Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the delay, again. I'm moving on the seventh of August, and the movers are coming on the thirtieth, so everything's got to be ready. I'll try to get back on a normal schedule, sorry!

"Whoa!" Luke shouted, thrown off by surprise. In the middle of undressing, his tunic was nearly off when the messenger droid opened the door and relieved him of all embarrassment before this event. "What's a boy need to do to make someone knock?"

He pulled up his trousers, the top of his tunic covering the unspeakable areas that were previously uncovered.

Heirback made a sad noise. "I – I a – am sorry," the droid said. "Lord Vader has given me clear orders that you are now my Master." The droid straightened up.

"Oh," Luke said, his mouth forming the rather round shape. "Well, I'm Luke Skywalker. Pleasure to meet you." He said, turning around so that he could put back on his tunic.

Vader had presented him with a droid… many things had changes since the first time he and the dark lord met. At first, he was an evil, sinister man out to ruin the lives of boys who had enough problems, in the eyes of Luke Skywalker. Then, at dinner – he wasn't a prisoner anymore, he was just another Imperial – he was equal. Compassion set in and he showed Luke the first glimpse of his mother… then he became angry…

But sending him a droid? Was this some way of forgiveness?

"Erm – pleasure, too," Heirback seemed thrown off by the boy's kindness. Since he was a newer model of droid, he had a part two-based type of feelings, and he was very aware of the people's feelings around him. "Can I do anything for you?"

Luke cleared his throat. "Privacy would be nice," he said.

The droid scurried off.

"A droid!" Luke repeated. His very own droid – one that spoke, one that mended to his needs, one that didn't just sit around like scrap metal and pretend to work of vaporators. He'd have to thank Lord Vader.

Or was that what this was all about. Forgiveness? Vader wanted forgiveness for the way he had acted before – no, it couldn't be. He had gotten angry because of Luke's arrogance…

He shrugged it off. He needed to get back home – and soon – maybe this little droid could help!

"Heirback!" Luke squealed, almost proud of himself that he thought to use the droid, "Heirback!"

The droid flew back inside the small bedroom, attending to his new master's needs quickly, too quickly, for he bumped into many things on the way, knocking over a very pricey marble statue of…an undetermined piece of art. "Y – yes, Master?"

Luke laughed at being called 'Master'. It was such a high rank for such a young boy. "Master?" It came out as a retort, but it wasn't meant to be. "Master? Nah, Heirback – just Luke."

Through his metal and his two multicolored eyes, it was an honor for Heirback 23. "Luke? Just Luke? If Lord Vader hears me calling you that…"

The droid's voice trailed off and was interrupted by Luke, "Don't worry about a thing," he said. "And don't be so afraid of Vader. He's really…" no words could fit it, "something."

Heirback made a sound equal to a human cough. "Thank you, M – Luke," he said. "Now, why did you call me?"

Luke smiled, sitting himself down on the bed. "Well, for one," he started, "Has Vader told you where our next destination will be? Or is there even a destination?" Didn't a starship like this need to stop to refuel? He hoped there was a way to get past Vader – to get past…

"Well, Luke," Heirback began, "We stop next at," he searched within his systems, "the system of Naboo. The reasons are unspecified, M – Luke." He did it again. He almost called Luke Master! He made a noise that was equal to a human frown.

"Unspecified?" Luke said, rhetorically. He sat there for a moment, and Heirback waited for him to say something. "Hmm," he said. "Thank you, Heirback. You may return to your other duties."

The droid was about to say that he didn't have any other duties, that this was his only master, but was interrupted by Luke again,

"Wait!" He yelled, catching the droid before he left, "Do you think – do you think you can help me?"

The droid moved closer to Luke. "Helping you with what? Like an assignment, like homework? Or an art project? Or something to do with – "

"No, Heirback," Luke was already getting annoying with the droid. "Help me – well – escape."

"Escape?"

"Shh!" Luke shut him up, making him lower his voice. "Yes. Leave. I have a home, you know." His eyebrow arched.

"You mean… this isn't your home, Luke?" The droid asked, suddenly confused. Being confused was in the nature of this droid, though. "I thought this was your quarters. I'm sorry I got it wrong, Luke."

"No!" Luke yelled. "No," his voice lowered. "I just – want to leave. Vader holds me hostage."

"Vader?" Heirback was surprised to hear the boy speak about this father in such tense. "Don't you mean your – "

Luke interrupted him again. "You know what? I have an assignment for you," he told Heirback, rather perkily. "An assignment you mustn't tell anybody about."

The droid nodded, leaning in.

"Find ever route out of the starship. The exits – everything."

There was a knock at the door. When did he fall asleep? Oh, right after he began to think about how he was all wrong, and maybe, just maybe she was alive again, and would take him in for whom he was now.

"Vader!" Came a childish voice from the other side of the door. "I know you're there – the droid told me!" He was awfully feisty for such a young age. Oh, so like myself.

The dark lord got up groggily from his bed, running his fingers through his hair. He has my hair, he told himself. My son has my hair.

The door opened and Luke came barging in, huffing past Vader and making himself comfortable on a nearby chair. He sat, looking up at the dark lord anxiously.

"What?" Vader said finally. "What do you want me to say?"

Luke bit his nail. "Why'd you give me a droid?" His voice was sincere; not at all aggravated.

"Because – uh," he didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell Luke that he was his father yet! He had to wait… for another time… "Uh – I thought you needed one. Since you'd be here for a long time, you know."

The boy nodded slowly. "Oh," came his reply. "So you've discovered that it's not all evil inside of you?" His voice had intentions of being cruel, but it never came. It was a child-like innocence that made Vader angry.

"Not quite," which was a lie. Anakin Skywalker has returned just briefly, after learning that Luke was his son, his child, that the child within his wife ten years ago hadn't died with her. There was hope that she was alive, alive and well – but he didn't count on it. Padmé wouldn't leave her son to live on Tatooine alone. Although they never talked about it during their marriage, she wanted children, he remembered.

"I hoped to have a family of my own right now," Padmé had said, all those years ago.

She would've been with him. Watching over him, at least. But, no – he hadn't felt her joyous presence that he had last felt when her ship landed on Mustafar.

"Not quite?" Luke's eyes bugged. "Not quite? Well, discover it soon, 'Lord Vader'. I know there's good in you. You've expressed it already."

Vader sneered. "Luke," he was about to say something, Luke could tell – is voice filled with rage, but obviously decided against it when he said, "That couldn't be the only reason why you came here, boy."

"You're right," he said. "It isn't." Luke paused, bringing his knees up to his chest. "I want to research my father on the database. You said everyone is on it, and he's a great warrior, a well known warrior, you said, and – "

"No," Vader said suddenly. "You can't look him up."

Luke suddenly felt very childish – Vader was acting like a father, telling him what not to do. "Why not?" he whined.

Vader couldn't find a legitimate answer… why? Why was this so hard? "Because," he finally said, hesitating. "He's not in the system!" came his glorious reply. He said it rather excitingly, like he was trying to convince himself. And he was.

"Why not?" He asked again, same tone.

"He's a Jedi; they aren't in the system," Vader said.

Luke noticed the present tense. "Wait – he's alive?"

"No," he said quickly, filling in. "I told you Luke, your father died in the Jedi Purge." There was a hint of regret there.

It occurred to Luke that he was parentless before, but, all of a sudden, he never felt so… lonely. He was alone, in a starship, surrounded by traitors. He didn't have his aunt, or his uncle. He didn't have his mother, who would've been an amazing mother, he was sure of it. He didn't have his father; he died fighting for freedom. He didn't have anybody.

Suddenly, Luke started to cry.

Vader became aware of Luke's sobs, and knelt down beside him. Suddenly, he was Anakin Skywalker again, attending to someone's needs…

Being a good person…

He frowned on this fact. He was being a good person – he put his arm around Luke, who made no move to be comforted by this… stranger. The worst part about it was that it didn't feel… strange. It occurred to him that it shouldn't feel strange, either – Luke was a part of him, a part of Padmé, whom he loved.

Suddenly, he loved Luke.

And when Luke gave into him, when he put his arm around his shoulders and waited for him to cradle him during this time, Luke loved him, too.

A/N: I wanted to sincerely thank everyone for the amazing reviews. Never have I ever had a story that people be so in to. It means a lot! Keep the feedback coming! Thanks, everyone!