The Day of Harvest

by DragonflyonBreak

The sequel to What Lurks in the Dark. After the events that took place in the Cimiento mines, Luke and Darth Vader have joined forces together in order to kill Emperor Palpatine, walking along a different path towards destiny's end. AU.

4. Echoes of the Past

Summary: Honesty is always the best policy. Or, Vader has self-destructive character traits and more love for Luke than he knows what to do with.

Thanks to JediScribe for beta-ing this chapter! You're the best!

Chapter 4: Echoes of the Past

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05:30 Hours

Nelona 23rd, Galactic Standard Time

SDD Executor, Lord Vader's Private Floors

The dark shadows and strange layers of fog that surround him slowly give way to the now familiar scene of the Death Star throne room. The blackness of space that lay beyond the massive circular viewport which sat just behind the Emperor's throne was quiet and calm, a vast universe of possibilities that was far outside of his reach.

There was something out there - something different… something that felt like a new dawn on the horizon. It whispered to him on those few occasions when Vader had allowed it to distract him from what was about to take place. He never paid attention to its whispers for very long.

There was no future that he cared about unless Luke was there to take part in it.

He was trapped here, in this place of death and suffering, until he understood what this vision was trying to tell him.

Vader stood to the side of the Emperor's throne, no longer feeling the need to attempt to try to interfere. Instead, he just watched intently, looking for something different in the vision that he had come to know so well. It haunted him every few days, whenever it was that he dared to rest.

As much as he desperately wished that it would be different, it was always the same.

Luke, standing alone at the top of the stairs.

Sidious' cold arrogance and declaration of ownership.

You are mine. Sidious whispered and it seemed to Vader that even though the Emperor was still seated on his throne, that he was towering over Luke all the same.

His son, straight backed and defiant, seemed small in the face of such awful power and darkness.

Luke's refusal to bend.

You are wrong. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.

Those same words that Vader had both come to loathe and admire in equal measure were said unrepentantly and with the kind of boldness that came only in the face of death. The arrogance quickly disappeared from Sidious' face and what was left was only an expression of deep contempt.

The fight that followed, wherein Luke, with his red lightsaber in hand, could only barely keep up… and Sidious, who had all the advantage that came with age and experience, doing everything in his power to bring Vader's son to heel.

Luke, being disarmed, his eyes flickering yellow but still refusing to give in.

So be it, Sidious whispered, a malignant spark in his eyes. And now, young Skywalker… you will die.

Vader didn't need to see the rest.

He opened his eyes slowly, the now familiar, echoing screams of pain began to slowly fade into the background of his thoughts before they really had the chance to start as he skillfully pulled himself out of his meditation. Phantom flashes of blue lightning appeared in his vision every time that he blinked.

Frustration and anger bubbled under his skin and he raised a hand, pinching the space between his eyes, trying to calm the frantic beat of his own heart.

Nothing in the vision had changed.

It never did.

It felt sometimes as if the only purpose of the vision itself was to torment him.

He had been too slow to save his mother and his efforts to save Padmé had been for nothing in the end - Vader had tried to act, to prepare, and had ultimately sold his soul to save her and she had gone the same way that Shmi had.

And Luke… Luke was excelling in his training, even more than Vader had hoped for or expected. He was, in Vader's opinion, every bit the prodigy that Anakin had been as a boy. His power and potential in the Force was immense and it was growing daily… but it must not be enough if the outcome at the end of their fight with Sidious was still the same.

Vader knew that there were holes in the vision - things that he wasn't being allowed to see. That was the nature of visions in general; they were tricky and prone to change, never entirely straightforward or truthful to what reality would end up being. But this one's insistence upon being seen was adding stress upon his shoulders.

There was something in it that Vader was supposed to understand and he was coming to believe that it was within the conversation itself. He just didn't know which part. Was the truth to be found in Sidious and his cruelty and his belief that he would come out on top? Was it telling him that his efforts to save Luke would be in vain? Or was it Luke declaring himself as a Jedi what he was supposed to hear and be wary of? Perhaps the path of the Sith was the only way that he came out of this situation alive and free.

I am a Jedi… it was always the same. Luke announced it boldly and it always led to him being overtaken by Sidious' darkness and cruelty.

What was he supposed to do? How did he keep Luke alive at the end of this?

Vader's own track record of failing to save those he loved seemed to mock him even now and he was trapped in his own promise that he would teach Luke the ways of the Jedi. He couldn't go back on it though he was often frustrated by the weakness that had led him to make that promise in the first place.

If only Luke would embrace the dark side, Vader thought sourly, dropping his head back while he seethed in irritation. Then there would be no need for any of this and he would be spared the torment of watching his last remaining family die a miserable death that he was powerless to prevent.

If only... if only...

Failure, the dark side seemed to whisper to him cruelly. Weak. Pathetic.

Vader wasn't certain if it meant him or Luke. Either way, it wasn't wrong. Luke was foolish for clinging so stubbornly to the Jedi and their ways. What good had it done them in the end? They were near extinction. Luke was a fool but Vader was the bigger fool who was aiding him in his suicide efforts.

"Computer, what time is it?" he snapped, pressing the palms of his hands into eyes.

"It is 05:42 hours, Supreme Commander."

Almost six in the morning. He needed to head down to the training center if he wanted to be on time… though, he was more than aware that he wasn't in the mindset that he needed to be in in order to conduct a productive training session with a Jedi.

The dark side was too close and Vader was too angry. The specific plans he had for today would require control on his part if it was to be done effectively… but he was not physically at his best and was more inclined to be cruel right now than he was to be patient. It wouldn't end well.

Vader had the thought as he activated the controls to put his helmet back on… that he should just notify Luke that he wouldn't make it this morning. His son could take the morning off or do his own exercises if he wanted to. Except… Luke was undoubtedly already waiting for him. A habitually early riser, his son had taken to running along the track at the gym early in the morning as a warmup, or he'd otherwise meditate - which, curiously enough, he mostly seemed to do whilst doing handstands.

Vader was secretly looking forward to the day when Luke accidentally achieved the art of Rising Meditation, which he had purposely avoided mentioning after realizing Luke's peculiar habit, for the sake of future entertainment.

Though, he wasn't particularly inclined to be amused by anything today.

"You are overdue for DEBRIDEMENT SURGERY, Supreme Commander, by TWO WEEKS, THREE DAYS, and SEVEN POINT FOUR HOURS." The system voice notified him dispassionately.

Vader finally stood up from his chair, every muscle and bone in his body protesting vehemently; it felt like he was on fire and if the act of breathing itself were under his control, he would have stopped entirely if it meant easing the agony that was coursing through him.

"I am aware." he grounded out.

"The longer you delay, the more at risk you become for infection, delayed wound healing -"

"Silence," Vader snapped. His head was pounding and he was more than aware of his own growing stench from the festering, open wounds that would never fully heal. The inhuman voice dutifully telling him what he already knew was grating on his fragile nerves.

"Shall I notify and make an appointment for you with medical staff, Supreme Commander?"

He wanted the system to just be quiet and leave him alone. The words didn't make it out of his mouth though.

Vader hesitated, closing his eyes as he mentally tried to prepare himself. Yet another contributor to his bad mood… he had been delaying his need to go, staving off the torment he would be forced to endure for as long as possible but the system computer wasn't wrong. He had reached the point where he could not ignore this any longer.

Debridement was, unfortunately, a necessity for him and a torturous one at that. The Emperor did not allow him to be put under any kind of sedation or allow him painkillers while he was essentially skinned alive. The most he was allowed was a temporary paralyzing agent that was mixed with a mild Force suppressant, injected into his bloodstream just before surgery began, to prevent him from both killing medical staff and from destroying the pressurized facility that kept him alive while he was out of his suit.

The pain of alone would drive him into madness and based on prior experience, it would be a few days before he was more or less himself again. All the more reason to meet Luke for their training session today, rather than forgo a whole week and lose what precious time they had to prepare.

Truthfully, Vader had only delayed the operation itself for as long as he had because of Luke. His son was too closely bonded to him now; their minds more intimately connected than Vader had ever dared presume that they would be. As powerful as he was, Vader did not know if or how he could hide the excruciating agony that he would be forced to endure.

For Luke though... he would have to try. Just try and keep himself sane enough to spare his son the torment. Easier said than done. He knew that if he failed... that this surgery would bring up questions that he wasn't prepared to answer. Luke knew very little about the truth of his medical condition and Vader wanted to keep it that way. He asked previously and Vader had... omitted the full extent of his injuries. He didn't see the point in burdening his son with them, or enduring the questions that he would have.

Questions that if Vader dared to answer, could very well be the end of his relationship with Luke entirely.

He'd rather not travel down that road so soon.

"Tomorrow," Vader heard himself say. "Same time as usual."

"The appointment has been made, Supreme Commander."

There was nothing for it. The doors to his meditation pod opened with a wave of his hand and the air pressure released with a soft hiss.

Pursing his lips in irritation, Vader reluctantly resigned himself to teaching. Luke was already there and as talented as he was, he needed to work on his dueling - he had certainly improved over the last few weeks but evidence of his continual disarmament in the vision that Vader was doomed to relive for the foreseeable future was a source of concern and frustration.

It wouldn't happen if Luke was a Sith, the dark side whispered insidiously. He would be strong… powerful… nothing, not even Sidious could stop him.

Vader ignored it as he walked through their home, though no small part of him was inclined to agree. Luke would be phenomenal… but the quieter part of him that insisted more and more on making itself known whispered that he also wouldn't be Luke if he fell. Even alive… that would surely be the greater crime.

He desperately wanted Luke to live. More than he'd ever wanted anything, he wanted Luke to come out of this situation alive. Vader did truly not expect himself to survive - he wasn't in the condition he needed to take on Sidious and hadn't been for a long time. It was why he'd needed Luke's help in the first place. And that was fine. There was no place for him in the galaxy unless it was within the Empire itself.

His goal now was to survive the fight long enough to ensure that Luke lived. It was the role of a parent to protect their children and one that he had already failed.

This situation was only necessary because of him and all the choices he had made. Luke was here, in this position, facing this future and threat, because of him. Because Vader had been wrong. Luke was helping to try and correct a mistake that he had not made, that he was not responsible for, and one which might see him killed.

And it hurt, like a wound that wouldn't heal, to know and understand that despite all of these truths... his son was content here with him.

There were so many others out there that were better for him. Safer. Less dangerous and more capable of offering the love and kindness that Vader struggled to give. Luke's open acceptance and his love for him in spite of these flaws made Vader feel… ashamed.

Guilty.

Fearful.

And angry.

The anger was burning inside of him like the heat of a dark and raging sun. Sometimes it was so intense that he couldn't even focus and all Vader could do was retreat into temporary solitude until he could get it under control. He knew that Luke had questions and was concerned for him because of the anger that he felt but Luke's desire to not spark conflict between them was keeping him from prying too hard.

Luke wouldn't understand.

Vader needed to be angry. This rage and unrest that he was feeling now was a good thing - it was helping to mask the lighter emotions that were becoming more common for him and had drawn Sidious' attention just a few weeks ago. He needed the power that it would give him. He needed it in order to keep going and to correct at least one of the mistakes that he had made.

It didn't take long for him to arrive in their main living area. Evidence of his son's presence was strewn about the room. He was tolerant of it most days, and occasionally, it even made him smile… but this morning, the mess only served to annoy and frustrate him. It felt like a disaster, just like the disaster he'd made of his own life. Chaotic, outside of his control, frustrating -

Vader swept things out of the way as he walked; blankets, shoes and socks, some wrappers and dishes that had not been put away or cleaned properly, sending them across the floor and piling them up at the base of Luke's apartment door.

Pick up your things, Luke! He snapped impatiently, sending a brief, flickering mental picture of Luke's belongings across their bond.

On the other side, he felt Luke's Force presence stir minutely as his attention turned towards him. There was a faint impression of his son feeling confused by his tone but also a tolerant and expecting sort of acceptance to it as well. Luke was nothing if not patient.

A character trait that he definitely did not get from his father.

Sorry, Luke whispered peacefully. I'll clean it up later. It won't happen again.

It had better not.

There was a sense of Luke rolling his eyes before he quietly withdrew once again.

Vader shook his head, knowing that he was being irrationally angry and not possessing the ability to just stop.

It wasn't an easy habit to break, even on behalf of someone he loved. It was still odd, even now, to be sharing accommodations with someone once again. He had found that he both liked and disliked the disruptions to his personal routines in equal measure. Having Luke with him willingly superseded the small irritations he experienced randomly when things were no longer as quiet as they had once been.

Luke was respectful of his time and had the wisdom to be mindful of his mood and grant him space when Vader needed it without needing to be asked. In turn, Vader had attempted to be mindful of his son's needs as well - Luke was a more social creature than Vader himself and had no one else on board the Executor who could really offer him company.

They spent a large portion of their time together and despite everything that they had going against them… it worked. Luke added to his life just by being here. He was a trustworthy ally, an excellent and engaged student, and a son that any father in their right mind would be proud to claim as their own. But... whether Luke knew it or not, all of their interactions were tainted by Vader's own dark, self-pitying thoughts that lingered in the back of his mind constantly.

He shouldn't enjoy any of this.

He didn't deserve what he and Luke had together - the small family that they made and the partnership that they were building… and neither could he fully bring himself to believe that it would last, in spite of Luke's consistent efforts to convince him otherwise.

It was in the small things that he did - like the way that he offered information about himself without Vader asking. It was in the way that he had set up a holoprojector around two weeks previously in the living room. Luke's rooms were far more comfortable but despite all the credits he had put into his son's living arrangements, he had still taken to spending most of his downtime playing games or watching movies in what amounted to their space as a way to relax and always extended an invitation for Vader to join, whether he agreed or not.

It was in how he went out of his way to be kind, even when Vader struggled to do the same.

And Suns, was he trying.

He had been tempering his emotions and dialing down his anger for his son as much as he could, working to try and break decades of habit and training and coercion from Sidious himself, just to attempt to make this situation more bearable for Luke. It was a challenge he was more than willing to take on if it kept things civil between them but it wasn't so easy when everything important seemed to depend on his ability to be strong and powerful.

Luke deserved more than him.

Better than Vader.

Someone who hadn't made so many mistakes.

The self-loathing and anger he felt grew around him like a dark cloud the entire time he walked to the gym.

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06:02 Hours

SSD Executor, Workout Center

There was something about living within the Empire itself that had Luke thinking about things he'd never really thought about before. Vader had unlimited access to almost everything, including documents and history that was now banned and considered classified to the vast majority of the galactic population... but because Vader had access to it… Luke did too.

He spent a good portion of his free time learning about recent history and piecing together how they had gotten to this point. His interest was partially inspired by his mother and all the things that he was learning about her and what she had done in the Republic era. Vader himself didn't care much for politics and he had his own strong opinions about the why and the how and everything that had happened in between the Republic and the Empire. Luke appreciated his viewpoints regardless of whether or not they agreed because it helped him realize something that he hadn't quite considered during all of his time with the Rebellion.

The Empire had been created with an air of legitimacy around it.

Palpatine had been smart. He had used the government against itself and had, according to Vader, crafted the Clone Wars specifically to create dissension and unrest, to ostracize and eventually eliminate the Jedi Order, and then, had been in such a trusted and powerful position, that he had been able to self-appoint himself as Emperor at the end of the conflict, by promising security and stability.

He'd manipulated everyone and then killed everyone that he couldn't. He'd made the Empire seem like the better option when the galaxy was weak and tired. In the resulting decades, he'd propagandized the hell out of the galaxy and convinced the Imperials that their side of the conflict was the right one.

That was a problem.

If they killed Palpatine and just left the Empire to rot and crumble, like Luke had originally proposed that they do… then there was absolutely no way that they could guarantee who would wind up in power afterwards. The Rebellion, obviously, was in a good position to take control. They had the numbers and years and years of planning on their side. But the rest of the Imperial fleet, officers, government and citizens, hell, anybody that believed in the Empire and stood by it?

How could anyone expect those people to just back down? To not act and try to reclaim what they loved?

It wasn't what the Republic had done.

Taking something by force would only ever inspire protest and violence in response.

Somewhere down the line… there would be another uprising. The safety of a New Republic would be threatened by people and forces who were convinced of their own moral and occupational superiority and the galaxy would once again be thrown into a conflict of devastating nature.

They had to do more than just kill the Emperor.

The transition to the New Republic needed to be legitimate. Laws, a handover, something.

It meant that someone would need to take control of the Empire in the aftermath of Palpatine's death in order for a peaceful transition to occur. To eliminate, as much as possible, civil unrest and future dissension. The Imperial citizens needed to be convinced, preferably by someone they trusted, that a Republic was actually in their favor. They needed to create real and lasting peace, not just the illusion of it.

And… taking control and facilitating a handover of some kind might also be the only way that Luke and Vader both walked away from this mess as free men. If they abandoned the Empire after killing Palpatine and just let the Rebellion do its thing, the way that Luke had previously thought they should do… then there was nothing in place to keep them from being the two most hated and hunted people in the galaxy.

Luke had abandoned the Rebellion in favor of helping his father. He was under no delusions that anyone in High Command would have sympathy towards him for his decision, regardless of the final outcome. Even if they might, by some miracle, be inclined to show mercy, they couldn't. If they wanted the support of the galaxy, they would have to go after him and Vader. No one in their right minds would support a New Republic that would willingly let Darth Vader or his traitorous son just live their lives peacefully as if nothing had ever happened.

The Rebellion would win their position of power and appease the galactic population for the death and harm of hundreds of thousands by ruining Luke and going after Vader.

There had to be a way for them to get out of this, not just alive and in one piece, but free.

Abandoning the Empire wasn't the right answer, no matter how much he wanted it to be. He just wasn't certain what the answer was yet.

Not to mention that Vader was, in Luke's humble and unbiased opinion, the clear successor to Palpatine. Tarkin was gone. Who else was in place who could maintain control like they needed? Who could not only speak the right words but also back them up with obvious power and seniority? Who was well-known and respected enough to take over the Imperial forces and convince them not to act against a rising republic?

Vader was the clear option - if he was willing to do it. And that was where Luke's thoughts and ideas always came to a head. He had made his position and feelings about the Empire clear at the beginning of their alliance and neither of them had really broached the topic of it since then. Luke had suspicions, but he still wasn't entirely certain if his father would be willing to let go of the Empire, let alone facilitate a handover to a political entity that he despised.

Even if by some miracle, he agreed… Luke didn't know if Vader would be able to resist the power once he had it. The dark side of the Force was treacherous and unpredictable and Vader had been trapped in its clutches for a very long time.

What if retaining control for a temporary period of time unintentionally created an entirely different problem, in the event that Vader refused to relinquish it? Because if Vader decided that the Empire was what he wanted in the end, then Luke wasn't going to be able to stop him.

He couldn't. He just didn't possess the strength to kill a family member.

Luke felt like he was going around in circles, not knowing what the right answer was. He wished that there was someone who was more knowledgeable about things like this that he could turn to for help. But right now, all he had were vague ideas of things that might work but that could also go horribly wrong.

He honestly had no idea how anyone in government made decisions about anything. Meditation was one of the only things saving him from having an aneurysm about it all.

All he knew was that he needed to figure something out quickly and then try to get his father on board with it. Vader was a painfully direct person and he didn't much care for problems that were presented to him without a solution. If they did end up doing more than just killing Palpatine, then they needed some time to plan for what happened afterwards as well, and avoid a complete power vacuum situation.

It was a lot to think about... and he wanted to retrieve Han from Jabba before he really brought it up.

It was his responsibility to plan that mission. Once he presented something that Vader was willing to sign off on, Luke could go and get him. He figured that if he dealt with a crime lord successfully... then there was a good chance Vader would consider a different plan and proposal from him more seriously. Likewise with the command staff, who they would need help from also - respect was earned around here.

Of course... if Luke was honest with himself, there was also a little more to it than just having the right plan and waiting for the right moment.

Vader himself wasn't ready. There were things that still needed to be said and resolved between them before they could plan for anything else.

The past had to be confronted before there could truly be a future.

Luke knew there were things that Vader had done that he was actively fearful of Luke learning about. Things so dark in his father's memory that Luke was equally afraid to learn about them. He didn't know how he would respond or what would happen between them when he did.

At the beginning of all of this… Luke had thought that they could get by just fine without needing to speak about those things that had happened. About how Anakin became Vader. About the terrible things he did in the process. He had thought… what did it really matter, if they were moving towards a better future together, for themselves and for the galaxy? Surely the good that they would do could equal the bad that had happened?

But Luke was slowly coming to realize that that wasn't true.

What happened did matter.

The questions weighed on his mind, more and more with each passing day and he didn't know why . It was persistent and sometimes, it even felt as if the Force were whispering to him that he had to know. That it was important that he learn and soon, before it was too late.

It was a difficult thing to hear because Luke didn't want to know. He was certain that it would ruin everything that he and Vader had built between them.

All he knew was that he loved his father and that he didn't want that to change.

Luke didn't even know how to start asking those kinds of questions and or how to expect to get an answer. They hadn't discussed any of it - how could they, when Vader flat-out refused? Luke had tried, more than once now, and all it had gotten him was a cold shoulder to endure while his father got over his issues.

The truth was becoming a wall between them and Luke knew that their relationship wouldn't progress any further until it had been spoken. Vader wouldn't change - he wouldn't accept the truth that he was still Anakin - until he believed that he could.

Luke was the key. He could feel it in the Force that he was the one who could convince Anakin to come back... he just didn't know how.

He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts at the sound of the gym door sliding open. He quickly looked up and saw Vader entering at last. Luke uncurled his legs, using Artoo's nearby presence to stand up on his feet. His father spoke before Luke even had the opportunity to send a greeting his way.

"Why are you not ready?" Vader demanded. Something in his voice was cold.

Luke paused, a warning bell chiming in his head. It wasn't the first time. It was not quite danger and a small part of him was grateful for that… but the warning to tread carefully was perfectly clear.

It would be one of those days, apparently.

"Alright, alright," Luke said, refraining from pointing out that it was Vader who was late and not him. Instead, he shrugged out his sweatshirt and tossed it against the wall, so that he was just in his white tank top and then stepped onto the floor. Judging by the black aura of rage and anger surrounding his father, his efforts to be speedy were unappreciated. "We still dueling today?"

"We are," Vader said, watching him with a critical eye. "Draw your weapon."

Luke removed his lightsaber from the left side of his belt and ignited the blade. It thrummed with quiet power in his hand, the green kyber crystal more bonded to him now than the blue one ever had been. He had never fully realized how deeply connected he was supposed to be to the core of his weapon - as with the Force, his father had taught him that he and the kyber crystal were to create an almost symbiotic bond between them.

It was one of his favorite things he'd learned so far and one of the many reasons that he chose to meditate in the morning now - to bond with the crystal and deepen the connection. Since doing so, Luke wielded his lightsaber with far more confidence than he ever had in the last three years. It felt like a genuine extension of himself, rather than a tool he was using.

He adjusted his stance appropriately, glad that he had taken the time to stretch and warm-up earlier. The base of his fighting style was officially Djem So. After a few weeks of working through the other Forms, this one made the most sense to him and was the one he was most skilled in using. It was the most effective against Vader himself and would be against Palpatine as well.

Soresu was Obi-Wan's style, Luke had learned; a more defensive style that was strongly reliant on footwork and the ability to block and parry his opponent's attacks. Ataru was another Form that Luke favored, and one that Yoda had seemingly prepared him for with all the running he'd been forced to do in the jungles of Dagobah. He was working to incorporate it into Djem So, though he was learning it primarily from dueling droids that his father had programmed in order to assist him with the Forms that he couldn't personally teach due to the nature of some of his injuries and his own limited range of motion.

Luke didn't particularly enjoy dueling with his father when he was in a bad mood but he would concede that it was effective training. He would just have to try and make the most of it.

Morning training sessions had a tendency to be quite simple between them and true to experience, Vader did not seem inclined to say much, opting to just get right into it.

"Bear in mind, my son," Vader warned quietly, lighting his own blade. The red glow seemed to reflect sinisterly across the lenses of his mask. "Nothing that happens in training is personal."

Luke felt his brows furrow and barely had time to wonder what the hell that was supposed to mean before his father advanced on him, almost catching him off guard with how quickly he moved and barely giving him the opportunity to block the first blow.

The strength of it rattled his entire arm and threw him off balance. Luke pushed aside the pain and quickly corrected himself, knowing better than to leave himself vulnerable for further attack.

He countered and then they were trading blows, Vader on the offensive and Luke purely defensive. His father was much faster than he looked, though he rarely took that approach in a duel - his strength and skill allowed him to move at what seemed like a lazy speed - except it wasn't laziness. It was just how good he was.

Luke ducked when Vader abruptly threw some nearby equipment at him, hitting the ground in an effort to avoid it all, and then quickly rolled back to his feet, barely getting his lightsaber up in time to block another blow.

"Stay off the ground," Vader hissed at him. "There is no more dangerous position to be in. Use the Force and keep the high ground at every available opportunity."

"Right," Luke agreed breathlessly, parrying another blow and then quickly moving to the side to avoid getting pinned in a corner. "Sorry."

"Do not be sorry," Vader commanded. "Just do better."

His father swung at him again and Luke blocked it, their blades getting caught in a bind. Vader bore down on him, trying to force him to the ground. Luke locked his knees, straining upwards and trying to shift the weight off of him and free his lightsaber. When it didn't work, Luke quickly feinted a weaker attack as a distraction and was pleased when Vader took the bait. The blades separated and Luke went the opposite direction that his father had turned. Before he could steal the advantage, from his peripheral vision, Luke saw another weight bag come flying at him and this time, he jumped back and upwards to avoid it, balancing carefully on the top rail of a pull-up bar.

Damn, Luke thought breathlessly. He couldn't quite get the edge that he needed to gain the upper hand. Already, this fight was a vast improvement over many others they had had and on any ordinary day, Vader would be offering him both constructive criticism and praise.

Not today though.

Frustration was bubbling around his father in the Force, a black cloud of rage and darkness - he was just angry and it felt like he wanted nothing more than to take it out on Luke. Vader didn't hesitate to come at him again, using his lightsaber to cut through the metal equipment and force Luke to jump back to the ground or else fall in an embarrassing heap. He kept his feet as he landed and turned, letting the Force take over as they reengaged each other in a blinding and lethal dance.

New scorch marks painted the walls in no time, adding to the dozens of others that they had put there over the last few months.

Luke could feel sweat running down his temples and he was beginning to feel winded as he countered another blow and then swung back at his father in return.

Parry, parry, block - again and again. Nothing Luke did got him into a better position, no matter what he tried. It was either defend himself or be completely at Vader's mercy.

His father was growing more and more frustrated by the minute, the dark side curling around him and lingering in the room itself like a fog. It seemed especially prominent - more so than it had been during any of their previous training sessions. Their blades locked once more and this time when Vader bore down on him, his knees buckled a little under the pressure.

Luke strained upwards, the muscles in his arm beginning to shake - it did not help one bit that Vader was so much taller than he was. He tried pushing his father backwards with the Force but Vader was ready for it and kept his feet.

"Use your anger, Luke." Vader finally hissed darkly. "Fight me! That is the only way you will win."

Something cold ran down his spine at the words and he would have done a double take if there was any pause in the fight that would have allowed it.

A sharp, sudden pain in his head prevented Luke from responding and in an instant, images - pictures, memories - were being forcibly dragged up to the surface from his side of their bond and shoved in front of his vision.

Owen and Beru, their corpses left out in the Tatooine sand to rot in the heat of the afternoon Suns.

The image lasted for only a second or two and then it was gone but it left him breathless, old emotions springing painfully to the surface. He stumbled backwards and Vader allowed it momentarily and then swung at him with a move that would take his head off -

Block, parry, duck.

Then his vision flickered once more and it was the raging, howling wind that came from the depths of the gantry he had jumped off of on Bespin, the ache in his severed hand fresh and new.

It ended at the same moment that Luke felt himself get struck with Vader's lightsaber for the first time in a long time. It hit him directly between the shoulder blades, hard enough to steal the breath from his lungs. He twisted away and then turned to immediately try to take the offensive, attempting to use his smaller size and take advantage of Vader's limited range of motion -

Ben Kenobi, being struck down on the Death Star while Luke could do nothing except watch in horror.

Vader was doing this on purpose, he realized furiously, struggling to keep up now. It was like his memories were attacking him the same way that Vader was except it was a mental game instead of physical. Luke barely knew which fight to pay more attention to.

Luke tripped backwards, losing his footing for the first time as his memory of the wampa on Hoth lunging at him flashed in front of his eyes.

"Knock it off," he said between gritted teeth, trying to draw his shields up between them. It was harder to do in the middle of a fight than he had expected and Vader was quick to block his efforts, using his superior skill to force their connection to remain open.

Parry, block, parry again. Luke was flagging more now and his temper was rising.

Keep it together, he thought furiously. Don't fight with anger.

Easier said than done though. He felt his patience waning with every second that went by.

Biggs, his ship going up in flames over the trenches of the Death Star.

He attacked more aggressively than he had previously, putting more power into his swing. The crackle of their blades connecting with each other seemed especially loud and angry.

"Stop it!"

"Make me," Vader snapped back at him. "Fight back!"

Luke felt as his father reached through their bond once again, ready to grab at the first painful memory he could find and throw it in his face. Fear of what it could be had Luke reacting and reaching through their bond faster than Vader could and pulling the first painful thing he could sense to the surface.

It was all-consuming pain.

He didn't have the chance to even see anything more than bright lights and flickers of metal before he was forced out with surprising and frightening power. There was a rush of air and then Luke went flying backwards, his back slamming into the padded gym wall and knocking the air out of his lungs and losing his grip on his lightsaber in the process. His vision blurred and it took several long seconds before he could draw breath again.

"Come on, Jedi," Vader spat the word out at him like it was poison. "Is this all you have to show me? Is this the best you can do? Because if it is, then it's pathetic."

Something in Luke finally cracked and he lost the remains of his patience. Anger surged to the forefront of his mind unchecked and before he could think twice about it, he gathered the Force around him and threw his hand out to swat his father away from him with as much power as he could muster.

It worked and this time, Vader skidded backwards, just barely keeping his feet underneath him. At the same time, Luke reached out and grabbed a hold of the red lightsaber - the Force was turbulent but rippling around him with a different kind of power. For the first time, it was an easy enough thing to rip the blade out of his father's hand.

Luke caught it in his own, chest heaving as he finally managed to slam his shields shut between them at last.

Vader's kyber crystal was angrier than his was - damaged and in pain, much like its wielder. It didn't thrum peacefully but crackled like electricity in his hand. Luke had always had the thought that it would bite him if given the chance.

"I don't know who put you in a bad mood but it sure wasn't me," Luke snapped heatedly, squaring off with his father. "What the hell is your problem?"

Vader glared at him. "You would do well to watch how you speak to me," he warned darkly, feeling every bit as dangerous as he had in their very first encounters with each other. It made Luke's spine tingle. "Especially since you fight worse than an untrained child."

Luke felt his face heat up but kept a strong grip on the lightsaber hilt when he felt Vader try to steal it back. "I was doing just fine until you showed up," he said defensively. He stood his ground when Vader stepped towards him, refusing to be backed into a corner. That, more than anything, would set his father off even more than he already was.

"Your definition of fine and mine differ greatly."

Vader was trying to provoke a reaction out of him, Luke reminded himself fiercely. This wouldn't be the first time they'd had an argument - he just didn't know why they were having one now.

"You are nastier than a starving rancor, you know that?"

Surprise and anger flashed between them. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Luke turned the blade off to avoid the possibility of the fight starting up again. He turned around instead, deciding that it was better to retreat and cool off then it would be to continue with this bantha shit. He snatched his jacket up off the ground, ignoring Artoo when his friend twittered at them with concern.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"Wherever you aren't," Luke snapped, stalking past Vader. "I didn't sign up for this."

A dark cloud of anger and outrage permeated the room and in front of him, the sliding door slammed closed.

"I have not told you that we are finished," Vader hissed, stepping directly in front of him to block the way. He reached a hand out, summoning Luke's lightsaber into his hand. "You do not have the option of just quitting in a fight! Your enemies will not -"

"I didn't realize that I was supposed to consider you my enemy!" Luke shouted back. "Pick which one you want to be!"

"Do you think Sidious will be so kind?" Vader snapped, his emotions burning furiously. "That he won't push you to your limits? That he won't taunt you or drive you to madness? He will use everything against you! Every fear, every insecurity, every hint of weakness inside of you! If you do not control your emotions, then he will!"

"What, so you're saying that throwing all that mind shit at me is some kind of favor?" Luke demanded incredulously. "You really think having the worst moments of my life shoved in my face like that is supposed to make me like you?"

"I do not need you to like me," Vader shot back at him viciously. "And you still have much to learn -"

"Damn right I don't need to like you, and I don't." Luke interrupted, pointing a finger at him. "You're a bitter, hateful old bastard and there's not a single person in this galaxy who isn't going to be happy when you're one day dead and gone!"

The second that the words were out of his mouth, something that felt like horror and remorse hit him. Luke felt his anger fade in an instant as Vader's end of their bond suddenly stung sharply. The emotion was hidden away moments later, but it was enough for Luke to know that he'd hit a nerve.

"Father, I -"

Vader ignited Luke's lightsaber and stepped towards him threateningly. "Fight."

Luke swallowed but shook his head. "No."

"Luke -"

"You will have to make me," Luke said, trying to keep his voice from rising. He unclipped Vader's lightsaber from his belt and tossed it to the side. The clatter of it rolling across the floor seemed especially loud. Now completely unarmed, he extended his arms out wide in a mocking sort of invitation. "Come on. Beat me black and blue if you have to - it's not like you haven't done it before. But I won't fight you when you're like this."

A dead silence fell between them. He saw Vader start to lift his arm as if to strike him but then stop almost immediately.

Their connection didn't need to be open for Luke to know that he couldn't do it.

"If you aren't going to make me," Luke said a few seconds after Vader failed to act. "Then let me pass."

Slowly, spitefully, Vader moved a fraction out of the way and then Luke was storming past him and pulling the sliding door shut on his way out.

---

Luke left a painful silence in the wake of his departure.

Emotions, hot and writhing were burning up inside of him. He felt like he was grasping for a sense of control that was just barely out of reach. He had been too angry to do this today - he'd known that beforehand..

It felt like he'd lit a bomb and watched it explode in front of his face.

Vader was still staring at the closed door when R2-D2 rolled up beside him. The droid kept a small distance between them for safety, turning his one eye towards him.

HONEST INQUIRY: Did that go the way that you wanted it to? R2 whistled.

Vader turned a scathing expression on him which went regrettably unseen. He was certain it would have silenced the impertinent droid entirely. His mask - the face he'd worn for the last twenty years - did more than enough to strike fear into the hearts of others. But this droid, this unfortunate remnant of the past, was unfazed as he always was.

"I do not want your commentary," he warned. "Be silent or I will shut you down and lock you in a vault where no one will ever find you."

DATA EXTRAPOLATION: I would not be able to serve PRIMARY: LUKE SKYWALKER if that were to happen. You have previously requested that I look out for him.

"Luke has me," Vader snapped defensively. "And I am perfectly capable of protecting my son without your assistance."

OBJECTION: Debatable.

"What part of, 'I do not want your commentary' are you incapable of understanding?" he demanded. "Your services, which are exceptionally limited to begin with, are not needed. Leave me alone."

OBJECTION: I am always needed. R2 replied boldly. INQUIRY: Would you like to know what I have deduced from this interaction?

"Not particularly."

R2 continued on as if he hadn't heard him at all. OBSERVATION: Your actions today were premeditated. You provoked your biological variant purposefully. HYPOTHESIS: You intended to advance Luke's training by adding a new element of discipline for him to consider but the intended purpose was lost due to your own inability to keep your emotions and words in check.

Vader felt his fist curl at his side. "And how exactly did you deduce that?"

INQUIRY: Am I wrong?

Vader was silent for a moment, frustrated that R2 was not entirely wrong. He rarely was. It was part of what made him so incredibly aggravating to deal with.

"If… you must know," he bit out scathingly. "I needed to know how my son would react."

R2 beeped, his lights flickering. INQUIRY: And did Master Luke meet your expectations?

Vader nodded once. "Unfortunately."

Luke was still young and hotheaded in a lot ways - another trait that he had adopted from Vader. He had a youthful sort of pride about him and could be prompted to anger without much effort. He still fought with his emotions as much as he fought with his developing skills. For a Jedi, it made manipulating him quite easy. If Luke couldn't withstand a taunt from someone he knew and trusted, how could he be expected to do it against someone else?

Luke needed to learn how to control his feelings and stay separate from them in a fight, otherwise he would be all the more vulnerable to Sidious, who would attack him from the inside long before he could be prompted to attack him physically. Jedi relied on serenity of mind and for all of his bravado, that was something that Luke had yet to achieve.

He still had too many doubts about himself, as most young adults did, to be able to attain that kind of inner peace. Doubts regarding his skills, his sense of self, and the fact that he was a byproduct of Vader himself. Things, where if the galaxy that they lived in was perfect, he would have had more time to process. In the former Republic age and under the Jedi Order, Luke would have had years and years to train and develop the skill, and a relatively miniscule chance of ever encountering a Sith Lord.

Circumstances being what they were, demanded that Luke learn quicker than what was fair.

As unpleasant as the encounter had been, for Vader as well as for Luke… it had been the most effective way to go about it. Luke would need time to cool off but if he was wise, he would recognize his own weakness before Vader approached him about it himself.

Vader could certainly instruct, but it would very much be a 'do as I say and not as I do' situation. Through previous experience with Ahsoka… it wasn't particularly effective. But pain and experience would always be the best teacher, more than words alone could ever be.

He closed his eyes, thinking deeply about how to proceed. It felt like there was too much to think about. Too much to do. Too much to plan for. Luke's words, spoken in anger, hurt a little more than they should have because he wasn't supposed to matter….

Too much to do and far too little time. He would lose a week just recovering from his surgery in the morning. Everything hurt, aggravated even more intensely than it had been earlier. Without thinking about it, Vader grabbed at the stump of his left arm. It ached furiously and he tried to rub some of the pain out of it, though it wasn't effective with the paneling of his suit in the way. Tomorrow would be hell to endure and he should speak to Luke and put things at ease between them before then. Vader was only half aware of everything in the gym around him beginning to tremble in response to his emotions.

Beside him, R2-D2 twittered quietly, wheeling backwards a little to view him better.

OBSERVATION: You are in pain.

"No, I am not." Vader hissed fiercely, dropping his hand immediately. It made his spine tingle for someone, even a droid, to look at him and know that he was vulnerable.

INQUIRY: What is your current operational status?

"I am not in pain."

R2-D2 was entirely unfazed. REPLY: Your adamant denial of the truth fails to convince me otherwise. DATABANK REFERENCE: I have known you for many years now and despite severely altering your system programming, it appears that you remain consistent in this area.

"And what," Vader seethed. "Area of my programming might that be? Speak wisely, droid, for my patience is exceptionally short today."

REPLY: You have always had a remarkable disregard for your own well-being.

"Have I?" Vader shot back at him. "Because in my own recollection, it was always abundantly clear that my well-being was of no concern to anyone."

R2 made a distinctly unimpressed sound and his one eye observed him with a patronizing sort of disapproval, as if sensing his line of thought. DATA EXTRAPOLATION: I have several recorded instances in my database which negates that claim. INQUIRY: Would you like to review them?

He'd rather jump in a lava bank than suffer through that.

Vader turned, stalking across the floor as an excuse to get away from the annoying little droid and retrieving his own lightsaber from where his son had thrown it. "You do not need to be pedantic. Cease your attempts to irritate me or suffer the consequences. I am not in the mood to deal with you."

R2 trailed behind him. OBJECTION: Only someone who is afraid of the truth would seek to intimidate those whom they disagree with.

"Who programmed you to be this obstinate and opinionated?" Vader demanded, turning an incredulous eye on the little droid.

DATA EXTRAPOLATION: You did.

"Then I was a glutton for punishment," he hissed. "And I do not need to destroy you for your insolence - I can just reprogram you here and now and wipe your database while I'm at it."

R2-D2 rolled backwards slightly. DATABANK REFERENCE: Negative. That will not be possible. He chirped calmly. You ensured that my memory system had multiple backups, to prevent a full memory wipe from ever being possible. SARCASTIC INQUIRY: I thought we had progressed beyond irrational and pointless threats?

"Only you would consider my threats pointless," Vader seethed, loathing his younger self for having the forethought and emotional weakness required to protect R2-D2. "And then continue to provoke me."

There was a long moment of silence.

RELENTING STATEMENT: I do not seek to vex you. R2-D2 beeped carefully. His dome circled back and forth for a few seconds while he processed his thoughts. DATABANK REFERENCE: My observation regarding your operational status was not made with the intent to harm you either. REGRET: I apologize for setting you ill at ease. HONEST INQUIRY: Can I be of assistance?

Vader glanced back at the little droid that had been his companion once. The question and desire to help was… sincere, strangely enough. Realizing that made something deep inside of him feel tired. "No," he said simply, his anger waning. "What ails me is not something you or anyone else can fix. It will be this way until I can function no longer."

There was a long moment of silence and then R2 whistled mournfully, rolling up to him and bumping his wheel against Vader's boot.

ADDITIONAL INQUIRY: Have you explored all available options?

"There are no options."

OBSERVATION: PRIMARY: LUKE SKYWALKER has observed that your inorganic limbs are not properly connected and likely cause you significant discomfort. ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION: That is not irreparable damage. Corrective surgery would eliminate such discomfort. You have both power and wealth -

Vader turned to the astromech droid. "That is not the issue," he interrupted firmly. "My master has forbidden any alterations. What I have is what is allowed. Nothing more."

INQUIRY: And since when have you been known for following the rules?

He opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out. The man he had once been was long gone now.

"I need this," Vader finally said. "You are not organic and cannot understand. Nor do I have the time and the patience required to explain the complexities of a Sith apprenticeship to you. All that matters is that the pain makes me stronger. More powerful. More effective."

Liar, the quieter part of himself whispered. Vader stubbornly ignored it.

OPINION: Your programming is severely flawed, R2 declared without remorse. Before Vader could respond to that, R2 chittered at him again. ADMITTANCE OF UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION GATHERING: In any case, I have spoken regularly with the Executor's primary computer system and since I have provided satisfactory proof that I am assigned to serve SUPREME COMMANDER DARTH VADER, I have gained access to a portion of your unclassified medical records. ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION: PRIMARY: LUKE SKYWALKER would wish to know that you are unwell. RECOMMENDATION: You should tell him the full extent of your injuries.

Vader barely had time to be outraged at the invasion of privacy before what R2 was suggesting caught up to him. "No," he said fiercely, pointing a stern finger at the droid. "My son cannot know about any of this and you may consider that a Priority Order."

R2 stared at him for a long moment, his dome swiveling back and forth. It was amazing how critical and judgmental the droid could look when all he had was a camera for a face.

RELUCTANT ACKNOWLEDGMENT: New Order From PRIMARY: ANAKIN SKYWALKER logged. OBSERVATION: Luke cares for you a great deal. You would avoid further unnecessary confrontation with him if he understood the true source of your anger.

Vader shook his head. "Luke will be fine. He is strong and the knowledge of what was done to me will not benefit him."

R2's beeped in obvious disagreement.

WARNING: You are lying to yourself if you think that your biological variant will not find out eventually or that he will understand why you lied to him when he does. OBSERVATION: Luke has trusted you to tell the truth, which is, uniquely, a category where all others have failed him. ADDITIONAL WARNING: Lies of omission are often just as damaging as a direct lie and this one will harm your relationship with PRIMARY: LUKE SKYWALKER, perhaps irreparably.

That was where R2 was wrong.

The relationship was already doomed because there was nothing about Vader that was redeemable. The forgiveness that Luke had already offered meant nothing as he didn't know everything. He had ideas and suspicions but he did not know what Vader had done. What Anakin had done.

All of it would hurt Luke if he knew and understood the truth - the full truth - and then he would understand that Vader really was a monster and that he was better off without him. In the end, Luke would turn his back on him and leave him, just as everyone else had done.

There was no escaping that reality, though he would delay it for as long as he possibly could.

The best thing that Vader could do for Luke in the meantime until that happened was prepare him and get him as far as he could in his training. To give his son the best chance he had at survival. If it was the only good thing that he did as a father… well, it might not absolve him of his sins… but maybe it would be enough for him to die content.

Maybe.

Even that was a lot to ask for.

"You will keep the information that you have stolen to yourself," Vader said instead. "And will report to my office tonight so that I can flag those files for my access only."

RELUCTANT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: NEW ORDER FROM PRIMARY: ANAKIN SKYWALKER SUCCESSFULLY LOGGED.

"Good. Now for the final time, go away," Vader said sharply. "And leave me alone."

R2-D2 stared at him for a long, quiet moment. His dome swiveled twice and then he backed and headed for the exit without saying anything else. Vader waited for the doors to close behind the little droid before locking them securely.

Switching his blade back on, Vader waved his hand to activate the dueling droids which were on standby and then advanced on them with anger and frustration pooling in his heart. As the fight began, it was not hard to imagine each of them as some version of the Emperor.

---

Stubborn, bull-headed, egotistical, psychopathic bastard.

Luke felt like he was vibrating with anger and adrenaline as he stormed through the lower levels of the Executor in a tormented rage . He wasn't certain where he was going just yet but if he ventured to the upper floors, he'd have to be followed around by his security detail and he couldn't bear the idea of anyone breathing down his neck at the moment.

What the hell was Vader's problem?

And why had he let his own emotions get away from him? Luke was supposed to be better than that - he knew what to expect from his father and all of Vader's frustration and issues weren't an excuse for him to be cruel in return.

He was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Some fucking Jedi he was turning out to be.

But, seriously - what the hell had all of that been? Vader had never done anything like that to him before. Not once since teaming up had Luke ever had the thought that his father would abuse their connection like that. It was almost exactly like what the mimic had done back in the mines, except with pictures instead of voices.

All of his weaknesses and insecurities and the worst moments of his life, just thrown in his face. How was anyone supposed to fight effectively when confronted with something like that?

Suns, Luke wanted to hurt something right now.

All of a sudden, the Executor felt way too small. He felt caged and pent up and had the overwhelming need to get as far away from here as he could. He didn't have a lot of ways to burn off steam and it wasn't like he had any friends to turn to anymore either. Luke paced, doing his best to get his breathing under control and avoid breaking something.

The hangars.

That was someplace he could go. He had only been down there once or twice but it had been weeks since he'd found the time.

Luke briefly thought of Leia and the memory of her face made his heart twinge with guilt and longing… damn, but he missed her. A lot, actually. More than anyone. He missed her friendship, her passion for justice, and her quiet compassion. The urge to reach out to her was as strong as it had ever been since his arrival here. She would have known how to help him. Would have known what words to say to get his head on straight.

Maybe… maybe he could reach out to her… just once. Just for a few minutes… but the thought came and went quickly. Luke shook his head, sighing to himself and running an agitated hand through his hair.

No.

Reaching out to anyone in the Rebellion would be a bad idea. There couldn't be any strange communications leaving the Executor and going out into some unknown region of space for no apparent reason. Chief Hurdiss kept a pretty close eye on everything but the attempt on his life proved that there were holes security. Who knew who would be paying attention or what kind of trouble it could get them into?

Besides… Luke wasn't even certain if Leia would want to talk to him. For all Luke knew, she hated him now. If not because of Vader, then because he'd left her behind and never said goodbye. Maybe he was something of a coward… but he didn't want to try and find out if he was right.

Luke would rather pretend that everything was the way that it had been. The last time he'd seen her, Leia had smiled at him and wished him luck on his mission. He wanted to keep that memory of her the way it was.

If he was hurting for company… then he would have to make do with what he had here. For now, and until he was in a better mood, his X-wing would just have to suffice.

The last time he'd gone, seeing it still disassembled in so many pieces had bothered him and he had hoped that the next time he came to check on it, that it would be nearly done. There was plenty of maintenance that he could personally do on it that he was certain would have been overlooked in the process of putting it all back together. An A-check alone would take him around ten hours to complete.

Luke had enough frustration and pent up energy in him right now that he thought he would be willing to try and get it all done in one go.

He paused for a moment and looked around to reorient himself before turning and briskly heading in the right direction.

It only took around twelve minutes for him to get to the hangar bar that kept his X-wing. His father had several of them that were highly restricted - and one that not even Luke was allowed in, for some mysterious reason.

The password for the primary access holders, of which there were only three, was a four digit combination - 5853. The same combination that had gotten them out of the mines all those months ago.

Luke keyed himself in and the doors opened in time with a buzzing sound that alerted anyone inside to his entering. Immediately, eyes and whispers followed him. He was used to it at this point and pretended not to notice, keeping his head high and his shoulders down as he walked inside. It was easy enough to ignore how isolating it all felt. The hangar was utterly massive and still inspired a sense of awe at the incredible engineering that had built it.

He paused for a moment to look around in order to try and get an idea of where things were in here. After orienting himself, Luke walked over in the direction of his ship and it became evident very quickly that little to nothing had been done with it. Forget the A check - most of the crates that it had been packaged in hadn't even been opened yet. They were all labeled in black, stenciled Aurebesh, signifying which parts were in each container. The main body of the ship had been lifted and placed on a pedestal but only two of the four wings had been attached and the sliding canopy was missing as well.

That was it.

In truth, it looked like utter garbage. It was a pretty decent reflection of how he felt right about now.

There was no way that reassembling the damn thing should be taking this long. Two and a half months was more than enough time to have it nearly completed - especially if it was the priority that his father had said that it would be. The people that worked for his father were supposed to be bonafide miracle workers.

Except when it came to helping Luke Skywalker, he thought bitterly. Notoriety versus infamy was one hell of a thing. But… maybe this was a good thing, Luke conceded after a moment, his shoulders slumping slightly.

If it had been fully put together, then there would be nothing stopping him from getting the hell out of here. Luke had no idea where he would go - but he was antsy to go somewhere. Anywhere. Just so long as it wasn't here.

Maybe he still would… but going through the effort of stealing one of his father's felt like more trouble than it was worth at the moment. Especially since Luke only recently felt like Piett had forgiven him for the last mistake he'd made.

He'd already pissed his father off and hurt his feelings. Causing another problem probably wasn't a great idea. He'd just stay and work on his own ship and hope that getting lost in the mechanics would help to fix his mood. And… if Luke still felt the same way after the damn thing was complete… then he was officially giving himself permission to take off and go wherever the hell he wanted.

Decision made, Luke took a moment and spotted what looked to be the hangar bay's maintenance office. He walked over, keeping his back straight and his stride confident in a small effort to look as though he belonged and maybe encourage anyone who might not be happy to see him to leave him alone. He heard a few voices from inside an open door as he approached.

Rapping his knuckles on it to get someone's attention, Luke stood and waited.

It didn't take long before someone appeared. A humanoid in a blue mechanics uniform appeared, talking to someone over his shoulder and not once taking the time to look at him.

" - the fucking breasts on that woman -"

Peals of rowdy laughter came from inside.

Luke rolled his eyes at the crudeness and then coughed subtly.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you already…" the guy snapped impatiently, before finally turning around to face Luke directly. In an instance, his eyes widened and he stumbled backwards, grabbing at the door frame. The faded name on his uniform said TEBALDO. "Oh, shit -" he cursed and then immediately began stuttering. "I - I, I'm sorry, um - Commander… sir? I - I didn't realize who I was talking to."

Clearly.

Luke offered him a strained smile that he was certain came across as incredibly insincere. "Hi," he greeted shortly, deciding to get straight to the point and save Tebaldo from a heart attack. "Sorry to bother you, I'm sure you're very busy… but I was wondering if I could get the equipment and tools needed to restart the reassembling process on my X-wing."

"The X-wing, uh - um, yeah, yeah." Tebaldo swallowed and peered in the direction of his ship for a moment before running a hand over his shaved head. "The X-wing, right. Um… yeah, give me a few minutes and I'll get a few others to help bring everything over. Did you… want any assistance?"

"No," Luke said tightly. "Clearly it'll only get done if I do it myself."

If it was possible, Tebaldo looked even more nervous. "Of course, sir. But I… I feel like I should tell you that it is not a simple process or a one-man job. Sir."

"Thanks for the advice but I didn't ask." Luke said impatiently, waving his hand impatiently. To his satisfaction, Tebaldo relented quickly.

"We'll uh… we'll bring you what you need."

Luke left without another word, walking swiftly towards his ship. The body of it looked secure enough on its mount. There were no ladders propped up against it or even nearby but he didn't need one either. As he got nearer, he timed his steps and then lightly leapt up to the top, balancing on the edge of the frame before dropping into the open cockpit.

There were some whispers and a sense of awe that followed him, which he did his best to ignore.

Even with the pilot's seat missing, his ship felt familiar and Luke breathed a deep sigh of relief, relishing the moment of being somewhere personal to him. It felt a little bit like being home and an unexpected wave of nostalgia for the Rebellion hit him hard. He felt his eyes blur with tears of frustration.

Force, it had all been so much easier.

Why did Vader have to go out of his way to make everything so damn complicated?

Sure, he'd had bad days in the Rebellion too. He'd been chewed out by commanding officers for stupid mistakes until he'd wanted to disappear into the wall… but… this was harder. All of it was so much harder. He'd had so many more people to turn to before. If one person was annoyed or angry at him, there were always others there to pick him back up again and get his head on straight.

Here… here, all he really had was his father.

All Luke wanted to do was help him - he'd given up everything just to try but he had no idea what he was doing or if any of this would even work. It felt like the more Luke tried to love him, the harder Vader pushed back.

He could hear the hangar bay staff making their way in his direction and Luke sucked in a deep breath and shakily let it out again. Luke took another minute or two to make sure that the emotion was gone from his face before he jumped back down to the ground once more, ignoring the startled whispers as things were laid out for him to use.

Luke walked between all the crates, reading the sides for the contents until he found the one that he wanted. Figured he'd start with the pilot's seat and get that put back in so he had a place to rest - it would also probably be the easiest piece to install. He ran his prosthetic hand - which was now a sleek, black metal protected by a black glove - along the unsanded wooden top, feeling for any give but not finding any.

"These crates were bolted down pretty well," one of the maintenance staff - HUGHAR - told him cautiously. "We can send a droid over to help get them open -"

Luke ignored him, gripping the lid and with some assistance from the Force, pulled it open easily. The wood splintered and cracked loudly until the entire thing came off. With an impatient wave of his hand, Luke sent the lid floating off to the side and then set it down on top of another nearby crate.

Stunned silence followed.

"We'll leave you to it." Hughar squeaked before backtracking with all of his buddies in tow.

Luke rolled his eyes and then pulled a pair of earphones from the bag he'd brought with him, turned some music on, and got to work.

---

09:16 Hours

Luke couldn't say that he hadn't had downtime while living on the Executor, but everything he did unless he was at home felt like a job or a chore or carried some weight of great responsibility to it. Even the way he acted, trying to blend in and not give anyone a reason to question his loyalty to the Empire, was work.

It was exhausting and he hadn't realized how exhausting it was until just now.

This… being by himself and doing something that didn't require an air of deception to it… it just felt nice.

Putting his X-wing together was also turning out to be quite satisfying, simply because he could physically see the progress that he was making. It was slow work - he didn't want to damage anything or have to redo any of this later because he wasn't paying attention... but he liked watching it come to life again. It was almost its own form of effort of lifting things significantly bigger than he was wasn't even an effort anymore - it was easy now. His power had grown tremendously over the last few months. It was sometimes hard to tell while working with Vader, who was vastly more experienced than he was, but whenever he went back to these little things that used to give him a hard time and finding them simple and easy was a good feeling. Getting to this point hadn't always seemed possible back on Dagobah. But what Yoda had said was true - size mattered not.

Lifting a rock was no different than lifting an X-wing.

Funny, all of the things that had to happen for him to be humbled enough to realize that his doubts and insecurities were the biggest challenges standing in his way.

He couldn't help but wonder what Yoda and Obi-Wan would think of the progress he had made. Whether or not they would be pleased with it or disappointed that he had learned better under the tutelage a Sith Lord than he had under a Jedi.

Probably the latter, Luke thought quietly. He still vast preferred Vader's bluntness over Yoda's mysticism. But he supposed... there were probably some benefits to both methods. He also wondered if his experience with Yoda would be different if he went back to him now... if maybe he would have the patience to actually try to understand what the old master was trying to teach him and if his new knowledge of the Jedi Order as a whole would help him make sense of the culture and history that shaped how Yoda viewed things.

Maybe he'd be a better student than he had been.

Luke liked to think so... but maybe he was still too much like his father - maybe even more so, after all the time they'd spent together now.

He shook his head, trying to chase those thoughts from his mind. There was no point in dwelling on it when he couldn't control the outcome either way.

All he could control was himself and even then, he failed rather spectacularly at that often enough to disappoint even himself. Luke was already feeling sore from where Vader had whacked him and then from hitting the gym wall the way that he had. There were going to be bruises for sure but he figured that a hot bath latter would help with the stiffness that would come. Luke should have been more careful - he'd reacted without thinking and attacked without being ready to protect himself. His father had been pissed but Luke knew from experience that he had still hadn't used his full strength on him. Even with the setting on his lightsaber dialed down, he could have done so much more damage.

Not that any of that made Luke feel any better.

It just meant that hurting him hadn't been Vader's goal. His words and actions had been calculated and deliberate - hell, he'd even warned Luke beforehand that he shouldn't take what was going to happen personally.

Angry as he still was over what his father had done to him... Luke couldn't help but also think maybe he was missing something as well.

He was in the process of going over the fight in his head, when at some point, Artoo appeared, whistling a quiet greeting to him.

Luke looked down at him, wiping some of the sweat off of his face and no doubt smearing some grease on his face in the process. His lack of willingness to endure company didn't quite extend to Artoo.

"How'd you get in here?" he asked curiously.

REPLY: I have my ways. Artoo beeped innocently.

"I thought my father hadn't given you any passwords because he considers you a menace and, I quote, 'a top tier security risk with the capability of dismantling the Empire in its entirety'."

SMUG REPLY: He flatters me.

"Artoo."

RECOMMENDATION: Relax. OBSERVATION: If LORD VAD3R didn't want me in here, he'd create a more challenging passcode. ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION: He should know that using names and personal information is highly inadvisable when it comes to security.

Luke grabbed a rag to clean some of the grease off his hands. "So you're saying it's his fault?"

REPLY: Absolutely it is.

Luke hummed, somewhat entertained by that idea for the moment. "Well… as long as you're here… you want to help me with all of this?"

AFFIRMATIVE: I would be happy to help, Master Luke.

Artoo had all the schematics to the X-wing saved in his files and Luke quickly became grateful for his company when he began projecting the individual sections of the parts that he was working on for Luke to see, beeping instructions here and there while he maneuvered the larger pieces into place.

It didn't take long after finishing assembling the main parts of the cockpit for Luke to realize that he was overly ambitious in the idea that he could get all of this done quickly. The two wings that still needed to be reassembled were in decent enough shape. The metallic frame of spars and ribs were still intact and seemingly undamaged but the flight systems and aerodynamic components were going to be quite a bit more complicated. The two wings that were already attached were in a similar position of needing the interior parts both adjusted and would probably be a safe bet to start there and figure out what he was doing before setting the other two wings into place... and if he screwed it up, someone else could fix it. He got to work, settling himself in the center of the wing and opening up the maintenance hatch and peering inside. The wiring found inside the wing structure was mostly electrical wiring and hydraulic lines that were responsible for sensors, lighting systems, actuators, as well as the flaps and slats that allowed for more precise flight control.

Not stuff that any pilot wanted to have malfunction.

The next two hours passed by relatively peacefully, the work simple and methodical and easy to get lost in, and Artoo's uncomplicated company to help take his mind off of more frustrating matters.

---

11:42 Hours

Luke.

Luke paused for the first time in a while, hesitating for a short second before ignoring the voice in his head and continuing with the rewiring process. He'd lifted Artoo into his space behind the cockpit a while ago so that he could access the ship's main system and monitor what Luke was doing. The music he was listening to was loud enough to completely block out the other sounds of the hangar bay where his X-wing was being stored but it had absolutely no chance of tuning his father out if he wanted to be heard. The music he was listening to was pounding a loud but strangely soothing beat in his ears.

Luke.

He ignored the whispering sound of his name again and didn't care to hear any of the emotion behind it either. Instead, he pointedly closed his shields even further to try and block his father out as much as he could. He didn't want to talk to anyone yet, least of all wasn't one of his father's officers and he sure as hell wasn't going to be treated like one either. If Vader thought that Luke was just going to drop everything he was doing in order to come running when he called, then he was in for a big surprise. If Vader wanted to talk to him, he'd have to come and find Luke himself this time.

Or he could just stay away.

Luke figured his father knew a thing or two about being angry. Maybe he'd take a hint.

After a minute or so, the dark presence lingering in the back of his mind slowly faded, leaving him alone, much to Luke's satisfaction.

---

14:27 Hours

He was left unbothered for the next few hours and he continued to make slow but steady progress on his X-wing in the meantime. With Artoo's approval, he was relatively confident that the left wing systems were operational and had moved on to getting the right wings attached an hour or so ago.

The hangar bay staff had continued to keep to themselves for the most part but Luke had occasionally noticed them wandering closer to where he was working, seemingly emboldened by the relatively peaceful atmosphere around him. There was a mixture of awe and cautious curiosity directed his way whenever he was lifting some of the larger pieces of his ship and he figured that someone using the Force openly was not something that they were accustomed to seeing, let alone seeing it be done to put something together. Luke didn't mind letting them watch and when he wasn't hostile to anyone, one of the higher up staff came and offered him lunch around noon - which Luke politely declined on that small possibility that it had been poisoned. His security staff had informed him that it would never be an impossibility around here and it was advice he didn't plan to forget.

Still, Luke had taken the opportunity to apologize for his earlier rudeness and based on the man's surprise, won himself a few points in the process.

Which meant that the day wasn't a total waste of time. Though he'd enjoy it even more if he could figure out what he was doing wrong right now - the wings were in place and he'd bolted them down properly but something still wasn't connecting the way that it should. The circuits for several different systems were in complete disrepair - he was certain that an Imperial who'd helped take his ship apart had done it deliberately. Regardless of the reason, he was getting bored of working with wires and since he didn't want to go home yet, was considering moving on to finally starting the A check on his engine.

"Son of a…" Luke cursed under his breath as sometime inside the control panel he was working on shocked him. He jerking his hand back on instinct to avoid getting burned or electrocuted. That was the very last thing that he needed right now. He bit his lip, frustrated and annoyed. None of the wires should be live right now so why the hell was it behaving this way...? Hesitantly, he reached inside the maintenance hatch again and felt around for the problem. Sparks shot out at him once more and he cursed, sitting back on his heels.

Removing his headphones, Luke set them aside with more aggression than was necessary and then closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You're doing it wrong."

Luke startled, jerking his head up in surprise. He ignored the slight, invisible pressure he felt tentatively pressing against him as if to keep him from potentially slipping off the side of his ship. When he didn't fall, the feeling faded a few seconds later.

"Oh, great," he muttered instead, setting his eyes on Vader standing below him. "It's you."

"You are doing it wrong," his father repeated instead of responding to his grumbling.

"Yeah? And what else is new?" Luke snapped, feeling his hackles raise. "According to you, I can't do anything right."

His father didn't respond right away and the sudden silence between them gave Luke the opportunity to sense that Vader's anger from earlier was gone.

Instead, Vader gave him a look that was surprisingly non patronizing. "I told you beforehand that what would happen in training today wasn't personal."

Luke leveled him with a glare. "Yeah, well, it felt personal." he muttered.

"And that is something that you need to work on." Vader said unapologetically. "You are too easily provoked to anger."

Luke hummed, unwilling to admit that that was true, and turned his attention back to his problem, reaching into the hatch to try and find the faulty wire again, pointedly ignoring his father.

He wasn't allowed to enjoy the silence for very long.

"Luke -"

"How did you find me down here?" Luke interrupted without looking up, while silently warning Vader that he wasn't very interested in continuing that particular line of conversation any further. "How many people did you have to ask to figure out where I went?"

"I did not have to ask anyone." Vader denied.

"On a ship this big when I didn't want you to know where I was?" Luke snorted, shaking his head. "Yeah, right."

"I know you a fair bit better than you want to give me credit for."

"Oh, and here I thought you were over those psycho-obsessive tendencies."

"Parental intuition," Vader corrected impatiently. When Luke gave him another look, his father relented slightly. "I also receive notifications when primary access holders enter my hangars. However," he continued before Luke could offer his feelings on that. "I thought you might be down here because you are my son and like you, I have a tendency to turn to machines when I am… frustrated."

For once, Luke felt unimpressed by the comparison. "And now you've invaded my place of refuge in order to… what? Tell me that I can't put my own ship together properly?"

"That was not my intention, no."

"Good," Luke shot at him. "Otherwise you might actually get that fight you were asking for."

Insulting him and pulling up his worst memories was one thing. Insulting his ship or his mechanic skills was one too many lines crossed - he sent the thought across their bond and had the sense of Vader rolling his eyes in response.

"Luke, look at me." Vader said and this time there was something different in his tone that caught his attention. He looked up once more, meeting Vader's eyes. "You have sulked long enough," his father said sternly. "My responsibility as your teacher is to test you and to push you to do better and that is not always going to be a pleasant process. I will protect you to the best of my abilities, even if it means hurting you."

"I understand what you were doing," Luke pursed his lips and then sighed. "It took a few hours but I get it… and you're probably not wrong. I overreacted. But that doesn't mean I have to like what you did."

Vader tilted his head. "True. But you do not learn to master emotion unless you are first challenged to do so. You cannot hide from your feelings, whatever they may be. Anger can be destructive, yes, but it is not inherently wrong either. You must learn to accept it for what it is and then learn to let it go. As an old grand master Jedi would have said, powerful is the one who cannot be provoked to anger."

Luke bit back the instinctual "hypocrite" that was on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he stayed quiet for a long moment, feeling certain that words had come from Yoda. The instruction was a conundrum coming from his father, who was the epitome of anger, but they were true nonetheless.

"Fair enough," Luke relented with a sigh. "And I'm sorry for what I said. It shouldn't have happened and I didn't mean it."

The was a faint sort of acknowledgement from his father's side of their bond, as well as a slightly stronger sense that he both wasn't mad but also wasn't interested in an apology either.

"Have you taught anyone else, other than me?" Luke asked before he could stop himself. The change in topic surprised even himself. "It's just… you seem good at this."

Below him, Vader shifted, uncomfortable for the first time. "I had a padawan once, yes, during the Clone Wars." he said slowly. "She was an exceptionally talented Jedi and we fought together many times, through many battles."

"What was her name?"

There was a long moment of silence.

"Ahsoka."

Luke hesitated for a long moment, knowing that he was encroaching on uncomfortable topics, and then dared to ask, "Did she die?"

"I," Vader hesitated again. "...I do not know what happened to her. We crossed paths once in the early days of the Empire... but that was the last time I saw her."

There was more to that story than what Vader was obviously willing to tell him. But... he hadn't killed her, Luke thought quietly, biting the inside of his cheek.

"I was told… I was told that I was probably one of the last Jedi alive." Luke said quietly. He shrugged, trying to brush off some of the heavy emotion that came with the burden of being the last of something. He wasn't completely successful.

Vader considered him for a moment, sensing perhaps, the loneliness that had prompted the comment.

"There are still others," he said slowly. "But those that have survived this long have done so by remaining in the shadows and keeping to themselves. I imagine that whoever told you that you are among the last, meant it in the sense that you are one of the last who will be trained by a knight or master of the Jedi Order."

Luke hadn't quite thought about it that way before. If there were others... he doubted any of them would ever come out of hiding. Twenty years was a long time to be hunted down and persecuted. But still... the idea eased a small burden for him and he would have to settle for hoping that it was true and that maybe one day he'd cross paths with someone.

"My son," Vader said, once Luke had been silent for a few minutes. "You should know that my words and actions earlier were only intended to evoke a reaction from you. That does not mean that they were a true reflection of what I think about you."

Luke hesitated, thinking of all the many ways that he could respond.

With more irritation.

Anger.

Annoyance.

Sarcasm.

None of which would accomplish anything except to drive a wedge between them even further. Which really wasn't what he wanted. It obviously wasn't what Vader wanted either - he was just too emotionally stunted to actually say it out loud. But the apologetic emotion was there; something quiet and patient - feelings that, by now, Luke had learned were only ever extended towards him.

"...you want to help me do this?" Luke offered. His tone was still a tad shorter than he'd intended… but the offer itself was sincere. He trusted that Vader would pick up on that. The same way that his father seemed to trust that Luke would hear all the things he couldn't say out loud.

Vader was silent for a moment, his respirator cycling twice. Finally, he took three short steps backwards and then stepped forward again, leaping lightly up on top of his X-wing. It shook a little as he landed and Luke held still for a few seconds until it became steady once again. Vader moved carefully and then sat down beside him, crossing his legs.

They spent the next few minutes working companionably together, settling into a more familiar routine as Vader showed him some different methods to repair the damage that had been and also helped him with some ideas on how to improve it. He seemed impressed with the modifications that Luke had already made when Luke pointed them out to him and explained his reasoning behind them.

It was fun.

Uncomplicated and flickers of warmth and light seemed to flutter like distant starlight along their bond every few minutes while they talked. Luke had the thought, once they drifted towards working on the engine, of maybe trying to bring up whatever was prompting his father to anger all the time or even what had happened that had caused him to fall to the dark side... but in the end, Luke decided against it. The future in front of them was uncertain and moments like these did not come as often as he wanted. Selfishly, Luke just wanted to enjoy it for what it was and he couldn't help but think that Vader felt the same way.

They only called it quits an hour or so later when Luke's stomach embarrassingly started to growl. Most of the other hangar bay staff had vacated for the day but a few lingered still, saluting Vader as both he and Luke walked towards the exit.

"I will be busy tomorrow morning," Vader told him suddenly. "You can train on your own or you may take the morning off. I care not which. Either way, I want you to practice shielding your mind from me."

Luke felt his brow furrow. "From you? Why?"

Vader shrugged. "It is just an exercise, my son. In any case, I will require privacy and doing this will help us both."

That didn't make sense. Unless they were annoyed with each other, their connection was always open for communication, or even just to keep tabs on one another. Not to mention that Luke didn't need practice in shielding his mind from Vader. He was pretty damn good at it, actually.

"But what are you doing tomorrow? Is the Emperor calling you?" Luke pressed.

"It has nothing to do with him." Vader said simply. "Just do as I ask and know that it is nothing to worry about."

"...alright, I guess." Luke agreed slowly, even as an uneasy came over him. He wasn't certain why. Vader often went and did his own things - whether it was inspecting the progress on the Death Star or communicating with other high ranking members of the Imperial Fleet, or even simply needing his own space for a few hours... it was a given that Luke wasn't always able to go along or know all the details. But his father had never asked him to do this before and it felt... wrong. Even the Force felt odd.

The rest of their walk home was spent in silence and it was only once they had parted ways that Luke realized it was because Vader was lying.

---

A/N Thanks for reading.