Star Wars The Farmboy and the Archaeologist

End of Empire Strikes Back

AndrewJTalon

Well-known member
Founder
Set at the End of Empire Strikes Back...


Once Luke got checked out on the medical frigate, and saw Lando and Chewie off, he headed for his next destination.

The maternity ward.

He walked into the clean, pristine exam bay, where Aphra was lying on an examination table with a scowl. A medical droid hovered nearby, running a scanner over her belly.

"Hey," Aphra managed. Luke nodded.

"Hey."

They stared at one another in silence for a while. The medical droid stood up straight, its ocular sensors swiveling a bit.

"The child is healthy, as is the mother. I will leave you to it."

The droid headed off, the door sliding shut behind it. Once again, Luke and Aphra's eyes found other things to look at for a few moments. Finally, Luke walked up to the archaeologist's side, and took her hand.

Aphra squeezed it back, staring at the ceiling in silence. It was rare to see her so quiet, so still.

"... We're going to be parents," Luke said quietly. Aphra nodded.

"I... Guess," she mumbled. She glanced up at Luke. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead."

Luke shook his head slowly.

"No, I don't suppose you ever have," Luke said dryly. Aphra scowled.

He expected a witty retort or a snappy comeback... But all she did was look down. Suddenly, she seemed so tired.

"Chelli?" He asked softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head.

"Luke... I think I need to go into hiding. I think we need to hide," she said softly.

"What? Why?" Luke asked.

"Because I'm... I'm as big a target as you are," Aphra said, "I'm a weakness. If Vader gets me... Gets us-"

"He won't."

"He got Han," Aphra said quietly, "He nearly got you. You can't protect me-"

"I can," Luke said firmly, "I've learned a lot more. I'll keep learning. I'll get strong enough to... To protect you both."

Aphra stared down at her hands.

"... That's how he fell in the first place," Aphra admitted. Luke sucked in a deep breath.

"How-?"

"I worked for him, remember?" Aphra stated coldly. "I know him. I know how he... He was so afraid of losing your mother, and you... It's what Palpatine used to twist him-!"

"That won't happen to me! I-I will never let that happen!" Luke insisted. Aphra gave him a cold, dark look.

"You just got your butt beat by him, and he wasn't even trying! He'll take me, he'll take our baby-You can't save us-!"

"So what do you want me to do, Chelli?" Luke demanded. "What do you want to do?! Do you want to go to him?! Do you want to-?!"

"NO!" Aphra fairly screamed. Hot, angry tears had been threatening to fall from her eyes for a while, but only now did they pour down her cheeks. Luke stopped short as she sobbed. She cried in such an ugly way, so raw and vulnerable.

"Do you think I would have gone through all that I did if I'd wanted to turn myself over?! I-I held a Stormtrooper hostage with a thermal detonator for Sith's sake! I-I've seen what Vader is! What he became! And I... I..."

She looked down again, sobbing. Luke pulled her to him. She tried to pull away, but he held her tightly, not letting her escape.

Not this time.

"... I can't imagine that... For our baby," she whispered, "for you... Kriff, what the fierfek did you do to me, Skywalker?!"

She looked up with a hot glare, her emotions mixed and chaotic.

"I could have turned myself over! I could have lived like an Empress! I could have... I could have...!"

She broke down again, crying hard. One of her fists slammed into Luke's chest, again and again. He held her tightly, letting her
bawl her eyes out. His free hand went up to her hair, and he stroked it, trying to calm her. Soothe her.

"... I could't do it," Aphra whispered. "I couldn't... Kriffing... Do it... I've been alone all my life, damnit. And now? Now I'm..."

She sniffled, curling up against him. Luke stroked her hair, and planted a kiss on her head.

"... I couldn't do it either," he admitted.

Aphra sniffled again, and looked up, confused.

"Huh?"

"He offered... To train me. To be my father," Luke said softly. "There was a part of me that wanted to... Just for a moment..."

Aphra stared up at him for a long moment, silent. She finally opened her mouth.

"So why didn't you?" Aphra muttered. Luke stroked her hair again. It helped calm him down.

"... Because I thought of you," he said, "and Han, and Leia, and Chewie... I thought of all of you. I couldn't... Couldn't betray you all."

Aphra was silent for a moment. She bit back a laugh, but enough of it came out.

"We're both... Idiots, huh?"

Luke nodded slowly.

"The biggest idiots," he agreed.

Aphra sighed, drooping a bit.

"Look... I can just head off somewhere-"

"No."

Aphra started, and looked up at Luke. For a moment, there was a familiar anger in the air. His eyes were fierce. Almost like she imagined Vader's might be, behind his mask.

"Chelli... You have run away your entire life from everything," he said, "You're not running away again. Not from me. Not from what we have. And not from this."

"... And if we die? Or fall?" Aphra asked softly.

Luke sucked in a deep breath. He rested a hand over her rounded belly. He could feel their child through the Force-And sensed that it recognized him, from the innocent joy and love he felt from it. Aphra gasped softly.

"We won't," Luke said softly, "if we stick together."

Aphra was silent. Her feelings and thoughts were still in a turmoil, but feeling her baby's feelings slowly calmed the storm.

She slowly sucked in a breath... And rested her hand over his. She did it slowly, and hesitated twice... But she held his hand in hers, and felt their child with him.

"Trust... Doesn't come easily to me," Aphra said quietly.

That was the ultimate understatement if ever there was one.

"But you're still here," Luke said, just as quietly.

Aphra slowly nodded.

"Yeah... I'm still here."
 
The Return of the Jedi

AndrewJTalon

Well-known member
Founder
Darth Vader, formally Anakin Skywalker, found himself waking up. His last memories had been of his son's face, distraught, as he faded away. His damaged life support systems had been failing as Luke had dragged him to the hangar bay. They had made it to the ramp of a ship, and just before everything had gone dark, he had heard the roar of a familiar ship nearby...

He opened his eyes. A breathing mask was over his face. Various life support systems were hooked into his chest, keeping him alive. The environment was spartan, white, and sterile, but far more disorganized than in a proper medical bay. It was all so familiar...

"Hey. You're awake."

He sensed her easily. He looked over at her. She was monitoring his vitals from a console, and looked over at him.

"Doctor Aphra," he managed. Aphra smirked a bit.

"Aphra-Skywalker, now," she said, holding up her left hand. A simple silver band was on her ring finger. Vader sucked in a harsh breath.

"You... Luke-"

"Yeah... I got worried for him over this entire stupid mission," Aphra explained, "Gee, turns out it was a trap. What a shock. But we managed to overcome it. The Empire's falling into chaos as we speak-Endless civil war, every Moff and Admiral trying to take the throne. Entertaining stuff."

"How long-?"

"Two weeks," Aphra answered, still not looking at him. Vader sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

"I knew your life support would probably be giving out," she said, "and I knew Luke would want to save you-"

"He should not have," Vader spat, "neither of you should have saved me."

Aphra glared at him, her anger furious in the Force.

"Don't," she stated, pointing her finger at him, "Don't you ever say that!"

Vader stared with his blue eyes as the petite archaeologist got up and wagged her finger in his face.

"He went through hell to save you! He's getting grilled by Alliance Command right now, all in an effort to keep you from being shot! The only thing that's keeping you from being executed is that you killed the Emperor-That's it. Well, okay, that, Luke... And me. He thinks you're worth saving! And damnit... If he does... Then so do I! So don't. You. Dare. Got it?!"

There was a faint cry from another section. Aphra-Skywalker (and that was just overwhelming all on its own) perked up, and rushed off through the hatch. She emerged a few moments later, carrying a small bundle wrapped in blue.

"Shh, shhh... It's okay," she murmured, "it's okay..."

Aphra-Skywalker looked up at Vader, and scowled. Vader though... His eyes were locked on the bundle.

She traced his gaze... And smiled. That same wicked glint in her eyes whenever she was about to do something reckless, and didn't care.

"Oh, right. Forgot to mention. You're a grandfather now," she said cheerfully, walking up to Vader. His arms were unrestrained, but they didn't seem to know what to do with themselves when she held the tiny child out to him. "I fixed the damage to your limbs, so you should be able to move them. Just take it slow-"

"I do not want to-"

"Too bad," Aphra-Skywalker stated, again glaring. "Your son went through hell to save you. He wants you to be family, damnit. So you'd better reach out and take this baby or I'll-I'll-!"

With a thought, Vader could have killed the mouthy archaeologist. Even in his current state.

Yet he willed his limbs up, to clumsily take the child into his arms.

He looked down into a scrunched up face. The baby couldn't have been more than a few weeks old. Its eyes were shut tightly, and it squirmed in his grasp. Aphra-Skywalker shushed him gently, holding the baby with him.

Then at once... The baby opened his eyes. Pure blue, just like his father. Just like...

Those eyes stared at him. Vader stared back. There were clumsy, innocent probes through the Force at him, like the child was trying to grasp him. He hardened the edges of his presence in the Force... But at the tears threatening from the corners of those eyes, he softened them as much as he was able.

One chubby hand reached out and rested on his chest life support systems. Aphra gently pulled the hand away before it could
grasp anything.

"It's all right," Aphra-Skywalker soothed, kissing the top of the baby's forehead, "It's all right... It's just grandpa..."

"Mah," the baby managed, still staring intently at Vader. Aphra-Skywalker smiled.

"His name is Ben," she said quietly, "I mean... I didn't have anyone I wanted to name him for. Luke was so insistent-"

"Your lies are somewhat less convincing," Vader managed, "given the feeling of joy you have."

Aphra-Skywalker snorted.

"Just like you're so upset to be alive," she countered.

Truthfully... He was. All of his sins and crimes, he should be dead. He should die to atone, to let Luke live his life without his shadow.

Yet here he was, with a grandchild staring back at him intensely, and a mouthy, irritating daughter-in-law. One forcing him to confront the facts of his survival.

What it would mean for the future... He honestly didn't know.

"Bah," Ben cooed, closing his eyes again as he snuggled up against him. Aphra-Skywalker beamed, stroking her baby's head.

"Aww... He already likes you," she cooed, "He only does that for people he likes."

"He is not supposed to like me," Vader stated harshly, though the effect was ruined by the lack of his mask.

"Tough," Aphra stated, "He does. So does Luke. And... Me, kind of."

"'Kind of,'" Vader echoed. Aphra shrugged.

"It's complicated," she admitted, "I mean, I'm used to complicated. Which I would then cut off to make as simple as possible but uh... I mean..." She avoided Vader's gaze, even knowing it was pointless, "Well... Luke kind of makes me... Want complicated."

She smiled, almost shyly. She carefully pulled Ben away into her arms, and despite their artificial nature, they seemed far too cold now.

"And ya know, for better or worse... Means we're kind of stuck together," she went on, rocking Ben as he fussed gently, "So you'd better get used to it. Because hell or high radiation? You're stuck with us."

Vader stared at her for a long, silent moment.

"I was wrong before," he admitted, "he was wise to choose you."

Aphra-Skywalker's cheeks burst into a furious red blush.

"Y-Yeah, well... Don't let it get around," she huffed, "I've got a reputation as a sleazy, gold digging sociopath!"

"You presume much, Doctor," Vader stated, "Primarily that anyone would believe me."

"They'd probably believe you over me."

"That is your problem, not mine."

"Hmph!"

FIN
With apologies to frodogenic for aping some of their excellent dialogue.
 

Bassoe

Well-known member
He's getting grilled by Alliance Command right now, all in an effort to keep you from being shot! The only thing that's keeping you from being executed is that you killed the Emperor-That's it.
What with the Rule of Two, Vader is now officially Emperor. The Alliance knows killing him is missing a golden opportunity to have him officially surrender and demilitarize the Empire from the top down. Meaning however unintentionally, he got exactly what he wanted, ruling the galaxy with his son, right after he stopped wanting it.
 

Ash's Boomstick

Well-known member
What with the Rule of Two, Vader is now officially Emperor. The Alliance knows killing him is missing a golden opportunity to have him officially surrender and demilitarize the Empire from the top down. Meaning however unintentionally, he got exactly what he wanted, ruling the galaxy with his son, right after he stopped wanting it.
That... is a really good point. Vader is technically the heir apparent being not only a 'Sith' but commander of the armed forces, the only other person who could be the heir is the head of the senate and there is no senate after ANH.

I'm hoping we see more of the post Endor era, but more like Legends than the current state of SW. Funny thing is that all three of these fics from the last year or so could be with a few tweaks turned into a single continuity.
 

Bacle

When the effort is no longer profitable...
Founder
I think Mon Mothma would shit a brick, as would Ackbar, when they learn who was under that mask.

Actually pretty much all the Clone Wars vets who survived till Endor, on both sides, would be shitting themselves that General Skywalker is still alive and was Vader the whole time.

Only person who may be happy Anakin is alive, that isn't his immediate family, is Hondo; after all, now Hondo can brag he once held Darth Vader captive.
 

Ash's Boomstick

Well-known member
I think Mon Mothma would shit a brick, as would Ackbar, when they learn who was under that mask.

Actually pretty much all the Clone Wars vets who survived till Endor, on both sides, would be shitting themselves that General Skywalker is still alive and was Vader the whole time.

Only person who may be happy Anakin is alive, that isn't his immediate family, is Hondo; after all, now Hondo can brag he once held Darth Vader captive.
What about Rex and Cody?
 

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