Darth Vader looked intently at his son, saw the fires burning strong in his eyes, the lust for power, the need for revenge and the hate glowing there. Behind the shield that separated him from the world, Vader smiled again. Gone was his Master, now, but no matter. This boy was blood of his blood, wanting what he wanted, consumed by the same desires. And with all this, the desire for knowledge, impatience. He knew from personal experience how easy such people were to shape to the Dark Side. Soon enough, the boy would be strong beyond his dreams and unafraid to use his powers for any purpose. Luke was truly his father's son.

He brought himself back to the moment, to his son's words. "All of that is true, my son, although if you had turned earlier, the Emperor would still be alive." Vader only beginning to feel the strength he himself had gained from his Master's death, as he had been concentrating solely on Luke. "He feared you, your potential. He would have suppressed your powers to be able to control you -as he did mine." Luke looked at his father, opening his own awareness and gaining some comprehension of what his father had been feeling. He could sense the strength in the dark figure that had been there only as a shadow before. Indeed, the Emperor had kept Vader on a tight leash, but there would be no need of that now. He was certainly safe from the betrayal of his own father and would have been so even without his Master's guidance. His father told him, "All bounds on your strength are gone with him. I would not try to control you against your will. Just know that together we are stronger than either of us alone, my young Jedi."

Deep inside, Luke laughed at his father's naivete. Control his strength? There was no one who could even come close to doing that except himself and his Master, but his Master did not have the final word. That was Luke's alone. And why should his Master try to stifle him? Quite the contrary. He smiled to himself, flexing the ethereal muscles of his new powers and exploring the extended strengths that were now his.

In the midst of this mental expansion and discovery, Luke felt the gentle touch of his father's mind, curious and gloating. It would not do to allow his companion to discover just what had occurred within him, so the boy quickly put forth a facade under the indirect direction of his Master. Vader would not sense the Emperor's continued presence, rather he would feel his son as he would have been without guidance.

Then, along with his father, he heard another silent voice. Leia was calling him. Luke, Luke! I should not answer, he thought, and then realized his Master was prompting him again. His master did not understand what Luke's relationship with Leia was, so Luke yielded every memory to the Emperor while seeking the link his sister had reached across. In the fog this created, along with maintaining the facade, it took him a minute to figure out that she was gone as she had come, silently. He closed his mind a little, just to be able to focus, and strengthened the false self he presented to his father. Vader would have to learn not to- no, that was his Master again, but this time Luke agreed. Learn, yes, but not by outright lessons or by deprivation. Just slowly, as Luke would take control of him, dominate his subconscious. Yes, that appealed to him very much, whether he was Luke or the Emperor. Or both.



Vader brought his ship out of hyperspace and informed his son, "We are in the Nioba system. I have a small dwelling on the planet we are approaching. It contains a tight frequency holocomm linked directly to Coruscant and the Emperor's palace. Four Grand Admirals wait there for our return, and will govern in my stead. The Emperor left them there as a precaution before the battle of Endor as a contingency plan. My late Master may have been overconfident, but he was no fool- and he feared you."

Luke smiled inwardly. Yes, his Master was no fool, and he had made more plans than Vader even dreamed. The seclusion of the planet they were about to land on would give him time to intensify his hold on his father, but he was a bit wary of leaving anyone else in charge of the Empire. Now that the Grand Moff Tarkin was gone, no one else truly understood the need for constant fear permeating all the worlds of the galaxy. Leave another in his rightful place long enough, and the Rebellion would be successful. Only he could hold the Imperial worlds together, but assuming direct control was not useful, as he came directly from the Rebel Alliance. Vader would make the perfect figurehead once he had learned a few things.

The small ship entered the atmosphere with a small twitch, and the pair inside surveyed the world below. Hues of blue dominated: pale blue foliage, green blue jungles, deep blue sea. The tossing ocean was below. Vader gentled their descent and the seas of a planet swept by, rapidly followed by jungles. On the continent below them, nothing was visible but vast expanses of cerulean. The rainforest flourished on every measurement of land.

A single beep interrupted Luke's train of thought and he looked away from the terrestrial panorama. "A locator beacon?" he asked as his mind identified the sound.

"Yes. It was the simplest way to mark the shelter. It is a special frequency which only responds to a like transmitter in the body of this ship. Thus, though I may find it with the greatest of ease, no other may." He had slowed the ship drastically as the locator beacon's beeps became more frequent in response to the ship. Luke searched the world below again and suddenly registered a pair of aqua rectangles. Neither the dwelling nor the landing field had been disguised, but their color hid them well.

Vader landed the shuttle in the larger rectangle. Luke stood slowly, stretching his stiff limbs. His back crackled, making a sound like cracking knuckles. He rolled his shoulders, then pressed the door release and walked out, extending his arms to the sky as room became available.

While Luke was lost in regaining his joints, his father shut down the ship and took a few supplies out to the boy. "You ought to sleep now, my son." Luke took the supplies and the suggestions as he followed Vader into the shelter. The dark figure switched on a lamp and Luke surveyed the interior. It was well organized and very simple. There was one cot along each of the walls perpendicular to the door and a food storage unit and holopad in the corners. And along the back wall- a black chamber, a specialized lifesupport unit for Vader. He knew it suddenly and realized his Master had spoken. This world had been his father's retreat, where the Dark Lord had gone when Coruscant did not need him. Here, he had spent day after day in peaceful meditation. This was the one place the Lord of the Sith felt truly safe and truly secure. Here, he was very vulnerable. How useful of him, to guide Luke directly to his own weakest point. Further proof of just how dependent he truly was, the servant waiting to be reclaimed. And how simply it could be done!

Luke took a single ration bar and a bottle of water out of his supply case. A wave of curiosity swept over him; how did Vader eat and drink? Reading the unspoken question in the boy's eyes, his father said, "The life support chamber supplies all my needs. If you do not mind, I shall retreat into it now." Luke shrugged.

"As you wish, Father."

"I will emerge when you are asleep. Rest well, my son." With this words, the man in ebony armor retreated into the midnight chamber. After a moment it began humming softly. Luke finished his meal and turned off the lamp, relaxing with a simple meditation and allowed himself to be lulled by the white noise.



Luke awoke suddenly and scanned through the Force to discover what had awaken him. There was nothing but emptiness. Nothing- but something had been there.

He reached out again and touched the dreams of the Dark Lord. He discovered a thousand flaws. It was so simple; with just a touch here and a gentle prod there, the Lord of the Sith was exposed to Luke. Luke understood now what had roused him: his Master had felt a ripe opportunity. With this realization, he reached out once more to the passively active mind of his father. A simple command buried in the underlying fabric of the dream and Vader would forget that this had occurred and be unable to escape Luke's influence.

With that task accomplished and the future spreading clear before him, Luke abandoned himself to sleep and the shadowed dreams of darkness.





Leia woke and stared up at the ceiling of her small shelter, confused for a moment until her mind had sorted out her current situation. She was in the Agra system on a very mountainous planet, searching for a single Jedi. The X-wing's sensors would certainly me useful for that, considering that so far they had only picked up one life sign. She could check on that one today. Perhaps the being could help her in her search.

She shoved back her blanket and rose. The shelter was not quite large enough for her to stretch in, so she changed clothes quickly and stepped out to straighten her arms. Abruptly she dropped to one knee and reached for her blaster on instinct. There was a human sitting outside. She blinked to clear her vision and looked again. The woman wore a simple robe and was watching her quietly, undisturbed by Leia's weapon. "Good morning, Leia," she said. "I trust you slept well?"

Leia relaxed and dropped her hand from her blaster. "Yes, I did. Mistress Valena Dyreth, I presume? I apologize-" she looked at her blaster. "It's habit."

The woman smiled and stood. "No harm done, my dear. I am Valena, and you are Leia Organa, here to learn. Let us go to my home. It is much more comfortable than your small shelter. Follow me; your shelter will remain unmolested here, and I have food enough for both of us." The woman set off at a surprising pace across the uneven ground, and Leia stumbled several times in trying to keep up. They were traveling diagonally down the slope of a mountain, and the valley spread out below. There seemed to be no sign of other inhabitants, just this one Jedi.

After about an hour's trek through unfamiliar territory, they reached a small shack. It had a single chimney which was graced by a tendril of smoke. Leia was very relieved to see an end to the journey. "Home," Valena declared. "It is enough for me."

Leia used her diplomatic instincts to find a tactful phrase. "I'm sure it is, madam. It seems pleasant enough, for all that it is small."

"As my old Master used to say, 'Size matters not.' But you've probably heard that enough from your brother, since we learned from the same Master. Come girl, let's get you a bit of breakfast." Valena entered her shack, followed closely by Leia.

"Actually, Lady, Luke never told me very much about old Ben Kenobi. I would have thought he was about your age, but then they say Jedi have long lives" She cut off because the woman was laughing. "What did I say?"

"Here, child, have some porridge. It's a fact I never learned anything much from Obi-Wan but of two great tragedies and two great hopes, all of which you've known of for quite a while. I've never been to eager to feel his presence. Did he tell you why you were to come here, or just send you off summarily? I know both are equally possible with that man."

Leia looked into her porridge, dejected. "He did tell me. I can barely understand everything that happened to me yesterday, let alone what must have happened to Luke- my brother."

"You did have a busy day yesterday, didn't you? I wish I could grant you the time to recover and rest before you begin the training, but it cannot be." Valena patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"How can I learn everything Luke knew in time? I don't understand the Force, and it's all so confusing. He could do things I could never do, things I once thought were impossible. He was such a strong warrior. I am not weak, but I am not that skilled." She paused as the older woman shook her head.

"Child, child, be calm. I don't expect you to learn everything in a flash, and I don't need you to be a warrior. This situation does not call for a knight, for that would be fighting fire with oxygen and the pair of you would go up in the blaze. Kenobi truly did not tell you enough, I can see that. You cannot fight Luke with strength, hate or force now. He is beyond your grasp in these things, and yet you are our only hope. The only weapon against your brother is your love for him. You are here simply to learn Force self-defense and to gain a firmer grasp on the Light side. Other skills would just increase your vulnerability to darkness, something we can ill afford." Leia shuddered.

"But if you with all of your experience cannot save him, how can I ever hope to?"

"Because you are bound to him, and have been all your life. You truly love him, and he needs you to feel complete. Through your separated childhoods, you both suffered, but now you can realize the benefits of siblinghood. Therefore, you are in more danger from him than any other, but also have the best chance of success. I have no more connection with Luke than with any other living thing save one, and he is lost just as completely." Leia watched the memory of an old pain cross Valena's face, then fade into old lines of sorrowful acceptance. A single tear gathered in one eye and was quickly brushed away. "I'm sorry. Talking about Anakin still hurts."

Leia could not suppress her curiosity- something about the name was stirring something in her heart. Against her better judgment, she spoke. "Lady, who is Anakin? The name seems so familiar to me, yet I could swear no one has ever spoken it around me before."

The Jedi looked at her sharply, startled out of old memories. "You do not know who Anakin was, Leia Organa? Oh, how could you?" Her tone softened. "Please forgive me. Anakin Skywalker was a good friend of mine, a long time ago."

"Skywalker? Like Luke?"

"Precisely- like yourself too, if you ever used your birth name." The cryptic tone goaded Leia onwards, although she felt some guilt for prodding old hurts.

"Is Luke- are we- related to this Anakin?"

"Out of the mouths of babes." Valena laughed. "He was your father, Leia."

"No, that's not right. Luke said Darth Vader was our father." Leia was almost angry with her for upsetting the awful truth she had begun to accept."

"Hush child. Be calm. Luke was only correct in one sense. Your father became Vader a few months before you were born, true, but you did not undergo that change with him; therefore I hail you as the only daughter of Anakin Skywalker, a man I loved once and still do."

"But you are not my mother." It was a statement, not a question, but it bore the pleading tone of an orphan.

Valena shook her head. "No, I am not your mother, although in another time I might have been." She looked into Leia's eyes, sounding a little wistful. "No," she repeated more firmly, "but I knew him once. Before the Emperor, before the Clone Wars, before the Force stole him away, when he was just a daredevil pilot running from a backwater planet into space. And into my arms.

"I met him on Tatooine, at Mos Eisley. You know of the place? He had just fought with Owen Lars- your brother's foster uncle- and was fuming with indignity. He absolutely had to get off that sandpile that instant or go mad! Or so he told me. At that time I was working for a shipping firm out of the Anoat system. We had brought in a shipment of water, very profitable on desert worlds. Our copilot was playing high stakes sabacc, not the brightest thing he ever did. Some xenobiology specimen or other accused him of cheating and we were out a copilot.

"We had to pay the cleanup fine- the murderer had taken the pot and fled. Anakin, a shocked bystander, asked me who the man had been. I told him and he bought me a drink in consolation. The wide-eyed farmboy got me talking about space. With his unfeigned innocence, he intrigued me; it's not every day you find a good listener worth looking at. Before I knew what I was doing, I had described the moons of five systems to him. He drank in everything I told him, then said, kind of offhand, 'I'd like to see them someday. I wasn't cut out for Tatooine.' " She smiled at the memory.

" 'Why don't you come with us, then?' I asked him. 'We're going to be wanting another pair of hands about, what with losing a crewmember.' Let me tell you, his face just lit up at that.

" 'Really?' All childish incredulity. I think that was when I really decided. He was so perfectly young, so sweet in his eagerness. Exactly what all of my crewmates were not.

" 'Well, I'll have to ask the captain, but he'll probably allow it.' We left that night for the silver stars and spent the entire journey talking. By the next planet we hit, he was replacing the copilot and we were deep in love.

"Eventually, we took over that shipping firm. We piloted together heart in heart, and the rest of the galaxy was just background. The Old Republic was ours, every system our home. We were on the verge of getting married. Forever was not just a word anymore. And then the Clone Wars came.

"Our peaceful vision of the future shattered in a second. The government commandeered all private ships, our company's included. We were assigned to different squadrons and fought different battles again and again. For a while, we tried to keep in touch by holo but neither of us had any time. After one major battle that I wasn't in, he went off with Kenobi. He sent me his last message partway through his Jedi training. It begged me to join him, to learn as he was learning. It said that he had realized why we worked so well together- because I was Force sensitive, just like him. I was too busy with my own squadron to join him. Such a pity. Perhaps I might have prevented what happened to my beautiful boy.

"The next holo I received was from Kenobi himself, a standard year later. I had had no time to worry or even think about Anakin before then, but the holo gave me time enough. It told of the awful duel between Master and student, and how Anakin had been changing beforehand. It also told of Anakin's rebirth as the Dark Lord of the Sith, a story few know and one that I wish I did not know.

"Included in the message was a picture of Anakin's wife. That was news to me. Kenobi said that she was pregnant with twins. I was furious with Anakin for never telling me; I was heartbroken at his many levels of desertion. I left my squadron within a day and ran to Tatooine, the birthplace of memories and new home of Kenobi.

"I met Obi-Wan there, and visited the infant who would grow into Luke as well as his foster parents. By then, Obi-Wan was already fading into Ben, heartbroken and lost. If I could have, I would have faded then too. But Anakin had told Obi-Wan that I was Force sensitive, and the galaxy had a different plan for me.

"Instead of escaping my former life into hiding, I ran to the Dagobah system to learn. Kenobi's former master instructed me in the ways of the Jedi, and I worked through my pain. Master Yoda said that I was a fast learner, and I was soon ready to leave the cradle and seek my fortune in the worlds. Before I could, yet another crisis struck.

"It was the Jedi Purge. Master Yoda and I felt the first screams together. We began planning my escape from the system. No one but Kenobi knew where we were, but all Jedis create a signature in the Force, so it was safer to be apart. I used my newfound skills to search system after system for a good hiding place. This is what I found. As quickly as possible, I left Dagobah and set in this system's coordinates. When I got into space, I went into a hibernation trance in order to hide myself further.

"I woke from the trance on a strange ship. There must have been a droid monitoring me, because within moments the door of my chamber opened. He who entered was shielded in midnight, body and soul. When he spoke, even his voice was dark. 'Valena, you must go from this ship immediately.'

"I was rather disoriented and shocked, as you might imagine. 'How did I come to be here? I was in hyperspace-running from you.'

" 'I know. You ran across my ship's gravity well by chance, and we took you on board. I told the medics you were in a coma. Considering your stasis, it was plausible enough.'

"Something about the voice stirred me and I searched the mask for the human I heard beneath it. 'Why make excuses for me? You have orders to kill all Jedi, and I have been learning since we parted.'

" 'I cannot kill you, Valena. I still love you, and I have put you through so much already. It does not matter that you are a Jedi, not to me. Go, stay away from everywhere. Let me forget I ever found you here. I can do that, for you. Forgive me some of what I do, Valena. May the Force guide your path far from mine.' He left then after pressing an authorization chit into my hand. With that gift, I left with my small transport unquestioned.

"In a short time, I reached this planet. It has become home after two decades. I live quite comfortably here, though most would find my existence horribly boring. I have the Force as my ally, and the galaxy to watch. Kenobi and Yoda were my only company after the Jedi Purge, and we spoke only briefly. From time to time I have touched Anakin's mind passing through, but I do not think he knows where I am. I am relatively content here."

Throughout this whole recital, Leia had been sitting transfixed. Now, she knew her real father through the eyes of this woman. He seemed to have been much like Luke. That made sense, somehow. Darth Vader, the Tatooine farmboy. Who in the galaxy beside her would believe it? "What a gift you have given me, Lady." The past hung clear before her eyes, then tore. The present was all that she should be concerned with at the moment. Her brother was still lost, along with her father, and it was up to her to save one or both from themselves. Her objective became clear. "So, how do I begin?"

"With calmness, my dear. Put out your hands, feel the pulse of the Force." Leia closed her eyes and stretched beyond herself, testing the universe with her thoughts. There was energy there, everywhere. The Force beckoned her with its infinite secrets and complexities. All of the worlds of the galaxy beckoned to her. "That's it. Release your sense of self. Ego means nothing to the Force." Blackness that was alive surrounded Leia, and she was bound to the present only by Valena's words. "Leia, I am holding a box in my hands. Tell me what I have inside it."

That seemed such a simple task; why, the box was right before her eyes. "There are two gems, very old but tempered in the heart of a gas planet. They still bear the resonances, Lady. There are some sort of electronics, not so clear, and a fully charged powercell. And some sort of cylinder." Leia was beckoned back to her usual vision by curiosity. "Was I right? What were those gems?"

Valena smiled and handed her the box. "You were correct. Very good for a beginner, I must say. It is in your blood. They are lightsaber components. The gems are corusca gems, given to me by Yoda. When he sent me off to this planet, he dismantled his own weapon and gave them to me 'for my future student'. I wondered for years who it would be, but I never considered you. Perhaps he knew even then that Luke would fail." She shrugged. "In any case, I present you with the contents of this box. When you have brought your brother back and return to me, I will teach you to construct your own lightsaber. For now, only exercises of will. Release yourself again, feel the Force." Leia let the old Jedi's words draw her away.





When night on Nioba ended, Luke greeted the morning alone. His father still slept. Luke took stock of his situation. There was no need to stay in this far off refuge for very long. It was time to assume his rightful pace on Coruscant. Through the Force, he ordered Vader to ready their ship for departure as soon as he woke.

After he had eaten, Luke decided to try some of the things his Master had taught him. Smiling in anticipation, he left the shelter. Nearby, he felt the presence of a nameless creature and beckoned it near. An unfamiliar animal came into view within a few moments. Luke smiled and stretched out a hand towards it. Blue lightening arced and the beast fell to the ground, dead. Luke laughed, delighting in his new strength.

After the euphoria of the kill had faded, he felt that he was being watched. His father stood behind him. "Luke, are you ready to depart for Coruscant?" he asked. "I have decided that I do not trust our Grand Admirals implicitly and that it would be best for me, at least, to return. If you wish, you may come with me or stay here. It is your choice."

Such effortless control! "I would like to accompany you for now, although I may return here soon. I am curious to see Coruscant."

"You will have the best of guides. Everything is prepared, we have only to depart."

Luke grinned, summoning his best innocent/eager expression. "Then let's go!"



They reached Coruscant the next standard day. Luke gasped as they entered the atmosphere, though his Master had told him what to expect. The planet was encrusted with layer after layer of city, covered from ocean to ocean. The air itself was not pure, but safe enough for most to breathe for a short time without difficulty.

Coruscant. King of the Old Republic, throne of the Galactic Empire. A world that was a city, teeming with life. Their course was set for the Emperor's palace, crown jewel of Imperial City. Even the backwater Tatooine knew the name. Luke's mind reeled. There were so many minds, so many thoughts on this world. The air was full.

They were greeted by a squadron of stormtroopers and an Imperial Grand Admiral. The officer saluted as they left the ship. "Welcome back, Lord Vader."

"Grand Admiral Ruskin. I trust you have kept everything moving as smoothly as might be expected?"

"Yes, m'lord."

"Good. If I find any troubles, I will hold you accountable." Vader strode past the Grand Admiral and into the Emperor's palace. Luke stayed close behind, keeping his wonder as the grand edifice inside where only his Master could hear it. Why be shocked? It will soon enough be commonplace, and it is only what I deserve.

The Sith Lord paid no more heed to the awestruck boy trailing behind than he did to the ubiquitous stormtroopers. He simply moved along familiar paths to the Emperor's throneroom, But this time, his Master was not waiting within. This time, he would not have to kneel on the floor. This time, he was the Master.

The throne room was as dark as the chamber on the Death Star that had served the same purpose. The only light came from an illuminated sculpture of the galaxy the hung over the black floor before the throne. Luke paused in the doorway to observe his father. Something in this room touched his powerlust and fed it. This room was part of his Master's gift to him.

Vader dismissed the stormtroopers and stood in the doorway beside Luke, unsure for a moment what to do next. There had never been a time like this for him, never had the throne been empty. His habits were obsolete now. He strode across the floor and onto the dais of the throne, not letting himself succumb to the myriad impulses. The throne soft and accepted him, sculpting itself around its new occupant. Palpatine's constant debilitation by the Dark Side had kept him from using a static throne.

Rage rushed through Luke. How dare Vader sit on the throne? The servant's place was on the floor. He barely restrained himself from throwing Vader across the room. Better to rule from beside the throne until everything was certain, he told his Master and his own wounded hopes. It did not matter if the servant sat on the throne, as long as he remained the servant. This way was simpler and left more options open. Leia waited, with all of her potential. She would be loath to answer the beckon of the Emperor, but she would answer Luke. Standing behind the throne, for now, would leave him trustworthy in her eyes without his having to destroy her judgment totally. When his position on Coruscant was secure, he would bring Leia to the Dark Side, show her all the power she could have. A plan began to form in his mind.

Vader broke Luke's reverie. "Luke, we must inform them of the Emperor's death now."

"Yes, father." Luke put aside his plans and ascended the stairs to stand beside the throne and realized as he did so that the entire top of the dais was a holopad. His father keyed in a transmission code to the four Grand Admirals. One after another, meter high images of Imperial officers appeared on the lowest step. When all four had answered the summons, the man behind the black armor spoke.

"Gentlemen, the Emperor is dead. I will take his place." He paused a moment to allow this news to sink in. "I appoint Luke Skywalker as my lieutenant. You will obey his orders as if they were mine. I will hear any objections in the throne room immediately."

Throughout Imperial City the Grand Admirals received the news in their own fashions. None mourned the passing of the Emperor, and three suspected that Vader was responsible for his death. All of them wondered who Luke was to capture prominence so easily, and jealousy ran rampant. None was foolish enough to protest to Vader; his reputation was far too well known. He was too quick to anger and far too dangerous. For the Admirals, silent acceptance was the best policy.

Luke stood in silence once the transmission ended, making a few decisions. He would stay as putative second in command for the time being, and bring Leia to Coruscant as his student very soon. She had so much to learn. But when she did come, it would not be as his sister. That would stay their own secret, to save their father grief. The story that he had discovered her Jedi potential while in the Alliance would serve well enough. As a student, she would be safe enough, or perhaps they would have to feign a romantic relationship as well. The officers would suspect it whether one existed or not, unless their relationship was exposed, and that would leave far too much in the open.