A/N Luke is twelve in this
"Alright class, I am going to hand out your report chips now. Have your parents or guardian sign it so I knew they've viewed it," Luke's teacher, Mrs. Autem, began to hand out chips to each student, "And I can tell forged signatures, so don't even try." She said as she eyed a couple of his classmates. She reached to Luke and handed his chip to him, Luke grabbed it anxiously and shoved it in his datapad.
The screen lit up and processed the information on the chip, a display popped on the screen listing Lukes's classes on one side with the corresponding grade on the other. Luke examined the screen, his eyes rolled over his grades, but stopped quickly. He took several double-takes, making sure his eyes were not deceiving him. F, he got an F, he couldn't believe it.
Well, maybe it wasn't totally unbelievable, he struggled in his Histories class. It was hard to focus, especially when they talked about his father. It was genuinely weird to learn about him in school, so he ended up zoning out, he knew it wasn't a good habit but couldn't help it. He looked at his grade miserably, trying to avoid thinking what his father would say.
He did not tolerate failure in school, his other grades were fine but this one stuck out like a sore thumb. He would be grounded until adulthood for sure, maybe even through his early adulthood. His stomach churned anxiously as the bell signaling the end of class rang, Luke pulled the data chip and shoved it in his bag and stood up.
"What do you look so upset for?" Luke turned and saw his classmate Lani look at him with her arms crossed. Luke quirked his mouth into a slight frown and looked to the ground.
"Oh- just- I didn't do as well as I hoped," Luke replied referencing their report chips, Lani nodded in understanding as Aaron walked up.
"You should just hide it," She stated flatly, Aaron looked at her shocked.
"Hide what?" Aaron asked as he looked between the two, Lani laughed.
"His report chip, that's what I do if I do bad." Aaron's mouth dropped open and looked at Luke then at Lani.
"And that's why you get detention when your parents don't sign your card!" He pointed at Lani and turned to look at Luke, "You can't hide it, you would get in more trouble." Luke let out a weary sigh, he was in trouble either way.
"I won't hide my report chip," Luke reasoned, "Probably," He added quietly, Aaron looked somewhat relieved.
"C'mon, lets go." Aaron turned to leave, Lani nudged Luke on the shoulder and gave him an encouraging look as Luke followed Aaron. He looked down to the floor while he walked down the hall next to Aaron. "Didn't do too good, huh?"
"No, I failed history." Luke slumped his shoulders, "I feel like an idiot." Luke mumbled, Aaron's eyes widened.
"You are not an idiot just because you failed a class Luke," Aaron laughed, "Everyone has a subject they struggle in." Luke nodded, knowing that Aaron also struggled in a class made him feel somewhat better. But that's not what he was worried about, he was worried how mad or disappointed his father would be. Hiding the chip sounded appealing, he knew he couldn't hide it forever, he would get detention. He just wanted to put off his father from seeing it as long as possible.
Luke was in the middle of being flown home when he caught the sight of his father's building in the distance, his stomach felt like it was doing flips. Lekauf pulled in the speeder slowly in the hangar and landed gently. Luke slowly got out of the speeder, Lekauf looked at him funny. "Are you sure you're okay Luke? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Luke thinned his lips, "Yes, I am probably just going to get a life sentence, is all." Luke sighed, Lekauf looked at him curiously.
"What do you mean?" Lekauf rounded the speeder and walked up to Luke, Luke let out a long sigh.
"Failed one of my classes," Luke mumbled, Lekauf took in a sharp breath and his face cringed somewhat. This reaction did not sit well with Luke, perhaps Lekauf could tell and his demeanor relaxed.
"Luke-I am sure everything is going to be okay," Lekaud smiled, "You won't get a life sentence, your life isn't a holodrama." Lekauf laughed, well it sure felt like a holodrama sometimes, but he figured that's what he gets for being Darth Vader's son. Lekauf patted Luke on the shoulder, Luke smiled, he really did appreciate when Lekauf tried to comfort him, despite it not being very effective. Luke slowly made his way to the lift and walked in, as the lift ascended he slowly opened up to the force to see if his father was there.
The usual overwhelming presence of his father was not there, Luke let out a sigh of relief, Luke was highly considering taking Lani's advice. Hiding the report chip would not fix the problem, Luke knew that, but it would buy him time to gather the courage and show his father his grade. Despite what Lekauf said, his father was not above grounding him for life.
The lift doors opened, Luke stepped out and rushed slightly to his room. He walked in and looked around for potential hiding spots and pursed his lips, "Hmmm…" Luke walked to the center of his room and eyed his closet. Luke walked in and turned the light on, this would be a good place to hide it. Luke didn't keep a very tidy closet, hiding it under his bundle of clothes, for now, would do. Luke crouched down and stuffed it in the pile then stood back up feeling slightly better.
With the recent revelation of his grades, it became apparent that he should probably study more for his history class. Luke walked out of his closet and towards his desk, plopped down on the seat and pulled out his datapad. He would study and go over history information until his father came home.
Luke was phasing in and out of sleep while his head lay on his desk, his mind was running and buzzing with history facts he had been reading all evening. His brain felt numb and tired, maybe he overdid it on the study thing. He jolted up in his seat when he felt his father's presence poke at him through the force then surround him. If he played it cool, his father wouldn't question why he was acting weird and then try to avoid telling the truth without lying, which was incredibly tricky.
Luke stood up from his desk and over towards the panel by his door and quickly ordered something to eat and pushed back the thought of his card report. He apparently screamed his feelings and thoughts into the force, he stepped out of his room to wait for the droid to bring him food when the lift doors opened revealing his father. Luke took in a deep breath then gave him a smile.
"Hey- whats up? Whats goin on? Hows- hows it been?" Luke asked nervously and folded his arms over his chest trying to show the confidence he lacked. His father walked up to him and folded his arms as well as he looked down on Luke.
"Why are you acting like that?" His father asked, Luke began to tap his finger rapidly on his arm as he grew more nervous.
"Acting like what? Just acting like myself," Luke laughed nervously, he felt his father's gaze burn into him, even with the mask. Luke then spotted the service droid rolling over towards them, Luke maneuvered out of his fathers way towards the droid and took the tray of food. "Thank you." Luke smiled and turned back to his father, "Oh well, my food is here, I suppose we can finish this chat later."
"No, we can continue this chat while you eat." His father said sternly, "Follow me," His father turned and headed towards the conference room. Luke let out a pained sigh and glanced at his bedroom than at the back of his father's form walking towards the conference room. He hesitantly followed behind him and into the conference room. He placed his tray on the table and sat at the end of the table while his father went to the other end.
"Explain why you are exhibiting strange behavior." His father told him, Luke sank slightly in his seat.
"Define strange behavior- maybe this is my new normal." Luke smiled with his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"You know well what I mean, young one." His father pointed at Luke, "Cease this game, tell me what you are hiding. I interrogate people for a living, it will not take long for you to divulge what you are hiding."
"If I am hiding something, am I not allowed to have secrets of my own?!" Luke asked, waving his arms around.
"You may have private information you keep to yourself, you are not allowed to hide things from me." Luke looked down at his food and pushed it around, wishing to just zap away from this conversation. Luke didn't respond, too anxious and wasn't all to sure what to say. "Do not test my patience, young one." His father said in a slow, dangerous voice. Luke bit his lip nervously and looked around the room.
"It's not a big deal, really," Luke leaned over and grabbed a bite of his food more so for something to do as he became more self-aware under his father's gaze.
"If it is not a big deal, then telling me what it is should not be a problem." Just as Luke was about to find another way to deflect the situation, a droid rolled in carrying something that looked somewhat familiar. Luke's eyes widened when he realized it was his report chip. Luke gasped loudly as the droid held it up.
"Master Skywalker, you left this in your laundry," The maid droid beeped, Luke jumped and grabbed the chip and held it behind his back.
"It's nothing!" Luke said loudly, looking at the droid petrified that it brought in the chip. The droid rolled out of the room, Luke turned back to face his father, still holding the chip behind his back.
"What is that?" His father asked.
"Nothing," Luke said quickly, Luke felt the chip slip out of his hands and watched it fly across the room, Luke reached out to grab it desperately but it flew into his father's hand. His father examined the chip, turning it over in his hand.
"Is this chip from school?" His father inquired, Luke rubbed his arm awkwardly and looked down to the ground. Was he supposed to keep begging for his father to not look at it or just give up? Luke figured the more he begged his father the more his father wanted to see what he was hiding, the charade was over.
"Who can say, a lot of chips look the same and... " Luke trailed off as his father picked up his datapad and plugged the chip into it. Luke watched anxiously as his father looked down onto the datapad, Luke desperately wanting to know what his father was thinking. His father was silent, allowing Lukes's anxiety to flood his very being.
"I see it is your report chip," His father said after the long span of silence, "I see you have done rather poorly in your History class, why?" His father asked sharply.
"I- I don't know- I struggled in that class," Luke said awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck looking to the floor.
"Why did you not ask for my assistance?!" His father asked, "Why did you hide this from me!?"
"I- I just didn't want you to think I was an idiot, I guess." Luke said softly, "It's weird, learning about you, you're my dad. Once you're mentioned I just lose focus I guess." Luke added.
"Luke, if you need help I will not think you are stupid." Luke looked up at him, "You are only twelve, it is natural to need help with some things."
"So, you aren't mad at me?" Luke asked.
"No, I am not mad at you, just disappointed." His father paused, "You are grounded." Luke looked at him shocked and gasped loudly. "Why do you act like you did not expect this?"
"I thought that maybe you would give me a break.." Luke shrugged his shoulders.
"No." Luke's shoulders slumped, "For a month."
"For a month?!" Luke asked.
"I believe that is what I said." Luke sat back down on the chair and continued to eat his food, which began to get a little cold. Luke pushed around his food some more and swung his feet back and forth lightly.
"You really don't think I'm stupid?" Luke asked, his father was using a lightpen to sign his signature on the datapad and pulled out the chip and flew it over to Luke.
"No, I do not think you are stupid, Luke." His father stated, "Just misguided." Luke smiled and let out a sigh.
"Wow, I thought I was going to be grounded for life." Luke took a bite of his food.
"Do not be absurd, failure in a class is not worthy of such a punishment."
"What is worthy of that?"
"I am not giving you any ideas," His father said as he worked on his datapad. Luke continued to eat the rest of his food, he was glad to not have to worry about hiding this chip anymore. Being grounded for month sucked, but it didn't go as terrible as Luke had worried, the night carried on as usual.
A/N I really hope you liked this chapter! Soon I am going to post a story that's part of this AU but longer than a one-shot so I am making it a separate story onto itself. It should be up in a couple of days, but anyways, thank you for reading!