A.N: I know it's taken a while for me to update this. I just have so much going on right now. Plus, the internet hasn't been working, and I haven't been able to upload anything for a while. Sorry about that, but this computer can be so evil to me sometimes!

Chapter Four: Living With the Transformation

Waking up was wonderful. He didn't know why. He felt warm and content, as if life had been paused just for him. Luke turned around to lie down on his side. What was he sleeping on? Whatever it was, it was soft, warm, and endless. Luke wondered if anyone would mind if he never got up.

Luke curled his legs up closer to the rest of his body. Wait…

Legs? Did he already have legs?

Luke opened his eyes to see if what he thought was true. It was. He had legs! He was a human! Where was he then?

"You are in my palace," Vader, who had been standing in the corner, said.

Luke quickly whirled around to face his father. "Am I still on the same planet?"

"Yes."

Luke sighed in relief. He wasn't ready to leave the planet. He didn't even know how to use his legs yet.

"How long have I been asleep?" Luke asked.

"About two and a half days. It's already afternoon, in case you were wondering."

Luke nodded absently. He really didn't care what time of the day it was.

Suddenly, the reality hit him. He would never again be able to see his friends that he'd known all his life. He'd never be able to go back home.

"You are home, son," Vader, who had been tuning in on Luke's thoughts, said. "Your home is with me now. Accept that."

"It's hard to accept the fact that I'll never see my friends again!" Luke cried, finally tearing up. "I wasn't ready for this to happen," he added quietly.

Vader crossed the room, sat down on the bed next to his son, and put his arm around Luke, pulling the boy closer to him in a comforting embrace. Luke leaned his head into his father's chest, accepting the comfort given to him. They sat there like that for a minute, until Luke had recovered from his outburst.

"I'm hungry," Luke commented.

Vader felt mental relief. Apparently his son could get over things fairly quickly.

"Well, there was some food brought up for you earlier."

Hearing this, Luke perked up. "Where is it?"

Vader pointed to a tray on a bedside table. Luke picked up the tray and put it on his lap. Picking up the fork, he took a bite of one of the many things that he saw on the plate.

"Yuck!" Luke exclaimed, spitting the food back out. "What is this stuff!?"

Vader was momentarily stunned. He never thought of the possibility that his son, once being a merperson, might not be used to what humans eat.

"It glow fruit, son."

"Whatever. It tastes awful!" Luke declared. Vader sighed. He was going to be in for quite a few strange experiences until his son got used to human ways. "Can you get me something else to eat?" Luke asked.

"Like what?" Vader asked mostly to know what Luke was used to eating.

"Farina's scales or slug hearts would be nice."

Vader grimaced under his mask. Whatever his son used to eat, it sounded disgusting. "Luke… maybe you should just get used to what humans eat."

"But human food tastes terrible!"

"It's not terrible, child. You are just accustomed to eating other types of food."

"I can't believe that you expect me to learn to eat this stuff! I'm not hungry any more."

"Sir?" Vader turned around to see one of his personal aids standing in the doorway. "You have a call from the Emperor, my lord."

"Very well." Vader stood up. "I'll be right back, Luke." At the door, Vader paused beside the aid. "Stay here and watch him."

Vader walked across the hall to the communications room, and pressed the receive button. At once, the eerie, wrinkled face of the Emperor appeared, and Vader bowed before the holo.

"Lord Vader," the Emperor began. "I expected you to be back by now."

Vader sighed. It was always straight to business with the Emperor. No skimming around the subject.

"Different matters have come up, which have prolonged my stay."

"Oh? And what would those matters be?"

Vader knew that it was hopeless to keep his son from the Emperor forever. Luke would have to be brought to Imperial Center some time, and when the Emperor found out that Vader had been keeping secrets from him, he may question Vader's loyalty.

"I have discovered the existence of my son."

Palapatine couldn't keep a flash of surprise play across his face. "Your son?" he asked with interest. Too much interest as far as Vader was concerned.

"Yes."

There was a pause as the Emperor contemplated this. "Is he Force sensitive?" was the next question.

Vader knew that this question was coming. "Undoubtedly," Vader answered reluctantly.

"Hmm… would he make a good apprentice?"

Uh-oh. Vader knew what was coming next. Naturally Palapatine would be interested in the thought of getting a newer, younger apprentice. Vader had to delay this from happening for as long as he could.

"Yes, he would make a good apprentice, but there is a drawback, however."

"Really? And what would that drawback be?"

"He was a merperson when I found him. He's a human now, but he knows nothing of how humans act."

"That is a very strange story, Lord Vader."

"Strange but true, my master."

"Indeed. Then you must bring him here to Imperial Center. That is the fastest way for him to learn about human ways."

This was the last thing that Vader wanted to hear. Luke wouldn't survive one day on Imperial Center! But the Emperor had requested it. How could Vader refuse?

"I will bring him, my master. How soon do you want his arrival to be?"

"As soon as you can get him onto a ship."

Well that would take a while, Vader thought absently. "Yes, my master."

As soon as the transmission was cut, Vader made his way back to Luke's room.

Things were not going as he planned. It was obvious that the Emperor wanted to have Luke to train. And now, Vader had to teach Luke how to behave like a human. Force only knew how long that would take! It was like having to teach a newborn baby to grow up in a few weeks instead of a regular lifetime!

At this point, Vader made it to Luke's room. He opened the door to find his aid sitting next to Luke, laughing insanely over something that Luke had just said.

"Oh, hello!" Luke said, waving Vader over. The aid tried to regain his composure, and made a quick escape out the door. "So who were you talking to?"

Vader thought about lying to Luke, but he realized that if Luke found out that he'd been lied to, he wouldn't trust Vader anymore, and Vader couldn't let that happen, because if with the Emperor now in the game, it was more important than ever that the boy trusted him.

"I was speaking with the Emperor. He requests that you come to Imperial Center."

Luke eyes widened in fright. "You mean off this planet!?"

Vader sighed. "Yes, Luke, off this planet."

"No! I don't want to go!"

"Luke… I have to obey the Emperor. Anyway, you may discover that you like Imperial Center."

"What's it like?" Luke asked uncertainly.

"It's the capital of the entire galaxy. It's all one big city, with speeders and stores and you'll get to live in my palace there. It's much bigger than this palace."

"It sounds scary," Luke said quietly. "What if I get lost on the planet? Or if I get lost in the other palace?"

"Son, you won't get lost. I promise."

There was a moment of silence as Luke thought over his options. Vader hoped that he would agree, because the last thing he wanted was to have to force his son to leave the planet.

"Alright," Luke said at last. "I'll come." Vader inwardly sighed. Thank the Force! "But there still is one itsy bitsy problem," Luke commented. "I don't know how to walk."

Oh, stars! Vader had completely forgotten about that! His son had never needed to walk in his life.

"Well, child, I think that it's about time that you learned."

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The delay of Luke not knowing how to walk was very convenient for Vader. It allowed them to stay on the planet for three more days. Surprisingly, that's all it took for Luke to learn how to walk. It was probably the Force flowing through him that speeded up the process of learning.

But finally, the night before departure arrived, and Luke was deeply depressed. But not entirely because they were leaving the planet.

Luke was lying down on his bed, and Vader was just about to leave the room to let his son sleep, when Luke called out to him.

"Father." Vader turned around to listen to whatever Luke had to say. "Where's my mother? Why isn't she here with us?"

Vader knew that this question was coming, but he had hoped that it would come later. But he'd have to tell Luke sometime.

"She's dead."

Luke nodded sadly. "How did she die?"

Vader thought franticly for a moment. Well, since Luke existed, it would be impossible for Vader to have killed Padme.

"She died giving birth to you."

Luke gasped. "You mean it's my fault that she died!?"

"No, Luke, nothing like that. It was just something that could have happened, and, yes, it decided to happen."

"How did she look? Describe her for me, please."

Vader drifted off in thought for a moment. "She was an Angel. She said that she wasn't, but I know that she was."

"How do Angels look?" Luke asked breathlessly.

"She had beautiful brown hair, and soft brown eyes. She had a tiny figure, but her face and stature were always those of confidence."

Luke labeled the description in his mind so that he would be able to recognize an Angel if he saw one.

"She sounds wonderful," Luke commented.

"She was wonderful, Vader affirmed. "The most wonderful thing I'd ever seen"

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The next morning was finally the day that Luke would leave the planet. At this point he was still scared, but excited. Yet, as they boarded the shuttle, Luke couldn't help but take one longing look back at the ocean that had been his home for sixteen years.

"Come on, child," Vader said, gently pushing his son the rest of the way up the ramp.

The short ride to the Executor was uneventful and quiet. But as they walked down the ramp into the hanger bay, Luke couldn't help but to be impressed.

"Wow! Look at all those ships! Are they all yours?"

Vader smiled. "Mostly."

He led Luke out of the hanger, and on through some halls.

"This ship is huge!" Luke declared. "How big is it?"

"Too big for you to see all of it today."

"Spear it!" Luke mumbled. He wanted to see all of it.

"Later, son. First, I want to show you your room."

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Vader occupied the rest of his week trying to keep his son under control. He would leave him somewhere, look away for a second, and when he looked again, Luke was gone. But by the time they reached Imperial Center, Luke had the entire layout of the ship memorized.

Vader thought that exploring the ship was all his son had done, but when he and Luke were making their way down to the hanger bay to get a shuttle to take them down to the planet, he was proved wrong.

"By, Luke!" one of the techs called.

That call did it. Soon, everyone they passed began waving to Luke, and wishing him good luck. Apparently, Luke had a natural talent for making friends.

By the time they reached the hanger bay, Vader was positive that everyone in the entire ship knew that Luke was leaving.

Soon, they got into a shuttle, and began their decent down to the planet. It would be interesting to see how Luke responded to being on Imperial Center.

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To Be Continued…

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A.N: Please don't forget to review!