Amnesia
Summary: Bounty hunters find Luke after he crashed his X-Wing. They call to collect on his bounty.
Talking had never accomplished Darth Vader anything. He asked to save his mother. He asked his padawan to stay. He had asked his wife to wait for him and later to rule the galaxy with him. His words had accomplished nothing. He had lost it all instead. He had lost his mother, padawan, and wife.
What got Vader results was action. Violence finally brought Vader the respect he deserved. It was his actions that made him feared throughout the galaxy. It was through violence he solved his problems. The fear and hatred this violence created only gave him more power through the Dark Side.
This was why Vader turned to violence against his son at Bespin. Vader wanted his son to join him, but the only way he knew how to achieve that was through violence. So he fought his son. Cut off his son's hand. When he finally used words to try and convince his son, the son denied his father. Again words had failed Vader as he watched his son let go and fall.
Yet his son hadn't died. He had somehow survived Bespin and got away on that insufferable freighter. Violence had gotten him nowhere with the boy. Neither had words . . . but perhaps . . . The boy was too much like his mother. Kind hearted, and a person of words. His wife had been a great woman of words as a senator. Perhaps Vader should try words again.
It appeared Vader would have his chance. He sat in the command cabin of the shuttle as it made its way down to the surface of some poor planet of the Outer Rim. A group of bounty hunters had claimed they captured Skywalker and wanted to cash in on the boy's large bounty. Of course Vader received multiple claims on the bounty and had requested a DNA sample. Blood did not lie. Not only was the midichlorian count too high, but also Vader's own blood was a parental match.
The boy had successfully invaded capture or escaped from Vader for years now. How the bounty hunter scum had come to capture the boy, Vader did not know. Regardless, Vader was not one to pass up an opportunity. Perhaps it was the will of Force. The son was destined to be with his father after all.
As the shuttle continued its way to the planet, Vader reached out to the Force. He quickly found the strong bright burning light that was his son. The boy wasn't even shielding himself. Vader gently reached out and prodded the boy's presence. It flickered, but didn't shrink away or flinch. Again Vader touched the presence. There was a sense of curiosity, a question, not fear or hate. Vader pulled back into himself. What had changed Luke?
He landed his shuttle landing at a medical facility. The small party of bounty hunters led him to a doctor. The Twi'lek woman held her own against Vader. She didn't cower or shrink in fear. A trait Vader enjoyed seeing. The doctor motioned for Vader to walk with her. The bounty hunters stayed behind.
"The patient was found in wrecked X-Wing fighter in a field. The bounty hunters found him and brought him here. He suffered a severe brain injury along with a broken rib and some bruises and scratches. We also noted a prosthetic hand. Looks to be a recent addition. The skin around the prosthetic is still healing," the doctor explained as she led the Sith down the hall.
She came to a door and stopped. Vader could sense Luke was on the other side. He was so close. "Most important," the doctor said looking up into the black mask, "he has dissociative amnesia."
"Which is what doctor?" Vader asked growing a bit impatient.
"The patient has not only forgotten his past but also his identity. He can't recall who he is. We've shown him holos of his bounty, and he was unable to recognize himself. While suffering a severe brain injury can cause amnesia, usually dissociative amnesia is caused by a traumatic event the patient is unable to cope with properly."
Vader was quiet and still, at least as quiet as his breathing allowed him to be. Finally he spoke, "He cannot recall anything?"
"No sir. He doesn't know his name. How he got here. I asked him what he knew about the Rebellion and the Empire, but again he was clueless."
That would explain why the boy wasn't shielding himself. Why he didn't shy away from Vader's prodding in the Force. The boy simply didn't know who Vader was. Had Vader gotten so lucky? That his prize be handed to him in such a condition? There was nothing else for the boy to fall back on. He would have nowhere else to go, but where his father led him. Darth Vader smiled under his mask.
"Will his memories return?" Vader asked.
"They usually do. Though how and when is unknown. It could all come back suddenly or slowly over time," the doctor said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Generally it should happen within a few a days. He is still showing signs of a brain injury. He is uncoordinated when he stands and easily gets dizzy and confused."
"Very good doctor. I will see the patient. Alone," Vader rumbled. He pushed the door panel and the door slid open. Laying on a medical bed was his son, Luke Skywalker. He looked as he did on Bespin. His blond hair disheveled. Wide blue eyes staring at the Sith. Healing cuts and bruises littered the boy's face and exposed arms.
"Luke," Vader said softly as he could.
"Who are you?" Luke asked. There was no lie in his voice. The boy clearly did not know.
"You do not know who I am?" Vader asked.
"No," Luke responded. "You know who I am, I think. They tell me my name is Luke."
"It is," Vader confirmed. He walked over to Luke. The boy didn't shy away. He just followed Vader with his gaze. Vader grabbed the boy's arm, raising the prosthetic hand up. Vader twisted the arm to examine the prosthetic. The Rebels had fitted the boy with a decent model. "Do you not know how you lost your hand?"
"No," Luke said a bit annoyed. "I don't remember anything."
Vader opened himself up to the Force and reached out to his son's mind. His son's mind was easily accessed. There was no fight, no shields. The boy was an open book, but the book was empty. There was an obvious sign of confusion and pain leftover from the crash. Vader pulled himself out of the boy's mind.
Vader dropped the boy's hand and moved closer. A gloved hand reached out and gently pushed a strand of hair from the boy's face. The boy only slightly backed away from the hand, but let Vader touch him. Vader couldn't stop the sense of victory growing inside of him. He had the boy, his son. Not only that but the boy knew nothing. He had no allegiance to the pathetic Rebels. No hatred of the Empire. No disgust of his father. He was a blank slate.
He was perfect.
"You will come with me," Vader announced. He turned and left the room. The doctor still waited outside. The bounty hunters had joined her. "I will be taking the boy," he announced.
"Hey what about our payment?" one bounty hunter asked.
"Yeah that kid's got a fortune on his head," another joined in.
"You will get your payment, bounty hunters," Vader growled at them. He brought out his com and ordered the captain of the squad of stormtroopers that had accompanied him to the planet into the building. When the troopers arrived, Vader ordered, "Take the boy in a holochair to the command cabin of my shuttle. Let nothing happen to him. Do not let him escape. You are allowed to stun him if need be."
The trooper saluted and entered the room. Shortly Luke was pushed out of the room in a holochair. His hands were bound by binders. The troopers were clearly taking no risks in angering their commander and letting the boy escape. Luke looked around wildly in confusion and fear.
Calm down, young one, Vader said through the Force. Vader had established their bond earlier when he dug into the boy's mind. Luke's eyes snapped to Vader. His mouth was agape. The shock of hearing a voice inside his head was clear. You are safe, Vader said again sending warm and soothing waves to the boy.
Vader watched as the troopers pushed the boy down the hall. The bounty hunters shifted uncomfortably until one of them finally spoke up. "Payment, Lord Vader?"
"Of course," Vader said as turned away from his son. He looked at the hunters and the doctor. It took only a second for him to summon his lightsaber and to ignite it. Their screams died on their lips as they were cut down. The lot fell to the ground sliced in half. The fact that Skywalker had been captured could not reach the Emperor. Even more important, Sidious could not discover Luke's mental state.
Vader turned his saber off and reattached it to his belt. He stormed out of the medical clinic back to his shuttle and son. He turned to a waiting trooper at the bottom of the loading ramp. "Destroy this facility," he ordered. "Kill everyone inside. Track down any and all transmission they made about Skywalker. Kill and destroy anyone who knew of him being here." The trooper acknowledged the order and set out to carry it out.
Vader walked inside the shuttle and ordered it to return back to the Executor , which was waiting in orbit. He entered the command cabin and was met with a wave of annoyance and confusion from Luke.
"What's going on?" he demanded. He held up his bound hands. With a wave of his hand, Vader unlatched the binders with the Force. The binders fell open on the boy's lap. Luke rubbed his wrists were the binders had dug into his skin.
"You are safe," Vader explained. "Those were a mere precaution."
"For what?" Luke snapped back. The boy would need to learn some discipline and respect, but that would come soon enough. Words, Vader reminded himself. He needed to use words. "Who are you? What do I call you?"
"Father," Vader responded. Luke paused and looked Vader over.
"Father?" Luke asked a bit skeptical.
"Yes, Luke I am your father," Vader replied.
"What do you look like under that mask? Why do you wear it?"
Perhaps it was natural. The boy was trying to see how the two were related. He was trying to make sense out of his world he remembered nothing of.
"I wear it to breath," Vader explained. "This is a life support suit. I cannot take it off unless I'm in a control environment."
"Oh," Luke said. A small silence stretched between them, but then the boy's curiosity got the better of him. "What is your name? Those men in the white armor don't call you father."
"Darth Vader," Vader replied. He paused as he watched for Luke's reaction. Perhaps hearing the name would cause some of the memories to return, but nothing.
"But those men called you Lord Vader," Luke said.
"Yes that is the proper way to address me," Vader explained.
"Where are we going? What's going to happen?" Luke said a bit quietly. He glanced down at his lap at the open binders.
"I am taking you to my ship. You will be examined by the best medical team. It will be determined how bad your brain injury is."
"Will I get my memories back? The doctor said I might get it back in a few days," Luke said hopefully.
"We shall see, my son," Vader explained. "When you are healed we shall start your training. You have a lot to learn."
"Training?"
"In the ways of the Force."
"The Force?"
Vader sighed. "In due time, Luke, you will understand it all."
Vader's com beeped. The pilot announced they had landed on the super star destroyer. Two stormtroopers entered the command cabin and escorted Luke in the holochair out with Vader right behind. They brought the boy to the med bay. A team was already waiting to admit Luke per Vader's orders. Luke was taken away and put through a variety of tests. Vader stayed and carefully watched it all. He wasn't quite willing to let the boy out of his sight yet.
"We've got the preliminary results, my lord," the head doctor said as he approached the Sith.
"Your findings?" Vader inquired.
"He did indeed suffer a brain injury causing amnesia. The amnesia should clear itself away in a few days time," the doctor explained.
"And what if I do not want the memories to return?" Vader asked. The doctor looked a bit surprised. "I do not want his memories to return, doctor. Find a way to prevent it. If you cannot, I will find another who can." With a wave of his hand he dismissed the flabbergasted doctor.
Yes, the boy was with his father as it should have been all along. Now nothing was holding the boy back. No misguided notions of a dead order or the lies of a dead betrayer. Vader would train his son. Together they would take down the Emperor and claim the galaxy. Together they would rule. To achieve this would require violent action, the type Vader was used to. But to get that point, first there would be words. Calm and soothing words for a confused child and a wanting father.