Forbidden

Part 1: Rebel Prisoner Luke

Luke's POV

"Luke Skywalker, we have orders to take you to the Detention Block. You are now a prisoner of the Empire."

Over the bond with his father, Vader sent, 'It begins, my son.'

Luke's mouth fell open in shock. The others in the room froze. Unsurprisingly, it was Qui-Gon who recovered from the surprise first.

"Under whose authority do you seek to take him?" The Jedi Master asked as he jumped to his feet.

"Lord Vader's," Davel answered.

Qui-Gon gave a bark of disbelieving laughter as he said, "Luke is Lord Vader's son! He would never put his own child under arrest. Until I hear this order from Lord Vader myself I will not allow you to lay a finger on him." 

The palm of Qui-Gon's right hand rested menacingly on the hilt of his light saber. Simok and Davel shifted uneasily as they faced the protective older man. For a moment, Luke saw Qui-Gon as someone else. Not the kind and thoughtful scholar, but a fierce warrior who Luke would be afraid to face on the battlefield.

Simok began, "We were told--"

Damon interrupted him as he, too, stood up and moved to a position between Luke and the troopers. "This has got to be a mistake! Davel, Simok! You can't be serious."

Joran squirmed over to Luke, clutching him around the middle. "Don't take Luke away!" the little boy cried.

"We won't let them, honey," Salara said as she rose and placed her hands on her hips, her expression tight as she surveyed the troopers. 

Luke finally snapped out of his dazed state. He knew he had to control the situation before it truly deteriorated.

"Wait! Everyone! Please, this is a game!" Luke said and cringed as he realized he had just said 'game.' 

"What?!"

"Game?!"

Damon and Qui-Gon spoke almost simultaneously as they turned to look at him, their disbelief etched on their handsome faces. Luke's mouth opened and shut several times. What explanation could he possible give? He felt the urge to laugh hysterically as Damon and Qui-Gon's expressions became more and more concerned by his silence. His thoughts flickered frantically for something to say. Then it hit him. His father wouldn't leave him in the lurch. He reached for Vader over the bond, but instead of words, his father drew Luke's attention to Davel and Simok, as if the troopers themselves held a way out. 

"What exactly were your orders?" Luke asked the troopers.

"We were to escort you to the Detention Block as if you were a prisoner. Lord Vader wishes to test the Detention Block's defenses," Davel answered.

"Why didn't you just say that?" Damon asked.

"We were instructed to say nothing more unless necessary," Simok said. "To make it as authentic as possible."

"Authentic?" Qui-Gon asked.

"As if Luke were truly under arrest," Davel answered.

"But why would Lord Vader want Luke to test the Detention Block's defenses?" Damon asked.

"Because ... because I helped someone escape from the same type of system on the Deathstar. He wants to see ... see how I did it and ... if the Executor's system suffers from the identical flaws," Luke rushed out. In a way what he had said was true. It was Leia's rescue from the Detention Block on the Deathstar that formed the basis of Luke's prisoner fantasy.

Qui-Gon's eyebrows rose exponentially with each statement out of Luke's mouth. The young man knew this explanation wasn't fooling the Jedi Master. With all that was going on with the Emperor, Black Heart and the Rebels, Vader would hardly care about testing the Detention Block's defenses, but it was all Luke could come up with. He willed Qui-Gon not to question him on it. The Jedi Master's eyes suddenly went unfocused. Luke could tell that he was speaking with Vader over their bond. A slight smile curled Qui-Gon's lips and he shook his head with a laugh.