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It was the initial sight of the Mustafar landscape that gave Luke his first feeling that perhaps this was a bad idea. It would be the first of many before the evening was over.
Leia was more direct in expressing her thoughts.
"Is that … lava?" she asked, leaning forward so she could see between the pilot seats on the Millennium Falcon.
"So, it's a little … volcanic," Han said, making adjustments to the shield modulation. "Don't worry. Chewie repaired the heat shield just last week."
Chewie made a noise that sounded uncertain.
"You did repair it, right?" Han asked, his head snapping to the side as he glared at Chewie.
Chewie made a long series of tones that indicated he'd done his best, but he couldn't guarantee it would stand up if it was even hotter further in.
"Great," Han said, turning back to the scopes. "Just great."
Luke felt his stomach twitch as the Falcon accelerated towards the surface, following a bubbling lava river up the rocky landscape. There was something … dangerous at the top of this river. He could sense it. But Han never paid attention to his feelings unless Leia insisted, and he didn't want to bother Leia right now. She was still a little sore over the last race.
There was nothing Leia hated more than when she felt he had let her win a podrace. But he couldn't help it this time. Sebulba was playing dirty on Malastare, as he always did, and the sight of his oversized pod bearing down on his twin sister was too much. He'd let go of the lead, reversed back into the Dug favorite, and left them both spinning out on the final turn. Leia had won easily, and the best he could do was fourth. Sebulba didn't even finish, as he'd stormed off the track in a huff.
The race organizers had … mixed opinions. Many of them had illegal bets on either him or Sebulba made through third parties, and lost a great deal. Others who had done the same with Leia were more than pleased at the result. But Leia was so mad, her expression in the official winners photo was more of a scowl.
There was no need for it. She knew she could beat him legitimately, and had on several occasions. The last being on the Mon Gazza Speedway, a race that paid off well for all of them. But his protective tendencies towards her had been a source of contention their entire lives.
"Is that … his house?!" Leia asked, still squinting to try and see through the haze of the atmosphere.
Luke leaned over to see what she was talking about. Looming on the horizon, there was a massive tower, built over a spot where the lava river flowed straight down a cliff.
"Looks more like a prison," Luke remarked. Chewie barked in agreement.
"I think we should turn around," Leia added.
"Don't be so judgemental," Han said. "So the guy likes his peace and quiet. I wouldn't mind a nice place like this. Out of the way. Low rent."
"It's … not exactly where you'd expect an Imperial leader to live," Luke said, crossing his arms to rub his shoulders. He felt … cold, for some strange reason. "And you said this was a dinner invitation?"
"Yes. And more than that, this is an opportunity." Han began to slow as they approached the structure. It looked even more intimidating up close. "You've been lucky enough to attract the attention of this high and mighty Imperial lord, and I intend to make sure we profit from it."
"Really," Leia said, sounding amused. "And how do you plan to do that, Han?"
"It's not every day we have dinner with a rich and powerful podracing fan. And you two are the hottest up and coming racers of the season. We're going to be on our best behavior and take some nice holos with him for his wall. Then I'm going to pitch him."
"Pitch him with what?" Luke asked.
"A Coruscant championship cup."
"There hasn't been podracing on Coruscant in forever," Leia said. "They'd never allow it."
"I don't think you understand how much of a big cheese this Lord Vader guy is."
"He's just one of many Imperial lackeys," Leia said. "The Emperor is the only one who holds any real power."
"The Emperor can't be all over everything. And if his good friend Darth Vader here wants to host a podrace on Coruscant, why would the old geezer say no? We could offer to wave their flag and have the crowd sing their anthem at the start. They love that kind of thing on Coruscant."
"I am not racing under any Imperial flag," Leia insisted.
Han glanced back at her. "Leave the politics to the politicians, pal. Us lowly citizens just need to stay out of their way and, if you're lucky, they'll make you rich."
"Leia's right, Han," Luke said, seeing his sister was about to lose it. "Listen, if he wants to offer us sponsorship money in exchange for dinner and holos, then let's just leave it at that. We can upgrade the pods and hopefully win big in the next Boonta Eve classic."
Han was still focused on Leia. "Haven't you got some fancy dress you could put on?" He glanced at Luke. "And you. Comb your hair for once."
He and Leia were dressed more or less the same, something that seemed to please their growing fanbase. Tight fitting pants with black knee-high boots, and a black tunic. This was usually the type of thing they wore when meeting with potential sponsors.
"If you think I would dress up for an Imperial, you're delusional," Leia said, standing up as the ship came into land. "Let's just get this over with."
Luke ran his hands through his hair and then walked after Leia, ignoring Han's calls to wait up. He was busy turning off the ship's engine. He caught up with them by the time the ramp lowered, and Leia was out first, looking left and right for any sign of their host. Han had shown them a picture of a tall man in a black helmet and cape, but he may wear more relaxed attire in his own home.
Instead, the only greeting party were six stormtroopers, the first of which was carrying a scanning wand.
"Welcome. Please step forward into the security area," he said, gesturing for them to stand in a marked square on the hangar floor.
"Uh … we have a dinner invitation?" Luke suggested.
"I know. All guests are required to be scanned for weapons."
"We don't have any weapons," Leia said.
"Han does have a blaster," Luke said. He turned back to the ship. "Han, I think you better leave your blaster on the Falcon."
"Please step into the scanning area," the stormtrooper repeated.
They both sighed, but did as asked. The scanning seemed very thorough, involving two droids and several troopers. While they were patting him down, Luke's gaze wandered around the hangar. Ships. Small ones, big ones. Fast ones. What he wouldn't give to fly some of these. Maybe if they impressed this guy, this dinner could be a regular monthly thing.
Finally, they were asked to move forward, and then it was Chewie and Han's turn. That seemed to take far less time, and before Leia had grown impatient, a new person arrived. An older man, face partially obscured by a black hood.
"Welcome, welcome," he said, sounding genuinely pleased to see them. "I'm so glad you could join us. You must be Leia and Luke Cloudrunner. And Captain Solo … I believe we spoke on the comlink."
"Yes, Vaneé, right?" Han said.
He nodded. "If you will please follow me, I will escort you to the dining room. My master awaits you."
Luke gazed around in amazement as they followed Vaneé through a heavy door and across a bridge. Far below, lava bubbled away, casting an eerie red glow on the walls. This was nothing like the palace in Theed. He'd been there a few times on field trips at school, or with his aunt and uncle.
"Interesting place," Han remarked, as they traversed a central platform. Somehow, Han had a way of lightening the mood, simply by his determination not to take anything too seriously.
"It has … quite a history," Vaneé remarked. "I only regret we don't have the time for a full tour."
"A real shame," Han agreed. They had to wait while a heavy door lifted into the ceiling, allowing them space to walk through and enter an elevator. It was large enough that Chewie fit easily, which wasn't usually the case.
"So, your boss," Han started, as the elevator began to rise. "How are we supposed to address him? Your lordship? Your highness?"
"My lord or sir is expected," Vaneé said. "And I would warn you to be careful. He has little patience for coarse behavior or loose speech. I can tell you are a man of wit and warmth, Captain Solo, but such traits are best left at the door. I suggest only speaking when asked a question."
"Sounds friendly," Leia remarked, sarcasm dripping from the word.
"Don't misunderstand me, young lady. He is very keen to meet you and your brother."
"That's why we're here," Han said, smiling.
The elevator doors slid open with a hiss, revealing another dimly lit black corridor. Vaneé stepped out first, and then led them, single file, to the door at the end.
Luke's sense of danger grew stronger, and he reached out to take Leia's hand, just as he used to when they were little kids. She just gave him a raised eyebrow and then kept walking. She could sense it too, but her curiosity was stronger.
The first thing Luke heard when the doors slid open was the sound of artificial breathing. Vaneé stepped to one side, allowing them to file in and stand just in front of the door. The dining table was black and rectangular, much like their host, who had risen to his feet at the head.
"My lord, may I present Leia and Luke Cloudrunner, and their manager, Captain Solo, and his associate, Chewbacca."
"Hey there!" Han said, clearly remembering nothing of what Vaneé had just said. "Pleased to meet you."
Luke could only stare in the same way he found it difficult to look away when he saw a pod racer crash and explode into a ball of wreckage. This masked and cloaked figure had a presence that filled the entire room. It wrapped around him, drawing him in. He couldn't walk away now, even if he wanted to.
"Sit," was the only word that came from their host. His voice was deep and resonant, easily heard throughout the room.
Four places had already been set for them, and Leia led the way, taking a seat on the left. Luke sat next to her, between her and their host, while Han and Chewie occupied the other side. Once they were all seated, Lord Vader walked over to the window, hands clasped behind his back. A series of serving droids had rolled in from the door to the side, filling their glasses and placing the entrees and main dishes on the table between them.
It was clear their host wasn't going to join them for the meal itself, for obvious reasons, but that didn't stop Han from attempting conversation.
"Nice place you have here," he remarked, as he buttered a bread roll. "Very … volcanic."
"I have no interest in idle chatter, Captain Solo," their host remarked.
"Sure. I understand. You prefer to talk business? Well, do I have a proposal for you."
There was silence in response, so Han continued.
"So, clearly you're a fan of my clients here. Your guy Vaneé there told me you were interested in being a sponsor. They're something, aren't they? There haven't been human racers with this much potential in decades. And this is an opportunity I know many in the core worlds have been waiting for. A chance to bring this sport out of the shadows, and back to the planets where the real money is. So here it is. The big one. A Coruscant Championship cup. One of my better ideas, if I do say so myself."
Luke still hadn't taken a bite of the fresh and expensive food that he'd somehow managed to serve onto his plate. He was staring at Lord Vader's back, trying to make sense of what he was feeling. Despite his stillness and silence, there were strong emotions deep within that black armor. A longing. And not the usual kind of longing he sensed from devoted fans. This was on a whole different level. And, for some strange reason, it felt familiar.
After a few slow mechanical breaths, the man turned back and made a vague gesture towards Han. "Silence. I wish to speak with your clients."
He said the word clients with a tone of distaste. Almost like he thought it was … beneath them.
"You." He pointed at Luke. "Luke is your name, correct?"
"Um … yes, sir," Luke said.
"And your sister is Leia?"
"I can speak for myself, thank you," Leia said, raising a fork with a long green bean on the end. "Yes, Leia. And I don't believe you introduced yourself to us."
"How old are you?"
Luke glanced at Leia, and then back at their host. His mask was truly a terrifying sight. If one had to have their face covered, who would choose a visage like that?
"Eighteen."
"No. I require more precise information. When is your birthdate?"
Luke was about to answer, but Leia stopped him. "And you need to know this … why?"
She received a long stare in response, which she met without flinching. Luke expected him to respond angrily, but instead he felt some sense of … respect? His tone was quieter when he replied.
"I have reason to believe you are more than you believe yourself to be."
"Oh, of course," she said. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He sat down then, finally joining them at the table. Then he pressed a button, resulting in a projected image appearing down the far end. It was a HoloNet article, a news story the day of their first professional podrace. He moved through several such images, saved news, media photos, race statistics. Then he paused on some images that circulated as part of a collector card series. Podracer profiles. Luke and Leia each had their own card, detailing their home planet, their interests, and their notable career wins.
"You have quite a collection," Han noted.
Vader ignored him.
"These cards claim your place of birth is Tatooine. I have thoroughly searched all Tatooine records for any sign of your names and none exist. Your stated family name, Cloudrunner, has no record on that planet. Or any planet in the vicinity."
"Yeah, well, we made that up," Luke said. "Everyone lies on those cards. There are too many angry gamblers out there who will come after your family."
"Is 'Darth Vader' your real name?" Leia asked, smirking slightly at the idea.
She again received a long stare, and then Vader spoke to Luke.
"How did you choose the name Cloudrunner?"
"Well, if you're a fan of podracing, you've probably heard of Anakin Skywalker," Luke said, mashing his fork into the vegetables. "I was fascinated with his story when I first began racing. So I thought … if he was a sky walker then we could be cloud runners. And he was from Tatooine, so—" Luke shrugged. "Tatooine is a good planet to choose if you want to avoid too many questions."
"So where is your homeworld?"
Leia interrupted as Luke started to reply. "I don't think—"
Vader raised a hand. "I assure you, young one, I am no gambler and I have no desire to harm your family. I only wish to know the truth."
Luke glanced at Han, who nodded in encouragement. He was clearly still thinking in terms of money.
"Naboo," Luke said.
The word caused an emotional reaction in their host, although it was entirely invisible to anyone but him and Leia.
"And you were raised by an aunt and uncle there?"
Luke nodded, surprised he would know that. "Yes."
"Naboo is a civilized planet of art and culture. It is … surprising you would cultivate an interest in podracing there."
"Oh, believe me, it didn't happen there," Luke said, smiling at Leia. She was still wary. But the more Luke talked, the more he wanted to say. Even the smallest thing he revealed seemed to ease just a little of the longing he felt from their host. "We attended boarding school in the Geythee system, and … we were out and about one weekend and we discovered the amateur podracing track there. It was … love at first sight for Leia and me. Unfortunately it got us expelled from the school before we could graduate. It made things … difficult at home."
"You have not been home to Naboo in some time," he noted. "Are you estranged from your family there?"
"How would you know where we've been? And I don't see how that is any of your business," Leia said. "We just met! I'm happy to discuss our present careers, but no more of this prying."
"Come on, Leia, he's just … making conversation, is all," Han said.
"He's being nosey," Leia said.
"Your present careers are dangerous and ill-advised," Lord Vader said, in a tone that made Luke raise an eyebrow. Were they being … scolded? "You would have done better to focus on your studies."
"The only reason I am here is I was informed you were interested in being a sponsor," Leia said. "If that is not the case, then I think we should leave."
"Leia!" Han said. "We haven't even had dessert yet!"
"Seriously, Han," Leia said, putting down her fork. She gestured towards the head of the table. "Where do you find these people?"
"Can we just … calm down, please?" Luke suggested. "Lord Vader, clearly you have some interest in us beyond our podracing careers. Maybe if you could explain what that is, we might be able to understand each other better."
Vader met his gaze, and Luke tried to be as cool and calm as Leia was, and didn't look away. He could see himself reflected in the eyeshields of the mask.
"Is the name Padmé Amidala Naberrie familiar to you?" he asked, voice even, but Luke could sense his emotions were as turbulent as his own were upon hearing that name.
"What the …?" Luke said, frowning in confusion. His food now lay forgotten. "You couldn't possibly …"
"Have you had spies investigating us?" Leia asked. "What for?"
Lord Vader stood up, returning slowly to his place by the window. "I knew your mother," he said, finally.
"Really?" Luke said, baffled at the turn this had taken. "How?"
"She was a senator. I was … a member of the Jedi Order."
Leia was curious again now, if still skeptical. "Does that mean you knew our father too?"
Luke glanced at Leia, and then back at Vader. "We'd appreciate anything you could tell us about our father. Our family has made certain we know our mother as much as we could know someone who passed soon after our birth. But there … there is some bad feeling in our family towards him, so we've never even been given a name."
It was only upon saying those words that Luke realized why Lord Vader's longing had felt familiar. He had sensed the same longing whenever he and Leia had played a game late at night, inventing stories about who their father might have been. From Leia. And from himself.
Only Chewie was still eating now. Han looked between the dark shadow by the window, and then back at Luke and Leia. Even he seemed cautious now.
After a long silence, Lord Vader responded in a quiet tone that Luke strained to hear.
"Skywalker. Skywalker was your father's name."
"No way," Luke said, feeling a rush of excitement. "You mean … he was related to Anakin?"
"That would explain the podracing genes," Leia acknowledged.
"I can't believe this is true," Luke said. "Please, did you really know him?"
Before Vader could respond further, the main doors opened, and a medical droid entered. He crossed the distance to stand next to Lord Vader and then handed him a datapad.
"The results of the scan, my lord."
Lord Vader accepted the report, and read it silently for a moment. Luke could feel his emotions spiraling further.
Finally, Lord Vader placed the datapad on the table, and gripped the back of his chair in both his gloved hands.
"Luke and Leia Naberrie Skywalker," he said, quietly. He looked at them then, and Luke felt himself reaching for Leia's hand once again.
"I am your father."