Previously: Vader spills the beans. Well, the wrong beans, but still...
In this chapter: You know that Mark Hamill voiced the Joker, right? Yeah… That.
-000-
Vader POV
This was not what he had expected.
Vader was torn.
His son (the weak child) had turned.
A memory flashed. His mother, dying in his arms. The slaughter of a village.
Of course. This was his son.
Luke would have revenge on the ones who killed his mother. Who, as Luke thought, had his father captive all this time.
Luke would destroy his father, Darth Vader, to rescue his father, Anakin Skywalker.
It was all very confusing.
Vader had a feeling that now would not be a good time to reveal their familial connection.
But this could be useful. Vader wanted his children to join him in overthrowing the Emperor. Perhaps he could direct his son to take out his anger on the Emperor before agreeing to lead the boy to his father.
Dark amusement bubbled up. As usual, life was exciting when Skywalkers were involved.
-000-
Luke POV
A spark flickered back into a flame. A flame in the dark.
It burned, but it was a sweet burn. The burn of clarity in chaos.
Luke stood, cocking his head. He could feel a manic grin spread across his face.
He turned his burning eyes (burning or freezing- they killed you just the same) on the black figure standing by the door.
"You failed, Vader," Luke said with a high-pitched laugh.
Luke could see it now. The weakness, the fragility of that black shell. The pitiful cloud of darkness that tried to hide the cracks.
"Leia lives. You will die."
Luke could feel the surge of alarm, fear, confusion, guilt, and laughed again.
He had been afraid of this insect? This shelled beetle that could be easily crushed?
Luke reveled in the picture of stomping upon Vader's shell and watching the viscera ooze from the cracks. He hoped Vader lived long enough to scream.
Black crackled at Luke's fingers. All ten of them. The missing hand was replaced by darkness that seemed to writhe and bubble, waiting to be released.
"Leia…" Vader started to say.
Luke screamed, a spike of darkness stabbing through Vader's leg and into the dura-steel door.
Vader cried out and Luke yanked the spike back, absorbing it into his hand once more.
Vader fell as his leg crumbled.
Luke was disappointed at the lack of blood.
The beetle was on the floor now, as it should be.
"You don't get to say her name," Luke said, strolling towards Vader.
Vader raised a hand, and Luke could feel the familiar (and he would make him suffer longer for that invasion) oily push of Vader's Force.
But oil burned, and Luke was burning. Leia's flame had lit the fire and the two suns fueled it and the smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils (his father, they had his father).
The oil burned away and Luke never lost his stride.
Things tried to hit him, and Luke laughed as they fell short; the oil that directed them burnt away.
He stood over Vader now, and, oh, wasn't his shock and fear lovely to taste?
The beetle tried to scurry away.
Only Vader's arms worked, and Luke could see the broken bits of metal from his severed leg scrape across the floor as he crawled back.
Another obsidian shard pieced Vader's remaining leg, pinning him to the floor.
Again, no blood, Luke pouted.
The hoo-burr of Vader's breathing was no longer menacing; (and how had this creature ever been scary?) instead it sounded like the strained gasps of an exhausted prey after a predator had run it to ground.
"Luke," Vader said.
Was that a tremble in his voice?
Luke grinned.
"Yes, Lord Vader?" Luke responded with a mocking bow.
"I will help you recover your father."
Luke frowned, leaning over and tilting his head as he met the wide eyes he could sense behind the bubbled lenses.
"Why do I need your help? I will burn my way through everything to find him."
"And then he will be lost," Vader said, and Luke recoiled from the truth of that statement.
"But I want to kill you," Luke said, almost whining, "You killed my sister. Tortured my father."
"K-killed your sister?" Vader asked, his voice wavering.
"Yes, yes," Luke said with a wave of his hand, "We just had this conversation, remember?"
"No," Vader said, his voice rising, "I killed your mother, not your sister! She was alive when I left her!"
Luke let out another manic laugh.
"You are not making me want to kill you any less," Luke said, putting his foot on Vader's chest and shoving him down on his back.
Vader's arms moved to rip Luke's leg off him.
Another two spikes and Vader's arms were pinned at his sides.
Luke gave a great sigh at the lack of blood once again.
"Is there any part of you that will actually bleed for me?"
Luke pressed down, Vader's armor creaking as the pressure increased.
Vader's vocoder crackled in what could very well be a cry of pain.
"The Emperor knows where your father is," Vader said, each word a struggle.
"Still don't know why I need your help," Luke said mockingly.
"If he suspects anything, he will disappear. If I don't help you, your father will be gone."
Luke stands there a long moment, enjoying the sound of the armor creaking in time with Vader's strained breathing.
At last, Luke backs away with a huff.
The spikes withdrew and Luke crossed his arms, his bottom lip sticking out.
"Fine. I'll let you live, for now, if you prove useful. But if Leia says she wants you dead there's nothing I can do."
Luke left Vader on the floor with a jaunty wave goodbye.
Now it was time to reclaim his sister.