Hello There.

What's this? A new story?

Yup. Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Star Wars or Lucasfilm, nor any non-original characters. I only own this story.

CHAPTER ONE: HEAVY BREATHING AND HARD WORK

Darth Vader stood on the bridge of his Star Destroyer, staring out at the Imperial fleet, the sound of his ceaseless mechanical breathing in his ears. He was waiting, something he very rarely did, for answers. Answers about a weapon he had seen the young rebel who had destroyed the Death Star wielding a few days prior. Days. It had been days. But that blade, that weapon, that lightsaber.

The last time he had laid eyes on that saber had been nineteen years ago when he had burned on the lava flows of Mustafar. He had been there. Obi-Wan. He permitted himself to think the name for the first time in years. However, he would not pursue this train of thought, for he knew all to well where it would lead. He brought his thoughts back to the present. Back to what had triggered those forbidden thoughts.

Back to the weapon. And to the boy who had wielded it. Though he denied it to himself, he knew that the answers he sought were not about the lightsaber, but about the him. He looked to be about nineteen, and bore a striking resemblance to –

No. He would deny that possibility. It wasn't even a possibility if what his master, the insanely powerful Sith Lord named Darth Sidious, was to be believed. And Vader knew that his master would not have lied to him.

From somewhere off behind him a heavy metal door screeched open and then closed. At last. The bounty hunter, Boba Fett, had returned. The sound of the scum's armored boots clanked over the catwalk until they stopped about halfway across. Vader stayed put – he did not even turn around to look upon Fett – and continued gazing out into space.

"I lost him," said the bounty hunter.

"That is most disappointing," Vader replied coldly in his deep, rich, metallic voice.

"He got lucky," Fett said.

"Did you bring me anything of value, bounty hunter?" demanded Vader.

"Not much," the scum said. "Just a name." He paused, then said the impossible, "Skywalker."

Vader said nothing. Just stood there. His mind a fuming rage of a thousand thoughts, kept hidden by an intimidating metal exterior.

The bounty hunter paused, waiting for a response. When he got none, he said, "We're done here," and left.

Vader rigidly glared out at space through the red lenses of his mask. "Skywalker," he said. Then: "I have a son."

A memory surfaced. A memory of a time he had told himself was long destroyed.

"Ani, something wonderful as happened," came a voice he had tried to suppress. So soft and gentle, and quiet in his mind. Barely a whisper. Though, what came text made his ears ring as if they were screamed. "I'm pregnant."

"That… th-that's wonderful," came the shocked reply.

Then a different memory. This one more vivid as it had not been so forgotten.

"Where is Padme? Is she alright? Is she safe?" His voice.

"It seems in her anger, you killed her," his master's voice said. His master's voice lied.

His gloved first clenched and the view screen in front of him began to crack, sounding like ice being crushed. Alarms began to blare, but Vader hardly heard them over the roaring turmoil inside him. His mind felt ready to explode; a million thoughts racing through it faster than the fastest hyperdrive.

He turned around swiftly and stomped off towards his quarters. His agitated breathing loud in his ears.

"Luke…" Wedge moaned drowsily from the bunk above the fore mentioned teen. (Although he was almost, almost twenty. Just ten months to go!) "Are you still writing? It's 0100 hours!"

"I know, I know," Luke said, taking his mind off his pad for a split second. "I'm just at a really good part!"

"You said that over two hours ago," said Wedge.

"It's been that long?"

"Yeah. Now go to sleep."

"But we're taking out the Interceptor!" protested Luke.

"That's great, Luke. Now don't make me come down there!" Wedge said.

"Who do you think you are? My father?" teased Luke.

"I think I'm a very tired fighter pilot who really wants to go to sleep but can't because his roommate stays up all night writing!"

"Alright, alright. Just let me finish this part," said Luke. "Dad," he added.

"Don't even go there."

"Just ten more minutes!"

"The last time you said that I was up for another three hours," said Wedge.

"But I mean it this time!"

"Go to sleep."

"I'll let you read it when I'm done!" he offered.

"Sleep."

Luke heard the bed above him creak a little bit, signaling that the conversation was over and Wedge was going to try and get a few more hours in. "Fine," Luke whispered. He very reluctantly put his holopad down on his nightstand and nestled his face into his pillow. He closed his eyes and told himself to go to sleep over and over again in his mind. After what seemed like nearly an hour he looked at the time on his wrist watch. "0110," it read. "Really?" Luke shrugged and then reached for his holopad. He supposed finishing this chapter wouldn't hurt.

Okay, time to get this out of the way. Yes, it's canon that Vader found out Luke was his son this early on. You can check me on that, it's true. Please, please, review and I hope you enjoyed it.