Luke looked up at his father's form. They had been walking since dawn, and he was exhausted. Vader seemed to be having no such problem. He continued, just as strong and unspeaking as ever. Luke was sweating, thirsty, hungry and tired, but his father hadn't mentioned feeling any of those discomforts.
Luke was reluctant to be the one to bring them up. This was his chance to prove his worth. He could sense, or at least thought he could sense, a frustrated pride from Vader that he had managed to shoot down his ship. On the other hand, his father's anger that he had got himself stuck on the planet as well was far more obvious.
From the moment he'd managed to get his father out of his ship, the only words his father had spoken had been one sentence. "What were you thinking?"
Then Vader had stood and walked away, and Luke had been forced to run after him, feeling a little more dependent than he would have liked to.
"Do you think there are any people around here?" Luke asked, partly just wanting to be answered.
"You're Force sensitive. See for yourself."
Luke sighed. It was an answer, at least. He jumped up onto a boulder, then grabbed a rock on the cliff they were climbing. His sweaty hands slipped, and Vader caught him with one hand, setting him unceremoniously on the ledge again. Luke blushed, and tried again. He made it that time, but there was no response from his father.
Wishing Vader would just speak to him, Luke jumped up for the next rock, catching it and dragging himself up.
All day, his attempts at climbing had become less and less graceful, hitting an all-time low as he leapt for the next boulder, nearly slipped, caught himself with one toe, ripping a hole in his boot, and slithering up the rock like a snake.
Still, Vader didn't comment. He simply leapt gracefully to a boulder one higher than the one Luke had just scrambled onto.
Ashamed that his father was doing so much better than he, Luke leapt for that rock without due consideration, and Vader caught him again, swinging him up another rock. From any other parent, the action would have seemed to be one of caring, speaking only of wanting to make the climb easier for Luke. Coming from Vader, there was a definite undertone of impatience, as if Luke was slowing him down.
Luke sighed. He hated feeling that way about himself. He didn't like the idea of his father feeling that either.
He threw himself at the next rock, scrambling unsteadily up. Vader was up beside him in no time flat. He didn't even wait for Luke to start to try to get to the next ledge, swinging him up without a word.
"Father?"
Vader didn't even turn to listen, but Luke knew he was. At least on some level.
"Where are we going anyway?"
"We need to get to a higher vantage point. I hope to be able to see a settlement from the top."
"Can't you sense that?" Luke moaned, trying to drag himself to the next rock so as not to be so much of a burden.
"I can't sense any life form besides you."
"Oh," Luke said, feeling hopeless. If his father couldn't sense any beings, that probably meant that climbing this mountain wasn't helping either. A word of comfort would have been much appreciated, but all Vader did was close the gap between himself and his son in less time than it had taken Luke to just catch the next ledge to try to drag himself onto.
In as little time again, he was a ledge above Luke, dragging the youth up to the ledge above himself. Almost as if to embarrass Luke, he skipped that ledge completely, lighting on the one above it, sweeping Luke up again.
Luke didn't even bother to stand up. He just stayed where he'd landed and waited for his father's black glove to close around his collar and lift him again.
Vader obliged.
Then they rested on the same level for a moment, and Vader took a breath as though about to speak. Luke automatically held his breath. His father was going to address him! For the first time in the eighteen or more hours they'd spent together and climbing, his father was finally going to engage in conversation.
"Why aren't you jumping like you did out of the carbon freezing chamber?"
Luke sighed, he should have known that his father wouldn't be speaking for the sake of making Luke more comfortable.
"There was a little more panic involved there."
Vader didn't answer, simply swinging Luke another ledge higher. Luke wanted to defend himself, but he couldn't think how. It didn't look as if he was going to be gaining his father's respect today.
He resumed trying, not wanting to give up completely. Vader was even kind enough to let him struggle up each step without the demeaning gesture of practically carrying him.
Finally, as they neared the top of the mountain, the sun began to rise. Luke collapsed on the ground, unable to move another step.
His father turned and looked at him quizzically.
Luke just shook his head, trying to communicate that he couldn't make it another step.
Vader seemed to understand, as he paused a moment before speaking again, "Stand up."
"I can't!" Luke protested.
"Stand up," Vader repeated impatiently.
Luke yanked himself up, "Okay, now what? I'm not gonna make it three steps!"
Vader nodded, "I'll carry you."
"But," Luke started.
"It's not an offer. Come here."
Blushing scarlet, Luke walked to his father's side.
Vader bent his knees slightly, just enough that Luke could latch his arms around his father's neck. Vader carefully shifted him until he could latch his legs tightly around his father's torso.
"Can you hold on?"
"I guess," Luke muttered, clinging tightly to Vader.
His father began climbing, his son clinging tightly to his neck. He felt ridiculous. He was supposed to be a rebel, a Jedi. It just wasn't fair, he thought childishly, that he would have to be carried by one of the leaders of his enemy. He wished he was strong enough to keep climbing himself. Even his undignified scrabbling had been an improvement on this ridiculousness.
But the rocks were still radiating heat, and Luke was tired. He found himself resting his face on his father's shoulder, going into a stupor.
He didn't know how long it took his father to reach the top of the mountain. The next thing he was aware of was Vader carefully trying to detach him from himself from his son. Luke, still not really awake, tightened his grip, not wanting to be put down.
Vader used the Force to pry his son's fingers from their tight link at his throat. Luke reached for his father automatically.
Vader gave him a sharp shake, "Wake up, Luke. I think you're dreaming."
Luke shook himself, and allowed his father to put him down. He tried to wake himself up more fully, but it seemed hopeless.
"Can you see anything from up here?" he asked.
"Can you?"
"No. My eyes are all blurry."
He thought he might have sensed something like a smile from his father, but it might have been the fact that he was drifting in and out of a dreaming state.
"No. I don't see anything."
Luke felt the tears start to pour down his face. He sensed a resultant confusion from his father.
"We're never going to get away from here, are we?"
"One way or another, I promise you we'll escape."
It was the kindest thing he'd ever heard his father say. It startled him out of his tears for a moment.
Vader nodded, seeming somewhat comforted by his son's calmer attitude, "That's better."
Luke rubbed a sleeve across his face, feeling embarrassed. His eyes were somewhat clearer after that.
"Well, I guess we picked a beautiful planet to be stuck on, at least."
Vader turned to look where Luke was looking, as if he was confused. Luke had, of course been referring to the sunrise. After a moment, Vader nodded slowly.
"We should keep moving. Maybe something's visible from the next range."
Luke screamed. It wasn't mature. It wasn't Jedi-like. It wasn't really anything he wanted anyone to see, but he couldn't stand the idea of having got all the way to the top of their current mountain just to climb down it and walk across the next valley.
Again, his father seemed confused.
"I'm sleeping here. You can go on without me, or you can wait for me, but I will not keep going today."
He felt his father smiling at him and felt childish.
Vader nodded, and Luke retrieved a few branches from nearby trees, piling them atop one another and crawling on top of them to sleep. Sure, it wasn't mature. It wasn't a particularly positive impression, but he needed the sleep.
He fell asleep before his father sat down next to him, running one hand through his hair.