Am I wrong when I say that you 
would've attacked him if he had moved on me?" he queried in a strangely gentle 
voice.
Luke avoided his eyes.  "No, Master, but I'm sorry."
Vader brought his large hand to the boy's face, eliciting another flinch. 
"There is nothing to be sorry about, boy.” he reassured him.  “You have 
controlled yourself, yet remained open for any danger.  This is exactly what I 
want you to do.  Do you think you can do it?" he queried more seriously.
Luke courageously met the dark lord's gaze.  He still wasn't used to his 
master's touch.  He always feared that it entailed pain, but it hadn't, not for 
the past 3 months anyhow.
"Yes, Master.  I will do it." he assured his master.
"Good.  You can forget about the remotes for today.” his master said gently.  “I 
give you the rest of your day."
Luke's face lit in a smile.  
"Thank you, Master."
The dark lord stood aside and nudged him toward the door.  
"Go now, don't waste your free time." he encouraged him.
"I won't, Master." Luke told him earnestly before eagerly running toward the 
door.

The child ran inside.  Vader felt his delight at having the rest of his day.  
Now he could play, he heard him think.  He smiled behind his mask.  No matter 
how strong his boy was growing, he still remained a child when free.  Children 
would always be children, he realized.

******

That evening, just before retiring for the night, Lord Vader went into his son's 
room, like every other night since he had begun phase two, a little over a year 
ago now.  
He liked those moments of quiet observation even though his son wasn't aware of 
them.  They allowed him to do what he couldn't do when he was awake.  
That night, he found the boy asleep at his desk.  He had obviously finished his 
evening with some reading.  
He gently picked him up in his arms and carried him toward his bed.  His boy 
snuggled closer to him.  
When he was awake, Luke never did any of this, but the more Vader had spent 
silent time with him asleep, and the more his subconscious had shown signs that 
he thought of him as a father.
He often mumbled the word at any rate.
He sat on the bed, his boy still cradled in his arms.
He had been surprised by the activity his son had chosen after he'd given him 
the rest of his day.  
He had chased the remotes after all.  He had first deactivated the firing of 
bolts, but then, he had really relished jumping and running after the silver 
balls.  He had turned his chore into a game, he realized with some amusement.  
When he had finished this, he had also worked on his fighting skills, having the 
possibility to use a book to guide his practice.  Finally, he had loaded a 
flight simulator game on his computer, something he himself had recently given 
him in hopes to teach him rudimentary flying skills.
He didn't have to fear ; Luke was a natural, just like himself.  He was already 
creaming the lot out of the fake rebels.  
The more he was removing the tight bonds around his son's life, the more the 
child was taking pleasure in his new life.  Vader could only relish every smile 
he could draw from his up-to-now unhappy child, and the more it happened, the 
more he wanted to tell him the whole truth.  
But Luke wasn't ready to hear it.  The boy was still uncomfortable whenever he  
tried to shorten the emotional distance between them.
No, slowly, he would continue to bridge the distance between them, while 
bringing his son to the near completion of his training, and when Luke would 
give him definite signs that he had truly accepted his new life, he would tell 
him the truth.  
He delicately set him on his bed, then pulled the warm blankets over him.  Luke 
turned on his side and set his right arm over the blankets, thus displaying the 
ugly mark he himself had inflicted upon him.  
He had had no choice then ; he could only hope that his boy would see it this 
way too when the time would come... 
He brushed his blond hair with the tip of his fingers, sending warm feelings of 
well-being into his son's mind.  
He knew that they kept the nightmares at bay.
He remained with his sleeping son for a while, then left the room, taking off 
the light sleeping spell he'd cast on the boy. 

******

Nothing particular happened during the next following days, until a certain Lord 
Itar sought audience with the dark lord of the Sith.  
The moment Luke probed the man, he felt his murderous intentions.  
When he warned his master, the dark lord ordered him to capture him.  
Luke waited a few more seconds, then he crouched low in front of the man and 
swept his leg through the other's legs in a swift movement.  The tall man 
tripped and fell down, then before he could recover, Luke broke one of his rib 
with the heel of his shoe before knocking him half-conscious with a vicious kick 
on the head.  He checked the barely conscious man for weapons.
By the time his master had joined them in the corridor, he had collected two 
blasters, a bomb and a couple of vibroblades.  
He stood aside as his master approached the moaning man who was still on the 
floor.  
"Who's sent you?" lord Vader asked him.
The other didn't answer.  
Luke felt a probe through the Force.  
"I see Xizor is getting bolder.” Vader commented harshly.  “Your corpse shall 
serve as a deterrent then."  
The assassin looked up at that and begged the dark man to spare his life, but 
the lightsaber was already on its way down.  
The assassin howled horribly when the blade skewered his heart, then nothing.  
His master turned back toward him.  
"Good work, boy.  Have droids pick him up and send him back to Xizor's palace.  
Make sure that it reaches his office."
Luke bowed his head.  "As you wish, Master."
While Luke used a computer console to program two heavy-duty droids, he 
reflected that slowly but surely, he was becoming used to seeing his master kill 
traitors or enemies.  He hadn't even flinched today.  Oh well, it was part of 
his life now, so he had better adapt to it then be sickened by it.  Besides, it 
also gave him one more reason to obey his master, although he didn't need those 
kind of incentives anymore.  He was truly beginning to adapt to his life with 
the dark Jedi... and to even like it, to a certain extent.
He set the droids in motion.

******

Months passed, during which Luke went back aboard the Executor with his master, 
and back on Coruscant.  
Every time they came back, his master reported to the Emperor ; he of course 
always took him with himself when he did so.  The more Luke waited in the Grand 
Corridor, the more he began to distinguish the kind of beings that composed the 
Emperor's court.  There were rich citizens of every places, military officers, 
courtesans, and spies that were trying to pretend to be someone else.  
Besides all the adults and their charges or retinue, there also was a child just 
like himself.  She wasn't a slave like the other children he sometimes saw among 
the throng of people though.  She was dressed in nice clothes, and she seemed to 
be some kind of servant to the Emperor since she was allowed alone inside the 
throne room.  
That day, Luke noticed that the red-gold haired girl was also waiting in the 
Grand Corridor.  She was also very close to him this time.  He knew that a slave 
wasn't supposed to address a free citizen, so he fought his desire to speak with 
her.  
"What's your name?" a voice suddenly asked him.  
Luke looked up in surprise and saw that the fascinating little girl had come 
closer.  
"I'm sorry, my Lady, but I don't have a name anymore." he half-whispered 
respectfully.  
It had been hard to accept the fact that his tag made him nameless.
"You may tell me, please." she insisted.  
"... Luke." he finally said.
"I'm Mara.” she told him warmly.  “I've noticed that you are often seen here.  
Who is your master?"  
"Lord Vader, my Lady."
"I'm not a Lady, Luke." she said, sitting beside him.  "My guardian hasn't given 
me a title yet, so call me Mara."
"Your guardian?" he asked, careful to keep his voice down.
"The Emperor.” she told him proudly.  “He teaches me so that in time I may serve 
him."
Luke nodded in understanding.  "My master also teaches me, through my 
servitude."
"How long have you been with him?" Mara asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
"Almost a year and a half now." he admitted.
Luke noticed the surprised face she made.
"What?" he queried in uncertainty.
"I've been with the Emperor for the same time.” she told him wistfully.  “Do you 
miss your home?" she then asked him seriously.
"I used to,” he nodded, “but I've learnt to accept my life with my master." he 
said seriously.
He absently rubbed the slave mark he bore on his right wrist.  
Mara noticed it.  She pulled down the neckline of her shirt, exposing a similar, 
ugly scar.  
"I don't miss them.” she told him equally seriously.  “They did that to me when 
they tried to sell me as a slave.  My guardian has saved me."
"You're lucky that he came by then.  If I could, I would save everybody from 
being a slave." he told her earnestly yet he still kept his gaze down on the 
floor.
The door of the throne room opened and his master stepped through it.  Luke 
snapped to attention.  
"It was fun talking with you, Luke." Mara said as she walked toward the door.  
It was her turn to go inside.  
Vader walked past him ; Luke silently fell in step behind him.  
*You have spoken with someone.* his master stated.  
*Yes, Master.* he admitted.  *She told me to speak with her.* 
*Since she is special to the Emperor, you may speak with her if she speaks to 
you, but you will not talk with anybody else but her.* he instructed him.
*I understand, Master.* he sent in obedience.  
At least, he thought with some relief, he would be able to talk to her again if 
she came again around him.  

******

And she did.  Throughout the following weeks, they remained on Coruscant ; Vader 
often visited the Emperor.  
Mara was almost always in the corridor.  They talked a lot and compared what 
they were learning from their masters.  
They thus discovered that they were both able to use the Force.  They began to 
talk mentally to keep their dialogue secret from the rest of the court.  
Their lives were quite similar, except that Luke had to accomplish chores as 
well as train in the Force.  
The more they talked, and the more they became friends.  Luke even became eager 
to accompany his master in the Imperial Palace in hopes to see his friend.

But one day, the dark lord began to bring him in the throne room with himself.  
When he had to present things to the Emperor, Luke carried them for him.
Every time it happened, Luke felt cold terror in the presence of the ruler.  He 
knew he was even more cruel than his master, and since he didn't know him, he 
always feared that the Emperor would find a reason to punish him.  He was doubly 
careful to remain still on his knee and to keep his mind blank.  
And so it went.

******

That morning, Luke, almost aged of nine years old now, brought the black cloak 
to his master and helped him fasten it around his shoulders. 
Everything seemed to be normal, until his master gave him a most unusual order. 
"Give me my lightsaber, boy."  he instructed him.  
Normally, his master always picked it up himself, he quickly reflected in 
bemusement.  He didn't question him though ; he walked over to the shelf and 
picked up the deadly weapon.  He brought it to his master as fast as he could 
while taking a nano-second to take a closer look at it since it had always 
fascinated him... at least after it had stopped hurting him.  
It really was an elegant weapon, he thought seriously.  
He gave it to his master who hooked it to his belt.  
The dark lord left him alone to make his room.  Luke went about his morning 
chores.  
That morning, he had to sift through the data sent by his master's spy and file 
them away for his master ; his lord would study them later that day.

******

The next morning, and the following one, and the other mornings that followed, 
his master always told him to bring him his lightsaber.  
The more he came in contact with the weapon, the more Luke yearned to manipulate 
it like his master did.  

Some day, while tidying up the lower storage area, he found a metal bar that 
would be just about the right size of a lightsaber.  Gingerly, he half-crouched 
in a ready position, then began to shift the bar this way and that, imagining 
the blade of an attacker.  He tried it a few more times before he put the bar 
down and continued his chore.  
He didn't put the bar away though.  He had an idea about how he could try his 
hand at lightsaber techniques.

Since he didn't have much free time for a while, he continued to practice his 
fake movements before going to bed at night, but when he finally earned a period 
of free time, he fetched his bar and headed for the remote-training room.  
Normally, he had to dodge the bolts while catching the remotes, but tonight, he 
thought eagerly, he would stop them with his 'blade'.  
He picked two remotes, set them on sting, then took a deep breath and focused on 
this new exercise.  
Deep in touch with the Force, he felt the origin of the bolt and shifted his 
arms to block the bolt.  A loud zinging sound informed him that he had 
succeeded, then an other warning came and he shifted again, and again, and 
again.  The more he blocked the bolts, the more confident he became.  
He never missed.  
When the bar became too hot to hold though, he reluctantly put an end to the 
exercise.  
He grinned contentedly.
He had been great, and he knew it.  

******

He continued to work on his lightsaber skills every time he got some free time.

That day, he was blocking a bolt from one of his three remotes when the door 
behind him opened.  
Luke immediately knew who was there as well as why he was there.  He stopped his 
remotes, dropped his bar and turned toward his master.  
He bowed his head in repentance.  
"I'm sorry, Master.” he apologized with all his heart. “I just wanted to try 
it."
Vader silently stepped closer ; Luke cringed, having a bad feeling about this.  
The dark lord called the metal bar to his hand.  A long silence ensued, filled 
with unwelcome fear.  
Finally, his master spoke.  
"If you want to learn lightsaber skills, you have to use a real lightsaber."  he 
stated.  
Luke looked up, confused and doubtful.  Vader brought his free hand to his belt 
and pulled his weapon from it.  
He offered it to the boy.
Luke gaped at the offered weapon.  
"Take it, and try it for real this time." he encouraged him.
Luke hesitantly reached forward and took the handle from his master's large 
hand.  He turned his back to his master, facing the remotes once more.  
"You were very good against three remotes set on slow."  his master told him 
seriously.
Two remotes retreated toward the wall.  
"Let's see how good you are against one on a fast setting."
Luke nodded, swallowed hard, then turned on the lightsaber.  It's ruby-red blade 
shot forth, dazzling him a bit with its brilliance.  
"Don't look at your blade, boy.” his master instructed him.  “Always focus on 
the opponent."
Luke took his eyes off the beautiful blade.  It seemed to disappear from his 
field of vision, but he knew that it was still there.  He focused, turned on the 
remote, and flowed with the Force's guidance.  
It was much more difficult than he had thought.  
He got hit a couple of times at first until he adapted to the weight of the 
weapon.  Once he was good against the medium setting, the pace increased.  He 
barely had time to block before the other bolt came.  
When he got hit three times in a row, he let his anger come forth ; he felt the 
Force's energies increase.  
The darn little blasts wouldn't touch him again, he resolved defiantly.  

Darth Vader watched his son work and smiled in fatherly pride.  He truly was his 
father's son.  Both a natural in flying and lightsaber skills.  Just to add to 
the challenge, he activated another remote.  

Luke's anger increased when the two remotes managed to hit him.  
Darn, he just couldn't move fast enough to step out of the way of both attack...
The remotes' drones died out.  
"It'll be enough for a first time, boy." his master told him coolly.
Luke turned off the blade and gave the weapon back to his master.  
"I didn't know it was this difficult, Master." he said, disappointed.
Vader took his weapon for his son's small hand, then crouched in front of the 
boy, ending up at eye level with him.
"It is not a question of being difficult, boy.” he comforted him.  “It is a 
matter of knowing the advanced techniques.  Do you think you're ready?" he then 
asked him.
Luke's eyes shone with expectation.  
"Yes, Master!" he smiled in eagerness.
"Good, then we can begin tomorrow evening." he informed him.
The two of them gazed at each other for a short while, then Luke initiated a 
step toward his master, but stopped himself.  
Instead, he bowed his head in respect.  
"Thank you, Master." he told him gratefully.
"You're welcome." Vader said, standing up.  "Go get a shower now."
"Yes, Master." 

Luke walked out of the room and headed for his room.  Vader watched him go, 
thinking that his son had been about to open up to him.  
He had been on the brink, but he wasn't there yet.  He decided to pay attention 
to other similar signs before telling him the truth, but he knew that it would 
happen sooner than later now.  
He couldn't wait to give him back his name. 

******

Throughout the following three weeks, Luke trained with his master ; the dark 
lord didn't simply tell him instructions, he gave him examples and also gave him 
physical support when needed.  His master taught him how to use his focus to 
flip himself, levitate himself, then use his physical strength to do very fast 
flips and somersaults.  
The more he learnt to use all his knowledge and skills together, the more Luke 
felt a connection with his master.  He of course knew that the dark lord had 
bought him for the sole reason that he had been Force-strong.  He also knew that 
his master had always meant to train him like this, once he was ready.  He even 
felt, although this emotion was farfetched, that he was somehow meant to be with 
the dark lord.
Lord Vader was still his master, but now that he knew him better, he gave him 
his respect despite that title.  More and more, he could see beyond the harsh, 
cruel front of the dark lord and see him for who he truly was.  
He was a military commander and administrator who was trying to save pain to the 
citizens of the Empire.  He knew now that if nobody would rebel against the 
Emperor, nobody would get hurt.  Just like himself when he had stopped 
rebelling.  
He also knew that the dark giant was extremely powerful, thus practically 
impervious to anything, yet that didn't keep him from caring from time to time.  
Vader had a heart after all ; he  just kept it well hidden.  
Ever since he had been allowed to follow him outside, he had sometimes seen him 
protect this or that population, or even certain persons, not to mention that he 
had given him many privileges that left no doubt as to his master's care for him 
in particular.  
Luke now knew that his master considered him more like an excellent servant than 
a slave... and Luke himself had to admit that ever since he had heard Mara talk 
about the Emperor as her guardian, he was thinking of the dark lord as his new 
guardian.  He still didn't want to displease him, but now, it was because his 
master didn't need this kind of problem over his other ones.  
Besides, it didn't bring him anything good to displease Lord Vader.
No, in fact, his situation was not this bad when he took a moment to analyze it.  
It was almost even better than on dreary Tatooine.  Almost...

******

Luke nodded to his friend in salutation, then followed his master inside the 
throne room.  He remained a few steps behind him, then knelt on the last 
platform before the highest one.  
Lord Vader bowed in respect.  
"Welcome, my friend." the Emperor said, turning his throne around.  "I've had 
news about our operation in Diella."
"Yes, I have too.  It's going well.  The mines and shipyards are already secured 
and it shouldn't be long before the system is safe again." his master stated.
"Yes... It was very clever of you to act during the night, Lord Vader.  The 
resistance has been minimal." the Emperor commented.
"The cost of lives as well, my Master." Vader added wisely
"Yes.  As long as I don't hear about those rebels again." The ruler told him in 
a dismissive manner.
"You won't, Master." Vader assured him.
"Good."  
The Emperor stood up and walked closer.  
"I am feeling a strong current in the Force lately, Lord Vader.” he said, 
changing topics.  
Luke suddenly felt his skin crawl and knew that the Emperor was looking at him.  
“Is it this boy?" the ruler asked in his grating voice.
"Yes, Master.  He has begun to learn the advanced techniques." he informed him.
The Emperor's feet came closer.  Luke felt his heartbeat quicken in fear.  
"Stand up, boy.  Let me have a look at you." he ordered him. 
Luke hurried to obey and climb the rest of the stairs to stand in front of the 
galactic ruler.  He then dared to raise his head to let the Emperor scrutinize 
him as he wished, no matter how terrified he was of the man.  
The Emperor brought his spindly fingers under his chin and slightly pushed his 
head backward.  
"Hmm, he is still fairly young.” he commented as if displeased.   “How old are 
you, boy?" he asked him.
"Almost nine years old, Sire." Luke told him as respectfully as he could.
The Emperor turned toward the dark lord.  
"Advanced techniques at nine years old?" he asked for confirmation.
Luke knew that he was young to learn those things, but the Emperor’s reaction 
was telling him that it was unheard of as of now.
Uh-oh... 
"Yes, Master, and he's growing fast.” his master nodded in answer to the 
Emperor’s question.  “He works hard and constantly seeks to improve himself." he 
said as he slowly walked closer to the two of them.
Could he be feeling---
The Emperor gazed back at Luke, locking his yellow eyes on the blue ones of the 
terrified boy.  Luke hurried to empty his mind.
"Do you do it to please your master?" the ruler asked him seriously, almost 
dangerously.
"No, Sire, I love to learn those things." he answered earnestly.
Vader gazed down at him, but Luke knew that his answer hadn't shocked his 
master.  Lord Vader had known that already.  
"Interesting." the ruler commented as he let go of his chin.  
He turned back toward the dark lord.  "You may continue to train him, Lord 
Vader.  I'd like to see him train once." he added as if in after thought. 
"It shall be my pleasure to train him here, Master." Vader bowed respectfully.
"Excellent.  Choose a moment that pleases you and notify me."  He turned back 
toward the boy.  "I am eager to see you in action, boy." he said, his voice 
charged with a dark edge now.
Luke bowed his head, working on automatism ; for some reason, he was afraid to 
show his talents to the Emperor.  
"I shall try not to disappoint you, Sire." he managed to say.
Somehow, he knew that his powers would stupefy the ruler... he feared what would 
happen if he saw him as a threat.  He knew all too well what happened to those 
who were seen as a threat... 
"Just so.” the Emperor smiled thinly, then walked back to his throne.  “I will 
see you both then.  Dismissed."
The two of them bowed respectfully, then Luke fell in step behind his master.  
While he followed him in the corridor, he wondered why the Emperor was suddenly 
paying attention to him.   At least, he felt better now that they were out of 
the throne room and the Emperor's sight.
The dark lord entered a deserted waiting room, then, to Luke's surprise, sat 
down to be at his level.  
"Are you alright?" his guardian asked him.
Luke was stumped by this obvious display of care, especially in a moment when he 
felt extremely alone, much like he'd been feeling for years now, but worse.  
"Uh, yes, Master.  Now I am." he blurted.  
"I didn't think the Emperor would address you today, boy.  Otherwise I would've 
warned you." he told him in the warm voice he was now using more and more with 
him.
"Master?  Why did he do it?" he asked, his voice breaking up.  "I am just your 
slave."
"Yes, but you are a Force-strong individual as well.” Vader explained seriously.  
“The Emperor always wants to know the exact potential of every Jedi that lives.  
You may be serving me, but he wants to see for himself that you aren't dangerous 
for him." he informed him.
"Dangerous?.."  he asked, furrowing his small brows.
Oh no... just like he had thought.  He knew that he would be deemed dangerous.  
He knew how he always managed to impress his master, how he was more powerful 
than any other Jedi child he had ever seen----
"More powerful than him." the dark lord said, answering his question.
"Nobody can be stronger than him." he tried to reassure himself.
"You are not completely wrong, nor right.  There is still a chance..."
Luke paled and his heartbeat picked up to its previous speed as he remembered 
the shock he'd felt coming from the Emperor when he had told him his age.  
"What if I look like I'm dangerous to him?.." he asked, his voice beginning to 
break up in tension.
Lord Vader gently rested his large hand on Luke's strong yet small shoulder.  It 
had long since then healed from its last bruise.
"Don't worry, I am still your master.  I will protect you." he reassured him.
Protect?  So he was right to be afraid... 
His tears began to work their way out of his eyes.  
"Would... would he hurt me?  Or kill me?" he asked in a small, terrified voice.  
Vader's hand moved from his shoulder to his cheek, gently brushing the tear that 
had wormed its way out of his left eye.  A similar one was running down his 
right cheek.  
"No such thing will happen as long as I am your guardian, boy.  Only I can do 
those things to you, and unless you don't show what you can truly do, it will 
never happen."  he comforted him.
Luke looked into the dark lord's dark eye screens, feeling the care and love the 
other felt for him.  
For the first time since that faithful day on Tatooine, he didn't feel alone 
anymore.  Someone was now really looking after him and cared enough about him to 
protect him.  
It was emotional overload for the young boy who had been isolated from such 
things for too long in his young life.  Without thinking, he took a step forward 
and hugged the dark lord.  
"Thank you, Master." he whispered.  
The dark lord brought his hand to the boy's hair while his arms offered him the 
comfort he needed.
At first, Luke realized what he had done, but when he felt his master's embrace, 
he didn't step away.

Vader was very tempted to tell everything to his son right there and then, but 
he couldn't.  The boy was too fragile at the moment.  He had to wait for a 
better time.  
Once the emotional moment was over, Luke drew away from his master.  
"I'm sorry, master.  I... I didn't mean to." his son tried to apologize.
"It's okay, boy.  I understand.” he reassured him, careful not to scare him.  
“Do you feel better now?"
Luke took a deep breath and recovered his control.  "Yes."
"Good." 
Another leathery caress, then he stood up from his seat.  
"Let's go back home; we have some work to do." he told him seriously.
Luke followed him out of the room.

******

Luke trained harder during the following days ; the serious day arrived.  
The day of his birthday.  Again...  
He seemed to have a knack to live special events on that day, he reflected 
glumly.  Events he would rather avoid...  
He knelt behind his master, not knowing what to expect.  The Emperor provided 
him with a lightsaber, then told him to go into a side room.  

Vader and the Emperor watched the young Jedi's actions via a holocam.  
The moment he entered the room, remotes fired at Luke with the intention to stun 
him.  The boy acted swiftly, rolling aside as he deflected the bolts with his 
shields, then a droid came to life and tried to grab him.  Luke rolled away 
again, slashed, only to discover that his blade wasn't useful against the droid.  
He changed tactics, reached out and pulled wires.  The remotes came back onto 
him, trying to catch him in the leg while distracting him, but Luke jumped out 
of the way, again, and again, while he continued to deflect their fire, which 
had switched to blaster bolts.  

As he watched the young boy avoid or deal with the challenges that were in the 
room, the Emperor nodded in approval.  
"He is extremely skilled, my friend.  Even more than any Jedi I've ever 
encountered." he commented greedily.
"Yes, he is, Master.” Vader agreed.  “I've begun to think that he might be the 
most powerful of all time."
On the screen, Luke jumped away before a stun trap could activate itself.  The 
remotes continued their attack on him.  
"Hmm, the most powerful Jedi, and in my ranks." the Emperor said dreamily.  
He turned toward the dark lord, waiting for him to deny this.
"I haven't told him yet about us, Master.” He told him seriously.  “Once I do, 
I'm sure that he will understand that he will serve you when he will be older.  
He is very intelligent." he said proudly.
"Good.  I will not wait for him to be sixteen to use him, my friend.” he 
informed him.  “As soon as he's ready, he will become an agent. That will make 
him even more deadly and versatile when he will be old enough to join you in 
commanding duties."
"As you wish of course, Master.  Will you allow me to keep him close by?" he 
inquired coolly.
On the screen, a third remote came out of nowhere and tried to surprise the boy.  
It didn't work.  Instead, he sliced it up in two.  
"When you are on planet, yes, but I will mostly have use for him here, so he 
will have to stay when you leave." he stated.
A fair enough deal.  
"Yes, Master."
On the screen, the boy stood alone amidst a room full of wrecks and deactivated 
traps.  
*Come back, boy.* Vader sent him.  
*Yes, Master.*
Vader felt his son's slight fear as to the result of the demonstration.  He knew  
that he had been astounding.  

Luke climbed the stairs and knelt at the Emperor's feet.  
"Impressive, boy, most impressive in fact.” the ruler told him in barely 
concealed awe.  “You truly are gifted."
"Thank you, Sire."  Luke said as humbly as he could.
He kept his head down.  
"Lord Vader will complete your training.” he informed him coolly.  “When it'll 
be done, we shall talk again."
"Yes, Sire." Luke answered, feeling like he had just committed himself for a new 
life.

******

The very same night, just before going to sleep, Luke sat on his bed, brought 
his legs to his chest and thought about the meeting with the Emperor.  
He hadn't felt fear in the Emperor this time.  He had felt greed, greed to have 
him at his service.  Could he be fomenting something against his master? he 
wondered with some uneasiness.  No, his master would know about it, he told 
himself.  At least he hoped so.   
The door of his room opened ; his master stepped inside.  
"Master." Luke said, hurrying to get to his feet.
"Don't.  You can stay where you are." he said as he sat beside him on the bed.  
Luke noticed the casual way in which his master spoke.  Something seemed wrong.  
"Is something bothering you, Master?" he queried diligently.
"No, I just wanted to tell you how proud you've made me today.” his master told 
him kindly.  “It is always a pleasure to see you at work, Luke." he said, 
calling him by his name, something which had never happened before.
"I make you proud of me?" he asked in confusion, unsure to understand what was 
going on.
He knew he impressed the dark lord, but pride... he had never thought about it.  
And why had he called him by his name... he had always thought that he had never 
bothered to learn it.
"Yes.” Vader nodded, patting his hand with his large one.  “You could have 
missed, you could have crumpled under your fear, but instead, you've impressed 
the Emperor.  As your guardian, it makes me proud of you." he repeated, his 
pride more than obvious in his voice and senses.
Pride and... something else, Luke realized.
He slowly inched closer to his master, feeling drawn to the dark man.  
"I don't know what has happened while I was fighting, Master,” he began 
hesitatingly, “but thank you for protecting me.  Nobody has ever done that for 
me." he told him seriously.
He looked at the dark lord ; his master invited him in his embrace and Luke 
buried himself in it.  
"Thank you, Master."  he whispered in gratitude.  
They remained entwined for a while before he braced himself then spoke up again.  
"I must tell you something, Master." he began.
"What?" Vader asked, his strong arms tightening slightly around him.
"More than two years ago, one of my slavers wished for me to be bought by the 
cruelest master there was.” he told him sadly.  “I... I thought that he had had 
his wish when you became my master, but not anymore.” he hurried to add.  “I 
couldn't have been bought by a better master than you, Lord Vader... You've 
given me a life better than what I had before.  I want to thank you for that." 
he told him earnestly.

Vader could feel that the moment of truth had arrived.  He slightly pulled away 
from his son and raised his head.  
"You don't have to thank me, Luke.” he told him gently.  “It was the least I 
could do,... for my only son." he finished warmly.

Luke's brain took a moment to register the last word ; when it finally computed, 
he was gaping at the dark lord, emotions fighting for dominance in his hearth. 
Son?!?
"I love you, my son, Luke Skywalker." Vader said in the silence, resting his 
hand against his son's cheek.
The child tried to speak but couldn't articulate a single word.  He finally 
managed one.
"F---F---Father?"  
He didn't pull away from the dark lord.  
"Yes, I am he.  I'm sorry that I haven't told you before,” he apologized 
earnestly, “ but I had no choice.  You weren't ready to hear the truth.”
Luke remained silent, thinking back to all the things he had been through with 
the dark Lord.
His father?..
“I'm sorry that I've hurt you in the past, Son, but I also didn't have any other 
choice." The dark lord continued in repentance.  
He then slowly drew him back in his embrace.  
Luke was too shocked to resist the gentle pull.  
His father?, he was still wondering.  His father was alive??  He was with his 
father?  The man he'd learnt to respect and even love as a guardian was in fact 
his father??  
He tightened his arms around his father's frame and let out his tears of joy.  
"Father." he whispered, practically unable to speak.  
"If I could have, Luke,” his father told him warmly.  “I would have found you 
before this horrible experience of slavery, but I didn't even know that you 
existed.  I've discovered it when you told me your name before I checked your 
blood sample." he said wistfully.
"I remember...” Luke nodded against his chest.  “I love you, Father.  Now, I 
love you." he said warmly.  
"And now I love you too, Son.” the dark lord answered, slightly tightening his 
hold on his boy.  “I have for a little over a year now, waiting for the right 
moment to tell you the truth."
Luke thought back to the past year, to all the flashes of fear he'd felt 
whenever the dark lord had come closer.  
"You were right to wait, Father." he conceded.  
Of course, he also wished that he had known his father earlier, but he had no 
doubt that he would have had a bad reaction to this secret.  
"I know.” his father agreed.  “I didn't want to scare you again."
Yes, his father was right.  
"So what happens now?" he asked as he slightly pulled away until he could look 
up at his father's mask.  
"We continue your training and you continue to learn by observing me, but no 
more chores.  We'll use that time of the day to spend more time together." he 
told him warmly.
"That'd be great, Father!" he smiled through his tears of happiness.
"There are so many things I want to share with you, Son." his father said 
earnestly.   He gently picked up his right wrist, exposing his slave mark.  "I'm 
afraid this awful mark will never go away, even if we have it surgically 
removed, but I want to build other memories with you, Luke." he told him, 
seriously.
"So do I, Father." Luke smiled, taking his eyes off his scar to reassure his 
father that he understood.  
He felt a change of mood in his father.  
"What is it?" he inquired worriedly.
"Two years ago, I've given you that as a birthday gift,” he said glumly, “so I 
hope this year will slightly make it up to you, Son." 
Luke remained silent, not knowing what to expect.  
"Today, Luke Skywalker, I give you back your freedom.” he stated solemnly.  “You 
are no longer my property, nor can you be the property of anybody else."
Luke felt his eyes dancing with happiness upon hearing those words he had never 
thought he’d someday hear.  He hugged his father yet again.
"I am your son, Father.  I'm Luke Vader." he told him proudly.

Vader was surprised to see the depth of his son's love for him, but he didn't 
comment on it.  Father and son simply hugged each other, satisfied to be 
reunited at last, until the younger of the two fell asleep in his dad's strong 
embrace.  
Vader for his part spent the best part of the night cradling his son in his arms 
as he watched him sleep peacefully.  
Such a beautiful, intelligent, strong, wonderful child, and now he didn't have 
to torment him anymore, in any way.  
Luke Vader.  
His destiny would be as powerful as his name suggested.  
He finally set his son in his bed and left him for the night.  
Not for the first time recently, he wished he could kiss him good night. 

******

The next day, they continued his training between meetings and duties, then 
reported to the Emperor at the end of the afternoon.  
The Emperor was pleased that the masquerade was over and that Luke had claimed 
what was his.  He told him that he would become an agent as soon as he would be 
done with his Jedi training.  
On his way out, Vader noticed that the young Mara Jade was in the waiting 
corridor, probably hoping to see his son.  He nodded to his son ; Luke went 
toward her.  Mara gaped at him.  
*What are you doing?  Aren't you---*
*No, it's okay.* he reassured her.  *Come with me.*  
They entered a small waiting room.  
"He's given me back my freedom, Mara.  He's my father." he said excitedly.  
"Your---  He's adopted you?" she inquired in bemusement.
"No, he's my real father.” he tried to explain.  “He didn't know about me, but 
now we can be together."
"So do you have a name now?" she smiled.
"Luke Vader." He smiled proudly.  "I'll serve the Emperor like him and you, but 
not completely like him."
"How?" she asked him.
"I'll be an agent." he told her proudly.
"Like me!" she exclaimed.  
"Yes, we'll be working together." Luke smiled.
"Great!” she smiled.  “It'll be fun."
"Not just that." Luke reminded her seriously.
"Of course, but when we won't be in missions, we'll have some time to have fun 
together." she told him lightly.
"Yes, we will."  Luke's eyes glazed shortly as his father contacted him.  "I 
have to go.  Don't talk about this with anybody, okay?  To the others, I'm still 
Vader's servant." he informed her.
"You can trust me, Luke.  My lips are sealed." she reassured him.  
"I know." he smiled, then he left the room, lowering his head to assume once 
again his role of servant.

******

That evening, Luke prepared for the night, then went into his father's private 
observatory.  He had been here a couple of times before, when he had been 
learning about astrography, but he had never dared come at any other time.  He 
sat in one of the chairs there, leaned back and gazed at the stars that were 
shining in the night sky.  
Before tonight, he had taken solace in their cool beauty, dreaming that someday, 
he would leave his life behind and see them for himself, but tonight, his 
thoughts were different.  
Soon, he would begin his training as an agent, and he would someday help the 
Emperor keep the galaxy safe, like his father did.  
All of a sudden, he wasn't a puny boy lost in the galaxy ; he was one if its 
future ruler!  It made him smile in happiness.  
His father entered the room.  
"I thought I'd find you here." he said gently.
"I love stars too much not to watch them, Father." he smiled back.
"I know."  he offered him his hand.  "Come, I want to show you something."
Luke sat up and took his father's hand.  They went over a wall, which opened to 
reveal a protected observation balcony.  Luke gaped at the millions of stars 
that were suddenly visible.  His father had chosen this side of the building 
because it faced the lightless sea.  
"Wow!!" he gaped in awe.
"Yes.  Do you think you can name a few of them now?" his father inquired softly.
"There's Alderaan." he said, immediately indicating the blue star that was 
closest to them.  
"Good."  
"And there's Ryalteer, and the Hapes cluster." he added quickly.
"Excellent.  Those will always be your reference points when you'll pilot." he 
told him seriously.
"Pilot?" Luke asked his father.  
Vader sat on a chair.  
"Of course.  Don't you want to fly?" he queried gently.
"Yes, I do, but aren't I too young?" he asked, bemused.
"If you aren't too young to become a Jedi, then you aren't too young for any 
other skill, Son." his father stated with finality.
"Great!  I've always wanted to fly." he smiled.
Vader reached over and proudly ruffled his hair.  "You're so much like me." he 
said.  
Luke smiled at that, then climbed onto his father's lap and leaned against him 
as he continued to watch the stars.  
"Tell me about you, Father.” He demanded in interest.  “How did you earn your 
freedom?"
Vader wrapped his arms around his son, covering him with his cape to keep him 
warm in the cool night, then he leaned back so that they could watch the stars, 
a passion they shared.  He slowly told him about his first adventures.  
Luke was very interested by everything he revealed, especially when it concerned 
his mother.  His only way to know her was through him.  
When he was finished, Luke shifted in his arms to look at him.  
"Father?  Could we go back to Tatooine, just for a quick visit?" he asked him 
earnestly.
The dark lord arched an unseen eyebrow at that.  
"Why?" he inquired seriously.
"I want to reassure Aunt Beru that I'm okay.” Luke told him warmly.  “I know 
that they've lied to me, but they took care of me while I was little ; they 
deserve to know that I'm at least well." 
"You know that if they find out about you and me..." he warned him
"I won't tell them.” Luke reassured him.  “You can drop me for a quick visit, 
then pick me up.  Nobody will know but us."
The dark lord pondered this request for a while.  
Finally, he asked him:  "Is it important for you?"
"Yes, very."  Luke nodded
He sighed.  "Then we'll go.  But just for an hour or two at most."
"That will be more than enough." Luke smiled, then buried himself deeper in his 
father's cape and arms.  
"What's that one?" he asked, pointing to a star.
Father and son spent the rest of the evening giving names to the diamonds of the 
sky.

To be continued in part 2: Servant of the Emperor

Copyright 2000, SJ (skyjade@oricom.ca) 
(Any positive stuff is welcome, but any mean stuff won't even be read.)