Chapter 1 – Peace Talks
Author's Note: This fanfic randomly came to me when I was looking at the things Destril (on ao3) likes in Vader-Luke fics, so I went ahead and wrote it. Yes, I know that there's probably usually only one gift in exchanges, but I decided to write it for Destril anyways as a second gift. ;)
I'm not planning to expand this into a longer length fic, however, I will accept requests for other scenes which you might like to see, which I'll write up as one-shots. If there's something you'd want in particular, just let me know! :)
Enjoy! :D
~ Amina Gila
Luke Skywalker creeps down the hallways soundlessly, melding into the shadows as though he's one of them. This is it. This is his chance to avenge himself for his father's murder. Perhaps the galaxy at large is incapable of recognizing – or unwilling to recognize – that Darth Vader is a murderer and a monster, but he does. The peace talks between the Empire and Rebel Alliance, which have only just begun, can't be anything more than a fraud, a carefully crafted plot by the new Emperor to destroy the Rebellion, the threat to his ultimate power.
Perhaps he's being foolish and rash, but he has to do this. It might be against everything which Uncle Ben has taught him – it is against everything which he's been taught. How can he simply sit back and watch as the only group of people who are willing to stand up to the Empire's injustices are destroyed? No. He can't. He won't. If Leia knew what he was doing, she'd be furious at him. She's a freedom fighter, like their mother, and while she might not mind Luke committing cold-blooded murder like this, she would still object to the timing.
Leia Amidala Skywalker. His twin sister, who is absolutely younger than him. They first met nearly two years ago when Luke and Uncle Ben joined the Rebellion, a year before Luke piloted the mission that destroyed the Death Star. Had he moved even a second slower, the rebel base on Yavin IV would have been wiped out and Leia with it.
He'll protect his sister to his dying breath if he must. She's all he has left after their mother was poisoned by the previous Emperor, and their father died at Vader's hands. Aunt Sabe, one of his mother's most trusted handmaidens – and the one who rescued both of them from the Emperor and likely death – raised her to be a wonderful person, just as Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru helped raise Luke along with Uncle Ben. If only they could have grown up together. If only they could have had a real family, one unbroken by the Empire.
"I'm sorry, Leia," he whispers. "I'm sorry, Uncle Ben, but I have to do this."
Slowly, he presses the button to open the door to Vader's quarters. Surprisingly, there isn't a massive amount of security, probably because Vader is confident in his ability to protect himself. That's a mistake. All Luke has to do is inject him with the fast-acting drug in the syringe he has concealed in his left hand, and the Emperor will be dead within an hour. There isn't an antidote, at least not one which is readily available.
On second thought, maybe he should have contacted Aunt 'Soka, the former apprentice of his father, Anakin Skywalker, and the one who gave Leia some basic Force training. She might have been able to provide him with necessary insight as to his current situation, even if she is half across the galaxy with Uncle Ben, searching for the Jedi Ezra Bridger in the Unknown Regions. Hopefully, this mission won't backfire too terribly. It shouldn't. Luke considered all the possible outcomes, and he knows that if he succeeds, everything will be fine.
Luke triple-checks his shields, ensuring that he's entirely cloaked in the Force as he stalks forwards on silent feet, moving like a predator towards its unsuspecting prey. Just a little bit closer… Now.
He can see the figure lying on the bed, back towards him, though it's hard to see given the darkness in the room. Apparently, the rumors about Vader being a droid are false, because the man in front of him is as human as he is. Luke swiftly reaches out, but another hand stops him. He jerks back instinctively, trying to wrench himself free. It's useless; Vader's grip seems to be made of durasteel – it is durasteel. He can feel the prosthetic digging into his wrist, and he dimly notes that it will leave bruises.
He's going to die here. Why is he even worried about getting injured? For that matter, why did he think it was a good idea to try assassinating the man powerful enough to kill Anakin Skywalker? Sheets rustle as Vader shifts closer. He's wearing all-black, and it makes him look like some sort of otherworldly being. The darkness radiating from him is palpable, and Luke instinctively shies away from it.
"What did you hope to gain, child?" Vader demands scornfully, twisting Luke's arm enough to make him drop the syringe. It never hits the floor, caught by the Force and moved to a nearby table where it is deposited. Without his armor on, Vader's voice is different. It's not as deep or imposing, though it's every bit as authoritative and sinister.
Luke shivers under the implacable stare, wishing that the floor could swallow him whole. His arm is released so suddenly that he forgets to move. He forgets that he even can move, and all thoughts – muddled or not – fly from mind when a metal grip closes on his throat, nearly lifting him from his feet. He's forced to look up at Vader, and he flinches under the glowing, yellow eyes boring into him. Those are the eyes of a predator, a monster.
He should speak, but he can't. He doesn't even know what he can say. As it is, it's difficult for him to even breath, the grip tight enough to restrict airflow. That will definitely bruise, he notes idly, not that it even matters anymore.
"Answer me, boy," snaps Vader coldly, giving him a shake. "Who are you? Who sent you? Your precious Rebellion should know that I cannot be killed."
"They d-didn't send me," Luke chokes out, fingers twitching as he resists the urge to grab his lightsaber and try impaling the man at who's mercy he currently is. "I c-came here o-on m-my own." He reaches up, trying to pry the hand off his neck to no avail. Even though he was using the Force, Vader's fingers don't budge.
The Sith casually waves his left hand, and the light turns on, the dimness thankfully not enough to blind Luke, though it definitely gives him a good view of the unmasked Sith before him. His blood runs cold, and he freezes hand falling from the hilt of his hidden lightsaber. No. No. It's impossible. Uncle Ben swore… Did Aunt 'Soka know? She always spoke highly of her master, and her tales were, in part, one of the main reasons that Luke has so ardently, fruitlessly – or so he thought – yearned to get to know his father.
It's impossible, at least it should be, and yet, the man standing in front of him, the man who is the Emperor, the man who is Vader, the man who is currently strangling him resembles his father. He's seen holograms before; Aunt 'Soka had several which she'd shared with him and Leia. He doesn't even realize that he's broadcasting his shock and horror until, he sees Vader's lips curl upwards in amusement.
"Surprised to see my face?" Vader all but taunts, dropping him on the floor as he closes and locks the door to his quarters with a simple gesture. Luke can feel the power the older man is radiating, and he knows that he'll never be able to escape. (How can this be his father? How can this be the man that Aunt 'Soka has all but worshiped, the man that Aunt Sabe spoke of with fond wistfulness, the man that saved Uncle Ben a thousand times over during the Clone Wars?)
"Actually, no," Luke admits, rubbing his bruised throat, looking anywhere but at Vader. He can't bring himself to look at that eerily familiar face, even though he's never seen it with his own eyes. The blonde-brown hair is grayer than it was in holos, but it's the same. So is the scar next to his right eye. His eyes are yellow now instead of the blue of a clear sky – the same color as Luke's – but he can see the resemblance.
"Somewhat," he amends after a moment, subconsciously shifting his posture so as to protect himself if Vader attacks. Why? Why did this happen? How did this happen? He knows, somehow, with every fiber of his being that this is his father. His father who doesn't even recognize him, who doesn't even know him. All those years of training, of struggling to become the best possible Jedi, a Jedi his father would be proud of, a Jedi who could put an end to his father's murderer Vader, was it all for nothing?
It's only a result of his training that Luke doesn't lose his composure and break down into sobs right then and there. So much time lost to agonizing and wondering and yearning… What happened? He only wants to know what happened. His father was – is? – a wonderful man, a good man, if Uncle Ben is to be believed, but Luke doesn't know who he can trust anymore. Who lied to him? Did anyone lie to him? Was he told the only truth his uncle knew? Somehow, he's beginning to think that Uncle Ben knew the truth the whole time, but he didn't want to tell him for whatever reason.
"What are you going to do with me?" Luke asks softly. He's unsure if he should tell Vader the truth that he suspects. Would it make a difference? For all the stories he's heard, he now realizes that he's never known his father at all. He's only known the image that was portrayed through the stories that he was told. But how can everyone be so wrong about Anakin? Could Rex really have been lying to him when Luke could feel the longing and admiration in the elder soldier every time he mentioned "his General." Something is missing from the stories. Something huge. Vader is probably the only one who can give him answers.
"That, young one, depends on you," Vader replies, voice devoid of any sympathy as he sits on the edge of the bed.
This was not how Luke ever anticipated meeting his father. The truth is right there in his mind, and he's on the verge of blurting it out, but should he? Will it make a difference, or will he only see the same cold, callous expression on Vader's face as he kills him regardless? He's terrified – too scared to properly listen to the Force.
"What is your name?" Vader questions. "I saw you among your rebel companions, and if you will not answer my questions, I am certain that one of them might be more accommodating."
Luke flinches at the threat, thinking about his sister. How will Leia react to learning the truth? This isn't something he can keep from her… if he survives the encounter, that is. She deserves to know who her – their – father is. "Luke," he responds quietly, unable to look at Vader for longer than a few seconds at a time. It's too unsettling, too painful.
Inhaling slowly, he looks up with a new resolve, forcing himself to calmly hold the unnaturally yellow eyes staring back at him. "Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin Skywalker," he repeats. He gives no indication that he realizes the truth, that he realizes that Vader is Anakin, but it must be obvious from his expression.
He's a bit gratified when Vader blanches, something akin to disbelief and shock flitting across his face. "Are you certain?" His voice sounds a bit strangled, and it now lacks all of the superiority which it possessed only moments ago.
Luke snorts. "Of course, I'm certain. All I hear from the people who knew my father is how much I resemble him, and I saw the holos." His lips quirk into a grim smile. At least he knows that Vader won't kill him, especially being as he can clearly feel pain and regret bleeding into the Force around him, emotions which Vader isn't fully shielding.
Vader rises, slowly approaching, kneeling when Luke makes no move to pull away or stop him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." He sounds… different now too. Younger even. More a person and less the Emperor the galaxy sees him as.
Luke considers making a sarcastic comment – his throat still aches and so does his wrist – but he knows that he only has himself to blame for what happened. He was the one who tried to assassinate the Emperor. He was the one who could have destroyed any hopes of obtaining peace. It's not as easy to hide behind self-sacrificing words when his failure is laid out so clearly all around him, but he's never been so grateful to fail in his life. He doesn't think he could have born the guilt should he have succeeded.
Vader's golden eyes search Luke's face as he holds out his left hand silently seeking permission to touch Luke's bruised throat. Luke is proud that he doesn't flinch when his father's fingers lightly touch the skin. He can feel the Force being pulled into the damaged tissue, mending what was hurt. Uncle Ben is admittedly better at Force healing – he could have nearly reversed the damage – but it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did, so Luke won't complain.
"You are my father, aren't you," Luke comments quietly, studying Vader's face. He knows the truth in his heart, but he wants the confirmation as well.
Vader inclines his head in a nod. "I am," he agrees, glancing away for a moment, seeming almost nervous. "I did not know that… my child survived."
Luke willingly lets his father pull him to his feet, and they stand there in the middle of the room, simply taking one another in, and silently mourning all of the lost years. "Children," he finally corrects with a small smile. "Leia is my twin sister. Aunt Sabe raised her."
Something pained flickers through his father's face, and Luke finds the sudden gentleness a bit odd coming from him. He's heard so many rumors about the Emperor, and maybe they are true, but he knows with certainty that Vader won't hurt him, not that he now knows the truth. "I should have raised you myself," Vader responds, his right fist clenching as he turns slightly, obviously trying to control his anger. Luke can feel the darkness nearly strangling him – probably not the right metaphor – as his father fights with himself. He can't help but wonder what he's thinking and feeling. What happened? He doesn't understand. "Had I known you were alive, both of you would have been raised together. With me."
"What – what happened to you?" Luke wonders, feeling the anger ebb into something more like resignation, bitterness, and self-loathing. He's hardly known his father, but he already feels a connection to him. He craves the chance to understand him, to get to know him as he really is without the filters. "I was told that you were dead, that…" He trails off, uncertain how to finish the sentence. It sounds ludicrous, even in his mind, so he decides not to voice that thought.
Vader sighs, suddenly looking weary. "Come, sit with me. It is not a short tale." He gestures to the bed, and with only minimal hesitation, Luke takes a seat on the end of it, facing his father. A distant part of his mind ponders how long it would have taken them to learn the truth if not for Luke's ill-fated excursion. He decides not to think about it, the answers too dark and depressing for his liking.
"It begins after the Battle of Coruscant, when the Separatist forces attacked the capital of the Republic, kidnapping then Chancellor Palpatine, have you heard the story?" Vader questions.
Luke nods. "I read about it in history, and Aunt Sabe told me some of it."
Vader twitches almost imperceptibly when he says the name, though he doesn't comment. "Good. Then you must know that Obi-Wan Kenobi and I were sent to rescue him." It's a statement not a question. Of course, Luke knows. He even saw a holorecording of when the front half – give or take – of the Star Destroyer was landed on the planet, courtesy of his father. "The Chancellor was a personal friend of mine, he had been since I was a child," Vader explains, expression twisting with something like revulsion.
"The Jedi let him talk to a child?" Luke asks, horrified.
"It was a useful relationship," Vader replies in a neutral tone, "One which the Jedi –" He utters the word with so much loathing. "– exploited time and again." His tone darkens as he continues, "They never wondered why a politician wanted to spend time with a young teenager. They… expressed their dislike, but it was always superficial. They were happy as long as my relationship with the then-Chancellor benefited them."
The bitterness and underlying antipathy in Vader's tone is unmistakable, and Luke can't help but wonder if his father has ever spoken of this before. He chooses to remain silent, patiently waiting for Vader to speak when he's ready. "They – the so-called most respected Jedi Masters – were unable to see that Palpatine was a Sith Lord, that he was the one who began the Clone Wars. He wanted one thing: an Empire."
"And he got it," Luke realizes, comprehension dawning, mingled with disgust, "And Palpatine wanted you to be on his side. He – he used you, didn't he?" It's hard to say the words, to admit aloud the careful manipulation, the grooming that his father suffered at the hands of a Sith.
Vader's face is blank. "My actions are my own," he says tonelessly, not answering the question. It's not really admittance, but it's not denial either. "Your mother was pregnant, something I learned upon my return, and I began having visions of her dying in childbirth." He pauses again, sighing heavily. "I had no one to turn to, except Palpatine. He told me he could help me save your mother if I joined him."
"You believed him?" He tries to keep the incredulity and surprise out of his voice, but it still manages to slip through.
Vader glares, the heat in his yellow eyes making Luke wince. "It was not that simple. Intellectually, I knew that he was a Sith, but he was also promising to end the war. The Jedi Council was asking me to commit treason, and I knew that, legally, they were in the wrong. Palpatine knew what the Council wanted from me, and after I informed them, they tried to kill him. They failed, and their destruction was inevitable. I agreed to join him, because I knew that, should I refuse, I would be grouped among the traitors, and my wife and unborn child – children – would die."
"Oh," Luke murmurs, looking down, and pointlessly trailing his fingers over the sheet. He never would have thought that his father's reasoning was so… – noble isn't quite the right word – rooted in desperation and a deep desire to ensure that his family remain safe. He Fell because he feared losing them. From the little Luke knows about his father's childhood – namely that he was raised a slave before being freed – he can understand that. While he was never a slave, he grew up on Tatooine. It was inevitable that he come to understand what slavery does to a person.
His father leans forwards slightly, expression intent, the anger disappearing. "I led the Purge to destroy the Jedi and eradicated the remaining Separatist leaders on Mustafar. Upon my return, I learned that Yoda, one of the surviving Jedi, tried and failed to kill the new Emperor. A week later, I was lured into a trap set up by none other than Obi-Wan." He cuts off abruptly, eyes going distant as he clearly relives the memory.
Luke touches him lightly through the Force, unwilling to probe intrusively, but still curious as to how his father is feeling. He senses a hint of sorrow and grief, of a deep betrayal which never really healed, of a hatred that is forever simmering just beneath the surface. "And, what happened?" he inquires. This isn't something he's ever heard before, so he's naturally curious.
"We fought," Vader responds curtly, "And I killed the other Jedi who were with him. He… Obi-Wan fell down as the building was exploding, and he was presumed dead." The hatred, Luke realizes, is directed at himself. Vader might have fought his old master – why did Uncle Ben lie to him?! – but he still misses him. He blames himself for the death, except he isn't dead.
"Ben… Obi-Wan is alive," Luke informs him flatly. "I don't know any details because he's never shared them. During all the years he trained me on Tatooine, all he told me was that Vader murdered my father."
Vader stills, and if not for the fact that he's still breathing, Luke could have thought him a statue. For a heartbeat, he doesn't move, even as Luke can sense surprise, disbelief, and… longing? echoing around him. "It doesn't matter," he finally says quietly, looking down, visibly shaking himself. "I'm dead to him anyways." The bitter resignation in his tone hurts, and Luke scoots closer without even thinking about it. He nearly regrets it, but Vader doesn't comment – and some of the tension seems to fade – so Luke decides not to give it anymore thought.
"I returned to learn that your mother had gone into labor and was dying – dead by the time I got to her. It wasn't until recently that I discovered Palpatine had her poisoned," Vader explains.
"That's when you took over… and killed him, right?" Luke clarifies.
His father nods, shifting to the side, a silent invitation for Luke to join him in leaning against the pillows at the head of the bed. He does after a moment's hesitation. It still seems so surreal to think that he's really here with his father, and his presence does seem to bring comfort to the older man, so he's more than happy to stay. In fact, he can't even remember the last time he felt so… safe and wanted. It's almost eerie; it would be if Luke didn't recognize what's happening. He can feel the beginning of a bond forming with Vader, a bond which promises to be extremely strong as a result of their abnormally high Force sensitivity. While it forms, he knows that they'll seek out each other's company more than they normally would.
It's pleasant like this, all but leaning against his father. Luke adamantly refuses to look at the chrono. He might regret being awake all night tomorrow, but it was for a good reason. There will be time later for Luke to argue with Vader about whether or not Uncle Ben would be willing to accept him. Luke can't see why he wouldn't, considering how fond he is of Anakin, and Vader killed the Emperor. He's trying to make the galaxy a better place. If he wasn't, he would never have agreed to hold peace talks. Somehow, Luke doubts that Vader has any motives other than a genuine desire for peace. He doesn't want to lose his father, doesn't want to be forced to choose between him and Leia.
He won't, though. The Force is humming with nothing but contentment, its silent whispers telling him to stay. At least he finally has answers about what happened, some of them, that is. They can talk more later, or whenever Vader might be willing. Should he call him Anakin? He feels dark, like the Inquisitors Luke encountered once, so he's clearly a Sith, and he does go by the name Vader for whatever reason. Another question which he needs answered sometime.
For now, he'll remain here in contented silence. A few minutes must have passed before Vader slowly wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to his side. Luke is altogether too happy to let him, reaching out to probe their forming bond, holding onto his father's powerful presence with the Force.
"Tell me about your childhood," Vader requests at last. His voice is quieter, gentler, and he sounds much the way he did in Aunt 'Soka's old holos. When Luke looks up at him, he realizes, with a start, that the yellow in his father's eyes isn't nearly as prominent as it was when he first arrived in the room. Maybe Uncle Ben was wrong about Sith being unable to change, to be redeemed. Simply by learning of his existence, Vader is changing, even if only slightly.
Luke obliges, beginning to tell his father about his life on Tatooine, about Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru – who probably miss him – and how Uncle Ben began giving him Force training despite his other uncle's protests. He tells him how he left to join the Rebellion when he was eighteen, and how he met Aunt 'Soka and Leia. It's a long story, especially when Luke wanders off into details that he doubts anyone would care about, though Vader never comments. If anything, he seems to be relaxing as Luke talks, sharing his experiences with his father. He wonders if it's therapeutic for him, a way of trying to make up for all the time they've lost. He decides not to ask. Some things are better left unsaid.
**w**
Luke doesn't remember dozing off, but he must have, because the next thing he knows, he's blinking his eyes open. Dawn has arrived, and the sun will likely be rising soon. His head was resting on his father's shoulder, Vader's arms wrapped around him, holding him with the tenderness and affection a parent will show a child. He shifts, sitting upright somewhat. When he turns towards Vader, he's not surprised to see that he's awake.
"Did you even sleep?" he queries, snuggling closer again when it becomes apparent that his father has no intention of letting him go if he doesn't have to.
"I slept," he replies vaguely.
His eyes, while still yellow, are filled with a contentment and serenity which seems almost odd on him. Vader smiles softly, and Luke again sees the Jedi Knight who was in the holos he watched back with the Rebellion. It's almost surreal to see flashes of the man he once was in the man he now is. He'll never be who he used to be, but that's fine. Luke accepts that. He knew that the moment he realized who Vader was. It might be hard for Uncle Ben and Aunt 'Soka to accept, since they knew him as Anakin, but for Luke and Leia… they only grew up with the stories. Both of them knew that tales are often far from reality.
Luke feels a tug on his mind, one that isn't coming from Vader, and he twists to look at the door. "Leia's looking for me," he mumbles, deciding that he's far too comfortable to move. "I'll have to tell her the truth anyways," he decides, and Vader laughs.
"If she's anything like you, I don't expect it will be hard," his father points out.
Luke smirks. "She has your temper as Aunt 'Soka always says," he offers, silently responding to his sister's unspoken call. He can sense her walking down the hall towards them, uncertainty and confusion echoing into her Force signature.
"Ah, well, then I imagine her reaction will be quite different," Vader replies. Luke notices how, now that he's relaxed, his language and manner of speaking has become far less formal and more causal. He has every intention of spending every waking minute with his father if possible, and he wonders how many other things he'll notice in time.
Leia knocks on the door a moment later, and Luke and Vader exchange a look, a hint of mischief dancing in both their eyes, an unspoken understanding passing between them. "Come in," Luke calls, resting his head back on his father's shoulder and holding back a laugh as he imagines the look on her face when she sees him – them. She will, of course, recognize Vader like he did.
She hesitates before pushing the button. The door slides open, and Leia hesitantly steps into the doorway, eyes widening with shock when she sees them. Luke supposes that they must look like quite the sight, especially since Vader is the Emperor. He keeps forgetting that face. He keeps forgetting that he and Leia are technically the Imperial Prince and Princess. She pales when she sees Vader, eyes darting between them when she realizes their similarities.
"You're joining the Empire?" she queries, a note of forced humor in her voice as she moves into the room and lets the door close behind her.
Luke snorts. "Hardly, but I am joining Father."
Their father doesn't verbally respond to the statement, but Luke feels a rush of affection through the Force. He sits up fully, stretching. "I did what you told me not to," he tells her glibly, "But it all worked out, so don't be mad."
Leia gapes at him. "You tried to kill him?!" she practically screams.
Luke winces. "It sounds bad when you say that," he complains. "Come here. Join us. We still have some time before we absolutely must be ready, so we can talk about this. Together."
She is visibly hesitant, but she still obliges, sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed, facing them. Luke notices how she can't stop staring at Vader's face, taking in his appearance. "I don't understand," she admits. "I don't know how this is possible."
Vader reaches out, resting a hand on her shoulder, and that's when Luke notices that the injuries he sustained last night are gone. Vader must have healed them fully after he fell asleep. Luke can't wait until he next contacts Uncle Ben and Aunt 'Soka; they ought to know what's happening with Vader. He thinks they'll be glad to know how he's acting, how he's not truly lost, unlike the Jedi dogma would have them believe.
"We have a lot to talk about," their father says, looking between them, "But know that whatever happens from here, we can decide it together."
Together. Luke likes that thought. They've been apart for long enough. From here onwards, they can work together, be together. They can be family.
