Darth Vader Goes to Therapy

The Plan

Vader had never felt so alive. He'd long since given up the idea of freeing anyone, let alone slaves, and to come back to Tatooine, the planet he hated most in the entire galaxy, and free slaves?

It felt good to walk into slave auction businesses and slice his blade through slavers that didn't have time to register that he wasn't there to support them. It felt good to order his troops to hunt down slave owners and destroy them, freeing their slaves in the process. It felt even better when he forced his way into Jabba's palace and cut down Jabba and his entire court, thus ending protection and retribution for the slavers who died in the cities his troops invaded.

It felt good to release his pent up anger and despair over the truth of his wife's death onto those who actively abused and harmed innocent people. Afterwards, he was well aware that had he allowed Luke to witness any of his actions, he'd have a lot to say about using murder as a way to express his emotions, but in this instance, Vader did not particularly care. These people deserved it. Their crimes would never be punished in an Imperial court, and they'd be set free to continue their reign of terror.

So he conveniently didn't tell Luke how, exactly, he'd freed the slaves, but when he sensed the shuttle bearing Luke enter the atmosphere after most of the carnage was done, he had a feeling the boy had already figured it out.

Hours later, Vader returned to Anchorhead to collect his son. He found the boy exhausted–as planned, he'd spent his time since arriving helping the liberated slaves brought to him by troops find appropriate therapy services. Piett was there, mainly to help with housing organization, but he also had helped Luke by issuing orders in Vader's name for any therapist in the Outer Rim to come to Tatooine to operate. Considering that there weren't many Outer Rim therapists and the ones that existed had plenty of open schedules, Vader quickly found out that it hadn't been difficult to do, and the number available would do fine for the slaves of Tatooine, but it would not be enough for all of the Outer Rim slave worlds. He'd need to involve therapists in the Mid-Rim and Core, which, when he mentioned it to Luke, Luke promptly warned him that that would be a far more difficult challenge to arrange.

It was strange that he was supportive of Luke's endeavor at all. A few months ago, he would have insisted that the galaxy didn't need more therapists. Then again, a few months ago he wouldn't have had the courage to do what he'd always promised to do and free everyone.

But their time was short. He allowed Luke to finish assignments before summoning him and bringing him to an Imperial Lambda Class shuttle.

"We are visiting your guardians." He said by way of explanation the moment they'd entered the ship. They were alone–this was a private matter. He had no wish to have any troops finding out about his relation to Luke before he'd officially announced it, which, if all went to plan, would be after the Emperor was dead. "You will fly us there, as I do not remember the way."

Luke stopped, blinking. "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

Preposterous. He had no idea why Luke would think he wasn't ready for such a simple event. "I do not see why not."

"Um." Luke shifted uncomfortably, "well, it might bring up some negative emotions to be reminded that I was kidnapped, even if my aunt and uncle didn't know that. I just...want to be sure just in case that happens."

Ah. He was worried about his guardian's safety. It was not an unfounded concern, and he still didn't love that Luke had been raised by other people, but...

"I have your kidnapper in my cells," Vader said, sitting down in the copilots seat, "your aunt and uncle did no wrong."

That seemed to mildly convince Luke, because he sat down in the pilots seat, but as he turned the shuttle on and lifted off, Vader still sense unease in the boy.