The Question

Summary: Luke Skywalker spent his early years with his father, Anakin, on Tatooine. Until one day Anakin disappeared and never came back. Everyone said Anakin died, but Luke still believes his father is alive. After the death of Obi-Wan, it appears the only person with answers about what happened to Anakin is Darth Vader.

Darth Vader was here. Luke knew it. He could feel it in the Force. The anger, the rage, the fear, and the cold swirled about this place. There was a wrongness to it. Luke had only felt it a few times before with the first being in the trench of the Death Star. Yet there was also a sense of familiarity behind it. Perhaps it was just due to Luke finally being able to recognize this darkness as Vader.

Luke gripped the steering yoke of his ship. He shouldn't go in. While everything reported to be calm coming out of the Alliance base ahead, Luke knew better. Vader was there. Waiting. Instead of turning his fighter around, Luke brought it into the hangar. As he took off his helmet, he noticed there was no life to be seen. No mechanics. No pilots. No deck crew. No one. Luke glanced around for the tell-tale sight of blaster burns, but he didn't even see those.

With no crew to bring a ladder, Luke was forced to jump from the cockpit. R2 made a sad little whine. "Stay there, buddy," Luke said up to the droid. "Keep the engines warm. I have a feeling we may need a fast getaway." The little droid beeped back at him.

Luke pulled his father's lightsaber free. His fingers slide along the all-too familiar grooves and lines of the saber.

"Can I touch it, please? Please daddy? Please?" Luke had begged his father. Anakin Skywalker just looked down at his young son. Anakin slowly brought out his lightsaber.

"You can touch it, but you can't hold it," Anakin said.

Luke jumped up and down in excitement. He reached out his hand and let his fingers gently slide along the groves. The same groves Luke touched now in the present. He had to face Vader. He was the only one with answers about Luke's father.

"Luke," Anakin said to the young child he carried. "You're going to go stay with your aunt and uncle for a while."

Anakin carried Luke out of the small house they lived in. Luke shaded his eyes from the harsh Tatooine suns. He was quiet the whole ride to his uncle's homestead. His father's face was scrunched up and serious. Something was wrong. Luke wanted to ask what it was, but he didn't. Once they arrived, Anakin carried Luke down into the homestead.

He recalled this moment with such clarity. Even years later he could recall the Tatooine heat. The feel of his course linen tunic. His father's glove and flesh hand cupping Luke's face. He remembered the smell of his father, leather and sweat, as he leaned in and gave Luke a kiss. He remembered the soft whispered words, the last words his father ever said to him. "I love you, Luke. Be good. I'll be back."

Except he had never come back. Anakin Skywalker never came back for his son. One night as a teen, Luke heard his aunt and uncle whispering in the dining room. He was supposed to be asleep, but he had stayed up late in the garage tinkering with some engine parts to his skyhopper. He crept closer to the dining room, careful not to be heard.

"Are you sure?" Aunt Beru asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Uncle Owen replied. "His name was on the confirmed list."

"Oh Luke," Beru said sadly. "He'll be devastated."

"We don't have to tell him," Owen replied.

"Owen. We can't do that. Luke still believes Anakin is going to come back. That he's alive."

That was when Luke stepped into the dining room. His aunt and uncle stared at him. "What do you mean?" Luke asked. Beru and Owen shared a glance.

"Luke," Beru said, "Honey, listen . . .Your father is dead."

"No," Luke said. He couldn't believe it. It wasn't true. He would know. He would know if his father was dead, and he wasn't. "No. How do you know?"

"When I went to Mos Espa, I checked the holonet's record of confirmed dead Jedi. Anakin Skywalker's name is on that list," Owen explained.

"That doesn't mean his dead," Luke said. When no one spoke up, Luke continued, "Everyone thought he died back when the Empire was created!"

"But his name wasn't on the list," Owen explained. "Not until now and . . . and it's been on there for a while. It's been on there for years. I've just haven't checked until now."

Then just a few months ago, his uncle had bought the two droids. The R2 unit claimed he was owned by Anakin Skywalker. Luke never recalled his father owning any droids. The droid didn't have answers about Anakin, but there was one person who might know. Obi-Wan Kenobi, who the droid was looking for. That was how Luke ended up on the freighter with the Corellian smuggler, the wookie, the two droids, and the old Jedi.

A Jedi who claimed he was Anakin's master. Who had Anakin's lightsaber, because Anakin had died at the hands of Darth Vader. Obi-Wan said Vader was a Jedi who betrayed Anakin. Luke had so many questions for Obi-Wan. He had wanted to know more about his father. Who was he before Luke was born? But more importantly, how did he die? Luke wanted to know exactly how his father had died, but then Ben had died. Now the only way to get that answer was to meet with Vader.

Apparently Darth Vader wanted to meet Luke as well. Since Luke had blown up the Death Star, Lord Vader had put out a very high alive-only bounty on Luke. The past months Luke had avoided capture several times from bounty hunters and Imperials alike. This included a few close calls of almost running into Vader himself. Now Luke was walking willingly to the man. Luke wasn't completely sure what Vader wanted in him. To kill all the Jedi? To kill what remained of Anakin Skywalker? To kill the pilot who blew up the Death Star?

As Luke walked through the base, he found it as devoid of life as the hangar. He finally saw some signs of a battle though. A few blaster burn marks. Some drops of blood. Scuff marks on the floor. Luke kept moving through the base toward the ever growing inky cold in the Force. The darkness seemed to be growing into a cold fire that wrapped around and licked at Luke. Finally, Luke came to the door of the command center of the base. He keyed the door panel, and the door slid open with a soft swoosh.

The room was large filled with terminals, displays, and holoprojectors. The far part of the room was elevated above the rest, so the commanders could overlook the rest of the room easily. That is where the large dark mass of Darth Vader stood. Luke noticed the eerily regulated mechanical breathing coming from the man. It was also where all the cold darkness emitted from. Vader was a black inferno in the Force. Cold fear and hate swirled around him violently. Luke unclipped his lightsaber and ignited it. He slowly walked towards the Sith lord.

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker," Vader's deep booming voice said. "But you hold that weapon like an untrained child. You are not a Jedi."

A small growl escaped Luke, though he easily bit it back down. He deactivated his lightsaber and lowered it to his side. He sensed Vader's surprise in the Force. The Sith started to walk slowly towards Luke.

"A wise decision," Vader said with a wave of his hand at Luke's unlit saber. Vader stopped a short distance away, just a bit out of a lightsaber blade's reach. Luke's heart felt like it was being squeezed. His vision was a little blurry on the edges. He could feel sweat dripping down his neck and back.

"I have a question," Luke said. Vader said nothing, but there was a very slight tilt of his helmet. Through the Force, Luke could sense the curiosity. "What . . . How did you kill my father, Anakin Skywalker?"

For a brief second, nothing happened. Then the darkness exploded off of Vader. Freezing cold dark tendrils lashed out in the Force. Luke winced as it felt like he was being sliced from icy shards. Luke ignited his lightsaber, ready to defend from any attack.

"What?" the dark lord boomed. "Who told you that? Kenobi?" Vader snarled the name. "The Rebels? Who has filled your head with such lies, child? Tell me."

Luke took a step back. He had never felt this much power and darkness in the Force before. Vader was an inferno. A maelstrom in the Force. Vader moved in closer, and Luke slashed his saber out at him. Vader easily stepped to the side.

"Don't come any closer," Luke barked. Vader's red lightsaber quickly came to life, yet he didn't move. "You didn't answer my question," Luke continued. "How did you kill my father?"

"I will answer you question, if you first answer mine," Vader replied. "Who told you I killed Anakin Skywalker?"

Luke listened and felt for the Force. It was hard with Vader so close, but there was something there. A small thread weaving amongst the flames of Vader. The Sith was telling the truth.

"Ben told me enough," Luke said. "He told me you killed him. You were a Jedi who betrayed my father."

An odd noise came from Vader's vocoder. Luke wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Kenobi. That treacherous scum," Vader said. His voice was filled with disgust and venom. A shiver ran up Luke's back. "He did not deserve his easy death. It should been far worse."

"Now tell me!" Luke shouted. "Tell me what happened to my father!"

Vader paused. The lenses of his mask were focused right on Luke. Then he started to approach again.

"What do your feelings tell you, Skywalker?" Vader asked. "What do you believe happened to your father?"

That he isn't dead, the thought raced through Luke's mind. The hope Luke had never been able to cast out regardless how many people told him his father was dead. He knew it was childish, and at times he tried to rationalize with himself. His father had to be dead. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he still clung to the hope Anakin was still alive.

"You are indeed strong in the Force," Vader said. "Your feelings serve you well. Obi-Wan lied. I did not kill your father."

Luke's lightsaber hummed and hissed as it sliced through the air and met Vader's. Luke had opened his mouth to yell liar, but his voice died the moment his mouth opened. It wasn't a lie. Luke just somehow knew. Vader wasn't lying. Luke's saber crashed again and again against Vader's. He was angry. Frustrated. Obi-Wan had lied? Then what had happened? How did Obi-Wan have his father's lightsaber? Luke never saw his father without it.

Vader had only been moving on the defense. Suddenly he brought his saber down from a low angle. Luke backstepped to avoid it, but something slammed into his legs from behind. Luke tripped and fell hard to the metal ground. Vader was on top of him at once. A heavy boot slammed on Luke's wrist, which instantly released the saber hilt. Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber flew into Darth Vader's hand. For a moment he held both sabers, red and blue, on either side of him. Then he deactivated both and clipped both to his belt. He lifted his boot off Luke's wrist.

"Luke," Vader said. "Your father isn't dead."

Luke pushed himself up to his elbows. "Then . . . then what happened?" Luke whispered. He wasn't even sure if Vader had heard him. The Sith knelt down to one knee on the floor next to Luke. The large gloved hands came up to the helmet and slowly took it off. He placed the helmet on the floor and then slowly took off the mask.

Luke looked at Darth Vader unmasked. He wasn't sure what he expected to find under the mask, but he was a man. The first thing he noticed were the yellow eyes. Then the pale skin. Shorn short hair that appeared to be light brown or dark blonde. His face was covered with scars. Luke had seen his share of scars as a Rebel. These looked to be burn scars, except for the scar by Vader's right eye that slashed through his eyebrow . . .

Luke suddenly couldn't breathe. His eyes danced across Vader's face again. He noted the similarities. The shape of the nose. The cheekbones. The eyebrows. The eyes . . . they weren't blue anymore . . . but . . . They were familiar. Painfully familiar. "I love you, Luke. Be good. I'll be back."

A large lump filled Luke's throat. He could feel the stinging sensation starting to form in his eyes as tears threatened to form.

"Da-Dad?" Luke croaked.

At once Vader's face changed. He sighed. Relief washed over the Sith. Luke could even feel it in the Force. The angry whirlwind that Vader casted into the Force was slowly dying down and becoming more calm.

"Luke," came a raspy voice. Slowly, Vader's hand rose and reached toward Luke. Luke didn't move. Didn't know if he could if he wanted to. Slowly the large leather glove gently touched Luke's cheek. Vader's lips started to curl into what eventually became a smile. "Luke," he said again.

"How-how?" Luke said. His voice choked with emotion that threatened to spill out at any moment. "Why?"

Suddenly Vader coughed. The coughing shook the large man's entire form. When it had finished, there was a brief look from Vader to Luke. Vader's yellow eyes were filled with pain. Vader put back on his mask and helmet. After, he didn't move or say anything. The only sound was his breathing. Finally his hand grabbed at Luke's upper arm. He pulled the boy up with him as he stood.

"Come," Vader said. He kept his grip tight on Luke as he steered the two out the door of the command room.

"Why? Why are you Darth Vader? What happened?" Luke asked. He had to know. What had caused this to happen?

Vader's mask only slightly moved to look at Luke. "We can discuss this later," Vader said. He continued to pull Luke down the hallway. Yet Luke dug his heels in, causing both of them to stop.

"No," Luke said defiantly. "What happened? Why are you a . . . a Sith?"

Vader stared at Luke for moment, before he pulled on Luke's arm. "We can discuss this later," Vader repeated. His voice lower this time. "Once we have gotten to a more appropriate location."

Luke let out a small crazed laugh. "A better location? Where is that? There will never a better location. Just tell me, please. I have to know." He did. His thoughts were going a million different directions at lightspeed. His father was alive this whole time. Yet all he kept hearing were the words of everyone telling Luke his father was dead.

"Honey, listen . . .Your father is dead."

"I'm afraid Luke, Anakin Skywalker is dead. Betrayed by a fellow Jedi named Vader."

"I checked the holonet's record of confirmed dead Jedi. Anakin Skywalker's name is on that list."

"Luke," Vader had said. "Your father isn't dead."

It was too much. Luke had reached his tipping point. Tears started to pour down his face. His chest started to heave with sobs.

"Why . . ." Luke said when he was able to catch his breath. He couldn't bear to look at that horrible black mask, so he just looked at the ground. "Why didn't you come back? Send a message? Any-anything?"

Vader turned to completely face his son. Luke felt a smooth leather glove come under his chin. Vader gently lifted Luke's face so he stared into the lenses of the mask.

"Luke," Vader said softly as his vocoder allowed. "I did what I had to to keep you safe." The Force coming off Vader was still cold, but seemed to gently wrap around Luke. It felt soothing in an odd way.

"Safe from what?"

"The Emperor."

Luke didn't understand. From the Emperor? He opened his mouth to voice this question, but felt metal wrap around his wrist. He heard the soft clink of metal clicking into place. Luke looked down to see Vader had placed Luke's hands into binders.

"What?" Luke asked. His sorrow was wiped out by anger and confusion. "Why am I in binders?"

"If you're not going to come willingly, I will force you to come," Vader said as his hand returned to Luke's arm and pulled. Luke stumbled a few feet as Vader pulled, but he once again pushed his weight down and dug his heels in. Vader stopped again and looked at his son.

"So you put me in binders?" Luke asked incredulously.

"You are still dressed in your Rebel flight suit," Vader pointed out. "It will be far less conspicuous if you are restrained."

"Where . . . where are you taking me?" Luke asked in a hushed tone.

"Back to my ship," Vader replied simply as if it was obvious.

"No," Luke said. He pulled against Vader, but his grip was iron tight. He tried to grab at the Sith's arm and push him away, but it was awkward with both his hands bound.

"Luke, calm down," Vader said.

"No!" Luke shouted. "I'm not going to your ship! If you want to talk, we can do it here!" He continued to struggle, to break free. With a sharp tug, Vader pulled Luke towards him. Luke stumbled forward. Vader's free hand came up and placed it on Luke's forehead.

"Cease this, child," Vader said. "Sleep."

Luke was ready to shout back a retort, but a wave of tiredness hit him. At once his knees went weak. His head sagged back. His whole body felt heavy. It was struggle to stay standing. His eye lids felt incredibly heavy. He felt hands grabbing at him. He tried to push away and fight them off, but his body barely responded. A strong arm slipped under his knees and around his shoulders. His body was lifted up and pressed against Vader. Luke's head rested on Vader's hard shoulder armor.

Vader started to walk, but Luke continued to fight off the sleep. He wouldn't sleep. He couldn't, but his whole body no longer listened to him. It felt like he was paralyzed. It was a fight just to keep conscious and keep his eyes open. A strange noise came off Vader.

"It appears some things don't change, young one," Vader said. It was then Luke realized the noise earlier was a laugh. A memory came into Luke's mind of his father, Anakin, carrying a young Luke to bed much like Vader carried Luke now.

"Imnotsleepy," young Luke had said. His words slurring together. "Nobed."

Anakin laughed as he looked down at his obvious sleepy son. The child's head kept nodding back. His eyes kept drooping shut.

"Yes bedtime, my little youngling," Anakin said. He placed the child on the small bed against a sandstone wall. "Sleep, Luke. Sleep."

In the present as Vader carried his grown son through the Rebel base, Luke could no longer keep his eyes open. They finally shut. It felt wonderful for them to be closed. Now Luke just had to let go. Let himself fall in slumber, yet he still didn't. He focused on the even breathing of Vader. Of the rhythm of Vader's steps.

Then he started to hear other noises. Luke focused on those. He felt Vader stop walking. "Report Commander." Vader's deep voice vibrated through Luke.

"All Rebel troops have been contained or eliminated, sir," came a voice.

"They are no longer needed," Vader said. "Kill them all. Burn this base down."

"Yes sir."

"And the X-Wing in the other hangar," Vader added. "Have it collected and placed on my ship."

"At once, sir."

Luke felt the rocking of Vader walking again, but even Vader's breathing was starting to float away. Luke could barely make the sound anymore. His mind went to the last time he had seen his father as a child. Anakin cupping his face and kissing him. "I love you, Luke. Be good. I'll be back."

"Luke, I'm back," came a deep voice somewhere outside of his body. "I love you. I always have. I always will."

Unable to fight it anymore, Luke finally fell asleep.