When Wormie came to, he was more puzzled than frightened. Was this heaven? He blinked as white ceiling stared back at him, looking around Wormie also noticed white walls and the cleanest light grey floors he had ever seen. Surely this must be heaven, but then his memory put everything against the notion. Wormie remembered Lord Vader breaking into his cell, recalled getting picked up by the Sith when he should have been left to die.
These thoughts brought Wormie to register a steady, rhythmic mechanical breathing he had come to recognize over his time serving the Dark Lord. Warily, the boy turned his head to the only dark figure in the room, sitting in a chair as his breathing pattern indicated rest. Lord Vader was resting... Wormie stayed still so as not to came noise and awake him.
The boy was confused however. Lord Vader's behavior baffled him a great deal. Wormie was just a slave, compared to Lord Vader he might as well be the most meaningless womprat in the galaxy. Why did the Sith continue to while away his time on the poor youth? Wormie did not know...
A slight shift in the Sith's breathing pattern alerted Wormie to his waking. Startled the boy did the only thing he would think of doing; pretend to be asleep.
Vader for his part, felt rather annoyed that he had fallen asleep and slept so long according to the silver chrono on the far wall. He stood stiffly before looking to the boy. Luke's eyes were closed, but he most certainly was not asleep. Vader felt some form of amusement towards the shy boy before frowning, he would have to tutor Luke into becoming less frightened, independent and strong willed. The boy was a Skywalker, his mother the most stubborn and motivated woman in the galaxy. Surely this would be a hard, but not impossible task.
"I know you are awake Young One. You needn't be afraid of me." The Sith said gently, rewarded by the boy's eyes opening slowly, nervously though he didn't dare make eye contact with Vader.
Vader came forward and looked his son over, that same fatherly admiration filling him up as he smiled ever so slightly. "You're safe now, and Jabba is dead." He continued, earning a wide eyed look of shock from the silent boy.
When Luke did not answer Vader mentally sighed before deciding to speak again. "You needn't be scared Young One. No one will hurt you here." He tried, in an attempt to get Luke to reply. The only response however was the boy's stiffness relaxing as he listened and apparently, trusted Vader's words.
Well, that was a start, the Sith Lord supposed.
A silent few moments past before Janny gave a light knock and entered, her face lighting up when she saw Luke awake. "Ah hello Luke!" She said with a gentle, happy voice. Vader had given the boy's true name to the medics. He was Luke, not Wormie, slave or boy. Just Luke. And Luke he would remain for a long while.
The boy gave a slight smile back, since Janny seemed to have a contagious one as she came over and checked on everything before deciding Luke was alright. "Are you hungry Luke?" She asked gently, yet earning no response.
Luke instead looked to Vader, as if asking if eating was ok. Vader again resisted the urge to lash out at nothing at all. Slaves were never meant to do anything without command, and Luke had been no exception. However Vader did not offer an answer. He would not allow his son to act like a slave. Instead Vader gave off an encouraging vibe, Luke was intensely Force Sensitive, he would feel the vibe and know the decision was his own.
Luke for his part, was too frightened to try and say anything, but he was really, really hungry despite nutrients being pumped into his system. When Lord Vader said nothing and made no move to speak for Luke in denial or acceptance, the boy finally looked back to Janny and gave a small nod.
Janny smiled. "I'll get you something light." She decided before leaving quickly. She came back just as quickly as she had left, holding a sort of fruit mash, a light yet filling thing for Luke's small stomach.
Vader relieved her of the fruit and waved her off before coming back to Luke. With a bit of awkwardness Vader sat down on the edge, looking at the cup with the spoon. "Do you know how to use a spoon Young One?" He asked curiously, earning a small, embarrassed shake of the former slave's head.
Vader resisted the urge to show obvious disappointment, not wanting to hurt Luke's feelings. "Come now, let me help you sit up, and then I will help you eat." He suggested, setting the food to the side before propping up Luke's pillows. Luke's back had healed well over the few days, thanks to his treatments of bacta and medicine. Once the boy was settled, Vader spooned up a small amount of fruit and brought it to his son's mouth, satisfied when only a moment's hesitation was shown before Luke took the food offered him.
"Good, now you try." Vader then suggested, showing Luke how best to hold the spoon. Luke's fingers got a little tangled up in the process, so Vader found himself working the tiny fingers into place, laughing silently to himself at this predicament. Considering he had missed out of Luke's childhood, there was some thanks to be given to Luke's lack of knowledge, even if Vader did not see it that way. The boy knew almost nothing outside of the work he had been subjected to. Vader would have to teach his son a lot. And he looked forward to it with a surprising amount of excitment.
Soon after his hand was corrected, Luke began to eat the fruit by himself, slowly and steadily, he had never tasted something so good! It was a delicacy he had never had since... it happened...
Luke brushed aside his thoughts and continued eating. Once done Vader took the little bowl and spoon, setting them on the table before grabbing a glass of water, urging Luke to drink.
Luke did as he was silently told, drinking up the cleanest water he had ever tasted, it was wonderful, but... why did the Dark Lord care? He seemed to care far more than he should. Luke opened his mouth as if to ask, but promptly shut it, afraid he probably still wasn't allowed to talk. And besides, would his voice still work? Yes it worked perfectly for screaming and crying during a beating, but he had not spoken a word since Jabba threatened to cut his tongue out if he didn't shut up about wanting to go home.
Vader sensed the hesitancy in the boy, looking to him curiously when he opened his mouth as if to speak before closing it abruptly. Vader boiled at that, the boy was still afraid to speak, afraid to do anything natural... the Sith calmed himself before speaking.
"You are allowed to speak Young One. It is alright, no one will hurt you for it." Vader tried, softened his tone as much as he could with the vocoder.
Luke ducked his head, staring at the sheets while Vader waited. If there was one thing a former slave needed, it was patience. Anakin Skywalker knew that to be very true.
Finally a small, tiny word escaped the child. "Luke..." he murmured, shrinking back slightly as if he would get hit. But no strike came, and finally the boy looked towards Vader with those blue eyes, reflected back though unknowingly by the Sith.
When Vader did not answer, Luke gathered his courage and spoke a bit more clearly, though his voice was quiet and hoarse from little to no use for almost all his life. "I'm Luke." He said again, clarifying his name, finally claiming it again.
Vader nodded quietly. "I know." He murmured softly, almost unintentionally. But, the father was glad. Luke had known his name, his given name as far as Vader knew. Padme wouldnt have changed names, he was sure.
"How? Why, do you care?" Luke asked hesitantly, voice gaining some strength although he did not show any sign of demanding to know or fearing Vader.
The Sith sighed silently, as his vocoder could not discern a sigh, mostly only cries, like when he had screamed in anger and despair upon learning of Padme's death at his hands, the vocoder had given a single word to that heart broken cry, echoing through the dark chambers as he cried for his lost wife, his lost child, everything he had ever loved, gone.
Until now, he might as well tell Luke the truth, he did not want to lie to the boy, especially about his heritage. Luke needed a family, and Vader, or maybe even the part of him that was Anakin, wanted to be that family.
"Luke, did you have any family?" Vader asked after a moment. Surely Kenobi had given to boy to someone if he had not kept the boy to himself.
Luke nodded slowly. "My Aunt Beru, and Uncle Owen." He replied quietly, looking down in mourning it seemed.
Vader frowned at that. The Lars? His step brother Owen and the woman, Owen's girlfriend? Kenobi had basically returned the boy to the last family he had that the Empire would not have tried to scrutinize. Truly a good plan.
"What happened to them?" The Sith then asked, as gently as he could. What had happened to cause the boy to not be with the Lars' anymore? Despite his anger towards them Vader had to admit that they were good people. Owen had been soft spoken but kind in his own way while Beru might as well have been the quietest and most caring woman ever next to Padme. They'd never let Luke become Jabba's slave, would they?
Luke bit his lip and shuddered, trying to recall his youngest memories. "Bad people game to the farm, they wanted Uncle to give more water without extra pay, and he always refused until they... they came and killed him..." little tears were starting to prick Luke's eyes as he held back a sob. "Aunt Beru tried to escape with me... but she got shot, and I was little... so they took me."
Vader felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain for his child. That, was so much worse... to be taken after your guardians were killed. Vader's fist squeezed but he remained silent when Luke continued hoarsely.
"H-he said, I wasn't allowed to speak, because I kept asking to go home... if I ever spoke, I got beat... and finally he threatened to cut my tongue out." Luke explained quietly, looking away and wiping his eyes quietly. The boy didn't need to clarify who had threatened to do such a thing, Vader distinctly remembered being owned by Hutts, and they were often unforgiving to disobedient slaves.
"You are safe now, I will not allow harm to befall you, Luke." Vader said gently, earning a puzzled look from the blonde again.
"Why do you care?" The boy repeated his question from earlier, thoroughly confused at how much care Vader seemed to harbor for him.
Vader gave a sigh, deciding it was time to come clean, hopefully the boy would not freak out, and if he did, well he was still not strong enough to actually be a threat. Another deep breath, and Vader began to speak. "Luke, your mother... she died in childbirth, but I was led to believe that she had died before giving birth. That is why I did not come... I swear, if I had known you survived..." Vader felt his voice choke and he fought to regain some semblance of control before speaking again, Luke's eyes widening all the while that Vader spoke so soft and regretfully.
"Luke, I am your father."
Author's Note.
I really ought to think up a schedule, but my updates are awful! I'm sure I'd be able to update so much more if I weren't so busy, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait! As always, hit the vote button if you enjoyed the chapter and leave a comment if you like, tell me how you like the story so far. Thank you for reading! And remember, the Force will be with you, always.