Vader watched in irritation as the young slave sat down on the floor, watching the galaxy with such wonder in his eyes. What gave him the right to be so amazed by the galaxy? It had been awful to him.

Why had Palpatine given him the stupid, worthless boy? He had never asked for a slave. He'd never had any interest in owning slaves. He was opposed to it, even. And yet, something had moved his master to purchase the boy for Vader. Goodwill had probably not factored into the equation.

Vader kicked the boy out of his way. The boy leapt out of his way, moving to his feet with undeniably impressive speed. Vader stared a moment at the boy. He was shaking frantically.

"From now on, boy, I hope you will be smart enough to get out of my way."

The boy nodded tremulously. Vader sneered down at him, determined not to let the little brat get in his way. Just because the boy had no choice wasn't any reason that Vader should let him become at home in his castle. Just because the worthless scum would blow up if he left didn't mean Vader had to tolerate his presence.

"Get out of my sight. Come back only when I wish to torture you. And come promptly, or I will make it much worse for you. There is only one bed in the house and it is mine. You may make your accommodations anywhere I won't have your presence imposed upon me."

The emaciated child leapt to his feet and ran from the room. Vader watched him go with a great feeling of triumph. Hopefully, that worthless boy would be out of his way forever. With any luck, the boy might be dead within the week. Perhaps he would starve as he never thought to return to the kitchen to get food. Perhaps he would see that he was unwanted and run past how far he could survive in order to end it quickly. Perhaps he would find a way to survive in the huge network of passages and halls and simply choose not to return to Vader to be tortured.

But soon enough, he sensed the young man's eyes on him once more. Looking around the corner, he saw the young man looking at him with huge eyes. There was reverence in his gaze, and Vader wondered what he'd done to deserve it.

He stood up, walking to where the boy lay, curled against a corner in his home. When he saw Vader coming, he looked up, but Vader was surprised when he didn't leap to his feet and run again.

"Why are you watching me, worthless boy?" Vader snarled at the child.

"I'm not sure. I haven't been allowed near people my whole life," he explained, looking up into Vader's face. Vader sincerely hoped that it was yellow showing in his eyes, and not his natural blue.

"You're not allowed near me now. I thought I made myself clear." Vader yanked the child to his feet via the collar of his shirt. "Get out of my sight this instant!" He gave the boy a hard shake and threw him to the floor.

The boy looked up at him once more, "Please may I stay? I've never been this close to another being before. I like it. I feel a bit safer here."

"Well, let's see if torture helps you lose that delusion!" Vader snarled, grabbing the boy's collar again. He threw the boy against the wall, watching the boy's hands fly up in an attempt to cover his head to protect it from the impact. It failed. The boy let out a helpless cry, and Vader watched as he fell back to the floor.

"Do you see now?" He growled.

The boy on the floor looked up at him, trying to stem a flow of blood from his nose. "Please, Sir. I just want to be safe near you."

Vader laughed and scooped the boy back up. "I am not your protector. I don't know why you were given to me, but I never wanted a slave. So I don't care if this kills you. Think of it this way, if you learn fast enough you might be able to survive. This is a nice enough home. Keep your space clean, and I won't begrudge you the right to lose. I don't care that you're a slave. I would treat you just the same if you were free. In fact, think of yourself as lucky that I care for your life at all, because it's all that's keeping me from throwing you across the boundary. I'll give you a sporting chance, worthless. Now run. And never let me catch you again."

He threw the boy down the hall and watched as the boy ran. Then he returned to where he had been sitting. He took his seat again and returned to his daydream of having his wife by his side. Their child would have been about his 'slave's age.

What would their child have been like? Would he have been like Anakin? Or Padme? Or, would, in fact, he have been like Vader? And which would Vader have preferred? Not like me, he thought. I wouldn't want my child to be as hurt and jaded as I have been. I would want him to be… to be, perfect. I would just want him to be able to be a child. I would want him to have Padme's personality, only more carefree. More childish. Innocent, like neither one of us really got the chance to be.

Again, he sensed the slave hiding behind the doorframe. He stormed back to the boy, yanking the boy to his feet and holding him high against the wall. "Idiot boy! Why do you keep returning! Why do you not learn?"

Vader yanked the boy forward and hit his head on the wall again. "Stupid, worthless, idiot boy! Why must you continually run back to me? All I ask of the galaxy is some space at home! Why did my master give you to me so that I couldn't avoid your presence? Why couldn't I just be allowed peace at one time?"

He punched the boy's face as hard as he could. The boy's nose began to bleed again, small form shaking.

"Please, just let me be near you. Please. I swear, I won't get in your way. You won't even notice I'm here! Please! It's just so good-so comforting to finally be with another person! Please, the only things I've ever known are torture droids! It would be so nice to finally have a friend," The boy's hands held Vader's wrists tightly in his small, fragile seeming hands.

Vader tore one of the boy's hands from his wrist, but as soon as he moved onto the second one, the first reattached itself.

"Please! All I've ever known!" the boy was crying, clinging desperately to Vader's gloves.

"I don't care what you've known! Why would I want to care for you!"

"I thought-I mean, I just hoped-I hoped that the galaxy would finally let me have something. Most kids want some stupid, expensive toy! All I want is to be cared about! Please, just once in my life!" The boy released Vader's wrists and reached for Vader's torso, as if he was asking for a hug.

Vader threw him. The instant the slave had released his wrists, the decision had been made. He took a great swing and threw the boy down the hallway. Further down, the thin boy crumpled to the floor, his body shaking as he sobbed into the floor.

Vader returned to where he had been sitting, and prayed that the boy wouldn't interrupt him again.