The genuine alarm in Luke's voice made Hallin frown, "There was nothing there when I came in... at least I don't think..." he turned about and stepped into the larger triáge room beyond, Luke quickly following him.
Seeing two small metal dishes on a clear tray on the side, still containing bloody swabs, Luke walked quickly around Hallin, lifting the smaller one.
"It was in this - the droid asked me to take it off to clean the wound and I put it in here - I didn't see anybody take this out."
His voice was nothing short of panic now, and Hallin looked about on the surfaces, confused, "One of the medi-droid must have taken the tray out- it must have removed the ring."
"And done what with it? And the trays are still here... so are the swabs. Why would a 'droid..." Luke paused, his face- his whole demeanour- changing. "Palpatine."
"What?"
"Palpatine was in here."
"I'm sure he wouldn't..." Hallin trailed off as Luke turned on him, eyes wild.
"He was in the outer room- he would have seen it. He'd have only needed a second."
Hallin frowned, unnerved by Luke's intensity over something so insignificant. "Was it important?"
"It was my..." Luke bit off his answer, remembering where he was. Not that it mattered; he would have to go and ask for the ring back anyway - and Palpatine clearly knew what it was, though Luke had no idea how. Had he known Luke's mother... could he have recognised it? Had he noticed it when he had studied Luke's hand on the Bridge?
No- the renaming of the ship had been a genuine act, Luke was sure of it. Another thought occurred, freezing Luke's chest at its implications- had he now ruined the trust he had finally so briefly held?
Because he knew- in every fibre of his being, Luke knew Palpatine had the ring.
He walked to the wall com and contacted the Bridge, mind buzzing. "Joss, is the Emperor still on-board?"
"No, Sir; he and his security escort returned to the Palace a while ago."
Hallin watched Luke stand before the comlink, hand resting on the transmit, considering, finally sighing as he shook his head infinitesimally, jaw tensing, eyes closing in resignation. What was going on- what was so important about the ring?
Luke sighed, cursing his own inattentiveness, rubbing his fingers across the bridge of his nose, tired and frustrated. He never took the ring off- never. Why had he done it today- why had he left it in plain view? Normally he would have simply transferred the ring to his other hand to keep it safe.
It wasn't like him to be so lax. But then he'd been unsettled, uneasy at the Emperor's praise- uncomfortable with it. It had been praying on his mind when he'd been in the medicentre.
Sometimes... he sighed again, frustrated; sometimes he wondered if he sabotaged his own efforts simply as a knee-jerk response. It had been such an obvious oversight- he'd never let the ring from his sight before so why now?
One step forward two steps back; just as he was gaining some trust with the Emperor something happened. So common-a pattern was this that he'd begun to suspect that he could only play the game for so long before it became too uncomfortable to bear and he seemed almost to undermine his own advance. Occasionally it was a conscious judgment to destroy his favour with the Emperor, the by-product of a decision made by choice for logical reasons- at least to his mind. But just as often he would trip himself up or dig his heels in... or worse, he would trip himself up and then dig his heels in- just as he was about to do now.
What he should do was wait; give Palpatine some time to calm down, to view the ring in the larger context of the day's events. In fact what he should do was let the ring go.
That was what he should do.
He sighed, aware of Hallin's frown as he spoke into the comm, "Joss- get me a shuttle."
"What are you doing?" Nathan asked, knowing alarm audible in his voice.
"Going to find Palpatine." Luke said evenly without turning.
"You're not actually going to ask him are you?"
It would be tantamount to accusing the Emperor of stealing, Hallin knew, though even that seemed pale, Luke's disproportionate reaction hinting that there was something bigger at stake here.
"Yes." Luke said, tight voice overlaid with a veneer of brittle calm, "It's the one damn thing I really own; the one thing that's mine."
The one thing he owned belonging to his mother- the one link he had to an unsullied past, though he couldn't say that out loud.
It was also the one thing that could link him to his father - and that he did need to deal with this now, before it became an issue. Correct his mistake and placate his Master's anger before Palpatine dwelled on it too long- before he thought too hard on its implications. Luke shrugged, tone impassive; that of someone accepting their fate, "He's going to make me pay anyway- he's not about to let something like this go. I may as well get it over with."
He glanced up and despite his tone, when he looked to Hallin there was fire in his eyes; raw determination- "And I want that ring back."
.
.
Surprisingly, Luke was admitted immediately to the Emperor's residence, led through the huge, echoing grandeur of the main hallway and under the three-storey double staircase which hugged the curve of ebony and basalt-lined walls. Along columned walkways, the rows of Royal Guard stood to straight attention, a flash of bright scarlet in the cavernous shadows. It was always cold here, the high banks of faceted, copper-banded plexiglass always dialled down to near-darkness, endless stretches of shaded reflections dimmed to dense opacity. Footsteps echoing in the cloying silence, Luke was escorted to an audience room by an unusually tense Amedda, who stopped at the door, bowing slightly, never meeting Luke's eye.
Luke walked forward, taking a deep breath, prepared for anything-
The room was tall and gloomy with fine, intricately-set glass mosaic about walls and ceiling in complex designs and heavy, dark colours, making it seem clostrophobic despite its size. At the far wall was a single, tall window inset with banded brass, its mute glow barely allowing the wan dusk light to enter.
The Emperor stood before it, a brooding figure with his back to the room, heavy robes absorbing what little light touched them.
Gathering his composure, knowing that hesitation or misgivings were not an option before his Master, Luke set forward, coming to a halt before him and stepping automatically down into a bow, one knee to the floor.
Palpatine didn't turn; didn't move for a long time.
"Where did you get it?" he challenged at last, voice deadly calm, still not turning.
No ploys then; no verbal games or subtle manipulations; he was way past that.
Luke kept his eyes down, more afraid than ever now- not of the Emperor; he'd stood before his Master's wrath too many times now. If he turned on Luke it wouldn't be easy, would be brutal and vindictive and pitiless... but he'd survive- he always did.
No- the one thought that was screaming through his head right now was that he would lose the ring, his one link with his mother. He wondered briefly how he would tell his father, who had kept the ring safe for so long, acutely aware that if he lied now he would be taking a significant gamble; if Palpatine realised, then he'd doubtless destroy it- and then turn on Luke. But if he told the truth then he would implicate his father - reveal the connection that would condemn them both - and Luke would still lose the ring.
Why was he risking so much for a ring; it was only a ring...
Just get up and walk away- leave it and walk away. That's what he wants you to do; just say it's worthless, a curio nothing more. Leave it- apologise and you'll walk away exonerated. Let it go.