Luke vader Part 15

Part 15: Pressure
By SJ 03-03-00/12-12-00 (skyjade@globetrotter.net)

________________

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs
to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.
See my homepage for more details.
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/3702

Naturally, everything coming straight from the movie, words or situations,
belong even more than the rest to George Lucas. It is still only for fun,
nothing else.

Special thanks to my shy, secret beta-reader and best friend, Adrianne, for her
help with the final editing of my new stories. Thanks for giving me some of your
precious time, my friend :)

WARNING ABOUT THIS PART: IT DEALS WITH THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF TORTURE; YOU
ARE WARNED ABOUT ITS DARKNESS.
__________________

Two months after the destruction of the Death Star, the Emperor decided to put
more pressure on the rebels by posting an astounding bounty on Luke's head while
it also became known that Vader was obsessed with finding him.

As expected, the rebels began to search for spies when 'his' bases began to
suffer from surprise attacks, but they never suspected the young Jedi of any
such betrayal. To maintain his innocent reputation, Luke and his father managed
to create situations that allowed him and his friends to slip through the
imperial net while making the escape believable; a few other rebels and
transports were also enabled to elude capture.

However, it was always a tight fit and many more rebels didn't make it through.

******

Four months and three weeks after Luke's first day with the rebels, his group
went through yet another narrow escape, but this time was different for Luke;
his father delivered a message from their master to him.

A rather grim message.

Luke met with the Falcon aboard one of the few frigates that had been allowed to
follow him.

He jumped down from his x-wing, reflecting that he would give just about
anything to fly a TIE once in a while now, or even one of the ships he had flown
in his missions with Mara. He 'knew' that they would outrun and outmaneuver
without the slightest of problems that tin can that the traitors called a ship.
He promised himself that as soon as he would be able to, he would go for a spin
in a real ship.

Putting an end to his rummaging, he headed toward the double-pronged ship.
While he approached it, he admitted that it still amazed him that Solo was still
with the Rebellion. However, he reflected wryly, one didn't need to be a Jedi
to know why the smuggler was staying: no matter his excuse for money, Luke knew
that he was staying for the Princess.

The ramp of the ship lowered; the princess was the first one out of the ship;
she practically threw herself in his arms.

"Luke, you're safe!" she shrieked in delight. "When we saw the number of
captured x-wings..." she began more seriously as she slightly pulled away from
him.

"I could say the same thing about you too, Leia," Luke answered, making sure
that his kind, naive edge was permeating his voice. "If not for Han's skills,
you wouldn't have made it. They really meant serious business this time," he
added grimly.

"They sure did, Kid," Solo agreed almost happily as he sauntered down the
boarding ramp.

Luke barely restrained himself from flashing him a dark glare at that, but he
knew better than to ruin his perfect cover. However, he thought to himself,
every single time Solo called him that, he wanted to strangle him with
the Force. Someday, soon, he promised himself, he would put the arrogant
Correllian in his place.

His alien came up behind the man, then also hugged him in delight. Luke
tolerated the disgusting contact as well as he could. It just infuriated him
that the thing had adopted him as its cub or something similar, he fumed
inwardly while pretending that the Wookiee's hugs were crushing his ribs.

The alien finally let him go, Solo walked forward to clap his back in a friendly
manner. While Luke returned the gesture, he kept a tight lock on his true
feelings; he knew all too well that he couldn't show any of them, and especially
not now that he would 'need' the rebels to come to his rescue...

Pulling himself away from that grim line of thought, he pretended to be relieved
to see them all safe. As the princess hugged him again, he reflected that he
much preferred the woman's hug to any other's, and this, despite the fact
that she was vastly responsible for his actual unpleasant situation with his
master.

If only she had left that cursed moon... he grumbled mentally as he considered
his father's latest message.

"General Rieekan has also made it," Leia told them, drawing him back to the here
and now.

"Good, then we still have a military leader with us," he answered reflexively.

"Yes. He'll probably be calling a meeting soon," she nodded. "In fact, I'll
check this out right away. Anybody's coming?" she offered.

"I'll check the Falcon first," Solo declined.

Solo's first love, Luke noted in clinical interest, would always be his ship.
That would definitely prove to be useful against him, he then decided seriously.

Leia turned toward him.

"I'll get a shower first," he informed her instantly, happy to have found a way
to be alone as soon as possible.

"Okay. See you three later then," she waved as she left them.

Luke didn't wait long before he disappeared inside the pilot's locker room.
Since nobody was around to see his remaining scars, he didn't undress in the
shower; he did it in the locker room.

Once under the sonic shower however, he really considered what his father had
told him during the battle. During his next mission off-base, he was going to
capture him; they were going to make it look as if the dark lord wanted him,
then would make sure that the rebels would be able to rescue him.

While Luke shuddered despite himself at the implication of this capture, he
sternly reminded himself that the goal of this intervention was to make the rebs
more protective of him. Their master estimated that if the Empire demonstrated
interest in the young Jedi, the rebs would make sure that they wouldn't get him.

It would be their undoing, Luke knew.

However, he admitted, he also knew that the operation would involve torture. It
would also be, he estimated, a way for his master to avenge himself from the
loss of his Death Star, or at least he hoped so because this wouldn't be a
simulation like during his training.

This time, he swallowed in slight fear, it would be for real...

If it wouldn't be his complete avenging, he then thought more humbly, then he
prayed for it to be at least the first part of his payback... He knew that his
master was very grumpy when it came to losing something that was his, and Luke
had to admit that he hadn't only stolen the Death Star either. He had made it
totally impossible for his master to ever recover it... Yes, he thought glumly,
he had truly overdone it this time, and no matter how much time had passed since
that day, one punishment wouldn't be enough to make it up to his master.

At least, he tried to comfort himself, he would a few days to prepare himself
for the next step, but still, he conceded, this was something he didn't think he
would ever be ready for.

And with this, he decided to change topics of thoughts or else he might just
drift into improper territory. He turned off the sonic shower, wrapped his sole
towel around his hips, then walked out of the stall. He was still alone.

He had put on his trousers and was combing his hair when the princess walked
inside the room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw what his shirt had
always hid from her eyes up to now.

When he felt her reaction to his sight, Luke debated whether to make her forget
what she had seen or not, then he reflected that a farm boy 'could' be as well
muscled as an imperial agent. However, he belatedly understood that what was
disturbing her were his strange marks on his shoulder blades. Kreth, he cursed,
his lightsaber, unremovable scars...

"Luke? What happened?" she asked him, walking closer.

Even though he didn't turn to look at her, he could feel that she was horrified
by his state.

"A vibroblade," he lied, then hurriedly put on his shirt to hide the shameful
marks of when he had still be a disobedient slave.

The princess was now beside him; she locked her brown gaze with his blue one.

"A vibroblade doesn't leave tracks like this, Luke," she rebuked him slightly,
"not when---"

"It's tended by a medic?" Luke offered. "It wasn't," he added shortly, then
turned away from her. He had to find a way out of this, he thought furiously.
She was already having doubts about his story--- then he remembered that he had
told her that his guardians had been poor. Yes, he estimated, that would be a
good excuse.

"My guardians couldn't afford it," he muttered as if in remorse.

"What?---" she gasped in horror, undoubtedly imagining him in an injured state
without any medical help.

"They didn't have enough money," he explained the rich woman. "Why?" he then
inquired as he turned toward her. "Did you think that they would let me---"

"No, of course not, Luke..." she reassured him, resting her hand on his left
biceps. "I am just sorry for you."

"Oh..., well, thanks..." he muttered sadly as he finished to button his shirt,
then put on his jacket before fastening his belt around his waist. "What brings
you in here, Leia?" he finally inquired, breaking in the silence that had spread
between the two of them. "If I didn't know better---" he began to tease her
meanly.

She blushed a deep crimson. "You told me that you always changed in the
Stall," she defended herself.

"When I'm with others, to avoid questions about my scars, yes..." he conceded.

"I understand..." She took a deep breath and was back to normal. "We
intercepted a message. The bounty on your head has increased yet again," she
informed him seriously.

"Figures," he sighed as if in acceptance.

"Yeah, unfortunately. The general says that we have to regroup and
reorganize."

"I know. Is he ready to meet us?" Luke queried matter-of-factly while inviting
her to follow him out of the locker room.

"Yes," she nodded as she accepted his invitation.

They stepped out of the pilots' locker room. As they walked down the corridors,
the princess gently nudged his left arm, attracting his attention back to her.

"Say, I didn't know you were the kind of guy to get a tattoo," she smirked
teasingly

"Oh, that was just a youthful crazy thing. It's too late to undo it now," he
answered as if in shame. "I don't even think about it anymore."

"Uh-uh..." the young woman nodded, as if piecing together the puzzle that he was
to her.

Luke made a note to ascertain that she wouldn't succeed.

******

About a week later, Luke accompanied Han on a smuggling mission, and, as per his
master's order, guided his father to them. There, he let himself be captured,
feeling for the first time in his life what a stun bolt did to the human body.

It was most unpleasant.

When he awoke, he was in a holding cell, strung up in the traditional bondage
that was used during questioning. He was also wearing nothing but his trousers,
then noticed that his locks had been welded.

What the?--- he wondered in growing uneasiness, aware that he wouldn't be able
to open them with the Force if---

His door opened; his father's reassuring breath instantly invaded the small
enclosure.

"Wait here," the older man instructed a torturer and droid. "Perhaps I won't
need you."

Luke composed his face into a very defiant mask, then the door closed and they
were alone; he dropped his role.

"Father," he greeted him with all the relief he felt upon seeing him again.

"I wish the circumstances of our temporary reunion would be otherwise, Son," his
father answered in kind as he quickly covered the few meters that were
separating them.

His father didn't hug him, but he gently touched his face to express his feeling
in a non-verbal fashion. Luke closed his eyes in bliss as he enjoyed the very
few minutes he was granted to feel safe and at home once again.

"I miss you so much, Father," he admitted, locking his eyes back on his
father's.

"So do I, Luke. I never expected this mission to take this long to accomplish."

"Neither did I, but then, we didn't know exactly how many bases there were out
there," he reminded him seriously.

"Nor did we expect that you would anger the master with your strategies," the
other added more grimly.

Luke could only lower his head in regret at this.

"I know, I'm sorry. Every day, I wish I could go back in time and do things
otherwise," he admitted glumly.

His father remained silent at this, his unchanging mask hiding his facial
expressions, but not his feelings. Luke thus discovered that his father agreed
with him.

"I'm sorry about this, Son," he finally commented, dropping his hand from his
face. "We once again don't have any other choice."

"Don't worry, I knew that it was coming, sooner or later," he reassured him,
trying to gather the strength he wasn't feeling. He was truly afraid, he
admitted to himself.

"How are you holding up these days?" his father inquired kindly, finding a way
to delay what they both knew was unavoidable.

Luke made a wry face at his question.

"Well, I can't get that Wookiee stench off of me thanks to their sonic-only
showers, and I'll be real glad to leave all that rebel scrap behind, but
otherwise, I'm okay... but I miss Mara," he added as if afraid to reveal this to
his father.

His father set his hand on his shoulder in fatherly pride. "I know what you
mean," he reassured him. "You are doing a marvelous job, Son. If not for you,
we wouldn't have found all those bases. The Emperor is pleased, despite what he
leads you to believe, and so am I," he told him seriously.

"I must admit that I'm satisfied myself, Father," Luke answered in contentment.
"The rebels are even worse than we thought. Their poison of 'freedom' spreads
much faster in the galaxy than we estimated. Their very existence serves as a
motive for different groups to try and defy us," he grumbled.

"How many more bases do we have left?" his father asked, business-like once
again.

"Ten at the most, but we'll have to wait before coming down on them," Luke
warned him, also slipping in his tactician role.

"I agree. If we do it too fast, the entire purpose of this operation will be
fooled," his father nodded. He then seemed to brace himself.

Luke prepared himself for very bad news.

"In two weeks, I will let out information about your whereabouts," he informed
him grimly.

"Two weeks?!" Luke gaped, pulling against his bonds despite himself.

His father sighed in answer even as he slightly turned away from him; Luke knew
that this wasn't easy for him, just as it wasn't easy for himself.

"The Emperor's orders are strict I'm afraid," he finally commented. "I can't
let you go before fifteen days, and must personally torment you while you're in
my grasp. I'm sorry..." he finished sadly, a rare occurrence in his normally
rather stoic father.

While Luke tried to digest everything he had just been told, one element rose to
the surface of his awareness: his father would be his tormentor. This, he
reflected in uneasiness, hadn't happened between them for more than ten years,
ever since he himself had accepted his fate in fact. Back then, he remembered,
his then unbeknown father's action had totally scared him to death of the Dark
Lord, and the 'actions' had only lasted a few minutes.

Fifteen days, and more... with his father being once again responsible for his
pain... Would it affect their relationship? Would he ever be his father once
again, or would he become Vader for him too, the cold, cruel man his father was
for almost everyone else in the galaxy? All of a sudden, he had a fierce desire
to just rebel against this and convince his master to not involve his father in
the----

As if feeling his train of thoughts, his father turned once again toward him and
gently held his chin in his two hands, making him meet his eyes.

"No matter what I am forced to do, Luke," he told him softly, "my care for you
will remain. You are my son, the sole remnant of your mother in my life. I
love you and couldn't wish more ardently for this challenge to pass by us this
time. Always remember this, please," he begged him earnestly.

Luke was stricken by his father's revelation; while the older man had always
admitted his care for him, and how much he didn't want to lose him, it was the
first time that he had told him the nearly forbidden word.

"It is a punishment for both of us, isn't it?" he asked him almost inaudibly.

"I'm afraid so, and as you know, we can't... not go with it. The consequences
would be even more dire."

Luke sighed in resignation. Neither of them wanted the next two weeks to
happen, but they had to obey their master. They owed him everything; they
couldn't even think of not doing his bidding.

"Yes, I know, Father......" he answered in a small voice. "Let's get to it and
be done with it."

"No matter what will happen, Son, remember that I love you." his father reminded
him, caressing his untouched features like he used to do when he had been much
younger.

"And I love you, Father. I know this isn't your wish..."

Lord Vader held his son's face a bit longer, then he seemed to close his eyes
and reared his hand backward.

Vader completely blocked out what he had already begun and initiated his cruel
role.

"Stubborn pest, you will join us," he snarled just as he opened the door with
the Force; his subordinates and the probe droid came inside, then the door
closed once again behind them.

In front of him, his son glared at him, also playing his role as best as he
could in their already cruel masquerade.

"I will never join you," the 'rebel' spat convincingly.

Then it began. Aware that he couldn't disappoint the Emperor, Vader tried to
convince himself that the boy was a true rebel, not his son, but a rebel, an
enemy... someone he could torment without killing himself over and over again
with his guilt.

However, the more his strategy 'worked' and the more he reflected that their
actual masquerade was even worse than when he himself had had to pretend that
his son was his slave.

In order to share his son's torment for as long as it lasted, he always remained
with him, keeping their Force-bond open.

******

Nearly ten days later, Vader suddenly ordered his subordinate to leave the
'prisoner' alone, then also left him alone, but not before a quick mental check
to make sure that he was all right.

He wasn't. Even as he barely managed to establish contact with his now closed-
up son, he realized that Luke would take a while to recover his cool demeanor
toward him and his master... This latest challenge was taking a heavy toll on
his psyche.

*Hang on, Son, five days left now,* he sent him as positively as he could,
hoping to get some encouraging reaction from him.

Luke didn't answer him; he fell unconscious, like any other prisoner did when
they were left alone.

With this thought, it slowly dawned on the dark lord that his son was now
reacting the same way than any other prisoner did, by holing up inside himself
and holding onto himself for as long as he could manage, not even recognizing
him as an ally anymore due to what he had already done to him.

If that was what the Emperor had wanted to happen, he reflected angrily as he
stormed out of his son's cell, then he had gotten his wish; his son was crushed.

A few days later, both Vader and his son inadvertently discovered the youth's
true strength: his psychological one. It truly amazed his father. He could
recognize Padme's strength of character in his son, but also his own, making his
boy one of the strongest willed individual he had ever encountered, except
perhaps, he conceded, the rebel Princess. However, given his Jedi training,
Luke was more resilient than she had been.

Despite this grim/reassuring discovery, Vader leaked the information concerning
his son's whereabouts two days before the fifteen days' limit. He knew that it
would take the rebels at least two days to show up at his 'doorstep'.

*****

However, they didn't keep up their 'end' of the deal. The information had been
leaked three days ago now, yet he hadn't received any report regarding rebel
infiltrators. What was taking them so long? Vader raged.

He leaked the information yet again, through different lines of intelligence,
then he began to meditate in the Force to influence the events.

They 'would' come for him soon, he promised himself.

******

The sound of an alarm going off on his control console pulled him out of his
day-long meditation.

He activated the speaker.

"What is it?" he inquired irritatingly.

"My Lord, we just found the crew assigned to the detention block unconscious."
the orderly told him as coolly as he could manage while talking to him.

Vader immediately understood what it meant. At last! They were here!

"Make sure the Jedi is secured," he ordered, then reached out and easily located
the still unconscious presence of his son.

He was now somewhere near the landing pad of the base. Even as he reached
deeper in his mind to wake him up, he admitted to himself that he didn't like to
awake him and cause him more pain, but he had to warn him of the change of
situation lest he betrayed himself upon awakening.

Apparently, he reflected in relief, Luke Skywalker had indeed wormed his way
inside the rebels' hearts, but Luke Vader, in very bad shape, might just shatter
this illusion. He himself had never witnessed his son's temper before, and, he
thought sadly as he remembered the curses and insults that he had yelled over
and over again during the past days, it wasn't a pretty sight.

*Luke... Luke, wake up, but don't move,* he sent him as softly as he could so as
to not jar him up in shock.

He felt his son's senses slowly return.

*The rebels have rescued you,* he told him without preamble. *The troops won't
find you; you're back with them. Remember that all I 'wanted' was for you to
join the Dark Side. Most of your reactions will be normal, but be careful about
your dark anger...* he advised him, pointedly referring to the past week.

He had never seen his son as furious nor hateful as he had been while being
detained; had he not known him, Vader conceded, he might have been uneasy with
him. His dark powers had somewhat reminded him of the Emperor's... and why he
had bowed to the Dark Lord of the Sith, all those years ago.

*Right, don't want to ruin it after all this,* Luke answered him sarcastically.
*I'd hate to repeat it,* he then slurred.

*So would I, Son,* he reassured him. *When you will be back on your feet, we
will finish the Rebels and recover you. I swear you will never be tortured like
this ever again,* he promised him, sending a feeling of care his way.

It barely managed to brush his son's now closed-up mind.

*The Emperor will hurt me again,* the youth answered him flatly.

*The worst is over and done with,* his father assured him. *Just heal now and
focus on your getting out of their world.*

*I'll do that,* he commented, matter-of-factly then cut their contact.

Vader sent his love to his son all the same, then cut the contact. He was very
glad that this was over; this latest challenge had truly affected his son, much,
much more than he had first thought it would considering all the other times
that he had gotten punished by their master... He could only hope that he would
recover his usual personality once he would be healed...

Kreth, he suddenly swore, abandoning all pretense of rationality, that torture
thing had killed them both. Yes, they had made a mistake with the Death Star,
but had they deserved such vicious punishment? They had always served the
Emperor right, had always done everything in accordance with his wishes.

He himself had just crushed his son's soul, grounding him into tiny pieces which
he could now only hope would manage to regain their former shape, and himself...

Himself had also been crushed, he realized, when he had seen his boy's tears of
distress... when he had begun to block him away from his mind... When their
relationship had begun to falter.

All that for their master's glory, he thought in slight, very private anger.

In his senses, his son's presence flew away, having made the transition into
hyperspace.

******

It took Luke a long while to come back to his senses.

When he did, he remained in an half-conscious state for a while longer, brooding
about the events of the past weeks. Even though he had been trained to bear
pain yet keep going, this latest experience had almost broken him... In a way,
it even had, he admitted.

He wasn't ready to serve his master just yet... nor would he want to speak with
his father if he were nearby. However, he conceded, if not for his father's
love, he would've broken up and betrayed himself.

He knew that his father was still as caring and loving as before, he
reflected sadly, that he had truly regretted every pain he had had to cause
him... And he himself also knew that his master had had every rights to do that,
to make him feel whatever pain he had seen fit, but in a darker corner of his
heart, he was resenting him for making him suffer for this long... and his
resent extended to include his father in his grief...

They had always been loyal to their master, had always served him faithfully,
without questions, in blind obedience, had made sacrifices for him... And they
were always successful... Couldn't he find it in his small heart to forgive them
for the loss of his technical pride?.., he mused in dark frustration. He would
even be able to rebuild a new, even better one whenever he wanted, he reminded
himself angrily.

On the other hand, he thought more sadly, he and his father would never forget
the torment they had just been through... They would always bear the scars on
their hearts and souls.

And he himself on his body.

******

Vader knelt at his master's holographic feet.

"How did things proceed?" the Emperor asked him coolly, as if nothing of
importance had taken place.

Vader slightly resented his attitude but answered him properly.

"As you had foreseen, Master," he informed him diligently while he raised his
head back to an upright position. "The rebels will be convinced that we are
after him, that we want him very badly; they will keep him with them," he
assured him, keeping his eyes down to avoid his master's sight.

"And how has your son taken all this?" the ruler inquired pointedly yet still
coolly.

Vader hesitated slightly at this, wondering how he should answer, then he spoke
again.

"Like any other soul who faced this kind of agony, Master," he admitted,
then privately added: 'We crushed his soul as if he were our enemy, but you
don't mind, you bastard!' he finished to himself, using the word his son had
screamed a few times out of frustration.

He then calmed down, having vented his resent at their master for his son's
actual status, but not before reaching a decision.

"Luke accepts the punishment as his due, Master," he explained as coolly as he
could manage, "but he resents how long it lasted."

"Resents?" the Emperor repeated, suddenly displaying signs of unhappiness.

Vader restrained his bad temper once again and remained courteous with his
master.

"Eighteen days was a very long lapse of time, even for him, Master. A few days
would have been enough," he defended.

"Perhaps, but the fact that he bore up that many sessions will insure the
rebels 'protectiveness'," his master retorted in a dismissing manner.

"Since only a Jedi could survive this long..." Vader nodded, reluctantly
accepting his master's cruel logic.

Still, he thought grimly, his son 'had' suffered more than he deserved, and so
had he, emotionally speaking.

"As soon as your son will be healed, I have no doubt that he will understand,
Lord Vader," the Emperor then commented conversationally. "Remember that pain
clouds one's mind in more than one way," he then advised him warningly.

"Yes, Master..." he reluctantly agreed. He knew why they used that strategy to
break their military prisoners, but still--- "If I may suggest though, Master,"
he spoke up again as he remembered his first conversation with his son, before
the nightmare had begun. "He's been with the rebels for more than five months
now; he deserves a slight reward," he stated almost defiantly.

"A reward?.." the ruler asked, obviously not convinced at all and perhaps even
upset at his daringness.

"He misses Mara," Vader answered simply. "Perhaps you could send her to check
up on him?" he suggested maliciously, recovering his cooler, more normal edge.

The Emperor pondered the suggestion at length, then nodded his agreement.

"Mara Jade would indeed be able to ascertain the status of his recovery," he
smiled at the deviousness of the situation. "In a few weeks, I will transmit
your son's coordinates to her."

"Thank you, Master." Vader bowed respectfully; the communicator turned off on
the Emperor's end.

******

On Coruscant, the Emperor gazed at the darkened area where his right arm had
been standing a moment ago.

From what he had felt during their communication, the older Vader had also been
shaken by his latest action against the boy. However, he had passed the test;
he didn't care enough about the boy to disobey him. Instead, he had disliked
the experience, but had done everything necessary to please him.

This was how he liked it, he thought in satisfaction. Of course, he then
conceded less happily, there was that last request about Mara Jade. While he
had estimated that the boy's long separation from her would weaken their bond,
it hadn't dwindled in strength at all. Instead, both youths still felt as one
in his senses, and he was also aware that they never went to sleep without
yearning for one another's presence.

Very well, he decided, he would satisfy them... once the boy would learn his
place once again. Unbeknown to the powerful young Jedi, his resent directed at
him had made it all the way to him through his Force meditations; he had been
very tempted to answer him, to even punish him again and finish what his father
had almost done by ridding him of his love for his father, but the youth had
learnt his lessons well.

Even as the boy tried to be angry at him, his deeper training took over and made
him accept his fate. He simply need to rant, he surmised, and hate the rebels
even more, he added with a villainous sneer. If only for the corruptive powers
of this feeling, he would allow the boy to resent his last order for as long as
he wanted. Perhaps then, he reflected seriously, he would truly be his, in the
dark Side, no longer a last remnant of Jedi upstart, but unfortunately, the
boy's ingrained goodness wasn't ready to whither just yet.

It resisted the onslaught... and the boy's thoughts focused on his recovery,
which would then lead him to victory, and his return 'home'... as a dark Lord of
the Sith in his own rights, the Emperor sneered slightly in annoyance.

While he wanted the boy to destroy the Rebellion forever, he still didn't want
him to come out of the shadows. He liked him just as he was right now; a secret
element, a nobody but a powerful one. As a man in command, the boy could become
a serious potential for danger, especially, he estimated, given the fact that
his missions would not always be against 'innocents'. However, he conceded,
events were now unfolding and were out of his control, something he himself
greatly resented; he would have to take dispositions to be ready for the
results of the boy's success, and give him what he had promised him... until he
could find a reason to change his status once again.

TBC in Part 16: the End (of the Rebellion)