Luke Vader Part 4

Luke Vader: From Slave to Dark Lord of the Sith
Part 4: Training for the Emperor
By SJ 24-07-00/23-10-00

________________
Disclaimers: None of this belong to me; everything in the Star Wars Universe
belongs to George Lucas.
See my home page for more details.
Http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/3702

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 :)

_____________________

On Tatooine, the shuttle touched down on the overheated sands which were nearby
the moisture farm that had witnessed Luke's first years of life. As he gazed at
the familiar sight, the child noticed that the appearance of the metallic bird
had attracted attention; Owen Lars had stepped outside to watch it land. His
stance, young Luke Vader reflected, betrayed his worried set of mind; he himself
knew that it was not a good strategy against a potential enemy. He also had no
doubt that as it had always been with any visitor, his 'uncle' was wondering if
he would be dealing with a friend or a foe.

In this case, he smiled to himself, he shouldn't think about a foe.

His father, the Dark lord of the Sith Darth Vader, had chosen a non-imperial
design with a darkened canopy; nobody could see inside the ship proper, thus
protecting the identity of the pilot. Hence, his father's presence wouldn't be
revealed in any way and he would be free to hunt down Kenobi's presence to
ascertain his presence on the planet.

However, he reminded himself, neither of them were allowed to kill the crazy
Jedi; the Emperor had been very explicit when he had forbidden them to kill
'that' Jedi. Once alone, he had asked his father why the Jedi would be allowed
to live while they were hunting down the rest of the order; his father had told
him not to question the Emperor's judgment. He knew more than they themselves
did.

Pulling himself out of his memories, Luke refocused on the approaching figure of
his uncle; he eagerly undid his buckle and jumped down his seat.

"I'll pick you up in two hours," his father told him. "Remember---"

"Don't tell them about the truth, I know, Father," Luke assured him. "I will
be ready in two hours. Thanks again, and good hunt," he added with a grimmer
edge.

Vader ruffled his hair, then nudged him toward the exit. "I will find the Jedi.
Go now. You've waited long enough for this."

Luke smiled at his father, then ran down the short corridor and the lowered
ramp. He ran toward the farm, yelling: "Uncle Owen!"

In front of him, the man let go of his rag when he recognized the boy who had
come out of the shuttle.

"L---L---"

Suddenly uncertain about his welcome, Luke stopped a few meters away from him,
unsure whether he could throw himself in his arms or not. He wouldn't have
hesitated if it had been his 'aunt', he dimly reflected.

"Don't you recognize me, Uncle Owen?" he asked uncertainly.

"Luke? Is that really you?" the man inquired.

Luke smiled. "Yes."

To his surprise, the large man engulfed him into a warm, bear-like embrace.

"By the gods we were so worried about you. Where have you been? What happened?
Who's with you?" he asked in quick succession.

Luke couldn't answer all those questions at the same time; instead, he returned
the hug, one of the rare ones that the man had ever given him. Behind him, his
father lifted off to accomplish his mission, but also to leave him alone with
his former guardians.

Owen uncertainly watched the shuttle leave, then he refocused on his 'nephew'.
Luke read in his eyes that he couldn't believe that he was back.

"Come on inside, you don't know how happy your aunt will be to see you," he
smiled.

Even as he accepted the invitation, Luke reflected that he had never seen the
man smile before; he understood that the man obviously cared for him after all.
He had just never thought about his uncle as caring... but then, he conceded,
his father hadn't come off as a caring person when he had met him. Life, he
smiled happily, was full of great surprises.

"I'm eager to see her too," he answered his uncle, excitement clear in his
voice.

The moment that they stepped into the sunken courtyard, he spotted the presence
of the woman he remembered more than his own mother; she was standing at the
foot of the stairs of the courtyard, like she had always done whenever a visitor
had come by.

She too gaped at him when she identified him. This time, Luke didn't hesitate
and ran toward her.

"Aunt Beru," he smiled, hugging her tightly in his small arms.

His aunt crouched to his level and pulled him warmly against herself.

"Oh, Luke, I missed you so much," she whispered, her voice breaking up thanks to
her tears of joy.

"I missed you too, aunt Beru," he answered, tightening his hold on her.

However, holding her wasn't enough; she gently pulled away from him and studied
him. He was wearing his black, formal clothes; he knew that his slave marks
were obvious to any good observer. Beru gasped and brought her hand to her
mouth as she understood what had happened. The man behind him noticed her loss
of composure.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"He's... He's been a slave," she finally managed to tell her husband even as she
took his right hand in hers and hid the mark on his wrist.

"What?!" Owen gasped, worriedly turning his charge back toward himself.

He too saw the signs that his wife had detected; his face became red with anger.
Even without the Force, Luke knew how to interpret the coloring on the man's
face.

He hurried to reassure both of them. "It's okay now," he told them, touching
both his aunt's shoulder and uncle's hand.

He dimly noted that he was duplicating the mannerism that what his father had
often used with him when he had been sad or afraid. He truly was taking after
him, he smiled inwardly.

"How did you escape?" his uncle asked him, sitting in the steps to be at eye
level with him.

However, the child reflected, it might also be because the news were too much
for even him.

"I didn't..." he began, shaking his head. "I am still a slave," he admitted.

"No, Luke..." Beru pleaded, lovingly touching his face with her hand. "It's not
f---"

"It's okay now," he repeated. "I have a good master now," he told them
earnestly, warmly, making sure that they felt his attachment to his father.

"A good master?" Owen inquired, doubtful.

"Yes," Luke nodded, "He takes care of me and he treats me well. It was worse
before I was purchased by him," he lied smoothly.

"Bad?" Beru inquired, understanding that he had been hurt in the past. "No..."
she whispered, horrified that 'her' little boy had been through the horrors of
slavery. And, if he was still a slave, it meant--- "You're not staying," the
woman said, her eyes filled with tears.

"No, I'm sorry," Luke apologized sadly. "I could only get a two-hour permission
to spend time with you and reassure you. I knew that you were worried about
me."

"Worried?" Owen exclaimed. "I searched the desert for weeks in hope to find
you, boy."

"I prayed the gods to protect you, wherever you were," Beru added gently,
touching his face yet again.

"I know... but you don't have to be worried anymore. I am well, and if I serve
this master right, I will earn back my freedom, and more," he told them eagerly,
his eyes suddenly shining like the stars in the galaxy.

"You shouldn't have lost your freedom in the first place," his uncle commented
angrily.

Beru nodded in agreement, then gently took hold of Luke's arms, turning him back
toward her.

"Luke, what happened exactly?" she asked him.

He took a moment to remember the events of that dreadful day, then took a deep
breath and began his retelling. He hated to dwell in the past, so he made it
succinct.

"I was playing in the desert when I got kidnapped. Then, they sold me to Jabba,
who in turn sold me to the highest bidder. I was with a cruel master for a
little over four months before he sold me to my new master."

"Who is he?" Owen and Beru asked simultaneously.

"He is a military commander, but I can't reveal his name." He paused. "I am
his first slave; he bought me to free me when I would be old enough to fend for
myself," he finished, hoping to reassure them and stall any new argument.

It didn't exactly work.

"Then why not give you back to us?" Owen argued.

Luke looked at them, stars of excitement shining anew in his eyes.

"Because I told him that I wanted to live with him," he informed them seriously,
then became slightly sadder when he realized he had hurt their feelings. "I
love you both, aunt Beru, uncle Owen, but my new life is great," he hurried to
add. "I don't want to become a farmer; I want to become a pilot, and with my
new master, I can begin my training right away," he explained earnestly.

Beru's hold on him slightly tightened.

"Luke, don't do this. You are still just a slave," she told him gently. "We
love you; we missed you and we'd give anything to have you back with us."

Owen rested his large hand on his shoulder, thus discovering that the boy was
stronger than he looked; he understood that he was indeed well treated. That
didn't change his mind about what he was going to tell him though.

"She's right, Luke. Why don't you talk to your master and ask him to leave you
with us? You were happy here, weren't you?"

"Yes,---"

"Then come back with us," Beru pleaded gently.

Luke stepped away from their touches. He locked his gaze with them, his eyes
becoming less innocent and more... mature. They had to understand that there
was no changing his mind, he thought seriously.

"I was happy here, but I'm happier with my master," he stated seriously. "You
can't understand what it means to be with him. I have more opportunities with
him than I will ever have with you." He turned toward his uncle. "You always
told me not to dream about some things, uncle Owen, remember? Well now, I don't
dream them ;" He looked again at his aunt. "I live them."

"But you're only nine years old!" she argued

"I'm not too young for him," he shrugged. "My service to him trains me and
teaches me many things that I want to learn," he explained, then covered his
tag with his hand. "Because of this, people see me as a slave, but with him, I
am not. He is my new guardian."

Naturally, his former guardians didn't accept his reasoning and began to argue
more seriously with him.

His 'uncle' and 'aunt' tried to dissuade him for the rest of the time that he
spent with them, but when his father's shuttle came back to pick him up, they
relented, perfectly aware that they wouldn't keep him with themselves.

Luke slowly stepped back toward the higher up entrance.

"Look," he told them, business-like even though his voice was still that of a
child. "I didn't come here to argue with you; I wanted to reassure you and
tell you that I will always love you, no matter what happens." He continued more
gently: "I made my choice."

His aunt and uncle sadly shook their heads.

"Remember that I am still happy," he reminded them warmly. "Don't worry about
me anymore, please. I will be all right," he assured them.

Beru took his small hand in hers; she was crying.

"I understand, Luke. I wish it were different, that you'd stay with us, but I
understand and I accept your choice. I will continue to pray the gods that they
protect you."

Luke smiled at her, then twined his arms around her neck one last time. "I'll
miss you, aunt Beru. You were like a surrogate mother for me," he said,
conscious that he wasn't talking like a child at the moment. He was
talking like a servant of the Empire.

He liked it.

Owen rested his hand on his shoulder, turning him toward himself. The farmer
sighed in resignation.

"I do not approve, boy, but... I can't do a thing to change things, can I?" he
asked him.

"No," Luke agreed.

"Then take care of yourself, Luke. You will always be welcomed in our home when
you'll be free," the man told him warmly.

Luke shook his uncle's large hand, demonstrating a maturity that hadn't been
part of his character before, then let him pull him back in a last hug.

"I will, uncle Owen," he said, restraining his sudden tears of sadness.
He pulled away from the two adults. "I love you both, I always will," he said
yet again. "Thank you for taking good care of me when I was little," he told
them with all his heart even as he slowly stepped away from them.

They nodded, then he turned and ran up the stairs. He stopped at the top,
turned one last time to wave them farewell, then he ran toward the exit and his
father's waiting shuttle.

The moment he was aboard, the ship lifted off. Luke came up in the cockpit,
holding onto the seats to keep his balance.

"How did it go?" his father asked him.

"They know that I'm happier with you, but they don't understand why I'd prefer
to be a slave than be free."

"Hmm, I guess it's understandable," his father reasoned.

"Yes. At least they know that I'm fine now. What about you? Did you find
him?"

"Yes, he is here," his father nodded, "and unaware that we know about it," he
added grimly.

"Good," the child nodded in satisfaction. "Then we can---"

His father rested his large hand on his short forearm which was still resting
against his own armrest.

"I know that you want to avenge yourself from him, Son, but the master was very
clear that no harm is to come to him for the moment. He is of no danger
anyway," he commented, referring to the lack of presence from the Jedi in the
Force.

"Sure," Luke muttered, clenching his small fists. "He's just cruel enough to
separate a son from his father."

Vader's touch tightened on his bare arm.

"Don't worry, Son, you'll have your shot at him when the time will be right.
The Emperor promised me that his time would come, but for the moment, he has
foreseen some future, very advantageous use for Kenobi. However," he added with
a note of mean amusement, "I took care of his memory when I found him: he
doesn't remember you anymore. The only thing he remembers is that my son is
somewhere, so well hidden that even 'he' doesn't know where he hid you."

Luke couldn t help but chuckle shortly at the thought of the distraught Jedi.

"Like a squire, huh?" he commented.

"Exactly like one," his father nodded.

Luke liked the image of the cursed Jedi searching for him like a squire looked
for the provisions that he had stashed away too well before the cold days.

"In time, we'll use this to your advantage, 'and' with the Emperor's
permission," Vader promised.

"I understand, Father." Luke nodded, hitching himself in the co-pilot seat.

The shuttle left the stove-like atmosphere of Tatooine and headed for deep-space
and Coruscant. The Emperor was waiting for Luke, and the child was eager to
begin his training as an imperial agent. It was one step closer to becoming
like his father and help him destroy the Jedi Knights.

******

The day after their return from Tatooine, the Emperor summoned Luke to the
throne room... alone.

Since he was still a slave, he made it look as if he were doing his master's
bidding; he produced a clearance order from his father. Once the guards
unlocked the doors, he kept his head down, then stepped inside the throne room
and awaited his new master's command. He couldn't wait to start 'his' training
and begin to show him what he could do to help his father, he thought earnestly.

At the top of the stairs, the Emperor conferred with dignitaries. Luke waited
silently, remaining immobile on the first landing of the stairs, forcing himself
to be patient like he had always been with his own father up to now. However,
he conceded while he crushed yet another sigh of impatience, he had never
expected something 'after' his waiting his master. It had made it easier for
him to stand still and be as patient as he needed to be.

The dignitaries finally left without giving him a single look. The Emperor
beckoned him forward.

"Come with me," he ordered dryly.

Luke followed him into yet another secret room of the throne room. To his
surprise, Mara was there, waiting for them.

"Sit down." the Emperor told the two children.

The children obeyed, sitting at his feet. For a moment, he studied his two new
elements. When he had begun to scheme for the creation of a perfect extension
of his will, he had never suspected that he would uncover the last two Force-
mates who lived. He had already seen how the children had been irresistibly
drawn to one another, proving the theories about such beings. Now, he smiled
greedily, he couldn't wait to exploit the possibilities of the link between
those two young Force-trained children... who would someday become adults with
even more potential. While he himself had decided to restrain the girl's
potential, he had to admit that the boy's almost complete training wasn't as
troublesome as he had surmised. Instead, it opened the doors to even more
possibilities.

Especially now that the boy's hatred was sure to be fed by the fact that Obi-Wan
Kenobi was allowed to live on while all the other Jedis were being exterminated.
As he locked his gaze on the boy's expectant features, he couldn't help but
cackle inwardly. Thanks to the child, he had uncovered the location of another
Jedi, but also of the best mean at his disposal to drive both father and son
deeper into the Dark side of the Force. Of course, he conceded, he 'had'
foreseen some shadowy use for the Jedi, in the far future, but it had been
diffuse, uncertain. However, his feeling that using him to torment his servants
would keep them in his claws had been real, tangible, and cold. He hadn't
hesitated to keep the Jedi alive. He was of no consequences anyhow; even the
boy would be able to take him out if he ever gave him any trouble. It would
even insure his own allegiance to him, he reflected in dark glee.

Pulling himself from those most satisfying thoughts, he refocused on his
youngest servants.

"It is time to tell you what I will give you, children, and what it will
require from you," he began, feeling a thrill of expectation run through him.

Those children truly represented much potential, he reflected lustfully. He
would leave instructions that he wanted to have them operational as soon as
possible. At his feet, the children nodded in understanding.

A screen activated on the normal looking wall, instantly filling itself with
images of what they would be able to do.

"You will be my Hands, my ghosts, for the time being" he told them coldly,
giving a glance at the boy to see his reaction; he nodded in understanding. "As
such, nobody but me and Lord Vader will know about your existences. Your
training will be done under the veil of secrecy, in a training center located
away from the palace. Since some of your possible targets are inside these
walls, avoid being seen in the palace in any other state than your actual ones."
He gazed at each child. "Young Vader, you are a slave, someone nobody pays
attention to. Make sure it remains so," he ordered him, then switched to mental
speach: *And you will address me as Master from now on,* he instructed him.

"Yes, Master," the boy answered smoothly, bowing his head in respect.

The Emperor turned toward Jade. "Mara Jade, my dear, everybody thinks that you
will become a concubine. When you won't be training with young Vader, begin to
create this illusion."

"Yes, Master," she bowed too.

"Excellent. And now, here is what you will learn."

The myriad of images suddenly retreated in the background, then flashed in a
bigger format one after another: new hand-to-hand combat techniques, shooting
skills, flying skills, computer skills, languages, different jobs, spying, etc,
etc.

Even as the children silently absorbed the truth about their future, the Emperor
smiled evilly in satisfaction; soon, the children would become deadly weapons
which would be completely loyal to him, the boy included. No one would stand in
their way, hence his. To achieve this though, he was aware that the children
would be undergoing a much more demanding and rigorous training than the regular
'Hand' training.

He put an end to his happy musings and jabbed on a control with the Force. A
map appeared on the screen.

"This is where the training center is located," he informed them. "Nobody must
see you go in, nor out." He felt an unspoken question in the children's minds.
"Your trainers are handpicked for their absolute trustworthiness; they won't
reveal your secret to anyone."

And indeed, he reflected meanly, they wouldn't. He himself had manipulated
their brains so that they couldn't remember the identity of their wards, only
their numbers. The Force truly was a useful tool, he snickered smugly.

"Do you have any questions?" he asked the children.

They shook their heads in negative.

"Good." He tossed them each a small reader disc. "You will have a test on the
content of this discs in two days. As you already both know," he warned them
coldly, "failure is punished." The two children swallowed hard as they
understood the meaning of punishment. "Go now and do not disappoint me. Your
trainers are waiting for you."

"Yes, Master," the two children said in unison, then stood to their feet.

A secret door opened in the wall behind them. Luke and Mara exited the room;
the Emperor began monitoring them while they underwent their first test.

Once in the corridor, Luke turned toward his friend.

"Do you know those corridors?" he asked her.

"No," she answered. "You?"

"No," he shook his head.

They exchanged a look of confusion and worry, then an idea came to Luke. He
closed his eyes, focused his mind and searched a lead through the Force.

"That way," he indicated with his index even as he began to walk in the said
direction.

"How do you know?" his friend asked him.

"I'm using the Force. Come on, I don't want to be late."

He set off at a fast run; Mara was right on his heels.

Following the Force, they made their way out of the inner maze of the Imperial
Palace in less than half an hour.

Once outside, Mara guided him to abandoned alleys on the lower levels of the
City where they continued their secret run.

Fifteen minutes later, they were inside the training center. Their master
startled them by speaking to them through the Force; they hadn't even thought
that he had followed their progress in the city.

*Good work, young ones. You've succeeded your first test,* he praised them.

*Thank you, Master.* they both sent despite their utter shock.

The contact broke; both kids relaxed from their surprise, then exchanged a wry
look.

"Guess we make a great team, huh?" Luke suggested.

"That must be why he matched us together," Mara agreed.

They walked away from the door. Once again, Luke used the Force to figure out
where they were supposed to report. They entered a room with many computers.

"Right on time," a man commented from the corner in their backs.

The two children turned around, startled once again.

"Sit down," the man told them, getting straight to business.

Like their master, Luke reflected, this one wasn't much for formalities,
preferring the straight-to-the-point approach. Luke and Mara both sat in front
of a station.

"Let's see what you can do. Find the file numbered 83629."

The first search was easy and both found the said file, but as time passed, the
searches became more complex until they had to hack their way into the system.

Throughout the next hours, they learnt the basics of hacking skills.

Next, another trainer came inside the room and exposed the scenario of a
possible mission, then she told them to plan how they'd disappear in the
environment.

It took them two hours to give her a satisfactory answer.

After this, they reported in a simulator room where a flight instructor taught
them the basics of flying techniques. Both children caught up quite fast on
them. Since they were proving to be skilled, they were then let loose against
one another, pushing each other to the limits of their rudimentary skills.

Finally, after a light meal, they began to learn alternate basic, the other,
most frequently spoken language in the universe.

******

Ten hours after their arrival at the training center, the children prepared to
return to their respective places. Before they did though, they took a moment
to rest in their newly assigned locker room and secret exit.

Luke yawned and stretched his sore shoulders.

"Do you feel as tired as I do?" he asked his friend.

"Probably," she half-whispered, rubbing her temples. "My brain feels like a
constantly buzzing engine."

"Yeah, that was a lot of things in a short time," he agreed tiredly.

"I'm used to learn one thing at the time," she nodded slightly before she sought
his eyes.

"Me too," he agreed in reassurance.

Just like the Emperor's teachers had taught several things to Mara, his own
father had pushed him to his limits while he had been training him, but neither
of them had ever faced lessons that had been 'as' demanding as the ones they had
had today. Instead of working on one limit at a time, the teachers here were
pushing them against all their limits at the same time.

Hence, whereas he had begun to feel competent with his father, he felt quite
disappointed from his first day as a servant of the Emperor. Disappointed for
not pleasing the ruler... and exhausted, he thought as he yawned again. And to
think that the day wasn't over yet...

"Will you study the master's disc tonight?" he asked her.

"Don't have much choice," she pointed out seriously.

"No..." he yawned yet again. "but Father wanted to continue my training," he
reflected out loud. Yep, he reminded himself, he wasn't done yet... "What time
is it?" he asked her.

"Twenty hundred," his friend answered, checking her watch.

Despite his already proven stamina, Luke grunted as he realized that he was in
for a long evening. Then he caught his thoughts and berated himself for
complaining about his schedule. Whining served no purpose except wasting time
and displeasing the Emperor, he reminded himself. Nothing else mattered for him
now; if he pleased him, he would be able to help his father.

"Okay then, let's get going. I want to sleep before tomorrow morning," he
commented as he stood up.

Mara followed his lead.

Their way back home was as easy as their trek to the center had been.

*See you tomorrow,* Luke sent her.

*We'll meet here at 0600?* she asked him.

*Yes. Good evening.*

*You too.*

He resumed his quick run toward his father's palace. He knew exactly where he
could enter it without being spotted by anybody.

The moment he stepped inside the castle's upper corridors, his father contacted
him.
*Welcome back, Son. Meet me in the training room,* he told him coolly.

*I'll be right there,* Luke answered, restraining his tiredness from creeping
into his mind.

He rode the lift up to the training room's floor. While he did so, he fished
out the disc that his new master, but not slaver, had given him. He wondered
what information had been stored on it. The door of the lift opened. He
stepped forward and hurried to reach the training room where his father was
waiting for him.

"How was your first day?" his father asked him as he walked in the room.

"It's mind buzzing," he commented tiredly, "but fun," he added with a genuine
smile.

And it was, he reflected. He liked to learn all those things. He only wished
he were already excellent at them.

"They worked on your intellectual skills," his father surmised with a nod of his
head. "We'll work on a physical aspect then."

"Fencing?" Luke asked eagerly.

Now there was a fun prospect. He was always ready to fence against his father,
no matter how tired he was. His father tossed him a lightsaber; he neatly
caught it in his small hand.

"Yes," he confirmed.

Behind the dark lord, two remotes floated into a ready position. Luke swallowed
in nervousness, becoming aware that the level of difficulty would be up yet
another level tonight.
He took a second to put his data disc where nothing bad could happen to it, then
prepared himself for a demanding exercise. He set his small feet in a ready
stance and turned on his blade ; his father and the remotes swiftly came down on
him.

Luke, already deep in touch with the Force, followed its guidance and jumped
away from the triple assault, landed behind his 'attackers' and slashed one
remote into pieces. His father's blade came down onto him; he shifted his
blade to present its longer side and blocked him again, and again. Then, his
feet moved by themselves, making him jump and hit his father in the groin.

Luke was shocked by what he'd just done, but he had no time to dwell on it. The
remaining remote came at him, firing wildly. Ignoring his mental fatigue, he
shifted into a series of quick blocks, jumped away from his father's approaching
blade and took care of the other remote while airborn; the tip of his blade
grazed the remote, incapacitating its circuits. It fell down on the floor,
dead.

Meanwhile, Luke landed back on the floor and met his father's renewed attacks.
Unlike the other times, he finally understood that the dark lord wasn't holding
back, pushing him to his limits. Despite his young age and small body, Luke
Vader was able to hold his ground without much problem.

About forty minutes after the beginning of the exercise, he and his father were
yet again locked in a stalemate. Then, the older Vader managed to hook his
weapon around his son's and twist it out of his small hands. Without wasting
time, the young boy used the dark lord's less balanced stance, dropped low and
knocked him off his feet.

His father landed hard on his back; Luke drew the red-bladed lightsaber to his
hand--- and became aware of what he had just done.

He could barely believe that he had just beaten his father.

He dropped the captured weapon and knelt by his side.

"Father! Are you okay? I'm sorry, I---" he stuttered.

The older Vader shook his head as he propped himself on his elbows.

"I'm fine, Son. Don't worry," he reassured him.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that. I didn't mean to hurt you. I---" he
apologized profusely.

His father sat up and rested his hand on his son's shoulder.

"It's all right, Luke. You did this because you had to. You are a great sword
fighter, Son," he commented, pride clearly audible in his modulated voice.

"Thanks," Luke blushed. "But I---"

"I think you're ready to build your own lightsaber now," his father told him in
a more serious voice.

It shocked the boy still.

"B-B-build? You mean?---"

"You have completed the training, Luke. You are a Dark Jedi now," he
congratulated him.

"But--- but--- but I'm too young!" he finally managed in disbelief.

"You are the strongest," his father corrected.
"Strongest?" he gaped. Him? "Does the Emperor know?"

"Yes, and he agrees with me. You are a Dark Jedi now. This was your last
test," his father informed him.

Luke was speechless now. Him, a Dark Jedi... Incredible!

He smiled proudly. "I did it!"

Vader proudly ruffled his hair. "Yes, you did it, Son. Congratulations.
Do you have any idea as to how you'll build your lightsaber?" he inquired with
interest.

"Yes," he nodded enthusiastically.

He had thought about that moment for the best part of the past year. He knew
exactly what he wanted.

"You may start whenever you're ready then," his father told him.

"Thank you, Father," he smiled kindly.

"Now, I think you have some studying to do, right?" he reminded him.

"Oh Yes, I almost forgot!" he blushed in shame.

"Then what are you waiting for? Get to it," he told him lightly.

"Okay," Luke nodded earnestly.

He stood up, picked his disc from the remote's shelf, then left the room, but
not without a last look at his father who had stood up.

He was like him now, he smiled silently.

He headed for his room where he'd be able to study his master's disk.

Five minutes later, he stepped inside his room, kicked off his shoes while
calling a datapad to his hand, then flopped down on his bed and loaded the disk.
He gaped as he saw the directory: secret passages and safe, unknown places of
the palace and Coruscant in general.

He scrolled down the list and read all the subcategories--- as he had learned to
do during the day; he quickly discovered that he was about to learn about all
the possible nooks and crannies which could be found on the whole planet called
Coruscant.

He began to read and memorize the data concerning his master's palace.

Hours later, Lord Vader shut his computer down for the night. Those cursed
remaining Jedi outlaws were becoming a real nuisance. He would have no choice
but to hunt them down by himself now.

He walked back to his quarters for a last night on Coruscant for a while. On
his way to his rooms, he stopped by his son's. The light was still shining from
under the old-fashioned door, but when he opened it, he saw that it wasn't
useful to anybody anymore.

His son was slumped on his bed, deeply asleep, his pad still clutched in his
hand. He was utterly exhausted, he smiled softly. Careful to not wake him up,
Vader gently pried the pad from his hand, then delicately helped him under his
blankets.

"Hmm, no, not there... better there," the boy mumbled in his sleep.

'Probably planning for some future mission,' Vader thought wryly.

He brushed the sandy-brown hair from his son's forehead, remembering the last
time he had done so. It had been before he had freed him, before he had told
him the truth. He looked around himself and scolded like he always did when he
was in his son's room.

It wasn't a room worthy of his boy; it was a room meant for a lowly servant,
not for a future servant of the Emperor. The furniture was simple, sparse: a
desk, a chair, a computer and a bed. His son who had never known better than
that didn't complain, but he himself wasn't satisfied.

When his son wouldn't need to retain his 'slave' mask, he promised himself, he
would give him quarters that would be worthy of him, of his heritage and his
powers.

It would be worthy of a Dark Jedi and second-in-command in the Empire.
Especially now that he had completed the first, major step of the Emperor's
requirements. He surmised that pleasing him wouldn't be difficult for Luke once
he completed the training.

As he remained with his son, he smiled again at the thought of his son's latest
accomplishment. While he himself despised losing in any way, he gladly admitted
that his son had beaten him fairly, catching him completely by surprise with his
well-placed kick.

He had earned his title of youngest Dark Jedi ever.

He was also glad that the test was over and done with though. He hadn't
particularly cared for the Emperor's idea regarding the final test for Luke.
When he had mentioned the possibility that the boy might get hurt or even killed
in the process, his master had merely commented that he wouldn't if he were as
strong as they thought he was.

Hence, he had reluctantly obeyed his master and challenged the boy, but his son
had risen to the challenge and had vanquished it... him. Despite the
implications of such an event, he couldn't help but feel pride for the young
boy; tonight, no resent was inhabiting his heart. And, most important of all,
he thought in relief, they would not have to repeat that test ever again.

He stroked the boy's hair one last time before leaving him alone for the night.

"Good night, my little Jedi," he smiled under his mask.

He was very proud of him. He rose to his full height and silently left the
room. He turned off the light when he exited.

******

The following morning, Luke Vader woke up very early, starting slightly
when he found himself in his bed. He remembered falling asleep on it, not in
it.

Careful to not wake his father up with his senses, he changed clothes, stuffed
some training clothes in a duffel bag, caught some breakfast on his way out of
his father's castle, then, after checking his surroundings, left for his
rendezvous point. He wanted to make it on time.

As he had expected, Mara was already there, waiting for him. As he ran past
her, they didn't talk nor exchanged any thought; she fell in step beside him and
together, they ran toward their secret destination, making sure that no one was
saw them nor followed them.

The first part of the day was pretty much like their previous day had been,
except for one thing: the courses were fewer but longer. Then, after working on
their computer, language and flying skills, they reported in a new room.

The moment they stepped in, they became aware that it was a firing range room.
They stood at attention in front of the registration desk.

"I was expecting you two; come," their new teacher told them.

Considering their previous day, neither child were surprised by the cool
welcome. They had quickly deduced that their teachers were either nameless, or
couldn't reveal their names. The man brought them close to a table on which
rested many different kinds of weapons.

"When I will be finished with you two, you will be able to use, clean,
construct, deconstruct and even modify any of those weapons," he informed them
seriously.

He picked up two regular blasters and tossed them to the children. Both caught
them without fumbling. Luke gazed down at the small blaster, and an image of
the future filled his mind; he smiled as he 'saw' what he'd be able to do with
it once his training would be over. The Emperor would indeed be pleased.

He threw a look at his friend and smiled grimly. Her expression was matching
his.

"First," the teacher began, hefting his own blaster.

The two young Jedis children focused their attention back on him, intent on
learning everything they could from the man, just like they had resolved to do
with all his other colleagues.

Two hours later, they changed into their training clothes and began their more
physically-oriented training with their assigned coach. For the following three
hours, they rappelled up ropes, completed obstacles run in as little time as
necessary, pitted their muscles against gravity in various ways, tried to outdo
their previous scores in different exercises: in short, they tested and improved
their self-defense skills as well as their general physical strength and their
individual weaknesses.

When the trainer finally released them, Luke felt ready to collapse from
exhaustion. He laid back on the small bench of their locker room, wondering how
he had made it back to their assigned room.

"Thank the Force I don't have anymore training at home," he grunted tiredly.

"No, just studying," Jade sighed.

"How far are you?" he asked her as he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

"I'm half done, but I can't remember everything."

"Me either. I try to use the Force to remember. It helps, when I'm awake
to use it," he shrugged lamely.

"Did you fall asleep at your work table too?" she asked incredulously.

"On my bed, but yeah. Do you have your disk with yourself?" he asked her.

Jade pulled her bag to herself with the Force and dug in a side pocket. "Yeah,
and a reader too."

"Great!" he exclaimed. "Do you want to study with me? I mean before going back
home?" he suggested.

"Good idea." she agreed.

She sat in front of him, straddling the narrow bench like he was doing, then
loaded the disk and set her pad between them. Exchanging tips and clues, the
two children spent the following three hours studying and memorizing their data.

Luke guided Mara into how to use the Force to fixate her memory; she in turn
gave him pieces of advice on how to remember without it.

Once they were finished, they changed clothes, not caring if the other saw them
in underwear or not, then they went back to their respective 'homes'.

******

When he entered his father's study, Luke instantly felt that something was
wrong; his father's senses weren't as cool as usually.

"What is it?" he asked him without detour.

For a moment, his father silently gazed at him, then he stepped closer and
crouched to be at his eye level.

Uh-huh, Luke nodded to himself, his father had something very serious and
unpleasant to tell him.

"Bad news came in today, Son," he informed him seriously. "I have to return
aboard the Executor, alone."

Even though Luke had expected his father to be called back on duty sooner or
later, he conceded that he hadn't expected him to be taken from him that soon.

"What is going on?" he asked him even as he forced himself to nod in
understanding.

"Jedi anarchists," his father answered with a barely concealed snarl of disgust.

Despite his new devotion to please the Emperor and 'earn' the right to leave
again with his father, Luke couldn't help but take a step forward in
volunteering, thus silently asking his father to take him with him.

However, his father didn't need words or thoughts to understand him; he
regretfully shook his head in answer. Luke pouted silently at that, aware that
he wouldn't sway his father even though his heart literally screamed to be there
when his father would vanquish the hated enemy which was even worse than
criminal or rebel groups.

Lord Vader gazed regretfully at his young son. He knew how he felt, he conceded
to himself even as he rested a hand on the boy's shoulder and drew him closer to
himself. Not so long ago, or so it seemed, he too had been driven against an
enemy yet had been restrained by his teacher. However, he reminded himself,
unlike Kenobi's attempts to limit 'his' powers, the Emperor was only teaching
focus to the boy... and allowing him to develop his skills in record time so
that he could, sooner than later, earn the right to fight with him.

"I know how you feel, Luke," he comforted him. "and I know that you could
probably help me, but your place, for the moment, is here," he reminded him more
seriously.

"I know, Father," the boy nodded sadly. "I don't want to disappoint the
Emperor, but everything is their fault," he added with resent. "It's not just
Kenobi, but the whole order. Without them, we wouldn't have been separated."

"And that is why they will not survive for much longer," he reassured him.
"There are only a few of them left now."

"But what if you kill them all before I can join you?" the boy inquired
grimly/glumly. "What will that make me?"

"You will still be Lord Vader in time, Son," he promised him earnestly.
"Killing them yourself or not is not important, as long as they are all gone and
that the galaxy is free from their corruption."

The child remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

"I suppose so," he pouted slightly, lowering his chin to his chest.

While his son could hold conversations which normally weren't possible with a
child of his age, Vader couldn't help but smile to himself as the boy proved him
yet again that he wasn't 'that' mature either. Gently, he brought his index
under the child's chin and made him look back up at him.

"It is so, Luke, trust me," he told him seriously. "For the moment, the only
thing that matters for 'you' is to train and please the Emperor. Everything
else must become secondary if you want to succeed and please him," he informed
him, referring to his own experience with the ruler.

"Even you?" the child asked in reluctant understanding.

"Even me," Vader nodded, "especially when I will be away on missions," he added
seriously, informing his son that this first mission would undoubtedly lead to
several others. "Will you do it?" he inquired seriously.

"I will do everything I have to do, Father," the young child promised him
earnestly.

"Good, then don't think about what I just told you and go study your plans for
the test tomorrow," he instructed him gently, yet with finality. "'This' is
what is important for the moment."

"Okay," the child nodded, turned away to leave, then turned back toward him.
"Don't leave before I see you tomorrow, please?" he asked him sadly.

"I won't, I give you my word," his father promised solemnly as he stood back to
his full height. "Now go and learn to please the Emperor," he told him
seriously.

His son nodded again in obedience, then exited the room, leaving him alone.

'Learn to please the Emperor,' Vader mused his own words once he was alone, now
there was an ambiguous yet absolutely true sentence. His son indeed had to
learn new data in order to eventually please the Emperor and earn his rightful
title, but, he reflected seriously, the child also had to get used to pleasing
the ruler. While the Emperor hadn't mentioned anything to him about not being
satisfied by the boy's attitude to put his father ahead of his new master, he
suspected that he wouldn't tolerate it for much longer. In a week or two, he
had the feeling that his son would reach the limit of the other's patience as
far as respect and devotion went.

He made a note to himself to contact his son's mind every night and drill into
him the reflex to think of the Emperor first. While he didn't particularly
relish the use of such tactics with his own son, he conceded that he had no
other choice to insure his safety while he was away... especially since he
didn't know how long he would be gone.

******

After a long night of studying and short sleep, Luke rose early, prepared
himself for another day at the Emperor's training center, then went in search of
his father.

He found him on the landing platform where his shuttle was already primed and
ready for departure. His father came inside to meet him, then closed the door,
hiding them from the rest of the galaxy.

For a fleeting moment, Luke wished once again that he could go with him, but, he
sternly reminded himself, his training was more important to than his helping
his father.

He reluctantly accepted the separation as a proof of his and his father's
loyalty to the Emperor.

"You promise that you'll be careful?" he asked his father even though he knew
that it was a lame request.

Nothing nor nobody could hurt his father anyway.

"I promise, Son. Be a good boy and do everything the master or his trainers
tell you to do," he advised him, then added: "and only refer to him as 'Master'.
It is his rightful title; respect him."

Luke nodded in understanding, aware that his father was also reluctant to leave
him alone. Since he didn't want to put him in trouble with the Emp--- their
master, he forced himself to think, he tried to appear surer of himself than he
felt at the moment.

"I will, Father. Don't worry. I'll make you proud of me," he promised him
seriously.

Vader gently touched his son's cheek.

"Luke, you already make me the proudest father in the universe," he commented
warmly. "I have no doubt that you will continue to do so, for the Emperor now."

"Yes, I will," he nodded once again.

For a moment, Father and son gazed at each other in silence, then his father
crouched and gently pulled him closer. "I will be eager to see your lightsaber
when I return," he told him with a note of interest in his voice.

"And I'll be eager to show it to you, Father," The young Jedi smiled sadly.

When Vader moved his hand toward him, Luke took hold of it and held it in his
smaller one. Through that touch, both father and son felt the other's
disappointment and sadness at the separation, yet both knew that they could only
accept it and go on with their duties.

They had both known that it would happen sooner or later. They just wished that
it could have happened later than sooner... They briefly hugged, then Luke
pulled away and locked his gaze with his father's obscured one for a last time,
before he turned to leave.

"Good bye, Father. Be successful," he said simply, putting an end to those
difficult, too difficult farewells.

"Good bye, Son," his father answered as he straightened up again and nudged him
toward the closest lift. "Make work the Emperor's will."

The door in front of Luke opened; he left for his 'school'.

'Be careful, my Son,' Vader thought to himself as he lost eye contact with his
young boy.

He was fairly convinced that his son wouldn't displease their master in any way,
but since he was still a child, there was still a chance that it might happen,
especially where the proper address and devotion was concerned.

"May the Force be With You, my little dark Jedi," he whispered to the closed
door, then turned around and headed for his own 'work': to hunt down Jedi
Knights.

******

When they arrived at the training center, the children's first assignment was to
test their new knowledge against a computerized test. Each of them had to
identify all the places that were pinpointed to them on their digital map and
they both had to get a perfect score while doing it in as short a time as
possible.

Just before the test began, Luke briefly looked up at his friend and noticed her
worried eyes ; she was as nervous as he was. They now knew that each wrong
answer would be punished, something which they both wanted to avoid with all
their hearts.

They both decided that whatever happened, they would both give it all they had,
not just here, but in all their courses.

******

From that day on, the children spent most of their time at the training center,
studying, learning, working together, doing everything they had to do to be
perfect in everything, sometimes foregoing sleep if they had to. Whenever that
happened, they used refreshing trances to rest before the next morning.

The Emperor watched their progress from his palace, pleased with their results.
As he had suspected, the children were not too young to begin their training.
It had taken a vicious incentive to push them on their right cruise speed, but
now that they were there, they were excellent in everything even though they
were not aware of it. Since the trainers had orders to push them beyond their
limits, the children were convinced they were never good enough to satisfy the
criteria; new ones always added themselves to the ones they were working on,
looking like normal to the children.

Because of this, the children became even better than the older teenagers who
were being trained in other parts of the center. They were also almost already
better than some of his active agents, he reflected with glee. Only a few
details remained and they would be ready for their first mission.

He couldn't wait to see them at work, he smiled in dark contentment. At last,
he would be rewarded for his tolerance of their normally forbidden friendship;
he was now aware that it was a worthy sacrifice to get results such as those
that the children were getting.

Soon, he mused seriously, it would be time to plan in more details how he was
going to use those perfect tools. With young Vader as a full-fledged Dark Jedi
already and young Jade having reached the limits of her 'potential', he had some
serious thinking to do, especially to keep the boy at a stalemate. Now that he
had him in his ranks and his powers, he didn't want to give him 'back' to his
father that easily, if ever.

Reaching a new decision, he sent instructions to the children's different
trainers, ordering them to push their limits yet again.

******

Continued in part 5: Progresses