Author's Note: Luke and Leia respectively adjust to their new lives... and teachers. ;)
~ Amina Gila
The Death Star is gone, thankfully, courtesy of Ben. The space battle to destroy it was by no means easy, and it nearly took out Yavin by the time they were able to get in range – especially with Vader leading the space battle against them – but it's still done.
Han came back, too, and Leia is admittedly a little overjoyed about that. She already misses Luke. Being with him was calming somehow, and it made her feel at home. It distracted her from the enormity of everything else that's happened, though Alderaan still isn't something she's even begun to be able to think about.
It still hasn't sunk in, though she leaves the festivities as soon as possible to just... something. She doesn't want to be around anyone right now. It feels wrong to be celebrating, no matter if this is the greatest rebellion victory so far. Her parents are gone, and Leia has no idea what to do now.
She's still alone when she hears Ben approaching. He's the only person she has left right now who she used to somewhat know. Everyone else is gone. It still doesn't feel real; she keeps thinking that once her present mission is over, she can go home.
There's nothing he can really say to her, because there's no way for this to get better. It's something that'll always be here, lingering in her mind and the essence of her being. When Leia made the choice to help the Rebellion years ago, she knew Keir wouldn't be her only loss. She knew there would be more. She just didn't think it could ever mean her parents, her entire planet, and her people.
"Are you... alright?" Ben asks, settling next to her.
She gets the feeling there's a lot more on his mind than that but having anyone here still... helps. "No," she tells him, honestly.
"Do you remember what I told you about your parents?" he asks after a few heartbeats of silence, "Your... real parents?"
Her adopted parents are her real parents, and the only ones she's ever known, but – but yes. Ben knew them, and she... She tried to tell herself it didn't matter, but sometimes... "Of course. I could never forget."
"Your father was a Jedi," Ben tells her, and Leia blinks at him, staring. She expected him to say something about them, some sort of revelation, but not that.
"A Jedi?" she repeats. That means he's probably dead, too, just like her adopted ones. Leia knew that, or at least assumed, but she's really not ready to hear about this right now. It feels like everyone she knows is dead.
"He was," Ben confirms, a little wistfully, "He was one of the best of them."
"I thought Jedi didn't have children?" Leia asks. She could be wrong, but she could swear she'd heard that before.
"They weren't, but he was never the best at following rules. Not too unlike you."
Leia cracks a smile, remembering their previous interactions. On hindsight, she was probably giving him the worst headache imaginable, and she feels a little bad about it, but she was genuinely freaked out on Daiyu.
Leia doesn't know why it piques her interest so much. The fact that her adoptive parents are dead doesn't mean that she needs anyone else. It doesn't change anything, but she – she wants to know. "Who was he?" she asks quietly.
"His name was Anakin Skywalker," Ben answers.
Skywalker.
"That's Luke's last name," she remarks, "Are we related?" She just wants to know. Luke felt important to her. "He seemed familiar."
"The Force allows you to sense the importance of those close to you," Ben replies mysteriously. It's not a yes, though it's not a no, either, and Leia doesn't know what to think of it. To be fair, if Luke is related to her somehow, she'd rather not know. He had some relation with someone in the Empire, and that's the last thing she wants to think about right now.
She doesn't want to have to care about an Imperial. Not – not right now.
"Your father was strong in the Force," Ben goes on, after a pause, "And you have inherited that from him."
"Did I?" Leia asks. She doesn't doubt it, exactly, but she thought, if she did, she'd have been able to use it already. That she'd automatically be something like the Jedi who hardly even exist anymore, that it would make her better able to help. If it has, it certainly doesn't feel like it. She nearly fell to her death right after meeting Ben. That certainly doesn't feel very Jedi-like.
"Yes, you have," Ben assures, "Your father was the most powerful Jedi I have ever known."
Ben is fond of him, she realizes. They must have been close a lifetime ago, and Leia doesn't know what this will mean for her future. "Why are you telling me this now?" she queries.
"I can... train you in the ways of the Force," he replies, "The Jedi are few in number now, and I cannot let their ways be entirely forgotten. And if you could use the Force, it would be a great asset to the Rebellion. Someone of your strength may be the only one able to defeat Vader and the Emperor."
She could train to use the Force? It's never something Leia had a reason to give thought to. At least not until right now, and it's almost mind-blowing that she can be a Jedi if she wants to be. Leia doesn't know much about Vader except that he's deadly because he can use the Force, and she's had personal enough experiences with him already. And defeating the Emperor is the only way this conflict is going to end. If learning to be a Jedi would help with that...
"Could I?" Leia asks. She wants this, but she doesn't know if she's capable. "I could try, but after what happened..."
"What happened to Alderaan was not your fault, Leia," Ben argues, "Had you stayed on-planet, the Empire would have found another reason, and you would have died, too."
If she's being honest, that doesn't sound too bad right now, but she still concedes the point with a slight nod.
"For years, I have believed you to be the best hope at defeating the Emperor and bringing the Rebellion together," he continues, "Perhaps even of restoring the Republic."
She certainly doesn't see that in herself. She doesn't really see anything in herself, actually, but Leia still trusts him, even if there's something distinctly different about him now as opposed to years ago. He's darker somehow, colder, and she's... worried. "Okay," she agrees finally. "I want to be trained. If it means helping the galaxy, that's what I'll do."
That's what her parents would have wanted. All of them.
***
Luke still wishes he could stay with Vader – he doesn't get why he's suddenly going by a different name – but his father promised he'd come to this... fortress as soon as the battle was over. Luke's waited nineteen years for this day, he can wait a little longer if he really has to.
He's admittedly bouncing with curiosity to see the place his father lives in – or at least he is until he comes out of hyperspace. Even from up here, he can clearly tell the planet's surface is covered in lava. And that is way too familiar. It hardly even looks hospitable. How does his father live here?
Luke flies down for the coordinates he was given a little more cautiously, and it's not until he gets through the atmosphere that he realizes...
This place is exactly the same as the one in his dreams. It has to be. The rivers of lava are too familiar, and so is the sensation the planet gives him. He never knew planets had different sensations, but he can feel it clearly now.
Mustafar, Vader had said this planet was.
Luke just feels sick, desperately struggling to blink back the memory of the flames, of the screams and – even reminding himself that it didn't happen to him make it still hard to see the lava. Why in the name of the Force does his father live here???? Shouldn't it bother him a million times worse than it does Luke?!
He needs answers about that as soon as Vader gets here.
No one's supposed to know Luke is here apparently, so he lands in Vader's private hangar.
Finding his way around in the fortress alone is... difficult, and maybe he's not supposed to go exploring, but he does it anyway. How couldn't he? No one's around to see, and he's desperately curious to know more about his father. He... really doesn't know what to think of him. He's Imperial, and he apparently at least somewhat believes in the Empire, but especially after Alderaan, Luke doesn't understand how. What he seems to believe in are things Luke can't, and yet...
He doesn't care all that much, not really. Maybe, it's partly out of spite to Ben and out of horror of – of knowing what his father has been through, but he just doesn't.
Most of all, he just wants to know him as a person, know him as a parent, regardless of what the sides of the galactic conflict have to say.
Besides, exploring the place is a good distraction from thinking about where he is.
Vader's office is... cool, but he probably shouldn't mess anything up in here.
The spherical black... machine of some kind in another room is something he very badly wants to poke at since he has no idea what it is, but he doesn't want to break anything.
There's a bacta tank in another room, full of... machines that look too complex to just be needed for lowering him into the tank. But to be fair, Luke has no idea what his condition was. Only last night, he was dreaming of – The droids were cutting him apart and it makes him sick to even think about his nightmare last night. He has no idea how much of his father is metal, or rather, how much of him isn't. And this is... all because of that what happened on Mustafar.
For a brief moment, he almost wants to join the Empire just out of spite, but – Well, he has no idea who that man was who rescued Vader, but he's pretty sure it was someone with the Empire, and considering that that person actually cut his father up while conscious for no reason either, he can't say the Empire has treated him any better
He just... needs to talk to Vader.
Once Luke finishes going through the floor, he retreats to the presently mostly empty room Vader said he could stay in – he'd like to look around the rest of the fortress but apparently, there's other people down there, so he better stay up here.
It's hard to keep track of time in a place like this, but it's getting late enough that he finally has to settle for going to sleep, much as he doesn't want to, especially here.
Luke's expecting the nightmares to be worse, and yet, he sleeps better that night than he has in a long time. Except that he can feel traces of pain lingering throughout his whole body when he awakens, though it... doesn't really feel like him, and it fades once he fully awakens. He can't help wondering if that has something to do with whatever Force connection he has to his father, if such a thing is even possible. But something has been causing him to have those dreams for years.
Luke doesn't know how long it's been, but it's somewhere over a day by the time he finally sees Vader's shuttle flying in.
He waits eagerly right inside the entrance, until Vader comes in. "Hi... Father," Luke supplies. It's weird when they don't even know each other.
"Son," Vader replies, in greeting. The vocoder is toneless, but he's almost certain there's a buried affection in the way he says the word.
"What happened with the Rebellion?" Luke asks, because despite everything, he still really hopes they weren't entirely destroyed. Most of all, he hopes Leia, Han, and Chewie are alright.
"They were successful in their attempts at destroying the Death Star." He doesn't sound upset, but he still seems... bothered by something.
"Is that a bad thing?" he asks outright because he can't fathom how anyone could think so, after seeing what it did to Alderaan. It destroyed a planet, and it doesn't matter what the excuse was. That is not alright.
"Perhaps not," Vader replies slowly, "But the rebels will see this as a victory, and it will only insight more chaos throughout the galaxy."
Oh. Maybe it's not quite such a good thing, then. "Why did you decide to have a home here?" Luke asks, looking around.
"It is a Dark Side nexus," his father answers, though Luke doesn't understand what that means. "It is adequate for what I require."
"But why here?"
His father is quiet for a few moments, studying him. "Being here upsets you?"
"I see it in my dreams," he explains. He's not ready to explain that he knew what happened there, but his father should probably know, anyway. "I saw what happened to you."
Vader stills somehow, not as though he'd been moving before, but it still feels like he stopped. Maybe it's in the Force, too. "Many things have occurred on this planet."
"Doesn't being here... bother you?" he can't help asking.
"It gives me strength in the Dark Side," Vader replies, however that's supposed to work, "I will teach it to you, if you desire."
He could... learn the Force from his father? It's everything Ben taught him not to, and Luke frankly wants to do it just out of spite. Aside from that the Dark Side sounds a little dark, he doesn't see what's wrong with it, anyway. "I do," he agrees. He does want to know more about the Force, and if he can learn it from Vader, why would he ever say no?
"The Emperor is coming here," Vader says, unexpectedly.
Luke blinks. "The Emperor? Why?"
"He is my master and he... desires to speak with me personally. He will want to meet you."
The Emperor? The one in Luke's last dream, and also the one who had Alderaan destroyed. Luke has no respect for him whatsoever. He doesn't like him. He definitely doesn't want to see him after what he did to his father, even if he did save his life. "Isn't he the one who... put you in that?" Luke can't help asking.
"He rescued me and kept me alive," Vader answers, tonelessly.
"But he..." He hurt him, and he can't imagine Vader is fine with that.
"The Dark Side is fueled by pain. That is the way of the Sith," Vader assures, as though that's supposed to make him feel better about anything. Luke really does not like the Emperor at all. He's definitely not looking forward to meeting him.
***
Vader may have little regrets about the Death Star's destruction, except for all the people lost onboard, but Sidious will not be happy. Vader already knows he can't keep Luke hidden from him – he was still considering if he should, because he doesn't know how his master will react. If he'll see Luke as threat or... something else. (He doesn't want his master training Luke. Vader knows far too personally what that's like, and he's not letting his son go through the same.)
But there's nothing he can do now but hope his master will... give him permission to train the boy himself. He still doesn't understand how Luke could be alive, and that's something Sidious probably has answers to, but he... can't really ask him. No matter how upset he is that his master was likely lying to him all these years, about what happened to Padme.
He also doesn't understand why Luke would be having nightmares of Mustafar. Picking up on impressions of another's memories is possible through a Force bond, but his and Luke's shouldn't be that strong, when they were only around each other for a few days before Luke even born.
But the connection between them is strong already, stronger than it ought to be. He doesn't know what to think of that. There's something different about it, and the rate it's forming at reminds him a little of his own with Obi-Wan years ago.
"Lord Vader," Sidious greets neutrally when Vader kneels at the ramp of the shuttle. He can feel his master's gaze boring into him, and the instant fear that always evokes floods him. "Rise," Sidious says, finally, "I am most displeased with the report on the Death Star."
He doesn't sound angry, but that can sometimes be worse. "My... apologies, Master," Vader intones, "The flaw in the design was not one I was aware of."
"Perhaps not," Sidious agrees, so maybe, it's not that which has him particularly displeased, "Yet I heard Kenobi was on the Death Star. Did you finish him?"
"Perhaps your feelings for your old master have left you weakened."
He remembers their last conversation about this far too well. "I was... distracted, Master," he replies, bracing himself anyway for... whatever Sidious may decide to do to him for this failure. He tried to shoot him down again over the Death Star and had failed that, too. "With another matter of great importance."
"Is that so?" his master muses. Does he already know about Luke? Is he just waiting to see what Vader is going to say about it? It's often so hard to tell with him.
"The offspring of Anakin Skywalker lives," he says slowly, "I have brought him to Mustafar to begin his training, if you permit it."
"You believe him to be an ally?" Sidious murmurs, and Vader can't shake the gnawing fear inside him. He has no idea what his master's orders will be, and Vader can't hurt him. Luke is an ally. He's his son. He's – he's everything, and he could be far more than Vader ever was.
"Yes, Master," he confirms, "He will be easy to turn." Luke seems... upset by what happened to him on Mustafar, so Vader doubts he has much liking for Obi-Wan, either.
"The Force is strong with him," Sidious replies, "See to it that he does not become a Jedi, or he could destroy us. If he is turned, he could be a... great asset." The words probably have more meaning than is readily apparent, like they always do. (Sidious could very well try to... replace him with Luke. But Vader doesn't think the boy would ever be loyal to the Sith if he tried, though Vader can well understand why someone would want him dead. He does too, or... He did, until he met Luke.)
"It will be done, my master," Vader promises.
"Bring the boy to me," Sidious requests just as he expected.
Vader leaves to get him, though Luke looks more defiant and upset than anything, which... is probably not a good thing. If he upsets the Emperor at all, that could be bad. He can only hope his son will understand the importance of the situation, no matter how he truly feels about Sidious.
Sidious could have him killed, or he could take him to train himself, and neither option is something Vader wants to handle.
"Welcome, young Skywalker," Sidious greets, as they enter, "I have been expecting you."
"Father told me you wanted to speak with me," Luke replies, evenly. That he doesn't even use a proper greeting makes Vader uncomfortable enough.
"Yes," he agrees, "Lord Vader mentioned your desire to learn of the Dark Side."
Luke's gaze darts between Sidious and Vader, momentarily. "I do."
"I have seen few so willing to embrace its power." The comment feels somehow pointed. (Sidious really is considering replacing him, isn't he? Not that Vader's surprised about that, but it doesn't stop the simmering sting of betrayal, because he's always been loyal to his master. Well, briefly when chasing Obi-Wan he'd entertained something... different, but he still never acted on it. And Luke... what would Sidious do to Luke? The boy might want to be a Sith, but he's not dark. He doesn't want to think about what the Sith would do, to break him to that point.)
"I want to learn more about the Force," Luke replies, "I don't like the Jedi."
Sidious seems satisfied, at least for now. "Lord Vader will show you the power of the Dark Side," he answers, "That is your destiny."
Respirator or not, Vader hardly feels like he can breathe freely until his master is out of the room. And he can already guess where Sidious is planning for this to go. Does he plan to have Luke kill him the way he had Vader kill Dooku? (Vader can't wait until his master has had time to get his hands on his son. He has to act. With Luke's help, maybe he can overthrow him, and they can rule the galaxy together instead, as father and son. He can't let go of this chance. He can't – have his son kill him, because he has no doubt Sidious would find a way to make it go that far. Ahsoka tried. Would have. Why wouldn't Luke?)
***
Luke feels bad about changing anything of his father's, no matter if Vader said it was fine, but this is what it means to be a Sith. That's more important than his own worries about bleeding his father's former lightsaber crystal.
He disassembles it first, the way he was shown to. Seeing its countless pieces is intriguing, to say the least.
The kyber crystal is blue, the same color as the plasma blade. It vibrates a little in the Force, like an inaudible song. It feels of the same vibrant intensity of his father. He sort of wants to keep it that way, but Vader told him specifically that Sith have to bleed their crystals, so he will.
Luke takes it in his hand, turning it over.
He doesn't know how to do this, exactly, but he delves into the Dark Side as best he can anyway. He remembers the emptiness of coming back home to see it burned, to finding his uncle and aunt's bodies. He remembers what happened here, on Mustafar, the dreams that haunt him every night.
The crystal whispers a silent protest, and he feels himself meta-physically falling into something.
When he opens his eyes again, it's to see someone – someone familiar. His eyes are blue, the same shade as Luke's, and his hair is a similar shade of blond, though it's darker, longer, and a little curly. He looks happy. That's the thing that throws Luke a little because he knows who that is.
This is the person in his dreams, the father he always wanted. It's not that Vader isn't, but this is Anakin, and he's still full of life. He's still everything that Luke always thought his father would be.
"Father?" Luke asks, stepping closer to him. This is what he'd look like now, if not for Mustafar, if not for... whatever happened that made him Fall in the first place.
"Come... padawan," he says, a smile on his face that is so unlike everything Vader is now.
Which is when Luke notices something else. He's wearing Jedi robes too. Does padawan mean Anakin's training him as a Jedi? In a time where he actually got to raise him?
This... it's what Luke wants more than anything if he's being honest. For a world where his father actually raised him.
He already has his father, though. He has Vader, and for as much as he wants this, he doesn't need anything more than what he already has.
Luke keeps his focus on the crystal, pouring the Dark Side into it, making the crystal hurt. Even if he still feels bad about that since this used to be Anakin's crystal. When he opens his eyes, the crystal is red, and it vibrates almost mournfully now.
Trying not to think too hard about that, he focuses on reassembling the lightsaber, and a red blade hisses to life in his hands.
The lightsaber really is his now, and he's ready to begin his training as a Sith.
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