"We got as far as Xagobah and back without any problems," Luke told Vader once they returned home.
"Tell me you didn't get off the ship," Vader said.
"No, we just entered its orbit," Luke answered. "I think we're ready to head out."
"What does your brother think?" Vader inquired.
"He's ready to go, you can tell," Luke replied.
"When are you leaving?" their father asked.
"We figured next week," Luke said. "Is that alright?"
"You don't need my permission, just let me know how you are."
"We will," Luke said.
"Fine." The man in black saw his oldest son heading their way and said to him, "Han, come with me, I'd like to speak to you in private."
Han stayed behind long enough to ask Luke once their father was out of earshot, "You got any idea what that's about?"
Luke shook his head.
"Oh boy," Han swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. "Wish me good luck."
Han looked around the room and asked, "So...this is where you and Luke..."
"Spar," Vader answered.
"Yeah," Han replied. "But uh...what am I doing here?"
"Luke tells me you're ready to leave."
"Well soon."
"I want to make sure you're as prepared as can be, for anything that might occur."
"Well," Han thought, "the ship's in perfect order, everything's stocked, everything's functioning, we have new deflector shields, smoke klaxons, anti-incendiary foam and gas, a few med-packs-"
"I'm referring to something else," Vader said.
"Okay," Han swallowed tensely, "what?"
"I want you to take your blaster out and fire at me."
"Huh?" Han's eyes popped wide open as he stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds. "Uh, Pop, are you feeling alright?"
"Just try it," Vader insisted.
Han shrugged. "I don't get it...I really don't get it."
"It will be all right, just try," Vader told him.
"Uh...okay," Han said.
He pulled his blaster out of his holster, aimed it at Vader-
And felt it slide right out of his hand as the weapon went flying through the air and seemed to magnetize itself against Vader's glove.
Han felt his eyes strain from being open as wide as possible, as he asked, "What just happened?"
Vader grabbed the blaster in his free hand and told Han, "If you would happen to cross paths with someone else who is capable of using the Force, this is just one of many fates that could befall you." He handed the blaster back to his son, who still had a wide-eyed expression on his face as he re-holstered it.
"If that happened we'd be done for," Han said.
"Not necessarily," Vader replied.
He unhooked his light saber from his belt and held it out to Han. "Luke has shown you his?"
"A few times," Han answered. "Tell you the truth I never paid it much mind. I feel a lot better having a blaster in my hand."
"Understood, but I would feel better if you knew how to use one of these," Vader said in return.
He showed Han how to activate the saber and had his son try it for himself. Han's whole body jerked and tensed when the laser blade shot up from the base.
"Holy-" Han almost dropped it. "That's...wow!"
"It has its uses," Vader gestured for Han to give it back to him, "I want you to try firing at me with your blaster."
"Again?"
"Trust me."
Han shrugged. "Okay."
"Don't hold back," Vader told him. "Use everything you have."
"Are you sure?"
Vader nodded.
Han didn't get it, but, "If you say so."
In addition to being the best TIE fighter pilot the Imperial Navy had ever had the privilege to know, Han prided himself on being the fastest shot in the galaxy. He let off a dozen energy bolts in the time most people would only get off one, and he watched in awe as Vader deflected all of them with his light saber.
"Whoa," he said, genuinely stunned. "That would come in handy."
"Indeed it would," Vader told him. "Luke will have his with him, should the need for it ever arise, I want to make sure you know how to use it."
Han shook his head, "I doubt it'd do much good, you know I don't have the Force."
"That is irrelevant," Vader said. "Your reflexes and your instincts are what made you the best at what you did in the Navy, they won't fail you now."
Han had never heard it put so bluntly, or felt so humbled.
"Thanks, Pop."
Luke entered Vader's room and asked, "Father...do you want to see the ship now that it's all fixed?"
The red lenses stared at the young blonde for a moment before Vader answered, "I would like that."
He followed Luke out behind the palace where the Millennium Falcon had landed, the boarding ramp was still down. The two of them entered the ship and found Han in the lounge waiting on them. As Vader was given the complete tour and he saw everything his sons had been working so long and hard on restoring the ship so it looked as new as when they first finished it, he noted Luke was wide eyed and ecstatic about the whole thing, whereas he could see Han visibly but only slightly bracing himself for any biting remarks their father might have.
"Well, what do you think?" Han finally asked.
Vader turned to him and answered, "I still wish you had a bigger ship."
Han nodded, dreading the coming lecture. "I know."
"I'd feel better if you had an actual bacta tank on this thing."
"I know."
"But I like it."
Han blinked and looked up at his father, dumbfounded. "You do?"
"You two have done an excellent job on it," Vader told him. "I'm proud of both of you."
Han opened his mouth a few times and made several incoherent sounds as he tried to actually form words.
"Thank you, Father," Luke answered for him.
"Yeah, what he said," Han added.
The screams that drew Vader out of his meditation that night were familiar, but they weren't Han's.
"Luke."
By the time he got his mask and helmet back on and left his chamber, he saw Han cutting across the hall to Luke's room. Hearing the door slide open behind him, Han turned and told his father, "I'm on it" as he reached the door and went in.
When Vader entered the room he saw Han and Luke grappling with one another, Luke still screaming at the top of his lungs, caught in the throes of his nightmares, Han trying to jolt his brother awake without hurting him, and keeping the kid from hurting himself. Finally Luke's eyes flew open and he saw his brother trying to pin him against the wall.
"Han?"
A loud exhale escaped the younger man as he latched onto his older brother and choked the wind out of him. As Han tried to figure out what was going on, he heard Luke's voice come out in a shaky dry sob, "You died, I saw you die."
"I'm not doing it, Pop, I'm not taking Luke with me," Han told Vader the next day. "I can't. You saw what I saw last night. I'm starting to think this whole thing was a mistake."
"You're overreacting," Vader responded.
"Am I? I think taking him out on the Falcon is what triggered it, it brought the whole thing up again from when the bounty hunters jumped us. I can't put him through this again."
"Luke has had nightmares all his life," Vader pointed out. "He's going to have them whether he goes with you or not, he shouldn't be punished for it."
"That's not what this is," Han told him. "What if we get halfway across the galaxy and he starts going through the same stuff I've been? What if he starts cracking up too?"
"He would be at an advantage," Vader answered. "Because you would know what he's going through and you would know how to help him."
Han paused for a moment. "I hadn't thought about it like that."
"I know you're worried, but this is not an omen," Vader said.
"I wish I could be sure of that, Pop," Han said. He looked a little sick as he stared up into the red lenses of his father's mask and told him hesitantly, "You know, sometimes I still hate you for springing all this on me."
"I know, and I understand."
"Yeah well," Han shrugged, "sometimes I think Luke would've been better off not knowing about any of this either."
"I can understand why you'd think that, but you're wrong," Vader responded. "Finding out he has a brother has been the best thing that could ever happen to him."
"Then I pity him," Han said.
"Luke has you at a disadvantage, he knew your mother, it also puts him at a disadvantage because he misses her. You are a part of her, Han, it brings her back into his life."
Han suddenly looked very uncomfortable and shifted his gaze to the floor as he admitted, "I hadn't thought about that either."
"I believe this will be good for both of you," Vader told him. "I know you're still having trouble coming to terms with your heritage, Han, but you are a Skywalker, flying is in your blood, you need to get out there again, and Luke needs to get out of here and spend some time with you."
"It sounds good," Han agreed.
"I know the two of you will be all right."
Luke came bounding down the stairs with his flight bag haphazardly and simultaneously slung over his shoulder and in hand.
"We're heading out now, Father," Luke announced as he stopped long enough to reach his free arm around Vader and hug him, "We'll see you in a few weeks."
Vader reciprocated the embrace and told his son, "Have a good time and let me know what's going on."
"We will!" Luke said as he pulled away and ran for the door.
Another set of footsteps made the trek down the stairs at a much slower pace. Han stopped at the foot of the staircase and looked at Vader.
"Are you all right, Han?"
"Yeah," the younger man said uncertainly, "just...kind of feels like the first time I ever flew a ship. It's been a while."
"It will all come back to you," Vader assured him, "the instincts never die."
Han glanced to the floor and shifted his weight from one foot to the next before he finally leaned in and hugged his father.
"I'll be real careful with Luke," he promised.
"I know you will," Vader replied as he lightly clapped a gloved hand on Han's back. "I expect you to comm me tonight."
"We will," Han said.
