Saga In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - complete -- Thanks for your support in the Awards!

Title: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story
Author: furrylittlebantha
Timeframe: pre-ANH
Characters: Luke, Vader, Palpatine, Mara, OCs, cameos by others
Genre: drama, short story, AU
Summary: Everything changes when Obi-Wan goes to the Naberries instead of the Lars'. The differences in Luke himself are considerable, but when he spends a summer internship in the Imperial Palace...suffice it to say that the galaxy will never be the same.
Disclaimer: Don't own it.

A/N: Many thanks to divapilot, my fantabulous beta!

[image=http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg33/furrylittlebantha_photos/InPlainSightjpgcopy.jpg] *

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It is sometimes wisest to hide the prize in plain sight, is it not?
-Allegiance, pg. 238

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He never cried.

It unnerved Sola more than she cared to admit, and the unease translated to a dislike that would only deepen with the years. What kind of an infant was so silent, all the time? Unnatural, that's what. Demonspawn, a bitter voice whispered, and she pushed it away only half-heartedly.

He grew older, began to walk. Sola liked him less. He talked later than most, and she never became accustomed to feeling a hand on her knee, to look down into solemn blue eyes that told no secrets. Those eyes unnerved her. They weren't her eyes. They belonged solely to him. Like everything else about this child. Sola had been too young to remember Padme's as a baby, but surely her sister hadn't toddled about such eerie silence. Surely she hadn't been so...

She couldn't think of the right word. Sad brushed up against her mind, but she dismissed the thought. Babies couldn't be sad. They were too young.

When he was three Sola bore her first child. She held the tiny, dark-haired beauty against her breasts and felt a great swell of joy and relief. Joy, because the doctors told her that since she had finally succeeded, the probability of others was greater now. Relief, because she truly loved this little one. She had been so afraid... well. Perhaps Luke was a child only a mother could love. In the emotional glow of that moment, Sola promised herself that she would always be good to her nephew, and never favor her own offspring unfairly. It was the least she could do for her beloved sister.

Her husband came in, and she put everything else out of her mind.

The promise crossed her mind once more, the next day, and then she forgot it forever.

Luke was nothing like Anya, or any of the siblings that followed. Those awful, foreign looks only accentuated matters, but it went deeper than mere appearance. Her own children were bright, careless, mischievous; everything children were supposed to be. They wailed when they stubbed their toes. They laughed at bodily functions and unfamiliar words. They threw outrageous tantrums. They played hard in the day, and slept harder in the night. They ate like refugees. They alternated between bravery and cowardice, facing down bullies for each other but climbing in her bed during thunderstorms. They thought very little, and lived in the moment.

Padme's son was everything they were not.

It was an unseasonably warm day, for early spring. Luke was ten years old. She stumbled across him in the library, curled up in a recession in the wall. He was reading. Again.

"What are you reading, Luke?" she asked tightly, not really wanting to know the answer. "It's a gorgeous day outside. Why don't you go play with your brothers and sisters?"

"It's a book about pilots." He brushed his hair out of his eyes and looked up at her. That hair needs to be cut again, Sola thought with some annoyance. It was always too long. Inconvenient hair was certainly not a Naberrie trait. "I want to fly someday, Mother."

Mother. He had always called her Mother, never Mama as the others did.

"That'ss hardly the occupation of a VarewÃ?Æ?Ã?â??Ã?â??" she said stiffly. "You'll be a senator--as long as you show the aptitude for it."

"What if I don't?" His voice was lilting, hesi

 

I don't think I've ever read this premise. Very interesting idea. Poor Luke. that would have been horrible knowing that you weren't wanted. At least Owen and Beru wanted him.

 

Wow, interesting beginning! Oh, Luke. I just want to hug him. (Of course, when don't I want to hug him? ) I really like this slant and am interested to see how it changes who he is, and what fundamental qualities are still the same.

I don't suppose PMs are available?? If not, I'll keep an eye out! Great work, as always!

 

Dang. I feel really bad for Luke being in this situation with his Aunt and her family. This won't help matters at all, especially since now he is on Coruscant and, GAH! Um...I really am liking this story as well. I would love to see where you will be going with this. And if you do PM, I would love to have one. I need to know what will happen!!!

Stupid Sola. She better be glad she is an AU Sola...*shakes fist*

Great Job!!!

 

That night, Sola came to a decision. He couldn't stay. She couldn't take it any longer. Family obligation or not, she bore a deeper obligation to her own children. Who was to say if Luke might not grow into something tainted? After all, the blood of... of that man flowed in his veins. No. It was not worth the risk. Anyway, he'd probably be happier somewhere else. If not...

Wow, she's a- *bleep*

Who's to say Luke might grow up tainted? Well, I guess if you treat him like he's already tainted then who's to say you're not guilty of tainting him.

She's got some glaring issues.

Padme did nothing to deserve her fate, but neither did Luke, and he's being treated like a piece of garbage, not because of who he is, but who his father was. That totally stinks.

Hopefully as Dark Luke he'll come back and teach Sola the price of prejudging him. *evil laugh*

Please pm me when you update!

 

I don't think I like Sola very much. Like, at all. How could she be so cruel? He's just a little boy.

I can't wait for the next installment!

J_Ro

 

Oh, Furry, how intriguing this is!! Can I have PM's? It'll be so interesting to see how this changes Luke, and how essentially himself he remains. I wanna thwack Sola real hard for being so cruel. Why oh why oh why couldn't she be like Beru? I can understand her bitterness but why take it out on a child who didn't ask for the father he had.

 

Wow this fic has a lot of promise and I love your prose. The circumstances of Luke's upbringing has certainly changed but he's still Luke at the core. I'm really curious to know what direction you'll be bringing this though

 

Um, more?

It's a very interesting outset. I'd love to see where you're taking this, so please add me to the pm list.

Poor, silent Luke. I wonder where he had been those five years? Will we get to know?

 

Good story so far.

Can you PM me with updates?

Thanks

 

Very good!

I would like a PM too!

 

Can you pm me I like so AU are great

 

Thanks for the interest, everyone! (I'll get to individual replies with the next chappie ) I graduate in four weeks, so updates will be a little sketchy until then. I'm more than happy to have a PM list! See ya all soon...

 

Ooohhh very intriguing beginning.

How very sad Sola couldn't realize Luke is as much a part of Padme as he is Anakin

Please add me to your PM list.

Looking forward to more

 

Wowzah! Great idea FLB! I love the characterizations in your stories and this one shows Padme's sister in a way I'd never thought of--very creative and inventive.

Please add me to your PM list!!

I'm looking forward to more, so get yourself graduated sweetie!

Bravo!

 

Wow, I love this story! I can't wait to read more.

I felt so bad for Luke. Goodness, Luke may not have been Sola's son but he was her nephew! She could have at least treated him like it! Poor Luke!

 

Very interesting and original premise. Quite frankly, Sola gave me the creeps. Luke has already changed a lot, even if he still has the urge to walk the skies. Being so silent, so serious, so different from the Tatooinian farmboy... I think Obi-wan will come to regret his choice.
Good luck with your graduation

 

I admire you and your muse, furry! A great story with a totally different take you've got going on here. I can't wait to read where everyone fits into this altered universe. Very cool... Do you send out PMs? If so - please sign me up! Thanks.

 

He grew older, began to walk. Sola liked him less. He talked later than most, and she never became accustomed to feeling a hand on her knee, to look down into solemn blue eyes that told no secrets. Those eyes unnerved her. They weren?t her eyes. They belonged solely to him. Like everything else about this child. Sola had been too young to remember Padmé as a baby, but surely her sister hadn?t toddled about such eerie silence. Surely she hadn?t been so?

She couldn?t think of the right word. Sad brushed up against her mind, but she dismissed the thought. Babies couldn?t be sad. They were too young.

When he was three Sola bore her first child. She held the tiny, dark-haired beauty against her breasts and felt a great swell of joy and relief. Joy, because the doctors told her that since she?d finally succeeded, the probability of others was greater now. Relief, because she truly loved this little one. She?d been so afraid?well. Perhaps Luke was a child only a mother could love. In the emotional glow of that moment, Sola promised herself that she?d always be good to her nephew, and never favor her own offspring unfairly. It was the least she could do for her beloved sister.

Her husband came in, and she put everything else out of her mind.

The promise crossed her mind once more, the next day, and then she forgot it forever.

Luke was nothing like Anya, or any of the siblings that followed. Those awful, foreign looks only accentuated matters, but it went deeper than mere appearance. Her own children were bright, careless, mischievous?everything children were supposed to be. They wailed when they stubbed their toes. They laughed at bodily functions, and unfamiliar words. They threw outrageous tantrums. They played hard in the day, and slept harder in the night. They ate like refugees. They alternated between bravery and cowardice, facing down bullies for each other but climbing in her bed during thunderstorms. They thought very little, and lived in the moment.

Padmé?s son was everything they were not.

This is absolutely stunning! Please put me on your PM list.

 

Wow, that was wonderfully put together.

PM me with updates pretty please?

 

Sorry it's taken me so long to update, everyone! The "D" in DRL ain't no idle honorific. However, I've been working on this, so I'm a few chapters ahead. Updates should be fairly regular if I can get to the internet when we leave for vacation in two weeks.

RebelMom: Glad to know it's not that common of a premise! It's never fun to come up with an idea and then find out it's old history.

ginchy: Thanks! Don't we all want to hug him? He's so huggable. Ach, the drooling fangirl in me is coming out. Get back in there, you. You impede the writing process. I'd be happy to put you on the PM list!

JediVegeta: Gah indeed! Coruscant and Luke: not a good combination. I'm glad you're along for the ride, and consider yourself added to the PM list.

BrentusofGath: Not so much of a *bleep* as conflicted and emotionally deficient, I think. I mean, she did try. But you do have to wonder: who in their right mind could resist Luke? Like what you said about the self-fulfilling prophecy. You're on the right track...
I'll be happy to PM you with updates!

Jaded_Rose: Sola, Sola, Sola. *sigh* She just didn't have it in her. Thanks for reading!

Jade_eyes: Thank you! I'll add you to the PM list. Luke is different, that's all I'm gonna say. But still the farmboy, deeeeeep down...
Fortunately, Sola is pretty much out of the picture now. She's definitely done her damage, though.

jade_angel: Hopefully it'll live up to its promise! Yes, I wanted to throw Luke into a totally different atmosphere and see what would happen.

MsLanna: Here's more! I'd be delighted to PM you with updates. BTW, Luke's been at a diplomacy school.

DarthVaderette: Thank you! I'll put you on the PM list.

David_Skywalker01: I'm glad you like it. Consider yourself PM'd!

cooldamien: Sure I'll PM you. I love AUs, too.

KELIA: Thanks! Very true insight. In some ways, Luke is even more Padme's than Anakin's, but he's also very much his own man. I'll add you to the PM list!

Jade_Pilot: Oooh, love your icon. I think Luke looked the best in ESB, and he sure knew how to make bulky winter gear look good. Although he made the tank on Dagobah look better...

*squashes drooling fangirl to dark cellar*

This Sola is an AU Sola, without a doubt. She seemed pretty nice in that deleted scene in AotC

I'll be glad to PM you with updates!

starwarsbeauty: I'm glad you like it! Poor Lukie is right. And things will get worse before they get better...Muahahaha.

Feng_Huang: Luke has changed a lot, and since he's still pretty young, he'll change even more.

I think Obi-wan will come to regret his choice.

My lips are sealed!

MirandaFair: My muse is on vacation right now, but she says to thank you. I'll be delighted to send you PMs!

VaderLVR64: I appreciate that! I'll add you to the PM list.

RedGold: Thank you! I'm more than happy to PM you with updates. Glad you like it!

Here's the PM list thus far:

Ginchy
JediVegeta
Brentus
Jade_eyes
MsLanna
DarthVaderette
David_Skywalker01
cooldamien
KELIA
Jade_Pilot
MirandaFair
VaderLVR64
RedGold
divapilot

If you ever wish to stop receiving PM updates, don't hesitate to let me know!

And without further ado, enter Mara Jade, stage right...

====================

The Countess Claria was a perfect lady. Gracious, poised, intelligent, she always acted with flawless etiquette and still managed to put one at ease. Her appearance was never anything but correct, every hair in place, every shoulder-sculp straight. Her voice was mild and her posture exquisite.

Mara Jade was heartily sick of Countess Claria.

You must learn to blend into every surrounding, her Master said. There must be no situation in which you are out of place. And so a good deal of Mara?s training was spent learning to infiltrate almost any situation without drawing attenti

 

Yay! An update. This post was even better than the last. You have such a talent for characterizations, girl! Even your OCs are rich and well developed.

I love that Mara is a part of the story, so I'm wondering if L/M will meet up. Hmmmm...

Bravo!

 

Great job!

Could you PM me with updates please?

 

hhhmmm... definately interesting...

 

Thanks so much for the PM! You know I lurve this story.

When you think about it, Obi-Wan did have two sets of relatives he could have left Luke with. He could have gone to Naboo as easily as Tatooine.

I like the sense of approaching evil, like a storm cloud coming. Something wicked this way comes...