Summary: This is a collection of one-shots set in the Force Bond series AU, where Vader raises a teenaged Luke. The fics 'Dentist', 'Interactive Media', and 'A Force Bond Christmas' are also part of the Force Bond one shot collection, but I originally uploaded them separately here, so I'll leave them as is. They are included in this collection on ao3.
Chapter 1 - Swimming Lessons. Set after FB2, when Luke is 12. Luke needs to learn to swim, and Vader feels like he's in the parenting deep end.
Thanks to the other Star Wars writers on discord who encouraged me with this one.
Swimming Lessons
Red and blue lightsaber blades hummed and clashed in front of Vader's mask as he parried yet another hopeful attack. All around them, the rocks hissed with the steam from the boiling water deep below. Sweat poured from the face of the doomed Cerean as he slipped backward, falling to his knees as Vader brought his blade around to point at his throat. The blue lightsaber clattered down the rocks, rolling into the steaming water.
"You are weak," he taunted.
He only received an insult in response, in a language he only partially understood. Something about having a charred soul or body. Either way, he wasn't wrong.
"But you could be stronger," Vader said, lowering the blade slightly. "The Jedi failed you. The Empire will not."
This particular target had eluded the Inquisitors for a long time. He had been raised in the Jedi Order, but never became a padawan, due to his volatile nature and inability to focus his thoughts. Until last week, he'd been living a civilian life of complete anonymity. It was only through the vigilance of a local clerk who noticed an irregularity in his identification when he'd attempted to apply for a job.
Vader gestured behind the man, where an Inquisitor now lay dead.
"You can take her place."
He looked from Vader's blade to his mask, shoulders heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. There was both fear and resignation in his eyes. The word 'no' passed his lips but it was quiet. Unconvincing.
"What life is there for you here?" Vader prompted. "Come with me, and you will have purpose."
"I won't!" he declared, closing his eyes. "Just do it!"
"That would be a waste." Vader switched off the blade and offered him a hand. "You have nothing to lose."
The man opened one eye, clearly afraid of what he would see. He cringed away from the offered hand.
"Please," he whispered.
"I can sense your fear. Join me, and it will be you who is feared."
"Please, Jedi of old, help me!"
Vader was about to point out just why calling on the Jedi of old was a futile exercise, when a persistent beeping noise interrupted his train of thought. The Cerean fully opened his eyes now, looking around in confusion, before realizing the sound was coming from Vader's belt.
Several possible actions in response to this situation arose in Vader's mind. He could pretend his comlink wasn't beeping and continue luring this individual to the Dark Side. It would stop eventually. He could also simply kill the man … there wasn't much need for the Inquisitorius now and the training program was expensive. Or, he could answer the call.
The last option would have been preposterous a few months ago. Not having his comlink switched off during a duel would have been unthinkable. But his life had changed since then. There was the little matter of his newly rediscovered fatherhood.
He reached down to pick up the comlink and then pointed at the Cerean, who was now thoroughly baffled.
"Don't move."
A holo image of Threepio flickered into life, the channel taking a moment to stabilize through the heavy cloud cover.
"Lord Vader, my humblest apologies for interrupting you."
"What is it, Threepio? Is Luke all right?"
"I'm afraid he seems to have caught a virus! He says he has a sore throat and is tucked up in bed. Artoo and I thought it best if he stayed home from school."
"He's sick?!"
A thousand possible diseases that began with a sore throat ran through his mind, and the normal low-level worry for Luke's safety threatened to spiral into a panic.
"Tell the palace assistants at once," Vader ordered. "I will return immediately. Have him examined by a medical droid as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir. Artoo did scan his vital signs, and he doesn't have a fever. He didn't think it was serious."
"I am not concerned with what Artoo thinks. He is not a medical droid. Do as I ask and contact me the minute you have more information."
Vader disconnected the call and turned to find the Force-sensitive fugitive had somehow taken advantage of his distraction and was now in the cockpit of the Inquisitor's ship. A slow, weary breath filled the foggy air. Being a Sith Lord and a father always seemed easier in theory than in practice.
Never mind. His son was the priority now. There would be another opportunity to deal with this irritating problem.
Luke pulled the blanket tighter when he heard the bedroom doors slide open. The pillow covered his eyes, with a narrow gap left for his mouth and nose. With any luck, it was one of the service droids with the hot chocolate he requested.
"Morning, Luke."
He lifted the pillow slightly, recognizing Lev's gentle voice.
"Oh." He paused to cough. "Hi, Lev."
"I hear you're not feeling too well this morning."
"Yeah." He rolled over, lying with his face down.
"That's no good. There's been a bug going around lately. Two of my team and three royal guards were off sick last week."
Luke nodded into the pillow.
"Have you got a headache? Or just a sore throat?"
"Headache. Sore throat. Sore stomach."
"Have you managed to eat and drink anything?"
Luke nodded into the pillow again. "Droids bringing another drink."
"All right. I'll stop asking questions because it's probably hurting you to talk right now. You just stay put. One of the palace medical droids will be here in a moment."
Luke opened an eye then. "Medical droid? I don't need that. It's just a cold."
"Probably, but then again, it might not be. Best to get it checked out. Ah—here we are."
The room doorcom had buzzed again, and Lev opened the door before Luke could protest. A medical droid entered the room, followed by Artoo and Threepio, who were still debating whether Artoo's senses were fine-tuned enough to detect human body temperature.
"Looks like there's another victim of the Imperial palace virus strain, 21B-77," Lev said.
"Oh, dear," the droid said, coming forward to inspect Luke. "Please, sit up, young man, and I will examine you."
Luke hunched up and pulled the pillow back over. "No, I don't need a medical droid."
"Come on, Luke, it will only take a minute," Lev said, walking around to remove the pillow.
"No!"
Luke burrowed down under the blanket, disappearing into the bed.
"Master Luke!" Threepio said, sounding panicked.
"It's just a cold," Luke said. "Can you all please get out of my room and leave me to rest?!"
His understanding of what was going on in the room was now quite muffled by the blankets, but he did hear Lev ask the medical droid if it could at least do a cursory scan through the blankets. Luke shuffled down until he was right in the middle of the bed, tucked up in a tight ball.
Artoo made a flurry of beeps, and then Luke felt the blankets begin to shift.
"Artoo!"
The attempt to expose him stopped, but the beeping continued.
Luke made a groaning noise and then slipped out the side of the bed, taking a blanket with him. He disappeared into the refresher, making sure he locked the door behind him.
It was a good twenty minutes before the muffled voices from the main room went away, and he felt safe enough to open the doors. By this time, having had to sit hunched up, leaning against the cold refresher wall, he was really starting to feel like he did have a headache. Unfortunately, little had improved about the situation during his absence.
All the droids were still there, along with a fourth droid, who had arrived with his hot chocolate. Artoo was plugged into the wall terminal and appeared to be working on a means of overriding the refresher door lock. The only good thing was Lev had gone.
"Why are you still here?" Luke asked, pointing at the medical droid. "Haven't you heard of patient rights?!"
Before the droid could answer, the door opened again, and Lev returned, accompanied by Commander Julius, a senior security officer. She was carrying some kind of override keycard.
"Oh, there you are," Lev said, relieved. He glanced at Commander Julius. "Sorry. False alarm."
"Are you hosting a meeting of the droid committee, Cupcake?" Commander Julius asked, looking around the room.
"No, I'm trying to get rid of them!"
"Luke, please," Lev said. "It will only take a moment for the medical droid to confirm everything is all right and then you can rest."
"I don't want that droid poking things in my mouth!" Luke insisted. His voice was getting hoarse now, and it made Lev raise a hand a concern.
"Then how about if he just runs a body scan?"
"You're too nice, Lieutenant," Commander Julius said, rolling her eyes. "He's twelve. Take it from a mom … you ask nicely once. And once only."
"Since when do I have to do what either of you say?" Luke asked, sliding back into bed.
"Yeah, good point," Commander Julius said, folding her arms. "How about this? We call your father and tell him you're refusing to be examined."
Artoo made a chuckling noise as Luke's eyes widened.
"No, don't," he said quickly. "He said it was one of those top-secret missions."
"But he wanted to be informed of the exam results as soon as they were ready," Lev said. "I'm surprised he hasn't called already, demanding an update."
"You told him about this?!" Luke said, sitting up in shock.
Artoo made a long series of beeps and then nudged Threepio forward. He somehow managed to look sheepish. "Oh, yes, Master Luke, I called your father as soon as we discovered you were sick!"
Luke fell back on the pillow, groaning.
For some reason, the medical droid took this as an opportunity to come to the side of the bed and start scanning him. Then a stethoscope shot out of its torso and attached to his chest, latching on through his sleep shirt. It was tempting to rip it off, but that was only going to extend the time this annoying droid was looming over him. Not to mention the rest of the audience.
Finally, the droid asked if he could please have a look at his throat, and Luke opened his mouth a few centimeters. Apparently, it was enough, because after leaning over him and inserting a scanner, it finally straightened up.
"I cannot detect any sign of serious sickness," he said. "I can not analyze further without taking the patient to the medical center, but for now, I recommend rest and alerting me if the patient experiences worsening symptoms."
Artoo chirped in a positive way and then rolled over to Luke's side, making a questioning beep.
"Rest means I don't want to talk to anyone right now," Luke said, rolling over and pulling up the blanket.
Artoo made a sad noise and Threepio said, "Come along, Artoo. We need to contact Lord Vader to tell him the good news."
Artoo only beeped more in response, and Threepio said, "Very well, but be quiet."
"I'll check up on you later," Lev said. "Threepio, make sure he has a good supply of water."
"Yes, sir."
Luke groaned again, but no one heard him. He could hear them talking about him even as they left.
After a few minutes of thinking uncharitable thoughts about adults and droids, he stood up and dragged his study desk across the floor, using it to block the doorway. For good measure, he stacked up a chair and several cushions on top of it.
It wasn't until becoming a parent that Vader knew the ridiculous length of time it took to pass through the palace security perimeter became something he had to fix. It was over a minute this time, on just the day he was now nearly desperate to get back to Luke. The boy might have caught some fatal Coruscant disease he had no immunity to. His doctor had said he'd given him all the vaccinations he required, but could he really trust him? He should have done the research and double-checked all his records.
His starfighter came into the hangar so fast, it caused the parked speeders to shake with the engine roar. There wasn't time to dock it properly in the bay, so he simply set it down in the middle of the floor and jumped out of the hatch.
An assistant rushed out of the elevator as he approached, followed closely by Threepio. They both came to a halt, one at attention, and the other with his droid arms raised in a panic.
"Lord Vader," the lieutenant said.
"How is Luke?"
"He's … he's … he seems to be fine, sir."
"Seems to be?"
"I'm afraid we've been unable to examine him for the last hour," Threepio said.
"Why not?!"
"Physically, he appears to be only mildly sick, but I'm afraid he is in a poor mood."
"I do not care about his mood," Vader said, feeling his temper fray. "Why have you not examined him?"
The lieutenant hesitated, something which made Vader want to toss him against the wall, but Threepio spoke up.
"He has blocked his bedroom door with several pieces of furniture, and Artoo is unable to shift it. But he does assure me Luke's condition remains unchanged since this morning."
Vader made a noise of frustration, and then entered the elevator. Before either droid or lieutenant could get any ideas about joining him, he used the Force to close the doors with a bang. This was clearly a situation that required a parent.
A parent. The words eased his anger and replaced it with a feeling of both pride and doubt. He was still new at this. He was still learning. But at times like this, nothing felt more natural than his job as Luke Skywalker's father. He wanted to do everything to ensure his son was as well-cared for as possible. But what if doing that required more than a Sith Lord could provide?
He was still contemplating the matter as he walked down the corridor, already deciding on his next course of action. Luke needed to be examined properly. The cursory information provided by the medical droid had been deeply unsatisfying. Doctor Leeson had already been informed he would bring Luke in as soon as possible, and the medic had assured him he would arrange for the required privacy.
The bedroom doors slid open in response to his finger tapping the release, and he was immediately met by a tower of furniture that left him unable to even see into the room. Raising a hand, he sent it all flying towards the opposite wall, where it tumbled into a heap.
Luke sat up at the noise and stared at him, eyes wide. Artoo made a cheery whistle.
He didn't say anything, merely closed the distance between himself and Luke, and placed his hand on the boy's forehead. It didn't feel overly hot, but it was difficult to get an accurate reading through the glove. Luke immediately shifted away.
"I thought you had a secret mission!" he said.
"I did. Threepio let me know you were sick."
"You didn't need to come back. It's just a cold."
"How do you know?"
Luke turned away and then buried himself in the blankets. "I've been sick before. You should go back to your mission."
"No. I will take you to see your doctor. Get dressed."
This caused a spike of distress from his son. "No, I don't need to."
"You do." Vader opened his closet, looking for some suitable clothing.
"This is normal! I get sick sometimes … I just need to rest and I'll get better."
Too many of these clothes looked overly bright, but he finally found a blue zip jacket that was loose enough to be worn over his pajamas. He tossed it towards Luke and then opened the drawer to find some socks.
"Come on … please."
Vader turned around, meeting his son's gaze. "Do you want me to carry you down to the speeder? I will if you are not dressed in two minutes."
They may have only been together a few months, but Luke knew him well enough to know he wasn't bluffing. The boy hastily scrambled for his clothes, and within the allocated time frame, he was pulling on his boots.
Vader guided him to walk in front of him as they went down the corridor, and he noted with relief the boy didn't seem to be having any trouble with his balance. Of the many potential diseases he had considered during the journey back to Coruscant, an undiagnosed concussion had occurred more than once.
Artoo trailed behind them, and he chirped when they arrived at the hangar and found Threepio was hovering around near the elevators. The lieutenant had clearly taken his abrupt departure as a dismissal.
"Oh, Master Luke, you are all right," Threepio said. "We were quite worried."
Luke only sighed at the words. Vader kept a hand on his shoulder, guiding him to the nearest speeder. His son looked longingly at one of the faster open-cockpit models, but he didn't want the cold air blowing in his son's face.
The boy didn't say anything on the journey over. Vader glanced at him a couple of times, noting he was leaning against the window with his arms wrapped around his body. This was far from his usual happy self. Whatever disease had invaded Luke's body, Vader wished he could somehow hunt it down and take his revenge for such an insult.
Perhaps there was something he was supposed to say right now. Something a father would say to reassure his son. His entrance into the bedroom hadn't exactly put his son at ease, but that was as much his own fault as anything else.
"Why did you stack the furniture up against your bedroom door?" Vader inquired, as he dived out of the traffic lane.
Luke shrugged.
"Did the medical droid hurt you?"
"No. I was just tired of everyone fussing over me."
This did make sense. He had no tolerance for such things himself. Halfway through the dive, he recalled Threepio had mentioned Luke having a sore stomach. Perhaps he should fly accordingly. It went against every instinct he had to release the accelerator, but the landing pad was close, and a few more minutes wouldn't cause this disease to progress beyond treatment. At least, that's what his rational mind assured him.
Luke climbed out of the speeder without being prompted once they had landed, and then rubbed his arms, shivering slightly. Vader walked around to place the jacket hood over his head. Perhaps Luke should have worn another layer. It was difficult to judge such things now that he had little sense of the outside temperature himself.
So many things to worry about. What if the doctor saw how Luke was dressed and thought he was being neglected. What if his blood tests again showed that he wasn't eating enough vegetables? He had researched childhood nutrition over the last few weeks, but getting Luke to eat some of the recommended meals had proved a challenge.
When they walked through into the medical center reception, Luke hunched up further, not even looking up when Doctor Leeson came out to greet them.
"Come on through," he said, gesturing towards the nearest examination room. "Please, hop up on the bed, Luke."
Luke did so, but instead of remaining sitting, he rolled over on his side and faced the far wall. The doctor noted this, but then simply picked up his datapad and began making notes.
"So you said Luke complained of a sore throat, a headache, and a stomach ache?"
"Yes. And he has been lethargic and recalcitrant."
"I have not been recal … recall … what does that even mean?" Luke complained, mumbling into his sleeve.
"A droid at the palace examined him, but was unable to locate the problem."
The medical droid who assisted Doctor Leeson was already scanning Luke, and his vital signs appeared on the main monitor. The doctor made a 'hmm' noise as he glanced over them, and then went to retrieve a tongue depressor from the implement tray.
"Sit up now, Luke, and I'll take a look at your throat," he said, patting his arm.
Luke didn't move at first, but when Vader moved over to assist, he did so without needing to be man-handled. The doctor only looked for a moment, and then he went on to check his ears and glands.
"So how's your appetite?" he asked when he came around to listen to Luke's breathing.
"I'm not really hungry," Luke mumbled.
"And did this start yesterday? Or did you wake up like this?"
"Woke up this way."
"How has school been lately?"
Luke's eyes widened at the question. "Fine."
"Teachers all right? No bullying?"
"No, it's fine."
"What does his school environment have to do with his health?" Vader asked.
The doctor gave him a look, not unlike the one Obi-Wan used to give him when he'd apparently missed something obvious.
"Let's have a chat next door."
"Good, does this mean I can nap now?" Luke said, rolling back over.
"Yes, you rest up," Doctor Leeson said. "There's water on the bench at the side if you feel thirsty."
Vader followed the doctor to the adjacent room, trying not to let his mind conjure up worst-case scenarios. Perhaps there was some disease going around Coruscant schools. He should pay more attention to the local news.
"What's wrong with him?" he asked, as soon as the door closed.
"Nothing." He leaned back against the desk, folding his arms. "At least … nothing physical. What you have here is a classic case of school refusal."
It took Vader a moment to absorb this news.
"Are you telling me he is lying about being sick to avoid school?!"
The doctor raised a hand and spoke in a placating tone.
"He may genuinely feel like he's sick. Emotional distress can do that."
"How are you so certain? You only examined him for mere minutes. You have not done a blood test."
"You say he said he had a sore throat. His throat shows no signs of soreness and his sinuses are clear. When I asked how school was, his heart rate spiked and he appeared nervous."
"He tells me he enjoys school."
"Then something must have changed. You'll need to encourage him to talk to you about what the problem really is. Children often fear parents will embarrass them if they let them know about problems at school. But deep down, I'm sure he wants to tell you. He'll respond to some calm reassurance."
Vader turned away, staring blankly at the wall. Emotional problems … calm reassurance. What next? Heart-to-heart father-son talks? This doctor was unhinged.
"No."
"I'm sorry?"
Vader pointed at him. "No. You will do a blood test and examine him further. If you cannot find the source of his sickness, then find a specialist who can. I will not tolerate failure."
"Sir—"
"I am going back to the palace. Contact me when you have something of value to report."
He swept out of the room, sending the admin droid scurrying out of his way.
Something was wrong. Luke didn't know how he knew, he just knew. The first confirmation of this was when his doctor returned, and there was no familiar moody presence and artificial breathing along with him. He sat up quickly, looking around.
"Where's my father?"
Doctor Leeson released a weary sigh, running his fingers through his greying sandy hair.
"Your father … had to leave. But I suspect he'll be back soon."
"Why did he have to leave?"
"He claimed it was work-related, but I think … let's just say that sometimes parents need a moment."
Luke frowned. "I haven't done anything. I didn't even want to come here … I'm not that sick."
His doctor nodded, and then took a seat, leaning back in his chair.
"Luke … you're a smart young man, so I'm going to be honest with you. I don't think there is anything physically wrong with you at all. I think something in your life has upset you, and you're feeling sick as a result."
Luke opened his mouth to protest and then found his doctor continued talking before he could speak.
"However, that information scared your father so much, he ordered me to keep examining you until I find the physical cause of your symptoms. I don't want to subject you to needless tests. So I think we need to come up with a better solution."
The idea of his father being scared always baffled Luke and this time was no different.
"My father doesn't get scared."
"He does when he feels like you need something that he can't provide. I felt like that when I was a new father too."
"What I need is for everyone to leave me alone so I can stay in my room by myself," Luke said. "Is that too much to ask?"
"Or, here's another idea," his doctor said. "How about you tell your father what happened that made you want to stay home from school?"
"I can't! He'll … he'll think I'm useless and stupid. He'll just make me go back and tell me I'm interfering with his work."
"Are you sure that's what he'll say? Or are you just projecting what you're telling yourself onto him?"
Luke raised an eyebrow. "You've met my father, right?"
The doctor smiled. "Yes, I have. And I think you need to give him more credit. How can he learn to be a better father when you won't give him a chance?"
Luke leaned back on his arms, staring at the clean white ceiling. Maybe … maybe he had a point. His father really had been working on the whole father-son bonding thing lately. He'd spent hours on the weekend teaching him about a TIE fighter engine and it had been amazing. More than amazing.
He'd been so happy then. He'd arrived at school the next day eager to tell his friend Ben all about what he'd learned. Then they'd had gym class and everything had fallen apart. Just the memory of it made him curl up again and roll over on his side.
"Are you all right?" Doctor Leeson asked, sounding worried. He stood up, clearly intending to come over, but then they were both startled by the sound of the door opening.
A Dark Lord of the Sith strode back in, immediately filling the entire room with a sense of anxiety.
"Have you found anything yet?" he inquired, pointing at the doctor.
"Well …" Doctor Leeson looked at Luke with a pleading expression, and Luke sighed, nodding in silent agreement. His doctor smiled in response. "We did make some progress. Luke has something he wants to talk to you about, and I need a cup of strong caf, so please excuse me."
Luke looked up, realizing he was now the subject of his father's gaze. The scrutiny was almost enough to make him renege on the whole agreement, but his doctor had already left the room. At least this raised examination bed put him a little closer to eye level with the mask. Still, he dropped his head, looking down at his lap.
"So … uh … something happened yesterday."
His father didn't reply. He seemed to be clenching his fists under his cape, so Luke spoke faster.
"They've started a swimming unit in my gym class and … I can't swim. They didn't have swimming pools on Tatooine." Luke heard his voice breaking as he forced out the words. "The teacher let me watch from the side as I said I needed to get a swimsuit, but I can't use that excuse forever. Everyone else in the class was twenty times better than I could ever be! The boys are all strong and tall and some of them even have muscles. They're going to laugh when they see my skinny arms."
Luke closed his eyes, waiting for his father to prove him right and say he was being dramatic over nothing. But instead, he sounded confused.
"Is that all?"
Luke glanced up. His father's confusion lasted a few seconds before his fingers clenched into fists again, and Luke cringed in anticipation.
"You made me think you were infected with some deadly disease when you just didn't want to attend a swimming class?!"
Luke raised his hands, his heart racing in his chest. "I'm sorry!"
His father seemed to catch himself then, and he turned away, facing the opposite wall.
Luke reached down to wrap his arms around his stomach, feeling like there was a pile of bricks down there. After faking a headache, he could now feel a real one starting.
A moment later, his father turned back.
"Son, you should have told me this yesterday."
"You were away on your secret mission," Luke said, reaching up to rub a tear from his cheek. He hadn't noticed when he'd started crying, but apparently there was no end to the ways he would embarrass himself today.
"You have my comlink frequency. There is no mission too important to interrupt if there is something you need to talk about."
"There's nothing you can do to help," Luke said.
"There is. I will tell the school to exempt you from swimming classes for now, and arrange for you to have some lessons at the palace."
The bricks in his stomach suddenly vanished.
"Um … really?"
"Yes." His father came closer, and then reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. This had slowly been happening more lately. There was a time when Luke couldn't have imagined his father feeling comfortable enough to touch him like that, and it still felt too good to be true.
"I also had to learn to swim when I left Tatooine. In time, you will enjoy it."
"Are you sure? I see all that deep water and … there's so much of it!"
"It may feel strange at first." His father stepped back and then gestured for him to climb down off the bed. "Come. I think you need to apologize to your doctor."
Luke smiled. "On behalf of you?"
His father gave him a look in response, and Luke raised his hands. "Kidding!"
It was amazing how much difference one conversation could make. Luke didn't even mind so much when his father made him get dressed in his school uniform and then flew him over to the school for his afternoon classes. Lying around in bed all day was a boring idea anyway.
Lev picked him up afterward, in one of the dull Imperial issue speeders that weren't an uncommon sight on the school landing pad. He smiled when Luke slid into the passenger seat.
"Feeling better?"
He nodded, feeling embarrassed when he remembered the drama of the morning.
"Sorry about everything."
"It's all right. Your father briefed me on the problem, and I've come up with a mission strategy."
"Does it involve ice cream at the mall?"
"Yes, after we go to Sports World and find you a swimsuit."
Lev accelerated into the air, taking advantage of a lull in the steady stream of speeders heading for the school landing bays.
"Then what?" Luke asked, trying to ignore the anxious feeling that threatened to return.
"Then we need to find you a tutor." He smiled. "You know, Hicks used to teach swimming during semester breaks at the academy. Maybe we should ask him."
"No way. He has gills! I don't want anyone teaching me who is going to make me feel useless. I already feel like an Outer Rim desert farmboy freak."
Lev only laughed at this assertion. He seemed to be enjoying having some time out of the palace and didn't hurry him when they made it to the swimming aisle of the biggest sports supplies store at the mall. There was no end of designer brands for all kinds of body shapes, and it didn't take long for him to locate some orange swim shorts that didn't make him feel too self-conscious.
Then Lev gestured to another display. "Now let's find you some goggles. And maybe a kickboard … I remember starting out with a kickboard."
"Some what and what?" Luke said, staring at the display. "Why is this so complicated?"
"It's not complicated," Lev said, picking out a silver swim cap. "Here you go. Unless you want an orange one?"
"Maybe I shouldn't go all orange," Luke said, picking up some blue goggles. "Why do you have to wear these?"
"You want to be able to see underwater. Pool water has chemicals to kill bacteria which can sting your eyes." Lev paused, reaching for something he'd spotted nearby. "Hey now. This would fit in well at the palace."
He held up a pool towel that was covered with red, black, and white Imperial flags.
"There are already lots of towels."
"I know, but it's nice to have something all your own." He lowered the towel, meeting Luke's gaze. "Listen, I know this is … new, but you've had a lot of new things in the last few months and you've adapted. You'll get through this too."
"I know," Luke said, accepting the offered towel. "I … I guess I am excited to give swimming a try. I just never felt so different until I watched all the other boys swimming yesterday. Even Ben, who always says he's useless at all sports, was doing okay."
"When you first try doing something, you're going to be useless. That's just how it is. How good do you think you were at walking and talking when you first tried it? Now look at you."
Luke finally smiled, getting Lev's point. "So I should just … go along with it."
"Yes. We'll find you a good teacher. The best teacher. After a few one on one lessons, you'll be on your way to catching up with all your classmates."
It was a nice idea, and Luke tried to tell himself it would be fine whenever the voice in his head started making him worry. But as was typical of his life, nothing quite worked out as planned.
His father arrived in his room later that evening, appearing much calmer than he had that morning. Fortunately, he'd had time to straighten out all the furniture, and his new swimming gear was laid out neatly on the study desk.
Luke paused the holovid, watching as his father approached the side of the bed.
"You found what you needed?"
He nodded. "Yeah, all set."
"I asked an assistant to find a teacher for you. Your lessons can begin as soon as possible. In the meantime, I must return to my mission."
"Oh … that's fine. Sorry you had to come back."
"Do not apologize, young one. Your needs are important."
The feeling those words inspired made Luke feel better than he had since learning of the whole swimming class. Seen, safe, and … cared for. It was familiar … this was how he'd felt with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. He'd never imagined he'd ever feel that way again, but yet … here he was. It was a struggle not to tear up.
His father continued, seemingly oblivious. "I will arrange a time and you will call me and tell me about your day."
Luke smiled. "You don't have to do that. You'll be busy doing … your top-secret mission. Whatever that is."
"I will be keeping the galaxy safe. But that doesn't mean I don't have time for you." He reached out to touch him again, letting his hand rest briefly on his shoulder.
"Goodnight, Son."
"Night, Father. Hope your mission goes well."
His father paused, and then said, "I will return as soon as possible." He then turned and left the room, cape trailing behind him.
Having an exemption from gym class wasn't as good as Luke first thought. Ben was envious, but really, he'd have preferred to be sitting on the side of the pool, at least. Instead, he was left in a room with a droid to supervise, and various pieces of homework to complete that were difficult to concentrate on.
After two days of this, and no sign of Lev finding any swim tutor, Ben suggested he come over to the palace and they could just play around in the shallow end of the palace lap pool to get him started.
"We'll need to get access from the security office," Ben said. "It's meant for staff use, but I have been in there once or twice with my dad."
Luke nodded. "Sure. We can get some snacks from Lieutenant Hicks' too."
"Not such a good idea," Ben said. "I always feel sick if I try and swim after eating."
"For after then." Luke grinned. "We'll need to celebrate my first time ever in a pool."
It was a sunny afternoon in Imperial City, and they took their time walking back to the palace, pausing every so often to enjoy the sight of speeder traffic above the transparent pedestrian tunnels. They went through the basement staff entrance to the palace, which brought them closest to the security office. As soon as they walked through the door, Lieutenant Hicks glanced up from his desk, and then raised an eyebrow.
"No, I'm not giving you a pass for the south tower. Stop asking."
"It's not that," Luke said, skidding up to the snack bowl behind his monitor. There was a colorful array of small chewy candies on offer today. "I want to get in a pool for the first time. Can you let me and Ben into the palace pool?"
Lieutenant Hicks simply stared at Luke, his solid black eyes unblinking, and then he pressed a button on his comlink. Lev answered a moment later.
"Hey, can you come into the security office?" Lieutenant Hicks said. "The resident twelve-year-old wants access to the pool."
Lev responded by cutting the call, and a moment later, he came rushing through the door, looking a little frazzled. Ben had to jump out of his way.
"Hey," Luke said, sitting down on the chair in front of the desk. "Any luck finding a teacher yet?"
"It's still a work in progress," he said. "I don't know about you getting in by yourself, though."
"Hey, it's just the shallow end, and Ben will be there."
"Health and safety rules state that no one under sixteen is allowed alone in the pool without adult supervision," Lieutenant Hicks said.
"Huh. Well … do droids count as adults?" Luke said, thinking of Artoo and Threepio.
"If you're talking about your unhinged droids, then no."
"My dad might be able to finish his shift early," Ben said. "How about if he takes us?"
"That's acceptable."
"I'll give him a call," Ben said. He smiled at Lev. "Don't worry, Luke will be fine. The shallow end is barely up to my chest."
"I know, but I also know Luke, and I know how he likes to … push the physical limits."
Lieutenant Hicks smirked at him. "You mean dive headfirst into a trash compactor?"
"I did not go in head first," Luke said, rolling his eyes.
Captain Jarnet was only too happy to help Luke have his first swimming pool experience, and an hour later, he stepped out of the changing room, dressed in his new swimsuit and with the towel draped across one shoulder. The familiar scent of chemically treated pool water filled his nose, and he saw Captain Jarnet was already in the pool, just at the end of a warm-up lap. Ben ran to the end and jumped in, causing a big splash of water to wash over his father, followed by some playful wrestling.
"Come on, Luke," Captain Jarnet said, holding Ben away with one arm and beckoning him towards the ladder. "Climb down backward."
This was simple enough. Luke went down a few steps and then jumped back.
"Ah! It's cold!"
Captain Jarnet laughed. "Feels just right to me. You don't want it too warm. Come on. All the way."
Luke finally felt his feet touch the bottom, and then turned around to face the others, with one hand still on the ladder. Captain Jarnet stretched his arms back behind his head and then rolled his shoulders a few times, before ducking under the water. Ben was doing some kind of simple stroke that kept his head mostly above the water, and he swam through the holographic lane boundaries to reach the ladder.
"Well, you're doing okay so far," Ben said, smiling as Luke shivered. "Can you duck your head under? You'll get warmer once you're properly in."
This meant putting the new goggles on, and then he ducked his head under at Ben's encouragement. This only made him feel even colder, and some water leaked in through the left side of the goggles, stinging his eye. How did people actually enjoy this?
"I think I'm ready to get out," Luke suggested, pushing his now soaking wet fringe away from his face.
"No, no. Here, why don't you try this?" Captain Jarnet climbed out of the pool and retrieved the kickboard. "You can start learning how to kick, at least."
Having something to take his mind off the cold did help, and soon, with a few pointers from Ben and his father, he was able to hold onto the kickboard, keep his head above water, and propel himself forward. At first he was kicking from his knees, but Captain Jarnet explained about kicking from the hip.
All the activity did warm him up in time, and he managed to get from one side of the shallow end to the other, crossing the lane dividers every few meters. Lev and Lieutenant Hicks came in a short time later, clearly curious to see how it was going.
"He's doing great," Captain Jarnet said, grinning at them as they came up to the side. "Who would believe this boy was raised in the desert?"
Luke smiled, bringing his feet back to the bottom and lifting up his goggles.
"How does it feel?" Lev said, crouching down at the pool edge to talk to him.
"It's okay. Pretty cold at first, but I'm warmer now." He looked up at Lieutenant Hicks, curious. "So can you swim underwater without even taking a breath?"
"I wish. The gills are just for decoration."
"He can go quite a long time without taking a breath," Lev said. "Always had me beat in the pool."
"Oh, that sounds like a challenge," Captain Jarnet said. "I might have to see this."
"No, I'm really out of shape," Lieutenant Hicks said, patting his middle. "Too much candy."
Luke began to feel cold again as the conversation continued, with Captain Jarnet trying to needle either Lev or Lieutenant Hicks into racing with him. Considering Captain Jarnet had biceps and chest muscles like he could bench press 100kg, Luke couldn't blame them for offering excuses. Finally, he decided to call it a day and go and shower, and no one objected as he climbed up the ladder and returned to dry land.
There was a full range of shower gels and shampoo in the pool changing rooms, and even a centrifugal machine for rinsing and drying off your swimsuit. An attending droid handled all his equipment, and by the time he was zipping up his jacket and combing his hair, everything was returned, completely dry and left to air in a mesh bag. If you had to learn to swim, the Imperial Palace was clearly the place to do it.
He took a few steps towards the door, and then paused, hearing his name mentioned.
"I keep explaining that Luke is a nice boy and will be a good student, but if I hear 'I'll get back to you', one more time, I'm going to see if there's someone we can order to assist."
It was Lev speaking. So that's why there was no swim tutor yet …
"What do you think the problem is?" Captain Jarnet asked, sounding concerned. "Is it mention of Lord Vader?"
"For those that get that far, yes, but for others, just mention of the Imperial Palace is enough for them to bow out."
"Well … I'm happy to try and help, but I didn't teach Ben myself. They're always working on better teaching methods and new styles, and I knew a professional would do a much better job than I could. Maybe you could enroll him in a public class and just not mention Lord Vader."
"I considered it, but a class would require his parent's name and address. They'd be no way around it."
Just not mention Lord Vader. Luke stared at the shiny white wall of the changing room, feeling his thoughts begin to spiral. No one wanted to teach him when they heard about his father? Did they just see all the intimidation and horror, and assume he'd be the same? Even after being at school for months, he did still receive the odd terrified looks in the locker hall, especially from younger students.
"I'm supposed to update Lord Vader today, and I have no idea what to say. I can't tell him the local swimming tutors who offer private lessons all refuse to work with his son."
"Just say it's taking a bit longer than expected as the best teachers are in demand, but Luke was in the pool today with Ben and we got off to a great start. There's no hurry for Luke to learn, anyway. They're hardly going to have him fail his gym class."
Luke frowned. No, because the school wouldn't want to anger his father. Why did everything good in his life come with a downside? He was happy to be reunited with his father, even if his job and general personality wasn't exactly what he'd imagined, but why did that mean everyone else had to treat him like he wasn't just a normal kid? Like he wasn't just Luke?
He waited longer, making sure Captain Jarnet and Lev had finished their conversation, before finally making an appearance at poolside. Captain Jarnet had jumped back in, and he was currently standing beside Ben, who was floating on his back. He had one arm under his son, holding him up in the water, and the other was showing him a better technique for his backstroke by guiding his arm around in a circle.
The sight of this caused a wave of jealousy that made him hate himself for feeling that way. Ben's father had just given up half an hour of his time to teach him how to practice kicking, so he should appreciate what he had instead of what he didn't. But it was too much to stay and keep watching, so he turned for the door, leaving them to it.
Things only grew worse the next day when Lev left a message on his comlink. Ben leaned over his shoulder to watch as Luke set it playing on their lunch table, and a small blue hologram of Lev appeared between a salad and some rice.
Hi, Luke. Looks like we've found you a swimming tutor! He's coming over this afternoon for your first lesson at 16:00 so come back straight after school so you can be all ready.
"Great," Ben said. "See, you'll be swimming in no time."
But the message hadn't finished. Luke raised an eyebrow as the holographic Lev raised both his hands, palms out.
Now, I know this isn't going to be exactly what you were expecting, but I should tell you now the tutor is a droid.
Ben just smiled while Luke rubbed his temples.
I was referred to a company that hires out swimming tutor droids. They used to be water-based battle droids during the Clone Wars, but now they've been reprogrammed and make great teachers.
"What?!" Luke knew Lev couldn't hear him, but it had to be said.
I know how much you like droids, so please give this one a chance. See you later.
The hologram faded, and Ben took another bite of his lunch. "Come on, Luke. That sounds amazing. A former battle droid!"
"It's because no one else wanted to teach me because of my father."
Ben shrugged. "Their loss."
Luke could only wish he had the confidence to brush it off so easily. It was all so irritating. He never used to feel like this. Desperate to be normal. Growing up on Tatooine, he used to fantasize about having a famous pilot father who had just been too busy to visit. Now … now he wished his father wasn't famous at all, and that felt ungrateful.
His father had scheduled their comlink call for tonight, and what he really should be doing was making a list of things to tell him that wouldn't bore him. Another drawback of his father's job … he was probably out there flying his TIE fighter and commanding star destroyers. Hearing about math class and the latest HoloNet show just wouldn't cut it.
The lightsaber igniting cast a red glow over the wooden floorboards, causing roaches to scurry away from the light. Vader took a step forward, towards the room that must have been a library in the crumbling remains of this once stately country home. This planet had never recovered from several months of bombing during the Clone Wars, and anyone wealthy enough to do so had long since left.
The Cerean had imagined he could hide from him here. He was wrong.
"There is no escape," Vader warned, the mask's voice echoing against the rotting walls. "Surrender now, and you have a chance to live."
There was no response, but his quarry's fear was clear in the Force.
Coming through the remains of the door frame, Vader scanned the shelves. At the side of the room, a bird took flight, squawking loudly in warning. There.
Clearly panicking, the man attempted to push the shelves over, blocking his advance. His feeble power only caused a mild shake.
"You would have succeeded if you embraced your true potential," Vader suggested. "Now you are weak. Hiding. Join me, and you will become strong."
"I won't!"
"Then you will die."
Vader raised a hand, intending to demonstrate the task the Cerean had failed to complete. But just as he gathered the Force, the persistent beeping from his comlink made another poorly timed appearance.
Luke. It must be the time he had arranged for their call. The time he had arranged before he had received the message from the droid bounty hunter to say he'd found his prey once again.
Perhaps he should turn it off and simply call his son back once he had dealt with this situation. Even as he had the thought, the immediate negative reaction was enough for Vader to dismiss it out of hand. Knowing his experience with parenting so far, just the day he decided to delay a call with Luke would be just the day his son had somehow flooded the entire palace. And … he didn't want to give his son any reason to imagine he came second to this mission. He had made mistakes when the boy had first come to live with him, and he still had a lot of work to do to rebuild his trust. That meant answering this call.
His fingers closed around the comlink, and he pressed the button to route it through the helmet. At least then he would have both hands free if the Cerean decided to again delay the inevitable and attempt escape. Another thing he'd learned about parenting during the last few months. Multi-tasking was an essential skill.
"Hi," Luke said, his image appearing on a square in the upper left corner of his vision.
"Son. I am impressed you remembered to call me."
He shrugged. "Artoo reminded me. How's your mission?"
"It is … progressing," Vader said, moving around a shelf.
Luke frowned. "What's that humming noise? Is that your lightsaber?"
Before he could think up a response, Luke spoke again. "Are you fighting someone?!"
"No."
That was true enough. A 'fight' was not something he would have with this opponent.
"Are you sure this is a good time? I can call back …"
"No. Talk. Tell me about your day. I received a report that said you have made some progress on your swimming."
"Progress," Luke said, in a sarcastic tone.
Vader came around the edge of the shelf, keeping his attention on the fraying sofa. The Cerean was crouched behind it.
"You entered a pool for the first time?"
Luke nodded, his expression subdued. "Yesterday. With Ben and his father."
Ben's father. Helping Luke through his first time swimming. Memories flooded his mind, unable to be suppressed. Obi-Wan, gently encouraging ten-year-old Anakin down the steps at the Jedi Temple pool, while he took in all the new sensations of an impossible amount of water completely surrounding him. Smiling and laughing together as he discovered the novelty of jumping and moving easily like gravity had been dialed down. Dunking his head under and then sputtering as it filled his nose and ears.
The memory changed to an improbable fantasy as he saw himself doing the same for Luke. Uninjured, free from the suit, and holding Luke steady with a single arm as he learned how to float on his back. His son, completely trusting him with his safety, just as he had once known he could trust Obi-Wan.
It was difficult to say what the most unrealistic part of that idea was. He was a Sith Lord. More likely to terrify his son than provide reassurance.
He kept his voice neutral as he replied. "How did you find it?"
"Cold and wet." Luke hunched forward. "Today was worse. A droid tutor came over to take me through my first lesson."
"Was the droid acceptable?"
"He barely taught me anything. Just how to blow bubbles underwater and then more kicking practice. Then how to dive down to touch the bottom but I got water up my nose and had to get out as it really hurt." He looked down. "The droid said it would take months until I could swim well, even with daily lessons. Too long."
"So you want to be an expert immediately without having to work hard and practice?" Vader enquired.
"I know I have to work to learn things, but I've got better things to do than spend months on this."
Vader considered asking exactly what those better things were. He suspected the answer related to indulging in mindless entertainment.
"I don't see why I have to learn to swim anyway," Luke mumbled.
"You tell me you want to be a pilot one day," Vader said, approaching the sofa. "Pilots make landings in water and need to know how to swim."
"Really?" Luke looked up, interested now. "Have you ever made a water landing?"
"Many times."
"What was it like?"
"Cold and wet."
Luke smiled then.
Vader extended a hand, raising the sofa into the air and tossing it aside. It knocked over a shelf, causing a cloud of dust to fill the air. In the haze, he saw there was no sign of the Cerean. There was, however, a broken window immediately above. He must have jumped up and escaped when he'd been distracted with the call.
Perhaps this multi-tasking was not such a good idea.
He turned his full attention back to his son.
"Luke, this is what I want you to do. For two weeks, give your quest to learn to swim all your energy. Do all the exercises, no matter how tedious. Practice and then practice again. Push yourself on even if you are not enjoying it. This will build determination and discipline that will serve you well in your journey through life."
"Can't I just … do nothing and hope I figure it out in time?" Luke suggested.
Vader was about to respond harshly, but then his son smirked. "Kidding! Okay, I promise I'll give it a try."
"I look forward to seeing your progress when I return."
"Good luck with your mission."
Vader stared up at the broken window, idly thinking it wasn't luck that would finally allow him to complete this task, but a lack of distractions. Despite his worries, Luke was fine. He had every confidence he would overcome this obstacle. Perhaps it was time to give a little less attention to the parenting side of his life.
"Goodbye, Son."
AQ-7, the swimming droid, was nice enough, Luke had to admit. But part of him wondered if being taught by a machine built for swimming was even worse than being taught by someone who had gills. Perhaps he should have tried nagging Lieutenant Hicks for a few lessons on the side when he'd visited his desk to pick up his new pool access card.
When he arrived for his second lesson, AQ-7 was already in the water waiting for him, conversing with Threepio and Artoo, who had come down to act as a sort of sideline support team. Today's lesson involved more drills with the kickboard, and then the droid said he wanted him to try kicking without the board.
"Then how do I stay floating?"
"The human body naturally floats when there is air in the lungs," the droid said. "Here, let me show you."
AQ-7 came up beside him, and then guided him into a prone position in the water, with his arms stretched out and holding on to the kickboard.
"Now, take a breath and put your head in the water."
Having his head under really wasn't something he enjoyed, but he could hear his father's words echoing in his head, about giving it his all. He had promised to try.
When his head was under, and he was holding the breath, the droid began to ease the kickboard away from his hands. He managed up until only his fingertips were touching, and then he scrambled to lift his head up and get back to his feet so he could breathe.
"You will float," the droid insisted. "Here. Try again without the kickboard. I'll hold you up until you are comfortable for me to let go."
"No, I can do it with the board!"
"Try letting out your breath slowly while your head is under."
"But what if there's no air left and I sink!"
"I won't let you sink."
The droid was so reassuring it was annoying. He could do this. If he got this part out of the way, maybe he'd even let him move away from the shallow end.
The second time, he started out with his hands much closer to the edge of the board and released it immediately after taking a breath and ducking his head under. But his body sunk down in the water, and there was one horrible moment when he wondered if the droid really would let him hit the bottom. He threshed his arms and scrambled back to his feet, gasping for air.
"You said I wouldn't sink!"
"You need to relax your body. If your muscles are tense, you will not float." The droid reached through the water to touch his stomach muscles with its flipper hands, causing Luke to jump back. "Relax your muscles so the air can reach your diaphragm. You have a wiry build and need to make sure the air reaches your center of mass."
"Are you trying to say I'm just a bag of bones and that's why I sink?!"
The droid tilted its scoop-like head. "Bag of bones? I suppose that is one way to describe the human body."
Luke groaned.
"Perhaps we should source some inflatable armbands for you. You may find them a valuable learning aid."
"Inflatable armbands! Like what kids have?!"
The droid made that odd head-tilt again like it was trying to process confusing input. "Perhaps we should return to the kicking drills for a while."
"No. I'm done for today," Luke said, wading over to the ladder.
When he climbed up to the floor, Threepio was waiting with his towel. Artoo made a concerned whistle.
"Never mind, Master Luke," Threepio said. "You will do better tomorrow."
It was difficult to think of any polite response to Threepio's well-meaning attempt at reassurance, so Luke simply took his towel and walked to the changing rooms. The large lap timing chronometer above the wall let him know he'd only lasted twenty minutes out of the half-hour lesson.
You promised, a voice in his head reminded him. You promised your father you'd try. You don't want him to see you floundering around in the water like a baby.
I'll find a way to get better, he argued back. I'll figure something out before he gets back.
What that something was, he didn't know yet. But he did know it wasn't going to involve that droid.
Lev wasn't working the following day, as another lieutenant took over the weekend shift in his office, but Luke still woke to find he'd left him a message.
"Hi, Luke. I'm sorry, I've been busy and haven't had a chance to ask you how it's been working out with the droid. Do you feel you're making progress? Let me know. A couple of alternative options have now replied so let's talk about it when I'm back in the office next week. I was wondering how you might feel about trying a small group class with other people around your age who have migrated here from dry worlds?"
Luke switched off the message and shut the comlink in his bedside drawer. Next week … he couldn't wait that long. His father could be home any day now. It was time to take matters into his own hands. Retrieving a datapad and bringing up a HoloNet search tool was the easy part. Figuring out exactly what to search for was something else. It took several tries before he found something promising. A complete instructional holovid.
How to learn to swim in one day … radical method! Not for wimps!
"Perfect," Luke mumbled to himself.
The hyperspace tunnel dissolved around Vader's TIE fighter as he entered the region of the Setlun asteroid belt, a vast collection of rocks that had long since been stripped of any valuable minerals. His prey had been tracked here, leaking radiation from his salvaged ship across half the system. The only civilization was an isolated repair and refueling station, located on an unusually large asteroid at the edge of the system.
Within moments, the radar lit up as the scopes detected the presence of the Cerean's ship. It was docked at the station.
Perhaps if he'd been fully focused on his mission he'd have accelerated quickly and disabled the ship before its owner could return to it. Instead, the Force began to swirl around him, demanding his attention.
In a situation such as this, a warning from the Force would normally indicate his enemy had set some poorly conceived trap in a bid to defeat him. Usually based on the assumption that he was a merely skilled pilot, instead of a Dark Lord of the Sith. But, as seemed to be a theme in his life this week, this notification from the ever-present galaxy-binding energy field did not concern his mission. It was entirely focused on his son.
The exact nature of this latest parenting crisis wasn't clear. All he could sense was Luke and some future elusive danger. But it wasn't urgent. Merely possibilities.
Before him, the Cerean's ship accelerated away from the repair station, a cable still trailing out the side. If he made it to hyperspace, it would only delay this mission even further. The Emperor was already suspicious as to what was taking so long. But instead, the ship turned back towards the asteroid field.
Foolish. Perhaps he imagined asteroids were something of concern to him. The modified TIE fighter easily overtook the ship, and he looped around a smaller asteroid, switching the weapon's system to ion cannons.
A single shot was all it took. The blue energy crackled over the enemy ship's hull, disabling all the electronics.
Then, it exploded.
This wasn't right. There was no sense of death in the Force. No surge in the Dark Side that normally accompanied yet another death at his hands. A decoy.
The hail light began to flash. Vader watched it for a moment, and then brought his hand down with more force than was required.
"I will find you," he warned.
"I know."
The man sounded truly resigned.
"Then stop wasting my time." He stretched out with the Force, trying to sense the Cerean's location. There was an irritating lack of fear for the Dark Side to latch on to.
"I have a proposal for you."
"Then speak quickly," Vader said, flying around a larger asteroid. There was nothing on the radar, but the field was full of interference.
"I have noticed we have something in common. You see … I am a father too."
Just the sound of the word father caused the warning from the Force to grow more persistent. Luke.
"I would very much like to see my children again. It's been months."
"Then I suggest you stop trying my patience," Vader said, flying further into a dense cluster of asteroids. He still suspected a trap.
"I can hardly believe this is true, but … I think you, Lord Vader, would rather be with your child than here in this asteroid field with me."
The vision filled his mind then. Luke, in water. Underwater. He needed to leave now.
"So, here is my proposal. Scan the remains of my ship. You will find traces of my DNA. Enough to provide evidence of my death."
Vader turned the TIE fighter around, doing as suggested. The Cerean spoke the truth.
"Take it back to your Empire," he continued. "If you say I am dead, then it will be so. You will never hear from me again. I only want to live a quiet life with my family."
"There is no mercy from a Sith Lord," Vader snapped.
"Then how about from one father to another?"
What foolishness. There was no mercy. There was only the Dark Side.
"Otherwise, it might take you hours to find me in here. Even days … I may not be strong with the Force, but I know how to hide."
The Force only whispered again. Luke …
There was no mercy. But there was someone on Coruscant who needed his father.
The Dark Side would demand a heavy penalty for this. He would make it up later.
Vader turned the TIE fighter towards the stars and accelerated into hyperspace.
After all these months living at the palace, Luke had all the staff schedules and guard changes memorized. The best time to sneak down to the pool would be at 19-hundred when the evening shift guards changed who was on dinner break and the admin staff would have gone home. No one would notice him slipping through the palace with his swimsuit in a discrete bag. He had become part of the scenery around here.
It was good he had this set time where he had to make his move because he might have chickened out otherwise. After all, his plan wasn't easy and it was going to take all the bravery he had to actually do it. Especially once he was standing on one of the starting boards, staring down at the deep end of the pool.
Because what he'd seen on the HoloNet had confirmed all his fears. This slow and steady method of learning to swim was meant for kids. Not determined people in a hurry. The only thing stopping him from swimming right now was his mind. He needed to overcome all his anxiety about deep water and simply jump in and do it. No kickboards. No armbands.
After all, there was a reason why 'being thrown in the deep end' was a thing people said.
As he suspected, the guards were distracted with their changeover and barely acknowledged him as he made his way down to the pool. Probably thought he was having an evening lesson today. He did feel a twinge of guilt as he went through the doors, remembering Lieutenant Hicks reminders about needing a supervisor in the pool when he'd given him this access. At the time, he'd ridiculed him for even imagining he would get in the pool alone. What a difference a few days made.
He spent longer than he meant to getting ready in the changing room. He wasn't stalling. This was just important, that's all, and he needed to make sure he had his goggles attached to his head properly. Some warm up stretches didn't hurt either.
Then, when he was ready as he would ever be, he made the journey down to the end of the pool he'd never been before. The Deep End.
There was a diagram on the wall showing how deep the water was in relation to several average heights. He ignored it. Deep water was nothing to be afraid of. As his father said, pilots had to land in deep water sometimes. As long as he kicked and moved his arms, just like he'd practiced on his bed all afternoon, he would be fine. He'd be a swimmer. His father would be impressed with his progress. That stupid droid would blow a circuit because he'd defied all its programming.
He stepped up on the middle starting block, seeing the still water spread out below him. Fear? Anxiety? Who had time for that? Not his father. Not him.
Time to dive in.
The Force visions had waned during the short hyperspace journey back to Coruscant. It seemed entirely likely he would arrive to find Luke merely in his bedroom watching holovid, and when he flew the TIE fighter in to land in the hangar, there was no sense at all of Luke being in danger. Perhaps this was merely a side effect of their growing bond as the weeks went by. Luke's idle thoughts were starting to arouse his concern, lightyears away. Perhaps he would need to learn to filter them out.
Artoo chirped in greeting when he disembarked from his ship. Threepio was nowhere to be seen.
"Artoo. Where is Luke?"
He said he was tired and going to sleep early, Artoo beeped out. He asked me to run Threepio through a full maintenance cycle.
Two things happened then. One, Vader had the strong suspicion that was the type of thing his son would say if he wanted to get the droids out of his way because he was planning to do something he knew they wouldn't approve of. Two, the warning from the Force came back with a vengeance. This time, it wasn't the future he was seeing.
Luke, sinking under the water.
If he'd stopped to think for a second perhaps he might have called the guards near the palace pool. But that insight didn't come until later. There was no thinking in response to that dire vision. Only action.
No time for elevators. He ran for the hangar ship exit and jumped out of the palace, falling down the outer wall until he reached a window on the right level. The transparisteel exploded inward at his touch and Vader sprinted down the hallway, instinct leading him to the correct room.
Bursting through the doors, the sight of his son, struggling desperately to keep his head above water in the deep end, only quickened his pace. If he'd again taken a second to think, he might have simply gathered the Force and lifted the boy out of danger. Instead, he skidded up to the edge and jumped straight in beside him.
Relief flooded his body as he grabbed Luke in both arms, holding him steady against the rocking water. Not only his relief but Luke's as well. His son's fingers dug into both his arms, the right one squeezing against the joint between flesh and machinery. His breath came in desperate gasps, even louder than his own. Then his son's eyes ran over the respirator controls, growing wide at the sight.
"No … short out!" he gasped. "Get out!"
It took Vader a second to understand the cause of this panic.
"It's watertight," he explained, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Really?!"
"It would not do for a Dark Lord of the Sith to be defeated by a bucket of water," he suggested.
Luke laughed hysterically at the lame joke, and then tears filled his eyes. Vader gripped him tighter.
"What are you doing in the deep end without any supervision?"
"Trying … to … learn," he choked out, voice coming in broken gasps.
Of all the stupid behavior … this boy was going to be the death of him. "So you jumped in the deep end?!"
"The HoloNet … said it … would work."
"The HoloNet!"
"Don't … be … angry," Luke sniffed.
"You want me to be calm about you endangering your life through impatience and reckless behavior?!"
Luke's tears increased at the words, and he choked out, "I was just … sick of being useless and … afraid."
Vader concentrated on allowing the respirator to slow his breathing, trying to calm down. This boy … this son who was so painfully like him in ways that he really wished he wasn't … he didn't need his anger right now. He needed a parent. And for all his vast and terrible flaws, he was all Luke had.
"Well, young one. I believe you only succeeded in making both of us afraid."
Luke sniffed, looked down.
"But seeing as I am here … perhaps we should see if I can teach you."
Luke smiled at that, shaking his head. "I'm a lost cause in the water. I can't even float."
Vader shifted Luke in his grip, pulling his son towards him, side-on, and then scooped his other arm around under his legs. He soon had him lying flat on the top of the water.
"Now, let go of me and put your hands over your stomach," Vader said.
Luke looked up at him, anxiety clear in his expression.
"I won't let you go," Vader assured him.
A feeling of trust flowed over their bond, and then Luke did as asked, placing his hands over his midsection, elbows bent out at the side.
"Now, breathe so you can feel your hands rise. Deep and slow."
Whether on purpose or subconsciously, Luke timed his breaths with the respirator, and Vader felt his son's body grow calmer. He assisted this process, sending a sense of relaxation back.
"Relax your muscles. Imagine yourself becoming lighter."
There was now no weight at all on his arms.
"Good. I am going to release you gradually. I will hold you again if you sink."
"Okay," Luke said, quietly. He didn't sound ready but there was still that sense of trust that overwhelmed all the uncomfortable sensations of being submerged up to his chest.
He kept both arms underneath his son for a moment longer, and then let one fall away, and then the other. His son bobbed up and down slightly, but his face remained above the waterline. Luke smiled, eyes moving to meet his gaze.
"I'm doing it!"
"You are," Vader agreed.
"I'm really doing it! What now?"
Vader was about to respond, when his son began to kick, causing water to lap against his armor. This propelled Luke backward for a meter, but he lifted his head too high and his feet began to sink. Vader waded over to grab him again, as the water was still well over his head.
"Now you need to go back to the shallow end," Vader said. "Until your skills have advanced. Which will take practice and patience." He adjusted his hold on Luke so his son could grip his hand and be towed back to safety. He seemed to enjoy this, using him as a floatation aid. Once the water was now below his height, Vader moved to release him, but Luke didn't let go.
"Wait. Can you help me float on my front? That's where I got stuck yesterday."
Vader obliged, moving to hold Luke under his chest with his left arm.
"Put your arms straight in front of you and take a deep breath."
It took two tries for Luke to relax his muscles enough, and then Vader lowered his arm, letting Luke remain, gently moving up and down on top of the water. Then they were both startled by the sound of a security alarm, and Luke scrambled to grab his arm again, even though he was now able to stand on the bottom.
"What's that?!"
"I believe they have discovered the broken window."
"You broke a palace window?!"
Vader stared at Luke. "Such things tend to happen when I am forced to stage a dramatic rescue mere seconds after landing in the hangar."
His tone caused Luke to bow his head in remorse. "Sorry."
"You clearly have too much of me in you."
That made Luke smile. "Uncle Owen used to say that too." He shivered then, and Vader placed a hand on his back, guiding him forward.
"Come on. I need to go and advise the guards there is no enemy currently stalking the halls."
Luke scrambled up the pool ladder, and Vader followed behind, dripping water from every fiber of clothing. His son raised his hand. "Let me get you a towel. Lots of towels. There are some in the changing rooms."
"No need."
Vader tilted his head back, reaching for the Force. The millions of water molecules clinging to his cape responded easily to the command, and he sent them all sliding along the floor and back into the pool. He was still damp, but no longer dripping.
"Wow! Neat trick!" Luke said, staring in amazement. "Can you do the same for me?"
He was shivering even more now.
"Go and have a warm shower and dry off properly," Vader said, gesturing from Luke to the showers. "I will ask the droids to bring down your pajamas and a robe."
Luke nodded, and Vader strode off towards the corridor, already planning his explanation. Not that the guards ever required one when it came to the part-time resident Sith Lord. Or his son.
For all the stress and disruption of the last week, Vader felt a sense of accomplishment as he saw Luke safely tucked up in bed for the night. Despite his master's dire predictions, he was getting better every day at managing this entire parenting venture. The incident with Luke being supposedly sick had seemed like an overwhelming challenge at first, but all it required was some calm thought and rational action. On the other hand, Luke throwing himself into the deep end of the pool had required no thought and irrational, hasty action. Either way, it worked.
It was just as he'd told his son. Time, patience, and practice. Something he needed to remind himself of during the next parenting crisis, which would happen sooner or later. They always did.
In any case, with the issue of the Cerean resolved, it seemed he would have at least a few days on Coruscant to keep an eye on his son and ensure he behaved rationally. Perhaps they could spend more time in the hanger together, something they both enjoyed.
His son was enthusiastic about the idea when he scheduled a TIE fighter maintenance session, on the condition Luke continued to work hard at his swimming lessons with the droid tutor. After he fulfilled his end of the bargain for three days, Vader made his way down to the hangar at the allocated time, already making a mental list of the tasks he could assign Luke, and those which would require a more experienced engineer to perform safely.
The boy's excitement caused his Force presence to hum with energy as he ran out of the elevator, skidding up beside Vader as he loosened the first bolt on the weapon's array maintenance hatch.
"Don't start without me!" he insisted.
Vader studied him, noticing he was still dressed in his school uniform and appeared to have rushed home.
"Go and change first."
"Okay, okay." He sounded short of breath, and sat down on a crate of spare parts, tossing his bag to one side. "I'll go soon."
Artoo rolled up beside him, whistling out a greeting. Luke placed a hand on the droid's dome.
"How was school?" Vader inquired, removing the second bolt.
"Good. Guess what? The swimming unit is nearly over so I'll be able to go back to gym class."
Vader turned to stare at his son, hearing a concerning rasp in his voice. The boy appeared flushed and there were dark circles under his eyes.
"And the next unit is martial arts!" he continued. "I can't wait." He coughed on the last word and put his face in his arm to clear his throat.
"Are you sick?" Vader demanded.
"No! I'm fine!"
His voice rasped again, and he reached up to rub his throat. "Just need to drink some water."
Vader walked over and put his hand on his son's head. Warm. Too warm. Artoo rolled up, running a scan, and then offered his own conclusion.
He has a slight fever. Probably a cold.
"You are sick. Go to your room and I will summon a palace medical droid to examine you."
"I'm not!"
He was coughing even as he tried to deny it.
It seemed the latest parenting crisis had arrived sooner.
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Thanks for reading, all, and hope you enjoyed : ) Take care xx
-Kitt