Luke Vader 22

Luke Vader Series: From slave to Dark Lord of the Sith
Part 22: Lady Skywalker
By SJ 12-12-00/26-12-00 (skyjade@globetrotter.net)

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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 :)
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At first, Leia's life didn't change much from what she was used to in the
Empire, except for the fact that she was free to go wherever she pleased.

She was also better disposed toward her brother and father since she now knew
that they were at least as trustworthy as her foster family had been, if not
more, she conceded. Unlike her former family who had constantly criticized her
true self, her true family displayed signs of genuine care for her, accepting
her as she was, and even allowing her to influence them in their decisions.

They never complained about what she wasn't; instead, they were happy to
accept her as she was even though she wasn't like they were.

That, she had begun to realize, was a nice change for the formerly constantly
pressured ex-princess of Alderaan.

It was such a welcome change in fact that she even found herself looking forward
to spending time with her true family, if only to know them better. At first,
they were both kept away on missions on the other side of the galaxy, but they
returned, a month and a half later and hadn't left since then.

While the two dark lords waited for new assignments, they spent much time with
her, sometimes the three of them together, sometimes alone with her, as if in
turns.

Since Leia had never spent much time with her father before, she slowly
discovered that he was, indeed, good hearted for those he cared about, but what
surprised her the most was how much her brother was very much like the naive
farmboy he had pretended to be with the Rebellion. The only difference there
was in his personality was that he was far from being naive; he was a seasoned
strategist for one so young... and a definitely thoughtful individual who cared
a lot about several ideals and persons.

Like his father however, he knew not to overcome the Emperor's boundaries,
something that thankfully didn't apply to her.

******

However, that aspect of the girl didn't please the ruler at all. While he had
sent the two men away for an undetermined period of time, he had expected the
girl to care less about them and perhaps give in a little to her hatred of them
for what they were doing in 'his' name... but no.

Instead, the girl had been reported to watch the newsvids and support her
brother's or father's actions now and then, then to curse 'him' when they did
something she used to hold them responsible for.

Hence, he had come to understand that his strategy had mostly backfired on him,
although not completely. It had been the first time that the boy had truly
taken commands of troops, and unlike what he had expected, the child had proven
himself more than capable of handling thousands of troops at his command.

The moment that he had stepped aboard his newly-manufactured Annihilator, he had
imposed himself as a commanding, fearful figure who hadn't tolerated mistakes of
any kind although he hadn't wasted lives either. Instead, he had used more
creative ways to teach his subordinates to not dare fail him. The Emperor had
been most delighted upon reading the reports from his spies, then had truly
jubilated when he had witnessed the strategy skills of the youth at work.

The boy, he had smiled in dark glee, was even more cunning and driven than his
father was; more than ever, he truly was his ace up his sleeve... and he himself
had decided to not entertain thoughts of his failing him in his duties.

For the time being, he had conceded that he would be more useful to him on a
bridge than on the field.

And certainly more than in a living room, he thought in annoyance at the sight
of the castle where the Vader family was 'enjoying' more time together.

However, he once again overlooked the details of the meeting, allowing the boy
to enjoy the company of his sister and father in reward for his excellent
service on the front, but only as long as he didn't come through as too Light to
his liking, he added grimly to himself.

Letting his gaze slide over the spears of the Vader castle, he perused once
again the horizon of Imperial City.

******

That evening, Leia retired to her favorite private corner, which happened to be
her father's gardens. She had spent the whole afternoon with her father and
brother, discussing the future of the galaxy from different point of view. It
had been a nice if sometimes touchy afternoon, she sighed in slight weariness.

She finally sat by one of the numerous water fountains, gazing absentmindedly at
the small fishes that were swimming in its clear waters.

Her family was so confusing sometimes, she reflected sadly. On one side of the
coin, her relatives were caring, compassionate, even kind toward whoever was
either close to them or hadn't threatened the Empire, but on the other side,
they were harsh and cruel toward their enemies.

Both beauty and darkness, she summarized glumly. It was much like her father's
palace, she then added, even like Coruscant itself, she thought to herself.
Would she ever fit in such a place, she wondered uneasily. Did she even want to
fit?

She knew that she didn't want the darkness, she reminded herself. Up to now,
she had only seen the beauty by being treated to the finest restaurants, the
most renowned clothe designers, the greatest entertainment..., but soon, her
brother, and perhaps even her father would leave for a new mission...

Somehow, she knew that she would leave with one of them; she couldn't say why,
but she could feel some kind of eagerness in the air... some kind of prodding
that was leading her in that direction, toward that certitude. Of course, she
admitted, she couldn't foul herself: the Emperor wasn't satisfied with her
actual status. He wanted her under his control just like the rest of her family
was.

Her fight, she realized, wasn't against her family, but against her would-
be slaver. Well, she'd be damned if she would let him take the upper-hand
anytime soon.

No matter what special permission he was giving her, he wouldn't win her soul.

******

Unbeknown to her, her relatives' new delay had expired and her brother had to
negotiate again, with a price this time. At least, that's how the Emperor saw
it ; Luke saw it as his failure to deliver what he had promised.

Luke stepped inside his master's quarters and knelt.

"How fare your sister today, young Vader?" the young Emperor asked without
preamble from his position near his private bar.

He barely motioned him back to his feet.

"She is improving, Master," Luke told him as he stood back to his feet. "She
doesn't try to escape, not even when we leave her 'alone', and she takes
interest in what we have to do for you."

"To defeat me," the ruler sneered against his glass.

"To use your resources in a non-destructive way, Master," Luke corrected humbly.
"I believe we are beginning to break through to her."

"Then she will be soon be mine?" the other inquired seriously, turning his
yellow glare toward him.

"Eventually, yes, Master," Luke conceded with some caution, bowing his head to
avoid his master's sulfurous glare.

The Emperor answered by slapping his glass on the glassy top of his bar, then
stood from his stool and stepped closer.

"Eventually is not a good enough answer, young Vader," he hissed in frustration.
I am growing impatient," he warned him.

Luke kept his head bowed. "I know, Master, and I'm sorry... I honestly can't
say when she will be ready to serve you," he tried to explain. "Her brainwash
goes far deeper than any of us had foreseen."

"Enough lame excuses, child," his master snapped angrily. "You could overcome
it, even do it again without her being aware of it if you wanted to."

The Emperor's hand suddenly took hold of Luke's chin and forced him to meet his
angry glare; Luke couldn't help but swallow hard in fear.

"You care too much about her," the Emperor stated glacially. "You failed your
mission and fell in 'her' trap."

"Master, please," was Luke's instant answer. "I did not overlook your rules."

"Then explain why she isn't my servant yet," the other challenged him, viciously
releasing his chin and forcing him off balance.

"Leia...," he stumbled slightly before recovering his composure. "Leia's
strength resides in her personality, Master, not her abilities. You need her as
a whole to make the best out of her service," Luke told him matter-of-factly,
hoping against hope to be able to reason with his master once more.

"Correction, young Vader," the ruler warned him darkly, waving his finger at him
in a threatening fashion. "'I' don't need her; you and your father need
her. I have merely granted you the right to keep her with you as long as she
serves me," he reminded him darkly.

"I'm sorry, Master," Luke apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean to upset you."

The Emperor dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand as he slowly stepped
closer.

"Understand this well, young man," he warned him once he stood right in front of
him. "As long as she will not be my servant, she will be a rebel, and as such,
her very existence disgusts me," he snarled in despise.

Luke hadn't expected this kind of radical judgment; he truly didn't know what
to say to reassure his more than upset master.

"I will not fail you, Master," he told him seriously, confidently.

The young Emperor, who had stepped away from him once again, glared sideways at
him at this, pinning him with his inhuman eyes, then blasted him with his
lightning bolts.

As Luke recovered from his rough landing on the floor, he heard his master
comment that perhaps he would, but that he still cared too much about the
'girl'.

******

When Luke returned to his rooms, he barely had enough strength left to put on
slacks and a large shirt, then he crashed on his bed and gazed out at the vista
of the city that was stretching as far as his eyes could see.

He had to stop displeasing his master, he decided. He had destroyed the
Rebellion, he sure as hell could sway his sister's righteous mind, he reflected
darkly. What could he do though? Sure, he could brainwash her, or else
manipulate her mind during her sleep, but he didn't want that. He wanted her to
retain her lively mind, her typical personality.

Her training in the Force was progressing well too, he then admitted, but she
wasn't powerful; she could only do so much...

No, he thought seriously, the bond had to start in her heart, a place for which
he hadn't found her keys yet---

A knock interrupted his meditation, then his sister's mind delicately brushed
his.

*It's open,* he sent her.

He remained in his curled-up position as she stepped inside his room. She
finally came into his field of vision; he noticed that she was worried about
him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, forgetting her normal wariness.

"I'm just tired," he lied, not really gazing at her.

Yes, he was tired to fight against the now dead-Jedi... Now, he thought glumly,
he could relate with his father's untypical weariness during the Jedi hunt.

"I went looking for you yesterday but you weren't there," she commented
kindly... then Luke registered the barely covered tremor in her voice and gazed
more attentively at her.

He thus noted what type of clothes she was wearing as well as the hairstyle she
was favoring today.

It was Alderaanian from her braids to her toes...

"I had to take care of something," he evasively answered her even as he locked
his eyes with hers. "Why did you want to see me?" he asked her seriously.

"Oh, I... I just needed to talk with someone..." she told him, also evasively.

Luke immediately understood what was going on: Alderaan... it was that time of
the month again.

"I'm here now," he answered her more gently, raising himself to his elbow to
offer her his hand.

She gratefully accepted it, then leaned down to lay in his arms as she let her
sobs of grief overcome her.

"It's okay, Leia... it won't happen again," he promised her, laying his head
against hers.

"Luke, I... I want to be with you... with Father..." she sobbed. "But I can't
serve that monster who has destroyed my home planet..."

And this, Luke realized, was the key he had been looking for. He had to make
her forget about the Emperor while unknowingly making her serve him as well as
he and his father did.

That meant, he then thought less happily, that he would have to see his master
again to discuss this new discovery...

Wonderful, he sighed glumly despite himself.

He resolved to see him as soon as possible, in his throne room this time.
He tightened his hold around his sister, pressing her closer to his own chest.

"I understand... we'll find a way, Leia..." he cooed near her ear. "We'll find
a way..." he promised again, both to himself and her.

******

After leaving her asleep on his bed, Luke dressed in a new uniform and cloak,
then courageously made his way to his master's throne room.

He was let inside almost instantly. To his dismay, only his master and his
royal guards were left inside the room.

"I wasn't expecting to see you this soon, Lord Vader," his master commented
maliciously.

Luke did his best to forget the mocking gaze his master was giving him.

"Something new occurred to me, Master," he said as he bowed in respect. "She
told me that she could ally herself to Father and I... as long as you
aren't in her life," he admitted, aware that he was seeking more punishment with
his words, but he also knew that he had to check with his master before setting
his new plan in motion.

As he had expected, his Emperor was far from satisfied by this turn of events.

"What does this mean exactly, young man?" he inquired dangerously, drumming his
fingers on his armrests.

"Master," he explained as earnestly as he could, "I think that if she has the
feeling that you will not try to ally her anymore, she will work with us, thus
serve you without her being really aware of it, as we mean to accomplish at the
moment."

"And she would continue to insult me with her Skywalker name and her defiance!"
the ruler spat in frustration.

"Unless she remains out of your court, Master," Luke tried to reassure him.

He knew that his new plan was far from pleasing him, Luke could tell so from the
slight flashes that were erupting from his master's finger tips. Luke, like his
father, knew that the Emperor couldn't abuse of those powers without
accelerating his already fast physical decrepitude, but he also knew that he
didn't hesitate to use it in some occasions. He could only hope that yesterday
had been---

He suddenly felt a strong Force-squeeze around his arms, then he had no choice
but to step closer to his now standing master.

"You are aware of course," the Emperor began darkly. "that those are absolutely
exceptional circumstances. If it became known in my court... you wouldn't like
the consequences."

Luke swallowed hard in fear.

"I... understand, Master," he managed as respectfully as he could.

"Do you, really?" the Emperor asked locking his gaze with him and probing his
mind as he had done the previous night.

It slowly dawned on Luke that he would have to 'buy' that permission once again
while being successful as well.

"May I choose how I will pay, Master?" he asked bravely, unsure how his request
would be welcomed.

"You mean choose between another long session of torture and the privacy of your
mind, young man?" the Emperor offered with a mean smirk. "Yes, you can choose;
both choices will provide me with pleasure anyway. On the other hand, you
certainly won't in one option, but you might enjoy the power in the other...
and one will definitely be more difficult to explain and live with than the
other. But it is your decision," he finished coolly.

Luke could only gape at his master... He was right... he had no other choice...
Otherwise, he would fail since Leia would know that something was wrong.

After all, he thought in disgust at himself, he was supposed to be in his
master's good will these days...

"When?" he sighed in resignation.

The young Emperor stepped even closer to him.

"I will let you know; it shall be done secretly," he told him greedily. "Now
go back to your sister and do what you've been supposed to do one month ago," he
ordered him.

"Yes, Master," Luke bowed his head, turned away without any other prompting,
then left the throne room.

He had some work to do.

******

TBC in part 23: A New Family

Copyright 2000, SJ (skyjade@globetrotter.net)
Well, liked it? (Any positive stuff is welcome, but any mean stuff won't even be
read.)