Caught in a tractor beam the ship jerked and started to move sideways. On the floor in the common area Luke just looked down at the floor. How could you do this to us father? How could you do this to me? I thought you came to protect us, how could you deliver us to the Empire?
It was a necessary evil, My Son. My Empire won't harm you.
Your Empire? What are you saying? Father, please, what do you mean?
What do you think I mean?
Luke was about to respond that the only reason he could think of was that his whole life had been a lie, but he felt that their connection had been severed. He could sense that his life really had been a lie. Vader hadn't killed his father, not really, not physically. Luke curled into a tiny ball and sobbed uncontrollably.
Han came into the room a minute later kicking a chair as he went. "We're going to be boarded, Kid. Let's get you down into one of the compartments, huh?"
Luke just pressed his face to his friend's chest and let out another sob of utter despair. "It won't help, Han. He knows we're here. He can sense me."
"What's wrong, Kid?"
"It's-it's Vader. He knows I'm here. He-oh, Han." and Luke slipped into helpless sobs again.
At a loss for words Han just carried his young friend into the hall and opened one of the compartments. He lay the boy down beside the opening and slipped down himself, gently he pulled Luke in too, cradling the tiny body close. Finally he pulled himself out enough that he could cover them again.
After quieting his friend Han held the boy close as he heard the distinctive clank of stormtrooper boots. The child was shivering and still crying quietly. As the troopers left, Han relaxed a bit, but Luke stayed as tense as ever.
Again Han heard the tramp of boots overhead. He tensed again, sure that they were be about to be discovered. He was right.
"You thought you could hide from your own father, Boy?" Vader was holding the panel of the compartment with the Force and glaring down at the two young men.
Luke let out a terrified wail and tried to hide against Han.
"What are you talking about Vader? You're the second person to come along today claiming to be Luke's dad. He's an orphan, would you just quit rubbing it in?" Han held his friend close.
Two stormtroopers came over and reached down into the hidden compartment and grabbed Luke roughly. He clung to his friend sobbing, terrified of leaving the bubble of his friend's protective aura. The two strong men easily overpowered the starved, broken child, though, and Luke was pulled out of the hiding place.
They reached down to get Han too. Luke lay on the deck wracked by silent sobs. When Han was out of the compartment too he moved to Luke's side. The child was sobbing and staring up at Vader.
This was no great surprise, Vader reaching down and gathering the boy in his arms most certainly was. Han watched in horrified shock as Vader cradled Luke and gently brushed the hair out of his eyes. What was even more terrifying was that Luke stopped crying at Vader's touch.
Vader turned to his troopers, "Take Captain Solo to a cell, someone will be with him shortly."
"Wait! What about the kid?" Han was terrified that no mention of Luke had been made.
"I will take good care of him. You should be more concerned for yourself." Vader turned, still carrying Luke, and stalked off to his private quarters.
Looking down at the tiny bundle in his arms Vader couldn't help but be amazed that the boy hadn't just snapped at the rough treatment from the troopers. As he remembered from the time his Force clone had spent with the boy the child was clearly malnourished, and taking another close look at the boy Vader decided that his ankle was probably broken, of at least twisted and sprained.
While the boy had taken being picked up quite well, he was a lot more vocal about being taken away from his friend. "You can't let them hurt Han! Please, he never even meant to be a part of the Alliance, he did it to save me!"
"Luke, the fact remains that he may have information about the Alliance, and you very well know that you are not the only rebel he would give his life for. The only way to get the information is to have him interrogated. Unless you would rather it was you on the torture rack."
"I would! Take me back."
I forgot that you have such strong loyalties. Oh, My Son. "I've already told you, I won't let them hurt you. If you don't want your friend hurt you could just volunteer the information we need."
"I-I can't do that. You know I can't! I just want to protect my friends, please don't let them hurt him."
"I can't do that, not even for you. I'm sorry."
"You're not sorry. If you were sorry you would at least try." Luke started to cry and Vader was glad to discover that, despite his anger, the boy was still willing to press closer to him when he was upset.
When they reached Vader's quarters he took Luke inside and rested the boy on the bed he had bought for the boy. "Stay here Luke. I will get a medic for you."
Luke reached out grabbed his father's hand. "Don't go away." He moaned, sounding much younger than he was. How old is he anyway? About seventeen, I suppose. Force, he's still a child. Vader sat next to his son and gently pulled a blanket up to his son's chin. Luke grasped the blanket in his little hand and mumbled something Vader couldn't make out.
Under his mask Vader smiled, "Looking for this?" He held up a scrap of cloth.
Luke stared at his father in amazement, "How did you know?" He reached out and took it.
"While you were being held by those monsters the rebel base was discovered and captured. I found this in your room and, judging from the state it's in, I thought that it must be important to you."
Luke smiled, "It is." It was strange to hear Vader call anyone a monster. Luke curled up under the blankets and continued to grip his father`s hand.
"If you would let go of my hand I could go get you some food and water. Don't tell me you're not hungry, because I won't believe you." Luke released his father's hand and nodded quietly.
Luke watched his father leave the room yawned. Maybe this won't be so bad. He sure doesn't seem to want to hurt me and he gave me a bed to sleep in and he is getting me some food. Maybe I can eventually convince him to let Han out of his cell.