"Hi, Father," Luke plopped into a seat next to Vader.

"Go to bed."

Luke smiled innocently and shrugged, "I'm not tired. Let me help you."

"Go to bed."

Luke ignored him completely and looked over his shoulder, "What are you doing?"

Vader shielded his datapad with one hand, using the other to try to shoo the boy away, "That is not your concern."

"Sure it is! Come on, why can't I help?" he made another valiant attempt at seeing his father's work.

"You can't help because I'm familiar with your attempts at planning. Your rescue of the princess was less than half thought out-,"

Luke frowned, "Stop bringing that up. I was working on limited resources. Time not the least of them. I've done better since."

"Such as Bespin?"

"Well, no."

"And how about how you got yourself into this mess?"

"That was more about how good at planning you are, than how bad I am."

Vader tried to veil a smile, "Perhaps. Nonetheless, you should be asleep."

Luke rolled his eyes at his father, "No. You should be."

"What?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I mean. You're exhausted. You haven't slept since we traded back."

"I don't require sleep in the same way as most."

"Don't tell me that's in the ridiculous list of stuff that suit does for you."

Vader glared at his son, "It isn't. It's a Force ability."

"Oh," Luke looked put out for a moment, then brightened, "Teach me."

"Go to bed."

"Teach me so I can help you."

"Tomorrow."

"Why not now?"

"Because I said so."

"Why?"

Vader whisked around, forcing himself to retake his threatening persona, "LUKE. SKYWALKER. BED. NOW!"

Luke laughed innocently and headed off to his room. Vader sighed. He was glad Luke felt safer with him since his time in Anakin's galaxy, but he wished the boy had a little more respect for his wishes. It also wouldn't hurt if the boy ceased to find it amusing to annoy him.

"Okay, I went to bed."

Vader whipped around to face the room once more, ready to tackle his son and chain him into his bed if need be.

There stood Luke, a pale ghost of himself, drifting slightly above the ground.

At his astonished reaction, Luke grinned, "Cool, huh? It's like going to visit Anakin, except this is way easier."

Vader sighed resignedly, "Go to bed, Son."

Luke's grin widened, "Don't you see? I am in bed. I'm just here too. See, I'm resting, and I can learn about planning at the same time. It works, right?"

"No."

"Come on."

"No."

"Please?"

"Luke, go to bed. Body, mind and spirit. You aren't resting if your conscience is up and about."

"Gonna have to disagree with you there."

"You always disagree with me."

Luke laughed, "Yeah. But what I mean is that this is as soundly as I've slept in months. If you make me go to normal dreams, I'll probably end up having another nightmare."

"Luke, so help me, you are going to sleep. One way or another I'll make you."

"You can't," Luke started. Then the grin spread back over his face, "Hey, you actually can't! I win! For once, there is absolutely nothing you can do to force me to do what you want!"

Vader groaned, "You're right, Luke."

Luke seemed to rapidly be growing giddy, "This is great! I can do whatever I want!"

"Or you could do what a good son would do and do as I ask."

Luke's grin faded, and Vader felt sorry that he had used that against the boy. Of course Luke would worry about not being a perfect son. Imbecile. Innocent, gentle, kind, affectionate, loveable imbecile, but an imbecile nonetheless.

"All right, I'll do anything except actually returning to my sleeping body."

"Suppose I gave you a task, after which I asked you to sleep in the traditional form of the term?"

Luke sighed, "I guess."

"Go check on your sister. If you can project your consciousness, you should let her know first-hand that you're all right."

Luke nodded eagerly, "Okay. See you soon. I'll let you know how she is before I go to bed."

Vader nodded, and Luke evaporated from his workspace. He returned to the battle diagrams he was working with.

An hour later, Luke returned.

"How's she doing?" Vader asked.

"She's doing well. She and Han were just having dinner when I popped in. She said I should tell you that she still hasn't forgiven you, and it'll be a while before she does, and she told me also to tell you that the Alliance's spies have heard something about another Death Star."

"Already sabotaged," Vader answered quickly.

"Oh, I'll go back and tell her that," Luke disappeared once more and reappeared seconds later, "She says that you've only got to do something of that calibre five more times before she'll think about forgiving you."

Vader smiled behind his mask, "Thank her for me. No, not immediately," he amended as Luke began to fade again, "Now, you promised you would go to bed."

Luke sighed, "Yeah."

"A promise is a promise," Vader intoned.

"I guess. You sure I can't stay and help?"

"Absolutely certain. Go."

Luke turned to leave, then cast one more beseeching look over his shoulder. Vader shook his head firmly, and the boy sighed once more and returned to his bed.

Another half hour later, Vader sensed the turmoil in his son's mind which was undeniable proof the boy was having another nightmare. He hastily replaced his datapad on the top of a pile and hurried to his son's room. The young man had kicked off all his blankets, was shivering profusely, and sobbing in his sleep.

Vader knelt beside the cot, gently putting his hand on the boy's cheek. He had learned the hard way not to shake his son after the first panic attack at being awoken roughly. At the coolness of his father's glove on his fevered face, Luke blinked.

"Nightmare," Vader explained softly. Usually the word was enough to make Luke sit up and shake the bad dream away.

Tonight however, the boy simply buried himself against his father, clinging to the older man's cape.

"Luke?"

The boy shook more frantically, and Vader gathered one of the warmer blankets off the floor, wrapping it around him.

"It's all right, Luke. It was only a nightmare, I promise."

Luke shook his head, pressing closer against his father, "Not a nightmare. Memories."

Vader knelt on the floor, carefully holding his child, until the boy finally tried to stand up. Then he supported his son back to his office, where he seated him in an extra chair, which Luke dragged right up against Vader's so as to continue leaning on the larger form for comfort.

Vader carefully put one arm around the boy, wanting to soothe him, and started to teach, as Luke had asked the day before.