AN: This one-shot popped suddenly up in my head, and I had to write it down! I don't own anything, save the plot.
Unconditional love
Darth Vader sat alone in his chambers aboard the Super Star Destroyer Executor. It was his own design and he was quite proud of it. He was proud of Luke too, of his power in the Force - although he was not as strong as himself - and of his flying skills and even his stubbornness, but... Luke didn't accept him, let alone love him. Deep in his heart he wanted Luke to love him like a normal son loves his father.
But as Luke had said before, just not in so many words, only if he came to the Light Side of the Force and become Anakin again, he would accept him. As if there was such a thing as a 'Light Side' or a 'Dark Side' or a Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker! They were one and the same person and there was only the Force itself, the Jedi were the ones to put labels on it, which most of the Sith had taken over.
But back to his original train of thoughts - there was a condition for his love. Trained to be just like that damn Obi-Wan, whose affection only ran as far as the rules went and thus didn't even think twice about fighting him when they were on Mustafar.
That memory still sent chills over his back, despite the searing heat that accompanied it. It was all Obi-Wans fault! If he hadn't come with her, he wouldn't have choked his wife.
His Angel.
His Padmé.
Although his heart didn't beat on it's own anymore, it still beat for her. She had loved him, no matter what. Even on Mustafar, when she knew that he had slaughtered every Jedi in the temple, she still did.
Oh yes, he now knew that she had spoken the truth. And it changed nothing, except making his own sorrow and grief a thousand times bigger than it already was, threatening to slip into the void of his mind and be forgotten. But he didn't want that, for how much the memories hurt, he wanted to remember everything about her, all the times they had been in each other's presence.
And had he, on his wedding day, not vowed to be with her, in the good and in the bad times? So while she wasn't here physically, she was in his head and in his heart.
Just like his mother. Shmi had also always loved him, had never become angry with him and never shouted. She didn't like the podraces, but she knew how much racing meant to him.
When in that last race, on Bounta Eve, he had won his freedom, she couldn't be happier. He left her to start a better life while she was still a slave on Tatooine. But she still loved him, unconditionally.
His mother and Padmé shared so many good qualities! If only he had been able to give something back, after all, they had given him much.
He hoped Luke had inherited those things, once he overcame his stubbornness and looked to the person as a whole, rather than one aspect.
Maybe then he would change his mind, and make his decision: keep hating Darth Vader and stop loving Anakin Skywalker, or keep loving Anakin Skywalker and stop hating Darth Vader.
He hoped Luke would move his conditions aside and choose the last option.