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

Hey, everybody. I?m very embarrassed that it?s been a month since the last update, and am even more chagrined to predict that it might be another month until the next. I?m moving to college this Saturday, and life?s going to be crazy for a while. Hence, I tried to make this update remotely interesting to tide you over!

leia_naberrie: A vigilante trained Force sensitive Senator to whom the end justifies the means.

That about sums up Twansa Melgida. Glad you think it?s cool!

VaderLVR64: I just really liked that section. It stood out for me. Love how you're developing all these characters!

That section was tricky to write, since it had to convey a pivotal emotional point for Mara without going overboard. It?s great to know you liked it and approve of the character development as well.

Mystic665: I'm glad Luke and Vader will soon meet, that should be very interesting.

Luke and Vader are meeting soon?this chapter, in fact. Hope you find it interesting!

Jade_eyes: My goodness. Luke and Mara's destinies are diverging I think. STill tied but not going in the same direction--i.e., toward the Light or Dark together, such that they rule together or they vanquish the Emperor together. I have a one-track mind. I always see them as ... joined heart and soul.

LOL! I applaud your efforts to find merit in a story where Luke and Mara seem to be going down different tracks. Don?t worry, though. This chapter belongs to Vader, but the next one should be very satisfying for you.

MotionWright: I wonder what that means.

It means that there?s trouble ahead, is what. ):] That bit about the guardsman and Mara was actually inspired by a scene that I really liked in The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt. Could?ve been cut, but I liked the dynamic of it, and I?m glad you did too.

I can see why he would believe that. Well, there's also the Force, which he hasn't mentioned to Luke yet ... will he ever?

*sighs appreciatively* Keen observation there. Brownie points! As to the answer?I cannot say.

Listen and remember, Luke. That's probably going to come in handy in the future.

Totally.

I didn?t think Melgida?s betrayal would take many people by surprise; like you said, she is not the most consistent of characters. Obviously she herself felt justified in her actions, but Mara wasn?t at a point where she could take the same stance.

First his aunt, and now Mara. He craves love because his 'parents' were distant and he grew up without it, doesn't he?

More brownie points.

The only way Luke could take Palpatine?s advice is if he were to become fundamentally changed as a person. Of course, that is entirely possible?

This is an interesting reversion of the usual image of Tarkin holding Vader's leash.

I know it seemed the other way around in ANH, but I?ve always thought Vader might have a different angle on the whole situation. Unreliable first-person narrator and all that.

You?re added to the PM list.

Layren: Really interesting how things are playing out. Luke is being manipulated by Palpatine just so easily...it's scary.

Many things about Palpatine are scary, including but not limited to his toenails, his concept of justice, and the way he warps young impressionable Skywalkers into minions of his evil schemes.

I really am afraid of how much he's already changed and I wonder how much changing he still has left to do.

A lot.

At least his attraction to Mara is still there

L/M forever! Seems Luke can be a farmboy, a bloodthirsty despot, or even a Force-ghost?doesn?t matter what, he?ll always love Mara. Or be attracted to her in a twisted way, or whatever. Thanks for your comments!

PadawanMom5610: I will repeat myself. Wow. Chilling. It is scary how far Luke has been changed already.

Scary is right!

It does seem that Luke and Mara's loyalties are beginning to diverge.

It see

 

(Author replies are on page four for those with a 50 pg. view; it got split from this post, apparently)

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Chapter Eight

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

Darth Vader returned on Mara?s sixteenth birthday. Summer had passed to fall; fall, to the arid chill that was not truly winter.

What a present, she thought sullenly. My favorite Sith Lord, here to make everything cheery. We can have a party. Maybe he brought cakes. In cute individual baggies. With bows. If it?s beneath his dignity to carry cakes, I?m sure the stormtroopers would oblige?

The thought of Vader bearing baked goods struck her as unbearably funny at that moment. She laughed aloud and Bretonyin scowled at her.

?Something funny, Jade??

Sobering quickly, Mara shook her head. The gnarled little woman pursed her lips.

?Concentration, girl! Concentration is everything. Concentration is your life. Concentration serves the Emperor better than any fancy trick I teach you.? The mass of wrinkles on her face stretched as she grimaced. ?Kids these days. I remember when students listened. Halla, now she always concentrated so beautifully for me??

?Who?s Halla?? Mara asked, not really listening. Birthday festivities ala Darth Vader produced images difficult to shake.

She missed the flutter that moved up Bretonyin?s throat, the intensified shaking in hands that shook all the time.

?An old student of mine, that?s all. When I was a Mystral Shadow guard?she turned out quite well for most of her career.?

?Hmm. Interesting. Can you show me that pass again??

?Well.? Bretonyin?s eyes had clouded over, and it took them a few moments to clear again. ?The pass. If you?d been paying attention! Watch closely, now.?

Mara watched. She would learn. She would be the best. She would make the Emperor see her value.

Laughter leeched from her mind, and she let the anger and the misery return, embraced them while as they flooded her with unnatural energy.

Bretonyin praised her that day.

--------------------------------

Luke did not look up when he heard the approach of footsteps.

?The Emperor cannot be disturbed,? he informed the person, frowning over his datapad. ?Is there something I or another member of the staff may help you with??

?I find that doubtful.? The mechanically deep voice rumbled up through Luke?s feet, vibrating. He clenched the datapad and counted to three before looking up.

?Darth Vader.? He rose, bowed. ?The Emperor will be pleased to know you have returned.?

Luke felt?no, that was impossible?he guessed the towering figure?s surprise. Was it because he had shown no fear? Likely. But why should he show unnecessary deference to a future subordinate?

The regular hiss of the respirator filled the air for several minutes. Out of respect, Luke did not sit down, and the dark lord showed no inclination of passing by.

?Who are you?? Again, the vibration through the soles of his feet.

?I am Luke Varewé.? He no longer used the traditional Nubian introduction that incorporated one?s lineage and title. It was enough to simply give his name. One day, it would bear significance beyond any heritage. One day, there would be no need for introduction at all. Emperor Varewé would be a name everyone already knew.

He had accepted it now. It didn?t mean he liked the idea any more than before, but Palpatine wished it. And what Palpatine wished, Luke obliged. His mentor was all that mattered to him.

?Varewé?that name is familiar.?

?Teswin Varewé, my father, was sub-Governor of the Nubian sector,? Luke ventured.

?Was?? The black mask hid all expression, but Luke sensed?guessed?a rising interest.

?He was assassinated by terrorists six months ago,? he said matter-of-factly. ?The incident generated a fair amount of publicity. My Lord probably remembers the name from the news.?

?No.? There was an uneasy pause. ?What was your mother?s name??

Just as Luke opened his mouth to reply, the heavy door to the Emperor?s chambers hummed open.

?Ah,? rasped a fa

 

Very nice update. Thank you.

I liked Mara's images of Darth Vader bringing her cakes for her birthday.

This was dark, as usual. That was Vader himself in the simulator, right? He's going to try to get Luke as an apprentice himself, I bet.

Good, Luke is finally not trusting Palpatine. But that evil palace voice really has me worried.

 

Interesting how Mara still wants to reestablish her value to the Emperor. Loved this poetic bit: But there was that other side of him?the part Palpatine did not know. The part that felt smothered instead of liberated by the growing Pattern.
In his more lucid moments, he recognized this entity as remnants of his old, soft self. Stubbornly, it refused to die, only writhed under the spreading
web of self-discipline and cold logic. Sometimes he felt the gnawing of insanity when he spent too long at a mental task.

It was to placate the weakness in him that he flew.

The scenes between Luke and Vader were cool. Glad the blinders finally fell off. Now Luke is in charge of things happening to him, rather than just reacting.

 

Mara certainly has a creative imagination doesn't she?



I'm glad to see Luke is no longer blindly trusting Palpatine...I hope good will come from that.

I loved his interaction with Vader.

Great update

 

fun post... thanks for the PM>...how does Palpy know of the 3rd skywalker?

 

woot, update... and things are getting a lot more sticky about the palace now...

 

Wow! Outstanding update, furry! So much going on and Luke...can he possibly hold out agaisnt so much sithliness???? Does Vader know that Luke's his son? Hmmmm...

LOL Moment: "What a present, she thought sullenly. My favorite Sith Lord, here to make everything cheery. We can have a party. Maybe he brought cakes. In cute individual baggies. With bows. If it?s beneath his dignity to carry cakes, I?m sure the stormtroopers would oblige?"

I had to go back and read that part twice it was so funny! Superb writing and wonderful, wonderful characterizations!

Bravo!

**And best wishes at school!

 

It?s interesting how Vader has taken on the role that Obi-Wan filled in A New Hope. In fact, Vader?s advice:

If you wish to have a chance, do as I say. Let go of your conscious mind. Trust your feelings. Do not plan; react.

echoes what Obi-Wan tells Luke in the trench run. Again, during a dogfight. But Luke trusts no one. He has never had anyone really trust him. Will he be able to let go?

And this image:

Luke stood facing a transparisteel wall that looked over the city, his shadow falling long and black behind.

Just like Anakin in the poster for The Phantom Menace. Luke is shadowed by the dark.

Excellent update! You have such a talent for selecting the perfect details that bring all the pieces together.

 

I'm thinking this is going to haunt my dreams, as well. This is all spiraling further and further into blackness. Luke was the Light... Is there any Light with him now? Can't wait to see!

Congrats on all your awards, btw. Well deserved!

 

Wonderful update. And I'm giggling with Mara over the image of Vader and cakes. or stormies and cakes. Hilarious.

He won't belive Vader anymore? Hmm, so the 'I am your father' line won't work?
*imagines Luke raising a bow 'says who?'*

I just wonder how (and if? ) you are going to resolve all this sticky mess.

 

Trust Your Feelings.

For a moment he sat there trembling, the past sliding like sand from under his feet, stomach lurching in the sudden disorientation.

And then the moment passed.

?What do your feelings tell you, Varewé?? Vader probed.

Luke grinned crookedly. ?My feelings say?what the hell.?

I must say that out of a very enjoyable chapter, THAT was my favorite part!

 

but who is the palace!??!
whooooooo!??!?!?!?!

I MUST KNOWWWWW!!



.. great update, im on the edge of my seat.

 

I wonder if Vader is figuring out that Luke is his son. He seemed to want to know who his mother was so I must think he feels something. I just can not figure out the voice Luke is hearing unless it is the Force itself. Wonderful last posts they really got into the mind of Luke and his confusions. He really is a lost soul. Like he always has been. I can understand why he does not want to trust anyone. Great job and thanks.

 

What a present, she thought sullenly. My favorite Sith Lord, here to make everything cheery. We can have a party. Maybe he brought cakes. In cute individual baggies. With bows. If it?s beneath his dignity to carry cakes, I?m sure the stormtroopers would oblige? And the strange thing is, I can picture this!

?Who?s Halla?? Mara asked, not really listening. Ditto.

Laughter leeched from her mind, and she let the anger and the misery return, embraced them while as they flooded her with unnatural energy. Mara....

?The Emperor cannot be disturbed,? he informed the person, frowning over his datapad. ?Is there something I or another member of the staff may help you with??
?I find that doubtful.? The mechanically deep voice rumbled up through Luke?s feet, vibrating. He clenched the datapad and counted to three before looking up. Eep! He said that to Vader?!

Luke felt?no, that was impossible?he guessed the towering figure?s surprise. Was it because he had shown no fear? Likely. But why should he show unnecessary deference to a future subordinate? Nope, not impossible.

He had accepted it now. It didn?t mean he liked the idea any more than before, but Palpatine wished it. And what Palpatine wished, Luke obliged. His mentor was all that mattered to him. Trouble, that.

Almost tangentially, Luke caught the tense undertones to the exchange. He wished he knew what they were talking about, what caused the Emperor such glee and Vader such irritation. Was this how it was to be with him and Jade? A constant dance of manipulation and struggle? Meep.

One of Luke?s great joys?one of his only joys, in fact?was piloting. Over the past months he?d been taking a few lessons as his schedule permitted. The Emperor thought it an unnecessary expenditure of time, and the rational part of Luke agreed. His spare moments would be better spent in observation or study. But there was that other side of him?the part Palpatine did not know. The part that felt smothered instead of liberated by the growing Pattern. In his more lucid moments, he recognized this entity as remnants of his old, soft self. Stubbornly, it refused to die, only writhed under the spreading web of self-discipline and cold logic. Sometimes he felt the gnawing of insanity when he spent too long at a mental task.
It was to placate the weakness in him that he flew. Glad he's still a pilot, but it isn't a weakness.

The instructor often commented on how rapidly his student learned. He said it with alternate pride and disquiet his eyes, because there was an edge of desperation to Luke?s eagerness that could not always be hidden. For Luke, piloting a craft meant far more than a simple thrill. It was release. It was freedom. It was mindlessness. When he flew, there was no Pattern, no streams of data, no relentless absorption.
There was joy. A joy that he gets no other time.

?Clumsy,? he said aloud, checking the profile of this simulation. YT-1300. ?What a pile of junk.?

?Yeah, uh, Varewé.? The voice that crackled back was taut and slightly frantic. ?I?ve had a request?long and short of it is, this is now a combat lesson.? Combat?!

Luke barely had time to register the make of the other ship before he spun into a sharp dive to dodge the missiles. TIE-fighter, it looked like, or some modified version. Vader.

Do not dodge. The voice that echoed in his mind was not a familiar one. It was rich, and dark, and?human, somehow. Luke?s eyes widened, then narrowed. He was no stranger to the unexplained. Hmmm....

Then perhaps it is time you take control of your life. Good suggestion!

Let go.
Since he was about to fail this simulation anyways, Luke did. He let go. He fell. He released himself completely, as he?d never dared to before.
And there was light.
Dimly, Luke was aware of his hands moving on the joystick, of a gut-twisting roll, of a curtain of lasers rocketing past, of maneuvers he hadn?t thought possible from this vessel, or himself. D

 

Just found this story - love the scenario, and the characterisations are brilliant. Luke's loyalties are being twisted every which way at the moment, so it will be interesting to see which direction he ends up taking. Palpatine obviously thinks he's in control, but I'm not so sure, especially with Vader now back in the mix...

Great work. Looking forward to more.

 

Great chapter! I was surprised that P had not introduced Luke to the Force.

I'm guessing V's figured out the connection and is now furthering his own agenda.

And P has figured out about Leia.

This is not going to be pretty... Keep it up!

 

These were absolutely wonderful! Palpy is wrong - the most fun things are updates!

J_Ro

 

Hi, Furry: Best wishes on your venture into college. I hope you don't get swamped and ... disappear. We'd miss you too much!!

 

Creepy-ful.

Could you add me to the PM list please?

 

A very, very wise man once said: "There's always a bigger fish." This I have found to be true...to my sorrow. College and everything that goes along with it is a bigger fish than any fish I've ever faced off before and college has swallowed me up. I apologize for my two month lapse. Please don't worry that IPS will be abandoned, because it's already nearly finished. However, after it's done, I'm afraid that I won't be around for a while.

If anyone hears of any fish-wrestling gear priced appropriately for a poor college student, let me know.


PadawanMom5610: Very nice update. Thank you.



how does Palpy know of the 3rd skywalker?



RedGold: woot, update... and things are getting a lot more sticky about the palace now...

Sticky would just about sum it up. Thanks for reading!

Jade_Pilot: Wow! Outstanding update, furry! happy So much going on and Luke...can he possibly hold out agaisnt so much sithliness???? Does Vader know that Luke's his son? Hmmmm...

So many possibilities. My lips are sealed.

I had to go back and read that part twice it was so funny! Superb writing and wonderful, wonderful characterizations!

Thanks! And for the wishes...it's been fun so far!

divapilot: Thanks so much for work on this chapter. It really needed it.

It�s interesting how Vader has taken on the role that Obi-Wan filled in A New Hope. In fact, Vader�s advice:

If you wish to have a chance, do as I say. Let go of your conscious mind. Trust your feelings. Do not plan; react.

echoes what Obi-Wan tells Luke in the trench run. Again, during a dogfight. But Luke trusts no one. He has never had anyone really trust him. Will he be able to let go?

Hoping to work more of that parallelism in; it makes for some fun deja vu. And I agree with your assesment of Luke. He really isn't the same guy.

Just like Anakin in the poster for The Phantom Menace. Luke is shadowed by the dark.

It makes me all warm'nfuzzy that you pointed that one out!

ginchy: I'm thinking this is going to haunt my dreams, as well.

Hopefully no nightmares!

This is all spiraling further and further into blackness. Luke was the Light... Is there any Light with him now?

Lovely way of phrasing it--how true! Hope you like the next bit.

MsLanna: Wonderful update. And I'm giggling with Mara over the image of Vader and cakes. or stormies and cakes.



He won't belive Vader anymore? Hmm, so the 'I am your father' line won't work?
*imagines Luke raising a bow 'says who?'*

LOL!!! I like it.

I just wonder how (and if? shock ) you are going to resolve all this sticky mess.

Oh, I will...just not necessarily in the way one might expect...

VaderLVR64: Thanks! I appreciate your saying so.

satanat_solo: Okay, okay! The Palace...is Qui-Gon Jinn. Muhahahhahahah.

And if you believe that, I've got some lovely beach front property on Tattooine I'd like to sell you...

JEDIFLYWATTER: I wonder if Vader is figuring out that Luke is his son. He seemed to want to know who his mother was so I must think he feels something.

He does feel something, but how much and in what detail is up in the air for now.

I just can not figure out the voice Luke is hearing unless it is the Force itself.



He really is a lost soul. Like he always has been.

LOL, so true! Thanks for reading.

Independence1776: and the strange thing is, I can picture this!



Eep! He said that to Vader?!

Erm..yeah.

Thanks for your reply! I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the different parts.

Knight_Aragorn: Just found this story - love the scenario, and the characterisations are brilliant.

Thanks! They're so AU as to almost border on OOC in my opinion, but I'm glad you think they work.

Luke's loyalties are being twisted every which way at the moment, so it will b

 

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Chapter Nine

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

They talked as often as they dared. He needed training, that was certain.

"He hid the Force from you," the dark lord repeated more than once.

"Yes," Luke agreed each time. Obviously it was all part of the plan. Whether Palpatine intended Luke to learn later or not at all was now irrelevant.

"It was a foolish maneuver," Vader commented.

"Perhaps not," Luke countered. "Has it occurred to you that even now we might be playing into his schemes?"

"That is not likely. Undoubtedly my Master has created contingencies for such an occurrence, but he creates contingencies for all occurrences. He would prefer to believe them all unnecessary."

Luke was not convinced.

They could not agree on how and when to train Luke. Vader proposed elaborate secrecy. Luke scoffed at that.

"Diplomacy 101," he said, rubbing his eyes wearily. "The best way to hide something is in plain sight."

"This is not diplomacy. This is...a war, of sorts."

"Absolutely the same thing. Lobbyists are guerilla fighters with blackmail instead of blasters. Lord Vader, there is obviously a vast quantity of information you know that I don't. That's why we're having this conversation. However, I've been under Palpatine's tutelage for over six months, now. Planned or not, I know a little bit about how his mind works. Trust me on this one."

The empty sockets of the helmet focused intently on him for a long moment.

"Perhaps you do not know him as well as you believe."

There was history in those words, many deep, stratified layers of past. Luke brushed it aside and pressed forward with his argument.

In the end, the plan was as simple as he could have hoped. When Vader was present, they would train. On his next visit, he would provide Luke with a set of pre-recorded lessons to be viewed upon first opportunity. They would have to get by with this combination until...

"Until what?" Luke questioned.

"Until you are ready," was all Vader would say.

Surprisingly, it appeared to work. Darth Vader remained on Coruscant for only three days before leaving to finish off the Rebel fleet. By that time, Luke could enter into a clumsy meditation, block a blaster bolt now and then, and most importantly, raise an impressive mental shield. The shields were his priority, Vader stressed over and over again. No other skill bore such significance. Without instant proficiency they would both die slow and messy deaths. Hence, Luke figured out how to shield.

It wasn't actually very hard. He'd already learned mental discipline. What he hadn't learned--what had been kept from him--was mental strength. With the foundation in place, subtlety already present, power slid into its natural groove with gratifying ease.

Luke opened up to the Force, and the Force opened up to him.

The months passed with little variance. There were a few tense moments when he almost let something slip, when he imagined a suspicious glint in those tired, red eyes or knowing in that raspy voice. But nothing ever came of those moments. On the whole, his life passed with structured satisfaction, if not actual joy. He found himself...content, to grow in the Force and learn more from the Emperor every day. Happiness was all well and good, but power came with its own fulfillment.

He would have been content for many more months to come had it not been for a chance meeting one spring day.

As a general rule, Mara Jade kept out of Luke's way and Luke kept out of Mara Jade's way. He still wasn't quite sure what she did. Training, of course, but in what, precisely? Palpatine never volunteered the information. So far, her only specialties he knew of were courtly manners and a mean roundhouse. A special agent, then. But how special? Was she Force-sensitive? Did her training include that skill? The Emperor had implied that she was to function in a role similar to Darth Vader's. But Luke began to doubt that. Palpatine had not given Luke all the essential facets of Emperor-hood, so it followed that he had not made Mara Jad

 

Wow! Wow! Wow! Outstanding update, Furry! So much to these scenes, I loved the battle between L/M and the familiar words exchanged between Ben and Yoda, only in the original it was Vader and Palpy--very clever!

Bravo!

 

YES!!! Furry's back!

I love this story. You have such wonderful characters here, familiar yet unique. This is Luke, but not Luke at the same time. He is cynical, sad, and Machiavellian. And yet, I still recognize him.

Your fight scene between Luke and Mara is fantastic. I loved the double meaning that their fight had, not just in the sparring room but between them for the attention at court.

Furry, it's when you write lines like this:

With the foundation in place, subtlety already present, power slid into its natural groove with gratifying ease.

that I realize how much I miss it when I don't get to read your work. Wonderfully done, my friend!

 

Oh, wow. Luke and Mara met and dueled. Vader is keeping a deadly secret from his Master, as is Luke. And I love, absolutely love, how you switched that fateful line: "The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi." It's creepy coming from Yoda and Obi-Wan. Very creepy.

Wonderful update!