Forbidden

Behind The Mask.

Vader watched his son fight back tears. Obi-Wan's betrayal was like a brand on Luke's psyche. It was sostrong that Vader himself felt the burn of it through their bond. Vader gently squeezed one of his son's shoulders and the boy drew nearer to him, half resting his head against Vader’s chest. Luke’s ragged breathing eased and the sensation of being scalded faded the longer Vader held him. The silence in the room was broken by the discreet sound of the Com chiming. Vader opened the channel with a wave of his hand and Admiral Piett's voice flowed into the room.

"Lord Vader, the Emperor wishes to communicate with you via the holonet."

The boy tensed in Vader's light embrace. Lukes crystalline eyes searched the mask as if the piece of durasteel would reveal Vader's intent. Just for a moment, Vader wondered if somehow Luke could see through it to the real him with the Force. He found the thought both disquieting and intriguing. He did not want his son to see his ruined visage until after their physical relationship began. It would be easier to persuade the boy into bed that way. 'We will be everything to each other if only I can break through the restrictions he has set up around himself against it.'

"Put the Emperor through to the holonet chamber in my quarters, Admiral."

"Yes, Lord Vader."

The Com clicked off and the silence was back except for the mechanical sound of Vader's respirator. Luke tightened his grip on the blanket around his shoulders, but the boy's face remained upturned to watch his. Again that urge to lean down and kiss those full lips presented itself to Vader. How long had it been since he'd had the desire to kiss? Not since his first few years under the mask. But that had been born out of habit, not actual desire to connect with another person.

"What does the Emperor want? Does he know about ... about me being here?"

"He felt me withdraw from him on Black Heart. I broke our master-apprentice bond. I am surprised that he did not attempt to communicate with me earlier."

But then again Vader’s surprise was not all that great. Palpatine had been slipping of late: allowing the Rebellion to get out of hand, taxing onerously, inciting petty feuds where order would serve better, and the massive destruction of life through the Deathstar and other biological and chemical weapons to name but a few of the madnesses that occupied the Emperor’s time. Killing and fear were all well and good, but overused they made even the most docile people rebel. Palpatine was also busy training another apprentice, Mara Jade, code-named the Emperor’s Hand. Palpatine believed that Vader was unaware of her existence, but even before the change he underwent on Black Heart, Vader knew of the Emperor's plans in that arena. The Dark Lord intended to enjoy destroying another one of his old masters and his new pet. But first he had other things to attend to. Like seducing his son.

Vader tenderly brushed a stray lock of hair from Luke's forehead. The boy leaned into the touch instinctively, then when he caught himself doing so, quickly pulled back. Vader chuckled at that and Luke bit his lower lip, but he also gave his father one of those serene yet challenging Jedi looks that seemed to say, 'Yes, Father, you may know my weakness, but I intend to fight you every step of the way.' Despite what he had told Luke earlier, his son's defiance was refreshing and almost welcome.

"Can the Emperor not talk to you like we do with our minds?" Luke asked.

"If I allowed it."

"But you don't allow it?" Luke's right eyebrow quirked up and a slight smile touched his lips.

"No, child of my heart, I do not allow it. I have never wished to have such an intimate connection between him and me."

He saw the boy frown at his use of that term of endearment coupled with the belief that their mind-talk was somehow sexual. 'The child had a one-track mind though he denies that sex is important to him.'