AN- This story is written from a challenge from the Luke/ Vader writers site. At no time did I accept money for writing this story nor will I in the future. I'm just playing in George's sand box. Pleas read and review if you fell it warrants a review. Thank You and enjoy

"A Wish Come True"

Chapter 1

What was once the Senate Hall of the Old Republic now was the Grand Audience Chamber of the new Emperor. Elaborately decorated by the old Emperor, Emperor Skywalker had the chamber stripped of all decorations and artwork. Some say it was because he didn't want anything there that could conceal a bomb or listening device. Truth be told after his battle with the then Emperor Palpatine; in this very room, most of the statues and art work were either damaged or destroyed out right, not to mention Emperor Skywalker didn't want anything there that would take the center of attention off him.

Still suffering from wounds he'd received during the battle with the now deceased Emperor Palpatine, Emperor Skywalker sat; slightly slumped and to the right, in judgment over his new and changing Empire.

"Milord," the newly appointed governor of Tatooine started, "since your rise to power and the ensuing chaos that followed during the first month, a new push in the slave trade has risen."

Chaos, Emperor Skywalker didn't like that word attached to his name there was no chaos when he'd taken over, maybe a little disorganization until his orders were received, but to use the word chaos was a little strong. He'd have to discipline this Governor for taking such a liberty. Nevertheless, the subject he was reporting on interested him, a lot. Having been a former slave and from the planet the governor was now informing him of he thought it prudent to let him finish before making an example of him.

"It seems that Tatooine is once again the hub of the slave trade, women and children aside from being abducted in broad daylight are now being taken while they sleep in their homes."

"I see," Emperor Skywalker acknowledged, "and what steps have you taken to quell this… new push Governor…" pausing to check with his assistant for the name of the governor, "Governor Trasskin." his voice echoing through the chamber.

"W, well my Emperor with the resources I have, I have added extra patrols throughout the settlements, but those troops are rapidly burning out I haven't enough to rotate shifts and give them time to recover."

Thinking on what the Governor had just reported it only took the Emperor several seconds to find something wrong, and the choice of placing him in a such a roll as Governor of a planet may have been a mistake, one he would rectify shortly. His anger reached a crescendo he tightly gripped the arms of his throne leaning forward to further intimidate the governor, "Governor, am I to believe that you know that Tatooine is the hub of the new slave push and all you've done to stop it is add extra patrols?"

"Y, yes my liege, I mean no my liege, as we speak a full investigation is ongoing," the governor replied fear obvious in his voice.

"And what is the progress of this… investigation?" Emperor Skywalker asked indignantly as his patience became short.

The one thing that he stressed to his subordinates when he'd taken over is that failure was intolerable, and dealt with severely. You received one chance and one chance only, and the Governor himself without even knowing it declared his failure.

Staring intently at the Governor, Emperor Skywalker drew on the Force focusing his power on the Governor's throat. In a matter of seconds, the Governor found himself gasping for air unable to draw a life giving breath. Holding his throat, his eyes bulging he tried to proclaim his sorrow, but all that came out garbled sound. Crumbling to the floor the Governor's body lay lifeless, the other Governors stared in awe wondering if the same fate was awaiting them.

"Apology accepted, governor."

Looking about the room filled with other Governors he pointed at the deceased Governor asking, "Who was in attendance with this incompetent fool?"

All at once, the entire entourage of Governors looked to the one man standing to the Emperor's right. Turning his attention to where the Governors were now looking the Emperor watched as a lone man stepped forward.

"That would be me my Emperor; I am the Lt. Governor of Tatooine."

"And Lt. Governor, do we have a name?" Emperor Skywalker asked sarcastically.

"I do my Milord," he replied bowing and taking to one knee, "I am Lt. Governor Wedge Antilles."

"Well Lt. Governor it seems you have been promoted to Governor, I trust that this slave matter will be dealt with directly?" Emperor Skywalker asked with emphasis.

"It will." Governor Antilles answered with assurance.

Turning to his personal assistant, he ordered.

"Give the new governor the troops and supplies he needs," looking back at the new Governor he added, "I will be following this problem very closely and I expect your first report at weeks end, is that clear?"

"I may have some news already my liege." Antilles answered.

"Please enlighten me as to the nature of this information."

"I asked well the former Governor," Antilles started motioning to the body that lay before him, "for a platoon of troopers to investigate the Palace of the long dead Jabba the Hutt, the last and most notorious slave trader in that system."

"Go on," Emperor Skywalker acknowledged.

"Well I was refused and ordered not to pursue my suspicion, which struck me as odd. I was then assigned to another matter that took up most of my time, I think the former governor hoped it would keep me busy but it did not. I found that he was in league with the traders and assisting them, I have made a detailed report of my findings here on this datapad," Antilles finished holding up the datapad he'd retrieved from his pocket.

"And why is it that you bring this to my attention now and not when you found this information out?" Emperor Skywalker asked drawing on the Force sensing if the new Governor was about to lie.

"When I was re-assigned the old Governor had my every move watched it was only by my training as a soldier was I able to do what I did, that and a lot of luck, I had expected to seek a private audience with your highness, but recent events has made that unnecessary." Antilles said again motioning to the deceased Governor that lay before him.

Sensing that Antilles was telling the truth he turned to his assistant again adding, "Also send a Star Destroyer for back up if this person was able to sway one of my governors he may be a formidable enemy.""It will be done my liege," the assistant answered.

"You are dismissed Governor Antilles, I will be awaiting your reports with the utmost interest."

Governor Antilles stood snapped to attention saluting the Emperor, turned and left the chamber.

Emperor Skywalker watched as the governor left the chamber his mind filling with the memories he had living on Tatooine as a child and enslaved to the salvage dealer Watto. He and his mother had to work long hours with little or no luxuries for themselves. However, that didn't seem to bother his mother as long as she had 'her Annie' she seemed happy. He didn't like it when she called him that and his response every time she was 'aw mom', how he longed to her call him that again. Those were the precious memories he allowed hi self to remember but all too often, the good memories followed by the bad, and the fateful day that started him on his journey down the path to the Dark Side.

Troubled by a reoccurring nightmare that his mother was in danger and finally succumbing to the dream, he followed his instinct, while guarding the other true love of his life, Padmé. Landing on Tatooine he immediately went to the Lars homestead where he had learned that Watto; his former master, had sold his mother. Getting there, he also learned that Lars had freed his mother and married her, but one morning while she was out picking mushrooms the sand people abducted her. Anakin now knew that, that was the danger he'd been sensing in his dreams. He was told that thirty of the local settlers including Lars himself went after her but they met with resistance and quite a few settlers died not to mention it cost Lars his leg.

Surrendering to the fact that his beloved wife was dead they ended the search for Shmi and preformed a burial ceremony in her honor. However, with Anakin's arrival he knew that she in fact was alive and promised to bring her back.

He'd located her in a settlement deep into the Jundland Wastelands, and sneaking into the encampment he found her barely alive but alive nonetheless. Releasing her from her bindings, he lowered her to the floor where it seemed all the torture and pain she had suffered disappeared when she set her eye once again on her Beloved Son Annie.

He remembered her words as if he had just heard them.

"Annie, Annie you look so handsome."

"Save your strength Mom we've got to get away from here." He replied.

"My son," Shmi went on, "My grown up son."

Anakin pleaded with her to conserve her strength but Shmi had given into the fact that she wasn't going to leave there… alive. Therefore, she took the time she knew she did have to proclaim her love for her beloved Annie.

"I'm so proud of you, Annie I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Mom," he replied tears filling his eyes.

"Now I am complete, I love… I love…" was all she managed to say as the remaining life within her passed like someone turning off a light.

"NO!" Emperor Skywalker yelled slamming his fists down on the arm rests of his throne.

The Governors who were standing awaiting to be heard stepped back as they had all noticed something going on but were to afraid to approach. Emperor Skywalker snapping out of his daydream remembered that he was in audience stood and ordered the room cleared. Without any explanation, he turned and left through his private exit leaving all who remained dumbfounded as to what had just transpired.

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Luke sat in his room parts of an old R-2 unit scattered on the floor about him. He received an R-2 unit as a gift for being very good at fixing things about the Farm, which in turn had made his master quite a bit of credits. People from different farms and even as far as Mos Eisley would come to have things repaired, for a marginal fee of course. With the high cost of replacing the droids or whatever item it was that needed fixing, it was a lot cheaper.

Luke was diligently working on the holo display of the old unit when unbeknownst to him he inadvertently knocked over a can of lubricating oil. Unnoticed by Luke the oil seeped into a crack in his floor and eventually found its way down to the ceiling below where Barrokk, his master, was sitting at the dining room table going over the days receipts. The spill might have gone unnoticed had it not dripped right into his master's cup of caf. Having the cup at his mouth just as the dripping oil hit the caf it caused a little splash and burnt the tip of his master's nose.

Looking up he saw the growing stain caused by the oil and slammed his cup down on the table spilling its contents on the table and on his hand. Knocking over his chair as his anger began to build, Barrokk stormed up to Luke's room. Pushing open the door, he startled Luke who kicked the can he had knocked over across the room.

"How many times have I told you not to bring that up here, it belongs out in the maintenance shack!" Barrokk yelled.

"I'm sorry but I thought…" Luke tried to say as Barrokk interrupted.

"That's your problem, you thought! Now look at this mess that oil has leaked right down to the ceiling and is at this very minute dripping on my floor!" Barrokk continued to scream.

Walking over to Luke, he grabbed him by the scruff of his neck dragging down the stairs and outside. Luke knew what was going to happen next, but there was a choice that his master Barrokk had to make either put Luke in the Box for a night or beat him.

Luke hopes it was the second because spending a night in the box meant no food or drink and in the heat of the day, you literally baked alive.

"I'll let you choose you punishment Luke, the Box or ten lashes?" Barrokk asked his eyes practically bulging out of there sockets.

"Um, do I have to choose?" Luke asked trying to put off the inevitable.

"Would you rather I choose?" Barrokk asked a little less angry but still intent on punishing the boy.

"I'll take the lashes." Luke answered sadly.

Pulling off his shirt, he went over to the block where the whippings took place, as he bent over the block, the scars were evident that this was not the first beating Luke had received. In fact, it was more like the tenth one. Master Barrokk made it a ritual even if they didn't do any wrong, he also whipped them if he thought they were getting complacent and lazy. He said it kept them on there toes.

Barrokk walked over to the block and as Luke lay there, Barrokk called out the other slaves to watch, to see a slave punished and learn from the slave's mistake. Removing the whip from a hook next to the block, he snapped it in the air a few times letting the fear and anticipation build as to when the first lash was coming. He also liked the sound of it, and it let all around him know that he was very serious.

Luke cried out as the first lash hit his back causing small lacerations in the middle of his back. After the first three or four the pain subsided as the body went into shock and numbness took over as the nerve endings in the boy's back became overloaded.

All ten lashes administered Barrokk threw the whip to the ground shouting, "Clean up, put the whip back and remove that junk from the room, I have to leave for Anchorhead shortly and the oil and the stains better be cleaned up by the time I return tomorrow… IS THAT CLEAR?" Barrokk asked with emphasis.

Luke picking up his shirt winced as the pain returned deciding to leave his shirt off he looked to Barrokk and answered, "It will be done Master, and please forgive my ignorance for doing what I knew I shouldn't?"

"Well see that it doesn't happen again, I don't like doing that you know, well at least not to you my boy you make me a lot of credits."

Barrokk pasted a smile on his face ruffled Luke's hair then turned and returned to the house Luke slowly walked over to where the whip lay and looking at it with contempt kicked it several meters away.

Watching his master disappear into the house Luke whispered,
"You'll see some day you'll pay for what you do to us, and as god is my witness I'll make sure you suffer the same as we do."

The pain now excruciating overpowered the little boy and Luke collapsed to the ground. His fellow slaves still watching rushed over to Luke picking him and returning to their quarters where they washed and bandaged his wounds. Other slaves might have been jealous of Luke because he was the only one allowed to sleep in the house but Luke every night would sneak food and drink out to his companions unbeknownst to Barrokk. Therefore, they liked Luke … a lot. He had even fashioned a small radio for them to listen to and was working on a holo viewer so they could see what life was like outside their dusty prison.

Several minutes later they all heard Barrokk fire up his T-16 and ready it for his trip to Anchorhead. Luke awake and a little less in pain emerged from the slave quarters to see his master off. As he approached his master, Luke was afraid to look him in the eyes for he always was apologetic after he beat a slave and tried to put it off as the slave's fault for making him whip them.

"Luke," Barrokk called as he came closer.

Luke was hoping to just walk by and wave as Barrokk left but now he had to look him in the eye.

"Y, yes master." Luke answered.

"You know I don't like doing that but you make me, I've left some medicine on the table and some cleaning chemicals that should remove the oil easily, and I know you don't deserve it but help yourself to whatever is in the cooling unit."

"Yes master and thank you." Luke replied.

"There's my little fixer upper, run along now." Barrokk finished as he climbed it the T-16 and sped away.

Luke watched as the figure grew smaller and smaller and as the figure finally disappeared he called to his fellow slaves.

"He's gone, tonight we eat like kings."