Luke's eyes got big when Vader told him the news and he stared up at his father in awe. "Really?"
"It's all set," Vader said.
Luke let out a whooping yell and hugged his father. Behind his mask, Vader smiled as he wrapped one durasteel arm around his son. "Your brother is very protective of you and wants to keep you safe. You have a good one."
Luke nodded as he pulled back. "I know. When are we leaving?"
"In a couple of weeks, Han wants to make sure the Millennium Falcon is capable of long distance travel with a few test flights first."
Luke was beaming from ear to ear as he responded, "I can't wait."
Han palmed the door open to Vader's room, the lights were all but out and he didn't see his father anywhere. He lightly walked over to the most likely place Vader would be at this time of night, the oxygen pod in the middle of the room.
"Pop?" he half whispered. "Are you in there?"
He took a step back as the pod opened up and he got a glimpse of the back of Darth Vader's head before his helmet was attached. Han felt his eyes get big and felt his stomach reeling as it almost looked like the man's brains were oozing out of the back of his head. Before his brain could grasp the fact that it was just old burn scars, he came face to mask with his father, who told him, "You don't need to whisper, I'm not asleep."
"Sorry...er...can I talk to you?" Han asked.
Vader raised a gloved hand and curled a finger in answer. Han opened his mouth to try and argue but after a few incoherent stammers he realized he wasn't going to get anywhere and climbed into the pod, which closed behind him. Once again he saw, heard, he'd witnessed this a couple times before but he'd never get used to it, as the helmet and the mask were removed again, showing his father's true face. He didn't know how the man put up with it all the time, Han was sure the whole thing would drive him nuts if he were in his father's place.
"What is it, my son?"
He'd also never get used to hearing his father's real voice. He'd heard it enough he ought to recognize it by now, but still every time he actually heard Vader talk without the vocoder Han felt like he was hearing it again for the first time, a complete and total stranger.
"Uh..." he shook his head and tried to remember why he'd even come in here. "Do you know that Luke already has a bag packed?"
The scarred man nodded. "Yes, he wants to be ready when you decide to leave."
Han nodded, not so much in agreement as just dubious understanding, and responded, "Okay, yeah, but uh...do you happen to know just why he's sleeping with it?"
"Yes, his ewok doll's in it."
"Oh...oh," Han's eyes got wider as he started to realize what he wasn't quite able to put into words, "you mean, oh, right, uh..."
That meant Luke was anticipating his stay on the Falcon being more permanent, he never brought the doll with him before when they ran cargo across the galaxy a few weeks at a time.
Despite the two of them not having a bond in the Force, Vader seemed to pick up on his eldest son's thoughts and explained, "It is Luke's home away from home as well."
Han nodded again, "I know, Pop, it's just..."
It wasn't just anything, it was several things that were bothering him, to the point he could hardly even sleep.
"What is troubling you, Han?" Vader asked.
"I guess I'm still reeling from the fact that you actually went to Tatooine and killed Jabba, but just because he's dead..." he looked in those blue eyes that felt like they were boring a hole through him, "it doesn't mean the rest of the Hutts aren't going to come after you to retaliate."
There was a reason why Han would never expect anyone to take such a risk to help him, for one thing, people weren't that altruistic, for another, people weren't that suicidal. It was unlikely enough when there wasn't much at stake, but when it meant risking your own neck, people especially didn't feel too generous or heroic, not that he blamed them.
The expression on Vader's face didn't change as he told the younger man, "I'm not worried."
"I am," Han admitted. The omitted 'for you' hung thick in the oxygen-rich air.
As painful as it looked as the burn scars seemed to expand with the effort, Vader smiled at his son and told him, "I will be all right while you and Luke are gone. You just take care of yourself."
"And Luke," Han added.
Vader said nothing, merely offered a slightly larger, albeit somber, smile. The truth was right now he was less concerned about Luke's well being, the Force had always been strong in him and Vader had always made sure he had adequate training and knew what to do with it. Luke could take care of himself, his being sheltered for most of his life didn't change that fact. Right now Vader was sure it would be easier to let go of Luke and let his youngest walk away and live his own life, than it felt right now to let Han go again. True, he was the firstborn, he was older, he'd learned how to survive on his own many years ago, and he'd done it without a second thought. But that was then, and this was now, and now...the galaxy as Han had always known it had ceased to make sense long ago, and it was wearing on him. If anything happened to Luke, Vader was sure his heart would defy the programming of his life support suit and break altogether, killing him instantly, but if it was possible, he was even more terrified of losing Han. It sounded backwards because he'd had Luke for all 18 years of his life, but that was precisely why, he carried 18 years of memories with his youngest son, he'd only had Han for two days as a baby, and only a few months now as an adult. Their relationship left something to be desired but at least with Han here they could do something about it. If Han was taken from him, again, forever this time...it was too horrible to even think about. He forced those thoughts out of his mind, now wasn't the time.
"Luke knows what he's doing," Vader said. "You just make sure you're all right."
Han nodded, "Will do, Pop."
KABOOM!
Luke shot up in bed, his eyes were instantly open as if he hadn't even been asleep. His heart pounded hard in his chest and his breathing felt heavy. He looked around and realized that the noise that had jolted him awake was a thunderstorm outside. Now he could hear the rain pouring and battering against the viewport. This put his mind at ease and his body followed suit, his breathing was normal, his heartbeat was unnoticeable again. He flopped back against his pillows and lay there, listening to the rain, oh it was a torrential downpour, he half wished he was out in it.
Luke pushed himself to sit on his knees and looked outside. When the lightning wasn't flashing, it was pitch black out, so it was still the middle of the night. Luke didn't feel all that tired, but he didn't feel like staying up all night either. He thought for a minute, then got an idea, he grabbed his blanket off the bed, draped it around himself and padded out to Han's bunk in the lounge.
They'd taken the Falcon on a test flight and had docked on a moon for the night, they were about five systems from home, tomorrow they were going to head further out. Even though they weren't all that far from home, it felt good to be on the ship again, it felt like home.
Luke wandered over to the bed half hidden in the wall behind the accelerator couch and saw Han was dead to the world, the storm hadn't woken him up. Luke inched his way onto the bunk and carefully rested his weight on top of his brother, who paid no mind to the sudden intrusion. Luke draped his blanket over both of them and rested his head between his brother's shoulder blades, and with the storm continuing to rage outside, he fell back into a peaceful sleep, feeling safe and secure.
