Disclaimer: This was written for fun, not profit. I don't own Star Wars I just play in that world. Thanks to Lucas and the many people who brought it to life and hopes that Disney will do it justice.

This story is an alternate universe: a 'what if' some characters survive that in the movies were killed.

Vader closed his eyes but it was Anakin who opened them. Everything had been dark for over twenty years. But then a light had finally broken through, getting brighter and brighter. Until now, he'd found his way out.

The secret of the dark, the horrible evil secret, was that it didn't matter if you were hating yourself or someone else. Hating yourself still trapped you in the dark side. You were trapped in a circle of fear and anger and loneliness and guilt. Until someone gave you a gift of forgiveness. And it was totally undeserved after all he'd done.

But by doing it, Luke also saved himself. He refused to let himself carry the weight of that hate. And he showed Anakin how to let it go too.

No matter what he had done twenty years ago, he had to let it go. Not because he deserved to be free, but because the universe deserved to be free of Vader. And as long as he held onto that guilt and hate, Anakin was trapped in that moment, the moment he first fell to the dark side.

Luke was trying to haul him out of the Death Star.

"Just go. You've already saved me." The electricity had damaged his limbs. His lungs were sufficiently healed, maybe, for short use without the mask though he'd hid it from the emperor. But Anakin could feel time running out. The Death Star rocked, smoke filtered through his damaged mask…that wasn't so good for his lungs. Sparks flew from damaged panels, sirens wailed…Anakin managed to key in the code to the Emperor's private lift. They practically fell inside.

"No. I won't leave you."

A mighty shudder slammed them both into the wall. The lift dropped, shook and finally half opened.

"Uh oh." Luke stared at the blockage of metal debris in front of them.

Anakin hit a switch left handed and the turbo lift screeched loudly and lifted up. It shook violently as it lifted up.

"Where are we going?"

"Next level. We can switch to another lift or take the stairs. Or in my case, fall down them."

"See, you're already saving me again. I could wander around lost until this thing blows up."

"Huh."

They reached the next level, which was damaged but not as bad. "I can't get through that. Go." Anakin stated.

"No. If you shed the shoulder armor you could fit."

"You'd have to cut the armor. It's not designed to be moved without removing the helmet first."

"I don't want to hurt you. But I am not leaving you." Luke carefully pulled out the green blade and very gently cut through the armor. It was tougher than he expected. He hardly dared breathe and Anakin didn't move either. Luke fought to pull it apart when it was almost cut through rather than risk the blade touching his father. When it broke they both staggered.

"That is tough stuff." He gasped. They squeezed out. Luke had to pull hard to get his father through even without the armor.

"From there, they made there way toward an upper gantry.

Luke carefully studied the exits. Two royal guards stood near one. He frowned. "Those royal guards are by that lift we tried to exit. I guess we might've had a fight if we went that way."

"You would. I doubt I could fight off a stiff wind at the moment." Anakin wheezed.

"Which ship…"

"The shuttle. It's mine and it has the best shields as well as a cloak."

Luke's head whipped around. "It has a working cloaking device? I thought there weren't any more?" Luke helped him to the exit.

"It's one of the few left." Anakin coughed violently, staggering. "You should leave me."

"I won't."

"I've nowhere to go. And I don't deserve to live, after what I've done. The galaxy would be relieved to see me go."

"I wouldn't. I've looked for you all my life. Now I've found you, don't ask me to let you go. Please."

Anakin's legs gave out on him and Luke dragged him to the ramp. The fallen knight fumbled for the mask. "Help me take this off."

"But…"

"Please…"

Luke pulled it off. He drew back, startled. "You almost…don't look like you need it."

"Healed up a bit…don't know…I'm proud of you." He coughed. Anakin insisted "I don't want to live like this in your world. It reeks of the dark…"

"Let them try. Let them try and save you…all the way." Luke's voice shook. "Please. If they can't…" If they couldn't, he'd let him go. He could feel his pain, he couldn't force him to live like that.

Luke hauled him up the ramp. Anakin fell unconscious and Luke slapped an emergency mask from a med kit on him. Then there was no time for anything but fly. The hanger was exploding around them and Luke immediately saw the rebel fleet was pulling back. Still, TIE fighters and enemy ships were shooting at the X-Wings. One X-Wing whizzed around him, taking aim. Luke scowled at the notion of being shot down by friendly fire. But to be fair, they had no way of knowing he wasn't the Emperor trying to make a quick getaway. He glanced back at his father and hit the cloaking device, dodging aside from the laser bolts and veering away from the other ships vectors. Then he took time to change the frequency on the communications and transponder.

"Come on, come on." He hissed impatiently. He had to let them know it was him, without letting them know who he had with him. Their fear might cause a lethal reaction.

"Okay then."

Luke uncloaked and hailed the medical frigate with the new transponders and code. "This is Commander Skywalker requesting to board. I have an injured man."

"Unusual vessel your flying Commander."

"I kind of requisitioned one of theirs."

Luke leaped for the back of the shuttle as soon as he landed. He looked his father over carefully. All the lights on the light support were blinking a frantic red. If the medics knew about it maybe they could fix it. But he didn't want to live in life support and if they figured out who he was, the odds were that he would go straight to the bottom of the triage list. The only shot he had was if they didn't know and most of those needing emergency care hadn't yet made it over here. They were on other ships or floating in space waiting for rescue. Or they were on the Endor moon waiting for pickup. Space battles didn't have a whole lot of wounded right away because even if they survived being blasted into space they still had to survive the enemy fighters and flying debris and even friendly fire.

Decision made, he removed it carefully. He winced at how shallow his father was breathing. Laying his hand on his chest and then his neck, he searched for a pulse. It was thready. Glancing around he pulled the boots off. He gasped as he realized even his legs were prosthetic. Still, the prosthetics would draw less attention than the high black boots that were part of his familiar armor. He removed the belt carefully, disconnecting monitors and hook ups. Tears were in his eyes now but he was scarcely aware of them. "Oh Father."

A banging on the ramp made him hastily dump the armor and gear into a storage locker en route to the ramp. He flicked it open.

"Please hurry. He saved my life. And he's in really bad shape...he was in life support gear but we had to shed it. We were trapped and he couldn't squeeze out."

"We'll do our best, Commander." The human medic was a female and Luke could sense her doubt. A droid floated beside her her on repulsors, taking readings.

Luke followed the medical unit to the main infirmary where 21B immediately set to work on him. The droid came out and spoke to Luke thoughtfully. "Commander, I am sorry. No standard treatment can save this man."

"What about non standard treatments? Anything at all that might save him without relying permanently on life support.

The droid paused. "There may be a way. But it is highly unlikely. It is experimental and has only shown promise with donor blood and tissue from close kin in good health."

Luke clenched his fists. "I'm close kin. He's my Father. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone yet."

"Then I will make the attempt. First I must give you a basic check."

"I'm fine."

"It will only take a moment."

Luke didn't ask if a moment would matter. Where was all his Jedi patience? It was worn out. He'd done anything a Jedi could do to stop the emperor. Now time was running out.

"There is a problem."

"We can't wait for any problems." Luke was staring passed the droid at the surgery where his father barely clung to life.

"You are showing evidence of exposure to extreme electrical activity. Taking the samples will further traumatize you, perhaps permanently and may affect the viability of the samples."

"Can you treat it?"

"Yes."

"Will he survive until then?"

"No."

"Then we don't have anything to lose!"

The medical droid cocked his head. "I would not choose to risk permanent injury to you given the odds against success."

"As my friend Han would say, never tell me the odds. I beat them once today. If this has any chance at all, save him!"

to be continued.