Luke's Toy
by Rose Aislin.
Summary: Vader is not impressed with Luke's new toy. Not at all.
Rating: PG / T (probably more of a G, really, but considering it deals with Star Wars, which is itself rated at least a PG....)
Warning/s: none
Disclaimer: Star Wars, it's characters and plotline belongs to George Lucas, and I'm pretty sure whoever else helped make the films may have some claim as well. I don't.
This fic is written entirely for entertainment purposes. No money has, is, or will be gained from this fic.
Kitt's Force Bond Series inspired this ficlet.
A/N: this ficlet is set in what I've started to call my 'kid luke universe' (all the other names I came up with were too long, like the 'young luke lives with vader universe'). Luke is living with Vader.
Luke's Toy
Vader was not impressed with the gift which Lieutenant Piett had given his son. Glaring down at the plush disgrace, he folded his arms over his chest.
Luke tilted his head to one side slightly and also folded his arms, bringing the plush toy up to his chest and mirroring his father's pose.
"Piett gave it to me," he said, narrowing his eyes slightly at his father, even as he squeezed the toy tighter. Silence. "You can't have him!"
Vader felt the absurd inclination to snort. "I do not want your toy, Luke," he said, regarding it with another distasteful glare. About thirty centimetres high, the plush toy was soft, black, and currently squished. Worse, it was a plush replica of him!
Luke's eyes narrowed further. "You want to take him away," he said, moving his arms so that he was hugging the mini-Vader. His father cringed slightly.
"Such a - toy -" he spat out, "is not fitting for my son."
"But he's mine!" Luke cried, hugging the toy even tighter.
Vader almost imagined he could feel those tiny arms wrapped fast around his own torso.
"So it is apparent," he said.
"And I want him." Luke added defiantly.
Vader sighed.
Turning mini-Vader around, Luke stroked one hand over his head softly. "Don't worry," he told it seriously, "I'll take care of you. 'Cos I'm your father, and that's what father's do."
Vader, who had felt his disbelief rising at the petting action, now tilted his head to one side. "And how do you know that?" he asked.
Luke fixed him with a stare containing all the righteous indignation, and 'are you really that silly?' frown every child seems to be able to effortlessly summon. "Because that's what you do," he said simply.
Vader blinked.
"If that was a real Sith," he said, "and you continued to shower it with love as you are," Luke was once more hugging the plush toy tightly to him, "you would kill it."
Luke gave him an incredulous look.
"Sith thrive on negative emotions, Luke," Vader continued, "they cannot experience positive emotions. Love is a positive emotion, therefore a Sith cannot feel love."
Luke's large blue eyes widened impossibly further, then they started to shine wetly as tears filled them. His lower lip trembled.
"And, and you're a Sith?" he asked softly, his grip on the plush toy threatening to burst it.
Vader nodded gravely. "Yes, Luke, I am."
"Then, then you don't love me!" the boy wailed, before turning on his heel and dashing down the corridor. Vader heard Luke's door swish open, and then the rustle of bedcovers.
He sighed. It was going to be one of those weeks.