Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 8

Vader read the report and put it aside, the first group had been a success so now a second group could be sent through. He had to work slowly so as not to alert the Emperor or anyone who would tell him but he would not allow his own men to be a possible danger to his son. The chip that ensured their obedience had to be dealt with in case anything from Order 66 came back on line, Luke had Jedi training after all. And he didn't want to run the risk of there being Orders in there that the Emperor could use to turn his 501st against him either. And Luke would eventually be in a command himself, one he would ensure had clones so really every remaining clone had to have the chip removed. At least the Kaminoans had halted the aging issue even if they no longer made clone soldiers for the Empire. It didn't help things that he was having to ship the men so far out in the Outer Rim to have the procedure done, it made coming up with reasons for them to be out there harder but he was used to hard work. It was past time he should have done this but he had been too…. lost himself when he had come back to the Fleet after the Empire formed and then there had seemed no point. His men had been stripped of everything that made them individuals while he was recovering and so he had spent a lot of time repairing that damage that he had never thought to deal with the chips.

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Luke hesitated and the opened the adjoining door, letting himself into his Father's rooms. "Father?" Captain Piett had said he was here when Luke had landed back on-board.

"Yes Luke?" he emerged from his office into the main room to see his son fidgeting in the doorway.

"I'm sorry for running off and ignoring you." The teen whispered and Vader moved slowly towards his son, laying a hand on his shoulder as gently as he could.

"I should have sent you from the room when I realised what would be necessary, you were not ready for that. You have adapted to the changes in your life so well that I forgot son." He felt Luke relax and drew him into the room to where food awaited on the table for the boy. "How was it?"

"Peaceful." Luke smiled sadly. "There…. was an old lady there, Grandmother."

"Jobal Naberrie?" That was a shock, he hadn't realised her parents still lived, then again he hadn't felt the urge to keep track of the family. Luke nodded and Vader wasn't sure what to do with that knowledge or if he needed to do anything. This was a way for Luke to know more of his Mother…to ensure his Angel's memory lived on. "There is no time for a lengthy visit."

"She gave me her comm frequency."

"You may contact her as you wish then."

"Thank you."

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Leia stared at the holo and the boy standing in front of Vader intently. He looked the same age as her and he seemed…. nervous to be where he was. She figured most of the information given was a lie though it was interesting to try and figure out what truth there was.

"Leia? What are you doing?" Bail asked as he found her staring at the holo.

"He looks…innocent."

"And maybe he is. But the Empire will soon ensure any good in that boy is twisted and destroyed until he is just another pawn of the Emperor." He gently clasped her shoulder before turning it off. "Come, there is a meeting and it is time you attended."

"Yes Father." She stood and followed him from the room, this would be her first time attending a meeting of the Alliance.

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Vader stood on the bridge, observing the goings on of the bridge crew as the ship moved through hyperspace on its way to join the rest of the Fleet. He barely had to reach out with the Force to sense Luke in his quarters, diligently working on his studies. The boy was proving to be a very quick study as he soaked up the advanced work many levels above what was available on Tatooine. He hated to admit it but Obi-Wan had done a good job with him in their year together on the run, even without access to many lessons. In a way it was tempting to send the boy to an Academy for full military training and to allow him to be among other young people but his position made that difficult and it could put him in danger from the Rebels if they learned of his presence. Without that he would have to ensure the boy spent time with as many officers as possible to learn from them, competent officers anyway. Captain Piett would be a good idea, Appo had already taken him under his wing and then rest of the 501st was following his lead. The question was who to train him in politics? He himself had no patience for such things and he would not trust the Emperor to do so even if the man did offer. Maybe Luke would have his Mother's natural talent in such things much as he had her temperament.

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Vader stood, watching, while Luke fought off a practice droid, easily blocking its attacks. He was doing well for so little time with a lightsaber. For now, he was using a practice blade, Skywalker's old blade locked away safely. Soon though he would have to take the teenager to Ilum to find a crystal for his first Lightsaber. He did wonder what colour the blade would end up being and only hoped the Emperor didn't take it too badly when it was undoubtedly not red. Luke stepped back, breathing heavily and Vader deactivated the droid. "Well done Luke."

Luke grinned and bowed slightly to his Father, putting the training saber aside. "I think I should clean up." He wrinkled his nose at his sweaty clothes and Vader nodded so he ran off to do that.

Vader watched him go and then activated the comm. "Set course for Mustafar at once Captain." He ordered before he could reconsider.

"Yes My Lord." Piett's voice answered and he felt the ship enter hyperspace minutes later.

Luke re-entered the room, still towel drying his hair which over the last three months had grown out and darkened further as he spent his time on board. It was now almost as dark as Vader remembered his being at the end though without the slight curl his had. He wore loose exercise pants and was bare foot as he glanced out to see they were in hyperspace. It was good to see the boy was gaining lithe muscle, not sacrificing speed for power but it looked like he'd inherited his Mother's height. "Where are we going now?"

"My retreat away from Coruscant. We will be there in three days. There will be more aides there to continue your training and there is something I need to show you."

"Alright."

"Have you called your…. Grandmother?"

"Last night." He collapsed on the couch, body aching from the workout but it was the good sort of ache. Vader made no comment on the move, he himself wished he could still do that sometimes.

"So where exactly are we going?"

"A planet called Mustafar."

"I don't remember seeing that on any of the charts I've studied."

"It was removed." He answered as he sat on one of the specially altered chairs designed for the weight and rigidness of his suit. "It is a volcanic planet which is why we will remain within the building, I will not risk your exposure to the atmosphere."

That made Luke sit up in surprise. "It's that dangerous?" One of his first lessons had been on using the Force to filter toxins, from the air, water or food.

"It is the reason I rely on this suit." He admitted stiffly and Luke gasped before reaching out to take a gloved hand, pressing hard so that the prosthetic would register the touch even through the armoured glove.

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Luke stared down at the planet as his Father piloted the shuttle down, feeling unease as he took in the seas of lava and massive volcanoes. Why did his Father have a residence here? Especially when he had been injured so badly there? It didn't make sense to him at all. Soon they landed on the pad and Luke took some deep breaths of clean air before the ramp lowered and they walked quickly into the residence where he took some deep, clean breathes again. He felt his Father's concern and flashed a smile, he was fine and what little he had breathed in he could handle. The building was all smooth black stone and eerily empty except for a few maintenance droids scattered around. They moved deeper inside and then into a large room with a powered down medical droid and bacta tank. The doors sealed with a hiss behind them and Luke popped his ears at the change in pressure. "Pressurised." He wrinkled his nose. "Antiseptic air?"

"It is necessary here." Vader answered moving over to one of the stations. "You should see this." He admitted and Luke was surprised to feel fear coming from his Father, not for Luke like when they met the Emperor…. but of his reaction?

And then the machines whirled into motion and Luke froze as they began removing the suit he'd never seen his Father out of before the helmet seal was cracked and Luke stared as a face similar to his was revealed, the hair shorn short but he could see it was maybe a little darker than his own. He was younger than Ben put pale from years without sun light and there was a scar down one eye as well as some smaller scars that looked like they came from bad burns. Luke was surprised to find he had blue eyes as well even as they blinked in the light. More and more of the suit was removed until his Father was bare and Luke felt sick as he took in the scars and four prosthetic limbs. "Father." He whispered before moving closer to reach out and shakily touch Vader's upper arm where it was still flesh and blood, reaching for him in the Force and Vader reached back to his son, Padme's child who hadn't shied from him. His son wrapped him close in the Force and Vader inhaled deeply in shock as the Light wrapped protectively around him and it didn't hurt. It was…. his son was trying to heal him.

"Luke." Without the mask his voice was weak and breathy but still loud enough for the boy to hear. "Stop…nothing can be done." He shifted, pressing into the warmth of his son's hand, it had been so long since he had felt another humans touch and despite the pain he didn't want it to stop.

Luke buried his horror deep down, not wanting his Father to feel it and misinterpret the emotion. He knew Obi-Wan had faced Vader before going into hiding with him which meant this damage was from that battle but he knew Ben, there was no way he would have left anyone to suffer like this. The now activated med droid approached and Luke stepped back to let it do its work and then his Father was placed in the tank and Luke closed his eyes, pushing past the Dark that shrouded the older man to nudge him into a healing trance, something Vader had admitted was not at all easy between the suit and the Dark Side. Once sure his Father was out Luke turned to the droid. "Training room?" He demanded and then followed the directions to take out his turbulent emotions on training droids. He really wanted to talk to Ben about this but there was no way to contact him.

TBC….