Chapter Text
“Owen and Beru took him into the tunnels, Snips. They’re going to hide there until you come. I’m not going to make it old friend---I’ve accepted that and I don’t want you to feel any sort of guilt. You know I wouldn’t have risked a message like this if there was any other way. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this. What you can do is take care of Luke. He and his sister are our hope. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about him earlier--but we had to hide him from Anakin. Seek out Bail if you ever need help. Leia is definitely the more challenging of the two, and he can give you advice. The Force be with you.”
He sent the transmission even as the Inquisitors battered at his Force shields. Obi-Wan was tired, but he straightened and moved to his stairs. The high ground had always been effective.
He made it to the roof and ignited his blade, dropping the shields and drawing the Force to himself, strengthening him for the fight.
And fight it was.
Palpatine wasn’t taking any chances, Obi-Wan thought. Fifteen Inquisitors. He was somewhat surprised he hadn’t sent Vader himself. Though Ahsoka had been fairly certain that Vader was occupied in guarding whatever this mysterious project of Palpatine’s was. But he hadn’t heard from her in six months.
He had to have faith she was still alive. Because if not…
He swung again, neatly lopping the arm off one of his opponents. He could sense the troopers approaching as well and blaster fire was now something else to contend with. He leapt and parried and fought, but he could feel himself tiring.
And at last came the thrust through his back. He dropped to his knees and looked out at the twin suns setting over the vast desert.
Luke , he thought, Leia . Force protect you.
And Obi-Wan Kenobi gave himself to the Force.
**********
Vader would be panting if the respirator allowed it. His training room was in shambles and alarms were sounding frantically around him no doubt due to the weakening of the atmospheric seals. Engineering would have quite the job on their hands.
He stood in the center of the room, scattered bits of training droids around him, and huge dents in the floors and bulkheads from his use of the Force. His red saber hummed like a live thing in his hand.
He had expended so much rage here and still it wasn’t enough.
Because Vader had intercepted a message. It had been years since that code had been detected and the alert had been programmed for him and him alone.
“Owen and Beru took him into the tunnels, Snips. They’re going to hide there until you come. I’m not going to make it old friend---I’ve accepted that and I don’t want you to feel any sort of guilt. You know I wouldn’t have risked a message like this if there was any other way. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this. What you can do is take care of Luke. He and his sister are our hope. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about him earlier--but we had to hide him from Anakin. Seek out Bail if you ever need help. Leia is definitely the more challenging of the two, and he can give you advice. The Force be with you.”
Luke.
Leia.
It had taken him a full minute to process this.
Not only was his former friend and brother dead, but he had successfully hidden profound knowledge from Vader.
Children.
Not one, but two. Twins.
The names she had chosen.
The Organa child was not the Organa child. The blood of Padme’ Amidala and Anakin Skywalker ran in her veins.
And...he had a son. A son who had been living on the very planet Anakin had worked hard to escape.
Owen and Beru….Lars. The stepbrother Anakin had never really bothered to know after…
Vader had stormed from his quarters to the training room and proceeded to destroy it with great prejudice.
He left it now and disrupted a quaking group of officers outside who were clearly at a loss for what to do when their Sith Commander was intent on destruction in the Star Destroyer.
Vader recognized Lieutenant Venka.
“Get engineering here to make repairs,” he ordered, sweeping by.
“Y….yes..my Lord,” stuttered the man but Vader already didn’t care.
He had plans to make. He had to protect his children. Clearly Sidious had hunted down Kenobi---it did not seem that his Master knew about Luke. Swiftly, Vader flicked through reports in his office. A task force had been sent to Tatooine and the mission was merely logged: complete.
He had to know if Luke lived. Surely he would know if his son was in the hands of the Emperor.
Unless he was already dead.
Vader himself could not go. If Sidious was unaware of Luke, his presence on Tatooine would most certainly give it away. So he needed to send someone he trusted implicitly. The thing was Vader didn’t trust anyone but himself implicitly.
He rose from the desk and paced, his long cloak swirling about his calves. All right. No one with complete trust, but...but close.
He’d had Firmus Piett transferred to the Executor roughly eight months previously. The man’s record was impressive and his position was not so lofty that it would be noticed if he had special assignments. He commed to have Piett sent to his office and considered. Naturally if he sensed anything….off, he would dispose of the officer.
He could sense the Captain approaching and he waved a hand at his doors to allow him entrance. This was his first time in close contact with Piett and he could sense that the man clearly had no idea why he was here. However, he was doing an admirable job of keeping his apprehension in check as he saluted crisply.
“My Lord. You requested me.”
He did not respond immediately, assessing the officer and testing his nerve.
Piett was very slight, but very determined--Vader could sense this. He knew from the man’s file that he’d had to overcome much to get where he was. He had no family to entangle him and his record was exemplary. He seemed to be friendly with General Veers and that suited Vader very well. The two men worked smoothly together and missions where they had collaborated had been highly successful.
Ozzel despised the army, and it made military campaigns challenging. Unfortunately, he was a personal appointee of Palpatine’s and until he karked up in a more...obvious fashion, Vader couldn’t dispose of him. So Vader appreciated competent officers in both branches of the military working together.
Piett’s jaw tightened under Vader’s scrutiny but he didn’t flinch.
Good.
“Captain Piett. As of this moment, in addition to your regular duties you are going to be my attache'.”
Piett blinked slightly. “Ah...thank you, my Lord. I was not aware that was a position…”
“It has not been. Until now.”
“I see.”
“You don’t but I shall explain. First, you need to understand that if you fail me in any way, but particularly in the matter of trust, I shall not hesitate to dispose of you. Permanently.”
Piett swallowed and his hands clasped behind his back.
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Second, I will be sending you on missions frequently. You are to give no details to anyone on pain of death and that includes General Veers.”
Piett’s surprise showed now.
Vader inclined his head. “It would be wise to assume that I know everything about you, Captain.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Third, I need to know that you will be loyal to me above everything else and that includes….the Emperor. Do you feel you can do that, Captain Piett?”
He could sense the conflict in the man about whether to speak and he waited. Finally Piett made a decision, his heart rate thundering as he opened his mouth.
“My Lord...I am prepared to be that loyal. But….sir. I joined the Imperial fleet to stop such things as slavery and spicers and…”
Vader saw where he was going and appreciated his courage.
“You wish me to assure you that I will not be ordering you to do something that will violate your moral code.”
Piett was pale now, but resolute. He nodded. “Yes, my Lord.”
“I can promise you that, Captain.”
“Then you have my loyalty, my Lord.”
Vader held out a gloved hand and Piett stared at it for a beat before taking it in his own. Vader grasped the officer’s hand briefly.
“Then Piett. We understand each other. Now. Your first mission. Should you fulfill my trust, I may explain more. For now, I need you to depart for Tatooine with all haste. Near Mos Eisley is a moisture farm owned by Owen Lars. There are secret tunnels there and Force willing, you will find Lars, his wife and a boy. You are to bring the boy to this ship, completely unharmed and in utter secrecy.”
He could feel Piett’s doubt and concern.
“I promised you, Captain, that I would not ask you to violate your ethics. I am keeping that promise I assure you.”
A long pause as Piett gazed at him and Vader again appreciated the spine of this Axxilan officer.
“Very well, my Lord. Am I to take any troopers, or…?”
“Only you, Piett.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Comm me when you are successful and I shall prepare for a discreet arrival.”
The Captain saluted sharply and had almost made it to the doors when Vader spoke once more.
“And Captain. You will be successful. That is the only option.”
A very slight twitch by the man’s left eye.
“Yes, my Lord. Understood.”
Vader turned back to his holo comms. He needed to have a conversation with Bail Organa.
*********
Piett placed his bag in the shuttle and hoped he had thought of all the elements needed for this boy. It would be a long several days between finding him and then returning to the Executor.
He was not looking forward to the heat of Tatooine’s twin suns, but he had packed the lighter regulation shirts for under the uniform jacket. He’d included his field boots as well because if he was hiking around a moisture farm and tunnels, he had no intention of wearing his polished black boots.
He toggled the switch to power up the shuttle and started violently when someone cleared their throat behind him.
General Maximilian Veers was leaning against the bulkhead with his arms crossed and a stern expression---the very same one he used on misguided troopers and possibly on Zevulon when he misbehaved.
“You weren’t going to tell me,” the General drawled, taking in the bag and gesturing around the shuttle. "You were just going to leave without a word. Happily, officer scuttlebutt worked in swift and efficient fashion and I hear that Lord Vader has a new attache'. And that said attache' is already being sent on some errand.”
Piett sighed and rubbed a hand down his face.
“Max. You shouldn’t be here. I was informed in no uncertain terms not to speak to anyone about this mission. Or any that I undertake for Lord Vader.”
Veers gazed at him seriously.
“Firmus....is he unhappy with you?”
“If by that you mean, is this his way of executing me, I don’t think so, Veers. And I really can’t tell you any details for both our sakes. I swore to Lord Vader, Max. Please…”
A silence as his friend regarded him. “All right. I’ll just ask one thing, Piett. Let me know when you’re leaving on these little errands. That’s it. Because if I’m never to see you again, I’d like to know that I at least got to say good bye.”
Max was the best of friends. And Piett deeply appreciated having one person on this ship care whether he lived or died.
He nodded. “Unless he tells me I can’t, I’ll let you know, General. And I really have to go now.”
Veers held out a hand and Piett grasped it firmly.
“Safe stars then, Captain.”
“Thank you, Veers.”
********
The map Vader had given Piett was incredibly accurate. He slowed the rented speeder as he neared the rocky canyons and left it in a fairly hidden spot. Jawas were common on this planet and he had no intention of having to walk back to the space port where he had landed the shuttle.
Kark the heat was worse than he had thought it would be and he had grown up on Axxila. He consulted the small blue 3-D image in his hand and there. The entrance to the tunnels should be near that outcrop.
Out in the distance, he could just see the small round domes that comprised this humble moisture farm. He mopped the sweat from his neck and face with a handkerchief which he stuffed back into his pocket before carefully searching for the spot…
There.
That rock had been slightly dislodged---he could see the indent where it usually rested. Piett cautiously shoved it aside and revealed a dark hole. Drawing his blaster, he flicked on the light and shone it down. It was clear, the drop no more than ten feet. He sat on the edge, the heat of the ground burning into his legs immediately before he dropped as lightly as possible to the sandy floor.
The Captain noted that it got cooler as he proceeded and the tunnel sloped downward. Part a natural lava tube and partly crafted by unknown beings, it had clearly been around a while. He could hear a soft murmur now and realized he heard voices.
“....just a really bad feeling, Aunt Beru,” said a very young voice.
“Kenobi would have come to us by now,” agreed a gruff male voice.
“We are not going out there yet,” said a woman’s worried tones. “He sent the message two days ago. You both need to be more patient.”
“But I have a bad feeling!” Insisted the young voice. “We need to go now… ”
“Luke, we are not leaving because you have bad feelings,” said this Aunt Beru firmly.
Well that suited Piett.
He stepped around the curve of the tunnel, leading with his blaster. Three people were before him and clearly the area had been prepared as an emergency hide away. This part of the tunnels was much wider and an alcove was hollowed into the left side. The man was sitting on a crate and there were sleeping rolls near the walls, with plastic water containers. There were lanterns hanging from metal spikes driven into the rock and an ancient blaster rifle rested against the alcove near the man. The woman, a pleasant faced sort in her late thirties, stood near a small tow headed child and it was he who spotted Piett first.
His blue eyes widened in horrified fear and some unseen pressure pressed against Piett, causing him to stagger.
“No!” the boy cried and the man surged to his feet, bringing the rifle to bear, but Piett recovered swiftly.
“Don’t,” he said, his hands steady, though he was puzzled by whatever had shoved him back. Some unseen forcefield? But there wasn’t that sort of tech down here...
He could see the man wasn’t going to listen to him--that desperate wild look met his and Piett fired as the man’s finger began to squeeze his trigger.
“Owen!” screamed the woman as the man collapsed to the sand of the tunnel floor. Piett was covering her and the boy immediately and the child glared.
Brave boy.
“He’s stunned,” Piett told her sternly. “I’m not here to murder anyone. I’ve come for the boy.”
All the color drained from the woman’s face at this and Piett shoved his guilt down hard. “Is Obi-Wan….dead then?” she asked tremulously.
This name did not mean anything to Piett.
“I have no knowledge of that,” he told her. “And I don’t wish to hurt you. I can also promise you the child will be unharmed. I swear it on my life.”
She frowned. “What do you want with him?”
“It’s not me,” he said calmly, watching the boy now who was still eyeing him like he was a womp rat. “My...commander wishes for me to bring the boy to him.”
She raised her chin and he respected her courage. “Who is your commander then? Why does he want Luke?”
“I cannot tell you that, ma’am. But no harm will come to him.”
He hoped fervently he was not swearing to his hurt. Lord Vader had been very clear that Piett’s life would be forfeit if the child received any injury.
“You can’t have him,” she insisted and Piett felt terrible, but he didn’t have time for this. He fired again, stunning the woman and she too collapsed.
“You sleemo !” the boy snarled at him. Rather young for that language, but then the Outer Rim was hardly genteel.
“I’m sorry,” Piett told him, coming toward the boy who backed up toward the crates. “But they’ll be all right. You need to come with me.”
“I won’t. You’re a kriffing idiot to think I would.”
Piett paused and considered. He did not want to use force on a child. “I could make you,” he told the boy, “but I would rather not. If you try to run, I’ll just stun you and carry you out. So I would prefer the civilized way. My name is Captain Piett. I was sent here by my commander to bring you to him and he is very concerned that you are to be kept safe.”
“I was safe! With my aunt and uncle before you came along!” the child insisted angrily.
Piett sighed. “What’s your name?” he asked.
The boy considered him then said something curious. “You don’t seem like an Imperial officer.”
Piett raised his eyebrows. “Oh yes? I must not be doing a very good job. What am I supposed to seem like?”
The child huffed and placed his hands on his hips. “You all look angry all the time and you bark at us. And you don’t have lots of stormtroopers with you. And….you feel… different.”
What a very odd statement.
“I feel different? What do you mean?”
Blue eyes searched his face. “You’re….kind. That’s not very Imperial.”
“I assure you I am an Imperial officer. But...thank you. Care to tell me your name and come with me? Or must I stun you?”
The boy looked around and made a face. “Fine. I’m Luke. Luke Skywalker. And I hate this.”
“I know,” Piett sighed, reaching to grasp the boy’s upper arm firmly but gently. “So do I.”