Dynasty: Chunk Thirty-Three
by Valerie Vancollie and Rebecca Thomson
"Other than that there was nothing worth mentioning," Luke said as he looked from his grandfather to his father.
"Very well," Palpatine replied. "The most important part of that mission was to confirm your title and position to everyone in the Navy."
"Anjaleen and I have been talking," Luke began after a moment of silence. "And we were wondering if you could give us an estimation of just how long we will have to wait before we can get married."
"I want to see the young lady privately myself before any decisions are made on that topic," Palpatine stated as he looked to Vader. "Your father has informed me of her above average Force potential and I must say that I'm interested. I want you to bring her over here for lunch in three days. Afterwards we can decide on how long you must wait."
"Thank you, Grandfather," Luke replied as he bowed.
"If there is nothing else there are some courtiers I must see," Palpatine said at which Luke and Vader exited the throne room via the second entrance.
"Major Ravenell has contacted me from the Academy and has told me that he has talked with his cousin and that the young man is thinking about being your adjunct," Vader stated.
"Good," Luke replied. "I hope he accepts the position. He seems to be right for the job and the fact that Garret can vouch for his loyalty is a major advantage."
"Indeed," Vader agreed as they reached the hidden passage with the turbolift.
"If you don't mind, I think I'll head over to Anja's and make sure that she won't be doing anything in three days," Luke said as Vader opened the door.
"Very well," Vader stated before he disappeared into the passage and the door closed behind him.
"Master Luke," the guard that opened the door said as he caught sight of who the visitor was.
"Henrik," Luke replied as he entered the Winiterure household. "Is everything set up here?"
"Yes, my Lord," Henrik confirmed. "At least the preliminary equipment is. It shouldn't be long before the final system arrives and then we can install that."
"Good," Luke stated just as a servant entered the entrance hall.
"Lord Skywalker," the young man said as he recognized the visitor. "Mistress Winiterure is on the patio with Master and Ma'am Winiterure. If you'll follow me."
Luke did as he was told and followed the servant even though he knew the way. Stepping out onto the patio he smiled as he saw Anja sitting with her parents, having tea.
"Luke," Anjaleen said as she caught sight of him and got up. "A pleasant surprise."
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Luke replied before he kissed Anja on the cheek and moved over to her father to shake hands. "Mr. and Mrs. Winiterure."
"Lord Skywalker," Randolf responded politely. "And no, you're not interrupting anything important."
Luke opened his mouth to reply when Fifi rushed onto the patio, barking as he headed towards Luke and ran circles around him. Looking at the chiwani, Luke thought he could see a small tail swinging from side to side as the small animal finally made its way towards where Sasha was sitting, holding her hands out towards him.
"Yes, that's right Fifi," Sasha stated. "That's Luke, Anjaleen's fiancé, he's going to be part of the family soon and you know that. What a smart boy you are."
Luke suppressed a smile at the older woman's behavior as he sensed the frustration radiating from both Anja and Randolf.
"Please, sit," Anja said as she indicated an empty chair while motioning to the servants to bring another cup and plate. "How was the mission?"
"Fine," Luke replied as he seated himself. "Nothing worth mentioning though."
"All trips can't be fun," Randolf stated. "A lot of people at court tend to forget that."
"Indeed," Luke agreed as he took the cup offered him. "Anjaleen," he said as he turned his attention to her. "I came here to see if you are free for lunch three days from now."
"I am," Anjaleen informed him as her eyes twinkled. "What do you have in mind?"
"It's not me, actually," Luke replied with a smile as he looked to Sasha briefly, knowing that whatever he said would be all over court soon. "The Emperor wishes to have us dine with him then."
"The Emperor!" Sasha exclaimed as she looked up, shocked. "Oh dear, honey. What will you wear? Haven't you worn all your dresses already? And three days isn't long enough for the tailor to come and make another one, at least not the kind necessary to wear to lunch with his Majesty. Oh dear!"
"I still have a dress," Anja reassured her mother. "Remember the silver, gold, and purple one? It'll be perfect for this occasion."
"Lunch with the Emperor," Randolf repeated, clearly stunned at the idea that his daughter would be doing that, but obviously liking it. "Do you do that often?" He continued as he looked at Luke.
"From time to time," Luke stated. "His Majesty is quite busy most of the time."
"I can imagine," Randolf replied as he wondered just what the Emperor did. "After all, he's got an Empire to run."
"Yes," Luke simply said before he turned to Anjaleen. "So I shall pick you up half an hour before lunch time then?"
"Yes, that would be good," Anjaleen answered as she tried to imagine what eating with the Galactic Ruler would be like. She had no idea what to expect as she had never been lucky enough to receive Palpatine's attention until she had been to court with Luke.
Luke sat in the sitting room, waiting for Anja to come down from her dressing rooms. Sasha, her mother, was sitting across the table from him, and smiling as she chatted away. "You know that Anjaleen wants to look perfect for lunch today, Lord Skywalker. And you did show up a little early."
Luke nodded as Fifi chose that moment to leap from her lap and run off into the other room.
"Oh dear, why did Fifi do that?" Sasha wondered. "He usually loves to be in the same room as guests." Fifi came back, holding a red ball in his mouth as he trotted over to Luke, dropping the ball at his feet. Sasha had the manners to lecture her little pet. "Fifi! Lord Skywalker doesn't want to play ball! You come back over here and sit down like a good boy!"
Luke leaned forward, a mischievous smile on his lips. He held out one finger, and waved it up and down. The ball began to bounce on its own, leaving Sasha speechless. Fifi was enraptured, and when Luke pointed to the far wall and the ball began to bounce that direction, the little fur-ball took off in hot pursuit. The young Sith Lord made the red ball bounce in crazy ways, off furniture and through the air, sometimes turning mid-flight, causing Fifi no end of happy frustration.
"So," Luke said, ignoring the ball and Fifi, even as it continued to fly through the air, "I have heard that Mr. Washu dismissed his head of security."
"Oh yes," Sasha distractedly said, keeping one eye on Fifi and his antics, "it's a great scandal. He's trying to make it look like the man had family difficulties and had to quit, but word slipped out. Some of the more nasty rumors point to the involvement of the man and Mrs. Washu."
"That is a shame." Luke replied, as Mr. Winiterure walked in. The older gentleman stopped, stunned, as Fifi was trying to grab a floating red ball that was waving in the air. He came back to himself, and hurried up to the vacant chair next to Lord Skywalker.
Mr. Winiterure announced, "She'll be down in a minute."
"Good," Luke replied, "I didn't want to be late."
Mr. Winiterure cleared his throat. "Of course not." He pointedly looked at Fifi, who was now chasing the ball as it rolled in strange patterns on the floor. "Well, what time will you be back?"
Luke shrugged, "I don't know. Probably not more than 3 in the afternoon, I would think. It depends on what his Majesty wishes to speak about. But if it takes longer, I will send word." Luke looked towards the hallway. "Ah, here she comes."
They turned, to see Anjaleen appear in the hall, stunning in her purple gown with gold and silver trim. Luke rose to greet her.
Anjaleen picked at her meat dish, trying to figure out what was going on. Luke and the Emperor had only talked about non-essential things. But every once in awhile they looked at each other, just like Luke sometimes looked at Lord Vader. Could Luke talk to a non-Sith if he wanted to say something to them mind to mind? But that didn't make sense. He had never spoken to her. And if he and Lord Vader had that ability, then they wouldn't spend so much time meeting the Emperor in private. Unless it was difficult, or something. She didn't have enough information.
The table was cleared, and dessert was placed in front of them. The servants stepped back, and the Emperor waved a hand. "Out." Both the servants and the Imperial Guard quickly disappeared. Anjaleen took a small sip of her wine, suddenly more nervous than before.
"Don't worry, child. I don't bite." The Emperor wheezed. "Just don't tell the courtiers. I'm afraid I have to keep them fooled." Anjaleen dared a smile as the old man continued. "Now, I wanted to talk to you without the crowd watching. Did you know, you're engaged to a brave young man?"
"Yes, your Majesty." Anjaleen said, smiling. She was very proud of Luke.
"Do you know how brave? We didn't want him to marry for at least another twenty years. But he actually asked. Lord Vader and I were almost upset with him, but we did see his reasoning."
Anjaleen blinked, hiding her surprise. Luke had to ask the Emperor to marry her? But why?
The Emperor sighed heavily. "For all their supposed intelligence, I sometimes wonder about the mental capacities of my entire court. Not one of them has even begun to think of what it means that Luke is a Sith Lord. Or how closely he is allied with Lord Vader and how that will affect his future. You'd think they would at least try and determine why I put up with the both of them in my court, being that they are so dangerous and hard to control."
Luke quietly laughed. "We're not that hard to control your Majesty. You know that."
The Emperor dryly chuckled back. "Yes, I know. Even if I have given you much more leeway than anyone else. But half of them think I barely keep Lord Vader leashed, and are wondering how I manage it."
Luke smiled and winked at Anjaleen. The Emperor grunted, shifting his old bones. "Do you want to know how I manage them, child?"
Anjaleen gulped. "Yes, your Majesty?"
"It's simple, really. I had an affair when I was young."
Anjaleen's mouth dropped open, surprised and confused. 'He had an affair?' She thought, 'But I never heard about it!'
"It was back when I was a Senator, you see. In the Old Republic, before the New Order was established, and my Empire was born."
"Oh." Anjaleen whispered, still trying to figure out where this was going.
"She bore me a son. Of course, it would have been a complete scandal if anyone found out, so I had the child raised on a different planet."
"You have a son?" Anjaleen squeaked, knowing instantly what that would mean- a heir. Then it hit her. "But who- OH."
"Yes. I'm still not sure how he managed to grow so tall- must be on his mother's side. And he does have some rather interesting abilities, don't you think?"
"Quite." She shakily replied, and then her eyes got even larger. She looked at Luke. "Oh..." She whispered. Then she looked at her own hands. "Oh... My..." Her mind started to go around in circles. 'Luke's going to be Emperor, his Majesty means that, doesn't he? Luke's nodding at me, it must mean that. And I'm going to be married to him. Oh my, I'm going to be an Empress. Oh... But I can't tell anyone yet. Not even Father, and especially not Mother... and... and... They're going to really start talking about me and watching me when they find out. Everyone is going to remember everything I've ever done or anything I do. They'll go back when they find out, and go over everything. I have to be perfect. An Empress... oh my.'
"I'm sure you're up to the task." The Emperor dryly replied. "But, as I was saying, my son will never bear my name. His mother and I weren't married, you see. But Luke's parents were, so he'll be changing his name soon. We haven't determined when yet. I am almost upset that the dynasty won't be named after me, but I know that history will still remember, don't you think?"
"Of course." Anjaleen politely said, trying to pull herself back together. Then it hit her, the Emperor had known what she was thinking. Luke often replied to her train of thought when they were in private. Had the Emperor just done the same thing? Luke had said that the power ran in families. She turned to the Emperor, wondering.
He just smiled, and nodded. He took a drink of his wine. "Now, I know you and Luke want to get married quickly. The impatience of the young. But I need to decide when the announcement of Luke's relationship to Lord Vader would make the most impact. Right now, my courtiers are beginning to wonder how strong the alliance between my two Sith are. I want them to be thinking about that, testing the waters between the two. It keeps them busy. So you will be very, very quiet about what you know."
Anjaleen bowed her head, "As you wish, your Majesty."
"Good girl." The Emperor turned to Luke, "she is one of the smarter ones, I'll give you that. Now, I have work to do. You may stay and finish, if you want to Grandson." The Emperor got up, and slowly walked out.
Anjaleen's mind still raced with what she had learned only an hour earlier as she stood next to Luke at the afternoon session of the court. She was going to be an Empress!
"You'll be fine," Luke reassured her softly.
"It's all just so sudden," Anja replied. "I go from being at the lower echelons of the court to the fiancée of the Imperial Prince and eventual Emperor. That's a giant step for anyone."
"I know," Luke replied as he scanned the area to make sure that no one was close enough to listen in on what they were saying. "But I know you'll be just fine and so does Vader and Palpatine or they would never have given me permission to get engaged."
Anja shivered slightly as she heard this, immensely glad that she was so highly regarded by the three most powerful men in the Empire. But the responsibilities were frightening none the less.
Catching a tremor in the Force, Luke looked up just in time to see Ra'chealla glaring at his love. Pretending not to notice, he watched her wander to one of the side rooms. Looking towards his father, he saw that he too had noticed the incident, as had Anjaleen.
"Luke?" Anja questioned.
"I think I'm going to have a talk with Ra'chealla," Luke stated. "See if I can get her off your back once and for all."
"Okay," Anja replied. "I'll stay in this room with your father nearby."
"Very well," Luke stated as he squeezed her hand before moving towards the doorway through which Ra'chealla had disappeared.
'Luke?' Vader questioned mentally. 'What are you going to do?'
'Talk with her,' Luke declared as he scanned the room he had just entered and saw Ra'chealla at the far end. 'I won't purposefully annoy her, but I want her away from Anja.'
'Very well,' Vader replied.
Luke stopped to talk with people as he moved through the room, noticing how quickly Ra'chealla took note of his presence. Finally making eye contact with her, he smiled and indicated the doors that led out into the Palace gardens. At first she looked confused, but then her face brightened as she understood what he meant. Beaming at him, she nodded her head even as she disentangled herself from the conversation she was having before she moved for the doors and stepped outside. After waiting for a few moments, Luke moved to the doors and followed her out.
Elizabeth smiled to herself as she watched him go, moving off to find Anjaleen. Entering the main room, she saw the woman she was looking for talking with her father.
"Elizabeth," Vladimir said as he saw his daughter approach them.
"Father," Elizabeth replied before she turned her attention to Anjaleen. "Do you realize that Lord Skywalker is outside with Ra'chealla right now? Alone?"
"Yes," Anja replied, inwardly smiling at the brief flicker of dismayed surprise that she saw cross the other's face. She knew Elizabeth's games too well to walk into them. "He needs to talk with her about something without prying ears nearby."
"Oh," Vladimir responded, having seen his daughter open a perfect door through which he could get at Skywalker, only to see the Sith Lord's fiancée shut that door immediately. "I have heard you saw the Emperor this afternoon," he continued, prying for info.
"Yes, I did," Anjaleen confirmed, knowing that she could talk about that. "Luke and I had lunch with him."
"You ate at the Emperor's table?!" Elizabeth exclaimed, suddenly realizing why the other was more dressed up than usual.
"Yes," Anja said with a smile. "It was interesting."
"What was the topic of discussion?" Vladimir questioned even as he suppressed the jealousy that he felt flow through his veins. That Skywalker dinned with the Emperor he could understand, especially now that his powers and status had been revealed, but Anjaleen Winiterure?! She was so far beneath him that it wasn't funny, he should be eating with his Majesty instead of her!
"Why don't you ask the Emperor that?" Anja suggested.
"Luke," Ra'chealla said as Luke approached her, indicating that they were to move deeper into the gardens. "How are you?"
"I'm wonderful," Luke replied, seeing the perfect opening to bring up the subject he wanted dealt with even as he scanned the area. "What with the way the engagement has worked out so well and all. Now people know that I'm a Sith, I am going to have a beautiful wife, and I'm getting the proper respect I deserve."
"Oh," Ra'chealla commented as she thought about what he had said. "Tell me, how close are you and Anjaleen?"
"We understand one another," Luke stated, knowing that he couldn't mention the word love, even though it would probably be the only thing that would get Buchanan's daughter off his back as she would see anything else as an opening. Sensing how she brightened at his words, he groaned inwardly. "And she's perfect for my status. Things couldn't be better, well that's not entirely true."
"What do you mean?" Ra'chealla inquired as hope flared within her. "How could it be better?"
"Well it seems that someone doesn't like Anjaleen or the fact that she's with me," Luke began even as he stopped and turned to face her, wanting to watch her face as he said this. "There was an assassin after her."
"An assassin?!" Ra'chealla exclaimed, pretending to be horrified even as she inwardly cursed Treen for being so clumsy. "How terrible."
"Yes," Luke agreed. "I'm not letting no assassin take anything from me. It seems he's backed down since the incident with Raphael, but if I ever learn who hired him they'll be sorry the thought ever crossed their mind," saying this he felt the woman before him wince slightly even though she didn't display this. "No one does that kind of thing to me or they'll be made an example of."
"Yes, that should be the way it's done," Ra'chealla verbally agreed even as she fumed inside. This is the way Luke should be talking about her! It should be her that no one can come near like that because it should be they who were together. "No one should come near what's yours."
"Indeed," Luke said even as he wondered how Ra'chealla could so completely lead herself to believe that what she wanted was the way things should be. "You wouldn't happen to have heard any rumor that could give me a lead to finding who hired the assassin? Any ideas who it might be?"
"No," Ra'chealla lied.
"Okay, I was just checking," Luke responded. "After all, after having gotten someone like Anjaleen who I can trust to obey me later on, I don't want to have to start looking for someone else. It might be years before I find the right women as there isn't anyone I know now that would suit me."
"No one?" Ra'chealla demanded as she felt like the world had been pulled out from under her.
"No one," Luke stated as he looked back towards the Palace. "Thanks for your time, but I must return before I'm missed. I'll see you later."
"Later," Ra'chealla replied as she watched Luke go before sinking onto a nearby bench.
"I wonder how close the two of them truly are," Buchanan wondered aloud as he watched Skywalker walk up to Vader with Anjaleen in tow.
"Indeed," Vladimir agreed as he regarded them as well. "From what we know of the Dark Lord, their relationship would be completely oriented towards his gain, although he might not make it obvious, if for nothing else than to get Skywalker to go along."
"If that's the case then it should be easy to loosen and break the bonds from Skywalker's end," Buchanan stated. "All it would take is a little proof that, no matter what events might suggest, that he's being used as a tool. However the most difficult part would be getting him to see that. Vader has, after all, taught him all he knows in the ways of the Sith. Loyalty to Vader would have been one of them."
"Loyalty can be undermined with lust for power and the realization that you're being used," Vladimir countered. "It would be interesting to test the bonds and see how it goes. Stir things up a bit."
"Agreed," Buchanan declared. "However we would need to be most cautious. We have no idea just how far Skywalker's powers extend. We know that he can create lightning, but what else? Can he read minds like Vader, or was what he did to Jerklin all he can do? It could be the latter and that he hopes by his little display of power that people will take that and run with it, assuming he can do all that Vader can."
"True," Vladimir answered thoughtfully. "We never have seen Vader do that lightning trick before. It could be that he considers it beneath him with the other stuff that he can do. Although it was pretty thorough in killing Jerklin."
"I say we test the waters slowly," Buchanan stated. "See how warm they are and see how wet we get with a little pressure."
Vladimir watched the young Sith walk through the gardens. He glanced around, getting a signal from one of his allies that Buchanan was nowhere in sight. He smiled, and walked casually over to Skywalker. 'After all,' he thought to himself, 'the best way to find out how loyal this Sith is to his teacher is to see if he'll make allies with me.' He had been waiting for this opportunity for days.
"Good morning Skywalker. Pleasant day, isn't it?"
"It always is in a controlled environment like this garden." The young Sith replied.
"Yes. It is. Quite convenient." Vladimir paused, as the two by silent agreement walked further from the rest of the crowds. "Lord Skywalker, I wanted to talk to you about something of utmost delicacy. I was wondering if you had the time to come to dinner? Tonight? I understand that Lord Vader is not on planet, so no one would expect you back at Vader's Castle."
Two blue eyes watched Vladimir, weighing something. "No. I am not expected. And I have nothing to do that I can not put off till later. I would be delighted."
"Ah, thank you. Till then?" Vladimir said, bowing. He wished to be halfway across the gardens before Buchanan even noticed he had spoken to Skywalker.
"Till then."
Luke smiled a thin smile as the aircar speed through the skies to Vladimir's residence. The house itself was further up the coast of the small sea that he could watch from his own bedroom window. The house would be considered a palace on any other world, but here, it was one among many.
Skywalker sighed, watching through the tinted window as the car pulled up to the front door. He had spoken to Grandfather about this meeting. His directions were simple- just to see where Vladimir would dare to go.
The door opened, and Skywalker stepped out, taking the stairs up to the main door silently, and swiftly with graceful ease. No need to go slow, and he did want to give the feeling that this meeting was a mutual secret, even if spies from several households would report on it to half a dozen men by morning.
He was immediately escorted to the dining hall, where a fabulous table was laid out, and Vladimir was waiting for him. "Lord Skywalker, I am pleased that you could come. I took the liberty of inviting a few of my closest friends, just to, shall we say, provide a distraction."
Vladimir led Skywalker into an adjoining room, where a few of his closest allies were sipping pre-dinner drinks. Luke nodded to them, recognizing them as Vladimir's cronies. These men were so entwined with the higher courtier that they didn't dare think of betraying him. Their fortunes and lives would depend on it. And it made them perfect for tonight. They would add weight to Vladimir's words, and, as he had put it, a distraction for the casually prying eyes. They provided the excuse for tonight's preparations for guests, which was as close to a secret meeting one could get in a world saturated with spies and intrigue.
"Shall we eat?" Vladimir asked the young Lord.
"Yes, please."
The small group of men sat in comfortable chairs, after-dinner drinks in their hands, in a room overlooking the sea. The red light of the setting sun colored the room.
"Lord Skywalker," Vladimir began, with the tone of one changing the subject to something unpleasant, "I asked you to come tonight so we could talk of the future. More precisely, the Empire's future."
Luke was silent as he put down his drink, leaning forward in his chair. Vladimir took that as an indication to continue.
"Today, I saw the Emperor on his throne, and as much as it pains me to think of it, the man is old. Very old, and no matter what, he can't live forever. Which raises the question, what then? Or more precisely, who next?"
Luke sighed. "Lord Vader, most likely." He softly replied.
"Yes. I know." Vladimir said. "Which is strange, the man has no allies outside of yourself; and by default, your future father-in-law."
Luke shrugged as if the argument was old, and he had gone over it many times. "The Emperor has few allies, yet he has power. Lord Vader has chosen to build his power on himself, not on others." Luke smiled a little, "your own power can't betray you."
Vladimir shrugged, "yes, I understand that. But your help has been invaluable in his jockeying for the throne. The Emperor has named no heir, but no one will be stupid enough to go against the both of you together."
"Yes, I know this. What is your point?" Lord Skywalker asked. Luke tried to project the image of one whom could easily become annoyed, but was content to listen. For now.
"Just this. What do you get out of your alliance with Lord Vader?"
Luke's eyes became very cold. "He trained me."
Vladimir waved a hand, while his courtiers shifted nervously. They didn't want to be in the same room as an angry Sith Lord. "I know that. And I know that you will always feel some sense of loyalty for him for that. Rumor has it that he found you in a rather destitute situation, and he must have saw your potential and took steps to remedy that- for the good of the Empire."
"Your point?" Luke replied, taking his glass back into his hand and taking a sip.
Vladimir nodded, obviously trying to figure out the best way to continue. "But, Lord Skywalker, it puzzles me what you expect to gain when Lord Vader gains the throne. If he is anything like our Majesty, he will not always remember your work on his behalf. Your alliance to him will come to mean little more than last year's fashions. You will have to prove yourself to him again and again, just as Lord Vader had to do himself."
Luke shifted, pretending to be considering Vladimir's words while inside he was rather surprised. The courtier was working off the wrong information, but he was providing a very good argument. If things were as they seemed between Lord Skywalker and Lord Vader, Luke would be very tempted... "What are you proposing, Vladimir?" Luke whispered.
The other man settled back into his chair. "Not much, right now. You'll want to think about it. But, I was thinking that it might be in both our interests if we worked together on occasion. For our mutual benefit."
"Why you? And why not someone else?" Luke asked, realizing that only a fool would ally himself with the first person that offered.
"I have a strong position at court, a large group of allies to work with, and a deficiency in annoying daughters." Vladimir replied, slight smile on his lips. Few at court had missed Ra'chealla's actions around the young Sith these last few months.
Luke bristly smiled. "Yes, you, at least, can keep your own in line." The jab was pointed, and a few of the silent man obviously stifled a laugh. "But, I will have to think about it, weigh the cost."
Vladimir waved a hand, "oh no, my Lord. I have no intention of doing anything against your instructor. I speak of other matters. After all, he does not involve himself with every issue at court." The young Sith could hear Vladimir's mind whisper, 'at least, not anything against Lord Vader quite yet.'
Luke nodded, and the conversation turned to other matters.
Buchanan fumed, looking at the spy's report. He hadn't worked fast enough! And now Vladimir had gotten the first word in, the first offer to Skywalker. The man had been there, almost alone with the Sith. Able to judge his actions without Buchanan watching, and now Vladimir knew more about the situation between the two Sith than he did.
Buchanan put the datacard down, trying to plan. The best thing would be to invite Skywalker over for a similar dinner at the first available opportunity. But he had to plan carefully, he didn't want his daughter there. She might do something stupid and somehow anger the young man.
He sighed, looking at the ceiling. His daughter had spent the last several days in her room, crying her eyes out. She wouldn't tell anyone why. Women. They were a mystery to him. But with any luck, she was getting over her Skywalker fixation.
"Buchanan asked you over for lunch?" Anjaleen repeated incredulously.
"Yes," Luke replied with as smile as he motioned for Mark to bring them more of the cocktail they were drinking. "It was... unexpected in a way. I mean, I knew that others would be trying to do the same thing once Vladimir started it, but I hadn't exactly expected Buchanan to be second."
"What day will you be lunching with him?" Anja questioned curiously.
"Tomorrow noon," Luke informed her. "Just before Father comes home."
"Cutting it kind of close isn't he," Anja stated before her eyes widened. "Tomorrow? Well he's made sure that Ra'chealla won't be there."
"No?" Luke inquired as Mark refilled their glasses. "How do you know?"
"Elizabeth was telling me how she was going to go to the new art exhibit that's up at the Royal Museum and that she was going with Ra'chealla," Anjaleen responded. "Seems Buchanan had gotten Ra'chealla two tickets."
"Suspicious indeed," Luke admitted as he smiled at his fiancée. "Probably doesn't want to embarrass himself when she does something she's not supposed to. That or he thinks by not having her there that I might overlook her."
"He probably hopes that you'll forget it all," Anja added. "Anyway, what am I to say to their questions? After all, when Vladimir or Buchanan wants information they can't get and can't ask you, they come to me hoping that I'll simply spill the hargo-beans."
"It's best that they think that," Luke replied thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should keep the image up, that way you can slip them information that Father and I want them to believe."
"Thanks," Anja teased as she sent him a mock glare. "Although it would be fun to see how much they believe."
"It would only be a tad here or there," Luke explained as he smiled at her. "Like saying that I found a certain evening with one of them to be very interesting. Pretend I never tell you the details, simply whether I like it or not."
"Okay," Anja replied, liking this new viewpoint on how the court worked. Her own father never really got into this kind of business and while she had been aware of such happenings at court, she had never truly known any of the details. "So what on the night before last with Vladimir? It gave you food for thought?"
"I like that," Luke said. "I like that a lot. Especially since Grandfather has told me to play along with Vladimir and the other high courtiers to see just what they have in mind for current events and the future."
"What about the lower courtiers?" Anja inquired.
"They're not as likely to go into affairs as deep as Vladimir, Buchanan, and company would," Luke answered. "Besides, I have to keep up the image that I'm aiming as high as possible as far as my future goes. Besides, I also don't want to make it seem that I'm too desperate to change the alliance I supposedly have at the moment either."
"I see," Anjaleen replied as she took a sip of her cocktail before she looked across Vader's gardens to the sea.
"How are things over at your house?" Luke asked after a moment of silence. "Everything okay with security and all?"
"Yes," Anja stated. "Your men have been most helpful in getting tighter security set up and getting me to relax," as she said this she smiled at several guards she saw pass by. "But I was wondering, now that Ra'chealla seems to have stopped, do you honestly believe there will be other assassins?"
"Not at the moment," Luke replied as he sensed the fear in her aura as she brought up the topic. "Ra'chealla seems to have taken the hint, her lack of court appearances lately and the way she has steered clear of both of us seems to indicate this. However you can never be sure. With what she has done so far she might try again, although it doesn't seem too likely at the moment. When the fact that Vader is my father comes out and later that Palpatine is my grandfather there might be some trouble, though. But I'll make sure that you're safe at those times."
"Very well," Anja said. "And if your relationship to Vader is revealed at our wedding we'll be gone on our honeymoon afterwards anyway."
"Indeed," Luke agreed. "By the time we get back, things will have cooled down. And while we're talking about this, any idea when Nastalia and Nathaniel return from their honeymoon?"
"Another week or two," Anja responded. "I'm not quite sure though."
"We'll see then."
"An alliance?" Luke questioned as he leaned back in the overstuffed chair and took a sip of his pre-lunch drink. It was amusing how Buchanan started the discussion before the meal itself. Probably wanted to make sure that their time together wasn't cut short by Vader's return before he got said that which he wanted. "And here I thought that you wanted as little to do with me as possible. At least that was the impression you brought across during our... conversation, shall we say, in the courtyard."
"Well... ah," Buchanan began. "That was another matter all together and under different circumstances."
"Yes, different circumstances," Luke repeated with a dash of sarcasm in his voice. "Where is your daughter by the way? She would have been in here by now if she were at home, no matter what."
Luke hid a smile behind his glass as he watched Buchanan swallow briefly. He would make the other man pay for his earlier disrespect. Buchanan thought that he would simply forget all that had been said and done between them, but he would quickly learn otherwise. Let him sweat with the idea of him going to Vladimir instead of him for a while, that would no doubt result in a burst of good behavior from Buchanan for some time at least and perhaps it would even push the two 'friends' apart. Then, when the man had paid for his insolence, he could play off one for the other along with some of the other high ranking and influential courtiers.
"She's out with Elizabeth right now," Buchanan replied, looking for a way to steer the conversation back to the topic he wanted discussed before Skywalker went further off topic and embarrassed him before his other allies in the room. "There was something at the museum they wanted to see. Anyway, I was just wondering if you would consider our offer at least. It is, after all, always best to have several allies in court so that if one backs out on their promises or doesn't turn out to deliver as much as you expected that you can still go for what you want from a different angle."
"Indeed," Luke agreed, deciding to back off for a bit and see just what Buchanan had in mind and how it compared to Vladimir's ideas. "Although, so far, I have seen very little need to go anywhere else than Lord Vader to get what I need. My training has, after all, opened a lot of doors and thus a lot of options for me to chose between. I may not need alliances any time in the near future."
"And what if you want something you can't get?" Buchanan pressed, seeing his opening. "It is rather risky to put all your money on one person, no matter what they have done for you or promise to do. If Lord Vader where to change his mind, for whatever reason he sees fit, you could be left out in the cold."
"I don't see that happening any time soon," Luke declared.
"No one knows what the future holds," Buchanan replied. "He might someday see you as a threat, a rival, as you are the only person alive who can use and understand the power that he manipulates so easily. That may become information he wants hidden."
"Perhaps," Luke finally stated, letting Buchanan and his cronies believe that he was giving the idea some serious thought and that it was a new theory, one that he hadn't heard before.
"Master," one of the servants said as he entered the room and received permission to speak. "Lunch is ready."
"Why don't we move to the table, gentlemen?" Buchanan suggested as he got to his feet. "We can discuss matters further there."
"Had a good lunch?" Palpatine inquired as soon as Luke entered the throne room and nodded to his father who had just returned.
"It was interesting," Luke replied. "Although quite similar to dinner with Vladimir."
"Did he go as far in suggesting to break away from Lord Vader as Vladimir did?" Palpatine demanded.
"No," Luke responded as he smiled at his father. "I don't think he wants to risk going quite so far yet. What with the situation with Ra'chealla and how he treated me before my powers were revealed, all of which I reminded him of."
"Good," Palpatine stated. "Let him learn his place."
"You going to play them off one for another?" Vader questioned, remembering how much his son loved those political games.
"If I may," Luke answered as he looked to his grandfather. "It would be interesting to see just how far they'd like to pull us apart and how quickly. You were saying that you were looking for a good place to announce the relationship between Father and I to the court, Grandfather, how about when they have actually suggested outright betrayal of my loyalties?"
"Hmmm," Palpatine said softly as he thought the matter over a little. "That would be a good lesson for my courtiers to learn, especially if they can't confirm the information at first. I'll have to think about it."
"In the meantime I've told Anjaleen to pretend she doesn't know what I'm planning to do," Luke began. "But to drop hints here and there saying that I had an interesting or insightful evening at so and so's house. Just something to help them believe I'm truly interested."
"You do enjoy weaving those webs," Vader stated even as he felt some pride at how effortlessly his son managed to manipulate the courtiers and wrapped them around his little finger.
Luke simply smiled as he looked to his father. The next few months would be both surprise filled and entertaining. He had never truly liked any of the courtiers and it would be joyful to watch them bickering over him and what they thought he could bring to them if they managed to get him to turn his back on Vader. They saw him as the inside person who could reveal all of the older Dark Lord's abilities and weaknesses.
Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail Rebecca or me at valeriev84@hotmail.com
