I started writing this story over nine years ago. I decided to give this a much needed revamp. Not only has my writing style changed, but since this was written before RotS, there are some things that still need to be fixed to make it fit into the regular Star Wars universe. A few things I've changed here and there: such as the format. The former formatting was atrocious and very difficult to read. While I have attempted to spot check the grammar and spelling errors, I'm sure some have still slipped through. This takes place roughly between ANH and ESB. Quite a few of the characters are OC, though I have slipped in a few EU characters to try and make it fit. Enjoy!

I don't own Star Wars or its characters. George Lucas does. Lucky guy.

Reformatted/spot-checked February 6, 2011.

Revealed Identities

Chapter 1: Vader's Findings

Vader had felt the presence of the Admiral approaching him; the raw spike of fear followed by his potent relief had informed the dark lord that he had a visitor as soon as the man had landed in the docking bay. If the man felt relief then it meant that he did not expect to fail the Sith lord.

"Yes Admiral?" Vader asked, his back facing the commander, gazing out upon the vast star systems. Once, as a boy, he had asked if anyone had been to them all and declared that he would be the first to accomplish that task. So far, he was over half way to his goal. Not that such childish things mattered anymore.

"We have the information that you requested." Admiral Zephery produced a data card from his jacket. "The name of the Rebel responsible for destroying the Death Star."

A wave of curiosity washed over the Sith. He had felt the raw, un-tainted power of the pilot. It had been an incredible feeling, one that he hoped to have the pleasure of sensing again. Never before had he felt an untrained Force user so strong. The power was incredible. Something about the boy's presence had called to him, made him hesitate about demolishing him. It had cost Vader the once chance to kill the pilot.

The first time that he had come into contact with the boy was immediately after Kenobi's death. Kenobi had been shielding the boy from him, but why? Was he Kenobi's new apprentice?

Perhaps the rare guidance of the Force had stilled his hand? But how could that be? Rarely did the Force give him such insight anymore. His power had grown so strong that it had blacked out the useful but tedious gift of foresight unless it was of death and suffering. The one thing that had once come so easily to him as a child now seemed to have seeped out of his hands. Kenobi had not taught him well enough to keep it.

Vader allowed himself a twisted and painful smile as his mouth stretched upon his face, the scars groaning in protest at the action. The synth-flesh used to heal his wounds from Mustafar cracked with the effort. Idly he made a mental note to reassess his health in the near future. In the mean time, his thoughts dwelled on how he would train the boy and take Obi-Wan's precious Jedi from him. A fitting revenge to twist Kenobi's apprentice to serve the darkside.

"Load the data into the nava computer," Vader murmured, a sense of wonder coming over him. Strange that he did not feel angrier. The pilot had killed thousands of his troops, denting the people's faith in the Empire, giving the Rebels that much more to hope for. Yet he felt a strange connection to the boy. He was soon about to find out why. Zephery keyed in the right codes and uploaded the pilot's name.

Luke Skywalker.

Darth Vader froze, the name chilling him and frightening him more than anything had in a long time. Skywalker. His name. No, correction, his former name. It wasn't possible. The holo-recording of his wife's funeral and the obvious bulge in her stomach flashed before his mind. Logic told him he couldn't have a...

"What further information do you have on him?" Vader hissed, not letting himself finish his thought. Logic was one thing, but his instincts were screaming at him something far different.

"All that we could find, sir, was some information on his father," the Admiral supplied, deathly afraid that the lack of information on the pilot would get him killed. The relief he had once felt slipping way at Vader's apparent lack of interest.

"And?" Vader breathed, not daring to believe, not daring to hope.

"He appears to be the son of a Clone Wars' hero. His name was Anakin Skywalker, first appearing some years before the Clone Wars during the trade blockade of Naboo-"

"That is all I wanted to know." Vader's mind swirled. A son. He had a son! Palpatine would not be happy, but it didn't matter. Vader had changed the order of the Jedi, and he was not particularly interested in keeping with the idea of only two Sith if it meant something greater. Vader would find the boy, and Palpatine be damned, he would train him to follow in his footsteps.

"You said his name is Luke? What does he look like?" Vader demanded, a strange sort of pride and possessiveness coming over him.

"We have no picture-"

"How can you have no picture? Wasn't he on the Death Star?" Vader demanded. He was sure it had been the same boy. Vader relished the sudden spike of the Admiral's fear, fueling his own rage that he didn't even know what the child looked like.

"Milord, as the data aboard the Death Star was not yet backed into the HoloNet as Tarkin had all power being routed into utilizing the weapon's system. We were unable to obtain footage from there. However, " the Admiral continued on, trying not to show complete failure, "we do have a physical description of him. He has sandy blonde hair, blue eyes. Height 1.72 meters; age: 18; homeworld: Tatooine-"

"Tatooine?" Vader interrupted, his voice dripping with anger.

"Yes milord," Admiral Zephery stuttered. Of course, Vader thought with dry amusement, the Jedi made him live on the one planet his father hated most. The one planet, of course, where he would never venture to because of his loathing for it. Only two planets had he refused to visit again: Tatooine and Naboo. And as Palpatine had no such qualms about returning to Naboo, Tatooine was the most logical choice. Vader felt foolish for letting his hatred overcome him like that. He might have even been able to have felt his son's presence before if he had gone to Tatooine when they were looking for the lost droids, but of course, Vader had not had the nerve to. He had kept Anakin Skywalker at bay, buried deep down. He should not fear that other side. And once he turned the boy, he would never need worry about Anakin resurfacing to threaten the Sith. Vader slammed his fist into one of the terminals, causing the Admiral to jump.

"I want a bounty on him immediately," Vader instructed.

"Dead, of course?" the Admiral replied, coming over his shock.

"No. I want him alive, and if he is killed, the man who kills him will suffer humiliation beyond words, death, as well as the death and destruction of everything he holds dear to him." Vader sucked in a steadying breath against the whistling of his respirator. He was too passionate about this. One should never let his emotions interfere with what was needed to be done. It was a lesson he'd never learned.

"Yes, yes milord."

"Place a bounty of a hundred trillion credits." Admiral Zephery's eyes widened in amazement. "Alive only, and remember the consequences if he is killed." Zephery nodded, and then the Admiral stood there for a minute.

"Dismissed Admiral," Vader's voice rumbled out the words. The Admiral walked out of the dimly lit computer station with great speed, not caring of his dignity, only his life. Idly, Vader thought about contacting the Emperor. He would need to at some point. No doubt the Emperor would ask why he was not consulted first. But as with many things in his life, Vader knew it better to ask forgiveness than permission. After all, he rarely asked for forgiveness. Palpatine could figure out what he would. He'd been promised his wife and unborn child's safe being if he served the dark. If his master questioned him, Vader would throw his master's promise back at him.

Vader opened a com-link channel to the armory.

"Yes milord?" One of the men stood at attention, suddenly alert and fearful.

"I want the probe droids to be sent out across the galaxy in search of Luke Skywalker." This would be the perfect time to test the new prototype probe droids. He sent the man the data that he had on Skywalker: the only things that he knew about his son. That would change. A vision swarmed into Vader's mind: an Empire where things were moderately peaceful, where he was the Emperor, and his son his next in line, his heir. Yes, that would be the perfect universe. Vader would have his son, and in time, his vision would become reality.

Next part...Quick Cash