Just Like Your Mother

Summary: Darth Vader's chase after Luke caused them both to crash land on an unknown planet. Imperials and Rebels must work together to get at least one ship working to get off the planet before the local beasts eat them. But Luke can't help but think about what Vader will do with him once they are off the planet.

"Are you brooding?"

The shadows shifted as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, stepped closer. His helmet that reflected the light of the fire was easily distinguishable, but the rest of him blended in with the black of the forest behind him. Well, except for the lights on his chest and belt.

"I am not brooding," Vader responded.

The helmet was pointed down and Luke could feel eyes on him.

"Then what are you doing?" Luke asked. "You're not patrolling you're just . . . brooding."

There was a soft whisper of fabric and rustling of leaves as Vader rose his head and scanned the clearing. Luke followed his gaze.

The Falcon laid at a tilt with one half in the ground and the other half pointing up. Parts and tools were scattered around. Nearby it was a large campfire that was roaring with several figures sitting or standing around it. Chewbacca stood near a metal crate working on a few parts. Leia stood between him and the fire with her arms crossed. She was glaring at those sitting at the fire. Her distaste and unease could be felt from here.

Han and Lando sat on metal crates at the fire talking to two other figures dressed in Imperial officers' uniforms. One was General Veers, the Hero of Hoth, and the other was the Admiral of the Death Squadron, Firmus Piett. The admiral sat stiffy with a slight frown, but the general leaned forward and was laughing with Han and Lando as the three swapped stories.

It was odd to see the three at ease with each other. They had been mortal enemies, but due to the events over the last few days, they had come to this.

Vader had spies at Jabba's palace, and when Luke showed up, Vader had made his way to Tatooine. At the time he was in an Imperial shuttle with two of his senior commanding officers. Vader made it to the planet right as Luke and the group had escaped from the sailing barge and made it back to the Falcon. Luke had planned to leave in his X-Wing but was never able to make it back. He had to board the Falcon with the rest and flee or be captured.

Vader did not give up and had chased after them. The dogged pursuit had ended with both ships crashing onto an unknown planet.

The two sides had shot at each other but soon found themselves huddled together shooting at the strange vicious animals that slithered out the forest and kept trying to attack them. An uneasy truce fell between the Rebels and the Imperials, especially after they realized that neither side could get a message off the planet for rescue.

They were all stuck here unless they could get the ships working.

But there was no way to get both of the ships flying without parts. One of the ships would have to be sacrificed for the other, and the Imperial shuttle drew the short end of the stick.

The repairs went slow and were often stopped by animal attacks. The beasts were strange large cat-like creatures. They had no fur but had dark skin with grey stripes that ran along the length of their bodies. No one, not even C-3PO, knew what they were. They seemed most active at dawn and dusk.

The attacks had been frequent at first, but now they came irregularly. It was theorized their numbers had been thinned too much or they had realized the group was not easy prey.

"I was thinking," Vader said as he turned his attention away from the fire and back onto Luke. "About you, my son."

Luke tensed and felt a wave of goosebumps roll down his arms.

Son.

Father.

Vader was Luke's . . . father.

"Thinking about how to bring me to your Emperor once we get the Falcon working?" Luke asked bitterly.

"I was thinking how foolish and reckless you are, young one. That plan you concocted to rescue the smuggler and the princess needlessly placed you in danger. It was–

"It worked," Luke interrupted.

Vader was quiet for a few mechanical breaths. "Stubborn," he finally said. Luke looked at the black mask. "Stubborn," Vader repeated. "Just like your mother."

Luke's heart skipped a beat; his breath got caught in his throat.

Mother?

He hadn't . . . thought much about her . . . About who she was and what relationship she had . . . with his father . . .

"My mother?" Luke asked breathlessly.

"She was reckless and stubborn," Vader spoke as if unaware of the internal conflict going on inside of Luke. "Fearless."

A dozen different thoughts were spinning around in Luke's mind. Most of them were about his mother. Who was she? What did she look like? Where was she?

But that isn't what he said. Instead, he said, "Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?"

Vader's helmet snapped down at Luke.

"Reckless. Stubborn. Fearless." Fearsome, but Luke didn't say that aloud.

Though he couldn't see him, Luke sensed Vader go stiff as if readying himself to argue.

"You are," Luke said before Vader could say anything. "One only needs to look at how you chased us down to this planet."

"I did not get myself thrown into a rancor pit and get purposely captured by a Hutt," Vader growled. The firelight just barely caught the outline of a black leather gloved hand pointing a finger at Luke. "Nor did I get attacked by a wampa. Or fly my ship through–"

He didn't see it, but Luke sensed the beast's attack. He pulled out his saber, turned, and was ready to face it only to see it hovering in the air. It snarled and showed off sharp pointed teeth dripping with drool. Vader stood with his arm held out with fingers were curled. Just as Luke realized Vader was holding the best with the Force, Vader's hand snapped into a closed fist. There was a sound of bones breaking and the beast fell lifeless to the floor.

Bu there was no time to dwell on what had just happened. There was a snap-hiss as Vader drew his lightsaber and slashed it at the darkness. Another beast fell to the ground.

Luke lit his lightsaber and yelled, "It's an attack!"

He didn't look over his shoulder, but he could hear the others shouting. Vader had moved a bit deeper into the woods. The only thing Luke could see was the red lightsaber, and he hurried towards it. He had only gone a few steps when he slashed his sword out to his right. He heard the cry of a beast and a thump as it fell. Luke didn't pause to see if he had killed it. He moved to join Vader.

"Go back," Vader growled. "You have better defenses with the others."

Luke said nothing as he sliced down another beast. This wasn't the first or even the third time they had this argument. He moved closer and put his back to Vader's trusting the Sith lord would protect his back as he was protecting his.

Over the several skirmishes with the beasts, the father and son duo had learned to fight side by side. They didn't need to say a word. They were able to pick up each others cues either with a glance at the other or through sensing the other tense up in the Force. Luke would duck when Vader swung his blade wide. Vader would step aside as Luke dashed forward.

It was almost like dancing.

The attack lasted about thirty minutes. Whatever was left of the beasts retreated back into the forest leaving behind many bodies.

Luke sighed.

He was getting tired of the constant fighting. He deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it back onto his belt. Vader stood still. His blade was still lit casting a red glow on the chopped-up corpses that were littered around them. Luke shook his head and turned to walk away.

His foot snagged on something. It could have been a root or leg of a beast. He fell forward, but a strong hand grabbed his arm. Vader pulled him upright. Luke stood still for a moment while he regained his balance then snatched his arm out of his father's grip.

"I don't get you," Luke muttered rubbing his arm.

There came no reply. Only the steady kish-kosh of Vader's breathing.

Luke turned around stared directly into the dark mask.

"What is it that you want?" Luke demanded. "Do you want me dead?"

"No."

"Really? You sure tried back on Bespin."

"Me? You were the one who jumped off the gantry."

"And you cut off my hand! And now you're fighting by my side and helping me not to fall on my face. And yet you're plotting how to get me to your Emperor the moment we are able to get off this place."

Vader was silent again.

Luke took a step forward. "I feel the good in you, Father." His voice had lost its edge. "I know you once went by the name Anakin Skywalker. You were a Jedi–"

"That name no longer has any meaning to me," Vader said. His voice sounded tired. "There is no going back for me, my son."

"So the only way is to go back to the Emperor? And to drag me along with you?"

"I do not know if that is what I want anymore."

Luke involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath and held it. Until he finally let out a shaky, "What?"

Vader stepped away and looked out into the woods.

"As I said you remind me of your mother. Especially since being on this planet that I have come to see it so clearly. You two are a lot like . . . She did not . . . would not . . . " Vader's voice was tight and laced with pain. "She was a strong defender of democracy."

She wasn't a supporter of the Empire. Luke couldn't help but smile a little at the thought.

"What happened to her?" he whispered.

"She died," he said. Vader turned and faced his son. "I killed her."

Luke's mouth fell open. His eyes searched the dark mask wishing he could see Vader's eyes. Hoping that they would tell him it was a lie, but he knew it wasn't. It could feel it. It was the truth.

"I do not know if I can live through seeing another . . . one . . . that I . . ." Was Vader always at a loss for words? He seemed like a decisive man. Confident and arrogant. But his words when talking about Luke's mother came out slowly as if they were being ripped out. But then Vader quickly added, "I will not stand by and watch you die."

Again silence stretched between them.

"So what does that mean?" Luke dared to finally ask.

"I will not take you to the Emperor. You will not bow before him, stubborn child, and he will destroy you."

"So . . . what will happen?"

"I do not know," Vader said. He marched past Luke towards the campsite. "I will worry about that once we have that smuggler's ship running."

Luke watched the dark form approach the campfire. The two officers saluted Vader and started giving a report of the attack. Leia had crossed her arms again and glared at Vader with a tight frown. Lando and Han looked uncomfortable. Chewbacca was back to working on his parts but kept eying the Sith.

For the first time since crashing here, Luke felt a sense of relief wash over him. A tenseness he wasn't aware he had been carrying eased from him. There was a small smile on his face as he walked up to the fire.