Chapter Text
"what a blessing... for the mind to dwell a world away from pain."
The Empire's academic syllabus on Galactic History was fiction. Children were taught lies made up by the Emperor himself, and at a young age Luke decided to uncover them. He graduated from university in journalism, specialising in investigative journalism— where few dared go — and became a historian. His life long study were the clone wars and the first years of the Empire, and his investigations were all clandestine.
He wanted the truth to be out, for everyone, even if he risked his life. But he was a part of the Rebellion, they did the fighting, he did the digging.
His professors at university praised him for his curiosity, even if Luke knew they were all afraid for him, and they sent his name to many important figures from the Republic days for interviews.
Most of them denied, naturally.
Talking about the time before the Empire was illegal. It was something rebels did, and nobody wanted to risk their life.
It only fuelled Luke to dig deeper. He had visited all libraries in the galaxy, the open and the destroyed, spoke to those who were willing to speak anonymously in old villages with little imperial presence, and sometimes, when Luke felt lucky, he asked about the Jedi.
Most people fell silent and refused to answer questions. People drew the line at the Jedi, and they repeated the same sentence they were taught to say if they wanted to live: ‘Jedi were the enemy of the Empire’.
Luke knew close to nothing about the Jedi Order, meaning he knew nothing about who his father really was. Luke discovered Anakin Skywalker was a war General, he knew about some of his battles and defeats, he even spoke to some survivors of the Grand Army of The Republic. His last name opened doors, even if he kept it hidden.
Officially he was Luke Lars from Tatooine, but in his heart, he was Luke Skywalker.
“What a bunch of nonsense,” muttered Luke under his breath, and turned the page, “Unbelievable!”
“Shhhhh.”
Luke looked at the librarian, and mouthed an apology. It wasn't his fault that The Rise of The Empire in the Inner Rim was all fake. Luke wondered how much the author got paid to publish this. He crossed the book title of his long list and wrote I.P. next to it. He had written I.P. about ten times now.
Imperial Propaganda.
Out of ten books, eight were imperial propaganda. Finding anything, even a cooking book, written before the Empire was a miracle.
Luke closed The Rise of The Empire in the Inner Rim and put it on the growing pile of books on the table. The sun had already set, and it was only the librarian and him in the large empty space that was the Chandrilian library.
He fixed his glasses and opened a book about the history of Lola Sayu. Luke heard rumours about a secret prison, but the book said nothing about it. He opened his notebook and ripped one page out, writing: ‘Nothing about secret Jedi prison, but read later. Perhaps masked as a normal prison? VERY CONFUSING’
He left the page inside the book and closed it with a sigh.
“You’re too young to be doing this at this hour. Go out, have fun, start a family!” begged the librarian. She was a sixty something year old lady.
Luke sighed. “We’ve had this conversation before, this is my work.”
“Not everything in life is about work!” she protested tiredly.
Luke doubted that she knew he was a rebel. To the galaxy, his work could change the course of galactic history for the better. If everyone discovered the truth, with the Rebellion’s help, perhaps things could change for the better.
It was his only hope.
He left the library that day seconds before it closed in a rush, most of the books he carried back to the hotel almost falling from his arms.
The History of Lola Sayu was forgotten on top of a table.
Libraries were useless. They were nothing but old dust when all of the data could be digitalised and stored in the holonet, and made accessible to the general public. Technology moved the galaxy, it made everything so much easier; libraries seemed useless to him.
Darth Vader was glad to have them destroyed, even if he didn’t understand why the Emperor was sending him across the galaxy to have him personally order the demolishment. He has been travelling the galaxy for weeks. He had better things, more important things, to do than that.
He entered the local library, a wide cavernous-like space, and waited —actually waited— for someone to greet him. The stormtroopers behind him were expecting a bloodbath, and Vader was not having a good day.
An elderly woman walked out, mumbled an apology and when she saw him she froze.
Finally.
“The Emperor commands to have this library demolished. All material is to be sent to this address and by the end of the week the building will be demolished.” recited Vader by protocol.
Clarisse had heard of this happening in other parts of the galaxy, she just didn’t expect it to come this soon to Chandrila. “Yes, your Highness.”
“Lord.”
“Sorry, my Lord.”
That was better. Vader raised a hand and the stormtroopers scouted the place, starting to count the amount of wagons it would take to remove all the books. Vader watched them, arms crossed, and saw a book laying on top of a table.
He picked it up and read the title. The History of Lola Sayu.
Pathetic.
He forgot the librarian was still behind the counter, trying not to cry. “I- a kid left it behind, my Lord. I apologise.” she muttered.
If children were becoming historians now, the future of the Empire was dark. Darker than it already was. The stormtroopers were taking their time, and today Vader decided not to do their job for them. He flicked through the pages absentmindedly, groaning at the made up information it contained.
All of it was imperial propaganda.
As he continued reading, a page fell to the ground and he picked it up.
‘Nothing about secret Jedi prison, but read later. Perhaps masked as a normal prison? VERY CONFUSING’
Vader blinked and re-read that again. The Citadel was only known to Jedi, and they were dead. He turned around to face the librarian, and pointed at the note.
“Who is the author of this note?” he demanded.
“I-I don't know. This young kid comes in every afternoon to read. I don't know his name, my Lord.” she muttered.
If children wanted to become historians and knew about the Jedi, and even suspected the existence of The Citadel, the future of the Empire was worse than dark.
It had no future.
“Do not say a word that I was here if you want to live.”
She nodded.
Luke walked into the library later that afternoon, still thinking about the book he just finished about the Gastronomy of Coruscant, now Imperial Center, and didn't notice that Clarisse wasn't there.
He felt cold, like someone removed one rib from him and used it to hit him on the stomach. Something had happened there.
“Clarisse?” he exclaimed.
He heard someone crying and ran towards the staff room, even if Clarisse was the only person working there. He knocked on the door, and she stopped crying immediately.
Clarisse was red-eyed. “They're closing the library. Destroying it.” she whispered.
Luke's heart dropped to the floor. “Already?”
She nodded, and Luke felt like joining her on the floor to cry too, but he didn't have time. “How much have they taken?”
“Nothing. Today was an inspection.” she said.
Luke exhaled deeply and crossed his arms. “Have they finished counting?”
She shook her head.
"I know this might be illegal, but could I take some books with me? They're being destroyed anyway. I could use them for my research.”
“Yes, yes. Please, take whatever you want. They all belong to the Empire now.” she said, holding in tears.
Luke placed one hand on her shoulder. “I'm sorry, I really am.”
She dismissed him, and they walked out of the room. Luke looked at the state of the library, at how dirty the floor was, at how some of the books had fallen from the shelves.
He froze when he saw one lonely book on one table. From afar, he recognised the white cover. It was The History of Lola Sayu, his unfinished read about the secret Jedi prison.
Clarisse watched him walk towards the book, and bit her tongue. She had a family, if she said that Darth Vader knew about the boy’s research, she would die. She wouldn't risk it for a stranger.
Luke felt cold. He touched the book and flinched, and felt like he was being punched on the stomach. He opened it and saw the torn page of his notebook that said:
‘Nothing about secret Jedi prison, but read later. Perhaps masked as a normal prison? VERY CONFUSING’
And below, on almost unintelligible handwriting, as if the person wasn’t used to handwriting, was an answer:
"Indeed, the Jedi prison on Lola Sayu was real. Not masked as a normal prison. It is not public knowledge, how have you come to the conclusion of its existence?”
Luke wasn't sure whether he wanted to scream, to jump, or both. He knew his investigations of Lola Sayu had to be conclusive. This changed everything!
Wait.
He couldn't trust some anonymous words on a piece of paper. Not that anonymous confessions didn't help him before, but this one was strange.
“Clarisse?” he asked loudly, re-reading the note. She bit her tongue harder. “Has somebody been here before I arrived?”
She blinked a few times. “I don't know. The library is always open.” she said, drowning in guilt.
The next morning Darth Vader visited again, to Clarisse's horror. The stormtroopers could finish counting and organising without him, but Vader was intrigued about the book.
For the first time in decades, he was curious about something. He walked in and went straight to the lonely white book on top of a table, and opened it. The same note from yesterday was still there.
‘Nothing about secret Jedi prison, but read later. Perhaps masked as a normal prison? VERY CONFUSING’
And he wrote:
‘Indeed, the Jedi prison on Lola Sayu was real. Not masked as a normal prison. It is not public knowledge, how have you come to the conclusion of its existence?”
"Private sources. Hasn't anybody taught you that reading through someone's personal notes is rude? I appreciate your enthusiasm at my theory, but without a source I will not believe you. But now that we're here and before the library is closed, do you know anything about the “secret” prison attack during the wars, when the Confederacy of Independent Systems took control of the planet? Thanks! - L.”
The book slipped from his hands and fell to the ground. The stormtroopers turned around immediately and saluted him, but Vader just sighed.
He couldn't believe what he was about to do.
“I am delaying the demolishment. I need this building in one place until I say so. Leave.” he ordered.
The stranger, signed under one letter, knew about the Citadel attack from twenty-five years ago. Vader suspected the stranger wasn’t a child, judging by the maturity of the writing, yet...
The Force felt out of place. He needed to investigate this further. The demolishment could wait. Knowledge was a weapon, and this stranger was armed.
Luke walked into the library with a small trolley. Clarisse frowned at the screech the wheels made, but didn't ask. After all, she did say he could pick whatever he wanted, and the boy was clearly a bibliophile.
Luke went straight in for the book, impeccably placed where he left it last afternoon, and opened it with enthusiasm. He had been wondering who the person was, and how did they know about something as unknown as the secret Jedi prison. His knowledge came from years of research...if this person was researching it too, perhaps Luke could find a work partner!
‘Nothing about secret Jedi prison, but read later. Perhaps masked as a normal prison? VERY CONFUSING’
‘Indeed, the Jedi prison on Lola Sayu was real. Not masked as a normal prison. It is not public knowledge, how have you come to the conclusion of its existence?’
‘Private sources. Hasn't anybody taught you that reading through someone's personal notes is rude? Anyway, I appreciate your enthusiasm at my theory, but without a source I will not believe you. But now that we're here and before the library is closed, do you know anything about the “secret” prison attack during the wars, when the CIS took control of the planet? Thanks! -L”
‘I do not care about rudeness. My source is myself. I was present during the attack. Stop calling it a secret Jedi prison, its name was The Citadel. How much do you know about the wars?’
Luke liked his new penpal. The person was direct and answered all his questions, if only he could interview them... “Clarisse, are you sure you don't know if anyone else is visiting the library when I'm not here?” he asked.
He sensed the lie miles away when she answered, but didn't press. He walked around the aisles, absentmindedly picking up books, and noticed the date.
“Shouldn't they have at least removed several aisles by now?” he asked.
Clarisse answered from the other side of the library. “They're delaying it...”
Luke's eyes widened. This was strange.
That afternoon Darth Vader walked into the library with renewed enthusiasm, even if it was seen as aggressive walking. The stormtroopers stood outside, guarding the door, and the librarian didn’t bother to show up.
Good.
He was here for the stranger in the notes, not for her.
He picked up The History of Lola Sayu and turned the ripped page around, since their written dialogue had occupied one page already.
‘I am an investigative journalist. If you could answer my questions, I would be grateful. It's hard finding someone that was present during the wars, I feel like I've won gold.’
Vader frowned. His...his knowledge was what now?
Gold.
People thought it was expensive and something worth having. The thought made the Force around him fill up like a balloon with strange feelings he hadn't experienced in decades: a sense of purpose. He supposed answering a couple of questions about the wars wouldn't hurt anybody.
He continued reading.
‘...How was the Grand Army of The Republic like? I don't know in which side you fought, maybe you're a droid, so any points of view are welcome. And you don't have to answer this one, but...anything about the Jedi?’
Vader shut the book and left. This was a bad idea.
When Luke came back to the library the next morning, excited to hear from his new friend, he froze. The library was crawling with stormtroopers, and there were dozens of transports parked outside, removing the books.
He walked in, pushing past the stormtroopers, to find Clarisse. She wasn't inside, and there was only the white book on the table. He opened it and looked quickly for the notes.
His friend hadn't answered.
Luke didn’t want to jump into conclusions, but had he crossed a line? What did he do wrong?
He picked up a pen and wrote one last message before leaving.
‘Next time you see this, the library will probably be gone. It was nice talking to you, a true privilege to meet someone that fought in the wars and was willing to talk about it. You don't know how hard it is to find someone like you. I am leaving the planet soon, and we will probably never meet again, so take care. - L.’
Darth Vader read the note again, and again, and a few more times after that. He usually stayed away from the media, especially journalists, but this one seemed different.
The librarian was eventually sent home, and the building would be demolished the next day. Most of the books were gone, and yet...The History of Lola Sayu laid on the same table. Untouched, clean, screaming from the Force.
Luke came back to the library one last time before leaving the planet. He had booked tickets to the next system, hoping to find another library there. He walked in with his two suitcases, and left them near the door. The entire place looked like a ruin, when not even a week ago it was the cleanest place in the city. Now it was dark, gleam, dull, filled with dust. The only light came from a hole in the ceiling.
The book was still on the same table, shining in the light.
Luke came back just to see if the stranger had answered his goodbye, which really, who did that? Goodbyes were a closed door; a key thrown away. No one came back to check.
He walked towards the book and felt cold again, but ignored it.
‘Next time you see this, the library will probably be gone. It was nice talking to you, a true privilege to meet someone that fought in the wars and was willing to talk about it. You don't know how hard it is to find someone like you. I am leaving the planet soon, and we will never meet again, so take care. -L.’
‘We will meet again.”
Luke frowned. “What?” he whispered, and it echoed across the empty library.
It was then that he felt cold, like he was thrown in the middle of a snowfall, or a tornado, and he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He didn't dare move. Something inside of him was telling him that if he moved, or tried to run, he would get injured.
He heard a laboured breathing, and shivered. Eventually the breathing was right behind him, and he took slow breaths to calm down.
“You must be the one who's answering my notes.” said Luke, trying to sound confident. His voice broke.
Silence.
The footsteps circled behind him in the darkness.
“You know too much.” said a deep baritone voice.
Luke froze. That voice...
He shut his eyes.
This was just his luck, alright.
Darth Vader spoke. “I am impressed by your skills. The Empire could use someone with your talents. If you applied them to more useful topics, you would be priceless.”
Darth Vader, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet, second most important person in the Empire. He had been communicating through notes with Darth Vader.
Luke was speechless. “Thank you, but I'm fine where I am.” He cursed himself for how his voice broke again.
“It was not a request. I will not repeat myself, you know too much, and I do not approve of where your investigations are going. If you join me, I will spare your life. If not, the library is demolished tonight, and you in it.”
Luke didn't think he had much of a choice. Either way, he wouldn't go without a fight, even if fighting Darth Vader—or at least Luke suspected it was Vader— was a worse death sentence than being crushed by a building.
“But you approve of where it's going. You wanted to answer my questions, why didn't you? It was anonymous. It could have been this way had you not interrupted.” said Luke, quite angrily.
“Watch your tone. What is your name?” asked Vader.
Luke panicked. “Han Solo?”
“Try again.” said Vader, tapping his fingers on the wooden table.
Luke sighed. “Lars. Luke Lars.”
Vader nodded, and walked to stand in front of him, on the opposite side of the table. Luke finally got a good look at him; the man was very tall, and his body language said hostility. Vader leaned on the table, and Luke felt cold again.
“Very well, Luke Lars. Do you accept?”
“Accept what?” asked Luke.
Luke couldn’t see the man’s face, but he felt like he just rolled his eyes. “If you do not leave with me now, you are dead. I cannot let you go, the knowledge you possess could end in the wrong hands.”
Luke wondered how more wrong someone’s hands could be than Darth Vader’s.
“Do I have a choice?” asked Luke.
Darth Vader didn’t answer, and that was all the answer Luke needed. He sighed, and picked up the white book. Vader didn’t say a word, and they walked out of the library, with Luke carrying his suitcases as if he was going on vacation.
The stormtroopers didn’t ask why Vader was bringing a civilian on board of an imperial shuttle, and why he refused to let the civilian travel with the stormtroopers.
“Luke Lars.”
Luke moved around in his seat, uncomfortable. He was well subjected and as far as he knew, he wasn’t a prisoner but he couldn’t go anywhere in hyperspace. If he managed to leave the cockpit, the stormtroopers on the other side of the ship would catch him.
Surrender it was.
“Where are you from?” asked Vader, crossing his arms. He turned around on his pilot chair and stared at the boy. Vader could untie him, but he didn’t want to fight. The boy was far too interesting.
Luke swallowed. “Tatooine,” he said bleakly. He had no interest in giving Vader an autobiographical monologue, “Where are you taking me?”
“My flagship. How did someone from Tatooine end up being an investigative journalist?” asked Vader with disgust, “That planet is not capable of producing rational individuals.”
Luke snorted, and immediately regretted it, because the room’s temperature dropped a few degrees. “I- I don’t know what you want me to say to that. I left for university, graduated, found a job. Normal stuff.”
Vader’s vocoder made a noise. “Normal stuff,” he quoted, “The knowledge that you have uncovered is not normal. It is highly confidential. What are your sources?” he asked, leaning closer to him.
Luke tried to take a step back, but couldn’t. “I asked around, and most of the answers were similar. I’m a traveler, more than an investigative journalist, really...”
Vader sensed that something was odd with the statement. The boy wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t telling the truth either. “So, what you are implying is that highly confidential information is in possession of everyone,” suggested Vader, and turned around to look at hyperspace, “Give me the list of planets you have been to and I will deal with it.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “No! Wait, wait!” he exhaled, “What do you want?” He accepted his status of prisoner now. He asked those people the questions, they shouldn’t pay the price for it.
The child was too easy to break: Vader hadn’t even started interrogation yet.
“You will tell me everything you uncovered.”
Luke shook his head slowly, calmly. “No. You are not the first imperial to ask this of me. I want something in exchange.”
Vader had to applaud the courage of the child. “What do you want?”
Luke weighed the pros and cons of the request. He could ask for military things he probably would never understand and send the information back to the Rebellion, but…
Darth Vader said he was present during The Citadel attack, and he must know more about the clone wars, perhaps even about the Jedi...
“I want you to answer all my questions about history.” stated Luke professionally, as professionally as he could while being strapped into a seat.
Darth Vader didn’t answer. He just stared at him. Minutes passed, and he finally spoke. “I accept, but you are not to interrupt me whenever you desire to get information. Is that understood?”
Luke nodded. “Am I a prisoner, then?”
“No. I have other work for you.”
Luke walked through the corridors of Darth Vader’s flagship with his old suitcases rolling behind him. Most of them were filled with books and notebooks. Imperial officers looked at him like he was an insect: dressed in a thick beige sweater, dark jeans and glasses, he supposed he did not fit in.
Not that he cared.
Darth Vader walked in front of him, and Luke still shivered. It felt like being near an AC unit that only blew cold air at you. After a few minutes of walking, Vader stopped in front of a room. “You will stay here and I will bring you the material that needs reviewing in three standard hours. Do not attempt to leave if you wish to live.”
Luke nodded shakingly and opened the room. It was a standard small room, with one bed, one small desk and one attached bathroom. He had to blink a few times to understand the last few hours of his life- from having bought tickets to the nearest system to being prisoner to Darth Vader...
He only hoped that Clarisse was doing alright.
The clone wars.
What did Luke Lars want about the clone wars? They were over. He should be more focused on studying the present and preparing for the future than dwelling on the past.
But the boy was brilliant. His mind made connections where normal people only saw cobwebs. A mind like his was a weapon, and Vader needed it on his side.
He brought him reports of rebel activity and reports about imperial officers that were suspected of future defection to the Rebellion. Luke was ordered to give his opinion, and Vader left him in the room, reading the reports until late at night.
Luke, as scary as he found Vader and his new living situation, found comfort in long paragraphs and sentences, and drowned in the work. He didn’t even notice Vader coming to check on him every few hours, his skin only shivered.
Vader noticed.
He couldn’t ignore that the Force flowed differently around the boy, but he didn’t want to jump into conclusions. If the boy was Force-sensitive, he would have to get rid of him before his Master found out.
A few days later, Luke finally answered him. Vader stood inside the room, ignoring the mess of opened books and the ink in the boy’s hands.
Luke fixed his glasses before speaking. “Alright, so: the stuff you gave me was fascinating. Thank you,” he said, and then made two piles of files, “Left pile is rebel activity, right pile is suspected officers.”
Vader looked at the right pile and only saw one file. “You are mistaken. There cannot only be one officer suspected of defection.”
Luke sighed. “I think all the other officers were just tired. Being tired doesn’t mean they’re thinking of treason.”
Vader blinked. He hadn’t thought of that. He made a gesture with his hand and the two piles levitated in the air, and flew behind him as he was about to leave.
The Force was screaming at him, and he turned around.
Luke Lars was in shock. His mouth was open, and his glasses were on the edge of his nose. “You- you,” he mumbled, “My apologies, sir. You- you have the Force?”
Vader tensed, but the piles levitated around him anyway. “What do you know about the Force?” he asked carefully.
Luke didn’t know what to say. “It’s the only topic I don’t know much about.” he said sadly.
Vader moved his hand again and the files landed on Luke’s desk carefully. Luke watched the movement as if he was watching a star being born. Vader crossed his arms: he had his end of the deal to make. “The Force is an energy that flows through the entire galaxy. Planets and sentient creatures included. Some of them can bend it to their will.”
Luke’s eyes sparkled. “Like the Jedi?” he whispered.
Vader’s jaw clenched, and the room grew colder. “The Jedi practiced the bending of the Force.” He didn't want to talk about the Jedi.
Luke nodded. “And you? Were you a Jedi?” he asked, hoping to ask about his father soon.
The files levitated again behind Vader, and before he left the room, he answered a sharp No.
There were rumours that Vader had kidnapped a civilian and was keeping him prisoner in a room. Some even dared to try to find out who the boy was, but failed miserably. The door was locked from the inside, and no one dared hang around for too long in case Vader appeared.
Luke kept receiving work, and eventually Vader allowed him to leave the room. They walked together at night, with Luke asking questions and Vader responding with short sentences.
The boy’s knowledge about the clone wars was impeccable.
“So, you’re saying the Siege of Christophsis was won by the Republic?” asked Luke, “This doesn’t make sense. How could Jedi win against actual droids?”
“The Separatist Droid Army was weak. Even the Rebellion could beat them,” explained Vader, “They were nothing more than metal. A lightsaber easily cut through their engines.”
Luke nodded. “Did you fight in Christophsis?”
“I did.”
The Force exploded next to him, and he flinched. It was the boy, who was shyly smiling at him. “Can I ask you something?” he asked, hesitating.
Vader blinked. “You have been asking questions for hours.”
The Force hesitated around the boy, and Vader was sure the boy was Force-sensitive and didn’t know it.
Luke finally spoke. “Did you meet any Jedi, by any chance, in there? I mean, during the clone wars?”
Vader stopped walking. The boy was getting dangerously close to his own past. He could answer questions that did not involve him, but he drew the line at this. “I did.”
Luke exhaled in relief. “That’s great, did you meet someone called An-”
“Enough talking for today. I will bring you new reports tomorrow.” interrupted Vader, walking away.
Luke stood in the middle of the corridor, at night, alone and confused.
“What about Mandalore?”
Vader sighed. “A planet in the Mandalore sector, located in the Outer Rim-”
“No, I mean. What happened to the Duchess?”
Vader stopped on his tracks. “How do you know about the Duchess?”
Luke blinked a few times. “I talked to some people from Mandalore, before the...before she died. Do you know how she died?”
Vader sighed and tried to remember. He remembered seeing Kenobi devastated after his mission to the planet, but the actual circumstances of the death were unknown. “I do not know.”
“Did you know General Kenobi?” asked Luke.
Vader froze. The Force shifted angrily around him, and Luke took a step back, frowning.
Vader got the confirmation that he needed. “Do you know that you are Force-sensitive, or have you been lying to me?” he accused.
“What? No!” protested Luke.
“Come with me.”
Luke followed Vader down the corridors, keeping in mind that he still hadn’t answered his question, until they reached a locked room. It opened on Vader’s command, and they stood alone in an almost empty room, with only one big closed pod in the middle.
Luke’s feet went towards it, but Vader put an arm to stop him. Luke looked at him for guidance. It was then that a pipe was thrown at him, and Luke panicked. He put his hand out to protect himself from the impact, but it never came.
He opened his eyes and saw that the metal pipe was levitating in front of him.
“Why did you do that?!” exclaimed Luke from the floor. Luke moved his head a bit and saw that Vader had his arms crossed.
He wasn’t the one doing it.
Luke looked at the floating metal pipe and panicked. “I’m- I mean, I suspected, but-”
Oh, if only his father could see him now.
Vader used the Force to move the metal out of the way. “You are Force-sensitive. Do you wish to be trained?”
Luke stood up and straightened his clothes. “Trained in what?”
“The Force.”
“I- I’m afraid I don’t really know what training entails. I work at desks, not...not with weapons, sorry.”
That was the stupidest thing Vader heard in a long time. He remembered Kenobi, and how the man preferred to work with his brain than his hands, even if he was excellent at lightsaber combat.
Luke made a face. “So you do know General Kenobi...”
Vader froze. If the boy could read his thoughts after seconds of using the Force for the first time, he was more powerful than he expected.
“Who are your parents, child?” asked Vader.
Luke stood up. “I’ll tell you later! You just tried to kill me! I’ve still got questions about Mandalore.”
Luke felt bad. To put it simply, he felt awful.
Doing work against the Rebellion, while he was a rebel himself, and having gone missing in action for over two weeks now...he didn’t like it.
If only the High Imperial officers and Moffs knew that he was the brain behind all the battles and military strategies, all from inside his small room, with just one pen and a paper. ..
At least he was learning a lot. He had learnt more in two weeks with Darth Vader, as insane as that sounded, than five years as an investigative journalist.
The one question Vader always seemed to avoid was the Jedi.
Luke would get to him, eventually. He had the opportunity of a lifetime, and he wouldn’t walk away without knowing more about his father.
Vader tapped his fingers on the metal desk, waiting for Luke Lars to start asking questions. He didn’t understand the boy’s obsession with the past: it was dead and useless.
“Anything you can say about Scipio?” asked Luke, writing the name of the planet in his notebook.
Vader clenched his jaw and looked away. There was too much to say about Scipio, and nothing good came out of it.
Luke sensed that Vader was uncomfortable and blinked a few times. “I- I’ll ask about something else.”
“Why? Have you felt anything strange?” asked Vader.
Luke snorted under his breath. “We’re not talking about the Force, Lord Vader.”
“You have power, but you choose not to use it. Did your parents show any particular abilities?” asked Vader.
Luke blinked, and sadness filled his heart. “I- I don’t know, sir. I never met them.”
Vader felt like his heart was slowly tearing itself to pieces, physically. Something was wrong in the air, and the Force was screaming at him.
“My father was...he had the Force,” continued Luke, not mentioning the word Jedi just in case, “But he died before I was born, so I know nothing about it.”
Vader crossed his arms. Any Force-sensitive named Lars... “Are you native to Tatooine?”
Luke nodded. “I am, my father’s from Tatooine too.”
“A Lars from Tatooine...was he a Jedi?”
Luke didn’t answer.
“If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you weeks ago, child.” said Vader.
Luke supposed that was the closest thing to a reassurance that he would get from Vader.
“Yes, he was a Jedi.”
“How old was he?”
Luke swallowed. “I- I don’t know. A bit younger than my uncle...when he died he must have been in his mid-20s probably.”
“Did he die in the Empire?” asked Vader.
“During the clone wars, they said.”
Vader stood up. “No Lars from Tatooine was a Jedi. If you are lying to me-”
“Hey! I’m not! Lars wasn’t his surname!” protested Luke with a sigh, drawing doodles on the empty notebook.
The Force was screaming at both of them, and Vader found it harder to breathe. Something was coming, there was something hidden in the boy’s past that was important.
“I got the Lars surname from my aunt and uncle, they raised me. If I kept my family name, I would be Luke Skywalker. Son to Anakin Skywalker.”
Silence.
Luke found it hard to breathe, as if the air of the entire room had disappeared. The table was slightly shaking, and Luke had to blink a few times to get the dizziness out of his head.
Darth Vader was staring at him, and Luke didn’t need to see the eyes behind the mask to know that the man was startled.
“Lord Vad- What’s wrong?” whispered Luke.
In and out.
His life support was failing him.
Luke Skywalker, incredibly force-sensitive.
Words were beyond him, and he had to calm himself down because the boy was getting very dizzy. Vader looked at him, really looked at him now, and saw it. The hair, the face, the eyes. He was staring at a person he thought dead.
“You are the son of Anakin Skywalker.” he managed to say.
Luke nodded. “Did you know him?”
Vader’s jaw was shaking, even if there was little room for movement inside the mask. “I did.”
The boy’s face lit up, and he even smiled a little. Luke fixed his glasses and turned a page in the notebook, writing DAD???? at the top. “Tell me everything you know about him, please. I went into journalism to know more about him.”
Vader couldn’t speak. “I thought you were dead. You were born on First Empire Day, is that correct?” asked Vader.
Luke nodded slowly. “Around that date.”
Vader stood up and walked to leave the room, and Luke protested. “Hey! What about the questions? I did the job you asked me to!”
“I have things to take care of. Stay in your quarters and do not leave under any circumstances. Your life might be in danger.”
Luke frowned. “What?!”
“Your life might be in danger.” repeated Vader fast.
“Why would I listen to you? You’re not my father-!” protested Luke.
Vader’s vocoder did something similar to a laugh for the first time in years. “Stay in your quarters, and do not leave.”
He had to pay an old man, a liar, a visit.
Luke sat on his bed, legs dangling in the air, barely reaching the ground. He looked at the ceiling and then at the desk illuminated by a small yellow light, and sighed. It had been a day, and for some reason he was listening to Vader’s orders.
He should be running for his life, especially since he had confessed to having ties to a Jedi. Vader probably wanted to train him to be like him, since he had the Force now...
A power.
Luke laughed. What power?
He heard people running outside, and realised he hadn’t picked that up with his ears. The silence was sickening to him in this part of the ship, and yet... people were running.
He could just look outside for a few seconds, right? Vader said his life was in danger, but he didn’t say why exactly...
Luke put on his shoes and opened the door, and as predicted, heard silence. The corridors were empty and lonely, and the lights were dimmed. He walked out, trying not to make any sound, and walked towards where his soul felt chaos.
Chaos wasn’t the word to describe it: surprise and shock was.
He walked for about five minutes, following the source of the noise, and eventually found that even stormtroopers were running. Most people and droids ran towards a big open room, and Luke followed them quietly. They entered a large hall with dining tables, and everyone was sitting down, watching something.
Luke managed to sneak past some officers, and eventually saw a droid holding a big screen. It was a news broadcast from Imperial Centre, Luke recognised the Imperial Palace well enough, and there were stormtroopers running up and down the stairs, as well as ships flying above the building.
An officer pushed him to watch too, and Luke leaned closer and asked. “Do you know what’s going on?”
The officer looked at him, annoyed at Luke’s young age and lack of imperial clothing. “Yeah! Lord Vader’s lost his mind.”
Luke paled. “What did he-”
“The worst thing you can do in the Empire,” whispered the officer, not taking his eyes off the screen, “He killed the Emperor.”
The adrenaline in Luke’s blood went up to his ears, and he heard a loud pitch that clouded his senses. The officer continued speaking, but Luke couldn’t hear him.
Darth Vader was insane.
Why had he killed the Emperor?
Luke forced himself to take deep breaths, in and out, feeling the panic settle in. He must have had a reason, maybe it was self-defense? No, Vader left yesterday quite determined to do something. Maybe it was a rebel attack and Vader got caught in the crossfire? No, it didn’t make sense.
The man’s attitude had changed since he mentioned that his father was Anakin Skywalker. Did Vader know him? If he did, he should have killed Luke first and not the Emperor, of all people!
Luke was hyperventilating, and he wanted to get out of there. He walked back towards his room, picked up his stuff, put it in suitcases and left. He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew that if Vader was capable of killing the Emperor— what would he do to him?
He had to get to Leia. She would know what to do: she was probably celebrating the news now, and Luke didn’t know what she would do if he knew that he might be the reason that the Emperor was dead and Vader was obsessed with him.
He walked towards the hangar, and found it deserted. Everyone was clinging into the dining halls’ screens like insects. Luke didn’t know how to fly much, but all he needed was to contact the Rebellion and they would take it from there.
Luke entered the hangar, two suitcases rolling behind him, and fixed his glasses. He had to find a ship, right.
A functional ship. A flying ship.
He sighed.
“Young man, what are you doing here?” asked a voice behind him.
Luke turned around, and saw a thin officer with bags under his eyes glaring at him. “Um, I’m- I have to get out of here.”
Admiral Piett blinked. “You are not a prisoner, clearly. Have you not heard the news? Chaos reigns out there. I do not recommend leaving.”
“I need to get back to my family. I’m a historian and I was here to ask some questions and I’d rather leave now, sir.”
Piett frowned. “Do you have permission to leave?”
“I’m not here on any contract, so I suppose that I can.”
Piett blinked a few times. “Nobody gets into this flagship without a contract. Who is your supervisor, then?”
Luke laughed. “You won’t believe it.”
The man didn’t laugh.
“It’s...Lord Vader, sir.”
Piett froze. Vader never interacted with anyone directly. He even ignored high-ranking Admirals and Directors that came to sing their praises about the Empire, and Vader was supervising this child now? “Who are you?”
“I’m a historian. Lord Vader and I agreed to a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge. I suppose he won’t be coming back anytime soon, and with all this chaos he won’t even remember I’m here so-” he mumbled, and then sighed, “I just want to get back home.”
Piett didn't know what type of contract this was, but he agreed. “I cannot let you go, Mister...”
“Lars, Luke Lars.”
“All arrivals and departures must go through Lord Vader.”
Luke swallowed. “But Lord Vader isn’t around-! Please. I have to go.”
Piett shook his head slowly.
Luke sighed. “What would it take for you to point me to a flying ship and let me go without telling anyone?” he asked, half-protesting half-demanding.
Something strange happened.
The man’s face relaxed, and his eyes slowly closed mid-way. His arm pointed at a ship, and he slowly started walking away.
Luke panicked. “Sir? Are you alright?"
The man nodded slowly, and walked away.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want me to call a medic?!” exclaimed Luke as the man walked away.
“No. I am fine. Leave.” exclaimed the man back, voice half-asleep.
Luke panicked at the strange change of opinion, but he didn’t have time. He couldn’t stay there any longer. He ran towards the ship Piett pointed at, and got in. He sat on the pilot seat, and took a deep breath. “I can do this. I can do this. It’s just a ship..” he repeated to himself. The panel activated and he commed the last number the Rebellion had given him.
Someone answered, but they didn’t talk.
“Um, hi? Can I speak to General Organa please?” asked Luke.
“Who’s asking?”
“Luke Lars. Historian, she sent me on-”
The line changed and another voice picked up. “Luke! Say you’re alright, please!”
Luke exhaled. “Leia! Look, I can’t talk right now, but I need your location. Any base close to these coordinates. It’s urgent.”
“Where are you? Tech says you’re on an imperial ship? What’s going on?” she asked.
“I don’t have time right now. Where’s the closest base?”
“About five hours through hyperspace from where you are. Make sure to deactivate the tracking beacon, we cannot lose another base.”
“I’ll take care of that,” said Luke, not knowing how to deactivate a tracking beacon, “I’ll contact you when I reach it.”
“Be safe.”
“You too.”