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Kav knows he’s hit the jackpot the second the kid comes down the alleyway.
He’s a tiny thing, blonde and blue-eyed; the right people will pay plenty of money for those features, if you know where to look.
Kav knows where to look.
He leans as nonchalantly as he can against the wall, as though he hasn’t spotted the kid coming towards him. He sees the boy stop for a moment, noticing the looming man ahead. He hadn’t spotted Kav in the first place, too distracted by a stone he’d been scuffing across the floor with his toe. For a moment, Kav thinks he’ll turn around and leave, but he soldiers on.
Ah, the blithering innocence of the Coruscant youth. Such idiocy has been lining his pockets for weeks - it’s almost too easy to rob this city blind.
“Hello,” Kav calls. The kid turns at the sound, and Kav uses the opportunity to look him over more thoroughly. He wears the uniform of a local high school, for the Imperial City’s most elite children. Despite the outer-rim hair cut and tan, this kid has money. Or, more accurately, his parents have money.
“Hi.” The boy says, almost as a question. He sidesteps a crate and comes close to Kav, who reaches out a hand to stop him on the shoulder.
“Say, you live round here, right?” He asks.
The boy looks down at the hand on his shoulder, then back up at Kav. “Yeah.” He says slowly. Then pauses. “Why?”
“I’m lost.” Kav admits with a self-deprecating smile. He pushes his hat up his forehead. “Could you point me in the direction of the Imperial Plaza?”
“Uh,” The child swivels as if to get his bearing. Most people, even children, know better than to turn their back on a strange man in an alley way. Kav can’t believe his luck. He had a whole ruse planned to poach this kid, and he was handing himself over on a silver platter.
“If you get onto the airbus from-” The kid starts, and Kav pushes up off of the dumpster that he was leaning against. The move he goes through feels like an old dance. Kav's not a particularly nice person to be around, especially when there's drink. And when you go to enough cantinas and ports, you learn how to pack a good punch.
Kav’s mindful not to throw him too hard as he slams the boy’s temple against the wall in one clean hit.
It’s one thing to knock out a kid who’s seemingly completely lacking any sense of danger.
Another thing to lug said kid onto his ship.
Kav leaves him hunched over by the dumpster whilst he goes and finds a speeder. It’s a poor model, with a hatch-back roof that hinders the speeder’s capacity to navigate the traffic. It’s shoddy condition works in his favour; it’s relatively easy to hot-wire, and the roof will hide the boy.
He parks as close as he can to the alleyway. Kav clears the back seat and hurries back over to the dumpster.
For one second he stares down at the child in disbelief. Not with himself - he’s long since surpassed the guilt that used to come from smuggling beings. The payment the Kessel mines supply for workers, and the credits thrown at him by the slavers and traffickers is too much to pass up. And if none of that, well, maybe the boy’s parents will pay ransom. The decadence Kav will receive washes away the churning wrongness he used to feel.
He simply can’t imagine being so gullible, so sheltered. Stars, he thinks he probably was more cautious as a new-born. Knocking him out had probably been unnecessary. If Kav had said he had some candies in his speeder, the kid probably would have come willingly.
The child’s light in his arms and doesn’t stir, even when Kav hauls him into the back none-too-gently. As he takes off and up out of the lower levels, he takes out his com link and dials.
“What?” Comes the irritated snap upon answer. Kav steers one handed, glancing down at holographic Twi’lek.
“Hana.” Kav greets. “I’ve struck big. Picked up a little Imp child, he’ll make it rain credits if we get him to Tish.”
“Are you crazy?!” Hana snaps, her voice static across the com link. “We’re meant to be here on the down low and you kidnapped an imp?!”
“Baby,” Kav soothes when her voice takes on a shrill pitch. “It’s alright. He literally walked into my arms. Probably some ensign’s kid, he was walking home. No escort or speeder. Won’t be missed too sore, I reckon.”
When Hana says nothing, Kav takes a glance back at the sleeping boy.
“Dock the ship,” Kav says. “When you see him, you’ll understand.”
“I don’t like this.” Hana grumbles. “If this comes back to bite us, remember that it’s your fault.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Kav says, and severs the connection. He looks over his shoulder once more.
Who let you walk the streets alone? He thinks. It was like they wanted you to be taken.
Kav parks as close as he can get to the ship. It’s a Corellian model, a VCX-100 light freighter, an old make. Hana’s waiting on the boarding ramp, arms crossed and surly. The light catches on her goggles and it’s almost as though two beams of blaster fire are glaring at Kav as he disembarks from the speeder.
“Surprised there’s no stormtroopers on your tail.” She snarks as soon as he’s in earshot. Kav ignores that comment, side-stepping the twi’lek and calling over his shoulder:
“He’s in the back. Get him in while I make the call, huh?”
All he hears is an angry huff, but she’ll obey. Kav’s captain, commander. What was that thing some humans said? Judge, jury, and executioner. That was him.
He feels a spring in his step as he boards the freighter. With the credits the boy will bring he’ll be able to refurbish the cockpit, fix that faulty wiring around the hyperdrive. Hell, if he plays his cards right he could afford a whole new hyperdrive component all together.
Kav dials in the com frequency in the privacy of the cockpit. As he waits for the call to connect, he listens out for the tell-tale lug of Hana dragging something up the boarding ramp. They’re a good duo. Kav likes the think he’s the brains and the brawn, enough for the both of them, but Hana’s not a bad crew mate. She’s as ruthless as a kriffed-off rancor, and quick with a blaster or a chase from the law. He hasn’t got to worry about her going all moony-eyed over some innocent child and the depressing path they’re laying down for him.
Tish picks up on his second try.
The human woman listens without interrupting Kav’s eager tale. At least, he assumes that she's human. She is veiled and covered in jewels, and her ringed, gloved fingers are perfectly clasped across her front. When he’s done, breathing heavily and almost jumping up and down with impatience, Tish tells him in her monotone voice to come to Concordia, Mandalore’s moon, to exchange the boy for payment.
Kav knows better than to ask for a price. Tish paid well, if she liked what she saw.
He also knew better than to ask why she needed a young human boy.
If Kav knew anything, it was this; some things are better left unsaid.
“Concordia,” Kav says when he comes through into the small main area of the ship. “I’ve set us on auto-pilot.”
Hana is sat across from the boy. He’s still out cold, and to Kav’s dismay he sees the bump already forming on his forehead, small and red. Tish won’t be happy with that. She hates damaged merchandise.
Hanna is staring at the child, as though the weight of her gaze might pull out of unconsciousness.
Kav snorts, pulling a ration bar out of the food unit.
“Guilty conscience?” He jokes around a mouthful of food.
Hana swivels her glare to him with disdain. “No… I just have a bad feeling.”
“Why?” Kav asks. “We’ve done this a thousand times. The little twerp shouldn’t be walking around talking to strangers.”
She waves a dismissive hand. “Forget it. Want me to pilot?”
“Watch the kid.” Kav says. He throws the wrapper carelessly to the floor before he returns to the cockpit.
Hana can’t pull her eyes away from the child, spread out on the cushioned bunk opposite her, arms spread out and face slack with sleep. She’s never seen a being so…vulnerable. Innocent. It’s making a strange, foreboding feeling grow in her stomach.
Part of her is worried that Kav has knocked him too hard. Why wasn’t he waking up?
Hana shook herself out of it and sat back, closing her eyes. Not her problem.
But, despite herself, she thinks of who’s at home, waiting for a child who’ll never return. Had that been how her parents felt? She can’t remember how it happened to her. Like that part of her life had never existed.
A groan makes Hana snap her eyes open some minutes later.
The boy puts a hand to his forehead, mumbling and starting to sit up.
“Lay back down,” Hana snaps. “You’ve hit your head.”
“I’ll say.” The kid groans, blinking blearily, but he complies. “Where am I?”
Hana fidgets. She doesn’t usually talks to the cargo. What’s gotten into her today?
“On a ship.” She says shortly. She’d leave, but she’d rather not leave the boy unattended.
“Oh.” The boy doesn’t seem massively concerned, too groggy to really understand what was going on. No wonder Kav had gotten him so easily.
“What’s your name?” He asks. He looks so small, forehead already bruising. Hana sees the way his hands grip the cushions, the stiffness of his shoulders. He is afraid. Just trying not to show it.
Hana can respect that. After all, - how many snivelling brats had cried in this very same ship? It’s a refreshing change, she thinks dryly. A little maturity.
“Hana.” She indulges him.
“I’m Luke.” Luke introduces. He looks around once more, before clearing his throat. “Can I go home now?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Hana crosses her arms, sitting back.
“We’re going somewhere else.”
“Where?”
Hana stares at the kid. The kid, Luke, stares back. There’s no anger, or any real terror in hose eyes. Just as calm and blue as a pool of water. She doesn’t know why, but she wants to tell him. A hazy sort of feeling seeps through her, like she’s just eaten a massive meal, or slept on a decent mattress. Lethargic and pliable, she leans further back into the cushions.
“Concorida.”
The boy nods, and the feeling pulls away gently, like somebody pulling a plush blanket off of her. With a shiver, Hana furrows her eyebrows at her sudden loose lips. No harm done, she supposes. Maybe she just needs to rest.
“What’s the kid doing?”
Kav snaps Hana out of her reverie.
Luke has closed his eyes hard, a concentrated look taking over his face. His hands clench in his lap. He takes no notice of the two aliens talking around him.
“Who cares, actually.” Kav answers his own question a moment later. “I’m going to lay down. We’re hitting hyperspace soon.”
Hana takes the hint. As she goes to enter the cockpit, she casts one look over her shoulder. Kav has sprawled out onto the vacated couch, hat over his eyes. The boy, Luke, she recalls, is still deep in his strange, frozen posture.
A shiver pushes her out of the room and into the pilot’s seat.
They make good time. Only a couple of days in hyperspace. Kav watches the glimmer of Mandalore come up on the view screen.
“Wow!” Luke says next to him, crowding for a look. Since they left Coruscant, the boy had acted like he’s been taken on a school trip, not a kidnapping. Kav’s checked the holonet for potential ransoms from some poor Imperial parents, but there’s no mention of the boy’s disappearance. Most odd. He’d also looked up the school - the best in Coruscant. Your parents had to have some rank to get their child a scholarship there. Most odd indeed, but the scent of credits waves Kav’s concerns away.
A particular highlight is the kid begging to be taught Sabaac. He’s not allowed to play at home, apparently.
It's also, apparently, totally unfair.
“Get off,” Kav says, shoving the boy to the floor.
But it’s as though he is impervious to Kav’s rough treatment, or Hana’s blunt refusal to speak to him. He bounces back up off of the floor and takes a seat on the couches. He’s tried numerous times to commandeer the pilot’s seat, claiming that he was an excellent pilot, thank you very much.
“You should see my father’s ship!” He had exclaimed, trying desperately to wedge himself past Hana and into the cockpit.
Kav had pulled him back by the scruff of the neck and thrown him down onto the couch.
“Your father’s ship would be left in the dust compared to this.” Kav had spat, smacking the metal walling with a savage pride.
“No way!” Luke had exclaimed. “Star destroyer’s are the most superior flag ships in the whole galaxy!”
The comment had pulled an incredulous laugh from Kav, but Hana had been absolutely spooked.
“I think something’s wrong.” Hana had muttered, every day since they’d left Coruscant. “He’s important, I can tell.”
“You’re paranoid, baby.” Kav had said. There was no way he was missing out on Tish and her bountiful supply of credits. “This is the easiest mark we’ve had in months. You’re just used to complications.”
“Let’s just drop him at a spaceport.” She’d whispered hysterically. Kav had shoved her away in disgust.
“You’re going soft. Get a hold of yourself, or it’ll be you I give to Tish.” He’d hissed, and that was the end of that.
As they near Mandalore, Kav finally admits that something doesn’t feel quite… right.
Firstly, they enter the moon’s orbit without any questioning. Their clearance code to land is outdated, usually questioned, but they’re granted permission to land with little fanfare.
One the way in, they see the phantom shadow of a docked Star destroyer.
"Oo, daddy's ship's here!" Kav had exclaimed in the cockpit, smacking his knee with laughter. Hana didn't seem to appreciate the joke, hands spasming on the steering handles.
He takes Hana off piloting duty. On the way towards the planet she’d almost plowed them into an asteroid.
“Why do you do that?” Hana asks from where she stands in the cramped quarters. She's too fritzed to fly, all restless and jumpy. Luke is the epitome of calm, sat cross-legged on the cushions as though Hana is the prisoner and he is her jailer.
He peels one eye open curiously. The twi'lek had stopped talking to him for the last few days. He hadn't expected her to start speaking to him once more.
“Do what?”
“That. Close your eyes like that. Are you meditating?”
“No.” Luke shakes his head. “Although, I probably should do that more, but it’s so boring!”
Hana feels that pit open in her stomach once more.
“So, what are you doing?” She asks. She doesn’t know why she keeps asking questions, but Hana can’t bring herself to stop. Something awful is coming. There’s something more than Tish and her goons on that planet. She just doesn’t know what.
“I’m talking to Father.” Luke says, as though he’s discussing the weather. “He’s a big worry-wart, but I told him I’m fine!”
“Talking to him?” Hana barely hears her own voice.
“Yeah. He’s calmed down now.” Luke opens his eyes, and they’re full of a pity that makes Hana’s stomach churn. “But I don’t know how happy he’ll be to see us.”
Hana has never gotten space-sick, but she suddenly understands the sensation. She lurches into the cockpit, lekku almost hitting the ceiling as they descend onto the landing pad.
“We need to leave.” She says frantically. Her vision is blurring at the edges out of fear.
“What?” Kav says, too concentrated on the landing sequence to look away. “What in the galaxy has gotten into you?”
“We’ve done something bad,” Hana whispers.
They hit the landing pad.
"Ooh, like breaking the law?" He asks. "Nothing more worse than usual, Hana."
"I don't know..."
“Look! Tish is right there!” Kav says, pulling Hana’s frozen form over to the front view screen. Sure enough, the veiled woman is stood with two of her lackeys, lit in the darkness of the evening by the lights coming from the control room.
“Don’t!” Hana wails, flailing to stop Kav hitting the controls. He stands and backhands her hard, sending her flying.
“Kriffing women,” He snarls, slamming the button for the boarding ramp.
“We’re done, we’re done.” Hana chants. She sits down on the floor and buries her head in her hands, bleeding lip completely ignored. Their fate is sealed. She knows it.
Kav passes her, spitting on her with disgust. Hana doesn't flinch.
“You best get a hold of yourself by the time I get back.” He hisses.
Kav shakes his head. He has to do everything himself. What was the point of taking on a crew if they couldn't handle the work-load?
The boy doesn’t fight his tight grip around his neck, and Kav drags him roughly down the boarding ramp. He can feel Luke’s pulse beating beneath his fingers, see how, even then, he takes the darkened surroundings with an innocent curiosity.
Who could let such a pure being out of their sight? Kav wonders. Then, he snaps himself out of his sudden pensive train of thoughts. Whoever it was, - thanks for the credits!
Tish steps forward, making no sound as she walks. Kav suddenly feels an ominous shiver work his way down his spine, but he doesn’t compute it. He wasn’t scared of Tish, so why are blaring alarm bells going off in his mind?
“Here’s the brat,” Kav says. There’s a few seconds of tense silence, and Kav casually places his hand around the butt of his blaster. He sees one of Tish’s guards do the same.
He feels her heavy disapproval through her veiled gaze.
“Oh, that?” He asks, licking his thumb and scrubbing the big bruise on the boy’s forehead. Luke makes an “eugh!” sound and tries to step away. “That’ll fade in no time.”
Tish takes a breath to speak, and then she keeps on breathing in. It becomes a horrible, ragged sound, that makes the hairs on the back of Kav’s arms stand up.
“Dad,” Luke sighs in relief, and Kav’s guts seem to fall to his feet.
Tish’s neck snaps with a hard crack, followed in rapid succession by her two guards. She falls to the ground in a pile of silk and brocade. The one guard with the blaster shoots a neat hole through the toe of his boot.
“What the Kriff!” Kav says, grabbing his blaster. He goes to wrap an arm around Luke, but the kid sidesteps neatly and gets out of range quicker than he thought possible.
Before he can move, his blaster is ripped from his hand so hard he swears his fingers snap with it.
An invisible fist wraps around his neck and pulls him up off the floor. Instantly, his vision begins to blur with black spots around the edges, and Kav claws at his throat to stop the pressure.
Darth Vader steps out from the shadows, hand fisted in the air. He's so much more awful in person, hulking in black armour. His respirator is loud and sinister as he strides forwards.
How had he not heard him coming?
Kav tries to beg with his eyes, tell him how sorry he is, but he knows that it will be to know avail.
Darth Vader's son! The star destroyer! Kav is too light headed to even feel surprised. He's unsure as to how he pieces together the information in the first place. The pain around his throat increases into a mindless agony.
“You are lucky I am on a time schedule.” Lord Vader booms through his voice modulator, and ignites his lightsaber. "Or I'd tear you limb from limb."
Or he would leave this stain to die from a painful gut wound, but doesn’t want to traumatise Luke more than necessary. Far quicker than he’d like, he runs the man through with his blade. He dies with barely a gurgle.
Next, he assesses his son. Luke stands there, his uniform stained with some grime and sweat, and a large bruise on his face. The sight of it makes Vader want to kill the man at his feet a thousand times over. He’s careful to shield such vengeful thoughts, but Luke seems to sense them anyway.
“I’m okay!” Luke says. “I’m just tired, and-“ He interrupts himself with a yawn. “I’d like to go home, please.”
Vader turns his head left and right in a gentle grip.
“You’re certain he did not hurt you?” He asks.
Luke nods solemnly to the chest panel in front of him. “Yes, father.”
“Very well.”
Luke takes Vader’s large hand in his own. “Now, you may explain to me why you left your escort after school.”
“Daaaaaaad.” Luke sighs. “Everybody looks at me when they follow me around! When I go into a shop or the park, they all have to come too!”
“It is their job to protect you, son.” Vader says, leading him to his waiting shuttle. The Executor is hidden by Mandalore, ready to return at his order. He knew that the smugglers would have seen his fleet, and yet they had the audacity to continue their mission. If he wasn't holding Luke's delicate hand in his own, he would crush his prosthetics into fists.
“And this is exactly why they are needed. It is dangerous for you. I think I have been too lenient with your escorts.”
He watches with only a small, hidden amusement as Luke visibly pales. “Oh, no, no. I’ll take the escort. I don’t think I could handle you dropping me off at the school gate.”
“Very well,” Vader says again. He points a finger as he speaks. “You must promise, or that will be the consequence.”
Luke gulps.
“Promise.” He says quickly.
After a moment of silence, Luke looks up at Vader's helmet.
"Thanks for coming and getting me." He says.
Vader stares back at him. It has been years since he discovered his son alive and well, and yet his sincerity, his light in the force, still astonishes him.
"Of course, my son." Vader replies. He is glad that his modulator can't pick up emotion in his voice.
He leaves Luke to sit by the boarding ramp before turning away.
“She was nice to me,” Luke calls. Vader is once again surprised at Luke’s perceptiveness. He knows exactly what Vader is about to do. “Nicer than the other one, anyway.”
Vader does not turn. “I will keep that in mind.”
The Twi’lek closes her eyes and accepts her death when Vader finds her, curled up on the floor of the cockpit. No words are exchanged, but he feels her acceptance through the force. No surprise to see him. She seemed to have sensed his presence, and sensed her own fate.
In her mind he sees the children she has taken. The regret she buried, the sadness tucked away. As far as Vader is concerned, her death is one less slaver in the galaxy.
“Home?” Luke asks when Vader returns to the shuttle. He’s already gone through the pre-flight sequence without being told, kicking his legs in the co-pilot chair.
Vader runs a hand through the boy’s hair, who leans into the touch with a smile. He needs a haircut, he thinks absently. And a bacta patch for that bruise.
Many people will want to hurt Luke. For being Vader’s son, for his powers, his innocence. But Vader is ready. He will fight for him until Luke can defend himself. And even then, after that time comes.
My son, He thinks privately behind his strongest shields. My everything.
“Home.” Vader agrees, closing the boarding ramp, and starting up the engines.