Escape From the Darkness

Chapter 3

Luke Skywalker was overwhelmed by pain when he woke up later that day. He felt like he was trampled by a horde of angry banthas. He tried to move his fingers; they responded, not without great difficulty. He groaned and tilted his head to the side. Instantly, he felt a person kneel next to him. He tried to open his eyes but his lids were too heavy so he tried to determine the mysterious person's identity with the Force. It was unsuccessful. He couldn't even touch it without making his head throb. And was that faint noise he vaguely heard in the background? It was sounding strangely like... breathing.

He tried to sit up, only to have strong hands grabbing his shoulders and gently pushing him down.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, young one", said a stern, but amused voice.

The deep baritone made Luke freeze. That voice... No, that couldn't be...

Luke's eyes snapped wide open only to be met with the sight of Darth Vader's fearsome black mask which was hovering inches from his own face.

"GAH!" the young man exclaimed, scared out of his wits.

He tried to move away from the armoured giant, only for the hands on his shoulders to tighten even more, thus rendering his pathetic attempt to free himself useless.

"Let me go!" Luke shouted, glaring up at his father.

"Very well", Vader rumbled before releasing him.

Luke immediately leaned away from the Sith as he stood up and looked at him warily as he walked to the other end of the cave where a couple of boxes were piled up.

A frantic beeping tore his gaze away from Vader and the Jedi gasped audibly as Artoo came to a halt right beside him and sat up, ignoring his aching ribs.

"Artoo!" he grinned. "You're okay!"

Artoo beeped happily.

"I went back to your shipwreck to retrieve him once I was sure you would survive", Vader said. "He was quite worried about you."

"I'm fine, Artoo", Luke reassured the astromech.

Then, he looked up at the towering form of his father and nodded.

"Thank you..."

Vader didn't reply but a strange feeling was broadcasted through their bond which made Luke frown. Was that... disappointment?

"How long was I out for?" he asked.

"About an hour since I got you here", came the reply. "Before that, I would say half an hour."

Skywalker nodded.

"And... how did you find me?" he tentatively asked.

Vader rolled his eyes underneath his helmet.

"The Force, my son", he said tiredly.

That got a reaction out of the young Jedi.

"I'm not your son!" he retorted hotly.

"Deny it as much as you want, it will still be the truth!" Vader shouted back.

The two of them stared angrily at each other, making Artoo agitated. The little blue droid rolled between them, rotating his domed head from father to son and beeping nervously. Eventually, he grew tired of the two humans' irrational and puzzling behaviour and extended a little arm and shocked the man who was once known as Anakin Skywalker in the knee.

With a startled cry, Vader jumped back and started at Artoo, wide-eyed.

"You... shocked me?" he choked out.