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Forbidden: Part 3

CHAPTER NINE: SHADOWS OF THE PAST

"What has happened to us, Father? What are we?" Luke heard himself ask in a small, uncertain voice.

Vader's brow furrowed slightly as if he couldn't understand the questions or the emotions behind them. The Dark Lord seemed to take all their new abilities in stride. Luke thought, `Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he's always felt he should be able to do more, be this all-powerful being, while I didn't even know about the Force until a few years ago. I was just a Tatooine farm boy dreaming of flying.'

Vader placed a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder, his thumb rubbed gently over Luke's collarbone. "Child, we are who we should be: the Balance of the Force. Do you not feel it?"

Luke nodded slowly even though he was uncertain what it meant to be the Balance of the Force. He did feel something … a sense of rightness in being with his father. But Luke did not have any special understanding as to what he should do with the powers he had been gifted with.

"I'm just … afraid. I know Jedi are not supposed to feel fear, but I do."

"Everyone feels fear. It is if it rules you that trouble comes of it. But why are you afraid?"

"Our powers … they're so extreme. We could do something … something terrible, something that can't be undone." Luke stared at his hands as if they already were stained by potential crimes. "An individual's effect on the universe is like throwing a stone into a still pond. The ripples of that individual's actions spread out into infinity. When I bring someone bring someone back to life, aren't I changing the universe forever?"

Vader's brow furrowed. "Yes, but you do the same thing when you stop a laser bolt from hitting its intended target. Or for example, when I saved those slaves from their fate. Whether I used the Force or our ion cannons to stop the slavers, does it matter if the end result is the same?" Vader gestured out towards the ships that were being slowly pulled inside the Executor. "Every act we do, large or small, affects the universe in unknowable ways. You and I are just able to do more large things with the powers we have."

"But what about the fact that the troopers were resurrected with greater mental acuity and physical prowess? They are changed radically from what they were before. That is different than if I had been on the transport with them when they were hit and I turned aside that blast and saved their lives that way, isn't it?"

"I cannot deny that the troopers are indeed changed by their experience. But if you were not mean to use your powers to bring people back to life then you would not have been granted that ability, Luke. The Force must want you to use these powers."

"Yes, but isn't it how I use them and who I help that matters? What if the Force means me only to save banthas or something and not people, but the powers work just the same on either?"

With a smile at the bantha comment, Vader said, "Then you would know that. You would feel it. Did you sense anything wrong when you brought those troopers back to life?"

Luke remembered the calm he felt as he entered the troopers' room, how it was so easy to help them, how right it felt to help them. "I felt … like I was doing something that I was always meant to do. But Father I didn't know they were dead!"

"The Force knew they were dead. I saw the result of your helping those men, Luke. When I walked into that room, you were glowing with what you'd done. Acting against the Force's will could never produce such powerful positive emotions in you."

Luke rubbed his hands together, trying to hide the fact that they were trembling from his father. But Vader noticed, knew Luke's emotional state, like he always did.

"I can sense you are still troubled, young one. Perhaps the archives on Black Heart will assuage some of your fears."

"Or just raise other ones," Luke said wearily. "You are so calm and accepting of all this … I envy you your certainty.”

Vader's lips quirked into a wry smile. "All I need do to be certain that what we are doing is right is to compare where I was just two days ago, in constant pain, unable to breathe and … alone … to where I am today. The tells me that what we are and what we are becoming is not to be feared, but embraced."

A lightness settled in Luke's chest as he heard his father outlining some of the good things that had come out of their powers in such a short time. "I had not thought of it like that."

The Dark Lord's hand moved from Luke's shoulder to stroke his son's cheek. Luke found himself nuzzling the caressing fingers, but then abruptly pulled himself back. Their relationship was incestuous, forbidden under Imperial law and most moral codes, so it had to be kept hidden. His father was smiling though, a slow, amused smile. With a mental nudge from Vader, Luke glanced around the Bridge. No one was paying attention to them. All of the officers were assiduously going about their tasks. Admiral Piett was staring out the viewport at the slavers' ships being brought inside the Star Destroyer with the tractor beam, his eyes never leaving the plastiglas. It was as if Luke and Vader weren't even there.

Luke sent through their bond, `*The Force, Father? You are blocking their awareness of us with it?*'

`*Of course. No one gets to observe our lovemaking unless we chose to allow it.*'

`*I saw Ben use the Force to change a couple of people's perceptions once, but twenty people at a time and so completely? Were you able to do this before?*'

`*Not with this ease. Although in general, the Dark Side is more attuned to altering the perceptions of others. But enough discussion of this for now. There are more pressing problems to deal with such as our new … visitors. Would you care to accompany me to the Hanger Bay to release the slaves?*' Vader's amber eyes glowed deep gold for a moment.

Luke nodded. Underneath Vader's gentle mind-talk with him, there was a dark river of anger and hate towards the slavers that ran through his father. The depth of Vader's emotions was greater than Luke expected. `It is almost as if it's personal, as if he wishes revenge. Father had some kind of run-in with slavers in the past … but when? And how? I know so little of his history.'

Luke felt his father release the mind control on the people on the Bridge. Admiral Piett's head swiveled around to look over at them. Piett had a tentative smile on his face as he approached Luke. He stood there with his hands fluttering at his sides as if he wished to reach out and touch Luke, but didn't dare.

"I just wanted to thank you, Lord Skywalker. Trooper Trans … Damon, my nephew, is a very good man. And it was a terrible thing to have … lost him. If there is anything that I or my family can do to repay you in any small way for bringing him back to us just say it and it will be so."

Luke felt his face heating with a blush and wondered how he was supposed to appear all Jedi-like with his cheeks as red as a Kilmarian fire pot. "There is no need to thank me, Admiral. I was happy to help in any way I could."

Slowly, Admiral Piett took one of Luke's hands in his own. As if reading Luke's conflicted feelings about his new powers, the Admiral said softly, "What you did … can do … is a miracle. Don't fear it."

Luke stared into Admiral Piett's grey eyes, unable to speak as emotion clogged his throat. Piett was showing Luke the positive aspects of what he could now do, just as Vader had. He could feel Piett's gratefulness for Damon's renewed life through their handclasp. Luke's own gratefulness for Piett's kind words was only slightly less. The irony was that a few days ago he and Piett were enemies and Luke would not have allowed himself to think of this man as capable of kindness. Leia and Mon Mothma's portrayals of Imperials as unfeeling and cruel fractured as he looked at the smiling, grateful face of Admiral Piett. Realizing that his thoughts had taken him far away and his silence was too long, Luke stuttered out, "Thank you, Admiral. I will … will take your words to heart." Luke squeezed Piett's hand and gently released it.

"Admiral, we will discuss exactly what is to be said about the troopers' … return … later. Until then, you will not discuss Luke's abilities … with anyone. Come, Luke. Let us go." Vader took Luke's elbow and steered him off the Bridge and into the lift.

When the lift doors closed behind them, Luke slumped against one of the lift's interior walls. He shut his eyes for a moment. Luke gasped as his father placed gentle kisses on his closed eyelids. He had not sensed Vader move and the light pressure of soft lips over his closed eyes was so soothing. Vader began to rub his shoulders, easing the knots that had sprung up since watching the slavers' fighters disintegrate into red blooms of fire and wreckage. The tension in Luke's muscles eased. Vader reached out with the Force and stopped the lift doors from opening on their floor, locking them within the small chamber.

"Father, what are you—"

"Relax, young one. You are wound so tight I fear you will shatter into a million pieces any moment. Let me help you."

"But shouldn't we … the slaves … our duty …"

"We have time. The ships are not yet all inside the bay and the troopers must assemble to meet them. You need to let go, Luke. Trust me on this."

And Luke did. So easy to forget the suffering of the slaves while his father continued to kiss him, mapping his forehead, temples and cheek bones with chaste presses of lips. So easy to forget the fear of what they were and what they were becoming as Vader's lush mouth ghosted along Luke's neck, nibbling and sucking on the tender flesh over the pulse points on his throat. Sparks of desire ran through Luke's lithe form.

"Gods, father … oh!"

Luke's hands fisted in his father's thick hair. The Dark Lord didn't resist him as he pulled Vader's lips to his own. Vader's release of control was intoxicating. Luke's tongue begged for entrance and Vader's mouth yielded. He wanted to drown in his father's taste of sweetness and salt. One of the older man's strong legs insinuated itself between Luke's and the boy couldn't help pressing and rubbing up against it.

`*Give in to the sensations, Luke. Give in to me.*'

`*Yes, Father, yes. Whatever you want ...*'

Vader groaned at his acquiescence. Luke rocked his groin harder against his father's thigh, needing to touch more, wishing they were naked and it was slick skin against skin. The Dark Lord's powerful hands gripped Luke's waist and held him in place. Luke moaned and thrashed against the confinement of Vader's body pinning him against the wall of the lift. The thrill of the forbidden coursed through Luke's veins. Their love would be labelled by most as unnatural, but it felt beautiful, primal even, to Luke. He craved to have the same semen that gave him life flood against his bare skin and fill his body. He never wanted to forget that the man making love to him was his father. He whimpered into their kiss as his cock grew even harder. So wrong for these thoughts to excite him even more. But it felt so right.

`*Father, want you so much. Need you so much. Can't be without you.*'

`*Never let you go, Luke. You are mine. My boy. My beautiful boy.*'

`*I'm going to cum … oh, Father, I can't stop …*'

Vader's hands went to the button of Luke's pants, quickly undoing the fly and easing Luke's aching cock out. Luke hissed as the twin sensations of warm and cold engulfed his sensitized flesh: the warmth of his father's hand and the coolness of the outside air. Just a few strokes and Luke was exploding all over the lift's floor. His semen was a spray of white against the gleaming black tiles. Luke panted and gasped, leaning heavily against his father's body.

"You haven't had your release yet, Father," Luke said after a moment as he felt the press of Vader's organ like an iron bar against his stomach.

"I didn't wish to ruin yet another pair of pants today," Vader huffed softly.

"Let me help you avoid that." Luke tentatively moved to undo his father's pants. The brush of his fingers over Vader's groin caused the older man to groan.

"Luke … would you let me … no, perhaps it is too soon for that."

"What?"

His father's eyes were almost black with desire when Luke gazed up into them.

"I want to … fuck your mouth, Luke. Would you let me do that? Get down on your knees for me?"

Luke's legs quivered beneath him and his softened cock twitched, wanting to get hard again, but it was still too soon. To hear father use such coarse language in those liquid tones would have been enough to make him orgasm, but the thought of being on his knees with his father thrusting into his mouth made him near incoherent with need. But there was a dash of cold water on his desire as just for a moment, he pictured the disdainful look Uncle Owen would have given him for wanting these things. He pushed the image of Owen away. `I won't think of him. Won't let him stop me from loving Father.' Luke swallowed, trying to get saliva to moisten his throat, but his voice still sounded more like a croak.

"Yes, Father. I want you … in my mouth like that."

A shiver went though the Dark Lord's form. His amber eyes closed tight for a moment. Luke waited until he opened them before sinking to his knees in front of his father. Vader's hands framed Luke's upturned face. His hands trembled slightly.

"I've dreamt of you like this, my beloved son."

Luke turned his face to the side and kissed the palm of his father's healed hand. It was warm and soft as silk against Luke's lips. He experienced only a sliver of shame as he felt the hunger in himself to submit to Vader like this. Luke knew his father loved him, knew it excited his father to see him like this, and those things were all that mattered. The voice of Uncle Owen calling him hurtful names was relegated to the back of his mind once again.

"Tell me how to please you, Father."

Vader let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, child of my heart, you already have."

Luke felt a flush of pleasure run through him. He reached up with shaking hands to undo his father's pants. Vader's organ was hot, hard and huge against his palms. It was flushed red with blood and the tip was glistening with precum. Luke had no idea how he'd ever be able to get even the head into his mouth let alone the whole organ down his throat. Vader's fingers stroked his cheeks.

"Relax your jaw slightly, young one. I do not expect you to deep throat me. We will see how much you can take."

"I want to make this as good for you as you have for me."

The smile that curled the corners of Vader's lips upwards was both sensual and feral. "Just looking at you on your knees, so willing to love me, is very good. Almost enough to send me over the edge without us touching at all."

Vader brushed the head of his organ against Luke's pink lips, coating them in precum. The boy licked his father's seed off them and Vader moaned softly. The taste of his father's cum was slightly bitter and citrus like Cararian pears. Vader then he pressed forward again and the head of his cock was in Luke's mouth. The texture of his father's cock was smooth, almost silky, against his questing tongue. Vader's breathing hitched as Luke suckled on the head of his cock as if it were a sweet. Pleased with his father's reaction, Luke attempted to take more of the organ in his mouth. Vader reached down and drew one of Luke's hands up around the base of his sex.

"What you cannot take in … stroke with your hand."

Luke curled his hand around Vader's organ, understanding what his father wanted. Vader placed his palms flat against the wall above him and began to rock his hips, drawing his cock in and out of Luke's mouth with each movement. His father's breathing quickened and there was an expression of intense concentration on his face as he plunged his cock into Luke's willing mouth. Luke ran his tongue along the underside of his father's dick with each in-thrust.

"So hot, wet, and soft, young one. Your mouth … made for this. Made for taking me."

The thrusts began to come faster and go deeper. Luke choked slightly as the cock hit the back of his throat, but he didn't want it to stop. Even as Owen called him a whore in his mind, he didn't care. Luke gripped one of his father's hips with his free hand and hung on, while Vader's thrusts became more erratic. His father's face was flushed, lush mouth parted, his eyes half-closed as he concentrated on fucking his son's mouth.

"Luke … please, please tell me you'll try to swallow … tell me you'll do it … can't stop, please … oh, please …"

`*Father, I want it. Cum inside me.*'

Luke's cheeks hollowed as he sucked on his father's organ. With one final thrust, driving his cock as deep as it could go without choking Luke, Vader suddenly cried out and came. His seed flooded Luke's mouth. The boy tried to drink it all down, but there was so much and it was coming so fast that some of it trickled down the sides of his mouth. Finally, the spurts of liquid became manageable and Luke suckled the still twitching organ to drain the last of his father's seed. Vader was taking in deep lungfuls of air. He clutched the lift's wall for support, his shadow covering Luke's body beneath him. Carefully, Luke drew off the now depleted and sensitive cock. With trembling hands, he tucked his father back into his pants. He tried to wipe the semen he'd not been able to swallow off his mouth and chin.

"Let me help you with that," Vader said huskily and dropped to his haunches in front of Luke.

He leaned in and licked the boy clean. His mouth covered Luke's in a deep kiss. When he drew back to give them both air, his eyes were sparking with happiness and contentment. Luke fussed with his own clothing for a moment before speaking.

"Was it all right?" Luke asked softly, suddenly feeling shy.

Vader chuckled darkly and rested his forehead against Luke's. "I've never had an orgasm like that. I should have shared it with you over our bond. Next time. You … you were magnificent. Such a beautiful mouth. Even more beautiful when my cock is in it."

Luke blushed and twisted his hands in his lap. He'd never thought he would ever do anything like this or what they had done earlier in bed for that matter. He'd surprised himself and now suddenly felt uncomfortable with the new knowledge he'd gained. It was as if he'd done a very adult thing and now wanted to crawl back to being a child. What kind of person was he that getting down on his knees in front of his father made him hard? Yet his cock ached just at the thought of doing it again. Uncle Owen's sneer, the disgust on his face, surfaced again. He could almost hear his words, `Skywalker blood is tainted. Tainted.'

"Are you all right, Luke?" Vader's eyes narrowed as they darted to look at the nervous hand-twisting movement.

"I'm fine, Father."

Luke didn't believe himself when he heard the uncertain tone his voice had suddenly taken. The boy squeaked as his father suddenly lifted him to his feet and made him look him in the eye.

"Child, what is it?"

"Nothing. We should … the slaves … we need to help them."

"Do not lie to me, Luke."

"I … I …"

Luke felt tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't tell his father that he was ashamed, that he still felt the burn of wounds Uncle Owen had inflicted years before, could he? It was so weak and … and ridiculous. They were adults, consenting adults. He had wanted his father to fuck his mouth, had loved it. But now he felt … dirty, soiled somehow. It was as if Owen's beliefs were a living separate thing inside of him that could rear up and strike at him whenever they wanted. Vader searched his face and Luke could feel him probing their link. Suddenly, his father was crushing Luke to his chest, his mouth in Luke's hair, pressing frantic kisses to his head. Love and paternal concern pulsed over the bond. Luke realized his father knew the dark shameful place where his thoughts had taken him without Luke saying anything. Vader's words confirmed that.

"Don't listen to Owen's voice, Luke. Nothing we did or do together physically is bad. You are not bad. I love you."

Luke nodded, tucking his head tighter under his father's chin. Here he was safe. Here he would never be judged. Here he was loved no matter what. After long moments, Vader finally drew back.

Vader said softly, "What Owen did to you … said to you … will not fade overnight, child. But it will go. You've purged most of it out by reliving what happened. The rest will fade with time."

"I wish …" Luke clutched his father's suit harder.

"What?"

"I wish that the small part of me that listens to him … didn't believe his words."

Vader pressed a long, hard kiss to Luke's forehead. "Whatever things he whispers in your ear, Luke, I will whisper the exact opposite. Show you how he is wrong. Then that belief in what he says will die."

Luke took a deep breath, centering himself within the Force as he had been taught. He knew they had to go and face the slavers, to right at least this one wrong. He couldn't let Owen stop him from helping people.

Vader smoothed Luke's hair away from his forehead and fixed Luke's clothes. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes."

Luke brushed his hands down the front of his jacket, surprised that he hadn't spilled any of his father's seed on the front of it or on his pants. He looked immaculate as did Vader. When the lift doors opened a tall officer with a blonde crew cut and a R2 unit were there. From the few stray thoughts Luke picked up from the officer, it was clear he had no idea what they had been doing in the lift, but the cum on the floor would soon clear that up. Luke was paralyzed. Vader, however, was calm and cool as if they had been discussing the state of the Empire for the whole time the lift was stopped.

"Lord Vader," the blonde officer said, a slight tremor in his voice, "I hope you were not trapped in the lift for too long. I called a droid immediately to come fix the problem, but it could not seem to identify the error and—"

"It was not overly long. In fact, it was just long enough. Do not think any more on it," Vader told the pale officer who Luke could tell still believed that he was going to suffer Lord Vader's wrath for the "malfunctioning" lift.

Luke felt his father brush the officer's mind so that he would not notice anything amiss as he and the droid took the lift up to the Bridge. Luke couldn't help the feeling of shock that coursed through him.

"What, child?"

"Using the Force to distract him from the fact that we—"

"Smelt of sex and there was cum on the lift floor?"

"Yes. It seems so … so … sacrilegious or something. And the next people to use the lift will think that—"

"That the officer and the droid were to blame. Poor man. Poor droid. The R2's reputation will be ruined for sure," Vader said, amusement pouring off of him even as his face was composed and calm as he spoke.

Luke couldn't help the laughter that suddenly bubbled out of him as they walked to the Hanger Bay. He knew the laughter was not just from what his father said, but a release of some of the stress he had been under. His father had a sense of humor that he was just now seeing glimpses of. `I wonder if he has friends that he gets to be this relaxed with? There's so much I don't know about him.' Luke's giggles finally quieted and he was able to think more clearly of what now faced them. He decided to ask a question that had bothered him since the slavers' ships were spotted.

"Father, your reaction to the slavers … it felt personal to me."

Vader tensed for just a second then answered. "Yes, you are correct. My feelings towards the slavers are quite personal. I … I began life as a slave on Tatooine."

"What?" Luke felt his heart freeze. His father, the great Lord Vader, had been a slave? Luke had never encountered any of the many slaves on Tatooine since they were mostly kept in the cities and his time was spent either at the outer desert school or the farm, but still he knew the life of a slave was generally painful, brutal and short.

"My mother, Shmi, and I were owned by a Toydarian named Watto. My mother kept house for him. He had me work in his shop, fixing robots, speeders, ships, whatever came by. This state of affairs continued until I was six years old and I met a Jedi Master called Qui-Gon Jinn."

Luke heard his father's voice soften as he said the name of this Jedi Master. His father's eyes were slightly unfocused as if he were seeing that meeting long ago rather than the sterile corridors of the Executor.

"His ship had broken down and Republic credits were no good on Tatooine so he had no way of buying the necessary parts to get off the planet. He could not call for off-world help, because it would draw attention to his location and he was protecting a young woman … a queen," Vader's voice faded and Luke saw him pass a hand over his forehead. "They were rather desperate and I … I volunteered my pod racer and myself to run in the race at Bunta Eve to get them the parts."

Something clicked in Luke's mind. A story he had heard of a human child that had won the Bunta Eve race, the first and only time that had ever happened. "Did you race?"

"Yes, and I won," Vader said softly, pride coming out for a moment. "Qui-Gon was able to get his parts and he also, unbeknownst to me, purchased my freedom as well. He was to have been my teacher, but he … died at the hands of a Sith Lord named Darth Maul soon after freeing me."

"So he rescued you and your mother from slavery?"

There was a pause that made Luke glance up at his father's face. Vader was staring down at his feet as they walked, his eyes narrowed and a tense set to his jaw.

"No, no, he was not able to free her, only me. She gave me to him so that I could go to the Jedi Temple. I had to leave her behind. I was six and believed all the tall tales of the Jedi. I believed that I would come back to Tatooine and free all the slaves, but that … has not happened yet. And it is far too late for my mother anyways."

The way Vader's eyes darkened and his lips thinned let Luke knew this was a sore subject. He wished he could take the question back.

"The Jedi refused to allow me to see her after I started at the Temple. They believed that contact with the birth parents interfered with training, caused attachment."

Luke's face scrunched up. "But that's … that's awful! Everyone needs their parents. I mean … why would the love of a parent and child be disruptive to training? I would think the opposite would be true."

"They preached that attachments of any kind could lead to the Dark Side and no matter how many non-Jedi suffered for a Jedi's inaction because of that precept … well, the lives and happiness of non-Jedi were something the Counsel were quite ready to sacrifice," Vader gave a bitter laugh. "Even when I began having visions of my mother in … great pain, suffering beyond anything I could imagine, still the Counsel denied me the right to go to her. And I obeyed them for too long."

Vader's hands clenched into fists. Luke slowly reached out to take one of those fisted limbs. His father's skin felt cold.

"Finally, when I was away on a mission without Obi-Wan, the visions became so terrible that I … defied the Counsel. I took a ship and went to Tatooine only to find my mother had been kidnapped by the Sand People."

Luke's stomach clenched. He knew that whatever happened to her could not have been good or easy. Vader's one hand trembled slightly in Luke's.

"I … I found her in one of their villages. Broken and bleeding. She'd been raped and tortured and they were beginning the process of draining her fluids when I got to her. I was …" Vader's voice faltered, growing so soft, Luke had to strain to hear him. "I was too late. She died in my arms."

"Father, I'm so sorry. No words for this. So sorry."

Vader swallowed and he shook his head as if to fling the pain physically from him. A wash of Dark Side energy radiated out of him, forming a black halo around Vader's handsome head.

"I killed every single one of the Sand People in that tribe. Even the children. I decimated them. I thought I heard Qui-Gon scream out my name through the Force to beg me to stop. But I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. They all deserved to die. And still even with their deaths … it wasn't enough."

Luke could almost smell the sickly sweet scent of body parts, hot and smoking, after his father's lightsaber slashed them off their owners. "Why … why wasn't it enough?"

"Their destruction did not bring her back. Could not. And I still hated them even though they had been reduced to little more than chopped bits of meat." Vader's lower lip trembled slightly. He had stopped walking, apparently frozen in one spot, as terrible visions that Luke caught only half-sight of spun through his mind. "I felt I should be able to do more. Stop my mother's death. Or bring her back to life. I told Padme …"

"Padme?"

Vader's mouth snapped shut, his eyes slid to Luke then away. "Padme was … the woman I was protecting on the mission I was on prior to going to Tatooine."

Luke sensed there was something more about this woman. Something his father did not want to speak to about yet. But his father's evident distress made Luke bite back any more questions about her.

Vader continued, "I knew … I was sure that bringing back the dead with the Force was possible. I felt I ought to be able to do it, but I couldn't! I thought Obi-Wan and the Counsel were thwarting me from reaching my potential and Palpatine fed that belief."

Luke thought about how easy it was for him to bring back the troopers. He could have resurrected his grandmother just as easily and soothed Vader's pain. Guilt flowed through his veins like acid. He tried to keep his feelings to himself, but his shielding was still too poor or his father was too attuned to him to miss them. Vader made a cutting gesture in the air in front of him.

"No, Luke, you will not feel guilt for something that happened years before you were even born. I know now that the type of power you wield I never could. Mine is the power of destruction and death. Yours is the power of creation and life. We are the Balance of the Force together."

Vader began to walk again. He made his strides slower and shorter to accommodate Luke's smaller stature.

"I was always told that I was the Balance alone. How I strove to be that! Something I never could be, was never meant to be. I sunk into a pit of despair, raging inside, when I did not know what was wrong with me, when I could not understand why I wasn't reaching my potential."

Vader laced his fingers with Luke's. The boy squeezed his father's hand tight. He understood all too well feeling you were meant for greater things and yet at the same time not meeting those expectations. Yoda's disgust with his performance on Dagobah came quickly to mind. He knew now that he would not become like Vader as the cave had shown him. Instead he was becoming something else, something perhaps that Yoda feared even more. Vader's quick kiss to his temple, brought Luke out of his reverie.

"But all of that is in the past. Now I am what I should be and … I have you." Vader looked down into Luke's eyes and the darkness within him seemed to retreat as they smiled at one another. "It seems I have strayed far from your original question. So to answer it: I hate slavers because of having been a slave myself. If I did not have to concentrate on the Rebellion, I would set my sights on wiping slavery out of existence. Making it so dangerous and so perilous to do such business," Vader said that word as if it were bitter on his tongue, "that it would just die out for lack of profitability."

Vader's gait abruptly slowed. They were standing in front of a set of large double doors. "We are here, Luke."

Luke had no chance to even half comprehend all his father had told him before the doors whooshed open for them and the sight of the gleaming white armor of the troopers drew his complete attention. The men stood at the ready, blasters pointed at the disabled ships. Luke sensed admiration and fear of his father flow through the ranks of troopers as each realized their Supreme Commander was present. Four familiar signatures drew Luke's eyes. It was the troopers he had saved. Luke smiled at the four grouped together near the back of one column and got happy nods of acknowledgement in return. Even with their helmets on, he could tell who was who through the Force.

He followed Vader over to the head of the nearest column of troopers. While his father studied the troopers, Luke turned his Force senses towards the slavers' ships. He felt rank terror coming from the slavers and behind that the confusion and despair of the abused slaves in the holds.

"So much suffering."

Luke hadn't realized he spoken out loud until he felt his father gently squeeze his hand one last time before he stepped away to a chaste distance of five feet. That last touch was the only gentle thing about Vader. His amber eyes were rivetted on the ships, his normally plush lips thinned into a pale line, and Dark Side energy was building like a thundercloud around him. The commander of the squadron of troopers hustled over to Vader's side to give him a report. He must have been slightly Force sensitive as he wobbled when he entered the Dark Side Force energy that circled Vader. Luke himself felt slightly queasy and drained by it himself.

"Sir, we have ordered them to disarm and come out of the ships. They have not complied and have jammed the ships' doors mechanisms. I have requested blow torches to cut through the doors."

"No need for that, trooper," Vader said.

Luke sensed a wave of Force energy unfurl from his father. The threads of Force energy sought out and surrounded each of the slavers. Luke could see through the Force one particular slaver in the cockpit of the nearest ship. He was clutching an old carbine blaster. Sweat was trickling down his pale face. His heart was beating a wild staccato rhythm in his thickset body. His thoughts were like birds taking flight in all directions: `We're in Vader's ship … slave cargo … death sentence … heard he's a monster … why didn't the sensors alert us … damned, this lot would have brought enough for me to get out of this business … especially that sweet blonde boy … would have brought a fortune … too late now … Vader has no mercy no mercy no mer--'

The man's thoughts abruptly ceased as he keeled over onto the deck. The suddenness of his collapse made Luke think he had a heart attack, but no, the man was still alive, his heart still beat strongly. He was unconscious. And it was not only him, but every slaver had been sent unconscious by his father's will. Oddly, Luke felt unease instead of joy that his father had not just stopped all their hearts. `He wants them alive for something. I fear whatever fate he plans for them will be far worse than a quick death.'

Vader's Force powers unfurled again to strike each of the ships' doors. The sound of hissing filled the bay as the doors began to open and the pressure equalized between the bay and the ships' interiors. The troopers froze, their visors all turned towards the opening doors. Fingers tightened on triggers, hands gripped blasters tighter. Luke realized the men did not know that the slavers were incapacitated.

Vader turned towards the commander of the squad. "The slavers are unconscious. Have your men enter the ships and remove them to the detention block. The slaves can be housed temporarily in the third level cantina. Have cots set up and also have food prepared for them. Some will undoubtedly need medical attention. Call for all medbots and physicians to come to the bay immediately."

The trooper gave Vader a salute. "Yes, sir!" He hustled off to do as commanded.

Luke was astounded as his father's thoughtfulness for the slaves' well being. `But I should not be after what he just told me of his past. I suppose I have been so accustomed to seeing how he treats his enemies I never thought he would treat the citizens of the Empire any differently.'

Vader faced his son. "Luke, you should have this back now."

Vader handed him his lightsaber. Luke's hand curled around it. The familiar heft and feel of the hilt in his palm was a comfort to him. He ignited it, loving the cool blue-white color of the blade. "I thought I had lost it forever on Black Heart."

"I … I found it in the hallway in the temple," Vader explained and there was something like rage and pain in his eyes. The image of Luke's old prosthetic hand still clutching onto the saber came over the bond for a moment before Vader clamped down on the powerful emotions that had allowed the image to leak out.

"Oh, Father … what you must have thought when you found …"

The Dark Lord shook his locks behind his shoulders, his mouth setting in a firm line. "But I was wrong. You were not … not … It is over. I killed them … the ones that hurt you …"

Luke heard behind his words the pain of a mother lost long ago when Vader had been too late. He had not been too late to save Luke. The boy touched his father's arm to ground him in the present. The flickering emotions through the bond were terrible: hurt, pain, loss, fear, rage.

Vader's amber eyes bored into Luke as if he could implant the words physically into Luke's mind. "If anything were to happen to you, child …" Vader swallowed. "The universe would pay."

"Father …"

Vader suddenly winnowed the bond between them down to a mere trickle. A mask of calmness settled over his features. Luke knew the conversation was over in his father's mind and that was probably best for the present. They had to concentrate on helping the slaves in the ships. Luke could see that the commander wished to speak to Vader again. He gave his father's forearm one last squeeze before letting go.

"It looks like you're needed, Father."

"Yes, I must direct them."

"I want to go check out that ship. See what I can do to help."

Vader nodded slowly. "Be aware of your surroundings at all time, young one."

"I will."

Luke jogged away from his father's side to the ship that held the slaver whose thoughts he'd heard. He felt the Force guiding him there. Something about what the slaver had been thinking before he had fallen unconscious worried Luke. Something about a blonde boy. Luke met up with Davel and Trans on the gangway into the ship.

"Lord Skywalker!" Both men said in unison.

"Guys, its Luke, remember? Just Luke." He couldn't help but smile at the two troopers who seemed to frisk around him like eager puppies.

"Where are you going … Luke?" Davel asked, slightly stumbling over the first name.

"The Force … it's pulling me. I feel there is something within this ship that needs my attention."

"Then we will accompany you," Trans growled as he gripped his blaster tighter and moved closer to Luke's side.

Luke had to suppress a laugh. Both men were acting as if he were in need of protection. Trans' tense posture made him seem ready to bite the head off anyone who even looked at Luke for a second too long. Only time would show them he was not defenseless as they seemed to think.

"I certainly won't object to the company," Luke said and gestured for the men to follow him into the ship.

It was as if there was a tether tied between him and whatever it was the Force wanted him to see. He walked swiftly down twisting hallways, Trans and Davel following, until he found himself in front of a durasteel door. He knew it was the captain's room. There was an electronic lock that required a fifteen digit code.

"Locked," Davel stated. "We can get a droid in here to break the code …"

"No need," Luke said and with a wave of his hand the door opened. The boy felt the troopers' awe. Even though they knew he was responsible for healing them, they had not apparently realized how he had done it.

"Let us go in first, Lord Skywalker," Davel said, using the title again as he and Trans strafed into the room without waiting for Luke to respond.

Luke felt shock flood the troopers a moment later. He followed inside. An oversized bed dominated the room and what was on it dominated Luke's attention. A human boy probably six standard years old with blonde hair the color of sunlight and large blue-gray eyes was sitting in the center of the bed clutching a stuffed toy. He was naked, just a sheet pulled up to his chest, staring at Luke and the troopers with wide eyes, his lower lip trembling. The child was so afraid he was frozen in place. A babble of thoughts from the boy hit Luke like a blow to the chest: `Hurt … please, don't hurt … no more … momma momma momma!'

Luke gasped even as his mind refused to acknowledge at first why a six year old was naked in the captain's bed. `This was the child that was going to make the slaver a fortune. Oh, Force, selling him as a … as a pleasure boy. Testing him out … no no no!' Sickness settled in Luke's stomach. A whimper from the boy made Luke pull himself together.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Luke said as he raised a hand towards the child. "None of us are going to hurt you. We're here to help you."

The troopers had lowered their blasters and gave brief waves at the boy to identify themselves. The boy though scooted back on the bed away from them, clutching so tightly at the stuffed toy that his knuckles were white. Luke cursed himself for not thinking to use the Force immediately to let the boy know he wasn't a threat but someone who was there to help. He sent out soothing thoughts to the boy and the child's shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Who … who're you?" The boy asked him in a sweet high voice.

"My name is Luke. Luke Skywalker. I'm a Jedi," Luke said as he slowly walked over to the bed and sat down at the very edge so that he and the boy were at eye level. Luke felt Trans move to his side as if he would protect him from the child. He motioned for Trans to step away and not crowd him or the boy.

"A Je … Jedi? What's that?" The boy crawled forward a few inches towards Luke then scooted backwards again, still unsure. Luke sent more soothing thoughts to the child.

"A Jedi is someone who helps people. What's your name?"

"Joran. Is the … is the bad man coming back?" He whispered the last as if even talking about the man who had hurt him would conjure him up.

"No, Joran. All the bad people have been … captured. You're safe now."

"What about my momma?"

"Your mother?"

The boy nodded his head, one thumb heading towards his mouth as if to suck on it, but he stopped and put his hand down with a flinch as if he had been struck when he'd done so in the past. Luke felt his chest constrict at the aborted movement.

"Was she on this ship with you?"

Joran nodded again, his lower lip beginning to tremble once more. "They … they hit her when they took me from her. She was … crying."

Luke closed his eyes tightly for a moment. He had to remain calm for the child, but it was getting to be more of a struggle. Finally, finding that calm center again, Luke opened his eyes and said, "Joran, I want to take you out of here. To find your mother and maybe a … a doctor."

Joran's brown eyes widened and a small smile curled over his rosebud mouth. "Please … I want momma!"

Luke cast an anxious glance around the room to find something to clothe the boy in, then he realized that he didn't want anything of the captain's touching the boy's skin so he shrugged off his own jacket. He held up the jacket for Joran to slide into. After a moment's hesitation the boy came over and allowed Luke to put his small arms through the arm holes. The jacket was so big on him it hung down to his knees. Luke wrapped the rest of the jacket around the boy snugly to allow him some modesty.

Luke sent a Force probe to check if the boy was injured. Thankfully, other than a few bruises on his slim arms there was no damage. He swallowed the rush of bile when he realized this meant that the slaver captain had not raped the child, at least not with his sex, because it would not have been possible to enter the boy without ripping him internally and there was no evidence of that. Joran scuttled off the bed and stood up with shaky legs.

"Trans … Davel … I'll take the boy out to my father. Do you want to accompany me or do you have other tasks to do in the ship?"

Davel spoke up, "Take Trans with you. I want to check out these quarters for any records. See if this group was a part of the Hutts' organization."

Luke nodded and wondered how far the Hutts' influence was felt beyond Tatooine. He swallowed at the thought of how many people right now were being dragged from their homes and enslaved by those gangsters. `And how many children like Joran and … and Father … are being harmed by them?'

Luke smiled at Joran and held out his hand for the boy to grasp. The boy still seemed leery of Luke and was unwilling to move from the known of the captain's quarters into the hallway just yet. Luke wondered how he could gain the boy's trust until he saw Joran's eyes rivet on the lightsaber handing from Luke's belt.

"What's that?"

"My lightsaber. A Jedi weapon. Here let me show you."

Luke detached the saber from his belt and ignited it. Joran almost reached for the blade, but Luke gently caught the small hand.

"No, Joran. The blade is hot. It would hurt you."

His eyes sparkled with wonder. Luke could sense Trans and Davel felt almost the same amount of awe as the boy at his weapon. He wondered if they had ever seen Vader ignite his. Luke shivered at the last time he'd seen his father with his blade lit: Black Heart and before that the terrible duel on Bespin. He suppressed a shiver. Neither were good memories.

"Pretty," Joran said softly, content now to just point at the blade.

"Yes, it is, and it can also protect you. I'll keep it lit and we'll walk out of here together with Trooper Trans."

"O-okay."

Joran reached up and grasped Luke's hand without prompting as they passed into the hallway. Trans kept a watch at their back. The blade cast a blue glow over the walls. Joran's eyes hardly ever left it. As they reached the gangway, Joran tightened his hold on Luke's hand when he caught sight of dozens of rushing Stormtroopers. Again, the thumb came up to Joran's mouth, but this time the boy began to suck on it and Luke felt relieved. In time, Joran might forget what the slaver captain had done to him.

"Luke," Trans said softly from his elbow.

"What is it?" Luke slowed his pace then stopped as they reached the bottom of the gangway.

The trooper shifted from foot to foot, finally reaching up and tugging his helmet off. Luke was met with the sight a young man with grey eyes and short black hair. There was a small white scar on his chin probably from a childhood fall. Trans' grey eyes were fixed on Luke's face and a smile tugged at his lips. The trooper was attractive, but nothing compared to Vader. `He's handsome, while Father is … beautiful.'

"I …" Trans swallowed. "I just wanted to say … I didn't know if I'd get a chance to talk to you alone before … what I mean to say is that … I'll go get you another jacket."

The way Trans' eyes suddenly left Luke's face and a hint of pink on his cheekbones told Luke without any help from the Force that this wasn't what Trans had meant to say. Luke almost laughed out loud that anyone would be nervous about speaking to him, especially someone as seemingly sure of himself normally as Trans, an admiral's nephew no less.

"Trans …"

"Damon … please call me Damon." Another slight blush.

"Damon, you don't need to get me a new jacket. I'll get one myself later. I'm sure you have other duties—"

"You have more important things to do than fetch clothing."

"So do you, I'm sure. Besides I'm not above getting my own things. Really. I know I'm Vader's son, but I wasn't raised a lord. I was just a farm boy on Tatooine four short years ago."

Trans smiled wider as if Luke's response pleased him. He also kept snatching glances of Luke then the floor then Luke again. Luke glanced down at Joran, knowing that he had to take care of the boy first and foremost before dealing with whatever it was that was flustering Damon. Although Joran looked quite content to suck his thumb and clutch on to Luke's hand with his eyes rivetted to the lightsaber.

Damon saw the glance down at the boy and Luke could see understanding dawn in the trooper's eyes. "This isn't the time to … to talk anyway. I'll just go get that jacket for you."

Before Luke could protest again, the trooper was gone. Luke shook his head, perplexed about why Trans seemed so eager to please him. `Well, I suppose it's because he's grateful I brought him back from that black place the troopers spoke about. I dread the fact that I'm going to be taking him to another black place if Father still wishes to go back to Black Heart.' Luke thought just for a moment that Damon might like him romantically, but rejected that thought. `I'm hardly the type anyone would swoon over. I can hardly believe that Father is so interested. If it weren't for the proof of it over our bond … I wouldn't believe it.'

Luke then caught sight of his father, standing tall, imposing and beautiful in the center of a swarm of troopers, giving directions with ease. Luke could appreciate the power and command Vader radiated now that he wasn't in the Rebellion and Vader's enemy. Luke sent a brief greeting over their bond to just let his father know he was out of the slaver ship, but he needn't have as Vader was already turning towards him. One elegant eyebrow raised as Vader took in the sight of the half-naked child wrapped in Luke's jacket. Luke sent visuals of the boy naked on the slaver captain's bed. The Dark Lord seemed to freeze as he stared long at the small child that padded beside Luke across the hanger bay.

Vader's mind voice vibrated with barely contained rage, `*Was he violated?*'

`*Yes, though I don't know the extent of it. Thankfully, there's no sign of internal damage. He probably should be looked over by a physician.*'

Vader nodded stiffly, his eyes still transfixed on the small blonde child. A million thoughts were behind his father's amber eyes, but none of them made it across the bond. Vader looked as if he were seeing a ghost of someone past as he stared at the young slave. Luke wondered if Vader saw himself at that age. Had his father been violated? Luke didn't want to even contemplate that. Joran's pace was slowing as they were nearing Vader. Luke could feel the boy's awe and fear of his father.

"That's … that's Darth Vader," Joran said softly, speaking around the thumb he continued to suck.

Even Joran apparently recognized his father without the mask as the great Dark Lord of the Sith. `Vader is more than just the suit and mask it seems,' Luke mused.

"Yes, but you don't have to be afraid of him. He's the one that saved you. And he's … my father," Luke said not able to mask the note of pride he had in that fact.

Joran's blue-gray eyes went wide. "Your dadda?"

Luke nodded. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of Vader as his "dadda." Somehow only the formal title "father" really fit Vader. He couldn't even conceive of calling him "dad." As to calling Vader by his given name of "Anakin," Luke felt it might actually anger the man to be called that.

Luke sent over the bond to his father, `*Joran's mother was on the same ship as him, but was potentially injured when they took Joran from her. Have the other slaves been released from there yet?*'

Luke's question was answered when a dark-haired woman with a black eye who was just then coming down the gangway gave out a cry of joy and rushed over to Joran and Luke. She was wearing a stained and ruined dress of dark blue, her face was pinched from lack of food and fresh air, but the joy of seeing her son transformed her into something beautiful.

"Momma!" Joran cried as she swept him up in her arms.

Vader's face became smooth and unreadable as he watched mother and son hug. Luke touched his shoulder. Vader gave him a small smile. The woman cuddled Joran and ran her hands over his body to make sure he was uninjured. Finally, she rose to her feet and faced Vader and Luke. Luke could tell she was overwhelmed meeting his father by the way she swallowed often and smoothed down the front of her dress with her hands. She curtsied with surprising grace.

"Lord … Lord Vader?" Her voice was slightly hoarse and deep, but melodic all the same.

Vader nodded curtly. "And the young man that rescued your child is my son, Luke Skywalker." He explained as he saw her eyes dart over to Luke curiously.

"Jedi!" Joran cried happily and stared hungrily at Luke's now unlit and sheathed lightsaber.

Vader raised an eyebrow at Luke and quirked his lips into a smile. `*Trying to resurrect the Jedi's good name, son?*'

`*Maybe. It wouldn't be such a bad idea, would it?*'

`*Hmmm, we will talk about that later.*'

Joran's mother seemed to be aware that some hidden conversation was taking place between Luke and Vader, because she said nothing more until Vader's eyes moved from his son to her.

"I just wanted to … thank you for saving us." Her voice cracked with emotion, but she managed to regain her composure. "I don't know what we would have done without … what would have happened to Joran and I if you had not rescued us. Words cannot express how grateful we both are. Thank you so much, Lord Vader and Lord Skywalker."

Luke could feel a tremor of emotion run through Vader as the woman hastily brushed away tears that she couldn't hold back then curtsied deeply again, her face lowered. The Dark Lord reached over and raised her chin up.

"I promise that you and Joran will be provided for. Everything you need will be taken care of. Do not fear. You are both safe … and free now."

"Thank you again." She reached up and touched Vader's cheek briefly. "Such a handsome, kind face. You should not cover it so often with the mask."

A small, sad smile crossed Vader's features. When he answered her his voice was quiet, "I will do as you suggest, madam."

A trooper came at that moment to escort Joran and his mother to the cantina where temporary housing had been set up. Luke promised that he would visit the little boy again and show him the light saber once more. Joran's face lit up and Luke could hear him breathlessly explaining to his mother about the pretty light sword as they walked away.

"Father, are you all right?"

"Of course, Luke. Why wouldn't I be?" Vader said as he kept his eyes resolutely on the unloading of the slavers' ships.

"Did she look …," Luke broke off, realizing that the Dark Lord was resurrecting his emotional shields then and would not appreciate Luke probing.

"Did she look like my mother?" Vader's eyes still would not meet his. "Not really. But the spirit was the same."

Luke bit his lower lip to stop the flood of questions he had about his grandmother and Vader's early years. It was not the time, no matter how fascinated he was with everything to do with his father. Luke did allow himself to ask, "So will we still be going to Black Heart today or …"

"Yes, our plans have not changed. The slavers will have to be interrogated, but I will need to give that my … undivided … attention, which will not be possible until after we have downloaded the archives from the temple on Black Heart and retrieved some of the unique lightsaber crystals."

Luke felt a wave of relief that Vader would not be torturing the slavers while his blood was still hot from seeing the slaves' suffering. Even though that meant going to Black Heart sooner. `Although those bastards probably deserve to be tortured. At least the one that took his pleasure of Joran.' But still Luke felt sick at the thought of his father hurting others with conscious and deliberate intent; that his father would enjoy and relish causing the maximum amount of pain and suffering to the slavers was obscene in a way.

He did not want to imagine his father's beautiful face transformed by rage and hate and bloodlust as he made the slavers tell him everything about their organization. `And then when they've told him everything, the torture won't end, he'll just make them scream for no other reason than to make them suffer. But that type of darkness is a part of him. I cannot close my eyes to it. Nor do I think it is something that is going away.'

Davel, Greggs, Simok and Trans surrounded Lord Vader and Luke at that moment. The troopers were thrumming with anticipation to go down to the planet. Since the slavers had been subdued by Lord Vader, they had not had a chance to blow off the nervous energy that accumulated before a fight. Luke felt Trans nudge his shoulder softly.

"Let me help you get this on," Trans said.

Luke saw that he had one of the black jackets from Luke's quarters and was holding it up for Luke to thread his arms into the sleeves. Luke blushed slightly. Somehow it felt strange and intimate for Trans to be helping him on with his coat. Vader obviously thought so, too. His amber eyes narrowed and his voice was low, which always seemed to indicate carefully reigned in anger. "Trooper, my son is quite capable of clothing himself."

Trans jerked back from Luke as if stung. That Vader then contradicted his own statement by helping Luke on with the coat and tugging it into place until it fell smoothly was not commented upon and the troopers looked carefully away except for Trans. Luke felt Trans' eyes on him behind the black visor. Luke drew back the tentative Force probe he sent out to scan the trooper's emotions and thoughts behind that stare, thinking it was an abuse of Trans' privacy

`*He is taken with you, young one.*'

Luke was too shocked to speak for a moment. `*Father, no, you must be wrong. He's just--*'

`*I am not wrong. I know. He desires you.*' Vader gave a hard yank on Luke's jacket as he fussed with it. `*Do you desire him?*'

`*No! Absolutely not. You're … jealous?*' Luke couldn't keep the surprise out of his mind-voice.

`*Of course not.*' Vader's amber eyes glowed brighter as he fixed Luke with a stare worthy of the Dark Lord of the Sith. `*If he pursues you, however, I will not be responsible for my actions.*'

Luke swallowed, his throat suddenly dry as the Tatooine deserts. `*That won't be necessary, Father. Even if he has a … a crush on me for saving his life … I feel nothing for him.*'

`*I do not look kindly upon those that would try to poach what is mine, Luke. Discourage him strongly or I will do so.*'

With a final adjustment of Luke's jacket, Vader placed one hand possessively on Luke's lower back and guided him towards the shuttle that had been prepared for their journey to Black Heart. The reborn troopers followed close behind. Damon's eyes never left Luke.

CHAPTER TEN: BENEATH BLACK HEART'S SURFACE

Luke's POV

As they made their way to the shuttle that would take them down to Black Heart, all of Luke's attention was centered on the feeling of Vader's hand lightly pressing against his lower back. His father's touch burned through his jacket and shirt like a brand, a brand that he imagined read: Property of the Dark Lord. He shivered despite the warmth. Whether it was out of desire or fear or a combination of both, Luke didn't know. He wondered if the troopers understood the possessive touch for what it was. He wondered especially if Damon did and if that was why the young man's gaze on him felt like a blade. But Damon's presence faded, even the clicking of the troopers' armored boots became muted, when Luke looked up at Vader's profile.

Luke's gaze followed the sculpted line of his father's jaw, lingered on the plush lips and high cheekbones, and finally slid to the hair that spilled in luxurious waves down to the broad muscled shoulders. Vader's beauty added to his aura of power, his place as commander of the Imperial Fleet, and also his role as father. `Father. That title always meant strength, security, and warmth. Now it means beauty, desire and darkness, too.' If the mask had accentuated the fear that Vader could inspire, then his exposed face would heighten his enemies' despair, because death should never be so terribly lovely. `Please let Damon's interest in me be the passing, minor thing I believe it to be. For his sake, let me be right.'

As they drew near to the shuttle's gangway, a frantic beeping caught Luke's attention.

"Artoo!"

The small blue and white droid trundled between running troopers over to Luke. The boy dropped down to his haunches, which broke his father's touch. The loss nearly staggered Luke and he had to balance himself against Artoo's casing or risk falling over. The droid beeped and hooted happily at Luke.

"Yes, Artoo, I'm fine. Looks like you're okay as well." Luke said as he recovered himself. The droid seemed not to notice his momentary distress and Luke focused on listening to the droid's quick rendition of his time aboard the Executor. "They upgraded your software? That's great. And you've been cleaned up, too."

Luke passed one hand over where carbon scoring used to be. Only the faintest trace remained. Suddenly Artoo caught sight of Vader. He gave a low moan and drew back a few inches as if to hide behind Luke.

"Oh, Artoo, there's no need to be afraid! Yes, it is Vader, but … take a closer look."

Artoo gave a tentative beep then hoot and trundled forward again. Vader dropped down in front of the droid so that Artoo could scan his face. After a few seconds, the droid beeped ecstatically.

"It's good to see you again as well, Artoo," Vader said and patted the top of its dome.

The droid gave out a long, complex combination of sounds, which Luke could only half understand without a translator unit, but Vader appeared to follow the droid's questions easily.

"I didn't die, despite what you may have heard. I am Vader now, Artoo. No longer …" Vader broke off and his eyes darted towards Luke. He held Luke's gaze and the boy found himself holding his breath. "Not only Anakin."

`Father … thank you.'

Vader didn't respond with words. There was just a wave of gentle warmth over their bond. `Does he really think of himself as Anakin or is he just saying this not to hurt me? Does it matter if he loves me just the same?' Artoo made another few tentative, questioning hoots. Vader's smile grew and he patted the top of Artoo's dome again.

"Luke is my son."

Artoo gave out a high-pitched beep of disbelief and a few hoots to explain why. Luke didn't know if he should be amused or annoyed by Artoo's reaction.

"I'm not that much shorter than he is Artoo!" Luke mumbled. "At least not without the prosthetics anyways."

Luke blushed when he realized that he had stood up straighter at that moment. He frowned at the good-natured chuckles from the troopers. His father ruffled his hair affectionately.

"I assure you, Artoo, that Luke is definitely my son. His stature notwithstanding."

Artoo's dome shifted so could study Luke's features. Another babble of sound issued from the droid. "You see the resemblance now, do you? Good. So you needn't worry about him. He's safe with me."

Luke saw Damon shift slightly at that comment as if he doubted that statement. Perhaps he had heard tales from his uncle about Vader's temper or even had seen evidence of it himself. Luke willed the trooper to be still and prayed that Vader hadn't seen the movement, but that was to no avail. Vader's shoulders tensed for a moment and he turned his head slightly towards where Damon stood, but he did nothing more to acknowledge the trooper. Luke probed their bond for his father's emotions, but Vader kept him out.

Vader turned all his attention back to the droid and said, "You'll be serving Luke and me both from now on, Artoo."

Artoo was silent for a moment while he digested all he had heard. As if satisfied that all computed, he gave a quick hoot then the droid turned its dome to look over at Luke. It questioned him where they were going. Luke felt the tug of anxiety.

"We're going back down to Black Heart, Artoo."

The droid wailed. It then made indignant hoots and beeps, turning its dome between Vader and Luke.

"It looks like he doesn't want us to go," Luke said.

Vader chuckled. "Well, that's not terribly surprising. He didn't exactly have the best experience down on the planet the first time." Vader turned back to the droid and said to it, "We've got to go down there, Artoo. I know you don't like it, but it has to be."

Artoo hooted mournfully. Vader rose to his feet and Luke straightened up with him. The boy felt a little queasy as he remembered Artoo's frightened cry as the Viateen slithered on top of his X-Wing and disemboweled the little droid. He wished they did not have to go back down to the planet's surface, but he knew his father hungered to investigate the Archive that was located there. And if Luke was honest with himself, he, too, wanted to understand more of what they were becoming. Perhaps the Archive could explain things to him, ease some of the fear he felt and allow him to understand why Ben had turned against him.

"Sir," Davel said from Vader's elbow, "what type of hostiles should we expect down on the planet?"

"I'll explain in the shuttle. Come, daylight fades fast on the temple and we have much to do."

Artoo beeped at them causing Vader to stop walking. "Of course you may come, Artoo, although you may have to remain within the shuttle due to the rocky terrain."

With a satisfied beep the droid rolled over to the gangway of the shuttle and slipped inside. Vader again lightly guided Luke with a hand on his back into the shuttle and finally into the co-pilot's seat. The troopers hustled in after them and took their seats. Damon tried to sit nearest to Luke, but Davel waved him off. Damon stood there a few seconds longer than he should have, staring at his superior as if to demand an explanation, but finally the young man sat down elsewhere without a word. The tight smile Vader gave told Luke he had seen the silent exchange.

Vader took the shuttle's controls and took them out of the hanger bay effortlessly. Luke marvelled at his father's expert touch, which made the lumbering shuttle fly as gracefully as any fighter. Davel leaned forward in his seat so that his head was between Luke and Vader.

"About the hostiles, Lord Vader?"

"The Viateen are the dominant species in the temple. I'm uncertain what other life forms we may encounter on the planet's surface or in the caves."

"What are the Viateen, sir?"

"They are snake-like creatures. They have humanoid torsos and heads with the lower bodies of serpents."

Davel nodded, apparently unphased by the description, probably believing that the Viateen would be like most alien species: physically different, but nothing shocking. That was where Luke knew Davel was wrong. The aura of foulness that the Viateen exuded would make their unfamiliar and horrible visages far more disturbing than any other species the trooper had encountered.

"Father, about the Viateen … how did you kill them before? My lightsaber was completely useless against them. I would slash through them, but their bodies would just reform. It was like cutting through smoke."

There was a small silence. Vader's amber eyes were fixed out the viewport before he said simply, "I snapped their necks and removed their hearts. That appeared to keep them down."

Luke blanched, shocked at the image and his father's matter-of-fact explanation, but then the reason for both became apparent. Just for a moment, he could hear his father's thoughts over their bond, `And if you keep shooting hot glances at my son, Damon Trans, you will experience EXACTLY what I did to them.'

Startled by breaching his father's shields for a moment and the content of those thoughts, Luke stammered out, "You were able to … to remove their hearts without the lightsaber? But how?"

"With my hands."

"Oh." Luke swallowed hard at that.

"They appeared unable to phase in and out once I had a physical hold on them. I suppose the lightsaber would have worked once I grabbed them, but it was more efficient to use my hands at that point."

Vader's statements apparently affected the others as strongly as it did Luke, because he could suddenly hear Damon's thoughts like a clarion bell: `How can that monster be Luke's father? Poor Luke. Beautiful Luke. He doesn't belong anywhere near someone so brutal. I could protect him. Help him. Love him.' Luke snapped back from Damon's mind as he heard the last.

The creaking sound from the controls drew Luke's attention. His father was clenching them so hard they were set to break. Vader obviously had also heard Damon's thoughts, too, and Luke quailed inside. He brushed his mind against his father's to calm him. It was a tentative touch, but Vader's response was anything but. The Dark Lord's mind reached out and surrounded Luke's. The boy's eyes fluttered shut as he was enveloped in his father's dominating presence. It was like every part of him was being held tightly.

`You believe me now, Luke? He WANTS you.'

`Yes, I … I see that.'

`But he cannot have you! You are mine, Luke, only mine!'

`Yes, Father. Yours. Only yours.'

His words of submission apparently worked to ease the Dark Lord's anger as Vader's mental grip on him lessened and Luke sank back against the co-pilot's seat in relief.

"Sir, do you believe our blasters will be capable of hurting these creatures?" Davel asked, clearly unaware of their internal dialogue.

"I believe they will be almost useless against the Viateen, but your survival knives should work." Apparently sensing Luke's anxiety about the whole endeavor, Vader leaned over and gently caressed the back of Luke's neck. The soft press of his fingers against Luke's skin made pleasant chills run along his spine. "Young one, do not fear. I do not believe they will attempt to molest us this trip. They understand what the consequences will be if they do."

Luke gave him a weak smile. He wondered if those "consequences" might extend to Damon as well if the young man continued to want Luke romantically. `I have to warn him to cease thinking of me like that. Otherwise … Force, I don't even want to contemplate what Father will do to him! I just don't understand his interest at all. And the extent of it. Could it have something to do with being brought back from the dead?'

All conversation ceased for a moment as Vader landed the ship in the clearing before the temple. Luke stared out the viewport at the strange alive/dead grass and the hulking malformed trees that ringed the clearing. Then his eyes were drawn to the temple itself. The blood color of the stone was even more livid in the early afternoon sunlight. The hiss and whine of the gangway lowering drew Luke's attention.

The troopers were the first to file out. They placed their useless blasters in their holsters and drew out their survival knives. The blades were highly-polished carbonized durasteel about eight inches in length. They were beautiful, lethal things. The troopers took protective positions around the ship. As Luke stepped out onto the gangway, Artoo beeped that he would remain behind and guard the ship.

"All right, Artoo. Keep safe," Luke said and the droid happily plugged himself into one of the ports and began communicating with the shuttle's computer.

With a deep breath, Luke walked down the gangway. When he reached the bottom, he turned to wait for Vader to join him. Vader stood for a minute just inside the shuttle. His eyes were fixed on a triangle of sunlight that lit the center gangway. Luke watched as Vader extended his flesh and blood hand into the light. `Gods, this will be the first time Father has been in sunlight for 20 years! How amazing and strange and maybe even frightening this must be for him.'

As the sunlight fell over his flesh, Vader shivered slightly. Then he stepped fully into the light. As it hit his face, there was a wash of emotion over their bond, a kind of wild joy that made Luke want to cry and laugh at the same time. With a few great strides, the Dark Lord was on the grass. Sunlight bathed his entire form. A slight breeze stirred Vader's honey-blonde locks. His cape flapped around him. He stood there on the stubby brown grass, his eyelids shut, his arms lifted from his sides and his fingers spread wide as if he could capture and hold onto that moment forever. Finally, his amber eyes opened and he smiled hugely at Luke.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" He asked.

"Yes, very." Luke felt a tremulous smile break across his face. Over their bond, he said, `I'm so happy for you, Father.'

Vader stepped close and he cupped Luke's cheek with his healed hand. "And I have you to thank for my ability to truly enjoy it."

Luke colored under his father's intense regard.

"Luke healed you as he did us, didn't he, Lord Vader?" Davel asked, his voice tinged with awe, as if he finally realized that Vader was no longer wearing the mask.

"Yes."

Vader's thumb brushed over one of Luke's cheekbones and the boy wished fervently for a moment that Vader would lean down so that they could kiss.

`Later, young one. Kisses and touches and … anything else you desire.'

The warmth that cascaded through him at that promise was cut with a momentary pang of sadness that their relationship had to remain hidden. But this thought did not escape his father's notice.

`Even if our love were commonplace and accepted, it would be inappropriate to show it now in front of the troopers.'

`Yes, Father, of course, you're right.'

`However, I am not ruling out being open about what is between us after the Emperor is taken care of. I have lived with a secret relationship before and it is not what I want for us. But that is something to discuss later.'

Luke couldn't help the slight tremble that ran through him. His father didn't want to keep him a secret! Even though he was as leery of other's reactions to their relationship and knew it would be more prudent to keep it hidden, still a part of him yearned to have what other lovers did: the right to be free and open with the one they loved. His father stroked his cheek with his thumb one last time and then moved away. Luke smoothed down the front of his jacket in order to cover his need to compose himself. When he felt the slight warm press of one of Damon's hands against his shoulder, he nearly jumped. His head jerked around.

"Are you all right?" Damon whispered as he walked past to a point position.

"Fine," Luke hurriedly whispered back and flushed. He had to speak with Damon as soon as they got back to the Executor. The young trooper's solicitousness was going to get him killed. He didn't need to look at Vader to know his father was scowling.

"Let us go to the caves first," Vader ordered, turning on his heels and setting a quick pace that everyone had to struggle to keep up with.

The Dark Lord brought them to a worn path that ran along the side of the temple and was about fifteen feet from the tree line. He finally slowed down enough for Luke's smaller strides to match his. Vader made space for Luke to walk beside him nearer the temple than the trees. His father was guarding him from whatever might lurk in the forest. Luke couldn't help but smile at that. But Black Heart seemed intent on disturbing any sense of peace Luke had.

Luke noticed the silence first. Their footsteps echoed in the stillness. `Where are all the animal sounds? Or the rushing of the wind through the trees?' The impression of being watched by a cool, alien intelligence began as they reached the midway point of the temple. Luke found himself glancing between the trunks of trees to see if there was anything watching them from the dark depths, but he saw nothing, just the suggestion of black shapes that could have been his imagination or coiled Viateen hidden in the underbrush.

"Where is the cave?" Luke asked his father as he fought the urge to grab his lightsaber for protection against the shadows.

"About a half mile from the back of the temple. This path continues on into the woods towards a low mountain range where there's an entrance to them."

"And you believe there are lightsaber crystals within?"

Vader nodded. His eyes began to glow slightly as he explained further, "The Dark Side told me so."

"The Force … it talks to you?" Luke heard a whisper then in his own mind, that terrible sound of cloth against cloth. He shook his head as if to clear it. He had never heard any words from the Force and somehow he hoped it would remain that way.

"Yes." His father's expression grew almost dreamy for a moment, but his amber eyes were clear and intent as they focussed on Luke. "It told me that inside the cave, there are crystals so pure and so powerful … they are perfect. Far better than the ones that reside in our sabers now." A small shiver ran through Vader's form and a smile curled his lips as he apparently imagined the crystals they would find. "I wonder what colors our blades will be? I've had red so long … And you, this is your first time to actually chose a crystal, isn't it?"

"Yes. I was just so happy before to find any crystal that would work, it'll be strange having a choice."

"You'll find that one crystal will call to you."

"What do you mean?"

"There will be one inside that will seem as if it is made just for you. It will identify itself. And it will bond with your Force energy better than any other. You will be shocked at the difference in performance with your weapon when you have installed this crystal."

"I think I understand a little of what you mean. Your old blade was much easier to use somehow than the one I now have. It seemed … familiar to me. When I first made this new blade, it was so different. I felt no connection with it at all."

Vader rested a hand briefly on his shoulder. "I'm glad my blade helped you. But the one you've made is quite good, Luke. Over time all crystals adapt to their user. So even the most recalcitrant crystal can become very powerfully attuned to you."

Luke had been so caught up in their conversation that he hadn't realized that they had left the temple grounds and were already deep into the woods and almost at their destination. The cave's main entrance loomed before them, looking as forbidding as Luke assumed it would. It was black as pitch inside; even the light from the cave's opening made little headway into the interior. The sound of dripping water echoed from deep within. Vader ignited his lightsaber. The hiss and thrum of his blade startled Luke. For a moment, he remembered it being ignited against him at Bespin and a tremor went through him. He unconsciously began to rub his right wrist. He only stopped when Vader stilled the movement by covering Luke's hand with his own. Luke gave him a small grateful smile and ignited his own blade.

"Troopers, you will remain at the entrance. Guard our backs," Vader ordered and forged into the cave's interior with Luke at his heels.

Luke felt Damon's desire to disobey like a wave. Luke turned his head to look back at the cave's opening. Damon had seen his nervous movements and had misinterpreted his remembered fear as something current. The young man actually took a few steps into the cave's interior to follow them before Davel grabbed his arm and asked him if his hearing was impaired, because it must be if he was about to contradict a direct order from Lord Vader. Damon shrugged off Davel's hand, but did remain outside on guard. Luke turned back towards the cave's interior, jogging to meet up with Vader.

"He walks a fine line, young one."

"I will speak to him, Father. I will explain that there is nothing … that there can be nothing … between him and me. He is just grateful that I saved him. That's all. It will pass."

"But his disobedience and covetousness of what is mine will not be forgotten … nor forgiven."

The red glow of Vader's lightsaber was suddenly gone as he doused the blade. Luke was at a loss for why he did this until he felt his father's hands slide around the back of his neck and thread through his hair. They were far enough within the cave that the troopers could not see them. Not that it would have mattered. Luke was unable to resist the pull of his father's body. Luke quickly doused his own blade as Vader's lips pressed against his. Luke opened his mouth in a gasp of pleasure and Vader's tongue was inside, claiming him. Luke clutched the front of his father's armor and pulled them closer together. The blackness and wet of the cave fell away and all Luke felt was his father's heat and hardness. Vader's hands slipped down Luke's back and cupped his bottom, squeezing the globes of flesh as if to test their ripeness.

As he broke the kiss, Vader licked his lips. "Your mouth is so sweet, Luke. I yearn to taste the rest of you. Especially the most intimate taste."

Vader's fingers stroked between his cheeks and Luke shuddered as the fingers glided over his opening. He couldn't imagine that his father would honestly touch him with his tongue there. Surely not. He must be misunderstanding. His inexperience showing. But the thought of his father's tongue inside of him, even if only in his imagination, made a trill of heat run down his spine.

"You are not misunderstanding me, Luke, and you will find that your imagination is nothing compared to the real experience. I will use my tongue to prepare you for entry of something far larger of mine."

Luke moaned and Vader dipped his head down to capture that sound with another kiss. Luke sucked on his father's tongue, trembling at the thought of where it would be when they got off the planet. Vader ground Luke's groin against his thigh and Luke shuddered. But both knew that this was hardly the place to make love so the kiss ended leaving both of them slightly breathless. Vader rested his forehead against Luke's.

"I do not think Trans will give you up so easily, young one. You are worth fighting for."

"It would be a vain fight for him, Father. Because I only want you."

Vader laughed softly and gave Luke another quick kiss. They reluctantly released one another and ignited their blades again. The light from the cave entrance was all but gone as they began to trudge further into the cave.

"Young one, did Yoda or Obi-Wan teach you how to see in darkness with the Force?"

"Yes," Luke said then tripped over a loose stone in his path, muttering a mumbled curse that made Vader chuckle again. "But obviously I have not learned it very well."

Vader turned and passed one hand over Luke's eyes. "Here, this should help."

"Oh wow, this is incredible! It's as bright as day in here now."

Vader briefly instructed Luke on how to accomplish this by himself. After a few more trial runs where Luke could turn on and off his enhanced night-vision quickly and easily Vader was satisfied that they could continue their journey. With his new night-vision, Luke was able to discern that the walls and floor of the cave had been widened and smoothed to make travel easier. The levelness and gentle downward slope was too perfect for it to have been natural. Luke imagined hundreds of naked feet padding across this same stone floor to seek the Force crystals. `Or perhaps slithering down here. Do the Viateen have any use for the crystals?'

The cave had no ophidian odor like the temple did. It smelled of water and earth and something slightly musky. `Almost like some of the caves on Tatooine where the elders claimed Krayt dragons used to live. But those were only stories and we're far from Tatooine here.' As they delved deeper into the cave system, Luke noted that their path was doubling back on itself as well as going down so that they were heading back towards the way they had come only far below the surface.

Vader grasped Luke's hand and helped him over a relatively large fissure in the ground. The smell of sulfur wafted up and Luke thought for a moment he saw the golden glow of fire from far below. He was about to tell his father about it, but Vader began speaking again and the thought was lost.

"Do you hear that?"

Luke stopped walking and tilted his head to the side. "No."

"It's stopped, but I could have sworn I heard … a chittering."

Both father and son cast their Force senses out, but Luke's reflected back a confusing array of sights and sounds. `It's as if my Force probes are being shattered.' Vader turned to face Luke. The boy could tell that his father was having the same experience as he was from the furrowed brow. Luke was about to say something about it when he saw a spider-like creature begin dropping from the ceiling by a slender thread right over his father's head. It had a black segmented body and eight jointed legs as long as Vader was tall.

"Father!"

Luke grabbed Vader and pulled him out of the creature's descent path. With a twist of his wrist, he threw his blade at the monster's pulsating lower abdomen. The creature gave a shrill scream as it was severed neatly in two. The lower half fell to the ground with a wet plopping sound while the top continued to dangle from the ceiling by the thread like some obscene ornament. Vader turned in Luke's arms to stare at the creature neither had sensed until it was upon them.

With a curl of his upper lip, Vader hissed, "Kinrath."

"What?"

"This is a Kinrath. They often nest in Force crystal caves, most times around the crystals themselves. Seeing one means we're close." Vader toed the creature's severed belly with another grimace. "Thank you, Luke. Being bitten by a Kinrath would have been very unpleasant."

"I can imagine." Luke felt his heartbeat come back to normal and he reached with the Force for his saber. It flew over to him. He reignited it. "Are your Force senses scrambled, too?"

"Yes. Perhaps it's the amount of Force energy the crystals are giving off." Vader leaned down and brushed his lips against Luke's cheek. His voice was a whisper as he said into Luke's ear, "It is good to have you at my back, young one."

"Any time, Father." Luke blushed.

Another soft kiss and Vader drew away slowly. They proceeded forward now in silence. Both of them scanned the walls and ceiling for any Kinrath. As they rounded one last bend, the tunnel opened up into a large cathedral-like room. There was a soft, rainbow glow illuminating the space coming from huge crystal stalagmites and stalactites.

"We're here," Luke said.

"And so are they." Vader pointed to nine huge Kinrath, each one as large as a speeder, advancing upon them. Luke felt Vader try to reach out with the Force as he had with the slavers, but just like their Force senses had been hampered by the crystals, it appeared the same was true of Vader's new abilities. "I'm unable to access my powers to stop their hearts. Lightsabers it will have to be. Try to avoid breaking the crystals."

Luke nodded and moved lightly to meet the four Kinrath on the left while the Dark Lord took the five to the right. Fighting with Vader instead of against him was a joy. They worked in tandem, anticipating each other's needs. Luke couldn't help but marvel at how much power and control Vader had as he used a one-handed stroke to slice through the legs of one Kinrath and decapitate another. Luke used his speed and agility to almost dance between the Kinrath's wicked fang strikes. He sliced off their legs to incapacitate them then plunged his saber through the top of their skulls to finish them off. In minutes all nine Kinrath lay prone, their attached limbs quivering in the air in their death throws. Luke wiped sweat from his brow. Vader looked cool and composed as ever.

"You're not even out of breath! Yet you have to lift those heavy prosthetic limbs. I thought I was in shape but I'm not compared to you."

"I'll teach you to conserve your energy. You were beautiful to watch, Luke. Like a whirlwind."

"Thank you. I love to watch you fight as well, Father. You're so controlled … graceful." Luke added tentatively, "Would you teach me your saber techniques?"

"It would be my pleasure." Suddenly, there was a flash of white teeth and a wicked smile on his father's lips. As if excited by the battle, the blood or their victory, Vader was suddenly in a predatory mood. "It will be a pleasure to teach you everything, Luke." He paused as he rubbed his lower lip with one gloved finger as though contemplating a heavy question. "I wonder. Will you be a good, obedient student though?"

"Father, is that a rhetorical question?" Luke laughed, thinking he was being teased.

Vader began to stalk towards the young man, the Dark Lord's eyes becoming hooded and intense. His voice was smoky and low as he said, "I am curious what your answer is, young one."

Luke's throat suddenly felt tight and dry. Half-aroused and half-concerned at his father's behavior, he answered softly, "I would try to be a good student for you."

"Only try?"

"No try, only do, right?" Luke gave another laugh, weaker this time.

Vader's smile widened and Luke felt he would be devoured by the sensual mouth momentarily.

"You said nothing about obedient, Luke. Does that mean you don't intend to be obedient?"

"I … I'm sure I'll have my moments of obedience, but not always. I am your son after all." Luke tried to lift his chin to look strong and determined, but he feared he only looked like a little boy playing an adult when compared with his father's presence.

"Will you submit to my instruction though?"

"I will listen to your instruction and follow it—"

"Good attempt to evade the question Luke, but I asked if you would submit." Vader's black cape unfurled out behind him like a pair of massive wings, blocking out the light from the crystals.

To Luke's chagrin he felt his face heat. He knew his father was playing a game of some sort with him. Testing this claim that Luke had submissive tendencies. `Why does he choose now to do this? When we're deep underground surrounded by foes … to put me off my guard, of course.' What was worse was at that moment, Luke felt his sex stir as Vader dominated the room and him. But he swallowed hard and stood straighter instead then said, "Submit? No … no, I won't." But Luke's voice sounded breathless and lost to his own ears.

The Dark Lord cocked his head to the side. "I think you will, Luke. In the end, I believe you will submit to me." He cupped Luke's chin.

"No matter what I choose to do, one thing I can promise you, Father, is that your work will be cut out for you."

Vader's smile grew even greater, pleased by Luke's response. "Good. I enjoy a challenge."

With the dead Kinrath around them and the softly glowing crystals as backdrop, Vader's mouth covered his, his tongue plunging inside, stealing Luke's breath. The Dark Lord's hands ghosted down Luke's front, playing lightly over his nipples through the material of his jacket. His father's thumbs rubbed slow circles over the hardening nubs and Luke whimpered. He wrapped his arms around his father's neck so he could place more insistent kisses on Vader's lips to offset the maddening touches on his chest. Vader's hands finally slid lower to frame Luke's slim waist and pull the boy flush against his body.

"When you give in to me completely, child, I promise you bliss."

Luke's mind was melting from his father's closeness and his scent and the muscled planes of his body, and Luke knew if he didn't say something to stop where this was going that they would end up making love on the cave floor, bumping into Kinrath corpses. He was able to force out one word, "Crystals?"

"Ah, my dutiful son, keeping us on track." Vader gave a playful sigh and his eyes flashed gold. "Yes, crystals then the temple archive then back to the ship and then," Vader kissed him deeply again, his tongue hot and slick against Luke's own, "and then we shall see how good a student you can be."

Luke almost pitched over when his father went from being pushed up against him to a few feet away in a second. Luke noted with some exasperation that his father looked completely unruffled, not as if they had been wound around each other moments before. Luke shook his head ruefully. His father was a mixture of control and wildness. He didn't believe he'd ever be able to truly anticipate what the Dark Lord was going to do. He was drawn out of these ruminations by a sound of disgust and then a squish. His father was stomping on long white tubular masses that were nestled around the base of the stalagmite.

"What is it?"

"Eggs. Kinrath eggs," Vader said, his lips drawing back from his teeth in revulsion as he ground another egg into a pulpy mess.

"Oh, don't!"

Vader raised a disbelieving eyebrow up at him. "Why not?"

"Just … it's an unnecessary destruction of life."

"Eliminating the Kinrath in egg form is much more efficient than dealing with them in adult form if we come back for more crystals."

"But that's just it. If we come back. We may not return or we may come back after these eggs have hatched and the creatures have had their natural lives. We shouldn't just wantonly destroy them based on a possible return."

"Luke, you've seen how vicious these creatures can be. They are hardly poster-children for conservation."

"I know, but they exist so … they should be allowed to continue to do so unless they threaten us."

Vader stared down at the rest of the unscrambled eggs. "Your good heart may cause us future trouble, Luke."

Luke toed the ground nervously. He understood his father's point, but it seemed wrong to him to destroy the eggs. Vader gave a loud sigh.

"Since you feel so strongly about it, I will not destroy them. But I venture that the next time we come here we will have to wade through a million Kinrath to get to the crystals."

Luke couldn't stop the wide smile that spread across his face. His father had done a good thing, just to please him to be sure, but still Vader had relented. Maybe that boded well for other decisions in the future.

But it seemed that Vader was doing his mind-reading thing again as he said, "Do not convince yourself that I will be swayed in the future from my decisions just to please you. It is only because the possibility that we will return in the near future is remote and the danger relatively small that I have done this."

Luke's smile faded a bit, but he decided not to think of possible trouble in the future and instead to enjoy this minor victory. "Thank you any ways, Father. It does mean a lot to me … and the Kinrath."

"They know not what you have done for them, young one," Vader said with a wry smile. "Now try and find your Force crystal."

Luke stretched out his Force senses and while at first all he got back were the fractured images and feelings like he had before there was a bluish-white glow that continually seemed to emanate from the farthest corner of the room. Luke walked over to it, only half aware that he passed his father, who was kneeling by a stalagmite with a pleased smile on his face. Luke reached the area where the glow was and he saw the shard of crystal that was making it. It was already half-detached from the main crystal shaft. There was a pulse of white light from it and Luke felt a warm wash of energy flow over him. `Yes, this is definitely my crystal.' Luke removed the shard from the crystal stalagmite and held it in his palm for a moment. There was a tingling sensation from where the crystal touched his skin that shot through his system like a bolt that left him feeling both energized and at peace.

"Ah, I see you found yours." Vader's breath puffed against the side of Luke's face. Luke had been so involved in his crystal that he hadn't heard his father's approach. Vader snaked a hand around Luke's midsection and pressed them together for a moment while they looked at the crystal together.

"And you?"

"Yes, I found one for me as well." Vader reached around Luke with his free hand and showed him a large crystal shard. "Mine is purple this time around, nearly black it's so dark."

"It reminds me of how the Force energy around you looks with your enhanced powers." Luke traced the outside edge of his father's shard. "My crystal's appears to be white almost, with a blue cast."

"It reminds me of the color of your eyes," Vader remarked softly and kissed Luke's cheek. "It's beautiful."

Luke leaned back into his father's embrace for a moment relishing the safety and security he felt.

Then the ground began to tremble and a rumbling filled the air.

The crystal stalactites above them quivered then swayed wildly. They sounded like bells hit with a hammer as they fell and impaled the ground below them. Vader clutched Luke to his chest and ran across the room with enhanced Force speed to an area not overhung with stalactites. As the tremors finally subsided, Luke coughed as he drew in a lungful of crystal dust and dirt. They both turned simultaneously to the entrance to the tunnel they had used come in from. The ceiling had caved in, blocking the tunnel completely.

"Earthquake?" Luke asked.

"There was no evidence of any earlier seismic disturbance in the tunnel. And prior tremors would have disturbed the temple, too, but it looked quite secure."

"You think it wasn't natural then?"

"Well, it seems strangely fortuitous that there should only be tremors now that we are here." Vader studied the debris. "It may be possible to clear the way with our Force powers even hampered as they are. But I fear there might be just another cave-in." Vader tried to use his comlink, but only static met his efforts.

"Do you suppose the troopers felt the tremor and will come to investigate once they can't reach us on the com?"

"Quite possible. But they would have to get heavy moving equipment from the Executor sent down in order to get through this mess. That will take time. Potentially hours before they could get us out." Vader brushed crystal fragments out of Luke's hair and off their clothes.

Luke's eyes alighted upon a smaller opening opposite the one they had entered. He pointed it out to his father. "There's another tunnel out of this room."

"Well, we have nothing but time so I suppose we should see where it goes."

They made their way over to the clear tunnel, stepping over shattered Force crystals. Luke felt a thrumming through the soles of his feet coming from the broken columns as he stepped over them. It was a mournful feeling, as if the crystals felt the pain of being splintered into a million pieces. One of them seemed to call out to him not to leave it lying there like a wounded soldier. He picked up the crystal and held it tight in his palm then placed it gently in the pocket of his jacket. He felt sick when he realized the Kinrath eggs he had argued to save had been squashed into a jelly by the falling crystals. `Who would do this to us? Who knows we're here? The Viateen? No, it does not feel like their doing. Then … oh, no … it couldn't be …'

"Young one, what is it? You are in distress?"

"Do you think Ben could have done this?"

"Do you sense him at all?"

"No, but with the way the crystals are affecting us I might not."

"True. I suppose he could be behind this. But I never knew that the dead could have so much power to affect the living world."

"Are there any tales from the Jedi or Sith about the afterlife?"

"Not really. Perhaps it is because those that did come back and talk to the living refused to speak of their experiences on the other side so it seemed wrong to speculate."

They reached the mouth of the clear tunnel. There was a blast of cool fresh air from it and Luke brightened.

"Perhaps this leads to a way out."

Vader nodded slowly. "I hardly need tell you to be on your guard, young one."

Vader's POV

The Dark Lord tightened his hand on his lightsaber as they entered the tunnel. He did it to counteract the urge to touch the boy again. After the Kinrath battle, Vader had been unable to resist that desire. His blood had felt hot in his veins as the last Kinrath died. Killing normally left him in an icy place, but this time he was overwhelmed with heat. Even as he had slashed Kinrath limbs and decapitated Kinrath heads, his senses were attuned to his son's movements.

Luke had looked so beautiful: his eyes bright with exhilaration, his breathing quickened, and his heartbeat strong and vital. The boy's movements in battle were like liquid. It had been stunning to watch. Vader had forgotten what it was like to fight with another Force user; the unspoken communication that allowed them to anticipate the other's moves and needs. And he had never been with a Force user as powerful or as perfectly in tune with him as his son. It had been absolutely addictive and made him want another connection with the boy, a more physical one, immediately.

As the last Kinrath had died, Vader had almost thrown Luke to the ground and covered that slim form with his own so he could feel the vital, brilliant light that was his son pulsing under him. He had settled for teasing the boy mercilessly, both physically and mentally. Luke had risen to the challenge. Vader could still taste his son in his mouth, feel the lingering warmth of where the boy's body had touched his, and smell Luke's sweet scent. But he couldn't be distracted this way, he had to stay focussed. The conveniently open tunnel could be a trap. `And if it is set by the Viateen, I will exterminate every one of their wretched hides. However, if it is Kenobi … how can I hurt a dead man?'

This tunnel was smoother than the last. It was also perfectly square. The tunnel abruptly ended in an equally square room made of the red-stone. What looked like a holonet station was sitting directly in the center. There were three other arched exits from the room. Clean, cool air came out from each of them. Vader sensed Luke felt relax as the boy realized they wouldn't be trapped underground for hours waiting to be rescued.

"We're in the temple."

"I never believed that thought would give me comfort," Luke said wryly.

Vader laughed and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly then turned his attention to the holonet station. The station drew Vader. The Dark Side whispered to him that he could access the Archive from here. The Dark Side's voice was more insistent on the planet's surface than on the Executor. It was like a song in his mind, telling him of the power and the glory that were to be his now that he truly was The Dark Lord and a part of the Balance.

His fingers played over the unfamiliar controls easily. He had always understood machinery, could figure it out intuitively since he was a boy. Even this alien technology was soon unlocked and a hologram appeared before them. It showed Black Heart slowly spinning in the darkness of space. This opening image was sharp and crisp, fully colored, not the hazy, blue-tinged holograms they were used to. Luke stood at his elbow staring at the green-gold world.

"It looks so real."

"This technology is farther advanced than ours. Perhaps I should have the techs come and study it." He connected a device that he hoped would be able to download the Archive. He felt relieved as the recorder began to hum and blink as it copied the data.

"It looks interactive." Luke peered closer at the hologram and pointed at strange symbols that dotted the side of hologram.

"You're right." He touched one lightly and a voice filled the room. He would have sworn it was Luke's, only the words were in a tongue his son did not know. And the tone of the voice was anguished, expressing emotions he hoped Luke never felt.

His son retreated from the voice physically, his body hunched over as he took a few steps away from the hologram itself. "Please … please turn it off!"

Vader quickly tapped the symbol again and the voice stopped. "Luke, what is it?"

The boy wiped a shaky hand across his forehead. "I don't know. It almost felt for a minute like I could understand what he was saying and … it was awful. Something so sad and so horrible. It made me sick inside."

Vader glanced back at the screen. He shelved the idea of pressing some of the other buttons, worried that Luke could have an even worse reaction. He would review the recorded material himself in private and tell Luke what he found or perhaps the boy would feel more able to listen and see the Archive when he was safely aboard the Executor.

"Do you feel better now?" He clasped Luke's arm.

With a shaky smile, Luke nodded. "Yeah. Do you think the Viateen built this place and the Archive?"

"I doubt that. Did you notice how other than the slightly narrower doorways the temple appears to have been built for humanoids or at least bipedal creatures?"

"I recall seeing steep staircases. Beings that slither hardly need stairs. So I guess it wouldn't make sense for them to design a building like this."

Vader was pleased at his son's answer. It demonstrated his quick mind. Also, Luke could only have seen the stairs while he was being carried to the altar, yet despite the horror of the situation, he had managed to note those details.

"What do you suppose happened to the people who built this? Do you think they were wiped out by war or disease?"

"Potentially. Although, during one of my missions to find a new source of Bacta, I did discover a world where a whole species had just left the planet for no apparent reason. Took to their ships, leaving their homes and goods behind, for parts unknown, never to return."

"How creepy! For everyone to give up everything at the same time … what could have caused that?"

"Even creepier, there was evidence that they left food on their tables as if they simply got up in the middle of their meals and just … left."

Luke shook his head. "You've seen some amazing things in all your travels. I can honestly say that though my own experiences on different worlds have been exotic, they haven't exactly been … interesting. I mean Hoth is not exactly anything to write home about. Just ice, snow and … well, there was the Yeti—"

"Yeti?" Vader got the impression of a large, clawed paw coming at Luke's face then the image faded as the crystals interfered with their bond again.

"I was going to be its lunch."

"But you obviously managed to survive."

"Yeah, with Han's help and the body of his dead Taun-taun. Trust me when I tell you that they smell worse on the inside than they do on the outside, which I didn't think was possible."

Vader chuckled then sobered slightly. "You realize that I almost had you on Hoth."

A flash of sadness ran across their bond, but the source was mysterious. `Regret for lost friends? Or missing the chance to connect with me earlier?'

"Did you know I was your son then?" Luke asked softly.

"Yes, after the destruction of the Death Star I had to know who the pilot was whose Force presence was so strong that he was able to evade me in battle. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw your name. I began looking for you immediately."

Vader stared at the hologram, but he wasn't really seeing the green-gold planet any more, rather he was back in the moment when he realized that his child was alive. He had been at his desk on the Executor, Luke's name and brief history were laid out on the screen before him. The information told him everything and nothing. It stated: Luke Skywalker; Born: Tatooine; Parents: Unknown, presumed dead; Guardians: Owen and Beru Lars, deceased, killed by Stormtroopers in an action to recover droids containing Death Star plans; Joined Rebellion: date unknown, suspect it occurred after guardians' deaths; Showed interest at Imperial Academy Seminar to become a pilot like his father.

`Like his father.' He had felt unable to breathe even with the respirator at full power as he read that last paltry line again and again. Flashes of Padme from their last meeting had filled his mind. How she had looked at him with such horror. How she said that he was breaking her heart. And he believed he had broken her body, too.

`But I must not have! How else could Luke have survived? Palpatine told me I killed her and I assumed Luke was dead with her. But I didn't check to see if that assumption was correct. And Luke suffered at the hands of the Lars.'

"Father?" Luke's blue eyes were clouded with concern. One warm hand was on Vader's forearm. "Are you all right?"

Vader shook himself. "I'm fine. Just … finding that you lived was a shock. If I had even the slightest idea that you were alive I would never have stopped looking for you. But I had no idea that you survived … that you could have survived …"

"Survived what, Father? Why did you think I was dead?"

Vader froze. Luke's huge blue eyes were focussed on his face and he couldn't turn away from his son. For a moment, he believed all his shields were gone and Luke could see everything inside of him, but a quick check showed he was wrong and that the strange dissonance from the crystals was still interfering with their bond anyway.

Vader knew he had to answer his son, but words had left him. `I never thought I would have to tell him like this. Here. Now. Or perhaps ever.' Vader frantically thought of all the ways he could obscure the truth from Luke. But he knew that it was harder to lose a person's love than their trust and Luke had already been betrayed once that way. So he stalled.

"Young one, be very sure that you truly want the answers to those questions."

Luke paled slightly. "You're afraid to tell me. Why?"

"I fear it will change how you … feel about me." Vader heard his voice break slightly and realized that he was afraid, truly afraid, that Luke would turn away from him once he knew. For one long moment, he thought of knocking Luke unconscious and taking him back up to the Executor where he could keep him locked up, a prisoner, but still Vader's.

"You fear I would leave you now after all we've been through?" Luke gave him a ghost of a smile. "You tortured my friends. Had Han frozen in carbonite not knowing … and I'm sure not caring … whether it would kill him or not. You struck down the man I thought of as my mentor and teacher. You also took my hand."

"Yes, but—"

"Wait, there's more. I know that you will torture and kill those slavers once we get back to the Executor even if they have nothing of worth to tell you. And they won't be the last people you hurt. Deserving or not. Those are only the things I personally know that you've done. The Rebellion was always quick to tell horror stories about you and even if only a fraction of them are true—"

"And if they are true? And worse things?"

Luke touched his father's face before answering him. Vader's eyes fluttered shut. He felt their bond clearly for the first time since they entered Black Heart's interior. The bond felt so strong, like a durasteel cable, unbreakable. `But is that an illusion? Won't he cringe away from me, horrified, just as Padme did when she understood exactly what I was capable of?'

Luke's voice was soft as he said, "I don't know what this says about the type of person I am, but … what you've done doesn't matter. I mean it matters, but I won't leave you because of it, Father. I know who you are. The good and the bad. So you can tell me or not tell me what happened. Either way, I'll still be here. I'll still love you."

Vader's eyes opened as Luke stopped speaking. Had he ever been so accepting of anyone as Luke apparently was of him? Did the boy love him so much? Vader looked away from his son, unable to face the purity in that gaze. He stared instead at his hands; the hands that had wrung the life out of his wife in a moment of overwhelming rage. He had left her lying there and gone to battle Obi-Wan, thinking her only unconscious. Not knowing until he was fitted with the prosthetics and the mask that he had snuffed out her and their child's lives. `Or at least her life. Luke was alive.' So alive and right there in front of him. Vader took a deep breath and began to speak.

"The reason I believed you to be dead was because ... I hurt your mother when you were in her womb. Palpatine told me that I killed her. And I believed you were dead with her. But you survived. So perhaps I did not kill her and she died some other way. Or perhaps she only succumbed to what I did after you were born. I don't know."

Vader stopped speaking. He realized he was holding his breath even as his hands fisted at his sides, waiting for Luke's reaction. The boy's expression gave nothing away. His eyes were unfocused, absorbing what had been said. Finally, the boy's gaze became clear again and he looked up at his father.

"Why did you hurt her?"

"She betrayed me." How easy to say, but how hard accept at the time. `And impossible to forgive.'

Luke swallowed. "How?"

"Palpatine and I … the purging of the Jedi had begun and … she told Obi-Wan of my location. Brought him there. To Mustafar. He came to reason with me. And if I would not follow him … to kill me."

Something of what had happened to him on the fire planet must have come across their bond as Luke flinched and said, "You were burned there, weren't you? Did Ben … oh, Force, Ben was the one to injure you?"

"Yes." Vader's voice was so small and soft he didn't recognize it. He never had told another soul what had happened to him on Mustafar, keeping it locked within him, a vile memory to torture himself with. But now he was going to tell Luke. Perhaps telling would allow him to purge it out like Luke had done with his memory of Uncle Owen. Vader continued, "Obi-Wan had the higher ground and I … miscalculated."

"What do you mean by miscalculated?"

"We were fighting. And ... I leapt towards him. He was on a rocky outcropping above me and ... I left myself unguarded, like the worst, newest padawan learner. He cut off my legs and part of my arm with one swing."

Vader began to pace the room. Two steps to the right then two steps back to the left. His hands clenching and unclenching as he remembered that day.

"I fell right at the edge of a lava stream. I tried to crawl out, use my one remaining arm to drag myself from the fire, but I couldn't!"

Vader ran his hands through his hair, gripping and pulling at it. His hair had been the first thing to go.

"I was burning and burning and … the rock was liquid beneath me. The lava adhered to my flesh and destroyed it in seconds … stuck to my bones and seared them. I could smell my own body cooking. Burnt flesh smells almost sweet."

Vader choked for a moment, remembering the cloying odor that had pervaded his nostrils for months afterwards. Luke gave a small horrified sound, but Vader couldn't stop talking. The memories were overwhelming him.

"I could taste ash in my mouth and heat. The fire scalded my throat and worked its way down to my lungs, scorching them."

Vader took a shuddering breath. He was hot even in the cool dampness of the temple. He could almost feel the fire crawling over him and into him again. But he pressed on with his story, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Obi-Wan … he left me there to die! He didn't even have the honor to end my misery with a stroke of his saber. He just turned and left me screaming. Palpatine came for me instead."

Vader's heart was thundering in his chest. His throat felt almost too tight to speak or even breathe. But the story had to be told in full.

"Then … then like some of kind of monster holonet show, Palpatine strapped me to a table and had droids attach the prosthetics you see on me now. He gave me no sedatives. No painkillers. I was awake and aware as they sutured, stitched and soldered the metal limbs to my burnt flesh. He then had them put me in my black leather armor."

Vader grasped the top of his armor and pulled it away from his neck. It felt so constricting suddenly, cutting off his breath. But he still couldn't get any air. And it seemed hotter. So terribly hot and cold at the same time. He felt lightheaded as well.

"And finally … finally, he had them cover my face with the mask."

His voice was only a whisper as he finished. Black dots swarmed before Vader's eyes. Suddenly, he swayed and began to pitch backwards. Luke was suddenly beside him, lowering him to the ground into a sitting position, placing his head between his knees. He rubbed Vader's back in comforting circles.

"Father! It's all right. You're not there any more. You're not burned. And I promise I'll give you back your limbs. Now please … please, breathe! Breathe for me!"

"I can't! I can't! My lungs … they're gone!"

"No! They're healed, Father. They're perfectly fine. Just take a breath for me. One breath."

Vader tried and a trickle of air made it down into his constricted passageways.

"You're just having a reaction to the memory. Your lungs are fine. I promise."

Vader took a second breath then another. He was wheezing, but he was getting air into his lungs. Luke was touching his forehead. His son's cool, smooth hands brushed the hair back from his brow. He yearned to have Luke run his cool hands all over his flesh. It would convince him that he wasn't on fire, wasn't being burnt to a cinder.

Vader flushed at his weakness as he took another harsh breath. `A panic attack. Me having a panic attack?' He had never been one to let go like this, not even right after it had happened. Normally when he came close to feeling this much he destroyed something … or someone. But Luke was the only one there and he wouldn't hurt the boy. 'Never again.'

"Forgive my … weakness, Luke."

"There's nothing to forgive. And you aren't being weak. What happened to you … gods, I don't know how you survived it!"

Vader laughed bitterly. "I just told you that I … that I killed your mother! And thought I'd killed you, but you are soothing me for injuries I … I justly received!"

"You need soothing."

"I guess I do. Well, I suppose we each learned something unpleasant from this conversation then." Vader scowled, hating the pity he feared he heard in Luke's voice. He didn't want the boy's pity. `Although pity is better than hate.' Vader struggled to get back to his feet, but Luke pushed him back down. He was too weak to protest.

"You need to rest for a moment. It was clearly a shock to talk about all that. I shouldn't have asked. I knew it had to be a bad memory. I just didn't understand how bad it would be for you." Luke took a deep breath. "We don't need to speak of it ever again."

Vader wanted to take this boon of silence that Luke was offering him, never speak of the burning or Padme again, but he feared it would lead to a rift between them as Luke realized later after reflection the enormity of what Vader had done to Luke's mother. After all, he had hacked to death the creatures that had killed Shmi. Vader forced out, "The burning … one telling is enough. But we cannot pretend that what I did to you and your mother did not happen, Luke. I can only imagine how … angry … how much you must ha- hate me for—"

Luke shook his head violently. "But I don't!"

"What? Why not?"

Luke's expression became pained. He gripped his hands together in front of him. The words when they came were rushed and clipped like he wanted to get them out as quickly as possible.

"You suffered for 20 years. I know you well enough to realize that. You thought you deserved what happened to you on Mustafar."

Vader lowered his head. Perhaps Luke was right. Perhaps that explained why he had in the end accepted his shattered body so easily, never raged at the loss of his looks or mobility as much as he could have.

Luke's hands trembled for a moment. But he gripped them tighter. "And … I never knew my mother. So I can't really mourn her. She probably deserves better from me, but the reality is that I don't want to use what happened in the past as a wedge between us now. I don't want to hate." Luke gave a bitter laugh. "And in a way, I don't want to give her any place in our lives now. She's … my competition for you. Don't you see that?"

Vader lifted up his prosthetic hand to cup his son's face. "Oh, Luke, there is no comparison between what I feel for you and what I felt for her."

The boy went stiff beside him. "I … I understand. Of course. I shouldn't have said …"

"Luke? What's wrong?"

The boy began to stand, his gaze focussed anywhere but on his father. "I shouldn't have presumed to … to think I could take my mother's place in your heart. It was a wrong thing to wish. Wrong."

Vader gripped the boy tightly by the arms. "You misunderstand. I used to think that what I felt for Padme … your mother … was the ultimate love I could experience."

"Yes, of course. You probably love her like that still. There were extreme circumstances that caused you to hurt her—"

"Luke, for Force's sake, listen to me! I loved her, yes. I remember her mostly fondly now. But what I felt for her, even at our relationship's zenith, is a weak and paltry thing compared to what I feel for you!"

"You … you're just saying that."

Vader resisted the urge to shake the sweet child. "Damn Owen Lars! That he could make you feel so worthless … Luke, you're everything to me! How can I make you understand this?"

Vader studied the boy's downcast face, felt the trembling in Luke's limbs, and sensed self-loathing from the boy coming in waves even with his fractured Force senses. Then Vader knew what he had to say.

"I had a choice between power and Padme and I chose power. There was hardly a choice really. It was a foregone conclusion. But if the same choice was before me again and it was you instead of Padme … I would—"

"You don't have to say—"

Vader grasped one of Luke's hands gently and put it over his heart. "But I do. For both of us, I need to say this."

Part of Vader was screaming not to tell the boy he would chose him over power. That part shouted that power was everything. He needed it. He had to have it. At any cost. But another part of him, the stronger part of him this time, knew that wasn't true.

"I will always want power, Luke. But it is cold comfort when it is all you have."

"You mean …" The boy's eyes were filled with tears he was obviously struggling not to shed.

"My life has been empty since the day I lost you. My desire to become Emperor, my own master, was not enough to fill me. Not even close. For twenty years, I have lived a half-life, a shadow-life."

"Oh, Father, I … didn't know."

"Do not pity me, Luke. I chose my path. And until I met you, I didn't realize how vacant my life truly had become."

Vader pressed a kiss to Luke's lips. He was relieved when the boy kissed back and didn't draw away. It was hard for him to comprehend that the child didn't hate him. But it was true. Vader felt nothing but love and understanding from the boy. He framed Luke's face with his hands. When the tears fell he brushed them away with his thumbs.

"The irony is that the only reason I have the power now to take the throne from Palpatine, to achieve any of my goals, is because of my love for you. After Padme's death, I scorned love. Thought it only an illusion. Perhaps her and my love was just that. Not deep or true, at least not enough, not in the end."

Luke rested his forehead against Vader's. The Dark Lord traced the ridges of the boy's cheekbones, the delicate orbits of his eyes and finally trailed down to the firm line of Luke's jaw. His son was precious.

Vader's voice was quiet, but sure, as he said, "If the same choice came again, between power and the loss of you … I refuse to lose you, child of my heart."

Luke was still for a moment then with a little cry, the boy flowed into his arms. He felt their bond strengthen even more. He petted his son's hair and back, rocking the boy for long moments. Vader marvelled that a topic he believed would rip them apart had brought them closer together. The recorder interrupted their quiet moment as it beeped to indicate it was finished copying the Archive.

"I do not want to move, but … I think we would be more comfortable continuing this on the Executor."

The boy snuffled against his neck slightly then nodded. Vader gently released the child and Luke got to his feet, offering Vader a hand up.

"I am too heavy. I will pull you down, Luke."

The boy gave him a steady look and still offered his hand. "I'm strong enough. Trust me, Father."

Vader took the outstretched hand and Luke pulled him to his feet with little effort. The Dark Lord lifted an eyebrow up in surprise.

"I see I underestimated you … in many ways."

"I can be as strong as you need me to be, Father."

Vader brushed Luke's cheeks with his fingertips. The boy smiled, taking Vader's hand and kissing it lightly. They walked over together to the recorder.

"I just need to check that we've got all of the information," Vader explained, "then we can make our way out of here."

Luke nodded absently, his gaze suddenly focussed on one of the doorways. "Let me scout ahead a little. I think the freshest air is coming from that doorway." Luke pointed to the doorway farthest to the right.

"All right, but be quick. This will only be a few minutes. And be careful, Luke."

"Always." Luke gave him a jaunty grin, unhooked his lightsaber and proceeded to the doorway.

It was hard to let the boy leave his sight. But Luke was strong and bright and Vader trusted his judgment for the most part. Plus, the Dark Lord was able to keep tabs on Luke over their bond at least at first, but then the interference began in earnest again. He grimaced. He tried calling Luke back, but his call was so scrambled he didn't think Luke heard him. He was almost done checking the recorder. Just a few seconds more. He could take off after Luke and their bond would become clearer as they got physically closer to one another.

Vader thought he heard a faint crack then a cry. He froze, straining to hear more, but there was nothing.

"Luke?"

He tried calling over their bond, but he couldn't reach his son. He ripped the recorder off the holonet station and began to run towards the doorway Luke had gone through. He continuously yelled Luke's name as he rushed down the red hallways, following his son's footsteps in the dust. Vader had a horrible sense of deja vu. `If the Viateen have touched one hair on his head … they will all die!' The hallway abruptly opened up into a room with a vaulted ceiling and alien writing inscribed on all four walls. One of the large stone slabs that made of the floor was broken in half. There was a dark hole beneath it. Luke's steps went straight to the edge and ended. `Was he standing here when the stone broke and fell inside? How deep does the hole go?' Also something about the break did not look right to Vader. `Like it was purposefully shattered.' The Dark Lord knelt at the edge of the hole, peering into the blackness.

"LUKE!"

There was a faint call back to him, but he couldn't make out the words. And their bond was still being interfered with.

"I'm coming, Luke! Hold on!"

Vader anchored himself with the Force to the ceiling of the room. He used the Force like a rope to lower himself down into the hole. Just as his eyes were below the lip, he caught a glimpse of his son through the Force.

Luke was in a cavern far below him with a broken leg. His lightsaber lay shattered beside him. The boy was frantically scrabbling backwards, drawing his injured limb after him. At first, Vader did not understand the look of horror on Luke's face or why the boy was not using his healing ability to restore his leg. But then Vader saw what Luke did.

A Krayt Dragon, as large as three fighters put together, was advancing towards his son.

And it was about to breathe fire.

Part 4

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