What Lurks in the Dark

by DragonflyonBreak

A simple mission to check out an abandoned weapons factory turns into a dangerous fight for survival. Trust is broken, loyalties will be tested, and dark secrets are brought to light. Because sooner or later, the truth always comes out.

9. Opportunity Base

Summary: A few important and necessary conversations.

I want you all to know that I rewrote a good 10,000-ish words of this chapter just last night and haven't slept in about twelve hours.

Thank you all for your patience and as always, a massive thank you to SpellCleaver for beta-ing this chapter for me. Your time and talents are always appreciated.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 9: Opportunity Base

---

The doors were open.

They could finally get out. Leave this place and never look back. And yet, Wedge was frozen in place, unable to move, and stunned to his core.

He hadn't been prepared for anything that he'd just heard. It was nothing like what he would ever have expected. Never - not in a million years. There had been more packed into the conversation that they'd all just listened in on then he even knew what to do with. More than what any undercover agent in the Empire had ever learned or successfully reported back to the Rebellion.

There was more than enough proof that Luke wasn't or ever had been a spy for the Empire. And it might - it might save or at least preserve some of his reputation - at least among those who knew him best. That was what Wedge had wanted.

But there was also so much more. There was proof that Vader… was an actual person underneath the mask that the galaxy knew him by. Wedge had, in the bastard's own words, proof that he disagreed with and was actively seeking the death of the Emperor, that he hadn't approved of the Death Star, and had disapproved of the destruction of Alderaan.

Wedge even had an explanation for why any of it had happened in the first place.

And he had everything recorded. All of it. The entire damn conversation.

Had circumstances been different, Wedge thought he would have felt excited or would have at least had a few drinks over some of the knowledge he had just overheard. That Vader wanted to kill Palpatine. It even sounded as though he might be actively betraying the Empire as a whole, though that seemed unlikely. But instead… Wedge just felt deflated and tired.

The whole conversation had taken several left turns and a sharp drop off the edge of a cliff. It could change everything … but it also didn't change anything. Not really, anyways.

He had still left Luke behind. Zach and Caleb were still dead and there was never going to be anything that he could do to change those facts.

With some difficulty, Wedge glanced over to where Tycho was still sitting against the cage. Their eyes met easily enough and he saw the same tired disbelief mirroring back at him from Ty's soot covered face. Maybe even some of the same regret for what they had done.

Luke had switched sides.

His promise to help Vader kill Palpatine was as binding as any formal declaration of loyalty could ever be.

Wedge understood, now, in a very painful moment of near perfect clarity, how crucial of a moment his and Rogue Squadron's reaction to Luke's parentage had been earlier and how it was going to change everything moving forwards. It had been a short window of opportunity and he and everyone else had missed it by a mile.

The only person among them who had extended a life-line when Luke had needed it had been Darth Vader. He had been the one that had listened and the only one to assure Luke that there wasn't something wrong with him.

It would be impossible for Wedge to forget the expression on Luke's face when his father had promised him that they weren't the same. That Luke was better than he was… and that everyone who thought otherwise was wrong. It was as though a terrible, invisible burden had lifted off of him.

Luke had been desperate for someone to believe him. Had begged for someone to hear him when he said that he hadn't ever been a traitor and that he hadn't known the truth and they hadn't. His dark, dangerous secret had come to light and an awful judgment had come with it, labeling him a monster and leaving him with nothing to hope for and no one to rely on.

Wedge might have believed him, but his belief hadn't saved him and there was no guarantee that it would have saved him in the Rebellion either. If they lived in a perfect galaxy, if life were fair and people were understanding, then who Luke was related to wouldn't matter. He would only be judged by his own actions and nothing more or less.

But the galaxy wasn't perfect, and neither were people.

Luke was the son of Darth Vader. When that knowledge became known publicly, it would probably ruin him. Maybe only to a few or maybe to a larger whole. It would be impossible to know for sure until it became reality. But it would; Luke wasn't going to be able to escape it and he was going to be condemned for it.

Anyone in their right mind would be terrified.

Wedge had a sinking feeling in his gut that the timing and the family connection between Luke and Vader meant that the door which had just closed wouldn't ever open for anyone else. In a self-pitying sort of way, it was just another piece of evidence to show how terribly he had failed.

If he had just been a better friend, if he'd been smarter and if he hadn't panicked… if he hadn't sent Luke away… then it could have been friends and other people who cared about him who helped him through this.

It shouldn't have been Vader... but it was.

Opportunity lost. Gone. Nothing, nada, zilch.

After all that had been said and done, who could even blame Luke for simply going where he was wanted?

"I'll help you," Luke repeated, interrupting Wedge's train of thought. "I will. But there is something I need to do first."

"What would that be?" Vader asked, his voice sounding soft.

"I need to go get Han."

Wedge blinked, feeling like he'd heard wrong.

"Captain Solo? Your smuggler friend?"

Luke nodded tiredly. "Yeah, my smuggler friend," he agreed. "I owe him a few favors and it was my fault he was taken. You were after me. So, if… if there's a chance that we die at the end of this… then I just need to make sure that I go get him first."

There was a long silence, broken only by the sound of Vader's respirator and Tycho's harsh coughing.

Wedge couldn't help but huff a disbelieving laugh under his breath. It wasn't funny though. None of it was. He closed his eyes and shook his head, feeling tears well in them for the thousandth time in so many hours. Because of course Luke would be talking about his potential death and still have it in him to think about someone else.

He was just that kind of person.

"It would be a risk," Vader finally said, with some obvious reluctance. "The bounty hunter will have taken him to Jabba the Hutt by now."

Luke only shrugged. "Well… no offense, but I'm not really asking permission."

He would go get Han alone if he had to. Luke had already made that perfectly clear in the last few weeks during talks with the Rebellion. Those discussion had always ended with more than a few people shaking their heads at him. After all, there was a damn good reason why High Command wasn't willing to go in and help retrieve Han Solo. Jabba's palace was reported to be a nearly impenetrable fortress and the number of lives they could potentially lose trying to breach it wasn't worth the risk for just one person. It had been made perfectly clear that whoever was involved in the rescue of Han Solo would be doing it on their own time and their own credits.

"I understand that," was the smooth response. "And I will not stop you either, if that is your concern. But, timing is important and will continue to be important moving forward. Sidious has political agreements and trade deals established with the Hutts which are of some importance to him. It would be unwise to attract his attention or build his ire for as long as possible."

Sidious? Wedge felt his brow furrow. That wasn't a term… or a name that he was familiar with. But the only person he could be talking about that made any sense was the Emperor.

"I can't just leave him there." Luke said after a moment of silence.

"Have a plan or move with caution," Vader said, in a tone that suggested he had said something similar before. "Let me train you and when the time is right... you may take Death Squadron and go and retrieve your friend from the Hutt."

The hesitating expression on Luke's face disappeared in an instant. He sat up a little straighter, staring at Vader with disbelief. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I do not believe I stuttered."

"No, it's - you would just lend me Death Squadron? You don't even like Han."

"My son, you may recall on Bespin that I offered you the entire Empire," Vader said with a dry sort of amusement now. "What is mine is now yours."

Holy fuck.

Wedge felt his jaw drop open. Because that… what the actual hell? He glanced at Tycho again, needing to make sure that he had heard what he'd heard properly. He had. Wedge could tell that he had.

"Yeah, I still don't want the Empire," Luke said quickly, waving a hand as if that was an entirely different matter.

"I am aware of this. I heard you the first and second time."

Vader had offered Luke the Empire… the actual fucking Empire itself and he'd said no.

Wedge scrubbed his jaw and then ran his hand through his hair, unable to grasp the magnitude or significance of an offer like that. Or that Vader would be the one to make it in the first place. If he ever got this information back to the Rebellion, they were going to have a field day with it.

If he got it back.

They still had to get out of here alive and pray that Vader wasn't going to kill them when they did. Wedge had a hard time believing that he would show them any mercy, with or without Luke's influence.

But Death Squadron though. Wow.

"You'll really let me do this?" Luke repeated, staring hard at Vader as if searching for any hint of a lie. "You won't stop me?"

"No. I will not," Vader said simply. Then without waiting for Luke's response, he shifted to his knees and pulled himself up carefully to his feet. He moved in such a way that Wedge thought there was a fairly good chance he was in pain. Or maybe the suit that he wore was just heavy. Good, he thought unkindly. "Come on. We can discuss this in more depth later."

"Fine. But I want my X-wing," Luke said, allowing Vader to help pull him to his feet. He braced an arm against Vader for a moment as he stood, wincing as he held his busted ribs and caught his breath. Vader let him, just standing there patiently until Luke was able to straighten up fully on his own.

"Done."

"And… and Artoo."

Luke's backpack lifted up off the floor and into Vader's hand and Wedge watched as the man slung it over one shoulder. "He is a Skywalker," Vader agreed simply. "He should stay with family."

Shaking his head, Wedge hesitantly decided that he could probably most likely move now without running the risk of dying and quickly slipped his recording pen into his jacket pocket and got to his feet as well. His busted ribs ached as he stood and brought tears of pain to the corners of his eyes. It felt like he was inhaling razor blades. He stepped carefully around Cesi and Zach, leaving them alone for the moment and glanced at the elevator.

It didn't seem very big. It looked like there would just be enough room for a handful of people and even then, it would be an awkward fit. But there was no way that he or his men weren't getting on; Darth Vader or not, he would start a fight over it if necessary. He hoped it wouldn't come to that though. Wedge glanced towards Luke and caught his eye. The distance that he had created between them felt more obvious now and Wedge could tell that Luke felt it too.

He hated that he only had himself to blame. Luke stared at him for a few seconds and then his eyes flickered from his face, to Tycho, and finally to Cesi, before he subtly tilted his head towards the elevator.

"Let's get out of here," Luke said, giving Wedge all the permission that he needed.

Wedge turned and gave Tycho a helping hand to his feet. He didn't know how long Vader would be willing to wait and couldn't take the chance of them getting left behind. Ty didn't have a weapon on him anymore - he had dropped both the rifle and his blaster up on the walkway at some point before Wedge had come across him and so he just gave him a slight push towards the open doors to get him going.

Wedge watched until Ty had stepped inside and then turned his attention to Cesi. Grief and unease squeezed his chest tight. There was no more conversation to distract himself with now.

Zach was dead and it was time to leave him behind.

Steeling himself, Wedge stepped forward and knelt down. "Cesi?" he said quietly, hesitating to reach out and touch him.

Cesi didn't seem to hear him. His eyes were fixed on Zach's face.

"Cesi?" Wedge tried again. "It's... it's time to go."

Force, he looked awful. He was so pale - it was a miracle he hadn't passed out already from the blood loss, let alone everything else that had happened. Wedge had done his best in applying bandages and had gotten the bleeding to stop but the damage was already done.

"I'm not leaving him down here," Cesi croaked, tears streaming down his face. "I can't. He… he deserves better than this."

It was like having a knife shoved into his heart. Wedge felt his eyes blur with tears once again and scrubbed his jaw. He didn't know which was worse - the devastation on Cesi's face or knowing that there was nothing that he could do or say to make this easier. Stories had it wrong - there was never anything noble about death. There was no noble story that could be told to ease this particular hurt.

Dead was just dead.

"We can't take him with us," Wedge said quietly. "I'm sorry but we can't carry him out of here and… and we need to get you some help."

"No - no, we… we were supposed to get out together," Cesi snapped. The hand that gently stroked the length of Zach's cheek was trembling. "I was going to get him out. I told him… I told him that it was going to be okay."

"I know. But he's gone and… and we can't change that now. We… we don't even know how long this powerline will last."

Cesi shook his head, his chin quivering. "I can't do this."

Wedge pressed his face into the sleeve of his shirt, wiping the tears from his eyes before glancing over his shoulder. The doors were still open and waiting for them.

How was he supposed to do this? They didn't even have anything to cover Zach's body with and offer it whatever meager protection it would provide. He would just be left down here to rot, in the company of other victims of the Empire. It seemed far too cruel.

But there wasn't anything for it. Zach was dead and his responsibility now was to those who were still alive.

"He would want you to get out," Wedge said softly. "You know that. Please, Cesi. I still need your help."

Cesi shook his head again, staring desperately at Zach's face. A few more seconds passed and then he finally nodded. "Okay… okay," he whispered, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Zach's forehead. Then, with Wedge's help, he gently easing Zach's head off his lap. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

Over and over and over again.

It was one of the worst things Wedge had ever heard.

Cesi shifted to his knees, chest heaving, and then with a shaking hand, he opened Zach's jacket and started patting his body down, grabbing a few of his personal effects and slipping them into his pockets. It didn't take very long. Once he was done, Wedge immediately shifted and stood up to help him get to his feet. He shouldered Cesi's weight and helped walk him the short distance to the elevator, leaving Zach's cooling body behind them.

He couldn't bring himself to look back.

Vader was standing on the left of the elevator where the buttons were located when they stepped inside at last. The top button was lit up with a dim yellow light and was labeled Surface Level. Luke was sitting on the ground next to his father, his knees drawn close to his chest. He was clearly attempting to make room for the rest of them. Tycho was sitting as far from Vader as he could possibly get, pressed into the front right corner of the elevator. Wedge pressed Cesi down on the floor next to him before planting himself in the middle, putting himself between his men and Vader.

It was all that he could do and he shivered, hating how completely powerless he felt in this situation. Everything was entirely out of his hands and all he could think was that the very last thing he had ever wanted to experience in his life was the feeling of standing side by side with Darth Vader in an elevator.

Then the doors closed at last and the long awaited ride up the shaft began.

---

Cesi wasn't certain how long it took for the elevator to go up.

Everything seemed to be moving both fast and slow at the same time. For a while, all he could bring himself to know was that it was quiet. Quiet, except for the haunting sound of Vader's damn respirator and the harsh sound of Tycho's continuous coughing. No one was speaking anymore. Or, perhaps they just didn't know what to say.

He was glad it was quiet because he didn't want to think.

No small part of him wished that Wedge would have just let him die in the damn mine. That he had been left behind with Zach. He loved the Rebellion and no matter how hard it had been or how much it had taken from him, in the pursuit of a better galaxy, he had given it everything he'd had. But Zach was the only friend he'd really had to his name and he didn't have any family.

There was nothing and no one for him to go back to now and the idea of continuing on alone seemed like too much to bear.

He would want you to get out.

Damn Wedge for saying that because it wasn't fair - Zach was dead, he had fucking died and left him behind with no one and somehow, Cesi was supposed to just keep going because of Zach's imagined wants? If he hadn't wanted Cesi to give up, then he should have stuck around and said it himself.

The absolute fucking prick.

Cesi shivered and pressed his hand up against his shoulder as hard as he could so that it would hurt. He grit his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as fire and agony erupted in his shoulder. The smell of iron was strong. It was unsettling, to feel one's lifeblood draining from their body. But... his old man had always said that pain was just proof he was alive. It was when it stopped hurting that he should be concerned.

He dug his fingernails into his torn flesh for as long as he could handle it and then let go, slumping against the wall of the elevator but feeling more awake than he had before.

He would want you to get out.

It wasn't fair to be left behind like this. Zach should have known that.

But even if he personally wanted to just disappear entirely, giving up wasn't exactly written in his DNA either. The pulsing, radiating pain would keep him awake at least for now but the cost was a different kind of agony.

It was the memory of Caleb being torn apart and screaming for help and the knowledge that Cesi should have killed him and put him out of his misery and that he didn't. Zach's leg, black and rotting all the way down to the bone. That damn monster, calling out to him with his old man's drunken slur - the sound that had haunted him all the way through his childhood and on the rare occasion, had him waking up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night even now.

That… that pit that he had almost fallen into and where Cesi was certain he had been going to die an awful death and where he almost wished that he had. The grinding sound of rotors humming at the bottom and the weightless feeling of falling into darkness - except that he hadn't.

Because Skywalker had saved his life.

He hadn't needed to do that.

If Cesi had been in his shoes, he probably wouldn't have done the same.

...what did that say about him?

All he knew was that he had been wrong about everything.

He had ignorantly believed himself to be the hero of the whole situation. He was the one to unravel the mystery that was Luke Skywalker. The one to reveal a threat others were too ignorant to see. He'd had his reasons of suspicion... but in the end, no one had asked him to do any of this.

High Command, even with their odd and suspicious behavior in the weeks following Skywalker's adventure on Bespin, hadn't asked him or anyone else to investigate him either. Cesi had just taken it upon himself, certain that he simply knew better and was smarter than they were; the harsh truth that he had to live with now was the knowledge that he wasn't.

He let his eyes flicker tiredly over to Skywalker. He looked just as bad as the rest of them did; hurt and exhausted and covered in a good layer of dirt and blood. He seemed to be trying his best not to fall asleep.

Cesi wasn't certain what to feel about him. He just couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Skywalker had gone out of his way to save him.

The pain in his shoulder was ebbing and his vision blurred slightly for the first time in several minutes. He reached up and dug his palm into his wounds again.

Vader was injured too, he noticed breathlessly. He didn't care whether he was hurt or not but there was definitely blood on the front and sides of his suit. It was probably too much to wish that he'd just keel over and die. No one was that lucky, apparently.

Cesi couldn't understand how it even began to be fair that Vader had lived and Zach and Caleb had died.

They had at least been good people.

He was finally pulled out of his miserable, circling thoughts when the elevator finally came to a stop. The doors opened up again with a quiet little ping and then it got louder as everyone began to move once again. Vader exited first, with Skywalker not far behind him. Then Wedge was pulling Cesi up to his feet again. It made his stomach flip sickeningly and a gross wave of dizziness made him want to pass out entirely. He would have fallen to the ground without Wedge and Tycho both jumping to support his weight.

Then they were walking through a dark hallway, illuminated by flashlights that felt far too bright to his eyes. Where they were now was different than the lower levels had been. Newer, though still with an air of abandonment. Cesi stumbled more than once as they walked and he was so exhausted that it almost felt as though his body were somewhere far behind him.

"Almost there," Wedge murmured. "We're almost there. Just hang on."

They stopped only once they'd gotten to a clearly marked exit. Like the one that had been shot down over them, it was blocked with some collapsed rocks and debris.

"How bad is the damage?" Skywalker asked. His voice seemed to come from far away and Cesi had to blink a few times when he realized that his eyes were drifting closed.

He watched, not quite understanding as Vader pressed a gloved hand up against the closest wall and was quiet for a few seconds. "It is unsteady," he finally said. "Luke, cut those beams. I will hold the corridor and move them when you are finished. The rest of you get out of the way."

Wedge muttered some unkind things under his breath as a result. Cesi's vision blurred again as Tycho and Wedge guided him off to the side and the last thing he saw was Skywalker's lightsaber coming to life with a vivid flash of green.

---

"Opportunity Base, Supreme Commander Darth Vader."

Wedge looked up from where he was sitting on the ground, watching as Vader spoke into his commlink for what felt like the umpteenth time. It was late in the evening and would have been completely dark except they still had a few flashlights to illuminate their immediate surroundings. The air was cool and didn't smell of death and rot. It smelled like it had rained recently.

They had escaped the mine about fifteen minutes ago. The exit had been unstable, groaning horribly and dropping dirt and dust on top of them the more he and Luke had worked to clear the way.

Vader had held thousands of pounds of rock and concrete up long enough for the rest of them to get through the exit before letting it all collapse with a crash that sounded like a boom of thunder once they were all safely outside.

Now they were waiting.

None of them were in any condition to walk anywhere and it was too dark now anyways. Cesi was in and out of consciousness and neither he or Tycho had the strength to help carry him any further. They had found a spot to sit against a low sitting red brick wall just off to the side of the exit they'd come out. They were just watching, uncertain what to do while Vader tried to get a signal out to his people. He hadn't had any success so far and it was clearly irritating him.

"Opportunity Base, Supreme Commander Darth Vader."

Luke was sitting against the brick wall opposite of them, head tilted back with his eyes closed. He wasn't asleep - every now and then, he cracked his eyes open to glance at his father, as if gauging what his mood was.

"Opportunity Base, Supreme Commander Darth Vader."

A short silence fell while they waited for a response. A minute passed and then two. If Wedge didn't know any better, he would swear that he could feel Vader's ire in the very air.

Then, at long last, the commlink crackled to life.

"Go ahead, Supreme Commander. Over."

"Finally," Vader hissed waspishly before pressing the button on his commlink again. "Triangulate my coordinates and send a shuttle to my location immediately. Over."

"Yes, my Lord. Over."

"Be advised, I have located the survivors of Rogue Squadron and have them in custody. Over."

"Copy that. How many?"

"Four. Over."

"Copy. Our ETA is ten minutes out. Over."

The commlink flipped shut and it disappeared to someplace on Vader's belt.

"You going to relax now?" Luke murmured dryly, not bother to open his eyes.

Vader paused, his mask turning with an eerie sort of slowness to glare down at Luke. "Watch your attitude," he warned. Luke only smirked, clearly amused. His only answer was to raise his hands in a fake surrender. "Eat something."

"Not hungry."

Wedge didn't think he would ever get used to this. They needed to stop or he was going to have a stroke from the absurdity of it all. It was hard enough to have to owe Vader some semblance of gratitude for saving them as it was. Being forced to listen to him and Luke banter was too much. And he would withhold his thanks until he knew for certain what was going to happen to them.

He scrubbed his mouth with his hand, glancing at Cesi. His head was resting in Tycho's lap. He was still breathing but unconscious.

"What do you plan to do with me and the rest of my men?" Wedge asked before he could stop himself. He turned his head to stare up at Vader, stomach twisting uneasily.

A tense silence followed and Wedge got the distinct feeling that he was being ignored.

It made him feel angry though he wasn't sure why. He was perfectly confident that Vader didn't give a fuck about offering him or anyone else an answer to anything. That right was reserved for Luke and Luke only, apparently.

But Wedge needed to know. Against his better judgment, he pulled himself to his feet, ignoring Tycho's hissed whisper to "Don't."

"I said, what do you plan to do with us?" Wedge repeated.

Vader stiffened and Luke opened his eyes once more, sitting up a little straighter. The air around them seemed to grow colder as Vader turned around to face him, anger radiating out from him now. "Do you think I am hard of hearing?" he demanded.

Wedge shook his head, clenching his jaw and squaring his shoulders. "No."

"Then know that I only speak to those whom I choose to speak to. You do not get to make demands of me."

No. Only Luke could do that, Wedge thought wildly to himself, chest heaving.

Vader turned his head minutely as Luke murmured, "Father,".

They stared at each other for a few seconds, saying nothing - or maybe they were. Luke had said just the other day that Force users could talk to each other with only their thoughts if they were strong enough to do it.

"An Imperial shuttle will be arriving and returning us back to the clearing your X-Wings were located in." Vader bit out, glaring at Wedge once more. "You will be relieved of your weapons and kept under armed guard until a decision regarding your fates has been made. Satisfied?"

"No," Wedge bit out angrily. "I'm not."

He regretted it almost immediately. People didn't get speak to Vader like this and live. He was pushing his luck and he knew it.

"You are alive." Vader said sharply, raising a finger to point at him in warning. "And that is more than you deserve. So, if I were you, I wouldn't complain."

Wedge swallowed, watching in stony silence as Vader turned on his heel, storming away from them. He didn't go far and after a few seconds, Luke glanced back at Wedge and briefly motioned for him to sit back down before getting up to his feet and following after him.

---

"So… how do you want to do this?" Luke asked quietly, once he was away from the others. None of Vader's anger was directed at him but he figured he should be careful in his approach of the situation regardless. "Prisoner? Fake surrender, long-lost son? Just so you know, I draw the line at carbonite."

The dark cloud of annoyance hanging over his father slowly dissipated with Luke's attempt at humor and he could sense as his father smirked in reluctant amusement. "Fortunately for you, that is not an option this time. Just leave it to me," Vader said, his mask turned to the skies just as the headlights of an Imperial shuttle broke over the distant tree line. "And do not try to cause any problems."

Luke felt a new sort of anticipation begin to churn in the pit of his stomach. "Me?" he asked with a forced air of innocence.

"You."

Luke huffed a laugh but the humor between them did nothing to ease his nerves. He couldn't help but feel uncertain. After all, his father was one thing - but the idea of being surrounded by his enemies felt entirely different. Avoiding the Empire had become part of Survival 101 and he suspected it would be a difficult habit to unlearn.

As the shuttle got closer, instinct had him reaching for his lightsaber before he even realized what he was doing and he hesitated, fingering the hilt as a new thought occurred to him. After a few seconds, Luke slowly unclipped it from his belt and weighed it in his hand before glancing up at his father once again.

"Do… do you want my lightsaber?" Luke asked hesitantly, uncertain of whether or not he would be allowed to have a weapon in a camp full of Imperials. He didn't particularly want to part with it but prisoners weren't typically allowed to keep a weapon on hand. He still wasn't certain how he was going to be presented but he was willing to cede to his father's lead in this for now.

But to his surprise, Vader shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Keep it and use it if you have to."

Luke brushed up against his father's emotions for the briefest moment, trying to sense whether or not he was concerned that something would go wrong. He wasn't. Instead, there was a steady, cool, and detached sort of confidence which Luke was a little more accustomed to based off of their previous interactions with each other.

That meant that the weapon was either for his own comfort or it was a silent statement about where Luke stood with him.

A smile twitched at his lips and with a relieved shake of his head, Luke clipped his lightsaber back on to his belt. "Well… hopefully it won't come to that."

Vader dipped his head once in agreement, keeping his eyes trained on the sky. "Hopefully."

A few minutes later, the shuttle touched ground at last, blowing a warm gust of air towards all of them. Even without actively trying, Luke could sense life onboard but his father's warning to not use the Force until after he'd had the chance to rest kept him from trying to figure out just how many Imperials there were.

Wedge stood up, keeping Tycho and Cesi behind him just as the ramp to the shuttle opened with a slight hiss and a bright beam of light cut through the darkness and spilled onto the ground. The familiar clacking sound of stormtrooper armor filled the air and a squad of eight stormtroopers emerged at last, weapons in hand.

There was an air of professionalism and intent around them as they split into two groups of four and quickly surrounded them in a semi-circle formation. Not a single weapon was pointed at either Luke or his father, though Luke suspected that he was spared only because he was at Vader's side. Instead, they were all trained steadily on the others.

"Relieve them of any weapons and then restrain them." Vader ordered and in an instant, everything about him suddenly became dark and cold. It was disconcerting how fast the change was. "Shoot only to stun, if necessary."

"Copy that."

Two of the troopers stepped forward, sheathing their weapons and proceeded to quickly do a thorough pat down, searching for any remaining weapons that they might have on their persons. Wedge had a blaster that was taken away from him and after pulling him up to his feet, they pulled an impressive looking vibroblade out of Cesi's boot. Otherwise, they came up clean and were quickly put in restraints with their hands behind their back.

Cesi's face whitened as his damaged arm was pulled and Luke felt a foreign, flickering sense of pain on the edge of his thoughts. He allowed his Force presence to stir, just minutely, in order to try and pull away from it. He was tired and hurt enough as it was; dealing with someone else's agony was more than he could handle at the moment.

"All clear, Lord Vader."

"Good."

Luke startled but didn't jerk away when Vader suddenly grabbed his bicep with one hand. "Come with me."

He was pulled into the shuttle, forced to walk fast in order to keep up with his father's longer stride and didn't have time to look around or appreciate the quality of the vessel before he was quickly sat down in a seat.

"Strap yourself in."

Luke nodded, glancing around and fumbling with the buckles for a few seconds before he was able to click them into place.

His father stayed standing and his thoughts were sharp and focused, almost eerily so as the stormtrooper guards approached the shuttle. It was the same calculating, dangerous intelligence that he'd been on the receiving end of in the past encounters. It was a reminder that his father had earned his reputation for a reason and that his attitude with Luke was the exception, not the norm.

Would this be how it was, moving forwards?

He realized, for the first time, that he had absolutely no idea what he was actually getting himself into or what life with his father would be like.

Luke took a steadying breath, refusing to get too far ahead of himself with all the things he didn't know and watched as two of the stormtroopers kept their blasters trained on Wedge and Tycho. Cesi was practically being carried, unable to walk on his own now. They were all sat down in the row of seats opposite and Luke and likewise secured with crash netting.

They were scared and rightfully so.

Everything that was happening was the absolute worst case scenario in every conceivable way for any member of the Rebel Alliance. They had been captured and taken alive by the Empire and were now in the custody of Darth Vader, who was not known for mercy. They were isolated, injured, and alone, and none of them had any reason to think that help would be coming their way.

It had not been discussed between them yet, but Luke thought his father was intelligent enough to know that his wanting to save them meant his end goal was for them to be free to leave as well.

Then, the signal was given and the ramp was pulled back in. It didn't close entirely, creating a cool bluster of air inside the cabin of the shuttle as it became airborne which made him shiver. It wasn't a long flight - roughly ten minutes. Even while traveling mostly downwards, they had still managed to cross miles and miles of territory while underground and it made Luke wonder once again, just how big the mines actually were.

Light filtered in to the shuttle, dancing across his legs with the cold air and Luke craned his neck and realized that they were passing the rubbled remains of Cimiento. A series of large standing work lights had been set up around the factory at some point, illuminating it and the surrounding area.

Then, just as quickly as they came up on it, it was gone from view again.

The clearing that they had hidden their X-wings in wasn't much farther and more light filtered in as they approached and began their descent. From what little Luke could see, the clearing looked far different then it had just a few days ago, having been converted into a temporary camp of sorts for the Imperial garrison. He caught a glimpse of tents which had been set up, as well as several TIE-fighters and different vehicles sitting parked in the clearing between their ships too.

An Imperial squadron stood waiting for them when the shuttle landed. They were lined up into two small companies with three rows of four men each. A dark skinned man approached as Vader descended from the shuttle's ramp with Luke once again at his side. The Imperial officer wore the rank of Captain on his shirt and he offered his father a crisp and professional salute just as the two companies snapped to attention.

"At ease," Vader said after a moment, briefly waving his hand. Instantly, and as one perfect unit, the two companies stepped into a parade rest.

"Welcome back, Lord Vader. We are pleased to see you well."

"Captain Deklan. You may call off the search and instruct your men that they can begin to resume normal operations if you have not already done so. Skywalker has been apprehended and the surviving members of Rogue Squadron are now in custody of the Empire."

Luke shifted his stance, disliking the number of curious eyes that he could feel staring at him now. It made him feel like an animal in a zoo.

"I will notify my men."

"Do so. I require that this area of operation stay functional until my departure. All unnecessary personnel will be relieved and can return to the garrison. Make no mistake, you and your people will be rewarded for your part in this."

The Captain's expression did not outwardly change but Luke could feel a breathless sort of relief coming from his person in the Force.

"Thank you, Sir. Are you in need of any medical attention, Sir?"

Vader tucked his thumbs into his belt. "That will not be necessary." he said stiffly.

"Then what would you like us to do with the prisoners, My Lord?"

Luke subtly glanced at his father.

"Commander Skywalker is under my protection," Vader said swiftly, a warning tone entering his voice for the first time. "Anyone under your command who harms him will suffer the consequence of an immediate death and you will personally be held responsible." The Imperial captain swallowed thickly, his face paling slightly. "Do I make myself clear, Captain Deklan?"

"Quite clear, Sir."

"Good. Then know that he is free to wander about as he pleases. I have his promise that he will not try to escape."

The captain hesitated, baffled to his core. What Vader was demanding went against every kind of policy and official protocol that there was in regards to the apprehension and keeping of prisoners. With Luke being as famous and notoriously difficult to capture as he was, it didn't make any logical sense. But, to the captain's credit, he was wise enough not to question Vader's authority. "And… what of the other Rebels?" he asked instead. "What would you like us to do with them?"

"For now, they will receive the necessary medical attention required to keep them alive. Have your people see to their injuries. Shoot to stun, only if necessary."

The captain nodded. "Will that be all, Sir?"

"Yes. There will be a debriefing to discuss my expectations moving forwards. For now, you are all dismissed."

Captain Deklan stepped back and offered Vader another respectful salute and then turned around to address his people, repeating several of his father's instructions and than directing others into the shuttle to retrieve the others. Seconds later, Wedge and Tycho were escorted out and Cesi was brought out on a stretcher.

"Take these guys to the med tent and keep them under armed guard."

Luke watched them all disperse, keeping an eye on Wedge and the others until they disappeared into a nearby tent.

Then it was quiet again. None of the Imperials stuck around for very long, disappearing quickly so as not to irritate his father by staring or giving off the impression that they might try to eavesdrop.

"You'll let them go, right?" Luke asked once he was certain they were alone again.

His father was silent for a long moment and then some of the iciness surrounding him began to thaw a little. "Yes," Vader said. "They will be allowed to return to the Rebellion."

Luke nodded his head, relieved. "Thank you."

"They do not deserve the courtesy."

"A lot of people don't deserve a lot of things." Luke said quietly. "What they did, they did to me. I'm choosing to let it go."

Vader turned to look at him. "And have you?"

"Not yet," Luke admitted. "But I'll get there."

"They will not be able to keep what has happened. You understand that, correct?"

"I know what's going to happen." Luke confirmed. He wasn't ready for it - and didn't know if he ever would be. The thought of everyone that he'd fought with and become close to over the last few years would likely come to see him as an enemy and a traitor in the coming weeks hurt fiercely.

But with the loss of two lives and Luke's own departure, what might have been a simple mission briefing would inevitably turn into a full scale investigation and inquiry. Wedge was bound by duty to be honest. Even if he had the inclination to, he wouldn't be able to lie. He would have to tell High Command everything that had happened.

What they would choose to do with that information was anyone's guess. Luke could only hope that, even if just for their own public image, that the Rebellion would keep it quiet and save themselves the backlash that would come from their poster boy teaming up with Darth Vader. The scandal and lack of support that they would receive should be enough to keep the information from getting out to the wider galaxy for at least a little while. But in the end, there was no guarantee for anything.

All he could do was accept that it was going to happen and do what he thought was right.

Vader's irritation seemed to fade as he sensed the direction of Luke's thoughts. He pressed a hand against the small of his back, urging him forwards. "Go have your injuries tended to. We will leave in the morning after I have dealt with the garrison and ensure their silence."

Luke hesitated, turning back to face him. "Are you going to -"

"Yes," Vader interrupted with a hint of impatience. "My shuttle is equipped to deal with the injuries I sustained. I will find you when I am done. Go rest."

There was no hint of a lie anywhere in the Force and that was enough for him. He had just wanted to make sure. "Alright then. See you later."

---

Everything kept happening too quickly and Wedge felt wholly unable to keep up with it all. He was exhausted and hurt and wasn't certain how much longer he could keep going.

After being escorted to the medical tent, all three of them were triaged by a member of the medical staff and Cesi was immediately singled out as a Priority Red with life threatening injuries and taken to the back part of the tent while both Wedge and Tycho were shuffled off to the side with a guard, having both been labeled as Priority Yellow.

Wedge craned his head, trying desperately to keep an eye on what was happening with Cesi for as long as he could. There was a mixture of real staff and medical droids that were starting to work on him. Cesi was lifted off the stretcher and placed on a operating table and then they were cutting off his jacket and then peeling away the bandages that he had applied down in the mines. He had done the best that he could and had tried to stop the worst of the bleeding. He wasn't certain if he had been able to do enough though. Cesi was still frighteningly pale - practically white, and Wedge hadn't been able to rouse him again in the minutes leading up to this.

There was a flood of chatter and another flurry of movement as the gruesome wounds in his arm and shoulder were revealed.

Beside him, Tycho coughed hoarsely, twisting his head into his shoulder as he fought to breathe.

"You doing okay?" Wedge whispered, nudging him slightly.

"M'fine. It just hurts. You?"

"Living the dream."

A tall, silver droid approached both him and Tycho then, blocking his view of the proceedings with Cesi.

"I am OB-1983 and am here to assess you." It said, introducing itself. It turned its face to Wedge. "Please cooperate and answer the following questions."

"Talk to Tycho first," Wedge said forcefully. He didn't trust the Empire and he didn't particularly care for medial droids either - they were often programmed to be cold and impersonal and it had always weirded him out. But he would be damned if he was taken care of before anyone under his command was.

OB stared at him for a long moment and then inclined its head. "Very well."

It turned to Tycho instead. The questions were asked quickly and professionally and within a few minutes, Tycho was being moved once again to a different corner of the tent. He laid down - stiffly - on one of the beds that had been set up, before being recuffed. The droid offered him clean oxygen and listened to the sound of his heart. A pulse oximeter was attached to one of his fingers and a beep…beep…beep began to sound in the background of all the noise.

Wedge's vision blurred and he blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision and force himself to pay attention. He wished that he could have his hands and arms free but he was still in restraints and didn't dare try and ask one of the stormtroopers that was guarding him. He didn't think that they cared and couldn't really blame them if they didn't.

One of the people working on Cesi turned around and hurried away from the operating table to a small row of cabinets set up near the front. The front of her scrubs was already covered with blood.

"What's happening?" Wedge demanded, standing up straighter. The stormtrooper beside him shifted slightly but he was otherwise ignored. "Excuse me - hey!" The nurse didn't pay him any attention, hurrying right past him and Wedge groaned, frustrated almost to the point of tears.

He craned his head again, trying to get any clue as to what was happening but a curtain was being pulled around the space where they were working on Cesi and all he could hear was medical jargon that barely made any sense to him except tell him that Cesi was in really bad shape. Looking around, he noticed for the first time that the med tent seemed well stocked and prepared; prepared for almost anything, as far as Wedge could tell. There were medical droids and scanners, beds, hell, even a small bacta tank had been installed in one of the far corners.

For Luke. Some part of his mind whispered. All of this had been set up for Luke.

That was another problem. Luke hadn't followed them into the tent. Wedge had been too distracted by Cesi to hear everything that Vader had said to the other Imperials and realized only now that he was thinking about it that he wasn't certain if Vader had said he was leaving or not.

Broken ribs weren't that serious, all things considered. What if Vader had just... taken Luke and gone? What if Wedge never saw him again?

What was going to happen to the rest of them?

"Captain?"

Wedge blinked and looked up. Another medical person was standing in front of him now - a woman, with long blonde hair.

"Yeah?" he asked hoarsely. "Is he - ?"

"Your friend is still alive but he has been hurt very badly. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"

Wedge nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah - anything."

"Are you…" she hesitated, glancing over her shoulder.

"Cesi. His name is Cesi Collins."

"Mr. Collins then. Are you his direct superior?"

Wedge nodded again.

"Alright. I understand that this is a... unique... situation but since he is under your command and cannot defer to anyone, medical decisions fall to you." She explained slowly. "We've managed to stop the bleeding but the damage done to Mr. Collin's arm is significant and the tissue decay in the wounded area is advanced."

"What does that mean?" Wedge interjected, trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was supposed to make these decisions.

"It means that the arm is already dying." She said patiently. "If this were a professional setting and we were better equipped, then maybe there would be a chance. But right now, even if we try to save his arm, it will never regain full functionality. Not even half."

Wedge felt his heart sink into his stomach. He wanted to be sick. He wanted to be anywhere except here.

"I understand that this is a lot to take in but you need to tell us what you want us to do."

He couldn't. He couldn't make this decision. Cesi was a prick more than half the time but he was still a friend. He was still a person and losing a limb on a mission that was supposed to have been easy was… it just wasn't fair. Wedge was supposed to have made sure that this kind of thing didn't happen.

"I can't. I can't do this."

"He cannot make the decision himself. You need to tell us what you would like us to do."

Have them save Cesi's arm, only for it to be useless? Or have them cut it off entirely? Sure, prosthetics were a thing but that didn't make losing a limb easy. What kind of trauma would he be inflicting when Cesi woke up and had lost part of himself?

..would it even matter in the end? There was no guarantee that they would live out the week. They were prisoners of the Empire.

"Captain…."

"Remove it." Wedge whispered. He felt dizzy. "If there isn't any hope, then remove it."

"Very well."

The nurse stood up and then there was more talking and motion again. His binders were removed and a datapad was shoved into his hands for him to sign. Wedge couldn't string enough coherent thoughts together to think that the Empire needing him to sign paperwork was weird and unexpected. He just signed where they told him to and then slumped down in a chair and buried his face in his hands.

---

Luke stood awkwardly in the entry of the tent, looking around and feeling uncertain of what to do. There was a lot of motion and activity going on. His eyes were drawn to where the most activity was occurring and knew that it was revolving around Cesi. He was the one most badly injured and in need of help and while Luke didn't have any particular fondness for him, he hoped that he was going to be alright. It wasn't hard to spot Wedge, still waiting with an armed guard, and Tycho w next but neither of them noticed him... or if they did, they chose not to say anything.

Fortunately, Luke didn't have to stand around for very long. Two of the medical staff noticed him and immediately jumped into action, making their way over to him. One of them had a datapad in hand.

"Commander Skywalker," the first one greeted hurriedly. "I have been assigned to assess you for injuries. If you would allow me to do so?"

He was a younger man, maybe Luke's age or a little older and there was an aura of unease around the man. It pulsed in the Force like the pounding of a heart and it took a few seconds for Luke to realize that he was scared of Luke. Or maybe of what would happen to him if Luke wasn't alright. An older woman with greying hair that was pulled into a severe bun gave off a much more confident Imperial attitude.

"Thank you, but I would appreciate it if the others were looked at first." Luke said, nodding to Wedge sitting slumped in a chair. He looked absolutely terrible. "I can wait."

"With all due respect, you are the priority per Lord Vader's orders."

"I said I'll wait."

He hadn't intended to snap but it came out before he could stop himself. Luke was tired and hurt and he'd had himself a hell of a day. But he was not in so much that he couldn't wait until everyone else had all been looked at and cared for. Wedge might be in command of the squadron but until the three of them were gone and on their way back to the Rebellion, Luke would consider himself their commander and do his best by them.

The woman pursed her lips. "Lord Vader will not be happy with this." she warned.

Luke refrained from rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll get over it."

A scandalized sort of disbelief fluttered through the Force that anyone would speak so casually about the Supreme Commander but Luke had a fake hand and a stern reprimand to get over it to back his feelings on this. She glowered at him, irritated and obviously trying to prompt him to change his mind. It wasn't going to work though and she very reluctantly acquiesced and directed Luke somewhere that he could sit down and wait. It was a relief to get off his feet and Luke watched intently as she and the other man left and approached Wedge, beginning their assessment of him at last.

Misery surrounded Wedge like a dark cloud and it felt like the sharp pricking of a needle piercing his skin over and over in the Force.

It was a terrible feeling. Luke had lost people under his command as well and he understood the feeling of grief and failure all too well. But he also knew that there wasn't anything anyone could say to make it better and that grief was better than feeling nothing at all.

He still wasn't sure if it was even his place to offer support; Luke felt more like an outsider than he ever had in his life. And in any case, now wasn't really the right time and Luke was selfish enough in this moment to admit that he didn't feel up to the task. Just ensuring their collective health and safety was the most he felt he could give and it would have to be enough.

A familiar whirling whistle caught Luke's attention and he quickly lifted his head in time to see none other than Artoo rolling his way through the entryway of the med tent as if he owned the place.

The sight made Luke smile with relief. He had meant to ask what had happened to him. The little droid looked good though and in no worse shape than he had been when Luke had seen him last, if quite a bit dirtier, and only a restraining bolt to show for his stay with the Imperials. He spotted Luke quickly and rolled towards him, twittering once or twice in annoyance when someone had the audacity to get in his way.

"Hello, Artoo." Luke greeted with a weary smile, reaching out to place a hand on the top of his dome once he was close enough. "I told you I would be back."

OBSERVATION: Master Luke, you are injured. Artoo stated accusingly.

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" Luke chuckled, relieved more than he could say to be in the presence of a friend.

Artoo beeped and whirled smugly. CONFIDENT ASSERTION: I am VERY useful.

"You are," Luke agreed. "You definitely are."

There was some movement which caught his eye and Luke was briefly distracted as he watched Wedge get escorted over a bed where he was directed to take his shirt off. Luke winced in sympathy at the sight of a badly bruised up rib cage - it seemed like he hadn't been the only one to suffer some broken ribs.

With Wedge now clearly being looked after, the strict looking woman came marching back to him with a no nonsense expression on her face. "Alright," she said once she was close enough. "Captain Antilles and the others are being treated. I insist that you allow me to do the same for you."

"Fine," Luke agreed tiredly. "Let's just get this over with."

The woman - whose name tag read Beren - gestured for him to follow her. Luke pulled himself to his feet and followed her to a different section of the tent, Artoo dutifully following him, until they were in a more private area. Beren got straight to the point and fired off questions one after the other regarding his basic medical information and then dove straight into his more immediate needs.

The blood on his clothes belonged mostly the mimic and Beren had him strip out down to his underthings and throw them in a red bio-bag.

"You are filthy," she informed him with a scowl, writing notes down on her datapad. "Absolutely filthy."

"Gee, thanks." Luke muttered, feeling awkward and irritated. He held still for her as she dawned some latex gloves and began prodding his ribs with her hand and then used a medical scanner.

"Three broken ribs," she reported with a tsk. "Sit down, young man. How did these burns happen?"

"I got thrown into some live wires," Luke explained as he sat down. The electricity had burned him down through his clothes, but his face and hands had taken the worst of it. It was an experience that he was not eager to have again.

"You were electrocuted?"

"Yeah."

The look of disapproval that was sent his way seemed more than unfair - it wasn't like he had done it on purpose. Dear Force, she was acting worse than his father.

She worked quickly, attaching a few little devices to his chest and started a monitor to watch his heart in order to ensure there were no abnormalities. It seemed to be coming up clear. Beren insisted on monitoring it for the next few hours, just to be sure. Then, his burns were cleaned and swabbed with a bacta salve to kickstart the healing process. It felt cool and itched a little as it began to work. A cleaner set of clothes was offered to him and he stood up to pull them on, relieved to no longer be practically naked.

"Other than your ribs, you seem to be in good health. Drink this," Beren stated.

Luke reached for the rectangular carton being offered to him and couldn't help but make a face when he realized that it was Bact-Aid. A drinkable alternative to bacta that worked to heal internal injuries. Bracing himself, Luke took a quick breath, counted down from three, and then downed the whole carton as fast as he could.

It would have his busted ribs healed in a few days, rather than a few weeks but Force, the stuff was absolutely foul to the taste. A small cup of water was waiting for him when he finished and Luke accepted it and drank it quickly, holding the water in his mouth and swishing it around for a few seconds before swallowing it.

"You'll probably feel some itching in the affected areas for a couple of hours while your injuries start to heal and might experience some dizziness. You should lay down for a while and rest. Inform us if it becomes painful."

Then Beren turned around and gathered her things. She paused only to pull a curtain closed to offer him a little privacy and then left him alone.

Luke looked around but turned his attention inwards for a few seconds. The bond between him and his father was shuttered now. Not quite closed, but Luke could tell that his father wanted privacy and could only hope that that meant he was getting his own injuries taken care of as well. He had no idea how long that would take.

Artoo twittered at him, pulling him from his thoughts. At least he wasn't alone while he waited.

"What's with the restraining bolt?" Luke asked him quietly. Artoo immediately blew an annoyed sounding raspberry at the question.

EXASPERATED REPLY: LORD VAD3R expressed the opinion that I would be a nuisance to OPPORTUNITY BASE operations in his absence.

Luke felt a smile twitch at his lips. "Was he right?"

REPLY: Absolutely.

"I'll see if I can get it off for you later," he promised.

Luke dropped his head back against the thin little pillow, staring up at the ceiling of the tent for a minute or so. In a few hours, his entire life was going to change; technically, it already had. Other than being with his father, he wished he knew what he should expect. Then he turned his head, glancing once more towards Artoo.

The little droid was a much easier topic to handle, one that didn't require quite so much thought. And really, what were the odds of him and his father owning the same droid over twenty years apart? Luke couldn't begin to fathom how that had happened.

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew my father?" Luke asked before he could stop himself.

Artoo was silent. His dome swiveled slightly, giving off the impression that he was almost embarrassed. The silence stretched between them for almost a minute and Luke felt a nervous feeling grow in his stomach as he waited for the answer.

DATABANK REFERENCE: PRIMARY: ANAKIN SKYWALKER was a good friend.

"Okay, but why did you not tell me?" Luke repeated, feeling hurt. It was bad enough that everyone else had lied to him - Artoo was just a slap in the face after all that they had been through together.

A series of beeps and chirps sounded and then, REPEATED STATEMENT: PRIMARY: ANAKIN SKYWALKER was a good friend.

Luke paused, thinking about the answer. Understanding came to him slowly. "You missed him." he observed quietly.

REPLY: Yes.

It was a mournful sort of answer, one that Luke did not often associate with droids. Both Artoo and Threepio were rather eccentric in their personalities; Artoo being sarcastic and bold and Threepio being… well, Threepio . But grief, sadness, whatever it was that Artoo seemed to be expressing… that wasn't normal.

But it was fair, Luke decided after a long moment. For as much as he thought about them, he rarely spoke about his own family to anyone either. He was the only one left to carry their memories and it was sometimes a heavy burden to hold. If Artoo and his father had gone through the Clone Wars together, then it stood to reason that they had spent a lot of time with each other.

No matter who it was coming from… it seemed like a lot of people had missed Anakin Skywalker since he'd gone missing. Luke wondered if his father had any idea how many people had loved and admired him. He wondered if it would have made any difference in the way things had turned out if he hadn't.

"Would you… be willing to tell me about him? Maybe not now but… sometime?" Luke asked hesitantly.

There was a brief pause and then Artoo warbled again. POSITIVE AFFIRMATION: That would be agreeable with me. ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION: You are both very similar.

"You think so?"

AMUSED REPLY: Very. But in a good way. You were fortunate in your Initial Operating System Boot to download and retain some of his more admirable qualities.

Luke felt a tired smile grow on his face. It was nice to hear that from a friend. Artoo was a clever and opinionated little droid and didn't typically withhold his true opinions. Now he was one of the small handful of beings in the galaxy that knew the truth about Vader and he wasn't condemning Luke for it. It was a small weight off his shoulders.

"You wiped the flight logs from the ships, right?"

DATABANK REFERENCE: I did, Artoo practically purred with pride. The Imperials have learned nothing about the location of the Rebel base.

"Good," Luke rested his hand on the top of his dome for a long moment, tenderly moving his thumb back and forth along the rim of his dome. "I'm glad you're okay."

Artoo twittered, freely returning the sentiment. Then his one eye flickered and dimmed slightly. OPINION: You need sleep. I can keep watch until LORD VAD3R returns from his maintenance.

That sounded good. Luke could admit that he desperately want the chance to sleep. His head was pounding and he would be able to think more clearly once he had woken up.

"Keep an eye on the others, okay?" Luke yawned, his eyes already drifting closed. "Wake me if anything happens?"

AFFIRMATIVE REPLY: I will. Now go to sleep.

He did.

---

Sleep did not come to him the way he wanted though. Luke didn't know how long he'd rested for but at some point, he felt as though he was suddenly… drifting... in a spot that was somewhere between sleeping and awake - he was aware of… of something….

A sort of… picture flashed in front of his eyes. It wasn't clear - sort of fuzzy, like static - and it looked strange for some reason but Luke thought that what he was seeing might be a moon - a moon beside a moon, actually.

It lingered just long enough for Luke to think that he'd seen one of them before - and then everything around him fractured like broken glass and he was somewhere else entirely. He was standing on a pathway. A dimly lit dirt path, with pebbles and little weeds sprouting upwards just barely visible. It was perhaps three or four feet wide and when he looked around, there was nothing except total darkness on either side of him.

A terrible, evil, oppressive darkness.

In time you will call me Master.

Luke shivered at the cool, mocking tone that whispered around him from within the darkness itself. The owner of the voice spoke like it knew him and like it wanted him down on his knees.

The thought made him frown.

He wasn't going to kneel.

Luke looked around, wondering where to go and got the impression that stepping off the path into the darkness would be like falling off the edge of a cliff… there wouldn't be any way to climb out of such an abyss. The path extended somewhere behind him as well and that way felt safe and familiar. But, as he glanced around once more, Luke realized that there was something… something flickering ahead of him - a small, bright light, somewhere off in the distance, barely visible. An intense longing filled his heart and without fully understanding, Luke knew that he had been searching for that light all of his life and that he wanted it more than he had ever wanted anything.

He took a hesitant step forward, feeling pebbles and dirt shift under the weight of his boots. Silence descended upon him, nearly as oppressive as the darkness itself until the only sound Luke could hear was the pounding of his own heart in his ears.

The air immediately turned cold and from the corner of his eyes, the darkness seemed to shift all around him, like fragments of old memory and childhood fears.

It was an eerie, lonely sort of feeling. As if he were the only one left in existence.

Luke kept his eyes on the light and took another step forwards and then another.

He knew that he was leaving something behind him and it hurt to leave whatever it was. But the light… Luke knew it was good. It was important and it seemed like it was waiting for him … so he kept walking. For minutes, for hours… he wasn't sure. Luke didn't know and didn't care. All he knew was to go forwards. As he walked, he slowly became aware of the fact that it wasn't entirely silent. The darkness was whispering things that were almost too fleeting for him to hear. He did his best to ignore it, knowing that it couldn't be anything good.

He walked but it was hard to tell whether he was making any progress at all. Was he even moving? The light didn't seem to be any closer than when he had started. At some point, he grew tired and began to slow down. His strides became a little shorter and it felt pointless to continue if he wasn't making progress. Briefly, for the smallest moment, Luke thought about turning back.

Immediately, Ben Kenobi's voice whispered from somewhere close by… but also from very far away. It echoed slightly, faint and thundering all at once. It almost stopped him in his tracks. Almost, but not quite.

Anakin Skywalker is gone. He is dead and you will not find him. This is foolishness.

Luke frowned.

That wasn't true.

I already found him, Ben. Luke lifted his right hand, intending to point to the light still flickering in front of him. His hand was gone and it was only a stump, raw and hurting the same way it had after Bespin. Luke didn't care, lifting his left hand instead. He's right there.

The light was warm. Luke could feel it from here and it hadn't been extinguished yet.

…twisted and evil….

Luke shook his head again, remembering what Ben and Master Yoda were setting him up to do.

I can't kill my own father. I won't.

Then the Emperor has already won. You were our last hope.

The darkness around him shifted again, shrugging off the presence of Ben Kenobi until he disappeared. With him, any comfort or feeling of safety he had had dissipated entirely. A low chuckle sounded around him and Luke felt a fear that he had never known before sink deep into his bones. It was cold and dark and terrible. Luke swallowed, daring to take his eyes off the flickering light in the distance for the first time and glanced around.

Eyes.

Yellow eyes, staring out at him from a curtain of darkness. They stared at him coldly, looking at him as if he were nothing but an object. A chess piece on a board. Something to be used on a whim.

On the path in front of him, a small towheaded child appeared wearing cheap desert clothes made for slaves. He ran up to Luke with bright blue eyes and a cocky little smile on his face. He seemed a little hazy, like a holo image was, but something warmed in Luke's heart and told him that this little boy was his father.

I'm gonna be a Jedi! Anakin said proudly, his voice echoing and distant, almost too quiet to hear. There was a charming sort of excitement on his face that made Luke want to smile. He stretched out a hand before he could stop himself, reaching for Anakin and marveling at how similar they were to each other, just as he disappeared from view in the blink of an eye.

Startled, Luke looked around, wondering where he had gone and found the yellow eyes of the Sith Master glaring at him from the darkness once again.

Young fool. It is destiny. You, like your father, are now mine.

He heard the tinkling sound of chains somewhere off in the distance and knew that they were intended for him. He had heard them before. Frightened, Luke tore his eyes away from Sidious and looked to the light once more. It was good; it was what he wanted, even if it killed him to get to it. And it was fading now… the darkness was trying to blot it out, to crush it entirely, and it hurt like an agony that could tear his soul to shreds.

Luke felt fear grip his heart and he took off in a dead sprint, no longer concerned with how tired he was. He was just scared of losing sight of what he had come so far to find.

To save.

I'm gonna be a Jedi! Anakin's voice whispered again, just as the light in front of him flickered and dimmed.

A Jedi.

I am a Jedi. Luke responded, pushing himself faster and faster, trying to cross the insurmountable distance. He was getting closer now - he could feel it in his very soul. He just had to keep going - just a little farther. He could make it. He had to.

You are mine. Sidious hissed again. Flashes of blue lightning streaked through the clouds of darkness around him, like the claws of an evil hand that was reaching out to grab him.

No! I am a Jedi, like my father!

The light was closer… closer… it was so close - Luke reached out for it just as the darkness began to swarm him, blocking his view of the dirt path like a massive cloud of flies. It descended on him, smothering him, forcing itself down his throat, into his eyes, his nostrils, trying to invade his very being and destroy everything that he was.

I am a Jedi!

It felt like his declaration - his plea, he didn't know for sure which one it was - went unheard, fading into the wind like nothing. He couldn't breathe. Anger, hurt, pain, rage, suffering - all of it was crowding in on him, burning through his veins like hot acid and all he wanted was the light. He stumbled to his knees for the first time, feeling the dirt and rocks digging into his skin, a pressure on top of him that was so heavy he had no idea how to shrug it off.

When he looked up again, Luke couldn't see the light.

No! He couldn't fall down now - he had come all this way to find him.

Luke scrambled, trying to find his feet but he was immediately pushed back down, feeling the wind get knocked out of him as he hit the ground hard.

You are mine.

No, I'm not! I am a Jedi!

The surrounding darkness laughed and it covered everything now. Luke couldn't see and he couldn't get up… he was scared and he just wanted his father.

…I am a Jedi… he cried, his voice drowned out by the evil around him. It felt like nothing else existed except him and his fear.

From somewhere in the darkness, a stunning bright white light suddenly flashed, dispersing nearly everything around him… and then Luke woke up.

---

Luke sat bolt upright with a gasp, breathing frantically, and looking wildly around him, trying to remember where he was.

The lights in his immediate surroundings were dim, casting dark shadows and for a terrifying moment, it seemed almost as if nothing had changed; that he was still on that path, being swarmed and consumed by darkness.

But just as quickly as the thought crossed his mind, a low sounding warble came from Artoo who was still diligently standing guard beside him. Luke turned to look at him and felt some of the fear in his chest abate. He was in the med tent. Not in the mines and not on that dark, gloomy path either. His hands were shaking a little and he clenched his fists in a mixture of the crisp bed sheets and a blanket that had pooled around his waist as he'd sat up, hoping that it would stop.

Luke scrubbed his face with his real hand, running it through his hair as Artoo twittered a question, his dome swiveling slightly as he expressed his concern.

"I'm okay," Luke breathed under his breath, though he wasn't certain if the assurance was for him or for Artoo. "I'm okay."

He flinched, when the curtain giving him privacy was pulled back with a sharp whoosh. It was one of the Imperial medics - Beren, from earlier.

"Are you alright, Commander?"

Luke stared at her, heart pounding. From what little he could see, the rest of the tent was dimly lit now and he was half expecting to see yellow eyes glaring at him from the darkness. They weren't there but it felt like they were.

"Commander?"

Luke forced himself to speak. "I… yeah, I'm… I'm okay."

"Are you quite certain?" Beren stepped inside his room. "Your heart rate spiked."

"I just… had a bad dream."

Reaching for his shields, Luke carefully pulled them closed; they had opened a little while he'd been asleep and a hint of the wider galaxy was playing at his senses again. Duller than earlier, when it had first returned to him; he could get a much better sense of it settling now.

Still. He wasn't certain if he could go back to sleep again.

Not after that… dream.

If it had been a dream at all. It felt like so much more than just a dream. More like a vision. But... what did it mean?

A path. Darkness. Light. No obvious way to go.

So much fear. So much evil. Those hateful, glaring yellow eyes that had been watching him, just waiting to put him on his knees. He had never felt anything so wrong or awful in his life.

Force, he needed to think.

Making up his mind, Luke pushed the covers off of him and got to his feet. However much sleep he had gotten was not enough to replenish all or even half his strength but it didn't matter. He ripped the little heart monitor things off and tossed them on the bed behind him, ignoring Beren's sharp reprimands to stop. His ribs no longer felt quite as sore as they had earlier but Luke still winced when he bent down to pull his shoes on his feet.

"Young man, lay back down right now!"

"No." Luke said stiffly. "I'm going for a walk. My - I mean, Lord Vader said I can go where I want."

"Maybe so, but as your attending, I insist that you remain here and rest. You should not be overexerting yourself right now."

"Duly noted but you're not my mother or my father."

Beren's eyes flashed angrily and if Luke had not faced down a monster or been in the company of his father for the last day or so, it might have intimidated him. But he wasn't taking no for an answer and when it became obvious that she was not going to win, she slowly stepped out of his space, muttering under her breath all the while.

Luke walked past her without another word, entering the main tent once again. He glanced around, noting that there were four stormtrooper guards standing at each corner of the tent. They were all armed and watching him steadily but no one made any attempt to stop him. They didn't want to either, Luke realized. Nothing short of him outrightly trying to attack any of them would prompt them to go against his father's word.

He could sense that Wedge was awake, though trying to appear as though he weren't - but Tycho and Cesi were both asleep. There was no chance of any of them following him as they had been restrained to their beds for the safety of the Imperials present.

"Stay here," Luke said to Artoo before making his way towards the entrance and stepping out into the night.

---

Wedge sat up, watching silently as Luke disappeared outside. He heard the stormtroopers armor click as they shifted. One of them began slowly walking through the tent, doing a check but left Wedge alone when he passed by.

The nurse who'd spoken to Luke was muttering under her breath about "stubborn idiots" and shaking her head. She had the appearance of being a very severe and strict woman who wasn't used to not getting her way. Wedge had learned that she was in charge of the medical department for this particular Imperial garrison. It didn't take her long to notice that Wedge was awake and then she immediately turned her attention on him.

"Captain Antilles," she addressed him sharply. "Are you alright?"

Wedge winced, feeling oddly like he'd been caught doing something wrong and nodded.

"Let someone know if you need anything." Beren reminded him tightly. "Otherwise, go back to sleep."

Wedge was not eager to get yelled at and so he slowly laid back down, tucking his unrestrained arm behind his head and turning his body towards the entrance of the tent.

Sleep did not come easily for him. He had been in and out for the last several hours, woken up by his own paranoia and the sound of Caleb screaming as he was torn apart and eaten was keeping him awake. Every time that he closed his eyes, he was seeing blood and rotting corpses and the foul smell that was still clung to him made him sick to his stomach.

He just felt miserable and lonely inside. Tycho was sleeping and Cesi, after having his arm amputated, was being kept under by sedatives. The surgery had gone well - or so he'd been told, and he would live. The relief he felt did nothing to assuage the guilt that was sitting heavy in his stomach. He didn't know how to reconcile one fact with the other and all he could do was try not to think too hard about the fact that he was going to have to tell Cesi that he'd lost his arm.

A cruel, whispering voice kept insisting that none of this would have happened if he had just listened to Luke when he said that they should just leave. All of this could have been avoided and now he and his men were in the hands of the Empire. The anxiety of not knowing what was going to happen was a torture all on its own.

He desperately wanted to talk to Luke - it seemed like the only thing that he might actually be able to do.

Wedge stayed awake for another half hour or so, waiting for Luke to come back and rehearsing what he would say and how he would say it. He kept imagining all the different ways that their conversation could go. In some of them, things miraculously worked out and in others everything went terribly, terribly wrong. Anything he thought of to say felt horribly and cruelly inadequate.

He was still waiting when he fell back into a restless sleep.

---

The opportunity to walk in fresh, open air was exactly what Luke needed. He hadn't much time in the last few weeks to just be by himself and he was desperate to get away from prying eyes and have the opportunity to think clearly.

He wandered around the camp for a little while with no particular destination in mind, lost in thought. Luke had had very few Force visions. The concept itself was still new to him, honestly, and Master Yoda had not gone into much detail on the one occasion that they had discussed them after his experience in the cave on Dagobah.

His dream had felt similar to that one but also very different. For one thing, Luke had been awake last time and had been placed in a situation that had not seemed to require a great deal of interpretation. The same could not be said for this one though. It felt complex and meaningful.

Master Yoda had said that the Force could show him many things - the past, present, and the future. After thinking about the things he'd seen, Luke cautiously wondered if he had just experienced all three at the exact same time.

Luke looked up, realizing that he had accidentally wandered close to some members of the Imperial squadron that were standing guard. These were some of the people who had alerted his father of their presence on the planet and probably inadvertently saved his life. An awkward stare-down began as Luke and the Imperials stared at each other, no one knowing quite what to do or how to react.

He stretched out into the Force, wondering if he should be on guard around them but almost immediately could sense and feel their intentions and emotions. They certainly had questions and it would have been strange if some of them didn't carry some form of resentment towards him… but no one actually wanted to cause problems. No one wanted a fight.

At the end of the day, most of the people here just wanted to have the chance to go home to the people that they cared about. The realization eased something tense and coiled inside of Luke. It was humanizing, when perhaps it shouldn't have been.

"Excuse me," Luke finally said, nodding his head to them. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

The three Imperials glanced at each other, surprise fluttering in the Force. "That's... that's alright. Did you... need anything?" One of them asked, wincing uncertainly. It must have sounded like a stupid question.

Luke shook his head and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "No. I'm just walking. But thank you."

He turned, walking away and leaving them to their patrol. War was strange, Luke thought. It trapped everyday people and turned them political constructs. The Empire was wrong but the people in it were just... people. Doing what they thought was right. It was no different than anyone in the Rebellion, save for they fought for different ideals. If he kept that in mind... maybe working in the Empire wouldn't be so bad.

Time would tell. But for now, Luke decided to go and check on the well-being of his X-wing. He wanted to see for himself that there hadn't been any damage done to it. He didn't have very many worldly possessions anymore - never had, even as a child. But he'd put a lot of time and effort into his ship and it had gotten him through the battle of Yavin and out of more dogfights than he could personally list or name anymore.

It didn't take him long to find it and Luke walked around it for a minute or so, inspecting it carefully with a critical eye. Nothing seemed out of place but he couldn't help but be aware of the other five that were sitting close by. Two of them were going to be left behind and would likely never leave the planet again.

Zach and Caleb.

It would be a loss for the Rebellion. They had both been good pilots - dedicated and talented. He hoped that it was okay that he still wasn't certain what he was supposed to feel about anything.

Luke turned again and wandered out of the clearing, kicking small rocks laying in the dirt with his shoes out of his way. He didn't really know where he was going but he was going somewhere all the same. There was the faintest hint of light begin to appear in the distant horizon. Dawn was on its way and he could make out little weeds that were sprouting out of the ground in front of him every now and then.

It dawned on him that the path he was on now felt a lot like the one in his dream.

He slowed his steps and hesitantly glanced over his shoulder, looking back in the direction of his X-wing. There had only been two ways to go. Forward or backwards. One had felt safer than the other. Neither of them had seemed entirely wrong.

The idea of leaving briefly flitted through his thoughts. He could probably do it. Just take off - no one would stop him, on account of his father's own orders. He didn't even think his father would really try to stop him either.

Luke could leave.

Go wherever he wanted. Do whatever he wanted.

But the thought disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. He was a man of his word. Luke wouldn't do his aunt or his uncle the disservice of being anything but what they had raised him to be. And besides… he wanted this. To go where he was wanted, to be with family. There was no escaping the eventuality of the Emperor and now that he knew what he did, he could not abandon his father to slavery. This was his decision and he was going to see it through, whichever way that it ended.

Luke continued on his way and after a few more minutes until he had gone a short distance past the edge of the camp, was surprised when a now familiar sound reached his ears. He looked up, glancing around until his eyes fell on the black figure of his father.

He was standing alone just a few yards off with his back to Luke.

Their Force bond had opened again and he hadn't realized until just now. It felt warm and pleasant in the back of his mind and Luke couldn't help remembering a similar warmth coming from the light far off in the distance on that path in his dream.

Ben was wrong.

Anakin wasn't gone.

He was still there, maybe a long ways away, but there was light inside his father. Something good buried under all that darkness, even if only in the love he felt for Luke.

Luke only hoped that that love would be enough in the end.

He hesitated for a few seconds, wondering if he would be intruding if he joined his father now. Vader gave no indication of having seen him yet and might want to be alone. But Luke shrugged to himself, deciding that he wanted company, and stepped forward until he was standing at his fathers side. It was a place that he thought he could get used to being at.

A quiet, wordless greeting was sent his way though Vader still did not turn to acknowledge him. Luke followed his gaze and realized that he was watching the stars.

The whole galaxy seemed to be in full view, the way that it often was after a big storm, when the sky was clear and the earth was clean and everything seemed beautiful. Having never been to this planet prior to this, Luke was uncertain how to read the constellations from here and thus wasn't able to pick out anything familiar in the stars above him.

It was a habit of his to figure them out while in the Rebellion. They were on the move so often, changing bases in order to avoid the Empire's detection; but even if he didn't care to ever return, Luke liked knowing where Tatooine was in the sky all the same. He'd always spend a few nights wherever he was staying in order to get acquainted with the view. It made the universe feel a little smaller.

"You should be sleeping, my son."

Sleep still sounded nice - he was tired, after all. But there was too much on his mind for him to be able to go back to sleep now, even if he was willing to endure Beren's spicy attitude.

"Maybe," Luke agreed softly. He thought briefly about mentioning his his dream - or vision - but then disregarded it a second or two later. "I don't know, I woke up and didn't think I could go back to sleep. Thought maybe a walk would help."

The mental equivalent of a hum passed between them and Luke got the faint impression that, regardless, his father was pleased to have his company.

"Are you feeling better?" Luke asked instead.

"My injuries were tended to, yes." Vader said dryly.

Luke nodded his head, relieved. It felt as if a small weight was lifted off his shoulders; it had been a few years since he'd had any family to worry about. Having been an orphan for so long and the last survivor of all his known relatives, Luke was selfish enough to be glad that there was still someone left that he could claim as his. After the events in the mine, Luke was more than willing to have his father's back.

He had a sneaking suspicion that Vader had needed someone to do that for him for a long time.

Luke had so many questions.

Questions about the pain and suffering that he had been forced to experience in the mines, pulled from his father's memory. Questions about his mother, about the Empire, about what their plan was going to be moving forwards.

He just wasn't certain how to word any of them. Or which one he should try and ask about first.

Before he could decide though, his father spoke first.

"Were you happy?"

Luke blinked, turning to look at his father and felt his brow furrow. "Happy?" he repeated slowly.

"As a child."

Oh.

For some embarrassing reason, the question caught him off guard. He father's thoughts and feelings were carefully muted, as if bracing himself for the answer.

Luke had to clear his throat, blinking rapidly. "Beru and Owen were good to me." he assured quietly. "They loved me and I loved them. It wasn't always easy but… yeah, I was happy. Just took me a long time to realize it."

"I'm glad."

For a minute or two, the only sounds around them were the cricket-like bugs chirping in the grass somewhere. Luke couldn't help but feel a strange sort of relief, knowing that his father felt regret for not having been present during his childhood. That he wanted to know what it had been like. That all of Luke's boyhood longing and desires to be wanted by a parent were equal to the want Vader had for him.

"I was never their son though," Luke offered after a moment. "Not really, anyways. Owen never wanted to take that from you. I don't know how much you actually knew him but… he always talked about you like you were his brother."

Luke couldn't quite figure out what emotion his father felt now. It was something between nonchalance and disbelief. "I only met him once," Vader revealed with a slight huff. "Briefly."

Huh.

Luke wasn't certain how much his aunt and uncle actually knew about what had happened to Anakin; he didn't think they knew about Vader, personally - but he couldn't say for sure.

But Owen had seemed to care so much, it had always felt like they must have known each other longer than that. But... a one time meeting must have been the reason why Owen had never shared any stories about Anakin. He hadn't had any to give. The realization eased an old hurt that Luke hadn't realized was still lingering in his heart.

It had never seemed fair - Luke had always been so desperate for some little scrap of information and it had frustrated him how Owen always evaded the topic, unless he was angry. Or whenever Luke had talked about leaving the planet and doing something else.

Luke could understand a little better now that he was older that Owen had been frustrated and angry that Anakin had "died". Family meant everything on Tatooine - and Owen had always been upset that Anakin had left; or perhaps, that the Jedi had taken him and contributed to whatever he thought his fate had been. In the end, it was why Owen had made so many excuses to keep Luke on Tatooine - to keep Luke from sharing that fate. It had always been about keeping him safe. The realization made him smile sadly.

"Whenever I irritated him… Owen always said I was bullheaded, like you were. You must have made an impression."

"I usually do," Vader said dryly. There was the tiniest flicker along their bond, just enough for Luke to know that the comparison pleased him. "Did you irritate him often?"

Luke laughed at that, scratching the back of his head as he tried and failed not to remember all of the stupid disagreements that they'd had. In hindsight, they seemed so ridiculous now.

"Yeah, I did."

He felt his father smirk in amusement.

"We fought a lot, when I got older. I wanted to get off planet and he never really wanted me to leave." Luke revealed. "I never realized he was trying to protect me."

It became quiet again because neither of them could deny the reality that there was danger that Luke had needed to be protected from. The galaxy his father had helped create would have killed him a long time ago if it hadn't been for the ones who'd raised him.

"Tatooine would have been too small for you," Vader finally said. "You are like me that way."

Luke felt another smile twitch at his lips. "Just you?"

Another pause. And then, after some obvious hesitation, "You are… I perceive much of your mother in you," Vader revealed quietly.

His mother.

Padme.

"I would like to know about her."

His father shifted, looking away from the stars and meeting his eyes for the first time.

"I won't push," Luke promised, remembering the bitter grief and pain that the mimic had dredged up hours ago. It was still lingering at the edge of his fathers thoughts, even now. "Only… only if you want to tell me. But I do want to know. I want that more than anything."

Even without trying, Luke knew that his father would be able to sense the genuine longing that was filling his heart. He had something now - her name, which was more than he'd ever had before and it had woken up something inside him. He wanted to know this woman who had named him and given him life. To know what she had been like and how they had met and what their life had been like before all of this had happened.

"Not tonight," Vader said softly. "I… I will tell you. But not tonight."

Luke nodded, feeling relieved. "Sometime, then." he agreed.

"Sometime."

A solemn sort of feeling slowly came over both of them and the weight of what they were going to attempt came back to the forefront of his mind.

"So, how do we do this?" Luke asked, deciding to change the topic for now.

"Carefully," Vader said. "The Emperor does not know what mercy is, my son. And when the time comes, you cannot show him any. Not even for a second."

Luke nodded his understanding. The evil he felt in his dream was long past the point of redemption and he had meant what he said in the mines. He had no intention of being merciful; Enemies didn't get that in the Desert and no one who had enslaved his father and who wanted to enslave him too would get any either.

"Sidious is far more powerful than he looks," his father continued. "If you give him the opportunity, he will break you long before he tortures you. He'll play on your fears, your insecurities, your weaknesses - you must be resolute in your intention to kill him. You are a prize he is not eager to lose."

"I don't know how to kill a Sith Lord. You are the only Force user I've ever gone up against. I imagine someone else would be… different."

Someone else might actually want to kill him. With the exception of Cymoon 1, Luke was still fairly certain that Vader had always held back in their fights, at least to some extent. He wasn't certain how he would fare against someone who wouldn't hold back - and someone who might be more powerful than his father was.

"I will teach you everything that you need to know," Vader promised. Something wry passed between them after a moment. "Killing Sith Lords used to be a specialty of mine."

Luke was almost entirely certain that that was intended as a joke but he had no idea what the true context of it was.

"Before the Empire, I presume?"

"Yes, before the Empire."

It was a vague answer and Luke shook his head, making a mental note to ask Artoo if he could give him any details. He could only imagine what kind of stories he might have.

Later though. He could feel his father thinking again and tried probing his thoughts for any hint of what it was about. The Empire, Luke realized, but whether the creation or the future of the Empire, he couldn't quite tell. He bit his lip, hesitating to bring up a sore topic but… it would probably be better to lay his feelings out now rather than later.

"Father, I told you earlier that I want no part of your Empire," Luke reminded him quietly. "I stand by that. It means nothing to me."

A small flash of annoyance passed between them. "I remember," Vader said stiffly. "But you must know that we cannot hope to kill the Emperor without the resources the Empire offers."

"That isn't what I meant. I meant after - if there is an after, anyways." Luke corrected with a tired sort of patience. He was willing to work from within the ranks of the Empire, hesitantly deciding that what he was doing was no different than what the Rebellion spies did. But his allegiance was only to his father, with the end goal of seeing everything else crumble to the ground.

That was something that he could live with. In the end, if killing Palpatine was the only thing he did to bring an end to the Empire, then so be it. But at least his quest for justice on behalf of his family would be satisfied.

"We could change the Empire, Luke," Vader said with some exasperation. "It is as I said on Bespin. We could kill the Emperor and rule the galaxy as father and son. We could end the conflict and bring peace."

"This galaxy will never accept the Empire after all that it has done to them."

"You do not know that," his father began to say.

Luke interrupted him. "I do know that because I won't and I know a hell of a lot of people who won't either ."

"The Rebellion is hardly the whole of the galaxy." Vader scoffed, shaking his head.

"It has more of a backing than you think it does."

"And perhaps less of one than you realize." His father shot back at him. "The Rebellion is insignificant. A nuisance but not a real threat."

"It wasn't a nuisance when the Death Star was destroyed," Luke pointed out, growing frustrated. "And it's kept you occupied for the better part of three years."

His father gave him a look. It reminded him eerily of Uncle Owen when he was most irate. "I was not chasing the Rebellion. You were my only interest. Every major blow the Rebellion has dealt occurred after you joined. You destroyed the Death Star. There would be no Rebellion without you."

Luke had said as much to the others just yesterday and had meant it but not quite like this. He shook his head. "I'm not that important. Maybe I've helped but it would still exist without me. The Rebellion is an idea - it's hope. You can destroy the organization of it over and over again but there will always be someone who will stand up and fight back. They'll regroup. Rebuild. It doesn't matter how long it takes and they don't need me to do that."

"They will forget."

"No, they won't. The Empire has done too much damage and has hurt too many people. You're from Tatooine - you know as well as I do that people this angry and hurt won't forgive and they won't forget." Luke said fiercely. It was one of the unspoken laws of the Desert and unwittingly, the last memory he had of his aunt and uncle came to mind, flickering wildly and freely between them.

Vader paused for the first time as he sensed it and Luke swallowed, trying to pull the mental image of their burnt and ruined corpses back to himself. He hadn't meant to share that.

"That's… that's why I won't take control of the Empire with you," Luke added hesitantly.

"Because of what happened." Vader surmised slowly.

"Yes. Don't you understand? The Empire killed my family. My home had been destroyed and what was left of their corpses had been left in the sand to rot. I was eighteen. I buried them and I did it alone. For no other reason than because we had bought a few droids from the Jawas."

"I'm your family and that is not the whole of the Empire - "

"You are my family," Luke agreed impatiently. "But would you help the Tuskens?"

There was a flicker of surprise. "What?"

"Would you help the Tuskens?" Luke repeated passionately. "After what they did to grandma? Would you support them and go so far as to help them do more murder of innocents? Could you justify that?"

Something that felt a lot like outrage shot between them - outrage, anger, disgust, and a fierce resentment that spanned decades.

"No."

"Then you can't ask me to support the Empire," Luke said with an air of finality. "It's the same thing. I want nothing to do with it except to watch it burn and you should be able to understand that."

Vader stared at him, his emotions dark and unreadable.

Luke was both surprised and unsurprised by the fact that he could feel how desperately his father was clinging to the Empire - to its importance and relevance. It might have bothered him, except, in a quiet moment of clarity… Luke found that he could understand why, even if he didn't agree.

His father wanted it to be fixable. For the Empire to work - to have purpose, for it to do everything that he had thought that it would do. Because if he couldn't fix it… then everything he had done - all the horrors and atrocities that had been committed in the name of the Empire would have all been for nothing in the end.

I thought it was the answer to fix everything that was wrong.

It hadn't worked. Not the way Vader had hoped it would - he had said as much himself earlier. If he couldn't fix it now, now when he was beginning to maybe actually care… then he would have to admit to himself that it had all been a mistake.

And it was.

His father had been wrong.

Anakin had been wrong.

He had betrayed the Republic - and there was more to his decision than simply betrayal, the same as everything else. Luke knew that. He didn't know the details and he wasn't terribly certain that he wanted to know everything. But he understood that the events preceding the fall of the Republic were complicated and messy and that there had been hurt and betrayal and manipulation on the parts of many.

Luke supposed that if it had been him in the same position… there could be no greater punishment than to realize a mistake had been made and to have to live with the consequences.

If he was being honest with himself, Luke thought that having to live with that was a just punishment and a lesser one than what was probably deserved.

It should be painful; the things that had been done wrong should hurt. It was a reminder to be better. And it was maybe a reminder that Vader himself wasn't completely lost or irredeemable, if he could still feel remorse for such things.

The quiet stretched between them for several minutes, the conflict inside his father very, very obvious. It stretched long enough that Luke thought maybe their conversation was over entirely. He thought about walking away, giving his father some space to cool down but just as he began to turn away, Vader asked, "If I took control of the Empire, would you try to kill me?"

Luke froze, the question taking him off guard.

His father didn't phrase it like a challenge - it was more… prompted by some form of morbid curiosity. As if his Vader was bracing himself for another potential betrayal by someone that he cared about. Luke wondered how many times this had been something his father had endured and the thought deflated him, making him sad.

It wasn't a question he even needed to consider. Even if he could… and he had his doubts whether or not he had the power to do it as he was now… killing his father would never be an option for him.

"No," Luke promised sincerely. "I wouldn't. I… don't think I can and I don't want to. But you can't have both the Empire and me. I won't stick around for that."

If it did fall though - if Vader would let it go and leave it all behind… then Luke thought it wouldn't take much convincing for him to stick with his father through anything else that came their way. If they really were able to get rid of Palpatine and win their freedom together along with the rest of the galaxy… Luke would stand and defend his father against anyone - even a New Republic.

Luke let that thought pass quietly and freely between them and felt his father's attention linger on it.

He got a brief sense of Vader… almost marveling over what Luke had just offered, not quite able to bring himself to believe it.

Yet.

Not yet.

Patience, the Force whispered. Be patient.

Luke cleared his throat. "Anyways," he said, jerking his hand over his shoulder when the silence continued to stretch longer than he was comfortable with. "I'm gonna go sit on my X-wing for a bit. You don't need to decide anything right now. But I'll be there if you need me."

His father didn't stop him when he turned to leave, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

---

Vader watched Luke as he walked away until his son had disappeared completely in the dark of the evening. Their conversation had left him with conflicting feelings and no small amount of irritation. He wanted to deny what Luke had said but couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to believe that the death of his mother and the Lars' could possibly be the same.

But something inside of him whispered that he would be a fool to think that they weren't.

It had occurred far too soon after his own experience of being forced to hear the sound of Shmi's last words to him. His failure to save her had been the first of many tipping points in his life. A question that he had never dared to think or ask himself before flickered through his mind.

...what would she think of him now?

Would she forgive him or turn away from him in disgust and anger? Vader didn't know the answer and he didn't think he ever wanted to know either. His mother hadn't raised him to be a monster, after all, and that was exactly what he had become.

Even now, hours later, he still couldn't quite wrap his mind around the fact that he was somehow getting what he wanted.

Luke was coming with him.

And that meant that there was still hope.

Working together, there was a chance for them to make this work.

If Vader was careful, if they kept their heads down while he finished Luke's training, then they might have weeks - even months before Sidious realized that they were working together and planned to usurp him.

Luke's presence in the Empire could be kept quiet as long as it did not spread too far. The leadership of the warships Executor, Devastator, and Accuser were all people that would side with Vader in the event that he took over the Empire and while he trusted no one, he anticipated no problems from any of them.

There were other parts of his plan that he could finally put into effect as well which he had very nearly been on the verge of calling off - because without Luke, there would have been no point. There would have been no hope for success and therefore, no reason to try.

But Luke changed everything. There was a purpose to drive Vader forwards now - the same purpose and ambition that Sidious had always accused him of lacking.

The only problem now was what to do with it all afterwards. Vader had never considered not keeping the Empire.

A dark, angry part of him was rebelling at the very idea of giving it all up - spitting and raging that he could dare be so weak. It went against everything that he worked to achieve over the last twenty years. Everything he'd forced himself to believe had mattered - and now he was just supposed to throw it all away because of an ultimatum from just one person?

It was asinine.

There was the opportunity for so much power. It could all be his; after so many years spent on his knees, doing the will of another and suffering pain and torture and loss, he could finally be the one in control. With Sidious dead, the Empire could thrive under the right ruler. He could set everything to right, and Luke would be the rightful heir to the throne. Together with their combined strength, they could achieve so much. There wouldn't be anyone in the galaxy who could oppose them.

Only a fool would turn something like that down.

But there was a quieter part of him that was whispering a cruel reminder that he had also said something similar to her once before too and that she hadn't wanted the Empire either.

He had pushed the issue and in the process had destroyed his family… and he had been living with that regret for over twenty years.

Risking what small part of it that he had gotten back was not an option.

There was always a chance he could persuade Luke otherwise in the coming weeks. But even as the thought crossed his mind, it was the memory of the dead slaves that had been left behind in the mines which gave him further pause.

He hadn't created the Empire for that.

Vader had told her that fateful night that he had brought peace. But as he had admitted to Luke just hours ago, the Empire had not done what he'd thought it would do.

It had failed. Miserably.

The only question now was whether or not he could let it all go?

Everything that he had worked for, all the people he had killed, everything he had done for the creation of the Empire… could he really just let it go?

Luke was the only reason he had to pursue any of it - he had been trapped in a state of self-loathing and apathy until the knowledge of Luke's existence had been revealed to him. Without his family, none of it had mattered and if Luke didn't want it, then what was the point now?

It would be fair, that quieter part of him whispered. Luke had just given up everything that mattered to him because Vader had asked him to. How could he not be willing to do the same?

The dark, spitting part of him hissed in annoyance. It had been a long time since he'd cared about anything being fair. Sith only cared about how things benefited them; everything was a stepping stone to greater power and anything that diminished that power should be destroyed. He was out of practice with caring about what anyone else thought or wanted.

He needed to think.

Meditate for a while.

The only reason he had endured this long and managed to do all that he'd done was because he'd been able to convince himself that the Empire was the right path and that all of it was necessary. To give up on it now, after everything that he'd done… Vader wasn't certain how to live with that.

But if in the end, the choice was between his son and the Empire… then it wasn't really a choice at all.

Vader knew which one he wanted.

Shaking his head, Vader began to walk in the direction of the camp. It wasn't a decision that needed to be finalized just this second and there were things that he needed to discuss with Captain Deklan to ensure that any reports regarding the destruction of Cimiento and the presence of Rogue Squadron were sent directly to him and no one else. He would prefer to keep what had happened here quiet for as long as possible. Fortunately, none of the officers on this planet had any passionate desire to anger him and would likely follow his orders to keep the incident to themselves without any issue.

Rogue Squadron was a different matter entirely. It would be far more convenient to kill them and forgo the risk of his and Luke's allegiance getting out to the public then it would be to simply let them live.

Were that to happen, the amount of time he had to prepare his son would be cut down to almost nothing. Sidious would move fast the second he caught wind of a plot - he was already paranoid about Luke as it was and Vader would prefer that he think that there was no immediate threat to him.

Vader pursed his lips, realizing that he was going to have to play his part of the dutiful servant very well in the coming weeks. Let Sidious think that he was giving up - that Vader was the disappointment his master had always claimed him to be.

It would be worth it in the end, to finally get the bastard on his knees and shove a blade through his heart.

The days of Darth Sidious were numbered, he thought coldly. One way or another.

For now though, all he could do was deal with what was in front of him. Dawn was not far off now and he did not want to stay here any longer than necessary. Once he finished with the Captain, he would alert Admiral Piett of his pending return but more importantly, have him coordinate with Opportunity Base in order to arrange for the transportation and arrival of Luke's X-wing.

---

Hours later, Wedge was woken up once again by the sound of Beren ruthlessly scolding someone.

He had not slept well and Luke had not returned either. He sat up, just as the Imperial stormtroopers guarding the medical tent came and let him out of his binders.

"Stay within the bounds of the camp," One of them said. "But we were given orders to inform you that you are free to walk around."

Wedge nodded, rubbing his sore wrist. "Has... has Vader left yet?" he asked awkwardly.

"No."

That meant that Luke was still here.

Wedge stood up, nodding his thanks and was quietly pleased that he wasn't quite so sore. He looked around and then approached Beren cautiously to ask for an update on Cesi. She seemed irritated but stiffly informed him that Cesi was still unconscious but that his vitals were improving and he was expected to wake up in the next half hour or so. He thanked her then quickly got out of her way. Tycho was awake and looked a lot better than he had last night.

"Did they tell you anything?" Tycho asked as Wedge approached. "They didn't say anything to me."

"They are letting us walk around," Wedge revealed. "I... I want to go find Luke. Are you okay to stay here and keep an eye on Cesi?"

Tycho nodded. "Yeah, I can do that. He okay?"

Wedge shrugged. "He's supposed to wake up soon. I don't want him to be alone. It's going to be a shock."

Tycho seemed to understand and didn't seem eager to go anywhere anyways. Wedge privately thought that he was probably hoping to avoid Vader and that was perfectly fine with him. He didn't particularly like the idea of either of them walking around enemy territory. But he needed to find Luke and with a promise that he'd be back once he figured out what was going on, Wedge left the med tent and set off to look for him.

His breath fogged in the brisk morning air as he walked. The red sky overhead was still young. He nodded awkwardly to some Imperials that he occasionally passed by and kept expecting to get shot the second that his back was turned. It never happened though.

The camp itself wasn't very big and it didn't take Wedge long before he spotted Luke sitting on top of his X-wing in the clearing. He had opened one of the panels on the right wing and was fixing or adjusting something inside. Vader was nowhere in sight and it felt the quietest that it had been since they'd arrived the night before.

He hesitated, unsure of how to get Luke's attention.

Luke had a tendency to get lost in thought while working with machines - Wedge had learned over the last few years that it was one of the things that he did to decompress. It wouldn't have been much of an issue to interrupt him even just three days ago. Now, it seemed next to impossible.

But… he could do this. It needed to be done and even if he had gotten everything else wrong, he couldn't let this go unsaid.

"Hey… hey, Luke?" Wedge called out hesitantly. He went unheard - or ignored, since that was also an option - and so he tried again, louder this time. "Luke?"

Luke lifted his head from what he was doing and glanced around for a moment before his eyes fell on Wedge. The expression on his face was not encouraging.

Wedge felt his mouth go dry and his stomach twist with nervousness. "Can I talk to you?"

There were a few seconds of hesitation and then Luke stood up, brushing his hands off on his pants before climbing down the ladder propped up against the ship to meet him. He was in cleaner clothes and no longer covered in so much blood and grim. His lightsaber was still attached to his belt.

It felt different to see him now though.

He was still Luke. Wedge knew that. But he couldn't help remember the front row seat he'd gotten in witnessing just how very powerful Luke could be. They were damn lucky that Luke had come back for them. That Cesi had been wrong and that Luke hadn't been a spy for the Empire at all. Wedge had a feeling that if Luke were genuinely angry and had it out for someone... that he would come out on top every single time.

Even the way he was walking now seemed to give off the impression that he was someone of high rank. Someone of importance and someone who should be respected.

…or maybe, he was just a friend that Wedge had betrayed and who'd still risked his life to save him.

Wedge tried to swallow his nerves, trying to remember all the things he'd planned to say and stepped forward again to meet Luke halfway.

He just felt sick.

They stopped and stood, separated by silence and a few feet of distance. It felt like so much more than that though.

Wedge opened his mouth but the words wouldn't come. Nothing he could say was going to be enough - how did one even begin to try and apologize for what he had done?

It took Wedge a few seconds to realize that his hands were shaking.

"My father said that all of you are free to leave." Luke offered suddenly, breaking the silence. "I was… I was going to come tell you when I was done here. He put all of you under the same order of protection that I am."

A wave of dizzying relief instantly shot through Wedge's system, making him almost weak at the knees.

"R-really?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. As soon as you can, you're all good to go."

Wedge didn't even know what to say. It was - that was more than he had expected. More than he had dared to hope for. They were… they were going home. He sniffed, raising a hand to scrub at his face as tears blurred his vision.

They were going to live.

All of it was because of Luke. How he'd managed to secure their freedom, Wedge couldn't begin to guess - but he had - Wedge knew that he had and that was all that mattered.

"Are Tycho and Cesi recovering alright?" Luke asked after giving Wedge a moment to compose himself again.

Wedge nodded quickly. "Yeah. Tycho is doing much better and Cesi… well, he'll live." Without an arm but he would live.

Luke nodded, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Good. I'm glad." To his credit, he actually sounded like he meant it.

Another awkward silence followed and his guilt began to replace the relief he felt. He had come here to apologize and again, despite everything, it felt like Luke was still the one coming to the rescue. That didn't fair.

Wedge just... didn't know how to do this. He didn't know what to say and none of was going to be enough.

Luke was still waiting, his expression guarded and cautious.

Traitor.

Liar.

Monster.

They had called him all those things are more... and Luke had still come back to save them.

"I… I just wanted to - to," Wedge hesitated, hating himself and then forced himself to speak the first thing that came to mind. "You could come back with us. Whatever you're planning - you don't have to do it."

Helping Vader shouldn't be Luke's problem, father or not. Wedge couldn't let him do it if it was just because Luke thought that there was nowhere else for him to go.

His plea - his offer, whatever it was, did not evoke any emotion from Luke. His expression remained flat and unimpressed.

"The Rebellion doesn't need me."

Wedge shook his head. "It does. We do - "

"Then my father needs me more." Luke interrupted him before Wedge could finish. There was a sharpness to his tone that Wedge had never heard before and anything he'd hoped to say dissipated in an instant. "I'm not going back. I don't want to."

Luke had said the same thing down in the mines. It was stupid to think that one pathetic apology would change that. Vader was the one that had offered him a life-line. And meant it, as far Wedge knew. Luke was going to do this. His loyalties had changed and there was nothing anyone could say to convince him otherwise.

"I'm… I'm so sorry," Wedge said, his eyes blurring again as emotions he'd been trying to hide from came up to the surface. He scrubbed them viciously, embarrassed. "For what happened. For everything - I should have… I wanted to – you didn't deserve that. None of it. I… I just didn't know what else to do."

He hadn't known how to help any of them.

Luke took a slight step back, looking away as emotion finally got to him. His eyes watered and Luke lifted a hand to wipe at them, clearing his throat. He looked tired and worn out. Like he'd been carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders that no one else had noticed.

"I know that you were doing the best that you could, Wedge." Luke finally said quietly, meeting his eyes again.

It wasn't forgiveness. Not even close. But it felt like maybe an olive branch was being offered to him. It was more than he had a right to hope for and some of the tightness in his chest lessened just a little.

"What do you want me to tell the Rebellion?"

"Just tell them the truth." Luke said tiredly. "It doesn't matter now. To be honest… I think some of High Command already knew about Vader, even before I did. I doubt they will be surprised."

Wedge paused, his thoughts coming to an abrupt halt.

"...what?"

Luke nodded, looking like he was sucking on something sour. "Yeah," he confirmed. "I could tell when I came back from Bespin. They were… they were just different towards me. Suspicious, when they hadn't been before. They knew about Vader and they didn't tell me. No one did."

"Wait - but who?"

Who the hell would have that kind of information? Who the fuck had known that Anakin Skywalker had become Darth Vader and that Luke was his son? And why wouldn't they have told Luke about it? What the hell was that about?

"I guess you'll find out when you tell them."

No. Wedge shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

No no no no.

If High Command had known - if they knew and hadn't told Luke or given him a reason to think that he could tell them without fear of judgment… then… then…some of this was their fault.

All I can think is that they're afraid I'll turn out like you.

That was what Luke had meant.

Anger slowly began to replace the miserable guilt inside of him, filling him to the brim. Other people had known and kept the truth hidden from Luke. Someone else could have told him - he shouldn't have had to learn the truth from Vader. Everything that was happening now could have been avoided if someone - anyone - had been willing to see Luke for who he was and not what Vader or Anakin or whoever he was had done or become.

If they had done that, maybe Luke would have let other people know on his own, instead of feeling like he needed to keep it a secret.

"Fucking hell," Wedge breathed angrily. "Fuck fuck fuck."

"Basically," Luke agreed. There was a different, angry sort of hurt reflected in his eyes now. No wonder he didn't want to go back. Why would anyone be okay with a lie like that?

He was probably feeling betrayed by everyone, not just Wedge and the others. Family - even a piss poor excuse for a father that Vader probably was - would probably sound like a better option to just about anyone if they were in the same boat.

If it ended up being true... then Wedge had a feeling that he was going to have a lot to say.

"So, that's it then?" Wedge asked, forcing himself to turn from those angry thoughts. "You're just… going to join the Empire?"

"I'm going to help my father." Luke corrected smoothly. "There's a difference."

"The... the Palpatine thing? Killing the Emperor?"

"Yeah. Killing the Emperor."

Wedge couldn't begin to imagine why Vader would need help with something like that but… their conversation yesterday had made it sound like it was almost some sort of desperate bid for freedom.

"I guess there's a story behind that one." Wedge guessed, feeling his heart sink.

Luke nodded slowly. "There is."

But he wasn't going to tell him what it was. Wedge could see it on his face that he didn't think it was anyone's business. If he was being fair, it probably wasn't.

"I'm sorry that it came to this, Luke." Wedge said quietly. "I really am."

Luke paused, staring at him for a long moment. Then he shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "Don't be," he said, offering him a sad smile for the first time. "I think the galaxy is the way that it is, at least in part, because of my family. If there's a chance that I can help my father put some of it back together by doing this… then I think I should at least try."

Wedge was quiet, stunned into silence. He stared hard at Luke's face, looking for some form of doubt or… or something. Anything to suggest that he wanted to do anything other than what he was planning to do. But there was nothing in Luke's expression to suggest that he thought or believed anything else.

All of this... it was more than just having no other options. It was a resolute desire to do what Luke thought was right.

A small, disbelieving smile pulled at Wedge's lips for the first.

It was absurd. Absurd and crazy and… and it was Luke. Even if he didn't believe for a second that Luke was responsible for anything Vader had chosen to do... he could accept this, at least.

"You're something else, Luke," Wedge said. It might not mean anything to Luke anymore, given everything that had taken place between them… but Wedge hoped that his admiration and respect would come through. "Truly."

Luke offered him a half smile, the tension between them easing a little more.

"Are you going to be safe with him?" Wedge asked.

"I think so," Luke responded honestly. "I'm not making excuses for him. But he... he isn't all bad."

"I guess I'll have to take your word for it."

They both smiled at each other but it didn't seem like there was much else to say after that. Wedge nodded his head and then turned away, preparing to walk back to the med tent and let the others know that they could go. To his surprise though, he didn't actually get very far before Luke called out his name.

He turned back.

"You know… the galaxy is a big place. It can make someone hard to find," Luke said, meeting his eyes once again. "I want you to know… you're welcome to fly with me anytime."

That... that was more than an olive branch.

Wedge stepped forward at the same time Luke did and met his friend in a solid embrace.

"Thank you," he said hoarsely, patting him on the back. "And I'll get them home - I promise."

"I know you will," Luke assured him. They stepped after a few long seconds and Luke's eyes seemed watery for the first time. "Tell Leia that I'm sorry, okay?Please? She won't understand."

Wedge huffed and couldn't help but agree. The Princess Leia had a… fiery personality… and she didn't take very kindly to anyone having the audacity to leave her behind. Luke's abrupt and less than ceremonious departure from the Rebellion was not going to be easy on her.

And Wedge would be personally surprised if heads didn't roll because of it - his own included.

Force, he had so much to answer for when they finally got home. It wasn't going to be pretty. None of it was.

"I'll tell her," he promised.

Luke nodded, using the back of his flesh hand to brush at the corner of his eyes before clearing his throat and taking a small step back. "Thank you."

Then he quickly glanced over his shoulder as if someone had called his name. Wedge followed his gaze and felt his mouth go dry as he caught sight of Vader standing not too far off. Just seeing him again made him shiver but where Vader provoked fear in others, something in Luke's eyes seemed to soften. "My father wants me. It's time for me to go."

Luke stepped back from him and moved a few feet to grab his backpack from where it was sitting in the shade of his X-wing and then slung it over his shoulder. The open panels where Luke had been working up on the wings closed on their own and then without another word, he left, jogging the short distance to where Vader was waiting.

---

"Are we leaving?"

Vader nodded as Luke got closer. "Yes. Everything is in order. The Rebels release has been secured and your X-wing will be transported to the Executor within a standard week." he said simply.

"So long as no one ruins it." Luke huffed, disliking the idea of anyone other than him flying his ship. He had retrieved his personal belongings from the cockpit earlier and made sure that there wasn't anything inside which could hint to the location of the Rebellion. It would be a relief once it was back in his possession though.

His talk with Wedge had helped, more than he'd expected and he was willing to admit that he was glad they were leaving each other on better terms. He didn't regret saving any of them and he was relieved that Wedge would try his best to defend Luke's name. It might not do much but it was the thought that counted in the end.

They made their way back through the camp in the direction of his father's personal shuttle and he noticed that the clean-up and dismantling of some of the temporary structures had already begun and were in the process of being taken down. They passed the med tent and Luke briefly thought of pausing to check in on Tycho and Cesi but decided against it.

He had already done what he'd wanted to do. They were alive and their safety was assured. There was nothing more that he needed to say to them.

"Is Artoo around?"

"He is already onboard waiting," Vader said patiently. Luke let a smile cross his face and whispered a silent thank you. The remaining Imperials had gathered and lined up once again to see the Supreme Commander off, standing at attention and respectfully saluting him as both he and Luke walked up the ramp of his shuttle. The stormtroopers wearing armor were waiting inside - they were his father's men, Luke realized belatedly.

Luke paused at the top of the ramp, steeling his nerves one final time. "I guess we're doing this," he said quietly.

"It will be hard," Vader agreed, catching his eye. "Are you certain?"

Luke thought of that far off distant light from his dream, the image of his father as child, and his confident declaration that he was going to be a Jedi. He wasn't lost yet - he just needed to someone willing to come after him.

"I'm sure."

Warm relief flickered between them and his father placed a hand in the middle of his back as they turned to go inside, both of them ready to leave this place behind them for good. The engines began to rumble, preparing for take-off. Luke looked over his shoulder one more time when he heard someone shouting out his name.

It was Wedge.

He was running through the camp, one arm wrapped around his ribs as he tried to catch up. Some of the Imperials shifted at the interruption of their departure and Captain Deklan stepping out of their line-up in order to block Wedge's way to the shuttle. He was forced to stop a few yards away as a few others came to help restrain him.

"What is it?" Luke hollered at him.

Wedge shoved the Imperials off of him, his chest heaving as he stood up straighter. "May the Force be with you!"

Luke felt a smile stretch across his face, even as Vader rolled his eyes and walked further inside. Luke offered Wedge a sloppy two-fingered salute just as the ramp began to rise high enough to begin to block his view. He waited until Wedge was out of sight entirely and then turned to follow his father inside.

A few minutes later, they entered the atmosphere and were gone.

---

A/N Just one more chapter to go! Thank you all once again for bearing with me and for all your kind words and encouragement! I appreciate all of them and hope that the chapter was able to live up to expectations! See you next time with the 10th and final chapter of What Lurks in the Dark.