Vader crossed sabers with his son again. They circled one another for a moment before Luke dove at his father's chest. Vader parried and they continued to clash for a few more moments. Then Vader managed to flip the lightsaber out of his son's hand. As the blue blade flew through the air it deactivated.

Luke reached out in the Force and drew his saber back to his hand. Vader deactivated his own lightsaber and held his right hand out to his son and they shook hands.

"Good job, Luke. You're really getting better." Vader smiled at his son.

Luke clipped his saber to his belt and smiled too. "Thanks, Dad. That means a lot to me."

I'm sure it does. I love you, my son. I wish that it you hadn't died. I would give anything to have you sitting on the sofa when I come home. I'm glad we can see each other in my dreams like this. Seeing his son smiling at him, he thought, Do you even know that you're dead? Do you believe that you live in the real galaxy and that I'm still a Jedi?

Luke smiled at his father and put his saber back on his belt. It was these dreams that kept him going, sometimes. What his father taught him had saved his life on various occasions. He still missed his dad, of course, but being able to meet with him helped.

The dreams had started shortly after the battle of Yavin. In the first, he had been walking through a forest, tall trees on all sides. As he walked, he felt danger behind him and he started to run. He was running at full tilt farther and farther into the trees when something grabbed his arm.

He had spun in an effort to tear away from his captor and seen a beautiful woman holding his sleeve. Something about her had calmed him down instantly and he had asked her who she was.

The woman had smiled sadly at him, "I'm your mother, Luke."

"Mom?" Luke had been bewildered, but he had believed her.

"Yes."

"Why are you here?"

"There's someone else you should meet." With that, Padme had led Luke farther into the forest and into the clearing he and his father now trained in. At sight, Luke had instinctively known who the tall man with blue eyes was.

"Dad!" He had run to the older man and been embraced.

It had been among the happiest moments of his life, being in that clearing with his parents, but when his father had released him, his mother was gone. Anakin had seemed vaguely disappointed, but he had drawn his son into another hug.

Luke was snapped out of his reverie by a hug from his father in the clearing of tonight's dream.

As his father released him, Luke felt the real galaxy calling him. He struggled to remain in the dream long enough to say goodbye to his father.

"Tomorrow?" Anakin asked.

Luke gave his father a mock salute, "Tomorrow."

Vader re-entered the world of the waking in an uncharacteristically good mood.

His meetings with his son were always enjoyable. The boy could be cheeky at times, but he was generally a good son. After a particularly good training session, like today's, Vader would always be in a good mood until something came along and changed that. The change seemed to take less and less as his son grew harder to reach and the waking galaxy became more and more hectic with the increasing rebel threat.

A beep on the console of his meditation chamber and he forced himself to rejoin the galaxy in full.

"Yes, Admiral?"

"The Emperor requests contact. Immediately."

That was all it took to destroy his good mood. Vader resisted the urge to groan 'just five more minutes'. He was still half asleep and used to playing 'Anakin' for his son. Instead he stood and started to his communications chamber.

Kneeling, he activated the transmission plate, "What is thy bidding, my Master?"

"There is a great disturbance in the Force."

"I have felt it." Vader rolled his eyes, glad the Emperor couldn't see. This had been worth calling him about?

"We have a new enemy. The young rebel who destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt that he is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker."

"How is that possible?" Vader thought of the young Jedi in his dreams, could this rebel be the same boy? But, no, that would be too perfect. The child in his dreams was just that, a dream.

"Search your feelings, Lord Vader. You know it to be true."

"He's just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him." But I could. I can protect him. I owe Padme at least that much. And if he is the boy from my dreams, then I owe him too.

"The Force is strong in him. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi."

You want me to kill my own son? "If he could be turned, he would be a powerful ally."

"Yes, yes. He would be a great asset. Can it be done?"

"He will join us or die, Master."

The hologram of his master faded and Vader was left with his thoughts. My own son. A real little boy I could take as my own. It's almost too good to be true. And he would be Padme's son too. Oh, it would be almost like getting a part of Padme back.

Luke woke up as his droid poked his side again.

"G'morning, Artoo," he mumbled as he sat up. He carefully untangled himself from the blanket he was tied in and wrapped it around his shoulders instead. "What do you need? I don't think it's even morning yet."

Artoo gave a mournful beep and swiveled his dome out in the direction of the forest.

Luke sighed and put a hand on Artoo's dome, "Do you pick up something out there?"

Artoo gave another long bleep.

"Ok, I'll keep an eye out for it."

Dagobah's rain drummed down on Luke's head and he pulled the blanket up so that he might stay a bit warmer. After staring out into the forest for a few minutes he closed his eyes and started thinking about his father and what he had taught him in their lesson.

The warm thoughts of his father's praise and help in the back of his mind slowly lulled him back to sleep.