Drawn to You

Summary: The young little Prince Luke Palpatine isn't afraid of Darth Vader, much to Vader's annoyance. In fact, the boy seems to like him.

Vader waited in the hallway to the throne room. He wasn't alone. There were stormtroopers, royal red guards, staff, aids, and a small handful of others such as senators and moffs waiting to speak with the Emperor. To those individuals, Darth Vader may appear as if he had perfect patience to wait his turn, but inside he was annoyed he had to wait. He was above them all. He was a Sith Lord. He was the Emperor's trusted apprentice. His right-hand man. He should not have to wait.

And yet he did in this hallway with everyone else.

There was some sort of commotion happening behind him, but he didn't care to look. Whatever it was, it was insignificant to him. Instead, his thoughts continued to spiral on about how he needed to speak with his master immediately. There were Jedi to hunt down. There was an Empire to secure. There was . . .

There was a small boy stepping on his boots and hugging his legs.

The little child looked up at him with chubby cheeks and big round eyes Vader was certain were blue. It was hard to tell as he saw everything in shades of red through his helmet. He knew this child. It was the prince, Emperor Palpatine's . . . son. Luke. The story went that Palpatine was unaware he had even fathered a child until the boy was born. But it was clandestine for this child to be the heir to the Empire. He had been born on the very same day as the Empire.

"Hi," the small child said with a giggle as he looked up at Vader.

"Pr-prince Luke!" a woman stuttered as she approached. Most likely she was the nanny. Her face had gone white as she saw her delicate charge hugging Vader's legs.

"Up!" the child said. One of the arms finally unwrapping itself as the hand raised and grabbed at the air. Grabbed at Vader.

Up? Up where?

"Come here, Prince Luke," the nanny said as she slowly approached. She had the correct reaction to Vader. One drenched in fear.

"Up! Up!" Luke said again, completely fearless.

Vader raised his hand and the nanny squawked and quickly took several steps away. Everyone in the hallway had gone silent and was watching. Slowly, the child floated into the air. He wiggled around and giggled loudly. Vader marched towards the nanny; the prince wiggling himself around in circles in the air. Then using the Force he tossed the child at the nanny, who caught him. The child let out a delighted squeal.

"Again! Again! Up! Up!"

Vader turned sharply on his heels, marched to the door, and entered without being summoned. His patience had finally run out.

Vader ran into Luke Palpatine again a day later. He sat in his large room in front of the window meditating. His red lightsaber glowed and floated in front of him. He was pulled out of his meditation by a small body climbing into his lap. Vader looked down at the child who was wiggling on Vader's legs as if to make himself comfortable. Vader reached out into the Force with a soft growl but didn't sense anyone else nearby.

Where were the child's caretakers?

Luke giggled as he reached out with a chubby little hand towards the control panel on Vader's chest.

"No," Vader boomed as his hand snapped up and grabbed the small hand.

The boy made a small noise of disappointment. Vader let go of his hand, but at once the child's hand went straight for the buttons again.

"No!" Vader grabbed the boy's hand again.

This time the boy let out a wail. "Push!" he cried.

Vader's lightsaber beam went back into the hilt. With his free hand, he snatched it out of the air and attached it back to his belt. Then he grabbed the boy under his arms, held him as far from his control panel as possible, as far from him as possible, and walked into the hallway. He glanced around in hopes of finding someone looking for the missing prince. There was no one. Was the staff that negligible? He walked for a short bit until he came across a stormtrooper.

"Take him," Vader said, passing the child off.

The clueless trooper took the child, who squirmed wildly and reached out for Vader.

"No!" the prince cried. "No!"

Again, Vader turned sharply away from the child and his useless cries and marched away.

Slowly the hyperbaric chamber opened. Vader's helmet was already on and sealed. The room beyond was empty and quiet. He stood up and took a step out. A loud snap and crunch was heard. Vader stepped back and looked down. A red crayon has been crushed and smeared on the floor. Vader stepped forward and swung around to look at his hyperbaric chamber pod. Several bright crayons laid on the floor and the outer walls of his chamber . . . were covered in scribbles.

These drawings had not been present when he had entered the pod. That meant that that little prince had snuck in here while he was meditating and had drawn all over his pod without being detected. His leather gloves creaked as his fists tightened into fists.

No more.

He had thought the prince's caretakers would have learned a lesson from the other day. Clearly, they were useless and incapable of watching a little boy. He would take this up with the Emperor himself, so he marched through the halls. His anger boiled.

Why? Why did this child keep haunting him?

A small little boy . . . The same age his child should have been. He did not wish to be reminded of what he had lost. Not just the child, but her as well. Fresh grief and pain stabbed into him. He clenched down on his ruined teeth. He should have been strong enough to save her. Save her and the child. Save all of them. It should be his son who was prince.

No one dared stop him as he walked directly into Palpatine's office. Today they were being wise. He knelt down to one knee.

"My master," Vader said.

"I sense your anger, my apprentice. Rise," Palpatine rasped.

Vader rose with his hands still clenched to his side.

"My master, I must speak with you about the child."

Palpatine leaned forward in his seat. A slow smile spread across his face. "The child? You refer to the prince?"

"Yes."

"What of the boy?"

"His caretakers are incompetent. The boy has been in my personal chambers and has defiled it. I suggest new staff-"

Vader was cut off as Palpatine raised a single white gnarled hand. He nodded at a guard nearby, who left the office.

"This matter will be dealt with at once," Palpatine said.

Vader bowed his head. "Thank you, my master."

They waited in silence until the guard returned with the prince being carried by the nanny. The nanny gave Vader a cautious look as she approached the desk. She slowly lowered the prince to the floor.

"You are excused," Palpatine said with a wave of his hand.

The nanny's eyes went wide as she looked down at her charge and back at Vader. She opened her mouth, but Palpatine was glaring at her. She closed her mouth, swallowed hard, and nodded.

"Of- of course, your majesty," she said bowing and then scurrying away.

The boy let out a whine seeing the nanny go. He looked up Palpatine and then at Vader.

"Go ahead, Lord Vader," Palpatine said.

Go ahead . . . and do what? He had dismissed the nanny. She was the one he wanted to talk to.

Sensing Vader's confusion, Palpatine elaborated. "Go ahead and discipline the boy."

The boy was toddling over to Vader. He walked behind him and hugged his legs. Was the boy hiding? From Palpatine? His father? Vader looked back up at his master.

"Discipline the boy?" he asked.

"Yes. It is clear he needs a strong hand. I have no doubt you can provide one," he said with a smile.

There was a whimper behind him. He could feel the child trembling. He was scared. It flooded the Force around him.

His master wanted him to discipline the child? With a strong hand? Something tight was pulling at his heart. He couldn't stop the flood of memories of beatings and whippings he had received as a child from his owners' hands. Surely that wasn't what Palpatine was expecting.

He looked at his master who had a large smile and glowing yellow eyes. The Dark Side was thick around him and curled in anticipation. The prince squeezed Vader's legs tighter.

Vader stepped to the side, the boy let out a squeal of protest, and Vader reached down with one arm and wrapped it around the boy's waist. He picked up the boy and tucked him to his side. The boy's arms and legs hung loose.

"I understand, my master," Vader said in an even voice. "I shall deal with his discipline."

Without another word, he turned around and marched out of the room. There was a sharp coldness on his back, but he ignored it. Just as he ignored the pained gasp from the nanny as she saw Vader leave the office with the prince. No one followed them back to his quarters. He snapped some orders at a droid and brought the boy to his hyperbaric chamber pod.

Once on the ground, the boy looked at his drawings. He pointed at them and looked up at Vader.

"You have created a mess, child," Vader grumbled. "Now you will clean it up."

The droid returned with a bucket of warm soapy water and some sponges. They were placed down next to the child. Vader waited expectantly, but the boy didn't move. Perhaps he did not know how to clean. Vader lowered himself down to one knee. He handed a sponge to the boy and took one himself.

"Watch," Vader ordered.

He shoved his sponge into the water and then wrung it out. Then he scrubbed the side of his pod. The boy smiled and slammed his sponge into the water. Water and soap splashed everywhere. He took the sponge out and without ringing it out, slapped it on to the wall of the pod. He started scrubbing, though it was clear he wasn't getting much cleaned.

"You are doing it wrong, young one," Vader said. "Watch me."

He demonstrated the steps again and this time he emphasized the scrubbing. The boy giggled as he splashed his sponge into the water and started to scrub the wall again. Vader ended up doing most of the actual cleaning. The small boy next to him laughed and giggled the whole time clearly enjoying himself. He was completely drenched and covered in suds. Vader wasn't much different.

Hopefully, this had been educational to the boy. Next time, he would be able to clean by himself.

"Hi," said a small voice.

Vader sighed. It came out as an odd static. He had been back on the planet for two hours. Two hours! That was as long as it took for the royal menace to find him. The boy had aged some. He had lost his baby fat and was now just thin, but still small. Still young and little.

"Where is your nanny, child?" Vader asked.

The boy glanced behind him, but there was no one there. Of course, there was no one there. He looked back at Vader and smiled.

"What 'cha doin'?" he asked.

"I am preparing a part," Vader said.

"Why?"

The boy had come to stand next to him at the workbench. It was littered with parts.

Vader ground his teeth together. "It is for my leg."

"Why?" the boy asked immediately.

"Because my leg is prosthetic," Vader said between his teeth.

He glared down at the boy. The boy looked up at him with those big large eyes. He looked back at the part on the table then back at Vader.

"Why?"

"Out!" Vader roared. His hand snapped out as he pointed at the door.

The prince smiled. "Bye!" he said as he ran out.

Vader stood tall and proud behind his master. They sat in his new throne room in the remodeled Jedi Temple which was now the Imperial Palace. The little prince stood off to the side mostly in shadows.

Before the throne was a group of pathetic officers groveling on their knees as they babbled on a string of excuses about their failures.

"Lord Vader," Palpatine said in a dark voice.

Vader took a step forward. All the officers stopped squawking. Their eyes were filled with fear. Through the Force, there was a small nudge from his master. Vader knew what to do. He raised his hand and it curled into an open fist. The officers rose with it. They all grabbed for their throats as their feet left the ground. Then Vader snapped his hand closed; the officers' necks snapped. They all fell limp to the ground.

There was a small terrified gasp from the prince. He had gone pale and wide-eyed.

Good, Vader thought. Perhaps now that child would know to avoid Vader.

The child did not avoid him.

Vader was in his office at the Imperial Palace. He hated it here. Despite the remodel, the place was still what was once the Jedi Temple. There were too many memories here. Too many ghosts. Perhaps he should look into acquiring his own residence?

He would put that idea to the side. He had paperwork to sort through. His master had ended the Jedi hunts as Vader had successfully hunted almost all of the known survivors. Almost. There was still Kenobi lurking around out there, but his master did not want him wasting his talents on scouring the galaxy for a single Jedi.

Instead, Vader was to help with military matters. He was to help the Empire stabilize and grow. He was to eliminate any threats. He was currently looking over data about the Kwynar Sector. The planets there were starting to rebel. That could not be allowed. Vader was planning a full-out military assault to bring the sector back into line. He would be swift and show off the full might of the Imperial Navy. The sector would serve as an example to all who thought to-

He looked up from his datapad into large blue eyes. He cursed internally to himself.

"What are you doing here, boy?" Vader demanded.

The child was sitting in a chair on the other side of the large desk. Why did he even have such chairs? He did not entertain guests. He would need to get rid of them. The boy pulled his knees to his chest and hugged his legs. He set his head on top of his knees.

"Mr. Vader," the boy said.

"Lord Vader," Vader corrected.

"Lord Vader. I made you something!"

He had . . . what?

The child rummaged his pocket and pulled out a piece of flimsi. He unfolded it and smoothed it on his knees. Then he unfolded himself so he could stand up and pass it to Vader. Vader took the crumpled paper and looked down at it. It was a drawing done in sloppy colors. But it clearly showed him, large and black, and with the little prince with blonde hair and blue eyes next to each other standing on green grass with a sun in the corner with a smiley face. Vader had learned to discern colors through his red lenses.

"Do you like it?" the boy asked. A small hopeful smile on his face.

"Why did you draw us together?" Vader asked. Not like they had ever spent time outside in the sun before.

"Because you're my friend."

"I am not your friend, child." He slammed the paper down onto his desk. "I am a Sith Lord. You will do your best to remember that. Now begone."

The boy pursed his lips as he looked at the drawing under Vader's hand. Was he going to cry? Finally, the boy slowly walked out of his office while constantly looking over his shoulder at Vader.

That had been the first of many drawings. Not all of them had been delivered in person. Some of them he found when he returned to Coruscant. He found them hidden all over his quarters: in a drawer in his desk, in his hyperbaric chamber pod, slipped under a tool in his workshop, taped to the steering yolk of his ship.

He considered speaking to the Emperor about this behavior. The boy was the heir and prince of the galaxy. Such actions were weak and pathetic. Yet, Vader didn't throw any of the drawings away. He simply stuffed them into an unused drawer in his office.

He saw less and less of the little prince as the years went on and the boy started schooling. Even if he did cross paths with the boy, it was usually at official functions. They two would stand awkwardly by the Emperor. They would say nothing more than a few pleasantries.

And so the years went on. Vader avoided Coruscant if he could. He preferred to be out in the field. He dedicated himself to the pursuit of rebels and conquering new systems. He thought very little the prince until he was called back to Coruscant for Empire Day. The Empire was celebrating its tenth year and this year's celebration would be large.

It was the day before the holiday when he saw the prince. He had grown but was still small. But that wasn't the change that startled Vader the most. As Vader came to stand beside the boy, the prince looked up at him. His skin was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. His face was expressionless. He wore sharp clothes befitting the Imperial Prince and he stood straight and proud. He gave Vader barely a glance before he looked away.

What had happened to the fearless child that had tried to befriend him?

He soon found out when his master arrived.

"It has been some time since you were last on Coruscant, my old friend," Palpatine said. Vader walked beside him with Luke and the royal guards behind them.

"Yes, my master," Vader answered. "I have been busy."

"You have done a good job securing our Empire," Palpatine said. "Tell me have you kept up with your skill with a lightsaber?"

"Yes, my master."

Of course he had. He trained often to keep his skills sharp. Kenobi was still out there.

"Good. Good. Perhaps you shall test the young prince's skill. He has quickly mastered the basics, much like his father."

Palpatine chuckled. Vader felt like he was missing the joke.

"If that is your wish," Vader said slowly.

That evening Vader entered a private training room. The Emperor and his son were waiting for him. The boy had changed into athletic clothing with a lightsaber hanging on his belt. Vader and Luke took up starting positions as Palpatine positioned himself off to the side.

"Begin!" he ordered.

The prince dashed forward. He was aggressive and fast, but nowhere good enough for Vader. It took a minute to disarm the boy. His lightsaber clattered to the ground. Vader pointed his saber at the boy's throat who glared at him.

"Again," Palpatine said.

The boy's small lightsaber fell into his hand. Vader took a step back and nodded. They fought again. And again. And again. The boy quickly lost each time.

"Lord Vader," Palpatine called. "I do believe you are going easy on the boy."

It was true. He was. "I do not wish to injure the prince," Vader said.

"How else will he learn if not through pain?" Palpatine hissed.

Luke flinched. For a second dread flashed across his face, but it was soon replaced. The boy nodded as he moved into a ready stance. This time Vader moved first. He struck fast and hard. The boy struggled to keep up. He screamed in pain as Vader's saber raked across his leg. The duel ended with Vader pointing his saber at the boy's throat. The child was covered in sweat and was taking deep breaths.

"Again," Palpatine said in a dark voice. Both Vader and Luke looked over. "Again," Palpatine growled. "Get up, boy. Prove to me you're not a worthless waste of time."

Trembling, the boy grabbed his lightsaber and stood up. The beam of his lightsaber wavered in his unsteady hands. Vader deactivated his lightsaber.

"You will fight him!" Palpatine snapped.

"No," Vader said. "It would not be a fight. It won't even last more than a second."

Palpatine's hands rose up and lightning poured out of them. It hit Vader all over. He fell to his knees as he bit back his screams. The lightning went away as quickly as he came.

"You disappoint me, Lord Vader," his master hissed. "And you!" His gaze turned to the prince. "Such a disgrace!"

Lightning zapped out of the Emperor's hands and directly into the boy. Unlike Vader, the prince screamed, but like Vader, the electrocution did not last long.

"Clean yourselves up," Palpatine said as he walked by.

Luke and Vader sat on their knees breathing hard as they watched the Emperor leave. Vader slowly pushed himself to his legs. He gave one last look at the injured prince before he limped out of the training room to his personal quarters in the palace.

While his med droids looked him over, his thoughts went to the prince. Is that why he had changed so much? Is that how his father treated him? Like he treated Vader? But Vader was a Sith. He fueled himself off anger and pain. Luke was . . . was just a boy. Vader pushed those thoughts aside. He didn't need to have them. Those were weak and pathetic thoughts, and he was not either of those things.

Once the med droids finished, he decided he would meditate in his hyperbaric pod. He walked slowly to the private room. With a wave of his hand, the pod opened and Vader paused. He had expected the blinding bright wide interior, but it was no longer there. Every inch of the inside was covered in paintings and drawings. There wasn't a white space to be seen. Vader slowly entered and sat down on the chair.

The chamber still worked. It closed and filled with medicated oxygen and removed his helmet. With his mask gone, Vader stared open-mouthed at the art. When had he last seen such colors with his own eyes? It had to have been before . . . before the suit and mask. It almost hurt to look at it, but he couldn't look away. He rotated his chair around to look at each drawing.

There were drawings of trees and waterfalls. Paintings of clouds and skies. Brushstrokes and splatters of colorful abstract patterns. Dainty flowers done in painstaking realism. Sketches of stormtroopers done in a humorous cartoon style. His meditation was completely forgotten as he looked at the entire sphere of art.

The parade continued on. Vader had long since grown tired of it. The Emperor sat on his throne on the viewing balcony completely absorbed in the festivities. He was soaking up all the attention and celebration. Vader noticed the little prince had slipped away some time ago and had yet to return. Perhaps Vader should do the same.

He waited until there was a flyover of TIE fighters to leave. The Emperor didn't seem to notice or care Vader had left. He entered the quiet palace, but didn't go far. He noticed a small form standing in a room by himself. The prince stood in front of a large series of windows. It gave a good view of the parade, but without all the sound.

Vader walked up and stood beside Luke.

"I discovered your additions to my quarters," Vader said. His voice even.

Luke let out a small laugh that was more of a pleased huff than a chuckle. He said nothing else. A silence fell between them, but it was a comfortable one. They stood there side by side watching the parade progress.

"Why?" Vader asked a while.

"Why? Why what?"

"Why the art?"

The prince looked over here and smiled. "I thought you liked it."

"What gave you that idea?"

"You kept all my other drawings."

"Wha- what?"

"In a drawer in your desk."

What was he talking about? He had . . . He had kept the boy's drawings in the drawer. He never used that office anymore and had forgotten about what he had stashed there. Why? Why hadn't he destroyed them? He looked at the boy from the corner of his eye. The prince was smiling.

"You are always like this," Vader grumbled. Luke raised a questioning eyebrow. "You are so carefree around me. Unafraid. Ever since you were a baby."

Luke shrugged. It wasn't a very princely move. A bit too casual for the heir of the Empire. "I've just . . . always liked you."

"Liked me?" Vader blurted out.

Why would a child like him? Especially now that the child was older. At least as a small youngling Vader could theorize the prince simply did not know any better. But now he did, and he claimed it was because he liked Vader. Darth Vader?

The Palpatine genes had twisted this child's brain. That was the only reasonable explanation.

Luke sighed. "I think part of me just always knew as well."

Silence except the even mechanical breathing from Vader. Knew? Knew what? There was a weight behind those words. It meant something. Vader's brain twisted this way and that. He did not know what the prince was referring to.

"Knew what?" Vader finally asked.

Luke smiled sheepishly. "I . . . I get it. You never wanted children." What was the prince talking about? "And probably never wanted the truth to be known, but I accidentally found out. There was an assassination attempt. Fute-Rook Poison. I was barely conscious, but I was conscious enough to overhear Father arguing with the medical staff. They needed to know my family's medical history and well that's when Father let it slip not realizing I was awake."

Vader was confused. It was not an expression he normally had. Let what slip? Clearly the prince thought it was something Vader should know about.

"You . . . you do know what I'm talking about, right?" Luke asked.

Vader was still. How had the child picked up he didn't know? Vader's shields were tight. Nothing should be leaking through.

Luke took a step closer to Vader. "You know right? You do know?" The prince's eyes were large and pleading. They were almost desperate and they . . . they reminded him of someone's else's pleading eyes. Her eyes as she had asked him to come away with her.

Vader scowled and turned sharply away. He couldn't bear to look at the child anymore. An old pain flared up inside of him. One he had thought had mastered and beaten down. Grief. Loss. His own child . . . his own child would be the same age as the prince. His own child should be the heir. Should be a prince or princess.

A small hand grabbed Vader's arm and tugged. Vader's helmeted head snapped down.

"You know, right?" Luke whispered. His voice was shaky. His hand trembled. "That I'm your son."

. . . What? Luke was . . . what? No. That was impossible. His child had died! Died with Padme! When he had- In his rage- That- That what? That was what Palpatine had told him. He had said Padme and the child had died. It had been Palpatine . . . It had been Palpatine who had lied. Vader could see it now. No, he had always seen it, but always pushed aside such notions. The thought was too painful, but now he embraced it.

Of course the prince reminded him of Padme and of his own lost child. He was that child! He was his son!

Rage flared up and burned through him. It roared out of him. Luke flinched and withdrew his hand.

"I- I'm sorry," Luke said as he backed away. "I thought you knew."

"I did not," Vader said, quickly closing the gap between them. "But I am not angry at you, little one."

Never at you. You didn't do anything wrong. But you knew, didn't you? Even as a child, you knew. That's why he climbed into my lap and wanted to be held by me. He knew . . . And I . . . did not.

"Discipline the boy," Palpatine had said with a twisted smile. Vader recalled how his master always wanted him to take a hard hand with the boy like the fight the day before when the two had dueled. Palpatine wanted Vader to hurt the prince. His son!

Vader's rage doubled. Tripled. The room around him shook. The ceilings, walls, and windows cracked. The lights sputtered and sparked. Luke tried to back away, but Vader grabbed his arm. The boy flinched in pain, and instantly, Vader loosened the grip. He pulled the boy close. The two stood there awkwardly. Should he . . . wrap his arm around him? Put a hand on his head?

He didn't . . . He didn't know how to be a father . . .

"Well isn't this a touching moment?"

Luke jumped away. Vader turned around. Palpatine stood at the doorway leaning on his cane. His gold eyes glowed under the dark of his hood.

"You!" Vader growled between his broken teeth. His hand snapped up as he pointed a finger at his master.

"Me?" Palpatine said. "You direct your anger at me, Lord Vader? Have you forgotten your place?"

"You lied to me. My child lived! And you stole him! Paraded him right under my nose!" Vader shouted.

Palpatine laughed. "And you just now noticed? It took you ten years? You were never fit to be a father, Anakin. You should be thanking me for taking such good care of your son. Look at what he has become! A prince!"

"He would have been a prince even without you."

"So now you know the truth, what will you do? Hmm, Lord Vader? Steal him and run away? The entire galaxy knows him as my son. Or perhaps youwill just continue as you always have, apathetic and distant."

"No."

"No?"

Vader's lightsaber jumped off his belt and into his hand. It came out with a sharp snap-hiss.

"You fool," Palpatine hissed.

That was all the warning Vader got as Palpatine raised both hands, his cane falling to the floor, lightning zapped across the room and hit Vader's blade. Vader grabbed his hilt with both hands. The lightning continued to slam into his blade. It was too much. He had to push all his weight, all of his power in the Force to keep the lightning on his blade. A single bolt could hit Vader's suit and fry his circuits. If he fell here . . . If he died here . . . What would become of Luke?

He saw it.

A young man, standing straight and proud. His blonde hair swept back. His eyes a striking gold. His skin pale and around his eyes, it was a dark grey. He wore all black clothing with a lightsaber on his hip. A black metal circlet curled around his head, and a long cape hung behind him. Before him stood endless rows of stormtroopers.

"Loyal stormtroopers," he said. His voice calm, but still carried over the crowd. "You loyally served my father for the past two decades. Without you, this Empire would not be as glorious as it is." He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "However," he said. His voice had lowered. "Those who still cling to the dead Emperor are no longer needed."

He raised his hands and lightning shot out of them. It streaked into the cloud-covered sky. The clouds started to rumble and bright flashes could be seen within. Then lightning poured down as rain would. It struck the thousands of troopers. Many fell dead with the first bolt, but there were plenty who weren't as fortunate. Luke laughed.

Luke would be . . . would be glorious. Powerful. The galaxy would bow before him. And Luke . . . would be so twisted . . . Just like Palpatine. No, worse than Palpatine. Vader didn't want that. He didn't want that for his son!

But he was weakening. He fell to one knee. He could feel sweat dripping down the side of his face. Alarms were going off inside his helmet as his suit overextended himself. He could not keep this up for much longer, but he had to! He couldn't fail here. He had failed . . . so much . . . This time . . . This time he had to succeed! He had to!

There was a blinding flash of light and the lightning quit. Silence hung heavy in the air. Vader's breathing was deep and ragged. His arms fell down limp. His lightsaber, unlit, clattered to the floor. He blinked to clear his vision, and even once it was clear, it took him a few seconds to process what he was seeing.

Palpatine laid on the floor. Still. Dead. Luke, young little Luke, held Palpatine's lightsaber in his hand staring wide eyed at the corpse.

"L- Luke," Vader said.

It was as if Luke had been in a trance, and hearing Vader's voice snapped him out of it. He jumped; the lightsaber fell from his hand.

"I'm sorry!" he shouted. "I . . . I . . ."

"It is alright, young one," Vader said as he pushed himself to his feet. Force, he felt so heavy. "He would have killed me if you had not intervened."

Luke's eyes went back to the dead Emperor. He didn't blink as he looked at it. Vader slowly walked over and placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"What happens now?" Luke whispered.

Slowly, Vader lowered himself to one knee. He bowed his head. "You are Emperor now, your majesty," he said.

"I . . . I . . . Me?"

"You were his prince and heir," Vader said. His legs hurt as he stood back up. "The throne is rightfully yours. What is your first order?"

Luke looked away from the corpse and out the window. The parade was still going on outside. The Empire unaware of what had just happened.

"Well," Luke said. He looked up at Vader. A shy smile gracing his lips. "I always wanted to redo the throne room."

And Vader saw it.

The once dark and gloomy throne room was completely redone. It was bright and full of light. A young man stood by the throne dressed in white. His eyes were blue. A soft smile on his lips. A golden circlet with white stones sat on his head. And above him . . . The entire ceiling was painted.

It was a rainbow of imagery of the galaxy. Majestic mountains, vast oceans, sweeping fields of grass, golden desert dunes, proud cities, and stretches of stars in between.

It was beautiful as the Empire and the young Emperor.

"It shall be done," Vader said.