Disclaimer: That lucky ol' Mr Lucas owns Star Wars, not I.
Authors note: This chapter was only supposed to be a very short scene in a larger chapter - but unfortunately I'm a little pressed for time. It may seem a little rushed, but hopefully I'll smooth things out in the next chapter or so. I realize that things must be seeming a little slow plot- wise, but I want to get some establishing ground work done first before I move onto anything bigger. You'll just have to bear with me :P
Luke stood in the corridor outside the medi-bay, resting his chin against a fist. A long window in the wall showed what was happening inside the Infirmary, his eyes focused intently as he watched. Two of the Rebel medics were inside, assisted in their work by a medi-droid. Luke's eyes followed their movements closely.
Darth Vader lay sprawled across the examination table, still as a corpse. The sedatives they had given him seemed to have done the job very well. The sound of his respirator was reassuringly steady, the heart monitor giving soft, regular beeps. He hadn't stirred once since they had administered it. It half occurred to Luke to wonder exactly how much they had given him. It wasn't that he didn't trust the Rebel doctors to be conscientious in their work, but at the same time he was not oblivious to the fact that most of the known universe wanted his father dead.
The sound of approaching steps brought Luke away from his thoughts. He turned and watched the medic approach him, data pad in hand.
"Commander Skywalker?"
The Jedi gave a brief nod of greeting. "How is he?"
"His condition appears to be stable for the time being, sir." He paused, hesitant. "Though it would be easier to examine him is we were permitted to remove the mask ---?"
Luke shook his head. "Under no circumstances. It would kill him." It was true. Without his mask, Vader would die --- in more ways than one. He noticed the quick look that fell over the young medic. Apparently, he didn't think that that was such a bad idea ----
Luke decided to put an end to his line of thinking as quickly as possible. "As long as he is here and he is injured, you are under obligation to treat him the same as you would anyone else. Is that clear?"
He gave a guilty start. "Of course, Commander."
"Good." Luke continued to watch him for a moment, gently probing the other man's thoughts. Satisfied that he had got the point, he blinked and glanced up at the ceiling, breaking his hold. "How bad is it?"
"Tell you the truth, sir; I'm surprised he survived the journey back to Endor." Again, there was a note of remorse in that statement. "His injuries were extremely severe. Many of his internal implants seem to have short-circuited, so his organs are pretty much shot to pieces. Nothing that I can't repair though --- given time. I've put him on life-support for the moment and that should keep him going for a while. I must say, it's an interesting case. I've never seen a living human with so many mechanical implants! They control his heart, his digestion, his breathing capacity ---- he's more machine than man."
Luke noted a hungry glint in the medic's eye. The fear and hatred for Vader had not gone, but there was something else now. A kind of morbid curiosity. It was a look he remembered. He'd seen the same look on the faces of those who had visited the traveling freak shows on Tantooine. That's what Darth Vader was to them. A freak. A dangerous freak.
Before he could open his mouth to berate to medic, his companion continued. "There were some rather ---- unusual injuries."
The Jedi raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
The medic seemed to pause, squirming uncomfortably under Luke's scrutiny. "Well --- I-I'm not sure exactly. I've never seen anything like it. He looks like he's suffered from massive burns - possibly either electrical or some kind of radiation, I can't tell. But the weird thing is, sir --- our scans show that he's been burnt from the inside out."
Luke shuddered, thinking of what his father went through to save him.
The medic waited expectantly. Moments passed, and Luke didn't elaborate further. He decided to leave it. "There were other, lesser injuries. What looks like a twisted ankle --- sprained wrist --- loss of a prosthetic hand --- only trivial wounds, though they may cause him some discomfort for a couple of weeks."
Luke folded his arms across his chest and sighed. "When will he regain consciousness?"
The medic thought for a moment, consulting his data pad. "I erm --- I thought that it might be a good idea to keep him sedated for the time being, sir." He twitched nervously, avoiding his superiors gaze. "For security reasons."
Luke felt his anger rise at the suggestion. Then his reasoning kicked in, and he realized that he couldn't really blame the medic for wanting to be cautious. Darth Vader was known for many things --- but kindly patience wasn't one of them. His father had recently regained the Light side of the Force, but Luke still didn't know what to expect when he woke up.
He gave a quiet grunt of thought. "No more sedatives. His adrenaline levels are dangerously low and I don't want to risk him going into shock."
The other man frowned and took a step back. "How did you know-"
However, his question was destined never to be answered. The doors to the Infirmary suddenly whooshed open, a dark haired woman entering. She paused, looking around --- then her eyes fell on Luke. Her face broke into a wide grin.
"Luke!" She cried, rushing into her brothers arms. She laughed and kissed him happily on the cheek. "Oh Luke --- I'm so glad that you're alright!"
Luke closed his eyes and held her tightly. "Leia," he breathed, content simply to say her name. They stayed that way for a long moment, holding each other in jovial relief. After a time, they disengaged, though Leia's arms still remained around his shoulders in a light hug. She smiled up at him.
"You scared me for a while there."
Luke shook his head. "I was never in any real danger."
Leia raised a skeptical eyebrow. "How did you work that one out?"
"I'm still here aren't I?"
His sister laughed. "Yes, thank goodness." She watched him in silence for a second further, then buried her head into his chest. "I'm so happy that you're safe."
"Hmm --- not as much as I am." He sighed and rested his cheek against the top of her head. He could hardly believe that he was here. It all seemed slightly surreal after his experiences on the Death Star ---- smaller somehow. He stared thoughtfully into nothingness. "I wasn't sure that I'd ever see you again."
"I thought you said that you weren't in any danger up there?" she reminded him, smirking slightly.
"The danger was from the Emperor --- Vader meant me no threat."
Leia frowned and looked up at him. "What do you mean--?"
The medic - still standing close by - cleared his throat awkwardly. Luke and Leia parted, turning to look at him.
"Commander Skywalker? The patient?"
Luke blinked then nodded. "Can you wake him up now?"
The medic winced at the suggestion. Luke sensed his rising trepidation. "I could ---- but I don't think that it would be a good idea. Maybe with a security team present ---?"
"I don't need a security team. He will not harm me."
"Sir, be reasonable-"
Luke glanced at him sharply, looking every inch a Jedi Knight. "I know him, and he won't take kindly to waking up surrounded by a bunch of Rebel guards. As long as I'm alone with him, I'll be safe."
The medic watched him uneasily. He seemed to think about it for a moment, then gave a weary shrug. "If you insist, sir. But I'm calling security at the first sign of trouble." He tapped at the communicator on his belt to emphasis his point.
Luke gave a slight nod. He supposed that he couldn't ask for much more than that. For the young Jedi, the situation seemed to demand a certain amount of swiftness on his part. He half expected the door to the medi-bay to open at any minute, and a platoon of soldiers to come running out. He had to explain a few things to his father before that could happen.
Leia glanced between the two men uneasily. "Luke? What's going on?" Her earlier feelings of apprehension suddenly returned - tenfold. Something cold squirmed in her gut.
"Shall I administer the neural stimulant to wake Lord Vader, sir? Or would you rather that he were allowed to regain consciousness naturally?"
There was a deathly silence.
Leia stared blankly at her brother, not understanding. Slowly, a look of realization washed over her features. Her brown eyes widened, lips parting.
"Vader?"
Luke watched her desperately. "Leia --- please---"
She looked at him with growing horror. Turning away suddenly, she walked to the window in the Infirmary wall. The patient lay, still and unmoving, unnaturally black against the clinical whiteness of the medi-bay.
Darth Vader.
"I didn't mean for you to find out like that."
"Of course you didn't! You didn't mean for me to find out at all!"
"That's not true-"
"Isn't it? When were you going to tell me Luke, huh? When the Commanders had put you in the brig for treason? When that *thing* had gotten lose and killed someone?!"
Luke frowned. "That's not going to happen."
Leia stared at him incredulously. "Oh, sure."
"He's changed."
"What? Just like that?" The young woman snorted and continued to pace the room. "Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical."
Luke sighed. This wasn't getting anywhere. He moved the discussion from the corridor to the small, unassuming room opposite the Infirmary. He didn't need to entire base knowing about his father --- not yet.
"I don't understand why you are being like this."
She shook her head. "What's not to understand?" she challenged, teeth gritted.
Luke took a step closer to her, placing a gently hand on her shoulder. "Please --- just calm down and let me explain."
Leia stared at him with darkly flashing eyes, jaw clenched tightly. For a long moment, she did nothing. Then, finally, she nodded her head. She folded her arms across her chest. She was still wearing the clothes that the Ewok's had provided, and the wooden beads around the hem jangled quietly against one another.
"Alright then. Explain away."
Luke paused. He utilized the gap in the argument to do a quick mental check on his father. Vader's mind was still largely inactive, and it looked like he was going to stay that way for a while yet. That was good. Luke needed time to get things straight with Leia. Maybe if he could win her over to his side, the Commander's might similarly be persuaded ----
He lowered his eyes thoughtfully. "He saved me." Three little words - so simple, and yet they reflected a gesture that had meant more to Luke than anything else anyone had ever done for him.
Leia seemed to be calming down. He could feel her aggression subside, quickly replaced by concern. And fear. Always fear. "What do you mean?"
Luke looked around the room, gaze settling on a nearby couch. He moved to site down on it, cupping his hands in front of him. He stared into space, reliving the memories. "Vader. He saved my life. When the Emperor tried to kill me, he stopped him."
"How?"
"Killed him. He killed his Emperor to save me, and he almost died in the process."
Leia stared at him for a moment, eyebrows pulled together in a look of searching. Slowly, she drifted closer to sit beside him. "Darth Vader killed the Emperor?" She murmured, turning the words over his her mind.
"Yes, he did." Luke looked over to her suddenly, clasping her hands in his. "There *was* still good in him, Leia. The Dark Side hadn't claimed him completely. Even when we were dueling I could sense his conflict --- his doubt. He didn't want to hurt me."
Blue eyes met brown as they watched each other.
"When the Emperor saw that his plan had failed, he used the Force to try and kill me." Luke smiled earnestly. "But my father saw what was happening. He threw the Emperor into the abyss. I almost killed him, but he made it. I brought him back on a shuttle, just before the Death Star blew up."
Leia blinked uncertainly. "What are you saying?"
"He's changed. He's left the Dark Side of the Force and returned to the Light." Luke gripped his sister's hands gently. "He's our father again."
The woman paused, then looked away. She rose from the coach quickly, leaving Luke watching after her in confusion. She paced the room for a moment in silence, shaking her head. "No --- no, he's not *our* father. He never has been *our* father."
"Leia---?"
She held up a hand to silence him. "Luke, I ---- I love you, you know that? You're my brother, and I'll always care about you." She sighed and took a step backwards, eyes closed. "But that --- that *thing* lying in the Infirmary --- he'll never be my father."
He stood. "It's pointless to close your mind to the truth, you must see that."
"The truth?" She looked at him sadly, eyes shimmering in the murky half- light. "The truth is that my father died on Alderaan ---- murdered by the scum you're trying to save."
"You don't mean-"
There was a knock on the steel door. Luke paused mid-sentence and glanced around quickly. The doors opened and a medic stepped hesitantly into the room. The young Jedi recognized him instantly as the man his father had tried to strangle earlier. He could tell - there were still scarlet finger marks imprinted onto his neck. Luke had a feeling that he would wear those marks for a long time yet.
"Commander Skywalker, Darth Vader is regaining consciousness."
Luke released a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. He'd been so wrapped up with Leia, he hadn't even noticed the shift in the Force.
He looked over to Leia. "I have to go. He needs me."
His sister didn't reply.
Luke didn't try to push her. It was a lot to get used to in a short space of time. Yoda had once taught him the value of patience - it was a virtue that he was willing to exercise.
He took a soft step forward and kissed her forehead gently. "I'm sorry," he murmured as he pulled away.
Leia watched him dully as he strode quickly out of the room, medic falling into step behind him. The doors hissed shut, leaving Leia in the darkness --- alone.
"So am I."
Authors note: This chapter was only supposed to be a very short scene in a larger chapter - but unfortunately I'm a little pressed for time. It may seem a little rushed, but hopefully I'll smooth things out in the next chapter or so. I realize that things must be seeming a little slow plot- wise, but I want to get some establishing ground work done first before I move onto anything bigger. You'll just have to bear with me :P
Luke stood in the corridor outside the medi-bay, resting his chin against a fist. A long window in the wall showed what was happening inside the Infirmary, his eyes focused intently as he watched. Two of the Rebel medics were inside, assisted in their work by a medi-droid. Luke's eyes followed their movements closely.
Darth Vader lay sprawled across the examination table, still as a corpse. The sedatives they had given him seemed to have done the job very well. The sound of his respirator was reassuringly steady, the heart monitor giving soft, regular beeps. He hadn't stirred once since they had administered it. It half occurred to Luke to wonder exactly how much they had given him. It wasn't that he didn't trust the Rebel doctors to be conscientious in their work, but at the same time he was not oblivious to the fact that most of the known universe wanted his father dead.
The sound of approaching steps brought Luke away from his thoughts. He turned and watched the medic approach him, data pad in hand.
"Commander Skywalker?"
The Jedi gave a brief nod of greeting. "How is he?"
"His condition appears to be stable for the time being, sir." He paused, hesitant. "Though it would be easier to examine him is we were permitted to remove the mask ---?"
Luke shook his head. "Under no circumstances. It would kill him." It was true. Without his mask, Vader would die --- in more ways than one. He noticed the quick look that fell over the young medic. Apparently, he didn't think that that was such a bad idea ----
Luke decided to put an end to his line of thinking as quickly as possible. "As long as he is here and he is injured, you are under obligation to treat him the same as you would anyone else. Is that clear?"
He gave a guilty start. "Of course, Commander."
"Good." Luke continued to watch him for a moment, gently probing the other man's thoughts. Satisfied that he had got the point, he blinked and glanced up at the ceiling, breaking his hold. "How bad is it?"
"Tell you the truth, sir; I'm surprised he survived the journey back to Endor." Again, there was a note of remorse in that statement. "His injuries were extremely severe. Many of his internal implants seem to have short-circuited, so his organs are pretty much shot to pieces. Nothing that I can't repair though --- given time. I've put him on life-support for the moment and that should keep him going for a while. I must say, it's an interesting case. I've never seen a living human with so many mechanical implants! They control his heart, his digestion, his breathing capacity ---- he's more machine than man."
Luke noted a hungry glint in the medic's eye. The fear and hatred for Vader had not gone, but there was something else now. A kind of morbid curiosity. It was a look he remembered. He'd seen the same look on the faces of those who had visited the traveling freak shows on Tantooine. That's what Darth Vader was to them. A freak. A dangerous freak.
Before he could open his mouth to berate to medic, his companion continued. "There were some rather ---- unusual injuries."
The Jedi raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
The medic seemed to pause, squirming uncomfortably under Luke's scrutiny. "Well --- I-I'm not sure exactly. I've never seen anything like it. He looks like he's suffered from massive burns - possibly either electrical or some kind of radiation, I can't tell. But the weird thing is, sir --- our scans show that he's been burnt from the inside out."
Luke shuddered, thinking of what his father went through to save him.
The medic waited expectantly. Moments passed, and Luke didn't elaborate further. He decided to leave it. "There were other, lesser injuries. What looks like a twisted ankle --- sprained wrist --- loss of a prosthetic hand --- only trivial wounds, though they may cause him some discomfort for a couple of weeks."
Luke folded his arms across his chest and sighed. "When will he regain consciousness?"
The medic thought for a moment, consulting his data pad. "I erm --- I thought that it might be a good idea to keep him sedated for the time being, sir." He twitched nervously, avoiding his superiors gaze. "For security reasons."
Luke felt his anger rise at the suggestion. Then his reasoning kicked in, and he realized that he couldn't really blame the medic for wanting to be cautious. Darth Vader was known for many things --- but kindly patience wasn't one of them. His father had recently regained the Light side of the Force, but Luke still didn't know what to expect when he woke up.
He gave a quiet grunt of thought. "No more sedatives. His adrenaline levels are dangerously low and I don't want to risk him going into shock."
The other man frowned and took a step back. "How did you know-"
However, his question was destined never to be answered. The doors to the Infirmary suddenly whooshed open, a dark haired woman entering. She paused, looking around --- then her eyes fell on Luke. Her face broke into a wide grin.
"Luke!" She cried, rushing into her brothers arms. She laughed and kissed him happily on the cheek. "Oh Luke --- I'm so glad that you're alright!"
Luke closed his eyes and held her tightly. "Leia," he breathed, content simply to say her name. They stayed that way for a long moment, holding each other in jovial relief. After a time, they disengaged, though Leia's arms still remained around his shoulders in a light hug. She smiled up at him.
"You scared me for a while there."
Luke shook his head. "I was never in any real danger."
Leia raised a skeptical eyebrow. "How did you work that one out?"
"I'm still here aren't I?"
His sister laughed. "Yes, thank goodness." She watched him in silence for a second further, then buried her head into his chest. "I'm so happy that you're safe."
"Hmm --- not as much as I am." He sighed and rested his cheek against the top of her head. He could hardly believe that he was here. It all seemed slightly surreal after his experiences on the Death Star ---- smaller somehow. He stared thoughtfully into nothingness. "I wasn't sure that I'd ever see you again."
"I thought you said that you weren't in any danger up there?" she reminded him, smirking slightly.
"The danger was from the Emperor --- Vader meant me no threat."
Leia frowned and looked up at him. "What do you mean--?"
The medic - still standing close by - cleared his throat awkwardly. Luke and Leia parted, turning to look at him.
"Commander Skywalker? The patient?"
Luke blinked then nodded. "Can you wake him up now?"
The medic winced at the suggestion. Luke sensed his rising trepidation. "I could ---- but I don't think that it would be a good idea. Maybe with a security team present ---?"
"I don't need a security team. He will not harm me."
"Sir, be reasonable-"
Luke glanced at him sharply, looking every inch a Jedi Knight. "I know him, and he won't take kindly to waking up surrounded by a bunch of Rebel guards. As long as I'm alone with him, I'll be safe."
The medic watched him uneasily. He seemed to think about it for a moment, then gave a weary shrug. "If you insist, sir. But I'm calling security at the first sign of trouble." He tapped at the communicator on his belt to emphasis his point.
Luke gave a slight nod. He supposed that he couldn't ask for much more than that. For the young Jedi, the situation seemed to demand a certain amount of swiftness on his part. He half expected the door to the medi-bay to open at any minute, and a platoon of soldiers to come running out. He had to explain a few things to his father before that could happen.
Leia glanced between the two men uneasily. "Luke? What's going on?" Her earlier feelings of apprehension suddenly returned - tenfold. Something cold squirmed in her gut.
"Shall I administer the neural stimulant to wake Lord Vader, sir? Or would you rather that he were allowed to regain consciousness naturally?"
There was a deathly silence.
Leia stared blankly at her brother, not understanding. Slowly, a look of realization washed over her features. Her brown eyes widened, lips parting.
"Vader?"
Luke watched her desperately. "Leia --- please---"
She looked at him with growing horror. Turning away suddenly, she walked to the window in the Infirmary wall. The patient lay, still and unmoving, unnaturally black against the clinical whiteness of the medi-bay.
Darth Vader.
"I didn't mean for you to find out like that."
"Of course you didn't! You didn't mean for me to find out at all!"
"That's not true-"
"Isn't it? When were you going to tell me Luke, huh? When the Commanders had put you in the brig for treason? When that *thing* had gotten lose and killed someone?!"
Luke frowned. "That's not going to happen."
Leia stared at him incredulously. "Oh, sure."
"He's changed."
"What? Just like that?" The young woman snorted and continued to pace the room. "Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical."
Luke sighed. This wasn't getting anywhere. He moved the discussion from the corridor to the small, unassuming room opposite the Infirmary. He didn't need to entire base knowing about his father --- not yet.
"I don't understand why you are being like this."
She shook her head. "What's not to understand?" she challenged, teeth gritted.
Luke took a step closer to her, placing a gently hand on her shoulder. "Please --- just calm down and let me explain."
Leia stared at him with darkly flashing eyes, jaw clenched tightly. For a long moment, she did nothing. Then, finally, she nodded her head. She folded her arms across her chest. She was still wearing the clothes that the Ewok's had provided, and the wooden beads around the hem jangled quietly against one another.
"Alright then. Explain away."
Luke paused. He utilized the gap in the argument to do a quick mental check on his father. Vader's mind was still largely inactive, and it looked like he was going to stay that way for a while yet. That was good. Luke needed time to get things straight with Leia. Maybe if he could win her over to his side, the Commander's might similarly be persuaded ----
He lowered his eyes thoughtfully. "He saved me." Three little words - so simple, and yet they reflected a gesture that had meant more to Luke than anything else anyone had ever done for him.
Leia seemed to be calming down. He could feel her aggression subside, quickly replaced by concern. And fear. Always fear. "What do you mean?"
Luke looked around the room, gaze settling on a nearby couch. He moved to site down on it, cupping his hands in front of him. He stared into space, reliving the memories. "Vader. He saved my life. When the Emperor tried to kill me, he stopped him."
"How?"
"Killed him. He killed his Emperor to save me, and he almost died in the process."
Leia stared at him for a moment, eyebrows pulled together in a look of searching. Slowly, she drifted closer to sit beside him. "Darth Vader killed the Emperor?" She murmured, turning the words over his her mind.
"Yes, he did." Luke looked over to her suddenly, clasping her hands in his. "There *was* still good in him, Leia. The Dark Side hadn't claimed him completely. Even when we were dueling I could sense his conflict --- his doubt. He didn't want to hurt me."
Blue eyes met brown as they watched each other.
"When the Emperor saw that his plan had failed, he used the Force to try and kill me." Luke smiled earnestly. "But my father saw what was happening. He threw the Emperor into the abyss. I almost killed him, but he made it. I brought him back on a shuttle, just before the Death Star blew up."
Leia blinked uncertainly. "What are you saying?"
"He's changed. He's left the Dark Side of the Force and returned to the Light." Luke gripped his sister's hands gently. "He's our father again."
The woman paused, then looked away. She rose from the coach quickly, leaving Luke watching after her in confusion. She paced the room for a moment in silence, shaking her head. "No --- no, he's not *our* father. He never has been *our* father."
"Leia---?"
She held up a hand to silence him. "Luke, I ---- I love you, you know that? You're my brother, and I'll always care about you." She sighed and took a step backwards, eyes closed. "But that --- that *thing* lying in the Infirmary --- he'll never be my father."
He stood. "It's pointless to close your mind to the truth, you must see that."
"The truth?" She looked at him sadly, eyes shimmering in the murky half- light. "The truth is that my father died on Alderaan ---- murdered by the scum you're trying to save."
"You don't mean-"
There was a knock on the steel door. Luke paused mid-sentence and glanced around quickly. The doors opened and a medic stepped hesitantly into the room. The young Jedi recognized him instantly as the man his father had tried to strangle earlier. He could tell - there were still scarlet finger marks imprinted onto his neck. Luke had a feeling that he would wear those marks for a long time yet.
"Commander Skywalker, Darth Vader is regaining consciousness."
Luke released a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. He'd been so wrapped up with Leia, he hadn't even noticed the shift in the Force.
He looked over to Leia. "I have to go. He needs me."
His sister didn't reply.
Luke didn't try to push her. It was a lot to get used to in a short space of time. Yoda had once taught him the value of patience - it was a virtue that he was willing to exercise.
He took a soft step forward and kissed her forehead gently. "I'm sorry," he murmured as he pulled away.
Leia watched him dully as he strode quickly out of the room, medic falling into step behind him. The doors hissed shut, leaving Leia in the darkness --- alone.
"So am I."