Luke wakes up in an unfamilliar room with a strange man inside.
This, Luke decided, was probably the most comfortable he had ever been in his life. It felt as if an enormous fluffy cloud was cradling his entire body. He would have stayed in this peaceful slumber if the Force hadn't forced him to wake up.
He was too tired to notice the sheer urgency woven in the Force as he slowly cracked open his eyelids.
Light immediately poured in and a smooth, light grey surface filled his vision. It took him embarrasingly a full minute to realise he was staring at the ceiling.
That was odd, he thought to himself. The ceiling of the Rebel barracks was white.
Then he turned over to his side, only to see tall, blue bars blocking his view. Was he in some kind of cage? What sort of cage did not even have a roof?
That wasn't all though. The insanely comfortable mattress he was lying on was decorated by multiple cartoonish shooting stars.
Confusion rained on him. This was obviously not his bed and not the Rebel barracks he had called home.
Where the kriff was he?
At that moment, as if on cue, Luke heard a door slide open. He squeezed his eyes shut instinctively, trying to pretend to be asleep. Meanwhile, questions rose to life in his mind. Was it a bounty hunter? An Imperial?
Footsteps echoed throughout the room, causing Luke's blood to freeze. Why was the dread in his stomach increasing with every step the newcomer took?
At last, the footsteps stopped, coming to a sharp halt in front of the strange cage he was in. Luke's heart pounded against his chest.
"I know you are awake", said a voice. Luke tensed but managed to remain still. It was a male voice, persumably from someone middle-aged.
But why in the scorching deserts did it sound so familliar?
"There's no need to hide", the voice continued, now the tone becoming softer and far more gentle. "I won't hurt you".
Somehow, Luke felt the truth in those words. Could this person really be trusted? What if he was planning this all along; to gain his trust and then break it after getting what he was after?
Suddenly he felt something on his face. A thumb maybe, it was tenderly running down his facial features. It felt... weird. It felt inviting and it felt oddly..caring.
Until it began to tickle his skin.
A giggle escaped his lips before he had the chance to supress it. His eyes shot open in shock. Had that been his laugh? The last time he had checked, his was several octaves lower.
"Finally", the voice exclaimed, satisfaction layering the tone.
Luke realised he could now see the man.
It was a tall human male, dressed in a black night shirt and matching pants. A marvelous crown of golden brown curls sat on his head, the strands nearly falling to his broad shoulders. A thin scar was located above his right eye.
Someone had tried to blind him, Luke realised. If it had been just another centimetre down, they would have succeeded.
Then he spotted something.
The man's eyes were a light blue, as bright as the streaks of hyperspace. Sure, Luke had seen many blue-eyed individuals before but these...
They were exactly like the ones that stared back at him in the mirror every single morning while he got ready.
"Hello little one", the man greeted, a smile lighting up his face.
Luke stared at him for a few seconds, offended at the infantile form of address the man had chosen for him.
He was a twenty-year-old man for Force's sake!
Before he could voice out his thoughts, the man leaned forwards and hefted him up with surprising ease. Suns, was he really that light or was this man just stronger than the average human?
A blush heated his cheeks, boiling them the same way his blood did. "Pud me dow!" he screeched, suddenly realising how childish his voice sounded to his ears.
Horror crashed into him at how high- pitched he now sounded. It was as if time decided to stop. An immediate silence fell in between them.
He felt the man stiffen at his outburst.
Luke held his breath, not even knowing why.
Then the man started to speak. "I apologise for upsetting you, little one", he said quietly, sadness coating his voice. Luke began to feel bad.
He didn't even wonder why he felt like that before opening his mouth. "I sowy", he whispered, ignoring his badly affected voice. "I diden mean to showd".
He felt the man relax and smile. Without thinking, he smiled back, admiration and joy displayed on his face. Why did it feel so damningly easy to trust this stranger?
"Don't worry", the man replied, gently. "I know you wouldn't do that to Dada".
"Dada?" Luke repeated as if lost in a trance. He felt so unbelievably protected, safer than he had been in months. He savoured the warmth radiating from the man's chest, hungrily leaning into it like he had been freezing for years.
It reminded him of Aunt Beru a little. Luke felt his eyes water at the memories.
"Yes, I'm your Dada", the man or Dada told him, lifting him higher to kiss his cheek. Luke's eyes widened but he could not bring himself to say anything. Why couldn't he? Why was he being so... obedient?
"And you are my child", the man continued. Was that protectiveness in that tone or was Luke just imagining things?
"Bud my fader iz dead", Luke protested weakly, winching again at his new voice. "I-"
"Shhh", the man whispered soothingly, cutting off his futile arguments. "I'm here now angel and I am never leaving you again".
"Whad aboud my fwends?" Luke asked, anxiously. Were they alright? Did they know where he was? So many questions but very few of them were answered.
"Friends?" the man repeated, his tone changing, most of the warmth leaving his face. "You do not need friends. You have me", he said, shaking his head.
"Bud-"
"There is no need to think about them", Dada insisted. "I, will take care of you", he promised.
It sounded... sincere... but the way it was said sent icy chills down Luke's spine for some reason he could not explain.
Vader stood by the viewport of his son's room, the transparisteel showing the blazing atmosphere of Mustafar surrounding the castle.
His son! After all these long months of searching, he was now here, finally secure in his father's grasp.
A smile tugged at the ends of his lips as he watched the child sleep in his cradle, unaware of his father's gaze fixed on him even in sleep.
It felt so surreal. Luke was actually here.
His com-link beeped and Vader answered it after hastily making his way out of the room. The last thing he wanted was to wake up his sleeping child.
He summoned his cloak with the Force from a nearby rocking chair, fastening it on to conceal his face from view. As far as the galaxy knew, Anakin Skywalker was dead.
And Vader intended to keep it that way.
A miniature hologram of a white haired man appeared on the palm of his gloved hand. Even in the holo-call, Vader could still see the worn lab coat and permanently crazed smile of the scientist.
"Greetings Your Majesty", he said. "Has the subject already regained consciousness?"
"All is well, Doctor. The serum has done its work physically", he replied.
A smug smirk crossed the scientist's aged features. "The mental affects shall soon follow", he told Vader.
"I hope so, for your sake", Vader intoned. "Your payment will be sent to you shortly".
He then ended the call.
His head turned back to the entrance to the nursery. It would not be long, Vader assured himself.
Soon, Luke Skywalker would be declared dead.
And then... Luke Vader would rise.
A/N
For those interested in this AU, I am continuing in a separate book also called A Shrunken Skywalker. It has already been posted.
