In Shadows and Darkness

Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The day of the inaugural flight was warm and close, Luke rising early, having last minute arrangements to make. He had travelled up to the Peerless every morning for the last three days, ostensibly to finalise details for the Invincible's arrival, intending to make it a routine so that when he did so this morning, it wouldn't seem out of place.

Reece met him at the landing platform, Hallin having been left onboard the Peerless two days earlier on the pretext of packing his personal equipment in the medicentre there in preparation for his move to the Invincible with the rest of The Heir's Command Crew, all of whom would be making the move with him- if he couldn't rely on the ship, then Luke intended to at least be able to trust those around him.

Reece was to remain on the Peerless today, to oversee details of the changeover of Command, Luke leaving word for Mara that he would return to Coruscant by mid-morning as he had done the last few days.

When he arrived back at the Palace, the Lambda shuttle to take him up to the Invincible was already waiting, Mara stood a short distance away, hand shading her eyes from the midday sun.

Luke remained quiet on the shuttle, aware of Mara's eyes on him but not acknowledging her, mind elsewhere; on the Invincible, on the planned attack - he knew how many there would be onboard but not where, and he knew they were heading for the lower Ops room which served as Bridge backup in the event of system failures.

Should he help them- clear the way a little, thin the number of guards? No; if they didn't succeed then there would be an enquiry and he needed to remain completely untouchable.

"Luke!" Mara said sharply, her tone that of someone who was repeating themselves.

"Hm?"

Mara leaned in so that her hushed whisper could be heard by him without being overheard by the pilots in the cockpit to the front of the shuttle, no privacy even here. "What's wrong with you today? Your head's on the other side of the galaxy- it has been since you got in this shuttle."

"I just don't like these things Mara- you know that." Uncomfortable that she could read him so well now he looked away, attention drawn back to the impressive hulk of the Invincible, ignoring Mara's intent look.

"You know, you used to smile so much when you first came here." she said.

Luke frowned, turning. "What?"

"You used to smile. Even though you had nothing to smile about you used to do it anyway. I always remember that; you used to talk and laugh and joke and tease. You used to call me Red - remember? I was always amazed at your... tenacity. Your refusal to be intimidated, to be hushed by that massive, overbearing Palace. Everybody goes around whispering there; it makes people feel small."

He glanced away uneasily, "It's only stones and mortar."

"But you don't smile anymore." Mara continued. "You don't laugh. I loved your laugh; it had heart. No side; no deceit or pretence, just..."

She shook her head, more disillusioned than frustrated.

Luke watched her impassively for several seconds then turned away, trying to bring his concentration back to the imminent attack, but the disruption was lodged now and he couldn't ignore it - or, for some reason, the disappoint in Mara's voice.

"I laugh." he said at last, very quietly.

"When?"

"Every time you try to do an infinity loop with a lightsaber for one," he said lightly, his voice just loud enough for her to hear, leaning in slightly as if to nudge her with his shoulder though the space between the wide, heavily-upholstered seats they sat side by side in prevented it.

"Thanks." She said wryly, rolling her eyes, but he could sense her mood lighten a little.

They remained silent for a while, Mara's head lowered again, lost in her own thoughts now.

Eventually Luke's hand, resting on the armrest beside hers, reached across just slightly, his little finger entwining around hers, lifting her head in surprise, her eyes going first to the pilots in the open cockpit in front of them and then to Luke, taken aback. Even this tiny act of intimacy was an incredible risk in public, and the fact that he had initiated it rolled through her like a warm breeze, melting all her doubts, completely beguiling her. How could he do that?

He held her eyes for long seconds, then turned to look forward to the cockpit of the shuttle and the two pilots there to check that they weren't being watched. But he kept his hand resting against hers, fingers gently entwined, aware of her eyes on him, of the change in her sense, like a cloud passing.

"Invincible..." Luke said at last, breaking the long silence, his eyes on the looming hulk of the massive Super Star Destroyer. "Bit of a contentious name."

Mara finally turned, glancing to the pilots, quickly pulling her wits about her, realising his words were for them. "You know Palpatine. He's always has a taste for the theatrical."

"Still..." He was aware of her finger trailing delicately against his, the act both playful and intensely alluring.

"Your old one isn't too bad." She said neutrally, eyes ahead.

"Peerless?" Luke paused without thought, attention focused on her hand against his own, eyes on the pilots. "No, I suppose not. Quite mild, really, by Imperial standards. Pity I can't keep the name."

"Maybe you should ask him if you can name the next one- he seems intent on giving them all to you anyway." Mara said, dryly flirtatious, eyes on the new Destroyer, which loomed so large now as to fill the viewscreen.

He smiled just slightly, the action pulling at the long scar down his face, the act incredibly appealing to Mara; she had never disliked the scar - remembered intensely the feel of it against her lips.

"Maybe the... 'Hissy Fit'." he said in mocking tones, "Or the 'Little Tantrum'."

She laughed lightly, "Very funny."

"Or how about the, 'Don't Worry about it- I'll Let You off with a Warning this Time'. Too long?"

"Well I can't see it striking fear into the heart of beings everywhere." She said, eyes remaining on the scar through his lips, longing to touch it.

"No, that would have to be the 'Mara Jade on an Off Day'."

"Thanks."

He squeezed her hand in reassurance and she smiled again, looking forward, though her full attention remained focused on him, and she knew he would know that.

They remained silent, fingers trailing against each-others, light as a shiver yet utterly enthralling.

"I don't think you'd even need anybody on that one... except you of course. Maybe I should suggest it to the Emperor."

"I think Palpatine may be looking for a few more security crew." Mara joked in kind, "You should see the amount of plain-clothes troopers and Red Guard he's sent up to the Invincible with the 'techs in the last few days."

Luke's hand froze an instant - then began moving again, a subtle shadow passing his eyes and hardening them, though his voice remained deceptively casual, "Really- how many?"

"I don't know - easily a couple of hundred, I'd figure."

Luke made himself breathe, forcing an indifferent tone. "Strange- they're not on the ship's log."

"No," Mara glanced to him, but looked away, reassured when he smiled just slightly. "They were kind of hidden in among the workers. But they're up there somewhere, on the Invincible. I have no idea where he's putting them though, because there's an awful lot of them and I don't think any have come back yet."

Luke nodded slowly, eyes on the looming, ominous bulk of the Super Star Destroyer, "Perhaps it was his Honour Guard; maybe they went up a day early."

Mara agreed casually, only mildly interested, "Possible. I thought I saw his personal guard go up last night though - and the bulk are set to go up today on his shuttle and its escorts..."

.

Luke heard little after that, mind racing, so that he didn't even recall the shuttle landing in the massive Main Bay of the Invincible. Didn't remember walking past regimented rows of perfectly-turned out stormtroopers, nor nodding distantly when Palpatine's favoured dignitaries and Moffs were presented when he reached the Command Deck of the wide bridge, the two mirror-image Ops Pits milling with nervous officers. Everything was done on autopilot, thoughts buzzing, stirred to a frenzy by one fact;

He knew. Palpatine knew that an attack was imminent and had prepared for it.

Why exactly he had chosen to do let it go ahead Luke didn't know; he must have his reasons. At this moment, it was a moot point- all that mattered was that he knew.

And chances were, if he knew when, then he probably knew how - which meant that even if the Command Codes appeared to work, there must already be some override in place, hidden within the system.

Perhaps Olin'yaa had broken after all; or had his Master managed to place a new spy within the Rebellion already? The latter was a serious complication, because Luke knew it placed his own spy Argot at risk. Another complication occurred, chilling in its implications; could Palpatine know that Luke also knew? Was this a test for him too? His Master loved to test the loyalty of those around him and this was just the kind of convoluted game he would play...

Luke considered carefully, from every angle, calming rushing thoughts, trying to see clearly, free from his Master's painstakingly-instilled propaganda and paranoia.

No- contrary to the image Palpatine liked to project, he wasn't all-seeing or all-knowing; there was no possible connection between Luke and the attack, no way prove his knowledge, except possibly through Luke's own source within the Rebellion, a contact which he'd long admitted to Palpatine but never identified. Due to the secrecy of the mission, there was no guarantee that Argot would know about the planned attack at all; since Palpatine didn't know who Luke's agent was, it could logically be assumed that this was something she had not been high enough up the ladder to be privy to.

In fact with some careful management it could actually take a little of the heat off her if Palpatine had placed his own spy, charged with revealing and closing down Luke's source.

All of which was immaterial right now; all that mattered was his reaction today; to assist or impede.

The assembled dignitaries were brought to order, Luke politely guided to the head of the assemblage, Mara always in his shadow - did she know something was wrong?

Aware of his extended silence, Luke turned, giving a brief, tight smile before the Emperor entered the room, silencing it by his presence, walking to the head of the bowing assembly, Luke automatically stepping smoothly down to one knee without making eye contact, his mind still racing, aware of his Master's eyes on him.

Was he waiting? Was he waiting for an admission from Luke?

It would of course be a mistake to suddenly claim knowledge; Palpatine would know Luke had worked it out and adjusted his own actions accordingly. Which meant that all Luke could do was to brazen this out...

He had to stay; he had to stay on the Bridge until the attack took place and react to it as if it were from any unknown outside threat - which meant that when the moment came, he had to shut it down decisively. The Rebels' lives were forfeit anyway, whoever they were; there was nothing Luke could do to help them now. Better a quick death at his hands than days at the mercy of Palpatine's pitiless outrage.

Beladon D'Arca, as Master of Ceremonies, began his speech, performing a neat, careful bow to the Emperor then to Luke as he acknowledged them firstly and separately, before the privileged, select group attending in person the official launch of the Destroyer.

"Excellency; Sir; Gentlemen- welcome onboard the new flagship. Not just of the Core Fleet but of the whole Empire. You are now standing aboard the most technologically advanced ship in the galaxy, ushering in a new age of Imperial superiority..."

Luke didn't even hear the voice let alone the words, eyes fixed on the man without seeing, mind racing to figure this through...

Yes; the lives of the Rebel strike team onboard were already forefit- they just didn't know it yet. Whatever they did, whatever he did, they were dead. The first rule of sabacc; don't get pot-committed. If he tried to help them, hoping to give them some chance to redeem a plan which was now essentially flawed, then he risked implication, at best as a collaborator, at worst as the instigator, either option carrying severe punishment. For anyone else it would be death; for Luke-

No, Palpatine wouldn't kill his prized Jedi, but he would take him apart, break him to pieces just as he had done that very first time. Luke would be returned to that cell, as if the last four years had never happened.

All his work, all his sacrifices for nothing.

Begin again - only harder, because Palpatine would never trust again. Wouldn't ever let his precious Jedi out of his sight. Luke's mind buzzed in persecution at the thought of his time in the cell, the memories still intense, entwined about his every waking thought even after all this time- enough to set a barbed rush to crush his chest, jaw locked, eyes staring at nothing, oblivious to the polished, gracious ceremony taking place around him.

No; he couldn't do that, not again. And he wouldn't do it- not for a group of people who were hoping to bring him down at the same time as the Emperor; kill two birds with one stone.

That was the truth of it- that was the extent of their consideration for him... and therefore the extent of his consideration for them.

Whatever they thought they could achieve, he would achieve- not with fireworks and fanfares like this, but slowly, quietly, behind the scenes.

Plans within plans.

Yes- that was the best course of action; if he went after them himself today, then it would at least demonstrate that he had no part in the plot. If he removed them then at least it would be a quick death- they would be spared his Master's wraith and more importantly they couldn't be interrogated. There was no connection to reveal of course, but it was better to be sure. And if he couldn't, if he was ordered to stand down... well then he owed them nothing...

The distant drone of the Master of Ceremonies filtered through the edge of Luke's thoughts, the moment of action coming ever closer, tingeing the Force with portent, charging the air, tensing his muscles-

".... is set to become not just the flagship of the Fleet, but the flagship of the Heir to the Empire, and if the past is any indication, we can be confident that under his accomplished command it will enjoy more than its fair share of action."

A polite ripple of laughter rolled around the Bridge at the last, Luke glancing back to the assemblage, having missed completely whatever banality D'Arca had spoken. Clenching his jaw, he allowed a tight smile, senses afire...

... NOW!

The lights fluttered just briefly... then the heavy blast doors onto the Bridge slid closed, the massive central lock engaging. Along the corridor beyond, the muted sound of multiple sets of armoured doors all locking in quick succession rumbled back onto the Bridge.

The speaker frowned, hesitating...

At the corner of Luke's vision in the Ops pit, an officer was toggling controls on a console, trying unsuccessfully to open the doors again.

It's starting...

Wait a few seconds; don't react too quickly.

The Duty Officer looked up from the pit, eyes meeting Luke's as he stepped forward, addressing the officer, "Open the doors!"

"Sir, there seems to..."

"OPEN THE DOORS!" Luke shouted as he set forward past the man. No matter what happened, one thing he didn't want to be was on the Bridge.

Red Guard, previously inconspicuous at the corners of the vast bridge, now stepped forward with military precision, circling quickly about the Emperor so that Luke had to step between them to move forward to the doors, still firmly locked. Several unknown officers in the Command Pits had produced blasters from no-where.

Adrenaline pumping, Luke reached into the Force when he was six paces away, his hand rising... it answered in an eager rush, a burst of potential and power-

With a rending screech, the mechanism jolted just slightly, the massive central lock taking the strain of the impact with a spray of vivid sparks, Red Guard turning to the door in shock, weapons raised, not realising that it was The Heir who did this-

Luke let out a yell, hand thrown out, and the bulky inset lock mechanism designed to withstand vacuum and explosion gave another grinding whump, the substantial circular bolt mechanism to the centre of the blast doors jolting, a gush of bright, actinic sparks erupting, leaving the acrid smell of burnt resistors and insulation, a curl of smoke rising.

Released adrenaline gave Luke the focus to throw another sustained burst of raw power at the massive bulk of the central bolt and this time it failed completely in a grating rasp of rending plassteel, a meter-wide gap opened in the doors as the alloy of the lock was literally ripped apart, shredding in a shriek of ruptured metal, the heavy doors rammed back into their housing with enough force to crumple the surrounding walls in a grinding screech of ruined plassteel.

Luke walked from the bridge without having slowed his step, pausing only when the Emperor called to him.

"Jedi- bring me one alive."

.

Palpatine watched his Wolf nod just once, wonderful eyes as cold and hard as ice in darkness, then he was gone, leaving the Emperor to smile indulgently, bloodless lips drawn back over spoiled teeth. He glanced about the assemblage, faces pale with shock at what they had just seen.

They all thought they knew what a Sith was capable of - now they had received, in some small measure, a demonstration of such. They would remember it for a long time, the same thought so clearly running through every mind present in the shocked silence which followed; if this was what he did to unyielding plassteel and reinforced organic steel - what would he do to flesh and bone?

Palpatine took several moments to bask in the stunned surge of genuine fear, his own eyes brought approvingly back to the shattered entrance.

Then he turned with unhurried, assured calm to Admiral Joss, "Admiral; I have a code which you need to input immediately..."

.

Luke was halfway down the main corridor, having cleared a second set of locked blast doors, when the rest opened in sequence before him, confirming his suspicion; Palpatine had another Override Code.

He reached out into the Force to confirm where the Rebels were, knowing that even though there would be a plethora of anxious minds onboard ship the Call to Quarters hadn't yet been sounded, so the only ones who would be genuinely nervous should be the Rebels.

If they'd followed the plan, they would be in Ops Three by now or...

His easy, measured run faltered and he slowed almost to a stop, feeling a weight of heavy pressure push against his chest at the realisation of who was there...

Swearing a curse under his breath, he set forward again at full-tilt, mind racing.

Everything- everything had changed again.

.

By the time that Mara rounded the crook in the corridor, Luke had reached the turbolifts, cursing that they were still locked down. Already turning away to set off for the stairwell, he rounded on her, eyes hard, jaw clenched, "Stay with the Emperor."

Mara slowed just slightly, knowing his anger wasn't really aimed at her, torn between safeguarding two men who were both supremely capable of protecting themselves, then set forward toward him again and Luke turned on her, hand out, finger pointed in warning, shouting in a sharp, clipped tone which invited no dissent, "STAY WITH THE EMPEROR!!"

She stopped dead, taken aback by the intensity and the agitation in his words; by the stark fury in his stormy blue eyes, the palest thread of fiery, sulpherous yellow glowing just momentarily at their rim-

He'd already turned away, the locked-down door to the emergency stairwell wrenching off its mountings as he threw out his hand, clattering away down the metal stair, the scraping din reverberating in the hollow space.

Mara watched the empty stairwell for long seconds, wavering, uncertain whether to follow... then she turned and set back to the Bridge and her master, the blaring claxon which finally sounded the alarm making her jump as she ran.

By the time Luke reached Ops Three the Rebels were gone; hardly surprising considering the Call to Quarters had been raised, the alarm warning them, though they probably already knew that they'd been discovered when they'd been locked out of the system.

But they hadn't gotten far; he was close now, only a turn or so away in the long corridors, glancing up, wondering if he could disable the ever-present surveillance cameras without suspicion... He could still sense her presence, strangely familiar even after all this time, enabling him to pinpoint them as they ran, continually closing, furious, incensed at the Rebels for allowing her to come; at her for probably insisting.

Still livid, he slowed to a walk and reached to pull his lightsaber free.

.

Leia ran at full tilt around the corner, her group about her, intensely aware that time was running out...

She shouldn't have come - Han was right; her being here was a liability for the Alliance - if she was caught alive... another Rebel leader for the Imperial propaganda machine to parade in public and...

something ran like ice up her spine and caught in her throat, locking her breath...

The heavy blastproof doors they had been running towards ground shut with a booming smack, the group split in two by the action. Trapped, she reached the locked doors, suddenly frantic, a dread lit deep within her-

A distinct, inimitable sound brought Leia about, time turning to treacle, several of the remaining soldiers about her lifting their weapons, stepping forward and fanning out uncertainly as the low, throaty thrum of a lightsaber grated through the air.

Leia turned, the sound of her own breathing loud in her ears... to see a lone dark-dressed figure step out into the sealed corridor.

For a moment - for a split second as the ruby lightsaber lit the blind turn at the far end of the corridor with a scarlet glow, she had expected to see Vader...

But the figure who strode forward, dark hair half-hiding wild eyes, body tensed, primed to fight, was somehow far more chilling-

The first shot rang out, making Leia flinch, and he didn't lift the blade; didn't even try to use it to deflect the bolt. Instead he brought up his left hand, palm out... and batted the laser bolt away to explode harmlessly into the wall in a wash of acrid light. Just as Vader had done on Bespin.

Others opened fire now and momentarily Leia felt some kind of hope as the sheer number of shots held him back, then he yelled out his rage and set forward, ploughing into the task force, cutting a path through them as if it were nothing, the whole unit against one man.

But still they fell, the speed of that bright crimson blade forming a seemingly solid wall of light against the blaster shots, deflected energy hitting the walls and ceiling in bright splashes of dispersed energy, lights flicking and failing in the ricochets, reducing the bright room to dim shadows, the security lens exploding in a brief blaze of scorching sparks, the blazing white of muzzle flashes glaring, catching brief, staccato images as the group began to break ranks, backing up with nowhere to go.

Leia turned, frantically trying to unlock the doors behind her, the charred mechanism smelling of scorched circuitry. Han had taught her how to hotwire doors and she lifted her blaster to the panel, shooting the plate free, burning her fingers on the hot metal and cursing it when it wouldn't move, finally dragging it aside to pull out the wires within and seeing it was useless; that everything was blown. She kept her eyes on the lock though, squinting in the flashes and the gloom; ordered herself to concentrate - not to look back, not to listen - to do her job, to open the door...

And suddenly there was silence...

She turned to a darkened hallway heavy with smoke which swirled in thick roils, burning her eyes, the metallic twist of blood mixing with the smell of charred flesh and burned cordite, catching in the back of her throat. The bodies of those she'd known were scattered about her, twisted awkwardly, deathly-still. Blum, the last soldier standing, had stepped in front of her to protect her.

Visibility was just a few feet, lights knocked out, panels on the wall sparking in the dim haze, making her flinch - but in the centre of the choking gloom, bright and loud in the darkness, wrapped about by the twisting, roiling smoke, that scarlet blade still glowed ominously...

The dark smoke curled away at some unseen movement, shrinking back in perfect eddies as if unwilling to be near this shadow-wraith... and the Sith lifted his head slowly, blood-red blade dropping low behind him, tip to the floor.

He looked at her, his chest still heaving from the exertion of the fight, wild mismatched eyes locking hers- and Leia did the one thing she'd never done before in her entire life...

She froze, rooted to the spot, unable to move beneath that razor gaze-

The single moment stretched to eternity, reality hazing to a distant, distorted blur- all that existed were brown eyes locked on mismatched blue-

And something- something cut through every thought in Leia's mind; a mental whisper with the power of a punch exploding inside her head, as much a feeling as a thought, overwhelming, overpowering, making her flinch beneath its intensity-

RUN!!

It was like an electric shock coursing through her, like a charge fizzing round, firing every muscle-

She stumbled backward as the locked door grated open behind her, backstepping wildly, almost falling through the doorway as she gripped at Blum's sleeve, dragging him with her.

Without hesitation, without once raising her blaster, Leia turned and fled, the heavy blast door springing closed behind her with a reverberating clang, cutting him off.

She passed at full tilt the remainder of the unit, heading down a side-corridor, having set off to find another way to reach her and her trapped team. She didn't stop, didn't slow down, shouting to them to follow.

By the time they reached the escape ship, stormtroopers were close on their tail, their exit path held clear by Han's group, but in truth she hadn't even registered them or the blaster bolts which had fired wild down the pristine corridors of the new Star Destroyer, Han gesturing wildly as Chewie warmed up the engines of the stolen shuttle.

They barrelled onboard and blasted off as the ship's ramp was still sealing, setting a twisting course, running for hyperspace, the darkness about them lit to daylight by the ranging shots of too many Destroyers closing in about them, Han throwing the shuttle into complex manoeuvres, cursing the whole way.

Leia stood distant and removed, statue-still, everything somehow hazy and indistinct, reality relegated to vague washes of color and movement.

When the stars turned to streaks of light she was still stood in the cockpit, hand gripped knuckle-white about her unfired blaster, heart pounding like a hammer against her ribs, every beat hitching in her short breaths. Not at the ambush, nor the close shave...

But at that moment, running over and over in her head, when his presence had cut through her thoughts like a blade, filling her with terror, instilling absolute dread, one single word overriding every rational thought...

Run!!

She lifted her free hand, looking to it now - it was still trembling...

.

.

.

Luke walked calmly back from the devastated stretch of corridor towards the Bridge, stormtroopers beginning to converge on his position though he didn't slow, forcing the Unit Commander to turn about as he spoke.

"Sir- the Rebels had released the lockdown on a shuttle in..."

"They're gone." Luke said calmly. Still deeply immersed in the Force, he could sense relief flood the trooper's thoughts; that he'd expected an explosion on delivering that news. "Stand down. Lock all sections and bays down and take all active 'trooper units to start a slow sweep of every floor, starting from the Bridge. I want every single person onboard checked against security logs- from the Palace; don't use those onboard. And get a 'tech team into the ops room where they were - check they've not left any surprises in the system." He turned to a second stormtrooper, hand out, "Comlink?"

The 'trooper handed over his comlink without hesitation; it was well known that the Commander never carried one of his own and even if he did, no-one was about to question him right now.

Admiral Joss answered Luke's comm, "Sir?"

"Status?"

"The Bridge is secured, Commander. We have no further reports of incursions and all inward corridors are sealed and guarded. The Dauntless, the Victory and the Vanguard are moving to flanking positions. The Executor is also closing."

"The Rebel ship?" Luke held his breath, though he already knew.

"Sir the ship made it to lightspeed; we were far enough from Coruscant that they could initiate drives immediately."

Luke didn't react; didn't let out the breath; there were too many eyes close by, not all of which could be trusted. "Trajectory?"

"Calculating, Sir- but the variables..." Joss paused momentarily, then; "Sir, The Emperor commands your presence."

"On my way."

.

.

By the time Luke reached the Bridge, security was off the scale, Royal Guard everywhere, the dignitaries having withdrawn into a small group like the sheep they were.

Palpatine was stood quite apart from the hectic rush of the busy bridge, gazing out of the viewscreen at the Destroyers converging on their position, forming a defensive wall about them.

He turned immediately as Luke approached, gesturing for him to rise when he'd only just made to kneel, genuine approval in his voice, "Rise- rise, my friend."

"The insurgents are gone, Master. The ship is being secured but I think they were an isolated threat."

"Who were they?" Palpatine's yellow-flecked eyes glowed, his pallid skin ashen in the strong light of the Destroyer bridge.

"Rebels." Luke replied simply; if his Master new the attack was imminent, then Luke had no reason to think that he wouldn't know who was planning it.

Now the Emperor's indulgent tone confirmed that he'd chosen the right course; Palpatine had known, and Luke's decision to move decisively against them had not been missed. "How do you know?"

He still couldn't resist this test, Luke knew, so obvious as to be insulting.

"Leia Organa was with them." This too had been carefully considered; if Luke had sensed her then his Master must have done the same, so to claim ignorance would be a glaring error, while to willingly admit it would be a valued reassurance. Though of course he didn't expect his Master to admit such out loud.

"You're sure?"

"Security footage will confirm it but yes, I'm sure."

Palpatine turned away, his face hidden in the folds of the heavy velvet hood he wore. The sting Luke had been expecting was finally delivered, "And you let her get away?"

"I didn't 'let her' do anything. But yes, she escaped." He allowed just enough frustration sound in his voice to suggest his own annoyance at this.

"How did she get out?"

"How did she get in?" Luke said, buying valuable seconds for thought...

"Answer my question."

"...They were trapped in the corridors close to Ops; I'd locked down the blast doors, trapping them." He shook his head, "I need to check the logs - they managed to open the doors somehow."

Palpatine glanced away again, satiated, "They held Override Codes - I will look very closely into how they had them."

Luke knew he was being let off too easily; the only possible reason he could fathom was that Palpatine knew the truth about Leia and was trying to gloss over it now, so he pushed the argument against himself; the facts would be found out soon enough anyway and he might just be able to clarify Palpatine's knowledge by laying the blame for those doors elsewhere.

"Still, the doors shouldn't have opened again; I didn't close them using the mechanism."

Palpatine glanced sharply to him, "You used the Force?"

"Yes- the blast doors which the Rebels locked closed in the first assault had already been opened again. I didn't have time to contact the bridge so I closed them - locked her in. I thought I'd burned the system and stripped the gearing to do it. There should have been no way they could be opened."

Palpatine glanced away with forced calm, "Perhaps you were mistaken."

He knows about her abilities- he's trying to hide them from me.

Luke pushed a little further, aware that he was indicting Leia Organa by insinuating that she had some control of her latent abilities, but this time the risk was worth the price. She was already number one on the Empire's 'Most Wanted' list and Luke needed to know whether it was because she was leader of the Rebellion or because Palpatine knew she was Force-sensitive. And anyway, having closed the blast door himself to convince Palpatine of his willingness to capture her, Luke had to explain away the fact that he had reopened it to get her out. "And... I thought I sensed..."

"You are injured." Palpatine said across his words, causing Luke to look down in genuine surprise. At some point during the short firefight he must have been hit by shrapnel and not realised, adrenaline and focus suppressing it, because when he lifted his left hand, palm up, there was a long, deep gash running down its edge from below his wrist to his little finger, blood drying about the ring he wore there, streaked across his palm and between his fingers.

Palpatine reached out and took his hand, the unanticipated act completely breaking Luke's train of thought. He resisted momentarily, pulling against the hold, but the Emperor stepped forward, drawing his hand closer as Luke tensed uneasily against the unexpected contact.

His Master put bone-thin fingers to the gash and opened it up momentarily, lifting it closer to study the wound. "It will need sutures- have it attended to."

Luke backstepped, again trying to free his hand. Palpatine looked up at this and Luke froze beneath that deliberate, meaningful gaze, deeply uncomfortable- then the Emperor released his hold and Luke slipped his hand free, Palpatine's blood-wet fingers sliding over it as he did so, long nails trailing against Luke's skin like a shiver down his spine.

He backstepped quickly, gathering his composure with distance, then bowed briefly and turned, walking quickly away, seeking to put some space between himself and his Master-

"First-" Luke turned about as Palpatine spoke out, loud enough for everyone on the Bridge to hear, "I will name the starship I came here to launch."

Everyone murmured, unsure, but Palpatine grinned, focus still on his feral Jedi at the far side of the bridge as the room hushed to expectant silence, all eyes on the Emperor as he strode slowly to centre-stage, commanding attention, gaze never leaving Luke's.

When he finally turned away it was to look to the assembled dignitaries and Officers, composed and confident, supremely self-possessed, making sure that this moment would be remembered. "I had thought to call it the Invincible... but that is just a name. This ship and its Commander - Heir to my Empire, Commander in Chief of my Fleet - deserve something more... unique. Something in consideration of the events which took place today, in appreciation of the allegiance, the loyalty of its Commander... The ship I launch today I will name for him; after him-"

He held Luke's eyes across the bridge- not in coercion or intimidation for once, but in indulgent approval. And somehow that was more unsettling to Luke than anything that had gone before, freezing his chest to uneasy tightness as Palpatine spoke;

"I name this ship The Patriot. Long may it serve."

There was a polite ripple of applause about the room, though Luke didn't react, still held to that unsettled stillness, eyes on his Master-Finally he drew a breath; forced himself to move past the moment. He bowed with studied calm, then turned and walked from the bridge, deeply disquieted.