Horizons ( Luke Skywalker )

chapter I

     She stood in the throne room, at her master's right hand side, as she always did. But something felt different; her self assuredness of her role was fading, and it bothered her. He had trained her since birth, he told her everything, and she had more right to stand there than anyone else. But the way he kept moaning on and on about the boy... She couldn't deny that it troubled her.

"He's just within reach," her master was saying in that guttural voice. When she was very young, she had been scared of him and of his wicked face. She had to learn to become used to it and now it rarely bothered her. After all, her master was more like a father to her. But at that moment, her skin started to crawl.  "We need something to tip him over the edge. With Vader, his love for his wife is what turned him."

She was thankful they were alone; she didn't know how she would react if Vader were actually in the room. A small part of her was curious about his past; she had heard stories, of course, but she never even humored them. It was hard to imagine the man behind the mask, and that he had actually loved a woman so fiercely. But hearing her master speak of it... "Perhaps we can use love against this young Jedi as well," the Emperor continued. "What do you suggest, Jade?"

She was jarred out of her thoughts of Vader with the sound of her name. The Jedi... They were trying to break him... Her master was asking for her thoughts on the matter...

It was hard for her to say. She only had the pleasure of being in the boy's presence for a short while. It was right after he been captured; it was up to her to escort the boy to a secure room. Along the way, she could feel his eyes staring at her, trying to read her. She would have liked to stab his eyes out, but she knew he was of importance and she wasn't about to risk her hide.

Afterwards, he had tried to ask her questions, none of them being about what their plans were for him, or what would happen next. All he cared about were his friends. 'Please tell me, are they alright?' he had asked. 'Does the emperor have them? Did they make it away?'

Of course, she didn't answer. She just promptly told him to get some sleep and left him to lick his wounds. But she had seen enough. "He is very soft hearted," she eventually said after evaluating her memory of the short interaction. "Love is his weakness."

The Emperor sat on his throne and absorbed her words. The sound of his low hum filled the air as he worked out his newest plan. "I will work on finding his friends," he eventually said. "In the meantime... Spend some time with him."

The words carried a heavy weight and she knew what her master was implying. So, she would be the one putting the plan into action. The boy's weakness was his heart and she would be the one to sabotage it. She would gain his trust, become his ally, and become his downfall.

She wasn't sure how to react; she certainly wasn't excited for the task. Actually, she felt the exact opposite but protesting was not an option. All she could do was steady herself and reply, "As you wish, my lord."

     . . .

     She took deep breaths as she stood before the door of his room. The feeling that washed through her almost felt like anxiousness but that was silly; she had done things far more difficult than this. Handling the boy should be a piece of cake.

So, she pulled herself up straight, squared her shoulders, and stalked into his room.

He was laying on his side on the small twin size bed. Upon her entrance, he quickly sat up.