Promise

"Stand down, Skywalker."

Luke surveyed the group before him with cool eyes. There were a mix of species among the crowd, with no identifying symbols to suggest that they were with the New Republic or the Imperial remnant. A brief search in the Force led him to believe that they were a third party group, seeking revenge on his father.

How they had come to find them here, Luke had no idea.

They had been in hiding since the destruction of the Death Star. His only communications in the last few weeks had been with Leia, explaining the situation and assuring her that all was well. Her concern for him was touching and his heart frequently fluttered with the thought that he had a sister.

He had a father.

He had a family.

Whether or not Leia would come to view Vader as such was yet to be seen and Luke would not fault her if she decided that she wanted nothing to do with him moving forward. She had inquired about Vader's wellbeing only once, weeks ago, after Luke had given her the details about what had occurred on the Death Star and then simply stated that she was glad both of them made it out alive. She hadn't mentioned Vader again but had also promised Luke that she would not reveal their location or sell them out to the New Republic if or when they came around asking.

Luke was relieved that the people before him now weren't anyone that he personally knew. He switched his lightsaber on, squaring his shoulders, and adjusting his stance as he prepared for a fight.

"That's not going to happen." Luke warned them. "If you leave now, I'll let you. Otherwise, I hope you're all prepared to die."

His father had taught him well and his skills were vastly improved. Even still, eighteen against one was not going to be an easy fight by any means – but despite what Yoda had taught him, Luke had learned that passion and love could be used in the Light. They had a place and could be powerful and motivating.

It had never been the Force that demanded a lack of emotion. Only the Jedi had, when their values and priorities had shifted over centuries.

His father was deep in a healing trance and had been for the last three days.

It had stunned him stupid when his father had told him that he was able to heal the damage done to his ruined lungs but that he'd chosen to remain in pain and suffer on account that it strengthened him in the Dark Side. Luke suspected that there was more to it than that – that his father, whether he recognized it or not, had chosen to suffer because he believed that he deserved to suffer. He was punishing himself and after over twenty years, Luke finally told him to stop.

It had taken him weeks to convince his father that whatever power he gained from being miserable was not worth it. And if he chose to continue to use the Dark side, then so be it. It would still be there once he was healed and out of the torture device that Palpatine had trapped him in after the events of Mustafar. He could be angry and brooding and miserable if that was what made him happy.

Even once Vader had agreed to go through the healing process, he'd been hesitant and borderline paranoid about being vulnerable for so long.

The leader of the group snorted in derision. He was confident, Luke realized. Confident about going up against a Jedi and determined to succeed.

Anger, hatred, and a disgusting amount of greed polluted the Force. It felt gross - like being covered in dirt and grime.

"You'll eat your own words before we're done here, Son of Vader."

Luke narrowed his eyes. No one was supposed to know about that - not yet. Leia had promised and he trusted her to keep that promise. He didn't like or appreciate the idea of an aggressive third party figuring out where they had taken refuge and knowing who they were to each other.

But right now wasn't the time to deal with those things.

He'd picked a side when he'd surrendered to Vader on Endor and come what may, he would stand by it. They had fought and survived and triumphed together.

Luke had promised his father that he would guard his six while he was under.

He wasn't about to break his promise.

A/N I hope everyone had a delightful Thanksgiving!

Vader healing himself is based on the events in the book, Shadows of the Empire, where Vader was experimenting with healing his lungs with the Force except the process of not being in pain caused him to lose his strength in the Dark side and so he doesn't go through with it. Luke thinks he's an idiot.

There's a decent chance that I'll add a second part to this one.

Thanks for reading!