Author's Note: Thanks for the follows, favorites and for the reviews! This chapter is more than two times longer than the last and was a bit of a challenge to write. Not much happens here except for character development, finding out your father is Darth Vader and finding out that your son is miraculously alive after you believed you killed him and his mother almost two decades prior is obviously going to take a toll on anyone. This chapter mostly takes place in their heads but a few things also do happen here, things that haven't taken place in ANH. This is going to be very different than canon, finding Luke so early is obviously already a pretty big divergence but there are many more differences here and I hope you enjoy them!

Children of the Empire: Chapter 2

Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Devastator, Flagship of Lord Darth Vader
In Orbit over Tatooine

Luke must've heard that wrong... did he just hear what he thought he heard? It wasn't possible! How could Darth Vader be his father? He definitely must've heard it wrong. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind before he asked the Dark Lord to repeat what he just said.

"Ah... what?!" That was all he could muster, to say he was confused would be an understatement. His father was Anakin Skywalker, he knew that. His uncle and Ben told him that, his uncle may have said that he was just a navigator on a spice freighter while Ben said he was a Jedi Knight but the name was still the same. "M-my father's name is-"

"Anakin Skywalker, I'm aware." The mechanical baritone voice of Darth Vader said, accompanied by the loud breathing that was incredibly unnerving to Luke. What injuries could've possibly put him in that? Luke had no time to think to ponder that thought, he had enough thoughts and questions running through his mind at the moment without adding another. "Like I said, I didn't kill your father. That was my name when I was young and foolish, when I accepted who I really was... I took the name Darth Vader."

This was too much. Everything was happening way too fast... just hours ago everything was fine. It was just another day, then he got attacked by Tusken Raiders, saved by Ben who he showed the droid's message to when he finally found the little astromech and then Ben told him who and what his father really was. Finding out his father was a Jedi was enough news for one day, finding out the man that he always wished would come find him and whisk him away with him on his ship... well, Luke hadn't expected that to actually happen. Definitely not like this.

He wanted to deny everything. How could this man... if he could be called that, possibly be his father? If it's true... then why hadn't he been in his life? Why did he have to grow up on Tatooine?

There were way too many questions running through his mind. He didn't know what to ask, or even how to ask... he didn't want to make this man mad. Luke may have been ready to die when he was face-to-face with him just moments ago with the unrestrained fury running through his veins for the man who killed his father and was the reason why he had to grow up here, but now... that fury was gone.

"I see you have much on your mind," Darth Vader said, making Luke look up at his mask as he spoke. "I will have you moved to a room near mine, you can think there. In the meantime, keep your name and the fact that you are my son... to yourself. When you're ready to talk to me, there will be two stormtroopers outside of your room, tell them and I will come talk to you when I have a moment."

Luke watched as the Dark Lord walked over and opened the door, "escort him to the suite next to mine and stay outside his suite until I say otherwise." Two stormtroopers entered and Luke left the interrogation room and followed the stormtroopers, he turned his head as he was about to turn a corner and saw the man who was claiming to be his father watching him closely. Luke turned back around and continued walking with the stormtroopers, shaking his head as he did so.

He really needed to sort out his thoughts and digest everything he just learned. It was way way way too much for a farmboy like him to deal with at the moment.

Darth Vader watched as his son turned the corner and left his sight. The young man had a lot on his mind, understandable because he did too. If he didn't have to chase down these droids with the Death Star plans and oversee Grand Moff Tarkin then he would take his ship to Coruscant immediately and report to the Emperor to inform him of his discoveries. He's sure the Emperor would be pleased, also outraged at the fact that the Jedi had him for so long.

Exactly what else had Kenobi told his son? That he told him that he slain his father and was given his lightsaber was already too much. It was obvious that Kenobi poisoned his son against him without telling him the truth. Kenobi wasn't strong enough to kill him, they both knew this. So what was his plan? Was he really going to use Luke to kill him because he was too weak to do it himself?

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

As if using Padmé to get to him and to kill him wasn't bad enough, he had to abduct his son, lie to him about the death of his father and then use him to try and finish something he was too weak to achieve on his own. It was almost worthy of a Sith Lord, Vader wasn't above doing that himself and he would but he wouldn't expect that of a Jedi.

Not of Kenobi.

Then again, he never expected the Jedi to ever use a heavily pregnant woman as he did either. The man had more brass than he thought. Nevertheless, he only ensured the pain he'll be put though will be a thousand fold worse than the pain he made him suffer after cutting off his limbs and leaving him to burn on Mustafar.

At that thought, Vader walked to the observation room where he found Commander Praji, his senior-most aide-de-camp. "My Lord," the man said, bowing to him as he walked in.

Vader shut the door behind him before he spoke. "I need you to return to the surface on Tatooine and continue the manhunt for those droids and to begin a manhunt for one Ben Kenobi, personally. Don't underestimate him Commander, he was once known as the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I believe he may be in possession of those droids but even if he isn't, he's still a Jedi." If Kenobi was down there, he knew his men would capture him. The 501st Legion, commonly known as Vader's Fist are the most elite stormtroopers in the Empire and are all trained on how to apprehend or kill a Jedi.

Commander Praji's eyes widened at the mention of the name. He knew that Jedi was the most hunted of all by his Lord! He didn't know the story but knew there was definitely bad blood between them. "I will see right to it, my Lord." Praji said, confidently. The man may be a Jedi but he isn't his Lord, he can't kill a whole battalion of highly trained stormtroopers which are currently on or en route to the surface of this ball of dust. The Jedi would have a hard time against a battalion of regular stormtroopers but a battalion of 501st stormtroopers? The Jedi didn't stand a chance.

Vader knew the Commander would see to his task and he may be confident about it but that didn't mean he'd actually be able to catch him. He'd settle just for the droids but Kenobi would be a much sweeter prize. "And Commander, I want him alive." Being killed by blaster rifle shots is too easy of a way for him to go. He isn't feeling particularly merciful at the moment and he doubts he will ever feel that way for the man that was once like a brother to him until he betrayed him, turned his wife against him, left him to die in the most painful way possible and then kidnapped his son and filled his head with lies.

No, the man won't know a moments peace when he is found and captured.

Commander Praji sensing that that was all his Lord wanted to say, bowed again and took his leave to go carry out his orders to the best of his abilities. He hasn't risen to be his Lord's senior-most aide-de-camp by failing, he's done it by proving himself capable of handling such tasks and he knew how important this mission was. Praji also knew how much his Lord must trust him if he allowed him to live while knowing about his son.

"Commander," Praji stopped, just as he was about to enter the corridor. "Who else knows of my son being my son besides you and the medic that ran the DNA test?"

His Lord must've read his mind or was also thinking of his son and keeping his relationship to him a secret. Praji thought about that, he hadn't told anyone and the medic was sworn to secrecy, only having been allowed to live because he was Lord Vader's personal medic and was trusted to keep the information to himself. The stormtroopers with him didn't know, they just knew he was the boy that the droids were sold too and that he had a lightsaber but that's all they know.

Then Praji remembered the Captain of the stormtroopers who captured Luke and he seemed to know of or at least suspect their relationship. "Have him... silenced." Vader demanded, having read the Commander's mind. "As well as those stormtroopers who were there with him, make sure they didn't tell anyone before you silence them."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Dismissed." Vader could sense the Commander's unease on his orders but he knew the man understood. He saw him thinking the same thing. Luke is young, he's naive to the way things work in the Empire especially with the Imperial Court and the constant power grabs by the various Moffs and Grand Moffs. There are also the Grand Admirals that are not to be messed with, nor underestimated. They may know better than to mess with him as he is their superior and can make sure they have the worst possible crews and the oldest ships in the Fleet but he also knows they respect him more than anyone else of importance. They're military men like him, they all speak and understand the same language and they all also respect one another. They also know he wouldn't hesitate to kill them if they ever dared to cross him and out of everyone in the Empire, they fear him the most.

Just as it should be, he wouldn't be a very good Sith Lord if no one feared him.

Vader left those thoughts behind along with the observation room, he walked out into the corridor and towards the turbolift to ride up to his suite. A lot has changed in such a short time and he had barely any time to process it.

There was a time, nineteen years ago when he was told by his wife that she was pregnant and that they were going to be parents. To say he was excited about it would be an understatement, he was ecstatic about the news. He was also afraid, afraid of being a bad father and afraid of the unknown. What did he know of being a father? Then on top of that he was a Jedi Knight fighting a war, if the Order found out before he was ready to leave... it could've caused problems.

Then there were the nightmares which quickly took away his excitement. How could he be excited about becoming a father if it caused the death of his wife? He tried to find a way to save her and of course when he did... she betrayed him.

Roughly, he shook his head and pushed those memories deep down into the abyss he normally kept them in. That life is no longer his, she made her choice and he made his. He has no doubts about the path he took or about the decisions he made. If Padmé had only trusted him then they wouldn't have found themselves in the situation they found themselves in but she allowed herself to be manipulated and used and she suffered the consequences of her actions.

Vader dismissed those thoughts, she no longer had any control or bearing on his life. Anakin is dead, Padmé is dead. That's all there is too it. Anakin no longer affects him. Like he told his son, the weakling that was Anakin Skywalker is dead, in all but a physical sense.

He reached his suite and went right for his meditation chamber. It was the only place on the ship that he was able to take his mask off before he made a full recovery from the injuries he sustained on Mustafar and although it carries some bad memories for him, memories he'd like to forget, it also became a place where he can gain some peace and quiet and lose himself in his dark side meditation.

He would sit on the seat inside, let the mechanical arm of the pod remove his mask and his faceplate and then he would look at himself in the mirror remembering when he was quite a handsome man with just a scar over and under his right eye and then he would lose himself in his anger and hatred for the man who made him look like a monster forcing him to live in this life support suit. While looking at himself, he would also remember the excruciating pain he suffered and that was all he needed to submerge himself in the welcoming embrace of the dark side, a side that was with him always and never judged him or his actions.

The dark side could never do him wrong and he could never do it wrong. Whenever he needed it, it was always there with a solution. Why he waited so long before fully giving himself to the dark side is beyond him. Maybe if he gave into the whispers and the promises of the dark side in his teenage years he may have been able to save his mother...

He quickly squashed that thought. He'd thought of that many times and it led him nowhere, he can't do anything about the past but ensure that he doesn't repeat it. Darth Vader is not Anakin Skywalker, he is strong where Anakin was weak and he'll make sure his son doesn't make Anakin's mistakes.

Luke won't have Masters that'll doubt him and try to keep him leashed like the Jedi Council did to Anakin.

Luke won't have Masters that'll keep the truth from him like the Jedi Council did to Anakin.

Luke won't have Masters that'll force him to abide by an outdated code and force him to hide any relationship or marriage for fear of being expelled from the Order and causing his wife to have to step down because of the scandal like the Jedi Council would've done to Anakin had they found out the truth.

Luke won't have to live the same way that Anakin had to live.

Darth Vader will make sure of that.

The pod closed around him and the mechanical arm reached down to remove his mask and then his faceplate. Darth Vader looked into the mirror and when once he'd see a pale, bald, burned and scarred head and face... now, he see's dark short blond hair, a pale face from wearing the mask and faceplate most of the time and cold, calculating blue eyes. His face was much as he remembered it from when he was Anakin Skywalker, except even now he doesn't have that scar that he once had. He also has all four limbs back, having learned how to heal himself with the help of his Master and ancient Sith techniques, if it wasn't for his Master then he may have been stuck in this indomitable suit and mask forever.

He exhaled deeply, happy to be out of his mask and faceplate. Looking at himself in the mirror, he recalls a mental image of his son from earlier and sees just how much they really do look alike. Luke may not have his height or build but he definitely has his looks. Luke also has some of Padmé in him, along with characteristics of his own mother. All this time, he buried Anakin's life into the abyss in his mind from whence it would never rise again and for the first time in a long time, it broke free and entered his thoughts. Luke would naturally wonder who his mother was and who was he to keep that information from him? The boy has a right to know who his mother was, he deserves to know his heritage.

It may not be an easy topic to talk about but it is one that he has come to accept and learned to live with a long time ago. He won't bring it up but when the inevitable topic is brought up, he will answer truthfully, just without the Force choke part until his son knows him better and begins his training as a Sith. Only then would he really understand what was going on in his mind when he saw Obi-Wan standing at the top of the landing ramp of Padmé's skiff. If he told Luke that part before they get to know one another better, it may only damage their relationship beyond repair before they truly even get to know one another.

And that is something Darth Vader will not accept.

Moving on to other matters, he tapped the buttons in front of him and commed the Captain of the Devastator, Captain Corssin. The older dark eyed, gray haired man appeared on the screen and stood at attention wearing his gray-green Imperial Navy Officers uniform and cover. "My Lord," the Captain said.

"Captain, are the shuttles and transports carrying Commander Praji and the 501st down on the surface yet?" Vader asked, his cold blue eyes penetrating right into the Captain's, he's one of the few in the Empire that is aware of what he looks like underneath the mask.

Captain Corssin looked at something out the Dark Lord's view. "Yes, my Lord." The Captain said with a nod of his head. "Commander Praji's shuttle just left and is en route to the surface of Tatooine as we speak."

"Good, then take us back to the Death Star."

"Yes, my Lord."

Darth Vader ended the transmission and reached out into the Force to feel his son in the next suite over. He could feel his son's emotions go all over the place along with his thoughts. The boy would no doubt be wondering what was going to happen to him now. Going from farmboy to third most powerful man in the Empire would be a lot for anyone to take in, especially someone who grew up as his son did.

He's confident, however, that his son will come to terms with his place in the Empire and will make him proud. Not only does he have his blood in him but also that of Padmé's and she was a Queen at the young age of fourteen and then a Senator after that. Luke literally has royalty in his blood, in his DNA and now he'll be able to live as he should've since the day he was born.

Anger at his son's upbringing alone has his eyes turning a Sithly amber-red trim, he hasn't gotten that angry so fast since... nineteen years ago, when he saw Obi-Wan at the top of Padmé's skiff landing ramp. He grabbed on to that anger, closed his eyes and sank deep into meditation.

When he was still grievously injured, he would use the meditation to help heal his body. It would work to a certain extent, but his injuries were far too serious to be healed through the Force with him alone. His Master and his unique skill sets were needed to complete the job, when he was back to his full self he had to learn how to meditate all over again. He couldn't use his anger for how he looked anymore when he stared at himself in the mirror, he couldn't use the perpetual pain he felt from his burnt and scarred flesh, the ruin of his arms or the stump of his legs. Anger still came to him though, after all he had plenty to be angry about. Being a slave as a child, his failure to save his mother, his wife's betrayal, Obi-Wan's betrayal, his defeat at the hands of his former Master, the pain he suffered because of him and the hatred he felt that altogether kept him alive until the Emperor found him.

Without the dark side, he wouldn't be alive. Only the dark side was able sustain his life and he never felt so invigorated in his life. There was a time where he even considered not getting healed just because of how in touch with the dark side he got when he meditated and how fast the dark side rushed to him. It was only after he was fully healed that he learned that that anger, pain, hatred and suffering would always be with him.

Now he just had another reason to add to that ever growing list.

Darth Vader smiled darkly to himself and lost himself in his meditation.

Luke sat on the large black sofa in the suite he was brought too. He had to admit, he never sat on anything so comfortable or soft. It almost helped him relax, only the words of the tall black armored man kept replaying in his mind, over and over again...

"I am your Father."

Luke couldn't see how in the galaxy that was possible. But somehow, he knew it was true. As insane as it sounds, Darth Vader is his father and apparently his father used to be a man named Anakin Skywalker who was a Jedi Knight. He had so many questions on his mind that he couldn't think straight.

The biggest concern on his mind though is what's going to happen to him. He was brought to the ship in wrist binders and brought to interrogation by the orders of a Commander and then he was questioned by the man he believed to have killed his father... he felt anger rush to him at that. He was ready to die at the hands of the man who killed his father only to have found out that he didn't kill his father at all, that he was his father! Why had Ben lied to him? Why would Ben tell him that Darth Vader betrayed and killed his father when he was his father? Even his father though said that Anakin Skywalker died in a manner of speaking but not in a physical sense. That he became Darth Vader when he accepted who he really was and he also said that Anakin Skywalker was his name when he was young and foolish.

What did that mean? Was he referring to when he was a Jedi? Luke shook his head, he didn't know. He didn't know anything. He didn't know what was going to happen to him. He didn't know where they were going. He knew they were in hyperspace going somewhere... but all he knows for sure, is that he knows nothing. What's true and what's a lie? Were Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru even his real uncle and aunt?

Luke knew for years that he was being kept from the truth. That his uncle wouldn't allow him to go to the Imperial Academy not because he was needed on the farm... but because he didn't want him to go to the Imperial Academy. Luke never knew why that was and he'll never know now since he's dead. He's sure its because of his father though. Why else would he be kept from knowing his father's true identity?

His earlier questions rose back to the front of his mind. Why did he have to grow up on Tatooine and why wasn't his father ever in his life? When Luke talked to him earlier, it seemed like even he didn't know he had a son. If that was the case, why didn't he? How could he not know he had a son?

There was nothing on his mind but questions, questions and more questions. Only one man can give him his answers, Luke just isn't sure if he is ready to talk to him. The man may be his father... but he's still Darth Vader. Second-in-Command of the Empire and the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces. The second most powerful man in the Empire- in the galaxy!- is his father.

Everything was just too much for him to deal with.

He wasn't accustomed to dealing with things like this.

How could an Outer Rim farmboy like him be expected to handle a situation like this? He never had to handle anything like it before. A broken moisture vaporator? No problem. Broken down speeder? He could fix it as easy as he could breathe. Racing his T-16 and threading the needle in Beggar's Canyon? He could do it in his sleep. If only dealing with galaxy altering news like this was as easy as those.

Luke knew eventually that he'd need to speak to his father though and he hoped his fear and anxiety would abate with time. Maybe once he got used to the man's presence, he wouldn't feel so overwhelmed. He's glad his father told him the truth, that he is his father but he had absolutely no time to prepare for that kind of news.

Taking a deep breath, Luke stood to his feet and walked over to the front door. He slapped the door release button and the door slid to the side and into the wall. Two stormtroopers turned their attention to him, somehow he knew that it was the same two stormtroopers from earlier. "I'd like to speak with my F-" Luke coughed and coughed some more trying to make it seem like he was choking on something. Mentally, he berated himself for almost letting himself slip with the truth- again. What is wrong with him? Finally he regained control and spoke confidently. "I'd like to speak with Lord Vader."

The stormtroopers nodded, acting as if nothing happened. Luke was thankful for that and turned around, the door slid shut behind him. He wasn't sure how long he'd have to wait but as it turned out, it wasn't long at all. The door swished open and the hulking black form of his father entered the stark white room. He's sure his father would stand out no matter where he was, his size alone would raise some eyebrows. The door swished shut behind him and his father gestured for him to sit down on the sofa he was just sitting on and his father took a seat on an identical sofa across from him.

Lord Vader was surprised his son was ready to see him so soon, it wasn't even an hour since they last saw one another. He had to cut his meditation short, something he'd usually be angry about but his son's presence in the Force was disturbing his meditation and he really couldn't get him off his mind anyway. He didn't even know how to describe how he was feeling. He felt so many emotions he couldn't even identity most of them. Only the Emperor was really in his life since he became Darth Vader, he was the only man he trusted and he was the only man who really knew him. Having a son would be hard enough for a man like him, never mind having a grown up son. He missed all of those critical years with him, he doesn't even know what his son likes and doesn't like. His son not knowing the same about him made him feel a little better but not by much.

First thing he needed to do was reveal his health to his son, that should make him easier to talk too and then he needs to know what Kenobi told him and then his son can ask him any question he wants.

"Luke," he said, looking over into his son's blue eyes. "I understand that this has to be overwhelming for you, it is the same for me. But I need to know that you can keep a secret. Can you?"

Luke looked at him, confused. "There's not like there's anyone here I can tell even if I wanted too." Luke shrugged. "I can keep a secret."

Lord Vader nodded in satisfaction. His son had a good point. Who was he going to tell? A stormtrooper? Reaching up to his faceplate, he flicked a hidden switch and the breathing noise stopped. He didn't need the respirator anymore, he only had to keep the sound the same for people to not know the difference and the device seemed to do the trick. His son watched in morbid fascination with wide eyes as he unclamped the latch and removed his mask then his faceplate to reveal a perfectly smooth, yet hardened face.

Which was definitely not something Luke was expecting.

To be honest though, Luke was glad to see that his father didn't need the mask. It made talking and looking at him a lot easier than wondering what traits he got from his father and what was under the mask. Naturally he thought he must be scarred or burned or disfigured to have needed the full body suit but seeing as how his face and head are perfectly fine it makes him wonder why he even wears it.

"I once needed this suit and mask to survive," his father explained, either knowing what was obviously on his mind or having actually read his mind! Luke heard rumors that he was capable of reading minds but he thought for sure it was just that- a rumor! "Just before you would've been born, I lost a duel and had my left arm sliced off at the elbow and my legs cut off at the knees. Instead of helping me or killing me, Obi-Wan Kenobi decided to let the lava that was only feet away from me catch my clothes and he watched as I burned alive."

Lord Vader wasn't intent on telling his son that yet. He didn't want his pity or him asking questions he wasn't yet ready to answer. Might as well get these questions out of the way though, Vader figured. "That's why I didn't know you were alive. I was left behind while Obi-Wan left me to take your mother and fled. I knew she was pregnant, almost nine months so but then a day later it was reported that she died and at her funeral it appeared that she was still pregnant." Vader sighed, looking down at his faceplate as he held it in his black gauntleted hand before placing it down on the cushion next to him. "I loved her more than anything, Luke. I was excited about becoming a father but Obi-Wan got to her and told her things about me that made her... betray me."

His mother betrayed his father! Why would she do that? Just when Luke thought he was getting some answers, more questions arose. He really knew nothing about his family!

Hearing his son's thoughts, Vader could understand how his son felt. He wondered for a long time too why Padmé would betray him. She's dead though, there's nothing he could do now to change what happened so long ago. "Long story short, when I was nineteen and still a Jedi, I was plagued by nightmares. These weren't ordinary nightmares though, they were visions. I saw my mother die and thought it was just nightmares, they plagued me for a month before I went to Tatooine to find my mother... that's when I found out they were visions. She was abducted by Tusken Raiders and held for over a month, same time my visions started. She died in my arms." Vader sighed, feeling the dark side swirl around him. "Three years later, the night I found out your mother was pregnant with you... the visions started again. This time it was your mother dying in child birth. I didn't see the outcome, just your mother on a medical bed with Obi-Wan next to her and screaming for me before she... died.

"When it was announced that she died, I realized that my vision must've came true again." Vader finished, wrapping up the hardest parts of his life in the least amount of time possible. He didn't want to talk about them, he just knew that his son deserved to know the truth. Best to pull off the bacta patch and get it over with. "I did everything I could to avert that from happening but after the duel, there was nothing I could do. Had I known you were alive, I would've searched every star system for you."

Luke knew his father spoke the truth, he could feel his strong emotions for him already. For a moment, the emotions overwhelmed him. He could feel the pain his father went through at the loss of his mother and... Luke's mother. He could feel his raging hatred and anger for the man who took Luke's mother and Luke away from him, leaving him to burn alive. He got the chills just thinking about the excruciating pain his father must've went through, to still be alive after that is a miracle.

"The Force kept me alive, Son." Son, a word Luke never thought would've been used when referring to him. It was also a word he never thought Lord Vader would use, especially when pertaining to him. He couldn't help but smile until he realized that his father did infact read his mind! "The Force is capable of many things and I'm a Sith Lord. My anger, pain, hatred and my other dark emotions is what gives me my powers. While the Jedi detach themselves from their emotions believing that they need to be selfless, the Sith are the opposite. We're stronger than them because we accept who we are and use our emotions to give us a stronger connection to the omnipresent Force.

"Very few beings can feel and touch the Force, those of us who can are called Force-sensitives." Vader continued, giving his son some information on a topic that he'll be learning in great detail soon enough. "I am a Force-sensitive that is in the Order of the Sith Lords. There were only ever two Sith Lords at any one time in the last millenia but that was before the Empire came into being and with the Jedi being almost entirely wiped out. You are also very strong in the Force, I can feel it radiating off of you. Can you feel it radiating off of me?"

Luke didn't even hesitate. "I do. That's the Force?" It was something he felt for as long as he could remember, he just never knew how to explain it or what it was. He would just know how people are feeling, he'd have incredibly fast reflexes that made him the best skyhopper pilot on Tatooine and he'd even be able to sense people coming before he even saw them.

"Indeed." Vader confirmed, not surprised that his son's innate ability had shown itself. He could remember his own youth when he was in the podraces, he could see things before they happened and prepare himself accordingly. It was the Force that made him such the excellent pilot he was, he was strong in it before he even knew what it was. "If you allow me to train you as a Sith, then you'll be able to reach your full potential and be able to do the things that I can. We'll need the Emperor's approval first, then we can talk more about it and begin your training as long as he approves it and as long as you want too. It isn't something that can be forced on you, but it is something that will take time to master. I am still learning and I've been learning the ways of the Force since I was nine years old, the ways of the Sith since I was twenty-two and that was nineteen years ago."

Somehow, Luke felt himself entirely comfortable sitting here and talking to his father. It wasn't even a few minutes ago when he was thinking of how long it'd take him to get used to being in his presence, yet here he is and he's surprised. His father was entirely different from how he thought he'd be, then again Luke really didn't know anything about his father other than what he heard on the HoloNet about his successes in his military operations and from what pirates, smugglers and other low-lifes said about him. He felt bad about that, that he judged his father based on others opinions before giving him a chance but now that he's here, and now that he's learning who his father is and what he went through, Luke can proudly say he's starting to like his father. It was the first time that someone actually treated him like an adult and told him the truth. Everyone else lied to him or told him half-truths, he knew there was more to these stories that his father wasn't telling him but Luke could see why. It wasn't that he was lying, its just hard for his father to talk about.

Luke could understand that.

Vader felt his son's emotions relaxing and could sense his son listening to his every word. He smothered a smile, not wanting his son to take it the wrong way. He's glad his son is comfortable with him, that was his intention. He isn't foolish enough to believe that his relationship with his son will be perfect but he won't lie to him. Luke was lied to enough and so wasn't Anakin, it cost Anakin dearly and Vader wasn't going to allow his son to go through the same pain or feeling as though he isn't trusted or believed in. That wouldn't be true at all, if he didn't trust his son or believe in him, he wouldn't have told him what he already had. He doesn't show weakness but he showed it to his son, he's still human, afterall. He's not a Jedi, he has emotions and isn't afraid to use them.

"Now," Vader said, changing the subject away from his eventual training. He'll go more in-depth into that subject when he begins training his son, its a subject that deserves justice and he can't give the Force the justice it deserves right now. "You said you were with Kenobi? That he gave you the lightsaber that once belonged to me and that he told you that I killed Anakin Skywalker, your father." Luke nodded, looking down. Vader smiled feeling his son's anger at being lied to and almost used by the vile Jedi. Kenobi was no doubt going to pit them against each other, he already almost had Luke killed just by the way he filled his heads with lies which made Luke act the way he did in the interrogation room. Had he not known his identity, or truly not have that desire for a family still within him he may have killed his son just to eliminate a potential threat. Fortunately, Luke's will faltered when he learned the truth and he felt his son beginning to trust him. That's good, Vader wouldn't admit it to anyone but he would've been hurt if his son didn't want to get to know him. "What else did he tell you?" Vader asked, pushing his thoughts out of his head.

Luke was thankful he didn't know the old hermit that much, if he did then he may have filled his head with more lies and Luke wasn't sure he'd be able to handle that. "He just told me you were good friends, fought together in the Clone Wars, that you were a cunning warrior and the best starpilot in the galaxy." Luke smiled at that, something they both share in common. Flying. "Then he told me that Darth Vader was a pupil of his and that he turned to evil and betrayed and murdered my father." His anger was back in an instant at being used and manipulated, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Ben intended on using him to eventually fight the man that is his father. Whatever respect Luke had for him vanished when he learned that, much moreso when he learned from his father that it was Obi-Wan who was responsible for turning his mother against his father and for him having to grow up here on this dust ball of a planet.

His son's anger was covering the whole suite in darkness, Vader savored the feeling before drawing his son's attention to him. "He was right, we were good friends, more like brothers in arms when we were fighting against the Separatists but that all changed when he told my wife, your mother, Padmé about what I did. I'm not ashamed about turning to the dark side of the Force and becoming a Sith. I'm not ashamed about killing every Jedi in the Temple, including the youngling's who were already too brainwashed by the Jedi to ever be allowed to live. I didn't tell your mother that before I flew my starfighter to Mustafar to take care of the Separatist leadership. I was planning on telling her when I returned but Obi-Wan must've gotten to her and used her to get to me, he may not have known we were married but he knew I was the father of her unborn baby and he knew we were close. I told her where I was going and he manipulated her into bringing him to me when I made her promise me she'd stay home and wait for me. She told me what he told her and she lied to me when I asked her if she told him where I was, he just stood on top of the landing ramp and I snapped. We said some words and began fighting, you know how that ended."

Luke absorbed every word his father said and was glad to know his parents were married. He was also glad to know what her name was. His aunt and uncle never even told him that much and he honestly didn't think they knew who his mother was, now that he knows it was Ben- Obi-Wan Kenobi who brought him to Tatooine it makes sense that they may not have known who his mother was at all.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me, feel free to ask and I will answer them to the best of my ability." His father said bringing his attention back to him. His father's piercing blue eyes were on him, his dark blond eyebrows raised. A smile crept to his face at just how much he and his father look alike, he just isn't as tall or as muscularly built as him. He must've gotten his height and frame from his mother's side of the family.

Luke did have many questions but he didn't want to ask them all now. He got some of top questions answered, he knows who his parents are and that they were in love and married. He knows why he was raised here and why his father never sought him out before. It made him feel better to know he wasn't abandoned on this dust ball of a planet. Luke secretly feared that his whole life, why didn't his parents want him? His aunt and uncle telling him they were dead he knew wasn't true, not for his father. He couldn't explain how he knew, it just didn't sit right with him but he never voiced that out loud. That nagging feeling that he may have been abandoned prevented him from doing so.

There was only one pressing question he had for his father now and that was what was going to happen to him now?

"What do you think will happen to you?" His father asked, surprising him yet again. Is he always in his mind? "No, I'm not always in your mind but you are my son, we have a strong bond already and you're practically throwing your questions at me. I can't help reading your mind when you think so loud." His father shrugged making Luke smile. He never knew one could think loudly but he was happy to hear about their strong bond, he always wanted his father in his life and although this was the last man he ever imagined being his father, he wouldn't trade him for anyone even if he could. "To answer your question, it should be obvious. You'll stay with me in my Palace and you'll take your rightful place in the galaxy. It has yet to be revealed to the Empire but I am the Heir to the Imperial Throne. I'll be the next Emperor and after me, you'll take the throne for yourself."

Vader smiled seeing his son's reaction to that news. It may not be a surprise to some people but this Empire is run by the Sith and that is how it'll stay. He isn't the Second-in-Command for nothing. There is a reason why he's the one who runs the military, why he's the one who handles certain political and business matters for the Emperor and the Empire and why he's the one who is charged with overseeing Grand Moff Tarkin and the Death Star. And those reasons aren't just because he's a Sith. Sith are notoriously known for betraying and killing one another, that is the backbone of the Rule of Two but Vader and the Emperor don't follow Darth Bane's line anymore. They're their own line and that is a line that only two people know the truth about. Vader and the Emperor. Luke may be the third when the time comes but his son learned enough for today and needs to absorb what he learned.

Lord Vader stood to his feet. "We are on our way to orbit the planet of Scarif. When we arrive we will take a shuttle over to the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station. I will have a change of clothes brought for you and you will dress as one of my aides. You will talk to no one over there, only to my officers and I will have them stay with you. Remember not to mention our relation to anyone, only two people know besides us and that is how it will stay for the moment. I will come get you when it's time to go, in the meantime I suggest you get some rest, shower and change. You need it." He left his son with a nod of his head before putting his mask and faceplate back on and walking out the door that swished open with a wave of his hand and it swished closed behind him.

This was a really hard chapter to write for me. A lot harder than I thought it'd be actually. I hope I did them justice in your eyes, I tried to stay true to their form but naturally they'd be a little bit off with this being thrown at them and with their backgrounds being slightly different (for Vader, Luke is much the same as he was all the way up to this point). It may also have been a bit confusing because of how some parts jumped around but that's how they were thinking. How would anyone think and feel when facing news like this? It's also Darth Vader we're talking about, some people may know of his past identity but he's still Darth Vader. Finding out he's your father certainly wouldn't be easy to deal with. Finding out you have a son long thought dead (even if he thought his child was going to be a girl) by your hands also wouldn't be easy to deal with.

The next chapter will be arriving at the Death Star and move the plot forward. Quite a few things will happen, like the interrogation of Princess Leia, Luke and Vader still adjusting with their new found relationship which will take quite some time to deal with and a few other things will happen that I don't want to spoil. I'll just give you a heads up that the Galactic Civil War is really just beginning and you should be in for some surprises.

I also dropped some hints here about some of those upcoming surprises. Think you know what they are? Feel free to leave them as a review or PM me.

Please follow, favorite and review! Thanks for reading!