The Slave Boy

Chapter 4. The Smallest Sign

The night was long and awful for Vader, and even worse for the slave boy, and to top it all off the boy was given minimal medical attention before getting sent back to work.

Vader felt the child's pained approach and opened the door when he came close, saving him the hassle of knocking while also carrying new power cells for Vader.

The Sith came upon the injured boy so quickly it frightened the blonde when Vader took the cells and put them aside before closing the door, cutting off any escape Wormie might try. The slave shuddered, a fearful sob escaping him as he trembled like a leaf in a vicious wind. He hung his head lower, if that was even possible, cowering slightly. He had been through enough last night, what else could anyone want from him?

"Sit, let me see." Vader demanded as gently as his vocoder allowed him to sound. Vader's ire was rising now as he noticed fresh red stains along the back of the boy's tunic. They hadn't even had the decency to wrap his wounds.

The boy sat down immediately on a near chair, afraid to be punished again as Vader knelt before him, gently beginning to work Wormie's tunic off the boy's shoulder's.

Vader had been prepared to see a small, malnourished body, but this was ridiculous! The boy was almost a full grown adult, yet he might as well have weighed that of a tween. "Do they never feed you?" Vader hissed through the vocoder as he set the tunic aside and moved to look at the wounds. The Young One did not answer save for a small shudder, Vader had not expected much of an answer anyways as he gently placed a hand over the bloodied skin before standing and picking up a bowl of water.

"I am going to wash your wounds as properly as I can, Young One." Vader explained as he gently pushed the back of the boy's neck downward, getting the child to lay his head and arms on the table to relax. "Stay as still as you can, I will try not to hurt you." Vader then added as he knelt behind the boy with a now wetted rag, wiping the dried blood from the top of the boy's boney spine, working his way down.

The boy didn't make a sound besides a sob now and then, but gratefulness was radiating off the child as Vader did his best. The kindness the Sith Lord gave him was not unlike that of kindness Wormie just barely remembered as a small child, with his beloved guardians.

Vader had finally gotten to the boy's right shoulder blade where blood was smeared around all around his neck and below. Vader went to wash it off, but paused as the blood was wiped away to show a mole or birthmark of sorts on the knap of his neck. Vader could not see very well in the red hue of his lenses, but he could still see the birthmark, he knew that birthmark...

"...not like here, here everything is soft, and smooth..."

That mark, just like hers! Vader's throat constricted harshly as his finger brushed over the mark, thinking it would just wash away, not wanting to get his hopes up. But it didn't leave, it didn't disappear.

Vader's mind worked furiously as he moved to face the boy who had his face hidden against his arms. Not caring in that moment if the boy would get scared or not Vader's hand slipped between the face and arms, grasping the chin in as gentle a motion as he could muster while lifting the boy's face to finally see it fully.

Wormie yelped at the sudden motion as Vader stared at his face with intensity one felt rather than saw. Wormie was so frightened then that he froze, staring back with blue eyes he didn't know were being reflected back by the Sith.

Something clicked in Vader. And something snapped as well. Nineteen years, and here was this boy, on Tatooine, living as a slave, blonde hair, azure blue eyes, the birthmark, timeline fit, and then there was the connection and bond he felt towards this at first seemingly random child. She had been alive! He had felt it! She did give birth, and here he was, a son, her son, his son, their son!

Wonder and love filled Vader like a waterfall as he raised his other hand, cupping the boy's face in the same awe as a father seeing his baby for the first time. His child, Padme's child, oh he was perfect. Vader couldn't help but think it as he stroked the boy's cheek with his thumb, the other running through the boy's hair gently, lovingly.

And then Vader caught a glimpse of blood he hadn't cleaned off the boy's shoulder, and anger filled him. Kenobi had taken Padme away. Kenobi had allowed his son to live here! Kenobi was the reasom why Vader's son was living like an animal, scrounging, barely fed, suffering! Fearing everything in sight, living as a mere slave!

Vader almost snapped into an angry rage, but a small frightened sobbed interrupted his internal anger. Vader turned his attention back to his child, who was trembling in Vader's grip, which had tightened to an almost painfully protective grasp, scaring the boy into crying and sobbing as he did not know how else to react.

Vader quickly released the child, angrily berating himself for causing his son emotional and physical pain. "I'm so sorry." Vader said quickly as the boy buried his head again, shoulders shaking in little sobs as Vader slowly returned to his work. It was best not to touch the boy's face again he decided, the wracking sobbing had opened up a few strips and new blood was running afresh, so Vader quickly got back to work.

Oh, Vader was taking his child away, no matter what Jabba or anyone said. He would take the boy to Naboo, they had some of the best doctors in the galaxy, they could heal his son and nourish him into a healthy body, and then Vader could train him to use the Force, and never be at anyone's mercy ever again. No one would EVER hurt his child again if he could be there to protect him! Vader vowed it fiercely.

A near two hours passed before Vader was finally satisfied with his cleaning. He then grabbed his unused bacta and spread it over the boy's back. As he did so he thought. Wormie was not his son's name. He recalled Padme picking baby names, set on their child being a boy. She had picked a most wondrous name as he recalled it.

Luke.

It was perfect, it fit. His son, Luke, would never know slavery again.

As the bacta set, Vader got to wrapping Luke up in thick white bandages. Hopefully Luke didn't get an infection, Vader would make plans to leave tomorrow, he couldn't just leave right away. But they could leave soon.

Once done Vader helped Luke into his tunic and knelt before him. "You should stay here and rest." Vader said softly, gesturing to the unused bed.

However the boy only shook his head. He had work to do, he didn't want to get punished again, he had been away too long. Vader sighed, but he knew better than to force a slave to ignore his work. One more day then, and Vader would take Luke away forever.

"Alright, go now and be careful." Vader warned with paternal seriousness, catching Luke off guard as he slowly left.

Once Luke had gone Vader went right for Jabba's throne room, preparing words to make a good excuse to leave.

Once there, Vader told Jabba he was needed urgently in Imperial space and that an ambassador would come to finalize arrangements. Jabba was most displeased, but Vader thought nothing of it and gladly went back to his room where he arranged for an ambassador to come immediately. Vader would leave his pilots behind, and take Luke to Naboo by himself.

All would be set right soon enough. He had a son. Wonder again filled Vader as his thoughts dwelled on a suddenly bright looking future.

Author's Note.
About time Vader. Goodness. XDXDXD anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And thank you all so much for the sweet comments, you guys are the best! Tell me what you think of this one. I recently thought about the scene where Anakin talks about sand to Padme, and I noticed she has a mole/birthmark at the knap of her neck, and I have a birthmark I got from my mom, so I thought it would be fun to use that for Vader to finally figure it all out.
Anyways, thank you for reading, comment your thoughts, vote if you'd like and may the Force be with you!