Vader's Redemption Book 1: The Black Dragon of the West

Book 1: A second chance.

Chapter 1: The End of the Sith Lord: Darth Vader

"You cannot hide forever, Luke."

Darth Vader stalked beneath the landing platform in the throne room of the second Death Star, searching for his son Luke Skywalker. Had he been told that fate would lead to them cross blades with one another, father against son, Darth Vader would have told the messenger was daft. Stars, had he been told four years ago that his son was alive, he would have choked the person to death for such a cruel joke. But here they were, his son standing before him. Or at least he should be. Were he not hiding away in the dark.

"I will not fight you." Luke called back from the shadows. His voice was calm and steady but his fear for the violence awaiting them both rang true. Against what Darth Vader could think was the advice everyone had given him; his son had come to convince him to come to the light side. To free him. Save him. Just like his mother.

He is so much like you, my dear. Darth Vader thought to himself. He vaguely felt a small sense of pride before he snuffed it out in the dark pit that was once his heart. There was no place for that here.

If only he had found the boy sooner. If only they could have fought alongside each other... No. There was no time to think about what ifs. Not when he needed his focus in the moment now. The only things that mattered now was his son, himself and Palpatine. No matter their differences, Vader and Luke could agree on one thing: Palpatine must die. For the sake of the galaxy, their family and every soul that suffered and perished in this war, the Sith Lord dubbed Darth Sidious must perish.

There was only one problem. No matter how Lord Vader looked at it, only one man was going to be walking out of this throne room alive.

No matter what he tried to believe otherwise, Vader could not bring himself to kill Luke. Not after that day on Mustafar, not when he saw Luke jump off the edge instead of joining him, not again.

"Give in to the Dark Side," Darth Vader said out to Luke. "It is the only way to save your friends." It was at this moment Vader had opened a door to Luke's mind as he searched for the memories of his allies.

"Your thoughts betray you, son." he continued. "Especially for your... sister." Behind the mask, Darth Vader's face twitched into intrigue and, to a lesser extent, terror. The young princess, Leia Organa, of Aldeeran was his daughter. A part of him wanted to throw himself down the reactor shaft once he realized his actions to the princess had come back to his mind. 

"So you have a twin sister." He could feel the terror spreading to his son.

"Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me." He murmured. "Now his failure is complete." His modulator did a a great job of disguising his voice as he was sneering victoriously and lamenting that his discovery now doomed another member of his family to the manipulations of Sheev Palpatine. Vader wasn't sure of what he was feeling himself. But now the stakes of this fight was higher. His entire bloodline was on the line.

This was it. The moment either Luke saves the Galaxy and his family or dooms them all to the Emperor.

Darth Vader knew that Luke was going to hate him to his dying breath for what he was about to say and that his daughter will forever hate him for what he has done, but that didn't bother him. He had made peace with the fact that the Galaxy will always remember him as the villain. He was willing to be seen as the villain in the eyes of his family if it meant the man that took everything from him will rule a day no longer. Such was the conviction of Darth Vader.

"If you will not turn to the Dark Side," Darth Vader said. "Then perhaps, she will."

"NEVER!" Luke roared. "Leave her alone!" His emerald lightsaber ignited as Vader turned to face him before he began delivering a powerful Djem So swing to the Sith Lord.