The Recording

Summary: Princess Leia's cell on the Death Star had security recording devices. Darth Vader views the recordings after her escape. He watches as a stormtrooper takes off his helmet and says he's Luke Skywalker.

"I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you," the blonde youth said.

"You're who?" Princess Leia Organa asked back.

The blue security holograph froze. Then it rewound back only a few seconds. Again the blonde youth pulled off his stormtrooper helmet. "What? Oh . . . the uniform. I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you."

Darth Vader paused the recording. He looked at the small blue holographic figure of the boy who called himself Luke Skywalker. Who had come to the Death Star with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"It seems in your anger . . . you killed her." Old words that haunted him for twenty years whispered at him. He had tried over and over to chase those words from his mind, but no matter what it always crept back. Vader compared the old words, the words that burned at his heart and soul, and compared it to the words repeating on the holo.

At first Vader wanted to lash out at this boy. This young fool who dared to claim his name. Even if it was the name of that pathetic weak Jedi. It was still his. The Force seemed to swirl around the words of this youth. They flowed smoothly with each repeat of "I'm Luke Skywalker." The boy was telling the truth, or at least what he thought was the truth. And if this boy was Luke Skywalker, then this boy, like everything that had once belonged to that Jedi, belonged to Vader.

Vader thought back to the unusual death of his old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had simply vanished leaving behind only his outer robe and lightsaber. Why had Obi-Wan showed up then? Vader remembered seeing the boy in the hangar. He had shouted out when Obi-Wan died. They had arrived together.

An anger grew from Vader. Its intensity was like none Vader had felt in years. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan . . . Had he . . . Had he stolen Vader's child? Ripped the baby out of the mother's dying body? Hidden him away from his father? Obi-Wan was now dead and would fail in keeping the boy from Vader. For Vader would find the boy. The boy would be his.

A beep from an incoming com call pulled him out of his thoughts. The Death Star had arrived at Yavin IV and the rebel base. At once Vader could feel the bright mark in the Force that was his son. How had he not noticed this before? Had Obi-Wan been shielding and hiding the boy in the Force that much? The boy was so bright, so strong, and so . . . untrained. A smile painfully stretched the damage skin around Vader's lips.

However it didn't last long. The Death Star would be powering up its laser to fire on the rebel base, the base where Vader's son was. How was Vader going to secure the child? That was when he sensed the brightness approaching. The boy was coming here. Most likely in a snub fighter. Vader gave an order to have his TIE fighter squadron released. He would be joining them.

It took some time before Vader had his son's fighter in his sights. The rebels were focusing on a specific spot on the Death Star. There was a pull in the Force that this was important, but Vader ignored it. His sole focus was on the X-Wing his son was in. Vader would need full control of the Force to get his son safely out of this dog fight. Ideally he needed to get the boy away from the active fighting. Into open space where Vader could disable his ship without fear of being shot down by anything else and get the fighter towed in.

But that meant chasing the child out away from the Death Star. The Rebels were still focusing all of their energy on doing suicide runs down a heavily armed trenched. Vader's mind raced over the schematics of the Death Star. Why were they focusing on this trench? The nagging of the Force was still telling him this was important. Again Vader pushed it aside. Once he had his son secured, he could worry about the Rebels.

He moved through the battlefield. He took down any X-wings he could. The less Rebel scum there were, the better. He could feel his son's bright light in the Force. Vader zeroed in on it and moved his fighter directly towards it. His two wingmen faithfully followed along with him in their own TIE fighters.

"Black 2. Black 3," Vader said over the com to his wingmen. "There is a Rebel I will isolate from the rest. Only fire to disarm and disable. I want him alive." Vader's words were heavy with the unspoken threat of what would happen should be displeased.

"Yes, sir," came the response of the two pilots.

They were part of Vader's elite pilots. They knew to follow his orders unquestionably. Vader also knew the rest of the Black Squadron had heard that as well. They were the only squadron out in the battle. The squadron Vader had personal control over and thus had ordered out to fight off the Rebel fighters. The Death Star held thousands upon thousands of fighters. This battle could have already been over, but Tarkin and the other fools saw these Rebels as mere flies buzzing around their heads. It was perhaps for the best none of the other fighter squads were out. Vader had much more control with just his squadron. His son was less likely to be shot down.

Vader needed to get rid of the other fighters around his son. They were easy pickings. A smile tugged on his lips as Vader saw his son use the Force instinctively to weave through the fire of blaster bolts coming from the cannons along the trench. Yes, the Force was strong with the child. Vader followed his son into the trench. He aimed expertly at non-vital parts of the X-wing. For now he just needed to chase the boy out of the trench and away from the cannon fire.

Vader's mind wandered. Soon he would have his son. The son he had thought dead all these long years. Finally they would be reunited. Together as they should have been. His son would be a perfect and truly worthy apprentice. Finally Vader would free himself from his master. The galaxy could finally be set right-

A shot slammed into Vader's fighter at once causing him to spin wildly uncontrolled away from the trench and the Death Star. Rage poured into him. He had been so close! What rebel rat had managed that lucky shot on him? They would pay. He would get his son-

For the second time Vader's thoughts were interrupted as blinding light caused him to slam his eyes shut. In the Force he could feel the massive lost of life. It echoed the destruction of Alderaan. In a single instant millions had died. The Death Star had been destroyed. Yet his mind wasn't on the lost of the blasphemous battle station. His thoughts were on the child. His child. The child he had just discovered. Would fate be so cruel to rip away this small sliver of hope away from him?

But through all the death, there was a small beacon of light. It flared the brightest Vader had ever felt it. It was triumphant. Happy. And most importantly, it was alive. Vader's son still lived.

Night had fallen on Yavin IV. A light rain was falling, which served Vader well. It hid his approach to the Rebel base. After he had recovered from the shot, he had made his way to the moon. There was a mess left up in space from the remainder pilots of his squad. He ordered them to hide amongst the large pieces of the Death Star. He had already sent orders to nearby fleets to meet here. There was no point in him waiting around in space, especially when he still had a son to collect.

The Sith was surprised at how relaxed the Rebels were. Perhaps the victory had gone to their heads. They should be scrambling to leave the moon before Imperial forces arrived. Surely they had to know that someone would respond to the Death Star's destruction. That the Empire would investigate it and collect and scavenge what they could of the battle station's remains.

Vader could only sense overwhelming happiness and justice from the Rebels in the base. If a few were more practical and worried, their feelings were overshadowed by the majority. Vader stood on a dark ridge amongst the trees staring down at the temple the Rebels were using as a base. Even from here he could make out the partying going on. The Rebels were celebrating. These pathetic worms had nothing to truly celebrate. This was but a mere scratch in the mighty Empire. Vader would soon see to their end personally. Perhaps he would have help with his son by his side . . .

He refocused. He first needed to get the son. Vader reached out into the Force towards the temple. His son was easy to locate. It seemed he wasn't that deep into the temple. He was in a hangar. So Vader reached in further. He brushed against the boy's mind. He couldn't help but pause. His son's mind swirled warmly with positive energy and thoughts. He was feeling pride in his accomplishment. As he should.

Vader pushed on into his son's mind. Luke was his name, Vader remembered. For a brief moment Vader wondered where he had gotten the name. Had Kenobi named him? But yet that thought didn't seem quite right. Not Kenobi, but someone else. Surely it hadn't been . . . Padme. Had it? Had she lived long enough to meet her son? To hold him?

Vader cursed. He was getting side tracked. He pushed into Luke's mind.

Luke, he called out in the Force. At once he felt Luke's startlement, curiosity and even a small bit of fear. Luke, he called out again. The curiosity burned brighter in the boy. He clearly didn't understand who he was hearing or why. Vader could feel the unsaid question being pushed towards him from Luke.

Luke, come, Vader ordered.

. . . who? Luke finally managed to project out into the Force. The boy was very strong. He was using the Force intuitively. Vader paused as he considered how to answer back. What should he say? Finally he decided to answer with the truth.

I am your father, he said.

Alarm and anger sparked the Force, but it quickly eased away. Luke's curiosity burned. It was almost painful for Vader when he was so connected to him in the Force.

father? Luke asked.

Yes, Vader replied. Now come, Luke.

where?

Vader pulled on the child. Luke felt the tug of the Force and followed it. It wasn't long before Vader saw a Rebel pilot dressed in the garish orange and white flight suit cautiously step out of the hangar and make his way slowly across the lawn in front of the temple. Luke paused as he reached the edge of the woods. He looked into the trees almost right at Vader. The Sith was still a ways off into the woods. Surely the child could not see him. Vader pulled again, and Luke walked on.

Vader pulled his cloak around him masking the lights on the control panel of his suit. He also summoned the Force around him to help hide his presence and mask the sound of his respirator. With the rain hitting the leaves, it would be hard to notice.

Luke made his way carefully up the ridge and through the rain and woods. As Luke got closer, Vader reached out with the Force. He sent tendrils of the Dark Side to slowly surround the boy. Not completely encase him, but Vader was not going to allow the boy to slip through his fingers again.

father? Luke asked. where?

The boy was so close. Vader tightened the tendrils and snapped them around Luke. The boy shouted in alarm, but he couldn't move. Vader slowly lifted the boy off the forest floor and floated him carefully the remainder of the distance to Vader. Luke squirmed and wiggled as he tried to break free of the invisible hold he was in. Vader lowered him down and released Luke from the Force hold. The boy at once toppled to his knees.

It only took him a second before Luke was back up on his feet. His eyes settled on Vader. His eyes grew wide with realization as he took in the dark form before him. He tried to step away, but again Vader tightened the Force around the child.

"Stop!" Luke shouted as he squirmed. "Let go of me!"

father? Luke called into the Force. father? father! where?

Here, Luke, Vader replied.

Luke stilled as he looked at Vader.

"Luke, I am here," Vader said as he stepped up to his son.

"No," Luke said weakly. "No. No!"

"Search your feelings, young one," Vader said. "I am your father."

"No," Luke repeated. "It can't be."

Vader reached forward and grabbed Luke's- his son's!- arm. He pulled the boy to him. At once Luke was pushing against Vader.

"Cease," Vader said. Luke only glared up at him. "Come," Vader said as he pulled Luke back to his fighter. It would be a tight fit with the two of them, but Vader would make it work. His hand tightened around Luke's arm. He had his son now.

Vader's fighter landed at his fortress on Mustafar. Two stormtroopers saluted as Vader climbed out. Their necks were snapped immediately. His rage could not be sated. He stormed through the fortress. Any and all he met along the way felt his anger. Droids and guards alike were violently snapped apart in the Force. They had failed. Their one and most important duty.

He made it to the security room and at once brought up the recording. The blue hologram sprung to life. Luke had been in his room. Where he was supposed to be. Where it was safe and secure while Vader trained him in secret so they could overthrow the Emperor. Luke jumped to his feet as something was burning a hole in the door. The view of the security camera did not capture exactly what had happened. But suddenly a girl walked into view.

She wore an all white jumpsuit. Her hair was braided and wrapped around her head. She held a green lightsaber. Vader scowled as he recognized her as Princess Leia, traitor and Rebel leader. However, that was not how she introduced herself.

"I'm Leia Skywalker," she said with a big smile on her face. "I'm here to rescue you."

"Leia?" Luke shouted as he ran up to her. "What are you-?" He looked at her lightsaber. "Skywalker?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm Leia Skywalker. Your twin sister."

Vader just stared. His mouth hung open. Air continued to be pushed into his lungs, but he wasn't breathing. Finally time seemed to catch up to him. His hands formed fists and slammed them down on the console in front of him. Sparks flew and the metal screeched as it crumpled on itself.

"WHAT?" he shouted.