Chapter 5 – Saviour?
Luke waited nervously the next day for Vader to come, as his captor had promised. The emotion arose not from worry of what Vader might do to him, but from the task he had set for himself. Deciding to redeem the galaxy's epitome of evil was a Herculean feat Luke didn't feel up to.
'But he's my father.' Luke told himself, with such emotion he felt a knot form in his throat. Perhaps sharing in Anakin's pain had brought about the change in him. Perhaps it was realizing how easily it was to fall, and what a quiet thing it was. While inside, the emotions had tossed more turbulently than the sea in Anakin's troubled heart, to the world he had appeared as a cold and heartless man.
Perhaps that was still the case with Vader. 'There is still good in him.'
The door opened with a wiz, and Luke's gaze snapped to the open door. Showtime. He made sure that his mind was perfectly calm, and did his best to radiate the peace to his father.
Vader paused in the doorway, obviously feeling the sudden change. He inclined his head at his son slightly, perhaps in respect for his son's strength. "Come with me."
"Yes...father." Luke answered, his voice bearing no hate for that last emotion charged word.
"So...you have accepted the truth." Vader announced.
"I have accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father." Luke replied, and paused, adding in a whisper, "And that you could be again."
Vader spun around and backhanded Luke, sending him flying to the ground from the strength of the blow. Stars appeared before Luke's dazed eyes, as he tried to stop the world from spinning.
"Do not dare to say so again." Vader snapped, "I am Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker is dead, as will you be if you do not accept your fate."
Luke got up slowly, feeling a stream of blood trickling down from his lip. He nodded in acknowledgement, and dropped his eyes to the floor. Vader grabbed his arm painfully, and pulled him down the hallway.
Luke found himself taken to the same training room he had been in the previous day. "I will not fight you." Luke told him firmly, fixing his gaze upon the black mask.
"I do not expect you too." Vader hissed, "Your injury is not fully healed." Vader called a transparent box to his hands, and passed it to Luke.
"What is it?" Luke asked suspiciously, glancing at the box being held out to him.
"A training box – I suggest you take it." The tall giant threatened.
Luke felt ever more intimidated by the daunting height of the figure before him. Nevertheless, he gathered his strength. "No." he answered defiantly, "You're not training me."
"This is a simple exercise for four year old children," Vader hissed, "It is not a step towards the dark side, Jedi."
Luke crossed his arms firmly, giving no response to Vader. There might not be anything dark about the feat Vader wanted him to perform, but he preferred to remain as uncooperative as possible. Suddenly, the intense pain in his mind he had felt on the planet below washed over him again like a wave, sweeping him away. Luke collapsed to the floor in agony with a hard thud. The pain stopped, and Luke gasped hard for breath.
"You should reconsider." Vader said mockingly. Luke could only nod. He took the box carefully in his hands, observing it. Inside was some sort of...sand mixture, but he found himself too exhausted to care.
"I want you to stretch out through the force to create shapes inside the box." The deep voice echoed in the room.
Swallowing and closing his eyes, Luke attempted the requested task, feeling little beads of sweat break out over his forehead. 'Come on Luke!' he told himself.
Opening his eyes, Luke saw a very rough figure of his T-16 suspended in the box before him.
Behind the mask, Vader made a noise that almost sounded like a chuckle, "I would have been content with a triangle."
At that, Luke nearly smiled, "I guess this is one over-achieving four year old."
"Did you fly that ship through Beggar's Canyon?" Vader queried.
"Why...yes," Luke answered hesitantly, "I used to shoot wamp rats blasting through the canyon with my friends... How ..how did you know about it?"
"I have flown through the canyon myself," Vader answered, almost demonstrating an expression in his voice other than hostility – almost. "I...have been to Tantoine before."
Luke's eyes lit up at the comment. So his father actually knew about his home planet! "What were you doing on that dustball of a planet?"
Vader leaned backwards, his head tilting up in thought, "It...was my homeplanet... I spent all my time there either racing, or dreaming about a way to leave."
"I know the feeling," Luke replied, hesitant at Vader's sudden opening up, "Did...you meet Padme there?"
The anger that surged through the room at that name sent shivers down Luke's spine, and he knew he'd chosen the wrong question to ask. The pain of the dark side energy rushing at him impressed into Luke's mind.
"Did Ben tell you her name?" Vader asked icily.
Luke tried to control the shuddering that had begun to seize control of him, "No."
"Where did you hear it?" Vader snapped, striding forcefully towards Luke, who was still seated on the floor where he had fallen. Luke jumped to his feet, seeing his father come bearing down upon him.
"I...they...U..Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru told me." Luke fumbled, backing up until he felt himself collide with a wall behind him.
"Don't lie to me child!" Vader roared, his hand shooting out for Luke's throat. Luke gasped out in pain and shock as he felt his body rise above the floor, feet dangling.
"I...ca-...st-..." Luke gasped out unable to form any words as the steel like hand closed around his throat. He summoned all his strength to him for one effort, "F...father, stop!"
The hand around his throat suddenly let go, and Luke crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath with all his might, putting his hands around his screaming throat.
Across from him, Vader's breathing matched his own. The giant had turned his back on Luke, and his breath came only in large and heavy gasps. The normally solid outline was heaving under the violent contractions coursing through Vader's shoulders.
"How could you hate her?" Luke finally managed to rasp, "She was a living angel!"
"She...was." he whispered back, "And he took her away from me. Took you away from me."
Vader waved his hand, and on cue two stormtroopers walked into the room, "See that my son is taken back to his room." Vader ordered, regaining control over his voice.
The word "son" must have translated in the stormtroopers' brains as "be gentle." As carefully as stormtroopers could manage, they wrapped their hands around Luke's arms and pulled him to his feet. His vision swam as he was brought so quickly to a standing position, but they steadied him and led him back down the hall to his room.
Luke threw himself down onto his bed, exhaustion and pain clawing at his mind. His throat was raw...thanks to his father. A chagrinned smile spread across his face, 'Did you think it would be easy, stupid?'
'I'd just hopped for a father who wouldn't strangle me.' Another voice answered.
'You're there to save him.' His mind countered.
'And who will save me?'
A little later, the door to his room opened, and a young girl walked in, dressed as what must have been a maid. At the door, two stormtroopers made their presence evident.
"What are you doing?" Luke asked raspily, surprising himself by the weakness of his voice. His eyes rested on her figure, the first person that had failed to show hostility towards him since he crashed.
"Even Rebels need to eat," she answered evenly, placing the trap in her hands on a table in the room.
"How about drink?" Luke asked hopefully, not able to concentrate on his stomach over his sore throat.
"This should help." She placed a flask on the table, eyeing Luke's neck like the plague. Luke frowned, following her gaze and wondering what had caught her attention.
"If you need anything, press this button for service." She told him, handing Luke a small electronic pad.
"Thanks." He muttered. 'Maybe Dad's not entirely without a heart.'
Luke rose and inspected the tray, and was pleased to discover foods that were both familiar and pleasing to him. The flask contained a sweet liquid that soothed his sore throat immensely. After having his fill, Luke remembered the odd way the maid had stared at him. He scanned the room, and found that there was indeed a mirror in it. Pacing over, he glanced at his reflection, and saw what the girl had spotted.
Dark purple bruises were spilling over his throat in the shape of Vader's hands. "Lovely' Luke thought, touching the marks gingerly. The name of his mother had aroused such depths of wrath in Vader, Luke could not understand where they had emerged from.
"How could you hate her? She was a living ange!"
"She...was... And he took her away from me. Took you away from me."
He... Luke thought back to his visions. "I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me."
"Anakin... You're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow!"
"Because of Obi-Wan?"
Luke closed his eyes wearily, 'Ben. Ben... He blames you; how can I show him the truth? When will you tell me everything?"
Only silence answered Luke's call.
'Luke...' a new voice called.
Luke recoiled, recognizing the presence as his father's. Vader could not know about Ben!
'Let me be...' Luke moaned. Please don't find out about Ben.
'Let the dead stay dead.' Vader's voice urged him, 'Do not chase after memories.'
'Don't underestimate the force.' Luke answered.
'The force cannot conquer death.' His father answered bitterly, 'Sleep, my son. You'll need it. Tomorrow, I want to know who told you about your mother.'
The link was broken off, leaving Luke alone with his thoughts. He didn't want to reveal his visions to his father, not yet at least. His day tomorrow would not be pleasant...
And who will save me?