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Chapter 13
Wait.
Vader hadn't had much to think about earlier with the enthusiasm to destroy Kenobi at long last, and when that idea was squashed, meeting his daughter. He moved over to where the tombstone should be and scowled, going back to the Homestead to search for Lars.
"Lars," he growled when he found him sitting in a chair. "Where is my mother's grave?"
Owen kept his eyes away from him, focused on the bowl of soup.
"Lars," Vader pressed.
Owen sighed, looking up at him, "Let me ask you a question. Why didn't you ever come back for Luke?"
Vader bared his teeth, "I didn't know he was still alive. And if he wasn't confined in secrecy, it would have been my utmost goal to retrieve him immediately."
"But he wasn't hidden from you, Anakin," Owen responded.
The urge to strangle Lars increased. "Yes, he was."
"No, he wasn't. Luke was raised on the farm for nineteen straight years." He replied with a coy grin. "And he wouldn't have gone out much." He continued, "You grew up on Tatooine as I did, and you know the grieving ceremonies out here." He looked at Vader knowingly. "I allowed Shmi's grave to return to the desert because truth be told it never felt right to take the rites over in your place. But you were still alive the whole time. All you had to do was come and acknowledge her for once, and you would've found Luke. He was far from hidden."
Vader realized with a startled breath that Lars was correct. Obi-Wan had not kept Luke from Vader at all. He'd placed Luke with the last remnants of Skywalker's relatives.
If Vader had come here once, he would have found his son in record time. He had come here with the hope to interrogate Lars, yet had underestimated the man's tenacity, and he couldn't help but respect it. The man was able to keep his moisture farm and his son safe for nineteen straight years. The more Vader thought about it, the more he realized how fortunate he was. Who was to say Luke wouldn't have been worse if someone like Kenobi or Yoda indoctrinated him from birth?
Luke was not hidden from him. Leia, however, was in plain sight, viewing him as an enemy while building up aid for her Rebellion from the shadows.
It would have required a grand sacrifice. To stop for once and honor his mother, meaning that acknowledging that pale shadow wasn't destroyed entirely, and at the same time, finding one of his children alive.
"Got what you wanted?" Owen taunted.
Vader remained quiet, his teeth clenched together, realizing the fool answered his question again.
But he did not leave, sensing the turmoil around Owen.
"You should have seen him the first day. He was a disaster, Anakin. I'm glad you're here to help him."
Vader stiffened at the mention of that weak fool, but chose to value his son's state more. "He will never have to be alone again. With my assistance, we will eradicate those fools."
"Damn right," Owen grumbled. "But what about after, Anakin? Knowing Luke as well as I do, he's going to want a bond."
"That is none of your concern," Vader growled. "And I am not 'Anakin'. You will address me by my rightful name, or be punished."
Owen's expression was almost amusing. "As you wish, Lord Vader, I apologize for my misbehavior."
Owen's concern was understandable, however. His son was a fragile specimen with multiple signs of trauma and had to deal with the fallout of their deaths along with other issues. The same shall not happen again. Truth be told, Vader was gratified that Leia didn't travel as well from that horrifying future. His Luke didn't deserve what he'd endured.
The Vong would be destroyed!
As soon as he arrived back at the Homestead, he noticed that they were all prepared. It pained Owen and Beru to leave behind Tatooine, but neither had protested doing so when the time came.
Touched, but saddened, Luke knew it would be strange for Owen and Beru to adapt to a bigger universe. He had severely misunderstood Owen Lars, and that only contributed to the melting guilt within his soul.
"I'm going to miss it," Owen admitted.
Vader rolled his eyes behind them, and Luke landed him with a scolding glare.
"We will one day return if we have to," Beru said with a slight smile. "We have a family to protect."
And just like that, they began moving to the speeder.
Luke took control at the front. Leia joined him in the passenger's seat, with Owen and Beru in the back, the two droids following. Vader had to squeeze in next to Owen and Beru, much to his frustration, and Luke's silent amusement.
Eventually, they arrived in Mos Espa. He sensed his sister's discomfort, his aunt's resignation, and the relief surrounding Vader as he finally departed from the awkward scene. Even Threepio and Artoo remained silent.
"I'll be selling my speeder," Luke told Vader.
"Very well," Vader nodded.
Luke met someone interested in taking a speeder from him. With subtle words, a greedy gambler went home with even fewer credits and a speeder out of season. He felt slight remorse for it but didn't dwell it for long.
He narrowed his eyes and reached out through the Force. It was difficult to trace his presence because the den of disturbance clouded his senses. The worst fears came to mind. Did Han get grilled by Jabba or have to leave Tatooine immediately due to not being able to pay the Hutt? Was he out there somewhere? Did Luke had to storm Jabba's palace to find his old friend suffering?
Yet, those thoughts were quieted as Luke felt himself being carried by the Force.
Eventually, he spotted a rush of fur amid a crowd and followed it, motioning to his allies.
"Luke?" Leia asked.
...Luke didn't answer.
"Luke, what's happening?" Beru asked, concerned.
When he got closer, Luke followed behind and saw... him coming to a stop, knocking the air out of his chest.
Chewie.
Chewie.
Chewie.
His heart leaped in joy. Chewie was alive. He was still alive and well. The Vong hadn't gotten to him yet.
'Luke,' Vader began, sensing his joy while placing a hand on his shoulder. 'He's your dead friend...'
Of course, his father was not a fool; he would know he was lying. And with the agony that he couldn't keep down, he found. "I need him. I can't lose him again. Please. Please let me go."
"He doesn't know who you are, Son. You can't operate with the pretense that he does." Vader continued, the slightest of pity flashing in his eyes.
And just like that, the celebration within Luke came to an end. Kriff it! His father was right, and he couldn't even blame him! The reality of where he was enveloped him.
This wasn't Chewie. Luke felt his heart drop to his feet as he realized he would be nothing but a stranger to him. It was Chewie, not a copy or doppelganger that the timeline had spat out at him. But it wasn't his Chewie. He was young, not the experienced friend that Luke had known since before Endor. He had been a smuggler by association with Han. He hadn't had any sort of motivation outside of earning credits and surviving.
This Chewie didn't have any drive to leave this life behind. He had Han, but that was all. The two were partners in this galaxy. This was the Chewie who wouldn't sacrifice himself to save millions more. Even later, after everything that had happened, his buddy never lost his conviction until the very end.
Chewie was dead. The Vong had murdered him. Luke swallowed. He had forgotten, in the chaos of everything, those precious moments, that harrowing reality.
He was still alive. But he didn't know him.
He heard the faint sounds of clicking and saw weapons raised in their direction. Now, Han Solo revealed himself in the same old jacket he had worn, his hand tightened around the blaster. Owen and Beru drew their blasters as well, prepared to defend all of them if necessary.
Luke smiled briefly at seeing the form of Han.
"Looks like you've brought us some stalkers, buddy," a rough voice said.
The arrogance could be smelled from a mile away. It ripped into his heart about the absence of the Han he knew. Every decision he made, all the victories that made him mature, could be summed up by the defining characteristic of loyalty. He didn't leave. He especially didn't leave when the going got tough and his friends were in trouble. That wasn't the type of man Han Solo was deep down. He would never be. But, like Chewie, this wasn't the same Han Solo he knew. The husband of Leia Organa and the selfless person he'd later grow to be throughout the era of the Rebellion, and after, helping in finding and maintaining the New Republic and later Galactic Federation. The friend who Luke came to know. This was a Han Solo who left Salla Zend before the wedding that would have come out of it. A Han Solo who didn't openly embrace emotions.
Luke had to only awaken the Han he knew within.
"That's not necessary. We require your assistance," Luke said, managing to keep his voice cordial.
"Yea, right, you can't fool me. I've been avoidin' Jabba for a week. I know he's waitin' for me to go back to my ship."
"We do not answer to that Hutt," Vader cut in coldly. "Jabba the Hutt's power is not to be underestimated, but it was given to him. He didn't earn it with honor. Now, lower your weapons."
"Who do you think you are, big guy?"
"Do you want to find out?" He swept out his right hand and called on the Force, and the weapons came flying away from them into the waiting grip of Vader, earning stunned looks.
Chewie roared.
"What the frak was that?! Who are you people?!" Han stuttered.
Damn it! "Look, we started off on the wrong note," he glared at his father again. "Forgive my companion for his... bluntness. I'm Luke Skywalker, and you have my word I'm not trying to bring your damn carcass back to Jabba. We need your help."
Han stared at the Wookiee for a moment before he shrugged. "Well, we ain't dead or dragged to Jabba yet." He looked at them and straightened. "The name's Han Solo. I'm Captain of the Millennium Falcon. What do you want?"
"Passage to Alderaan for the safety of the Princess," Luke answered, indicating to Leia.
Han whistled at her. "So this is the kind of leverage you type of person carry around?"
Leia scoffed. "Please, we need transportation. Assuming your ship is as big as your implied ego, we may have good luck after all."
"Oh, you'll find that my ship is one of a kind, Your Majesty," Han was clearly not offended. "Of course that isn't my only talent."
The air dropped in temperature, and Luke knew immediately Vader was the cause.
Uh oh...
Did Han just flirt with Leia IN FRONT of their overbearing and quite possessive father?
'Someone of your past?' Vader questioned telepathically again with harshness.
'He would later become one of the heroes of the Rebellion,' Luke answered.
'Your Rebellion's recruitment service requires modification.'
'You can't kill him.'
Vader glared at him, resisting the urge to crush his throat on sight, "We're endeavoring to find a suitable ship for our means."
"Suitable ship?" Han tore his eyes away to look at him. "You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"
"Oh, Sithspit, it already sounds terrible," Leia said with a groan, eyeing Luke out of the corner of her eye as if asking him, "Were you really friends with this guy last time?"
Luke found amusement in this. She had no idea.
"It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs," Han huffed. "I've outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you, I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. She'll be fast enough for you when we get through Jabba's mercenaries. What's the cargo?"
"Only passengers. Myself, four humans, two droids..." Luke finished.
Han laughed. "What is it? Some kind of local trouble?"
"You can call it that," Luke replied meekly. "What is the price?"
"15,000. All in advance." The man answered.
"15,000?" Leia repeated. "Are you out of your mind? Might as well buy our own ship with that price."
"And who's going to fly it, your Royal Majesty? You?" Han taunted.
"Mind your tongue," Vader said, the chillness amplifying. It was only thanks to Luke that his father didn't decapitate Han yet. He would have to make sure that his father wouldn't kill him whenever he wasn't around.
Luke felt another headache coming on. "Alright, since I'm obviously one of the only adults here, let's negotiate."
He was getting sick and tired of this nonsense.
Everyone looked at him.
"Let me tell you something, Captain, Jabba never intends to let you go."
"Jabba's a-" Han started.
"Jabba, being Jabba, would laugh, call you 'My Boy', collect the money, then inform you that since the last time you talked, you had run up another 10-20 percent in late fees. He wants any excuse to grill you at this point."
Han scowled, though Luke could feel fear bubbling up within him and he hated using this against him. "And what are you people able to offer me?" he looked at his eldest companions. "Some old farmers or whatever?" he registered Vader and Leia, "a... man who looks like he sleeps with vibroblades, and a spoiled rotten Princess-"
"I'm not spoiled!" Leia spluttered.
Luke felt his father quietly seethe behind them. Leia and Vader didn't realize how alike they were in that moment. They had the exact same expression of anger and annoyance too.
Han ignored her. "And a boy who is outta place? I've already taken care of one of his bounty hunters. I'll take care of the rest of his cronies," he grumbled, "soon..."
"Jabba is an influential crime lord. He has no time for people who don't settle their debts. You don't be haunted by them for the rest of your days. We can guarantee you protection." Luke pulled out his hilt and held it before him.
"What is that?" Han queried, arching his eyebrows.
"A lightsaber," he told him, "I'm a Jedi."
Solo rolled his eyes. "The Jedi are myths."
"Clearly not. Aquiring one of these isn't easy, trust me."
Luke's eyes bore into his. Han stared back, his eyes also calculative, albeit shock was in them as well. Eventually, he huffed. "And what do you get out of this?"
Luke placed his hilt back onto his belt, not caring to hide it. "A permanent pilot. As I protect you and your partner, you wouldn't have to pay me. It would be a far cleaner trade than Jabba's." He decided he was not going to add that they would be running from the Empire. Best Han didn't know that yet.
"You will be targets for Jabba and his bounty hunters too."
"You don't need to worry about that. My father," Luke nodded at his father, "is not to be underestimated either. We can resolve this... permanently."
Solo looked at the Wookiee who grumbled. "Yea, it sounds insane, but I don't have much of a choice after dodgin' Jabba. They might be able to get me out of this bullkriff..." He looked thoughtful. Eventually, Han being Han played it off. "It's your funeral, kid, meet me back at the ship."
"Not so fast," Luke smirked, knowing that Han would take any chance to get out of this situation right now, "you are taking the Princess and the rest to the ship and will be on standby." He knew that Han wouldn't kill two innocent people and a Princess, even as a smuggler. The man was always a good person. Just misguided.
Han snorted before nodding at his Wookiee. "Aye, I'll bring the Falcon near Jabba's palace. You'll have to somehow clear the security though. I ain't gonna get caught by them by acting stupid."
"Oh, that can be arranged," Luke nodded. "Stay behind me. If this fails, you can run off."
The crew of unlikely allies moved over to Docking Bay 94, and Luke raised his hand, using the Force to put them to sleep before they even knew what happened.
"Woah," Leia gasped.
"How? Who are you two?" Solo pressed, eyeing both. "Magicians?"
"Such a sacrilegious composer is nothing compared to the power of the Force," Vader scoffed.
The Wookiee roared again. The smuggler said to his partner, "Well, no one's shootin' us. Guess he got 'em all, and I don't want to be on the run from Jabba forever." He looked at Luke. "You'd got an hour for me to even think 'bout acceptin' your deal. If you don't hurry it up, Imma have to cut my losses. I have a feelin' this is goin' to get pretty ugly fast." A grin fell across his lips as he eyed Leia. "At least, I'll have some lovely company." He winked at her, making her huff and roll her eyes before he approached his ship.
Luke stifled a laugh, remembering how things were during the time on the Falcon for days on end. Sometimes, even he couldn't tell if his sister and the smuggler were being flirtatious or trying not to kill one another.
But the amusement didn't last for long, for he was officially in hot water with both his father and sister, who landed him with the same unimpressed expressions.
"Why do we have to associate ourselves with the likes of him?" Vader asked with nothing short of agitation.
"I hate to say it, but Vader's right. He'll probably get us into even more trouble." Leia added on bitingly.
"Give him a chance to prove himself," Luke answered. "He isn't useless."
The three looked to see him touching the Falcon as if it was going to disappear. "I'd miss my baby. I ain't ever finna leave you again." The happy voice didn't last when he looked at his partner. "How will those bastards like it if I ended up takin' something from them for a whole kriffin' week? Bloody Jabba!"
She gave Luke a look again. "You were saying?"
"Trust me," Luke grimaced. Damn, the excuse of being from the future wasn't going to always work. "He is-"
"He is as clumsy as he is stupid," Leia responded harshly.
"Leia's correct. He is a fool and an imbecile; his potential lies downwards, not up." Vader added in agreement, with personal resentment. Suffice to say, his father was taking the term "parent" quite seriously this time around. Han best be careful, for his precious ship could be a scrap of junk by the time Vader was finished.
Luke grinned between his teeth as he looked at them teasingly. "Already agreeing with one another."
"This will not be common," Leia said nastily before moving to the Falcon.
"I believe it will be," Luke replied to her back, but she ignored him, leaving both men behind as she moved up next to Owen and Beru.
Sometimes, this all felt like a dream. Luke couldn't believe that his father was willing to abandon the Empire just like that. Was that really all it took? For Luke to tell Vader about his mother for him to change his mind? Kark, if Obi-Wan and Yoda told him about Padmé Amidala, or if Luke was more curious, it could have changed everything.
Luke caught his father glaring at him. "What?" He asked, feeling sheepish.
"Why did you really approach him?" Vader asked suspiciously.
"I told you-" Luke started.
His father interjected, "If he is a future hero of the Rebellion, you mustn't care about him beyond acquaintanceship. Otherwise, he's easily disposable."
While Luke had been tempted to avoid Han and Chewbacca only due to the fact of what would have been the fate of the later, he knew that would have been only his fears talking. At the end of the day, Han was a trusted friend and husband to Leia. Besides, who knew what would have happened if he allowed Han to continue working under Jabba? It was possible Han would never be able to compensate for Jabba and die in a crazy suicide mission if not outright skinned by the Hutt himself, and Chewie would follow.
Around this time, Han was merely a small-town thug, on thin ice with Jabba the Hutt, who was still alive and another obstacle that Luke and the Rebellion might have to deal with.
"Not to me," Luke affirmed.
"Son?"
"You can wait at the ship. This won't be long."
"Son?" Vader demanded, "What are you up to?"
"Freeing my friend of any obligations he would live to regret," Luke said ominously.
"That does not answer my question," Vader said flatly. "Son?"
"I forgot to mention to Han that we'll have to get robes. The Hutts aren't going to be happy with us after this."
"Son!" Vader snarled. "Cease deflecting at once."
Luke shrugged, "I am able to protect myself. You should stay here and recover."
"You're not walking into Jabba's palace without my protection."
Ignoring him, Luke considered his options. "Maybe with the Empire still being around... yeah, that's a good idea." The time traveler thought out loud.
"Son..." Vader was using that tone again... "Answer me!"
Luke knew that Vader wouldn't take this news well. But it was only a matter of time...
"He is Leia's future husband."
The storm that came was expected. "She'd married that scum?" He glared. "And you dare brought us here to set your sister up?"
"I couldn't rule out the possibility of them getting together." Ideally, Luke wouldn't have come here otherwise.
"That man is not wedding my daughter," Vader stated sharply, pointing his finger up in the air.
"Take this up with Leia if it happens. I don't control her love life," Luke said. At any rate, Bail Organa would have some fierce words for Han as well. If that was the case, he feared what would happen when the two made it official. He'd almost felt sorry for the bastard. "Leia is far from a child, even now."
Vader gripped his wrist. "Am I the type for jokes, Son?"
Luke shook his head, realizing that a similar conversation might come up when his father inevitably discovered the truth about Mara Jade.
"I only ask that you wait and not judge him immediately."
"He's a lowlife," Vader scoffed. "He will take advantage of her. There are much more preferable candidates. He isn't-"
"Are you going to rob them of their happiness?" He was sick of this facade, of playing pretend—it was all he did. Pretended to be a hard-wearing face and reassuring words for his Jedi Order, pretended to be a good uncle, brother, and husband when he'd failed multiple times, and pretended to be powerful. He was sick to death of it all.
Vader froze, his expression considerate. "Except it isn't about that."
"It isn't," Luke admitted. "I want my-" he stopped himself and choked on a harsh breath. He wanted his nephew. His dear precious nephew...
Vader's expression broke for a moment but only that moment. "I shall hold my hand for now," he replied. He spat out the last part, "-but if he hurts either of you, including my descendants, he will be destroyed."
"Deal..." Luke nodded, refusing to allow any tears to fall as he allowed another thought to come to mind.
Hopefully, their father would never find out that Jabba made Leia wear a slave outfit.
Luke severely doubted that even he as a Grandmaster could survive that storm.