"The Skywalker Dynasty" By ASW

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty



By ASW

Chapter 1

The story begins as an alternative ending to Return of the Jedi.....

Luke breathed heavily, his heart pounding, as he stood over his conquered father. Vader seemed to be having breathing hard too, and this couldn't have been good considering he was using a life support system in his suit and mask to stay alive. Luke's rage had indeed made him powerful. But would it lead him to the dark side?

"Good, gooood!" Emperor Palpatine said as he smiled at Luke through rotten teeth. "Now, kill him!"

Darth Vader looked up at Palpatine when he heard these words. They were the ones Palpatine had said to him so many years ago when he had killed Count Dooku. He knew what it meant. The Emperor wanted Luke to kill him and become the new Sith apprentice. Vader knew all along this was a possibility, but always thought he could get Luke on his side. Now, he had angered his son, his son had beaten him, and now he was the old, used apprentice about to be discarded for one younger and more powerful. He stared at Palpatine, and at Luke holding the lightsaber to his throat. If either could have seen his face behind the mask, they'd have seen the fear he now felt.

Luke looked at his father's arm. He had cut off his mechanical hand, and the wires stood exposed and smoking. Luke looked at it, then back to his own hand, which was also mechanical. He thought how he was becoming just like his father. And he didn't like that. But something inside of him felt such power, he didn't want to let it go. His thoughts raced. "I am now the most powerful man in the galaxy. I have defeated Darth Vader, and the Emperor is old and weak. I can overthrow him." His father sensed these thoughts in Luke. He had once had them himself. He was now at the mercy of his own son. Perhaps he should have been a kinder father. What would Luke do?

Palpatine was growing impatient. "Well, boy, KILL HIM! Kill him now, he cut off your hand, you want your revenge. Fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side!"

Luke looked away from his father, but never moved his glowing green lightsaber from attack position. Luke stared at the emperor. Old, ugly, frail, and so evil. This man ruled the galaxy. And now, so could he. But Luke knew he must hide these feelings from the Emperor, or he'd sense them. Luke turned back to Vader, and made a motion to kill him with his lightsaber. Fury raged in Luke's eyes. Vader, still on the ground, pitifully raised his left hand in an attempt to block what was surely going to be Luke's fatal blow. But suddenly, in a flash, Luke spun around and cut Palpatine down! He barely had time to scream in his hideous voice before he died. Once he was dead, Luke picked up his body and tossed it into the reactor. Blue bursts of energy shot upward. Luke shielded his face and turned away. He walked back to his father's side.

"Thank you, Luke." He said. "You have freed me. I have been a slave most of my life. I am overwhelmed at what you just did for me."

Luke glared at him. "For YOU? You are lucky to be alive, you know. I chose to kill him for my own advantage, not only yours. And remember, my power is great. It was forseen I would destroy the emperor, and I have. But do not think I could not destroy you as well."

Vader lowered his head in shame. He knew it was true. Luke could also strike him down, right now. But he didn't. That had to mean something. "Are you going to destroy me?" he asked.

Luke looked at him, blinked his eyes toward the ground and shook his head. "No, father. I will not. I do feel compassion for you."

Vader could sense this. He was relieved. Luke would not kill him. "Will you join me? The Emperor is gone. We can now rule the galaxy as father and son!" He extended his left hand to Luke, as he had in Bespin. This time, Luke reached out and grasped it, and pulled his father to his feet. "Make that son and father!" he said with a smile. Inside Vader's mask, he was smiling, too.


The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 2

By ASW


Luke and Darth Vader stood hand in hand. This father-son alliance was now confirmed and accepted by both. The galaxy was theirs, just as Vader had hoped.

Just then, Luke's face became ghostly pale and the fear showed all over it. Vader noticed the sudden change. "What is it, my son? Do you feel a great disturbance in the force? I am weakened, but I feel a tremor as well. Something is about to happen. We should flee immediately."

"Yes, father. I sense great danger to our lives. Do you have a ship in which we can flee this Death Star?"

"Only my shuttle. Let's just get over to my Star Destroyer, the Executor, and we will go from there."

Luke smiled. He wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. "Can you walk, father?" He asked. Vader shook his head in the affirmative, and slowly followed Luke to the shuttle. They spoke to no one on the way. Suddenly, a huge explosion rocked the Death Star! They couldn't see it out the window, but the mighty Executor had just plummeted into the Death Star, a victim of the rebel alliance fleet. Vader and Luke rushed to the docking bay and got inside Vader's shuttle. Luke sat down at the controls. "I know you're supposed to be the best star pilot in the galaxy, father, but considering your hand is gone, I will do the flying for now." Vader did not disagree. "Im sorry about your hand" Luke said quietly. Vader stared at Luke's mechanical hand. "Not as sorry as I am about yours. I regret that very much, Luke, I'm sorry." Luke just touched his arm and nodded.

As the shuttle flew out of the Death Star, they saw the remains of the Executor flaming away in its side. Vader was very upset. He had lost much on that ship. "Ooooh" they both gasped almost in unison. They stared at it and realized what it meant. No place to go. They had to leave this system, now.


Luke spoke through a lump in his throat. "This is only a short range vehicle. We'll never make it out of this star system on it." Luke gazed out the window and shook his head. He thought of his sister, and Han, and the others. What was going to happen to them? What would they think of what he had done? He could feel Leia's life force, he sensed she would survive. He would have to speak to her later. Along with their father.

"Don't worry, Luke. Like my TIE fighter, I had this shuttle specially equipped with hyperdrive in case of emergency."

"Hyperdrive, on this thing?"

"Search your feelings, Luke, you will know it to be true. Oh, and you might also try searching the control panel for this" He used his remaining hand to point out to Luke the buttons that activated the hyperdrive. Vader guided Luke through the steps of taking the shuttle into hyperspace. Within moments, they were gone in a blast of light. Another second later, the Death Star exploded.

Far below, on Endor, the celebration was on as everyone from human, ewok to wookie saw its demise. Leia sat in the bushes with Han. Both of them were staring at the burst in the sky. "I'm sure Luke wasn't on that thing when it blew" Han said.

"He wasn't, I can feel it." Leia answered. "I don't know where he is, but he wasn't on it. He is alive, I can feel his life force." Then Han assumed she was in love with Luke, and she had to explain he was her brother. Han was glad to hear this as his assumed love triangle would not hinder his romantic advances. But when Leia also informed him that Darth Vader was Luke's father, and therefore hers, he took the news a little hard. The daughter of Darth Vader? Our kids will be the grandchildren of Darth Vader? Oh, what the heck. He kissed her anyway.

Luke and Darth Vader arrived on Coruscant amid celebrations at the fall of the empire. Watching this, they knew that the people were aware that Palpatine was dead and that the government had fallen. But in all revolutions, the new government would still be a question mark. One that would be filled to their plans. They flew over all the revelry, and saw the toppling of Palpatine's statue. They laughed. As if Luke hadn't done better himself on the real Emperor! They flew uneventfully past it all and docked in the bowels of Vader's castle. It sat next to Palpatine's larger one next door. They stared at it, knowing it was now at their disposal as well. But for now, they entered Vader's home, from the bottom up after parking the shuttle. Luke had no idea where he was going, since he had never been here before. He followed Vader up to his special chamber room where he could remove his mask and suit and relax. No one had ever seen him unmasked, and his chamber was private. But he invited Luke inside.The chamber opened in the middle, the top raising up.

Vader entered and sat down. He motioned for Luke to join him, and he did. Once the chamber was enclosed, Luke was shocked to see his father trying to take off his mask!

He had a hard time managing with only one hand. "Luke, help me take this mask off."

"But you'll die!"

"Not in here. This is a specially pressurized medical chamber. I can breathe in here. I can take off the mask and the whole suit, and what a relief that is!" Luke smiled, and helped his father remove his helmet and mask.When it was off, Luke stared for the first time into his father's face. It was scarred from the lava and fire, worn, and ragged from all those years in the mask. But his lips managed a smile. He gazed at Luke with eyes even bluer than his own. Luke stared into his father's eyes and for the first time, saw a real person. This was Anakin Skywalker, the man inside, the man he was trying to get out. Now that he had freed him of the Emperor, what was to come?

"I hope you're not disappointed, Luke." he chucked, now that the mask was off, he was speaking in his own actual voice. Luke was glad to hear it, free of the voice modulator. His father seemed even more real to him. "Luminous beings we are, Luke, not this crude matter." He winked. Luke shook his head in agreement. His father smiled. "But you should have seen me before what Obi Wan did to me in that lava pit. I was a handsome young fellow, same as you. I'll have to find you a hologram or picture." He turned to use his only functional hand to search through his few special personal belongings he kept stashed in his chamber. While his back was turned, Luke spoke to him: "Father, who was my mother? Can you tell me about her? Do you have an image of her?" He stopped his searching and literally froze, but did not turn around. If he did, Luke would have seen the tears in his eyes. This was going to be hard one. But if they were to be truly together as father and son, he would have to know the truth.

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 3

By ASW


Vader and Luke were together in Vader's chamber in his home in Coruscant, where Luke had just asked his father about his mother. Luke expected a simple answer, unfortunately, the answer wasn't simple. Or something his father could just blurt out. He was having such a good time getting to know Luke, and thinking they could make up lost time and be friends as they ruled the galaxy together. This was the last thing Vader wanted to get into. He tried to stall. "Let me get to that when I find it" He said in a shaky voice, using his only remaining hand to wipe his eyes. Then he turned around and showed Luke an image of himself as young Anakin Skywalker. He smiled. "I told you I was a handsome one" Luke looked at it and shook his head. Then Vader pulled out something strange, something hidden for many years. "This is all that's left of my hair, after the lava." He said with a groan. "It's my padawan braid. Yoda cut this off when I made Jedi Knight. You were lucky you got a crash course and didn't have to be a padawan, my son." He held the golden braid up next to Luke's hair. "I thought so" He smiled. "Almost a perfect match."

Vader was so full of joy to have his son with him, he didn't want to ruin it with the inevitable painful revelation. Vader himself felt unable to say the words, or feel the grief and guilt once again. It was there, buried beneath the dark side and the cold exterior, but in his heart, it was never gone. He did not want it to come to the surface, not yet. What would Luke say, what would he think, if he knew, he killed his mother? And the reason he had never been a father to him was because he thought he had killed him too? Even Palpatine was tricked into believing the offspring of Anakin Skywalker were not alive. Obi Wan and Yoda had hid them well. Vader felt anger at Obi Wan for that too.

Luke sensed his father was not ready to discuss his mother. Luke filled his father in on Leia, and Vader expressed regret at how their meetings had not been pleasant. They talked about Obi Wan, Yoda, Uncle Owen, and the droids. They told their whole life stories from their own points of view to each other, and joked. "So then I said to Han, there's nothing to see, remember, I used to live here!" Vader laughed. "Yes, Tattooine is farthest from the most scenic planet in the galaxy. Or the most comfortable" Luke agreed. They had this bond at least, growing up on Tattoine. Vader wondered why he had never gone back there searching, and why it took him so long to find his own son, even though he had his name and lived with his relations! Obi Wan did this. But this was not a time for resentment, and hate, this was a happy time, the reunion of father and son. Or could it ever be, with the tragic secret of Padme hanging thick in the medicated air of Vader's chamber?

Light years away, aboard the Millenium Falcon, Leia gazed out the window lost in thought. Lando had given the Correllian freighter back to Han, and now Han, Leia and Chewy were on their way to Coruscant to see what could be done in reestablishing order in the galaxy. "What's wrong?" Han asked. "Han, I sense something is wrong."

She could somehow feel Luke and Vader discussing her, and the force was moving quickly to gain strength in her. She would need it. "I know now that Luke is my brother, and Vader my father, and who is my mother? I feel so cheated. But mostly, I feel danger. I can't sense Luke the way I want to. There is another with him, another strong in the force"

Han stared at her. After all that had happened, he was sold, a believer now. He would never question the mystical energy force again! "But who? The Emperor and Vader are gone, they died on the Death Star. Who else is force sensitive who still lives?"

Leia turned and stared at him. "Me." She said. This almost freaked him out. But he loved her anyway. "Who is Luke with, concentrate, you can do it." He encouraged. "I know who it is, Han. It's my father. My father is alive, and Luke is with him."

Chewy bellowed loudly. The droids beeped and Threepio yelled "Oh dear!" Han was stone silent in shock. "Are you telling me that Luke, is with Vader?"

"Yes. And he is not being held against his will." She answered, and not in her most cheerful or positive tone. Han lowered his head. He couldn't believe that Luke would abandon them and take up with Vader! What would they find when they got to Coruscant, would they now have to battle Vader and Luke? What would Leia do?

Back in Vader's chamber, the reunion of father and son had slowed down, and Luke asked his father if he had a bed in which he could sleep. Vader told him that he did keep one such room, just in case of special company. It had never been used, but tonight it would be. Anakin Skywalker could at last put his boy to bed and tuck him in, as he should have done all his life. This feeling brought guilt, and guilt brought the memories. Luke did not dare ask about his mother now, though he desperately wanted to know. But now, Vader would tell him.

He broke down, sobbing, shaking, not good for his health, but he couldn't help it emotionally. "Luke, stay awhile." He begged."I want to tell you of your mother."

Luke's eyes widened, and his heart pounded. He put his hand on his father's shoulder, as they both sat down and faced each other, straight in the eyes.

Luke allowed his father to speak at his own pace. "Luke, her name was Padme." There. He had said it, for the first time in over 20 years that word had crossed his lips. "She was beautiful. She was...intoxicating." He closed his eyes and took a breath as deep as he was able. "I can still see her, I can still feel her against my body...I can taste her..." He opened his eyes and stared at Luke. "She was the best thing in the universe. She was everything good, everything I ever wanted, and needed. I loved her more than anything. And...." the tears came again, and he hid his scarred face with his only intact robotic hand. "...I....I killed her."

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 4

"You KILLED her?" Luke gasped. "WHY? How?"

"I didn't mean to. She had come to save me, but I misread her in my rage and consumption with the dark side. I believed she had brought Obi Wan there to kill me, but, she didn't even know he was on board. Don't ask me how I know that, but my feelings told me, much later. I choked her, in my anger. I released her, but she....died. When I came out of my surgery after Mustafar, she was the first thing I asked for. When the Emperor told me I had killed her in my anger, I was devastated. I broke everything in the room with my rage and the dark side. I became from that point on the bad guy, Darth Vader. I felt so evil. If I had hurt the only thing I loved, I was the worst guy in the galaxy. So I had no sympathy for anyone. I choked people so they could feel the horror of not being able to breathe that I live with. I have tried to supress the memories, but I cannot."

Luke was still stunned. He could hardly look at his father. "Luke, I should never have told you this. Now things will never be right between us."

"I had to know." He was silent for awhile, then looked up from thought and asked: "Wait, father, how do you know you killed her? If she died there, how is it that Leia and I were born alive and healthy?"

Vader latched onto this. "I wonder too. Perhaps I didn't kill her, and The Emperor lied to me, to keep me in his cage."

"That's what I was thinking. He was a bad person, you know."

Vader's mind raced. Why had he not considered before the possibility that Palpatine had lied? He wished so much at that point he had believed Obi Wan when he had said "Chancellor Palpatine is evil." So much he wished he could go back and never hurt Padme. What could he do now, to make it right? Nothing, except to be the best father he could to their children. Luke looked very sad, but still supported his distraught father. "Father, I can see, and sense, your pain. I know you loved her, and would never have hurt her on purpose for the entire universe. We will find a way to find out what really happened." They embraced.

***********
Far away, Han, Leia and Chewy were having problems with the Falcon. They thought the hyperdrive must have been damaged in the battle of Endor as it shot out of the exploding Death Star's flames. They contacted Lando, but he had no idea. Chewy and R2 went to work on it, but it was not looking good. "Oh, Han, how long will it take us to get to Coruscant like this?" Han rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't even say that. We won't live that long. It has to work, it has to."

Leia's mind was so full of questions and emotions she could not keep herself together."We have to get there, soon. We have to stop Luke from joining with Vader." She gazed out at the stars. "Han, when I am Senator again, helping to rebuild the republic, should I go by the name Leia Organa, in honor of my late adoptive father, or Leia Skywalker, my true family name?"

Han glanced at her with a sly grin. "I was hoping maybe you'd be going by the name Leia Solo."

She turned her head rapidly and stared at him. "Why, is that a proposal?"

"The best one you're gonna get, sweetheart."

She seemed miffed, but then again, it WAS Han. She played along. "That would solve my problem of which name to use, that way I will not be ditching the legacy of my family, or my home planet. It will be the name of my current self, I can use it. Senator Leia Solo, I like that."

"Should I consider that an acceptance?"

"The best one you're gonna get." She said without a smirk. Then they both started laughing, and they kissed. "So do you want to get married at one of those quickie places in Mos Eisley?"

Leia bent her head back and laughed. "Oh I don't think so!" Then she looked away, and said, "or we could have a secret ceremony like my parents did on Naboo.." her eyes looked up at the sky, then straight at Han: "Hey, how did I know that?"

Sitting in his chamber, Vader knew how fortunate he was yet again to be the beneficiary of Luke's compassion for him. Here, like on the Death Star, Luke could easily have struck him down. This made Luke a much better man than he, he did not harm him in anger as he had done Padme. This boy put him to shame. And he was feeling shame. But now, as they would rule together, Vader realized he again would not be the one in charge. This did bring bitterness and frustration to him. However, he considered himself lucky to be alive, and Luke had been merciful to him so far, so he trusted this would continue.

Vader pulled out an image, old and worn, and handed it to Luke face down. He did not look at it, he couldn't, he had not seen it in all those years. He knew what it was, but could not bring himself to look upon it.

"This, is your mother. Her name was Padme Amidala. She was a Senator and one time Queen of Naboo." Luke looked at it, studying it for several minutes. During this time, Vader looked away, afraid he might accidently catch a glimpse of her face, and it would hurt him too much.

"She was beautiful. You must have loved each other very much." Vader shook his head, his eyes closed. Luke continued: "I feel so much closer to her now, I can sense her. I feel this is not the first time I have seen her, or felt her, or her love. Thank you, father." Luke handed the picture back to Vader, but he did not want it. "I cannot, Luke, I cannot give it up, but I cannot bring myself to look at her. You take it with you, to your room tonight, and keep it safe."

"I will." He nodded, hoping someday he would get his father to face the picture, and its ghosts, again.

***********

In the inner waves of the force, Yoda and Obi Wan felt the new disturbance. Disappointed in Luke they were. Though they did still not rule him out as hopeless, they knew they had to resort to their truly last hope- Leia.

[Annie]

"The Skywalker Dynasty"

Part II

"The Winds of Change"

Chapter 5

Yoda's spirit felt comforted back in his old surroundings, the dank, damp, dark cave in Dagobah. It was there he summoned the spirit of Obi Wan Kenobi. Yoda's blue glowy spirit shook its head.

"Disappointed I am in Luke, stronger, better than this, I expected."

"Too much of his father in him, I'm afraid" Obi Wan's spirit responded. "But I have not given up hope yet. I still feel that in time, he will turn back to us"

"What of Vader, hmmm?"

"He may bring him back as well.

"Count on it, I would not. Act now we must. Leia we must reach."

Even for Jedi spirits, finding her in the depths of space wasn't going to be easy. Far away, she, Han, and Chewy were still having trouble with the hyperdrive on the Millenium Falcon. While Chewy and the droids did all they could, Han tried to pilot his craft. Finally, he left it on autopilot watched by Leia as he went to help the others. Their situation was desperate.

"If we can't fix it soon, we're going to have to find a safe place to land for repairs." He said with gloom written all over his face.

"Safe? Where is that, with the galaxy in turmoil?" She wondered out loud. He did not answer, he just went to help with the mechanical repairs. Leia was left alone, gazing out into the stars. She felt so much. So now she was officially engaged, but to what life was she entering with uncertainty around for all? She was perplexed as to how she had known of her parents' secret wedding, how did that message reach her? It must have been the same way she had feelings of remembering her mother, though she had died in childbirth. Maybe she had the force after all, Luke was right. And maybe somehow it was working in her now, just not in the way it did in Luke. Maybe she would never wield a lightsaber and battle bravely, but she could fight in other ways.

Back at Vader's home in Coruscant, the dark lord had risen long before his tired son. He walked down the dark, desolate hallway and peeked into Luke's room to watch him sleeping, like any father would do his child. Luke was snoozing so peacefully, Vader did not want to disturb him. Inside his mask, he smiled. Then he saw that in Luke's hand was the picture he had given him, the one of Padme. Thankfully, it was turned to the backside so Vader didn't have to see her face, something he could never bring himself to look upon in all these years. He shut the door and walked away, heading down to his shuttle. He was going to travel to the medical center to have his hand replaced, he could manage to fly alone with just one hand, he could use the force to work some of the controls. This would also be an indication to him of how well recieved he was going to be in Coruscant, following the fall of Palpatine. Being that he was Palpatine's right hand man, would he also be hated by those who had ripped down the statue? At this time, he truly wished he could go around the city incognito to find out, but being trapped in his suit he was very conspicuous indeed. Perhaps he could speak to the droids about creating him an alternate form of life support so his dark form would not be so easily recognized by the population as of now.

Han and Chewy thought they had found the problem on the Millenium Falcon, but the droids tried to warn them the computers were indicating it may not be right. Desperate, Han went ahead with his action. Immediately, the hyperdrive kicked in, but with such a noise and such shaking that the ship shot backward violently!

"Ooooh dear!" Threepio cried. "No one ever listens to me"

"RRRwwahhh!" Chewy slapped him. Shut up and help us!

"What the...?" Han declared as he watched out the viewport as his ship went into hyperspace BACKWARD! Leia was trembling. She knew Han and spoken of hitting stars and supernovas if the coordinates were off, and they were totally out of control! Where were they going?

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 6


While Luke was still sleeping, Darth Vader made his way to the medical center to have his hand replaced. He was cautious and apprehensive as to how he would be accepted now that Palpatine was gone and his government had fallen. Was Vader not second in command, and therefor representative of the brutal regime? While surely there would be those on both sides, he feared that those who did not support the Empire would not accept him as the new ruler. Yet, he would have to be challenged. At this time, he felt his well known black suit to be a burden. It was always a burden. He hated it, and could never wait to get back to his chamber and remove it. But he had to wear it everywhere else in the universe, or he would die. He wondered if this new time needed a new image for the new times. He would gladly give up the suit, but not the power and prestige. Ever.

He managed to make it inside the medical center without being spotted. The droids in there would not think enough to question anything but his condition. He found one that rememered him, and had done his repairs and tune ups over the years. XC-454. He seemed almost human. Vader showed him his hand and he said that would be easily replaced. Then he asked him about having his suit replaced. He stood in silence for a moment. He informed Vader that in the time since being put in the suit, medical technology had advanced very far, and it was actually very outdated. Vader was furious! WHY then, was he still having to use it? Vader had to use the force on the droid to get him to be truthful. The droid, knowing Palpatine was gone, admitted to Vader that Palpatine had asked everyone in the medical center not to tell him of improvements, because he was afraid Vader would ask to have them, and if he were free of the suit, he may become stronger and more powerful than the Emperor! Palpatine liked Vader in the black suit, he was intimidating to everyone in the galaxy, but still on his short leash. Vader's rage almost drove him to break things, but he had to stay calm if he wanted XC-454's help. So, the old codger lied to me to keep me down! He thought. Ohh, if he weren't already dead I swear I'd kill him! He was more glad than ever that Luke had killed him.

Vader asked the droid and his assistants what he would be able to have in the way of improvements. The droid informed him there would be quite a bit of change. Vader's heart pounded with anticipation, and his mouth smiled beneath the mask.

"Let me ask you something, Lord Vader. What is it that you need this mask for, besides breathing?"

Stunned, he thought about it, then shook his head. "Nothing, really."

"Does it not control your voice, you sight, your hearing?" one of the assistant droids inquired.

"No, not at all. There are devices inside it that help me to see and hear out of this huge heavy mask and helmet, and there is the voice amplifier because of the suit, and my breathing, but I can see, hear and talk just fine with the thing off. The only reason I have that stuff in there is because of the helmet itself, not because there's anything wrong with my faculties. I only need it for my breathing."

Making sure Vader was still hooked up to a breathing mechanism, he removed the helmet, and mask. He set it aside. "Then, it is gone. Forever. You will not be needing it anymore." Vader's scarred face smiled and tears of joy welled in his eyes as he looked up. "You mean, I will no longer be needing the mask, ever?" The droid nodded. Vader was beside himself with happiness. He was so happy, he could not even feel the dark side within him. He looked over at the imposing black helmet, his prison for nearly 25 years. He couldn't believe it. He was FREE!

But then he wondered about his life support. "What of the suit, is there anything that can be done to replace its function?" Vader asked, holding his hope inside in case the answer was negative. The droid did not disappoint. "Lord Vader, for many years we have had the technology to spare you from this suit. It was only on the Emperor's orders that you were not informed." Again, he tried his best to control his rage, for his own good. The droid continued: "We are now able to replace your damaged lungs through surgery. We can either replace them with donated human lungs, of unfortunate people who were killed in the war, or with synthetic parts. If we use the human ones, you will still be prone to infection, and dependant upon rejection medicine for life. If we use the synthetic ones, they may not work as well, and may need frequent replacing. Or...there is one more option, one that would perhaps leave you all but cured." Hearing this, Vader sat up and stared at the droid. "Tell me."

******

Deep in space, Han was having a hard time controlling the Falcon. Strange lights flashed in front of them as they flew backward. It seemed like they weren't even really traveling, but in another dimension. At times, things didn't seem real. Things faded in and out. They would scream, but not hear the noise. This was like nothing else any of them had ever experienced. Finally, things slowed and settled. The Falcon was steady. Cautiously, they all looked around and walked back to the front viewport. All they saw were stars, and a planet. Han read the coordiantes. It was Kashyyyk, Chewie's home planet! They decided to land their wobbly ship there, for assistence. But as they entered the atmosphere, things were strange, very strange. Chewy began to bellow out of control. Han could not believe what he was telling him. Chewy saw things he had not seen in years. In over 20 years. They had traveled back in time!

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 7

Vader was anxious to hear what the medical droid had in mind. Cured? Healed? After all these years? It had been such a dream of his. Days and nights on end he had lay in his chamber, dreaming of combining his power with Luke's to help heal him. He had fanasized about walking side by side with Luke, talking to him, free of the suit, as normal beings do. Could it actually happen? "Well, tell me." he begged the droid XC-454.

"Lord Vader, do you have any siblings?"

"No" His heart sank with a heavy sigh. "Is that necessary?"

"Well, either siblings, or a child, but I know you don't have any children." The droid put his head down.

"Children? Yes I do!" Vader said with raised enthusiasm. "I only recently found out. I have a grown son and daughter."

"This is good, very good." The droid informed him. "What we will need is specimens. They must be a genetic match for you. We take a bit of skin tissue, and lung tissue, even hair follicles, and grow them, then make them a part of you. Do you think one of your children will be willing to donate?"

Vader was concerned. "Will this hurt them? How much tissue is needed?"

"VERY small amount. It will not even be noticed."

Vader smiled. "Then I hope we can do this! I believe my son will do this for me! But, how long will it take?"

"Not long at all. We can regrow the tissue in a matter of days to cover all of your damaged skin and internal lung tissue."

Vader couldn't believe it. "How is that possible?"

The droid looked offended. "Lord Vader, for years science has had the technology to create clones from human tissue, and to excellerate their growth rate alarmingly. So why would you question that only a few parts could be regrown?"

Vader was furious. Of course! This procedure had existed all along, and Palpatine had not told him! Even after Luke was discovered. He wanted him to remain a freak in a black costume all his life. His hatred for Palpatine was so overwhelming he felt the dark side returning to his nature. He had felt it all but leave in his happiness, but now his anger and bitterness were great. All this time, he could have been cured, or at least improved. All this time he suffered needlessly! The droid further explained that though his limbs could nto be regrown, they could be replaced with more lightweight and functional ones with lifelike skin covering and more sensitive nerve like feelings. Vader closed his eyes and imaged how great it was going to be to be whole again! He would be able to breathe again! He would be able to walk about looking like a normal man, not a character. He had to ask Luke. But yes, he was sure Luke would agree. Surely Luke would be excited at the prospect of a healthy, normal father!

On Dagobah, the glowy spirits of Obi Wan and Yoda felt a disturbance in the force. They could no longer sense Leia. It upset them. They must try to commune with the eternal force to find her location. Surely she was among the living, she had to be! She had to be found, and trained, and used to stop Luke and Vader from ruling the galaxy as father and son with the dark side. Unknown to them, and their feelings, Luke and Vader were perhaps not as Sithy as they were suspecting.

Vader called Luke to come to his side. He filled him in on the surgery plans, and Luke was willing and ready to cooperate. He said any small sacrifce to save his father any more pain would be a pleasure. The droids took a small piece of Luke's skin from his back, a small section of hair follicles from the underneath back part of his head. Neither of these even showed, and would easily be grown over and back. His hair hid the small spot on his scalp, his clothes the one on his back. The most invasive sample taking would be from his lungs. He did not need surgery, it was extracted by going down his windpipe with a laser hose. Other than gagging, he hardly felt it. It was just a little scraping and did no damage to him. It was two tiny specks of cells, not even making a wound in Luke's lung tissue, but they would regrow the damaged lung tissue Vader would need to breathe again. Vader was concerned that Luke had been hurt, but he and the droids assured him it was minimal and almost insignficant to a healthy young man in good shape.Luke stood up and smiled, showing his father he was fine. He would rest a few days, and in those few days, the tissue would be growing inside the laboratory, and then on Vader, making him almost normal again. Luke was almost as excited as Vader, whose heart was pounding too fast for his mechanized breathing. But he would not need that much longer. Soon, very soon, things would be different for Vader. He would be more his old again. And maybe, with that, more like Anakin Skywalker.

Landing on Kashyyk, Chewy, Han, and Leia were at a loss to explain what had happened. With all the technology available to the galaxy, time travel had been an impossibility. And here they had discovered it accidently.

"Chewy, are you sure we are in the past?" Han questioned in his sarcastic tone. Chewy pointed out things to him and promised him he was right. They were living in the times of the Clone Wars, the days when the Wookies battled bravely for their freedom. These were the last days of the Jedi knights, just before the Empire, he explained. Leia was stunned.

"Chewy, does that mean- my father- Anakin Skywalker- was still a Jedi, and my mother, was still alive?"

"Rrrrahhhh!" He barked. That meant, yes.

Leia was feeling full of mixed emotions. She feared they would never be able to travel back to their own time, yet she couldn't help but see this as a way to save her parents. If she could find them in time, she might be able to stop the whole bad series of events from happening. But then, how would that affect her own current existence? Or Luke's? She'd have to figure it out, somehow. She had been feeling so strange lately, and so much a part of the force, she knew this turn of events had to have meaning.

Han stared around in a daze, and shook his head. "Well Chewy, do you, did you- know of anyone around here who could fix hyperdrive? I think our problems are beyond our own control. We need help."

Leia took that in more than one way. Help. That was something she surely could use. There was so much to do, in this time, and the other, if they could ever get back. And if they were to change things here and now, what would that mean for what was going on in their own time?


Chapter 8

The specimens grew and were successfully implanted in Vader's damaged lungs, and on his scarred, scraped skin, even on his head. They were growing nicely. With accelerated growth, it would only be a matter of days. Vader was kept in a tube like chamber to keep the skin growing evenly. At times he was sedated to keep him asleep to let the growing take its course. Luke was ruled in excellent health and sent home. He went back to Vader's house, but visited his father every day, whether or not he was awake. Luke was enjoying his new power. He stood out on the balcony of his father's home and stared out into the city. He saw the remains of the Jedi temple, abandoned so long ago. Below, in the city, there would be turmoil, looting, and riots as people were unsure of who was in charge. This was a time Luke would have to step forward and let them know. The Senate was going to reorganize the old rebublic, but Luke wasn't satisfied with that. He wanted more. Why allow the galaxy to be ruled by politicians and beauracrats? Look where that led before! He knew that Leia would now be on the opposite viewpoint from him, but he felt confidant he could sway her, even if he had to use the force. No way were stodgy politicians going to rule the galaxy. That was his right now, his father, and as his father's son, his. He felt a surge of self importance and excitement as he surveyed his new kingdom.

On Kashyyk, Han was desperately trying to find a mechanic who could repair the Falcon. The Falcon was as old as those times, so surely someone would know how to fix one. But he was worried. If he and Chewy couldn't figure it out, who could? Other than Chewy, there weren't a lot of Wookie mechanics. They would have to patch it up best they could to make it to another planet. They were very concerned it might malfunction again, taking them even further back in time. Which was another problem- they didn't know how to explain to anyone they were from the future, or how to explain it, or the time travel.

While the well being of the Falcon was paramount, Leia's mind raced to other subjects. "This is my chance, I know it is, it was given to me by the force. I must not fail." She thought. She was going to find her parents, and save them from themselves. Then perhaps nothing would be wrong when they returned to their own time. IF they were ever able to return. Or perhaps, she may fail, and it could be worse! No, that can't happen, she thought. She had to find a way to find them and fix the mistakes of the past. If this was not willed by the force, why was she sent back? It wasn't just a chance mechanical error, it had to mean more. She didn't bother to try to convince Han of this. While he was much more a believer in the force than he was when they first met, he was not in the mood for anything but fixing the Falcon. She'd have to find a better time.

No one on Kashyyk had any idea what to do. While Chewy stayed behind to see some of his old friends and long dead kin, Han decided to move on with whatever means were available to fly. He refueld and was ready to take off. "Han," she asked, putting her hand on his shoulder, "can we go to Naboo?" He turned and stared strangely at her. "NABOO?" What for? She didn't know how to tell him. "I'm sorry but the best hope we have is Coruscant. All the best technology would be there. That's where I'm going. Ironic, that's where we headed out for, but it won't be the right time!" Suddenly Leia felt a surge of energy. Maybe it WOULD be the right time! Something was telling her maybe it was the right place to find her parents after all! Han set his course, and waited to see what speed, and what time, they would be flying in. The ship seemed normal. He realized they would not be able to use the hyperdrive, and it would take forever! But to his surprise, it worked! "Yeehah!" he screamed. As the Millenium Falcon shot through hyperspace, he believed they would be returning to their own time. But when they broke through the atmosphere of Coruscant, they saw that it was not the one they recognized- things that had long been destroyed were standing, and things not built yet were, well, not there. Han's heart sank with disappointment they were still in the past. But Leia didn't share his feelings, she was excited, and hopeful. Her parents were here.

Back in the Coursucant of real time, Vader was taken from his tube chamber and placed in a bed at the medical center. No one had seen him but XC-454 and his assistants, keeping Vader's wish for privacy. Luke was being called to come, for it was time to wake his father up and see how well the implant procedures had done. Vader was asleep, still in a drug induced state of unconsciousness, as the droids applied his new, more agile and realistic looking artificial limbs. They dressed him, all in black, though not the suit, ordinary clothing and boots.As droids, they did not feel the emotion that Luke did as he walked into his father's room and gasped. The operations and healing was a complete success. Since young Luke was the donor, Vader's newly regrown skin was as smooth and supple as it had been before the lava had taken it from him. He was like a young man again, and very much like Anakin had been. His hair was grown back, and it was thick and a light brown with golden tones, like Luke's. It was not quite as curly as Anakin's had been, but it was healthy and full. His face was what those on Earth would call A Picture of Dorian Gray. He looked exactly like young Anakin Skywalker. Luke was about the age Anakin had been when he turned, and Luke's youthful tissue had restored his father to health. Even Vader's scarred lips were normal and smooth again. His body may have been older and worn from all its injuries and troubles on the inside, but on the outside, he was the picture of youth and beauty. Luke could hardly wait for his father to wake up and find out the good news.

At last, the droids awoke him, and his blond head turned back and forth on the pillow. His eyes slowly fluttered open, and he focused them and looked around. The first thing he saw was Luke, and he smiled. Luke smiled back. "Father.' He said. "Can you breathe?" Vader, still flat on his back, stared at the ceiling and inhaled. Then he exhaled. Again, and again. He couldn't believe it. He was cured! His smile turned to a laugh, something he had not done in years. He wanted to jump up and shout, but the droids held him back and told him to take it easy. He looked over at Luke. "I can breathe, Luke, just like I used to, just like any normal being in the universe. I had dreamed of it for so long, but never believed it possible." He thanked the droids, and asked if he may rise. They said yes, but slowly, carefully. He pulled himself to a sitting position, and looked down at his hands. They were of flesh tone, like Luke's artificial hand. He check out his legs, and his skin under the clothes. Then he touched his head, and felt his hair! Then he put his hands to his face and rubbed it. "I want to see, please, may I see what I look like?" He begged. The droids brought him a reflective mirrorlike device, and he examined his face. He almost lost his breath from the shock. His still beautiful blue eyes and lashes now had the face to match again. "I-it's me, it's really me!" He smiled, tears streaming down his newly restored cheeks. He couldn't take his eyes off the image of himself. He couldn't believe it was real. He had been restored to health, and to the appearance of Anakin Skywalker, his true self. Would this change also be internal, would he really return to his old self in every way? At that moment, his extreme happiness blocked out all of the darker side within him. True joy flowed through every living part of him. He was, as best as he could be, whole again. He looked up at Luke, overcome with emotion. "Thank you, Luke. Your compassion has saved me more than once. This is a gift greater than any I could have purchased. Thank you."

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty

Part III

"Through the past, darkly..."

Chapter 9

Vader was excited at the idea of walking out of the medical center as a free man. Free of his mask, free of his suit, free of Palpatine. He got out of his bed and was amazed at how much more light and lifelike his new legs were. He leaned back and stretched all his muscles. He didn't even have any pain at the spots where the false limbs attached to his stumps. They were all one now, he almost felt like they were his own. He took another breath. No pain from his chest, no tightness. He smiled again. He had surprisingly little trouble with his new limbs, they were so natural. He walked more normally than he had since he used his own legs.

As he exited the doors with Luke, he was eagerly anticipating seeing the city, and the sky, for the first time without his mask in so many years! The door opened, and the sunlight spilled in. He stopped for a moment, and held his hand up to shield his eyes. The light had stabbed into them like knives. He grunted from the pain. Because he couldn't look at it, he had to keep his eyes closed, he stopped walking. "Father, are you all right?" Luke asked.
Vader, not taking his hands off his eyes, replied, "the sunlight hurts my eyes." He groaned, sadly. "I guess after all those years in that dark mask they've become sensitive to bright light. The only thing I ever saw without my mask was the inside of my chamber. The sun is a lot brighter than that." He still wouldn't open his eyes, he was afraid he would never be able to look at the sky again, and what a major disappointment that would be. He squinted his eyes open just a little, then blinked. His eyes just weren't used to the sun. It had been years. It did hurt, and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. But to his relief, after a few minutes, his pupils did indeed accept the sunlight, and let it in with no more pain and squinting. Vader was overjoyed. He looked over at Luke and smiled, then gazed up at the sky. He jogged as fast as he could on his newer legs, taking in all the scenes of the city as he passed them. "Oh Luke, this is incredible. You don't know how much I've missed the beauty of this world. The colors are amazing, the sky is beautiful. I had almost forgotten how much better it was without that hateful mask on my face." Vader breathed in the air. "Hmmph, the air stinks. Very nice."
"Nice?" Luke asked.
"Nice to smell anything at all, after all these years!" He laughed. "Luke, do you want something to eat? I mean, really eat, I want to." He couldn't wait to finally eat again like a normal person!

Then he thought, we'd better not go to a resturant, he didn't want to be seen in public just yet, until he knew how the public would accept him. Then he realized, Darth Vader is gone. The suit, the persona, were no more. He could freely walk about as an ordinary man. And few if any on Coruscant would immediately remember young Anakin, or know Luke. Even if they did, they would look upon them as heroes! They were indeed free. Vader persuaded Luke to join him for a sit down meal. "Mmmm" Vader delighted in every savory bite of food. "I haven't had real food in years. It's delicious, Luke, go on, eat up, don't take it for granted!" Luke just rolled his eyes, and finished his sandwich. Vader downed one blue soda right after another, and chewed up the ice cubes. He looked up at Luke and smiled. "That was wonderful! I want more!"
"Can we go now?"
Vader's smile vanished. "Oh, I'm sorry, Luke. I thought you were having a good time too. Endulge me, can you?" He winked at Luke, and Luke couldn't help but crack a smile. Okay, he'd be done with his revelry soon enough. Let him have it. They left the resturant and walked along the city street. They did get a few second glances and stares, but no one confronted them. As they passed a clothing store, an outfit caught Vader's eye in the window, and he stopped.

"Oh, Luke, check that out, how would that look on me?"
Luke just shrugged.
"Luke, I am so tired of basic black, you have no idea! I have never gotten to pick out my own clothes, and I've never had anything colorful. You know, I was a slave, then a Jedi, then in the suit..."
Luke sighed heavily. "I know, father, I know, so I've been told, again...."
Vader didn't let this spoil his fun. He entered the store and hurried about, picking up and examining various tunics, pants and boots, scarves, capes and accessories. He tried some of them on, while Luke boiled waiting for him.
"Which ones do you like best, Luke? What should I..."
"Look," he cut him off sharply, "if you want them, get them all!"
Vader didn't pick up on his aggravation and sarcasm, he was too happy. He thought he was serious. "Thank you, son, I knew you'd understand!" He bought two bags full and walked jauntily out of the store. Luke was losing his patience, but for Vader, the fun was just beginning.

*******

Back in the Coruscant of the past, Leia looked up in the sky to see a flaming ship trying to land, surrounded by fire squads. Everyone on the ground was looking up and pointing, and those in tall buildings were hanging out windows for a better view. Speeders and ships flying the lanes in the air above the ground scurried to get out of the way in case it tumbled off course. Finally, it landed. She was relieved for whomever was inside. She thought to herself what an excellent pilot that must have been to have handled that landing safely. After the turmoil of the landing was over, she saw who emerged from it. She followed the scene as the people were transported to the Senate building. With no old time currency to hail a taxi, she was forced to make her way over there on her own. By the time she arrived, she found a place to look through the window as a tall, handsome young man was walking through the hallway speaking to a older, taller man.

She couldn't hear them, but she recognized the older man, and it overwhelmed her with emotion. A lump came into her throat. "Father." She whispered. It was Bail Organa, her beloved adoptive father, who had died on Alderaan. Now that she was here, and he was alive, saving him would have to be one of her main priorities. She crept as close as she could without being detected and thrown out by security. Now she could hear as well as see. But her father soon took leave of the young man, before she reached him. She saw the young man trot rapidly over to a pillar, and a beautiful young woman emerged from behind it. They embraced. She had a hard time hearing their hushed conversation, but she picked up enough to know that this was Anakin Skywalker, and his wife. And she was pregnant.

First her adoptive father, now her biological parents. They were so young, so beautiful, so in love. Leia gasped. She was so stunned she hyperventilated until she almost passed out. She froze in her spot, not knowing exactly what to do. There they were. So much would depend on what they did. As she knew, what her father did had not been good. But she was here now, and she believed there was a purpose for that. Could she find a way to change that, and save her mother? If she did, how would this affect the future?

*******
Vader was still reveling in his new found freedom and happiness, strutting along the shopping district of Coruscant, while Luke was losing his patience. The next visit was to an electronic game store, and Vader wanted to get some of those too. He did manage to interest Luke briefly in a few new high tech video games, but once again, he grew weary and began complaining. Vader was having the time of his life, but it wasn't what Luke had wanted or expected from him. He thought once he was healed, he'd be stronger and ready to join in his plans. As he stood back and watched Vader playing the games, Luke was shocked at his father, the former evil Lord, acting like a giddy youngling. He understood what his freedom and healing meant to him, but Luke wanted to get down to business, the business of ruling the galaxy.


Back at Vader's home that night, Luke was brooding. His father did not seem the least bit interested in any political aspirations at all. He only wanted to have fun and enjoy himself. He put on the glossy emerald green tunic he had bought` and stood before a mirror admiring himself. "I am so tired of black, Luke, you could not possibly imagine" He told Luke.

His son was not interested. "I know, Father, so you told me." Vader then played with his hair, trying to make it curlier again. "I can't believe it! I'm so good looking" he said quietly and vainly to himself. "Do you want to go out tonight and try to attract females? Luke, finally, I feel I could find love again."

"Love again? As painful as my mother's memory is to you? You won't even look at her picture." Luke rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Let's get going, shall we? The power is ours. The galaxy is laying here on the streets of Coruscant for the taking. If we don't act soon, someone else will."

Vader looked hurt. "You know how much I have suffered because of what happened to your mother. I have suffered so much in my life,.."

"and you have caused suffering to countless others!"

"I know, Luke, but I've changed, don't I deserve another chance? Believe me, if there was anything I could do to atone for it all, I would! I have suffered in so many ways, pain, agony, guilt, frustration, infirmity- but Luke, I finally feel I can live now. I want to have a little fun, play around for once in my life. Don't take that hope away from me." He stared at Luke with the saddest of eyes. It didn't work.

"If you want to "live" how about joining me in declaring our rule to the city, and the planet? Father, it might slip away if we don't act."

Vader turned from his mirror long enough to sneer at Luke. "You and I are the only 2 force users left anywhere I know of. No one can stop us. I will prove this to you someday, I promise." Luke liked hearing his father talk that way. A wicked smile curled his lips. But he wasn't satisfied. He wanted action, and that was something his father was not giving him.

Chapter 10

Vader awoke, shaking, in a cold sweat.It was another nightmare.
"Luke!" he called out, but no one answered. He put on his new gold bathrobe and ran down the long, dark hallway to Luke's room. There was no one there. Fear filled Vader as he thought of what his nightmare might mean. "First my mother, then my wife, now Luke, it can't be!" He mumbled to himself, grabbing his hair in his hands and shaking his head. "Why must I be so tortured?" The dream, unlike those of his mother and Padme, had been so vivid, while this one was more vague. It was more a creepy, uneasy feeling than any visions or direct predictions, but still he didn't like it. He hadn't had those kinds of dreams as Vader, in the suit, and wondered if he'd lost his claravoiance.Now that he was healed, it was coming back.

Just then, a sound came from behind. Vader turned to see Luke's shadowy form standing beside him, smelling like a cantina.
"What are you doing in my room, Father? Checking up on me? I'm not a child!"
"Where were you?"
"None of your business! I can go and do as I please."
"I had a nightmare, Luke, I was worried..."
"Oh don't give me that..."
"I told you about my dreams..you know what they can mean.."
"Not for me. Stay out of my life!"
"Luke, this is a dangerous time! You could get into trouble, even turn to the dark side as I did! Don't make a mistake you'll regret for the rest of your life, think!"
Luke shot a glare at his father. "Shut up, father! Stop it!" He pushed his way into his room and slammed the door. Vader didn't say another word. Head down, heart heavy, he walked back down the hall and went to bed, but he didn't get much sleep.

...


Vader spent the rest of the evening trying on all his new duds, and playing with his new video games. Luke left and slammed the door, and Vader didn't even pay any attention. Luke was building frustration and resentment that his father was not acting fast enough in what he considered to me the most important ways.

Soon, Luke began to act on his own. He took it upon himself to go about asserting himself to the population while Vader was just having 'fun.' But inevitably, every time Luke found himself in a situation in which he was going to use his might, and the force, to take action in a situation, his father was there, telling him not to. "Don't make the same mistakes I did, son. Don't follow that path, you see where it led me." Luke got very tired of his preachiness, and his interfering. It began to take a toll on their relationship.

Luke refused to listen to his father, even though he had the personal experience of twenty lifetimes. No one could convince Luke he was headed for the dark side. He had become so fearsome, he had made a name for himself. Lightsaber and force chokes all over town. No one questioned or challenged the likes of Luke Skywalker. And all this time, no one even knew what became of Vader, or that he and Anakin Skywalker, Luke's father, were one in the same. Luke had so wanted to stand side by side with his father and announce their domination. Once, Vader had wanted this too. But now that he was healed, and had found Luke, and the Empire was gone, it didn't seem to matter. He really regretted everything he had done wrong and wanted no part of it. Ironically, Luke had brought out the good side in him, and now Luke didn't like it, and he was the one turning dark. Vader, or was it Anakin? only wanted to enjoy life, and his health. Luke could not accept this, even though he had been such a huge part of it. "Luke," he'd tell him, "let the damn politicians do their dirty work, and if anyone gets out of hand, we'll be there." But this was not good enough for Luke. He wanted MORE. He wanted POWER.

*************
In the past Coruscant, Leia had figured out a way to get to her mother. She was going to apply for a job as an assistant to her, so she could get to know her. She had no home, she literally lived on the Falcon with Han. When she came home and announced she was going to work for Senator Amidala, Han was taken aback. "You know," he glared and gave her the classic fake smile, "we won't be here very long if I have anything to do with it. As soon as I get this baby running, I'm going home. I'm not about to take a chance on getting stuck 24 years in the past. No thanks"

"But Han, don't you want to go see yourself as a kid?" He put his hands on his hips and looked at the sky. "Leia, you are always talking about the force. How do you know that, I don't know, it might, mess things up? Maybe we aren't supposed to change the future!" Leia was surprised to hear him talk like that. But he had a good point. Maybe they weren't, perhaps you couldn't really. But why, then, had she been sent to this particular time and place? She was convinced the will of the force was at work. She only had to try to find out what it wanted her to do. She would begin by meeting Senator Padme Amidala- her mother.

****************

Night after night, as Luke set about to display his power, his father was out having the fun he had missed. This time he was in one of his old speeders. Vader had been flying it around goofing off like a teenager, flying up then diving into the city, yelling 'weeee!' and laughing with pleasure like he used to.He was showing off, trying to impress someone when he looked down and saw Luke in the act of terrorizing on the ground below. He hovered his speeder in midair, excusing himself to the buddies watching him, and jumped and dived downward, just as he had done when he was young, his arms flying out beside him. The wind felt so good in his face as it blew back his golden hair and fluttered his red and gold tunic. He drank in the beauty of the colorful city night lights on his way down, and gazed up at the sky. It was so nice to feel this good again, he could not harbor any anger. He was light as air, and his healthy body and new limbs were almost as good as his original body had been. He used the force to spin around, then right himself and land perfectly and gently on his feet. A perfectly timed and executed jump and landing. Anakin Skywalker was back! He gloated in his mind and couldn't hide the smile from his face. Or was he, wait, Vader? His mind wrestled with this question as he approached his son.

Luke was caught showing his prowess picking fights with beings from other planets, and his father had, as he had many times before in the last few days and nights, came up behind him and stopped him, using his hand, the force, and true love and better judgement. "No, Luke, this is the way to the dark side! You don't need to follow the same path I took! Don't behave this way, it's not too late, use your power for good!" Vader knew as he said these things that he was a changed man, and he wanted to use his knowledge to help his son, but there was no convincing him. Vader directed him to the speeder, used the force to lower it to where they could jump in the Jedi way, and took off. Humiliated, Luke didn't even look back at the people he was chided in front of. Then he asked himself, why did he put up with it? Was he not more powerful than his father now? He was going to have to put a stop to this and take control of things on his own. This would be the last time he'd give into his father, he knew that, and he was not going back on this decision.

Luke was furious. Raging mad, he ignored all his father's words as he jumped out of the speeder in midair, spun into his own Jedi flip and landing and ran home on his own. Vader could sense in the force Luke was not harmed, and that his mind was in turmoil. He cruised around a bit more, enjoying the city sights and fresh air, to give Luke time to calm down. Once he was home, Luke was still in a miserable mood. He went to his room and slammed the door. He lay there staring up at the ceiling, anger creeping into his every thought and move. What was he going to do now? He knew he was never going to be his own man, never going to gain the power and the fame he wanted, with his father like this. He wondered if it was hopeless to try to make Vader the evil, angry man he was before. Or was it useless, that man was gone, replaced by one who was even less dark than Anakin Skywalker had ever been. Vader had been through it all, and just wasn't interested anymore. He had changed. Luke had changed him, but Luke wasn't happy now. He felt the dark side boiling in him. He heard his father put away his speeder below the house and climb back up the stairs. Luke was there waiting for him. When he walked up to meet Luke, the younger Skywalker was brandishing his lightsaber. Vader was surprised to see this, and very crestfallen.

"Luke, I know you are displeased with me right now, but I know in my heart I did the right thing, and you will too someday, and you will thank me!"

"Thank you? For humiliating me in front of everyone in town? You were never around when I was growing up, now all of a sudden you're mister righteous trying to be father, setting me straight? I'll not have it! I was so mad tonight, I should have taken you right there! If you aren't going to use your power to do what needs to be done, you will not stop me!" His eyes were full of hatred and too much anger, and appeared to Vader to be on the verge of going Sith. This scared him, and he ignited his own lightsaber, holding it ready. Vader had been in such a state of ecstasy, for some reason he thought Luke would share it, and had not noticed their relationship deteriorting to this lowly moment. He was deeply hurt, but couldn't allow Luke to see or sense that in him. He held out his red lightsaber, the one he had carried as Darth Vader, and offered Luke a deal.

"Perhaps we should trade." While he was only joking, Luke did not turn down the deal. He took the red one, and Vader took the green one. He waved it back and forth in front of his face, admiring the flourescent green glow. He smiled. "I always liked this one, you know. From the first time I saw it on Endor." He smiled. Luke didn't. "Luke, you don't really want to fight, do you? What, do you want to kill me? Do you want me to kill you? What's wrong?"


"Father, we are supposed to be ruling the galaxy. All you want to do is play around and be happy."

"Do you begrudge me that after all the pain of my life?"

"Oh give me a break. We have the power to make all the known universe our own. Seize it now!" Luke raised a clenched fist. He was serious, but Vader could not help but laugh. He reminded him so much of him when he was young. He knew he had made mistakes, and he felt grateful for having a chance to atone for some of them. He did not want Luke making his same wrong decisions, and he wasn't shy about telling him so. He had actually become a father, a father figure, but not what Luke was looking for. So it all had come full circle. Luke had wanted to turn his father to the good side, and Vader had wanted to turn his son to the dark side. Now, they both had what they wanted, in the most ironic of ways, and now it wasn't what either of them wanted. Vader realized this, and laughed. Luke flew into a rage.

"Shut up, Father!"

Vader's smile disappeared. "Hey, what's going on here? It's not that bad, is it?" He just didn't want to believe it was, but searching his feelings, he knew it was. He felt the dark side in Luke, and it gave him a bad feeling.

Luke was very to the point. "Father, I am going out there, on the streets, in the buildings and take charge. I do not want you to follow me, lecture me, or try to stop me. If you do, you will be sorry."

Vader was hurt, but also angry. "If I want to stop you, I will. I can."

"Is that a threat?"

"Don't try me."

"Don't try ME!" Luke said, again igniting his lightsaber. Vader did not ignite his. "I will not fight you, son."

"If you try to stop me, I will stop you. That is a promise. Do not follow me." Luke was not going to be denied. He tried to think, did he really want his father dead? No. He didn't want to take his life. Even if he did kill him, he'd just come back as a force ghost like Obi Wan and lecture him, and he'd be even more powerful at following him everywhere. That wouldn't do. But he did want to stop him. Luke's mind raced. What could he do? There was no way he could tie him up or restrain him, he would only use the force to break free. Even cutting off his limbs would not stop him, they were easily replaced. He had an idea, one that was evil, one he hated, but he decided to use it. There was one way that his father could remain alive but would be unable to chase him down, or fight him, or stop him. He stared his father straight in his face, and too full of the dark side, Luke's left hand released a blast of blueish force lightning.

Vader was so stunned to see Luke emit force lightning, he froze momentarily, and that was all it took to lose the seconds he needed to react. His usually quick reflexes were not put into action quick enough. Before he could ignite his lightsaber to defend it, the blue electricity shot right where Luke aimed it- into his eyes. Vader cried out in shock and pain. He fell back toward the wall and slid down. He rubbed his eyes and looked up, but he was blinded. No, this couldn't be, his eyes were like miracles, they had survived the lava and the fire at Mustafar. He had been so happy to be able to see without the mask, he just couldn't be blind, not now!. He kept thinking his eyes would soon adjust like they did with the sun when he left the hospital, or that he was just flash blinded and his vision would soon clear. But it didn't. Except for a few flashes of light around the edges, it was gone.

"Hahahaha! Let's see you follow me now! You have paid the price for your 'lack of vision' hahaha! So you're really on the 'dark side' now, is that dark enough for you? Tired of black? Too bad! Muhahaha!!" Luke was in a state of wicked ecstasy. He pulled out the picture of Padme and threw it on his father's chest. "There, take it, you didn't want to see it, now you'll never have to worry about that again!" Cruel as it was, it was true. Luke has purposely put out his father's eyes, then rubbed in his sadness over Padme. What was possessing this boy?

Vader was upset, hurt, and angry. He tried to get to Luke, grabbing into the empty air, but Luke easily dodged his blind wanderings. He tried to force choke Luke but he couldn't even see where to aim. Luke laughed and taunted him. Vader took one last lunge at Luke, and missed. "I HATE YOU!" He screamed after he fell flat on the ground, with all the emotion he had once screamed at Obi Wan on Mustafar. Luke just walked out the door, and down to take his pick of flying vehicles his father was now unable to operate. The best star pilot in the galaxy was grounded. All Vader could do was lay there and listen to him leave. He didn't even want to get up. He had lost his son, and his sight. He was once again miserable and lonely. His mechanical hands, though of the highest new technology, were no match for human hands when it came to relying on sense of touch. He was devastated. He hated being blind. It was much worse than not being able to breathe, and at that point, he'd have gladly traded back.

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty

Chapter 11

Vader could not believe it. His own beloved son had destroyed the only happiness he'd had in almost a quarter century. It was as if the evil spirit of the Sith lived on in him. How could this have happened to such a good boy, whose mission it was to destroy the sith and bring his father back to the light? Vader knew he had taken the wrong path, but did not believe it of Luke. It was true. Luke had gone out to begin a rampage of terror, and he had blinded his father and left him home alone unable to act to stop him. What was he going to do, he thought as he lay there in his own perpetual darkness. The darkness that Luke was engulfed in was darker still, and he was about to inflict it on Coruscant in the night. Vader recalled with much shame and regret his own march on the Jedi temple. He feared it was Luke's destiny to repeat his mistakes. Right now, he wasn't feeling much compassion for Luke, who had just robbed him of his precious eyesight. He felt more sorry for the people in Luke's way. If he had done this to him, his own father, would he hesitate to do anything to strangers?

Vader knew he had been a bit too happy, too proud, too vain. Was this his punishment? He just couldn't seem to keep himself together, he was just healed from his old injuries only to be zapped with a new handicap, his hardest to deal with yet. He was blind now, and that was going to make everything more difficult. He found it hard to even get up. He felt lost and sinking in his new prison of darkness, as if he had lost all his bearings and sense of direction. As bitter as he was over it, he could not hate Luke. He had screamed it at him in his anger, it was a natural reaction. But he still felt love for Luke, and pity for anyone he was going to hurt. Another setback was not what he wanted or needed, but he had to overcome it. He pulled himself to his feet and tried to walk, trying to make it back to his chamber where he felt safer, and where he could contact his lucky medical droid, XC-454, holding out a nervous hope of possible recovery. It was frightening to try to move now. Before, when he'd been in the dark, all he had to do was ignite his lightsaber to show him the way. No light was going to help him now. He had heard of beings who could see using the force, and he was so strong in the force, it must surely be a skill he could master. As he made his way down the hallway toward his chamber, his outstreched hands groping along the way, he could indeed sense objects in his path in time to avoid them, but there was nothing he could do to actually SEE with the force, not to see as eyes see. No shapes or objects, just feelings. This wasn't going to be good enough. Still he managed to slowly find his way without stumbling once. He had almost made it back to his chamber when a voice spoke to him out of the darkness surrounding him.

"Anakin."

Vader, Anakin, who was he? He knew he hadn't felt like Vader for a long time now. The proof the evil Sith Lord was no more was not so much in the fact that he no longer needed or wore the suit, but because his heart had changed to one of compassion, and he was wise and caring enough to know Luke was doing wrong and wanted to stop him. Could anyone know that? Of course they could. Someone eternally strong with the force. Obi Wan, and Yoda. They had been keeping track of the situation, and now felt it out of hand. They had tried to reach Leia, but when she went back in time they lost the ability to sense her location. Here they had trained and sent Luke to defeat his father, and he had. But not in the way they had intended. In the worst irony of all, they were going to the person they originally set out to stop, but who was now their last hope. Through the force, they knew what had just occured. And they came to help. Someone had to.


Anakin stopped, braced himself firmly with one hand against the wall, and turned his head toward the noise. Instictively, he tried to look for the creature who had spoken the words, almost forgetting he couldn't see. "Who said that?"

The voice spoke his name again. "Anakin."

That was his name. He did not deny it any longer.

He tried to place the voice, a voice from the past, a voice Anakin knew well. He searched his memory. It sounded for all the world like, no, it couldn't be. Then he sensed it too, the strong presence- TWO strong Jedi forces- Obi Wan, and Yoda. They were there. Out of the darkness, they showed to him as an image of light. He got a little excited for a moment, thinking he could see, but soon realized they were only images sent to him though the force. He still couldn't see anything else. What was this, what did it mean? They were dead, both of them. He had killed Obi Wan himself. He had not sensed Yoda in the force in many years.

"Obi Wan? Is that you? Master Yoda?"

"Yes, Anakin. It is us." Obi Wan spoke.

Anakin was stunned. "How is this possible?"

"Many things are possible with the force, Anakin."

"Obi Wan, you, you're dead, we fought, you vanished....did you really die? Where did you go? When you disappeared, I stood there stomping your cloak..I thought it was a sorcerer's trick...but I could no longer sense you in the force. I know you were dead."

"Death is not as final as we once thought it was." Anakin cocked his head and waited for more, they had his attention. "Do you remember Master Qui Gon Jinn?"

"Of course I do. I haven't forgotten my childhood, I remember him well. I remember when Darth Maul killed him. I wa traumatized. I recall how we built him a funeral pyre, and set him ablaze..." His face gave an _expression that he was lost in the long distant memory, seeing it all in his mind. "What about him?"

"Once he was one with the force, he found a way to come back."

"Come back? From the dead?"

"Yes, Anakin. A Shaman of the Whills discovered a way to maintain one's individuality in the force once you are in the afterlife. Qui Gon came back and taught Yoda and I, so we were also able to accomplish it.

Anakin looked stunned and speechless. Though his eyes were unable to react with any emotion, they could tell he was profoundly moved. "This is incredible. The force is more boundless and amazing than I had ever known. I knew it was the most powerful force in the universe and everything else was insignficant. This only proves it. I admit I am awestruck by this. Is there a way anyone can learn this power?"

"If you have the force." Obi Wan informed him. "If you keep far from the dark side, we will teach you as well."

Anakin did not speak, but nodded slowly in grateful acceptance. "Where is Master Jinn?"

Yoda grunted. "Know that, we do not. Travel much, does he, into the depths of the eternal force, making new discoveries. When see him again we do, much he will have learned, much he will pass on to us."

Anakin considered this, but did not ask more. It was more than overwhelming. He did ask one more question, one he was curious about originally. "Why have you come here?"

Obi Wan spoke directly. "We came to help you, Anakin. It seems you are in a bit of a situation here. We have been watching all along, and sensing from afar. When Luke joined you, we were deeply concerned. We tried to contact Leia, but were unsuccessful. She is alive, I feel her life force, but her whereabouts are unknown. Luke was supposed to destroy you, not join you!"

Anakin gave a weak laugh, it reminded him of something from the past."But at least we did destroy the Sith."

Obi Wan smiled back, and Anakin was able to percieve it into his mind through the force, though not with his eyes. "Yes, Luke did destroy Palpatine, his evil is finally purged from the galaxy. With your turn away from the ways of the Sith, they are truly gone- unless, Luke is to use the dark side..."


"Obi Wan, Master Yoda, I fear that Luke is headed down the same path I once chose, consumed by the dark side. Luke's urge for power is great, and it has overtaken his better judgement. He has gone out now, and I am sure he is not up to any good. We must stop him."

"We know this, Anakin." Obi Wan said. "That is why we are here."

"Then you know what happened? You know he challenged me, I tried to stop him, and that he put out my eyes with Sith lightning."
Obi Wan had sensed Anakin had been in danger, and that he was no longer the evil one, but they did not know this. They were very upset. "You mean, you're blind?"
Anakin shook his head sadly, a tear falling from each of his still lovely but useless eyes."I wanted to stop him, so he stopped me. I can't fly, I can't fight, I can't find him. I can't see."

"Don't give up so easily, Anakin." Obi Wan said, trying to sound encouraging, but he couldn't get over the twist of events that had taken place.. "How could Luke do this? Who knows what else he may do"

Anakin nodded at the force figure. "That's exactly what I was thinking. But unfortunately, I am in no condition to stop him. You'll have to do it yourselves." They smiled. They were dead, that was quite a handicap itself. But Anakin pointed out, and they knew, that because they were ghosts they would be capable of more than an ordinary human, even one with the force. They could use this ability to help.

"I am sorry about your eyesight, Anakin." Obi Wan said sympathetically. "That was one thing I never took from you."

Anakin gave a weak smile. "That is ONE thing you didn't take, you took most of me though. You know, Obi Wan, for years I hated you for what you did to me at Mustafar. Not so much that you turned on me, I'm sure you felt that was the right thing based on your training. It was HOW you did it. You chopped me to pieces, and left me to burn, painfully burn...why didn't you just kill me?"

Obi Wan lowered his head. "You were a Sith, but I couldn't. I left it to the will of the force. It decided you should live."

"Live, and in such pain and agony. I hated you, I blamed you..."

"You got your revenge, you killed me."

Yes, he had killed him, and he had wanted to kill him. He had bragged of it, took joy in it. He was actually embarrassed by all that now. Yet still that wasn't the end. "And you both sent my own son to kill me."

"You were evil, you had turned to the dark side. You had to be stopped."

"Obi Wan, did I ever tell you why I turned to the dark side? I wish I had, you would have been able to help me. It was Padme, I was having visions of her death, I asked Master Yoda and he.."

Yoda remembered this all too well. "Told you to let go, I did, told you not to mourn. Do that, you could not."

"Palpatine promised me her life, he claimed if I learned the ways of the dark side, I could save her."

"Oh, Anakin," Obi Wan exclaimed. "I had no idea, even in all this time. I wish you had told me. Together, we could have defeated him. You do know he was lying to you, to get you on his side?"

"Yes, I do, you cannot possibly understand how much I regret my decision. I should have thought more deeply into it, searched my feelings more, I knew better..I was so young and full of myself..."

"You will get no arguments from me on that. But no one could have told you, you had to find it out for yourself."

"I did, but at what cost? I lost everything. Believe me, Obi Wan, I have suffered for what I have done, and I would do anything to make things right."

While there was no more exchange in words on this, they both felt something. Had they both not been right, and both wrong? Had they both not been victorious, and defeated? Things had come full circle, despite everything, and they were once again on the same side, fighting for the same cause. Finally, so now were they both not avenged? All the hatred stored over the years finally faded, and they made their peace.

Obi Wan looked at Anakin from head to foot. He had already noticed that he had been healed, and looked like his old self again. He knew that inside as well, he WAS his old self, the old Anakin again.

"I see your have quite recovered from the lava. I think that's wonderful, I really do. I'm happy for you." Obi Wan was sincere.

Anakin believed him. "I was happy too, until my son turned to the dark side and blinded me. Now everything's wrong again. Help me, old friend, I need you."

"I will help" he spoke in earnest trust. He could totally sense Anakin's change, and true desire to stop Luke. His blue glowy image layed its hand on Anakin's right shoulder. "Kenobi and Skywalker, together again. How about it?" He asked.

"I will try." Anakin spoke in a brave though cracking voice, his poor blinded eyes staring blankly away. He knew he was now useless in a fight but was willing to help any way he could. "Obi Wan, there is something else I must know. If you and Yoda are able to come back, how do you know Sidious can't come back too?"

"No, no, Anakin, the Sith cannot possibly, because they do not have the compassion and love to achieve what we have."

"That is good." Anakin nodded. "But now my last hope, that perhaps Luke was possessed by Sidious and not by the dark side of his own accord, is gone. I know he must be stopped."

Anakin's voice was full of unexpected compassion as he directed his request to the force spirits. "Please, don't harm him. As much as I hate him for blinding me, I don't want him destroyed."

This even more proof that Anakin had changed. He no longer hated Obi Wan, and he couldn't hate Luke, even though he had been so evil and put out his eyes. Where was the vicious, angry, man who wanted to strike out maliciously? He had every reason to want his revenge on Luke, yet was pleading for his life! Obi Wan sensed the dark side had completely left Anakin, yet he worried about Luke. He paused a moment, considering what Anakin had said about Luke. His voice was somber.
"He has become a very great threat."
Those were the same words he had spoken to Padme years ago about Anakin. Now it was their son. He would do what he must, though he hoped it would not end badly.

Anakin was chilled by those words. "I'm coming with you both." He announced. "If I can see the two of you through the force, as long as you walk ahead of me, I will be able to at least see which way to go. You will literally light my way."

Obi Wan looked at Yoda, and Yoda back at Obi Wan. They whispered something between themselves, unheard by Anakin. "This eternal power we have, yes, but interfere with human destiny, we must not." Yoda said quietly. Obi Wan strongly disagreed. "We have the power to save countless humans, and other beings if we act now. Through Luke, the force is out there trying to change human destiny. We are of the force as well. We failed before, when the Emperor took over, we will not fail now. And Yoda, we can also use our power for good now, for our friend, I think it's important." Yoda shook his head, he didn't know if he agreed. But Obi Wan was sure. Anakin wondered what it all meant.

"I won't be much use to you blind, but know that you have my support and any help I am able to give. I am with you all the way." Anakin said, his voice almost breaking again, but tried to joke: "I just can't seem to keep myself all together at one time, can I?"

"Always losing things, aren't you, Anakin? Just like your lightsaber, how many times did I find it for you when I was training you?"

Anakin remembered that, and wanted to laugh, but he was not in the mood to be jovial. Still, the shared memories between he and Obi Wan had showed that the ice had melted on their old differences.

"I lose....everything that means anything to me, I always have. Please, don't let me lose Luke."

Obi Wan looked at Anakin in a way he never had before. He was not only remorseful, he was completely humble, he was actually pitiful. "Anakin, come to me." He said at last. "You will come with us. I am going to help you." Anakin stepped cautiously forward. He had admitted to answering to that name, not Vader. He had shown himself to have turned completely from the dark side. He and Obi Wan had forgiven each other. Anakin had totally redeemed himself to Obi Wan and Yoda, and now Obi Wan was going to redeem himself to Anakin.

[Annie]

Chapter 12

Anakin followed the Jedi spirits out to his balcony. There, they stood, giving their best combined effort to sense Luke's location in the vastness of the city-planet. He could be anywhere, and doing anything. Anakin faced the city with deep bitterness toward Luke. He felt the gentle night wind breeze over him, rustling his hair and his new red and gold tunic. But the panoramic view he had so treasured, even in his days as an evil Sith Lord, was now lost to him. It was so unfair! Throughout his life, he had been accused of being a whiner, even as Vader, when he complained about not being able to breathe. But honestly, he had good reason. Maybe the force didn't ever want him to be happy. Maybe it was his lot in life to suffer. He had been raised a slave. He spent his youth under the strictness of the old Jedi order.Then he had been enslaved to Sidious. He tragically lost his mother, and his wife, and was separated from his children, finally finding one as an adult who promptly turned on him. He had suffered horrible injuries, and once he was finally mostly cured of them, he recieved another tragic one. Would he, could he, ever be happy, and free? He was starting to believe the answer was no. He felt so sorry for himself, he couldn't help it.


Finally, his mind drifted back to the problem at hand, finding Luke. He spoke out loud to Obi Wan and Yoda. "Have you sensed anything yet? Have you any wild guesses as to where to begin?" There was no answer. He turned around to look for their force images, the only thing he could see, but they were gone. He was left standing there alone, and it frightened him. While he had finally rid himself of all his rage, and arrogance, and the dark side, he still, yes still, had much fear. He was afraid right now. "Where are you, Obi Wan? Please, don't leave me, my master."

My master. That last part came out of his subconcious, like a helpless, terrified child reaching out to his old friend and mentor. Anakin had always been a tragic character, and now he was possibly more pitiful and lost than he had ever been in his life. "Obi Wan!" He cried out, over and over, not believing they had deserted him in this dire time. No answer was forthcoming.

He turned around, expecting to see the spirits through the force, but they were gone, their light was gone, and he was left in darkness. He called out again, then realized he was alone. How could they go, and not even tell him? Now he was totally alone and lost. He stood for a moment in the night breeze. From behind, he was still holding onto the railing, as if he was afraid to let go of its security. Finally, he did, and took a small step away from it. He stood there not even knowing if he was facing in the right direction, drowning in darkness. Still rage did not come to him, though he did feel abandoned and betrayed by the spirits, and by Luke. More than anything else, he was full of self pity, again asking, how, this had happened to him, even now that he had changed, why was he still made to suffer, how much more would he have to endure? He put out his hands and tried to concentrate and call on the force to show him the direction back to the doorway before he headed the wrong way and tumbled off the balcony. Again, he got the feelings, no images, no visions, only darkness, but he could sense the way to go. He still wasn't sure, and walked very slowly with his arms ahead of him until he faintly felt one of them hit something. Stopping, he felt for the open doorway. It was there. The force was going to have to guide him through the dark through sensing only. He couldn't get used to it, he found it an enormous burden, and, he admitted it to himself, he was scared. He had much fear. At least from here he could make his way back to his chamber where he could hide and not have to move. Standing in the middle of the room, the bitterness overcame him and he thrashed out, clawing into the dark as if he felt he could tear it down like a wall, make it go away, burst through a barrier, and all the light and pictures would be on the other side. But he knew this wasn't true. He closed his hands into fists, pulled them out of the air and drew them to his eyes in frustration and misery. Where were Obi Wan and Yoda, why did they sense his plight, come to help, then desert him and leave him alone without a word?

*****

Yoda, ever the old teacher, had sensed Anakin's turmoil, and fear, and no longer trusted him to help. Obi Wan was upset. He had just made up with Anakin, and promised to help him, Kenobi and Skywalker together again. "Yoda, even now, in the afterlife, am I still beholding to your views, though I disagree? We came here to get Anakin. He is willing to use his piloting and lightsaber skills to help us, but he is unable, and you will not allow me to help him?"

Yoda nodded gravely. "Much fear the boy still has. Trust him, I do not. Go alone, you and I must."
"I will not leave Anakin. I promised him I would help him."
Yoda was insistant. "If come without your help he could, fine it would be. But interfere we must not with the will of the force."
Obi Wan's spirit felt less peaceful that it ever had since his demise. "Surely you can see that what Luke has in mind is no more the will of the force than what we could do. Sometimes, I believe, we have to make our own destiny. The force can guide us, but it can also be used for evil. Don't you see, the old Jedi order was destroyed because of attitudes like yours! Don't let it happen again!"
He was more insistant that he had ever dared be to Yoda, and Yoda didn't care for it. "Tinker with the force, use it in ways perhaps unintended, and lose your immortality, you may."
"Do you really believe that, how do you know?"
"Take a chance, shall you, hmmm?" At that, Obi Wan remained silent. Frustrated, he avoided all contact with Yoda or living beings to commune with the force to find his own answer, which he was sure was not the same as Yoda's.

****

Anakin made it back to his chamber and felt relieved to be inside. He felt secure sitting in it. He breathed heavily, his newly healed lungs giving him all they could. This can't be happening, he thought, I can't be blind, I can't deal with this, there has to be a way. He knew he must call on the med droids who had cured him. If they had done so much for his body before, surely they could fix his eyes. He couldn't take it a minute more, he had to see. He had to find Luke. Fumbling through his devices in his chamber, he finally located his communicator and succeeded in summoning XC-454. It was late at night, but this was an emergency. He was desperate. The droid arrived, bringing with him some of his best diagnostic equipment. He examined Anakin's eyes. Anakin thought surely the droid who had healed his whole body would have an easy answer for this.
"So, how long will it take you to fix me?"
The silence chilled Anakin.There was no answer. When one came, it wasn't the one he wanted. Anakin was most disappointed to learn that the force lightning had destroyed the maculas of his retinas, the center where the images focus, and there was nothing that could be done to heal them. There was also no way to replace human vision mechanically the way there was for limbs. He took the news so hard, he wanted to destroy the droid, but he allowed it to take its leave.

Anakin refused to accept the prognosis. He lay back in his chamber and tried to heal himself using the force, as he had done for years in attempts to improve his breathing. He concentrated all his force energy on his eyes. Luke's power was great, but not greater than his. He sunk deep into meditation, and allowed the force to cover every inch of his living being. After resorting to everything he knew available from the force, nothing changed. He had to come to the sad realization that XC-454 was right, his retinas were destroyed, could not be fixed, and he was sentenced to a lifetime of darkness. He had no choice but to resign himself to this fate. He sat in his own cruel blind solitude, and cried.

*******

Time worked in strange ways in the universe, that is how the hyperspace took Leia to the time before her birth. And there, time was running longer than it had in the present. It was a few days before she got to meet her mother. She entered her office in awe, in anticipation, in wonder. The first time she saw he mother's face, she was unable to speak. She had seen this face before, somehow, somewhere, in a dream, a vision, or a lost memory. She was indeed beautiful, but sad. Leia, try as the might to avoid it, couldn't help but look down at the size of her tummy. She had tried so hard to conceal it, but it was becoming apparent she was expecting. Even if a being had gained weight, it would not all concentrate in one spot. She wanted to ask her about it, but felt it was too personal, and she didn't want to lose her job, her only contact that she was fortunate to have. She stuck out her hand, though it was trembling. "Hello, M'Lady. My name is, Leia. I am to be your new assistant. "Greetings, Leia. That is a beautiful name." Padme smiled. Leia smiled back. "I thank you for this honor, M'Lady, and let me know that I am at your service, any time of the day or night, for any reason. I will help you." This is why she was here, to help. She said it again. "I want to help you." She stared solidly at Padme, trying to give her the message. She only smiled back. "Thank you, it is good to have someone so eager to work. That is not often the case with assistants." Leia was talking to her mother. She couldn't believe it. All she wanted to do was here, but she couldn't exactly just come right out with it. If she couldn't let her know of the future, how, how would she be able to change it? She tried to think of a way to bring up her personal life, but she was so secretive, for good reason, it was going to be impossible. She was going to have to resort to sneaking around, spying. She didn't want to, but it was necessary.

That evening, she discreetly followed Padme home and saw where she lived. The high penthouse was not going to be easy to sneak into, or watch from below. She was going to have to get Han to take the Falcon up and do a flyby, if he would go along with it. That night, they did, and she saw on the balcony that her mother was not alone. Her father, Anakin, who had snuck out of the Jedi temple to be with his wife, was there. They were together, and it appeared they were very glad to be. For now, things were fine. But she had to act fast, because unlike them, she knew their future.

***********

Lying in his chamber, Anakin was overwhelmed by shock and grief at the news that he could not be cured. He couldn't believe he was never going to be able to see again. How could he ever go on like this? Of all the injuries he had suffered in his life,and they were many, he felt this one had hit him the worst. It hurt more than any pain he felt...since knowing what happened to Padme. Oh, Padme. He couldn't even bear to think of her now. She died because of him, or did she? Luke lived, maybe she had died in childbirth, as his nightmares had tragically foretold. Perhaps the emperor had lied...?

Regardless of what occured, the result was the same, she was dead, he had hurt her, he had lost her. Through all those years, the knowledge of knowing that trying to save her killed her, that his love for her destroyed her, tortured him and made him the uncaring creature he became as Darth Vader...until Luke came along. Luke, his son. Padme's son. How had things once again gone so terribly wrong? He could not let Luke be lost. He had to save him...for Padme.

Drawing from the force, and everything within him, he urged himself to stand up, and get out of the chamber, and move ahead, determined to find Luke. He walked with his hands out in front, and though they did not have the sense of touch human hands did, he could feel through the force before he walked into an object. He could stop before door and wave it open or closed. He struggled until he made his way back to the room where Luke had blinded him. He knelt to the floor and groped around until he found what he knew to be the image of Padme he had carried with him all those years as Vader, the one Luke had so cruelly tossed as he mocked him. Anakin picked it up, rubbed it gently with one finger, and kissed it. Then he placed it in the inside pocket of his shirt, over his heart.
"I'm going to find our son" he whispered. "I'm not going to let him be lost." He knew that without physically seeing, this was going to be next to impossible. But he wasn't giving up.


On his hands and knees, he groped around the floor until he found what he recognized as the handle of his lightsaber. He pushed a button and turned it on. He heard it hum as it ignited, but he was not able to see any of its glow save one green flash in the very corner of his right eye. This was Luke's lightsaber, the green one, and Luke had taken the red Sith one. When he had said he wanted to trade, he was joking, but it turned out to be real. Luke did take, and deserve, the red one. Holding the lightsaber ahead of him like a cane, he waved it back and forth in front of him as he walked through the house. It was very useful in helping him find his way. When he found a small metal object he could use as a remote, he used the force to levitate it in front of him, then tried striking it with the lightsaber. With all his concentration in the force, it finally worked. Then he tried the opposite, he tried NOT striking it, but working the weapon's blade around it. It wasn't long until he mastered that too. He smiled to himself. He was pretty good for an old blind bastard.

He turned off the lightsaber and set it on the ground. Taking a few cautious steps backward, he reached out his hand in the direction he remembered it to be, and it flew into his open hand. He had to leave his hand open and wait for it to hit, since he couldn't see it coming. Once he felt it hit the palm of his hand, he had to immediately close his fingers on it. He found that this would work if he was able to determine the direction of the object, but as he had failed to aim his force choke or pushes to Luke, if he was unaware of the exact location of someone or something, he could not direct the force to it. This was a problem, since he couldn't see where anything was. He was going to have to trust his feelings, and the force, and hope for the best. It was all he could do now.

Anakin stood there holding his lightsaber, cursing the darkness, and aiming all his energy and force sensitivity at finding Luke's location. Search his feelings as he did, he could not sense him. Luke had left Coruscant. He was no longer on this planet. Big problem here for a blind man unable to fly. Where were Obi Wan and Yoda? Did they realize Luke was gone, is that why they left, but couldn't they have had the honor to inform him? Anakin rightly sensed that Yoda was behind their departure, and that Obi Wan would eventually come back to help him. He hoped, at least. Hope was all he had left.

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 13


By ASW


Luke had traveled far across the galaxy. He had arrived on his old home planet of Tattooine. He knew he would have no opposition here as he began his reign of power.He knew that the Empire had never controlled this place, and those who did, the Hutts, had their leader defeated by none other than Luke Skywalker and his sister. Unlikehis young days, he feared no one in the Cantinas. His was the ultimate power in the galaxy, and he intended to use it. Those who stood in his way would not be standing long. For a moment, as he drank in the Cantina amid the bodies of creatures who had been his victims, he thought of his father. He did regret taking away his sight, but he did not regret stopping him. If he hadn't blinded him he surely would have tracked him down and fought him every step of the way. No, he had to ground him. Vader had once told him he would join him, or die. He had made basically the same offer to his father, and he was lucky to still have his life. He was disgusted with him for not using his full potential. Luke did not, or did want to understand that his father had been through all that and had learned from experience. Luke was too power hungry now, and too full of the dark side to consider anything else. That's why he was so dangerous.The entire galaxy and all its spoils were at his disposal. What would he do? Camp here for awhile out in Beggar's Canyon? Try to recruit his own army of support? Or head back to Coruscant for his final power play? He did not know that not only his blind father but his old Jedi spirit teachers Yoda and Obi Wan were searching for him. Perhaps he was hiding in plain sight, and someone would think of it? Or would he be long gone by then?

****

Anakin, who still slept in his hyperbaric chamber for his health and his regrown tissues, woke with his head pounding, and lay there in self pity. He remembered how proud he was of his stunts the night before, and how he was actually fighting and drawing his lightsaber to him without seeing. But who was he kidding, he could never defeat Luke, who was younger, less mechanical, and could see. Besides how could he even find him? Even though he could sense his presence, the galaxy was too big to search on that alone. Flying was out of the question, even as force strong as he was. He was blind and useless now. Might as well just lay here and wait to die.

But something inside him urged him on. He waved his hand until the force opened his chamber, and he stepped out. Even the most mundane of chores had become a major struggle. He was terrified of the shower, hard sprays of water attacking him from out of the darkness. He struggled to find and change his clothes, though he had no idea which of the brightly colored new tunics he had even put on. With much sadness coming over him, he remembered to take the picture of Padme from the pocket with him. Then he set out to scavenge up a bite to eat. He shoved it in his mouth with his fingers like some primitive child, or wild creature.Again, he lamented the inadequate sensitivity in his artificial hands. Blindness was bad enough, but he couldn't even compensate for it the way most beings could. Oh, his poor ravaged body. He was fortunate to even be alive. Or was he? He did consider that perhaps death would be a relief, and asked the force to take him now. It did not. It wasn't finished with Anakin Skywalker yet.

"Well," he mumbled to himself, "if I am supposed to live, I must. What a wretched, broken creature I am. I've got no arms and legs...for years my lungs didn't work, now they do, but my eyes don't!" What could the force possibly have in mind for me now?"

*********

Leia was becoming frustrated. Try as she did, she could not gain Padme's trust enough for her to open up to her. She was far too guarding of her personal life and privacy. Even though it was important, Leia felt just horrible about her spying flybys in the Falcon, and was sure sooner or later her parents would recognize the same ship hovering outside and become suspicious. She had not been able to meet her father at all. The only thing she knew was that he came to Padme's apartment at night, and left very early. It was impossible to contact them. She had even tried going to the door, but there was no answer. All she knew was that Anakin had the nightmare, and it was about Padme, and he was very worried. Leia had never known this. It made her feel compassion for her father that she had never had. If he had turned to the dark side in a desperate attempt to save Padme's life, he would have a lot more redeeming value to her than she had ever imagined. But still, she had to stop him from turning, stop her mother from dying. All this while neither of them would let her in. Secretive though they were, she had already found out more about their lives than she had in all of hers. There was no way she could give up now, not now. If only she could get her mother to speak her heart to her! Surely she needed a confidant at this time. And, if her parents believed in the nightmares and visions, surely they might even believe a girl who claimed to be from the future? It was worth a try, if she could get that close. For now, all she could do was watch. But she was prepared to take extreme measures in case of emergency. She hadn't been sent here for nothing.


*************

Anakin walked down the hallways of his home a little faster and less cautiously now. His outstretched hands could always sense the walls and objects ahead before he got to them, so he never fell or bumped anything. Still, it did not take the place of seeing. It took him a very long time to search the rooms of the second floor until he finally discovered the room where he kept his dueling droids he used to practice with when he was Vader. He had them especially designed and programmed to kill, and he had been so good he could slash them all to pieces. But Darth Vader hadn't been blind.This was not going to be easy.

Carefully he felt for the controls and started one of the droids up, on a slower speed. Anakin ignited his lightsaber and stood ready. He heard the droid's metal arms move, and the hum of its imitation lightsaber. He put all his concentration into sensing its movements, but time and time again he swung at dull air. Once he began to be struck by the droid's blows, he felt much fear. He did manage to block a few blow instinctively, but though he was so strong in the force, there was no question blindness was a major handicap in a visual event like this. Terror filled him as he heard the droid accelerate its speed, pursuing him all over the room. Anakin helplessly swung his lightsaber in front of him, but the blows he blocked were pure luck. It was hopeless. He could not fight just by sensing alone. He had realized this too late as the droid chased him around and he was unable to see where to escape. By the time it had him cornered against a wall, and he didn't even know where the door was to escape, he feared his life was in its final minutes. He curled up into as much of a fetal position as he could manage with his robotic limbs, and continued to wave the lightsaber back and forth in front of his head and chest. The droid was not stopping. He was a dead man if he didn't act.

The droid was making so much noise he knew it was exactly in front of him, and, using all his concentration to call upon the force, aimed it in the droid's direction. It began to rattle, then collapsed in a pile of rubble. Anakin turned off his lightsaber and pulled his arms down from his face, reaching forward to feel if the droid was truly destroyed. Nothing but rubble lay on the ground in front of him, he could feel the ragged edges. Like a frightened, trapped animal, he moved about on the floor on all fours, reaching out with one hand until he felt the door opening and crawled out, shutting it behind him. He stood up, leaned his back against the door, and panted heavily. His lungs, while healed , would never be as strong as an ordinary person's. This had taken a lot out of him.

He returned his lightsaber to his belt, and slowly began blindly finding his way back to his chamber.

This had not been a good experience. If the droid had nearly killed him, he wouldn't stand a chance against Luke. He wasn't going to destroy Luke the way he did the droid, and couldn't even if he tried. Luke was too strong, he had force lightning, he could use chokes, pushes, he was awesome with a lightsaber and even a blaster. How could a blind man ever stand a chance against him? He must accept that he would never be able to face Luke as an even opponent again. While he was proud of himself for trying so hard, it was hopeless. He was helpless, alone, and blind, and Luke was loose somewhere in the galaxy with the most power any human being alive possessed. It was a humbling feeling for the once powerful Jedi and Sith, and it did not sit well with him. He wished there was something he could do. Defeated, he stumbled back to his chamber and closed himself in. He was on a downward spiral that was going to make him give up on everything, until he heard that familiar voice outside his chamber calling his name.

"Anakin, Anakin."

It was Obi Wan. He had come back! Aware of the recent pathetic incident involving his former star pupil, he defied Yoda and returned to help him as he lay in utter despair.


The Skywalker Dynasty

Chapter 14

"Obi Wan!" The chamber opened, and Anakin stepped out. Through the force, he could see the spirit figure, though nothing else. He stood next to him. "Thank you for coming back, master. I need your help if we are to find Luke. Do you think we can hire a pilot to help us, can anyone be trusted?"

Obi Wan nodded in the negative. "That won't be necessary, Anakin." He told him.

He didn't understand. "Why, master?"

Obi Wan's glowy image walked rapidly into the main room, and Anakin was able to follow his light. Obi Wan picked up the metal remote ball Anakin had been practicing with. Proudly, Anakin attempted to show Obi Wan all his skills he had practiced the night before, striking, not striking, bringing the lightsaber to his hand. He smiled with self satisfaction. "Master, do you think there is a chance I will be able to defeat Luke, even though I'm blind?"

Obi Wan did not look encouraged. "You know, Anakin, Han Solo once told me, good against remotes is one thing, good against the living, that's something else. I agree there is much a Jedi can do using the force and not their eyes, I even told Luke that. But a lightsaber battle with an opponent who has his eyesight AND the force, I don't think so. I would not want you to risk yourself like that."

Anakin tossed the remote and tried to slam his fist into the wall, but only swung at the air in his private darkness. "Risk myself, I don't care. I might as well die a hero as live like this. Let me try!" he turned to Obi Wan and gestured with his clenched fist.

Again, Obi Wan nodded, no. "Anakin, I witnessed what happened with you and the dueling droid. You have given it your most gallant effort." Obi Wan's image led Anakin to some chairs, and sat down beside him. "I think it best to wait, until you can see again."

Anakin put his head down as he gave Obi Wan the bad news. "I'm never going to see again, master. The best med droid in the city has pronounced me beyond hope." He explained about his retinas being destroyed beyond repair, and about the mysterious block the droid had never seen.
Obi Wan was interested in this. "Anakin, could this be force related?"
"I thought so too, but I tried to use the force, everything I know of the force, it didn't help. XC-454 is right, I'm ..permanently..blind." He struggled to speak those words, putting his head down and heaved a miserable sigh of resignation to his unwanted fate.

"Everything YOU know of the force, Anakin."

Anakin tilted his head with a puzzled look on his face. No expression was able to manifest itself in his lifeless eyes. He was curious as to what his old friend meant by that. He stopped himself before he allowed any hope to build, hope that would surely be crushed. "What do you mean, master?"

"Your power is great, but there are powers beyond the realm of the living that you cannot understand, or know of, not yet. Remember on the Death Star, when we fought, and I told you if you stuck me down I would become more powerful than you could possibly imagine? It was true."

Anakin was dazed by this, and felt most uncomfortable at the mention of that incident. Suddenly, it came to Anakin. "Master, you let me win, didn't you? You knew your powers were weak, you'd be stronger as a spirit That look on your face just before I struck you, you glanced over at Luke....?" Anakin thought how he hadn't known at the time it was Luke, but found out later.

"It doesn't matter now, Anakin." was his only answer.

It didn't anymore, and Anakin had nothing to fear. To Obi Wan, in all his eternal love and wisdom was sincere, and caring, none of the past transgressions between the two of them mattered now. They were beyond that. Then he put his hand steadily on Anakin's shoulder, and gave him the important news. "Anakin, Luke is back on Tatooine."

"Tattooine? Why did he go back there? I hate that place. You were wise to hide him from me there." Then he sighed, "Well, if he's there, we must go. Is there any way you can fly us? If we don't find a pilot we can trust, how can we go?"

"We are going to Tattooine, and YOU are going to be the pilot."

Anakin snarled. "Me? What, with you on the windshield directing me? What of the controls? The calculations? It's impossible."

"Anakin, nothing is impossible with the force.
NOTHING."

"What did you say?"

"What I am about to do, you are to speak of to no one, not Yoda, not Luke, no one."

"You have my word, as a Jedi and a friend."

"I was hoping you'd say that. Now, come, let me get you something." Anakin was curious as Obi Wan's image raised its blue glowy hand and covered his eyes with it. Instead of the darkness, he could see the force
light of Obi Wan's hand, followed by flickering colors and lights of various brightness, then an enormous blue glow. Anakin felt a jolt, and he was knocked backwards. He barely had time to catch himself with one elbow before his head hit the floor.

[Annie]

Shaken, he began to stand up. As he raised his head, he noticed something. He wasn't blind anymore. He could see not only Obi Wan, but everything in the room. It was filled with late afternoon sunlight. He blinked, opened his eyes wide, and looked all around the entire room. He glanced down at his shirt, seeing for the first time he had put on the blue one. He went onto the balcony, and gazed passionately out at his incredible view of the city. The sky was an intoxicating clear blue, and everything in the city was sparkling under the glow of the sun. Anakin's brain was suddenly overloaded with the beautiful images, light and color he had been so starved for, and thought were lost to him forever. He was smiling as he turned back to Obi Wan. "So, this is what seeing through the force is like. How long will it last before it fades? Do you have to be present for me to continue to see this way?"

"Anakin, you don't understand. It isn't going to fade away. You are not seeing through the force. I have used the power of eternal force to heal your eyes. You sight has returned to stay, you are seeing again with your own eyes."

Anakin was overcome with emotion. He had given up all hope, and now this? He wasn't going to be blind after all, he was going to see, for the rest of his life? It had been so hard coming to terms with being blind, he didn't want to get his hopes up, it was too good to be true. He stared at Obi Wan, breathing heavily, his body almost off balance. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, old friend. Luke used the force to take away your sight, I used the force to bring it back."

Anakin walked face to face with Obi Wan's spirit. He was trembling from happiness, and filled with gratitude at what his old friend had done for him. "Thank you, my master. I will never forget your compassion and generosity. You are now completely forgiven for leaving me to burn at Mustafar. You are totally redeemed to me."

"And you to me. I love you, Anakin. You have proven yourself worthy of life, and the force. In time I will teach you all the secrets of eternity and the
everlasting force only those who have passed will know. Until then, promise me you will not tell Yoda what I did for you. I could have cured you immediately when we first arrived, but he was against it."

Anakin looked hurt. "How could he? He'd have left me blind, needlessly? How cruel. Is that the "Jedi way?"

"Do you know he even threatened me with the loss of my immortal soul if I helped you?"

"You are still here, master."

"It was a risk I took, though I was confident I would be. I have spoken to Qui Gon, he is much more in tune with the infinite than Yoda. Since he is the one who discovered the secret, he is the one who has the most and deepest knowledge of it. He is always so lost in the force, finding new discoveries, he is hard to reach. I could use him now. "

Anakin looked down and shook his head. "Yes, I do hope he will come to us. I cannot believe Yoda. You could have cured me the last time you were here, and we may have stopped Luke by now! Why is he so stubborn?"

"You know how Yoda is, always the old ways, don't interfere, don't do this, that, he thinks they will cause harm, but ironically all the things he stood for helped lead to the destruction of the old order. I have tried to convince him to listen, but he's too set in his ways. I am still trying to change him. Will he ever learn?"

"Do you think if Qui Gon had lived, things would have turned out differently?"

"Oh, yes, I do. I still hope that his new discoveries in the force can make things better even now. When he does, perhaps he can change Yoda, I have had no success in doing so. I came here because I knew it was the best thing to do. I got away without him, if he shows up, you'll have to pretend not to see. When we find Luke, it will be best not to let him know, either. If he thinks you're blind, he will not expect you to fight him. That's how we will take him."

"That we will. We will find him, and bring him back to the Jedi" Anakin paused a moment, then stared seriously at Obi Wan and added, "but Master, let me tell you here and now, I will not kill Luke."

"He once told me that of you. He looked at me just as you are looking at me right now, and said "I can't kill my own father."

"He did?" Anakin said, sitting on the ground holding one leg bent in front of him, very much like the pose Luke was in when he spoke to Obi Wan in Dagobah. This brought that now bittersweet memory back to Obi Wan.

"Yes, that's what he said.

Anakin almost laughed. "You mean, he never wanted to kill me?"

"No, at least not after he found out you were his father."

"Is that why you didn't tell him who I was?....His voice trailed off, thinking how Yoda and Obi Wan must have wanted him dead, and that's why they didn't tell Luke who he was. Anakin remembered the moment he revealed his identity to Luke, and how Luke had said he'd been told by Obi Wan that Vader had murdered his father. So now he got the message about the 'certain point of view' thing. "You know, no matter what you and Yoda thought of me, I wasn't going to kill Luke. I never was. When he told me he felt good in me, that he sensed I couldn't bring myself to destroy him, he was right. It angered me at the time that he was so bold to call me on it, but he was right. There was still good in me."

"You know, those were Padme's last words."

Anakin looked shocked to hear her mentioned, and surprised to know this. Her memory hurt even more now. "She said that?"

"I was there when she..."

Anakin was so mad at himself. He pounded his fist into the floor. "I should have been there, it never should have happened!"

Obi Wan used one hand to calm and settle him with a gentle touch to his chest. Anakin looked back toward him, but there was no hiding his hurt and sadness, and regret. "Please, don't tell me any more, I can't..."

Padme, the deepest scar of all. Anakin was so overloaded with emotions, he could not allow hmself to go there. After the split with Luke and his turning, the devastating blow of his blindness, finding out about spirits and being overwhelmed by their return, and the knowledge of the afterlife, reconciling with Obi Wan, then getting his eyesight back, it was quite a range of emotions for one man in only a few days. He couldn't get any deeper, or he knew he would explode.

"But Anakin, you need to know. The very last words she uttered were about you. She said, "there is still good him."

This brought Anakin to tears. He didn't speak for awhile, but Obi Wan could sense the thoughts in his mind were discomforting. Finally, he said, "She never gave up on me, I wish there was something I could do
for her now. Luke is her son too, he is part of both of us, and I know there is good in him, I have to save him, Padme would want that. That may be the last thing I can do for her..." He would do it for her. But he couldn't allow his mind to go to the deepest place where his darkest memories and deepest regrets were buried, or he'd end up wallowing in his chamber again. There was something important to do, save Luke. He had to think about Luke.

Obi Wan was thinking of Luke, too. "Luke was a good boy. So innocent, so enthusiastic. You should have seen him the first time I put a lightsaber in his hands!"

"You should have seen the look on his face when he first pulled that lightsaber on me in the freezing chamber in Bespin" Anakin said with a sad smile, standing up to mock Luke's expression and stance when he first faced him in person.

"That was your lightsaber, you know, I saved it for him."

"I know, I recognized it right away. I remembered when you...took it. I figured you had given it to him. I'm glad you saved it for Luke. You know, I told him, 'Obi Wan has taught you well.' He looked down for a moment, then he gazed away toward the balcony window, reflecting. "You know, I don't think he'd have killed me, either."

"He probably wouldn't have."

Anakin turned back to Obi Wan. "He was such a good boy, what happened?"

"Too much of his father in him."

"That could be it." Anakin muffled a weak snicker which soon faded to his more somber mood. "I noticed that myself, and I told him so. That's what frightens me." He thought of his fall, and of Luke's turn. He thought of much that he would rather not, but it could not be denied. "Master, you have no idea how much I regret the past, how I wish I was there for Luke, and Leia...oh Padme..."

"Yes I do, I can sense it. I can sense the good in you. And the danger in Luke, and your concern for him."

"I wish I had been there, all along for him, and Leia. If I ever find them, I want to do everything I can to make up for what we lost."

"We have to find Luke first, and turn him from the dark side....."

"I know."

"Anakin, are you going to be able to face him, the way you need to?"

"Master, I told you, I will not kill him."

"What if he tries to kill you?"

Anakin thought a minute before he spoke. "I think I really understand how you felt about me on Mustafar now. you really didn't want to do it, did you?"

"No, Anakin, I begged Yoda to send me to the emperor instead. I told him I couldn't kill you..."

"If only things had not been as they were...."

"Indeed...if...Anakin, can you do this?"

"Can I? Yes, there is no question I can defeat him. In the suit, I lost. Blind, he'd have killed me. But now, I am in excellent fighting shape. I am more experienced, and I can defeat him. I will do it. But," he added emphatically, staring at Obi Wan directly in the eyes, " I will not kill him.'

"Anakin, I do hope it doesn't come to that."

"I will have to see to it that it doesn't. And hope, there is still good in Luke." He looked away, searching his thoughts and feelings, then turned back to his old master. "Let's go now, I am anxious to fly again." Giving one of his old smiles to Obi Wan, he ran down below ground to his private hangar collection to choose which mode of air travel he was going to use. He looked around, surprised Obi Wan did not follow him. Then he saw him materialize in front of him. "Oh, there you are!" It must be incredible to be a force spirit, he thought. "But can you ride along? Are you able?"

"We're about to find out!"

"How about an old Jedi starfighter, my master?" He said as he climbed into one.

"I'd be honored." Obi Wan's spirit joined Anakin inside the Jedi starfighter. "What did I tell you, Kenobi and Skywalker, together again."

Anakin smiled as he looked up, and Obi Wan was happy to see that old expression, and the life and spark in his blue eyes once again. This was his Anakin, the real Anakin, the friend and brother he remembered, for the first time since before Mustafar. "Kenobi and Skywalker, Jedi knights, forever."

They both felt peace, satisfaction and absolution for each other as the starfighter climbed high above the city and left Coruscant airspace for space itself, and places and destinies yet to be reached.

"Master, the stars are looking so incredibly bright and beautiful this evening."

"Indeed they are Anakin, indeed they are."


**************

Leia returned from a day at her mother's office in which she did not even see her. She wondered why she did not come to work, and what it meant. Back at the Falcon, she sat in a huff and folded her arms. "Han,we have to do a flyby tonight. I hate that we have to, but her apartment is so high up and I cannot gain access through normal means! Something is up, and I have to check on her. Everything depends on it."

Han was tired of the games. "Leia, I don't want to upset you, but don't you think this has gone far enough? Short of bursting right into her home and telling her what you know, risking being imprisoned for lunacy, you cannot stop her. The events happened, and you can't stop them..."

"NO!" She stood up and became more furious than he had ever seen her. "I can! I have to! I have been given this chance, I must!"

He tried to calm her with his arm around her shoulder. It was hard to contain his own volatile temper. If he had been a Jedi he'd have surely turned to the dark side himself, she thought. "The ship is almost ready. We can return to our own time, and fix things there! There is something you can do in our own time, with the Senate! They need you! Who knows what's happening there without you?"

"But if I can change things here, it won't matter."

"Or, it could be worse. Did you ever think of that?"

A tear slid down her brave facade. "All I know is, my mother is here, and she's going to die. My father is here, and he's going to be badly hurt and cause much damage to the galaxy. My adoptive father is here, and he will die when Alderaan is destroyed. I cannot just go and leave them, Han, please."

He gave his sheepish grin, rolled his eyes, and hugged her. "Okay. Whatever you say. Don't let it be said it was my fault."

Leia buried her face in his chest and sobbed. "Thank you, Han. Let's go."

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 15

By ASW

Luke had spent the night in the basement of the burned out igloo on the old Lars homestead. For the inner person who was still the old Luke Skywalker, it was painful to return to his childhood home. So many memories, and even a pang of guilt for the deaths of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. But as Obi Wan had told him, if he had been there, he'd have been killed too. There was nothing he could have done. It was now a familiar place, a refuge for him to hide out, no one ever came there or thought of the location. Here, he could contemplate his next moves, and his next plan. He had been to Old Ben's hut in the hillside cave, but the energy there was wrong. Perhaps it was inner guilt that he had gone against everything that he had been trained to be and had become the very thing he was supposed to destroy. It was through that cave that Obi Wan had felt him through the force and knew his location. While he was no longer there, he was still on the planet. He felt safe from any oppositon or enemies there, since at this time he had no allies to guard him while he slept. After a late night at the cantina, he was still sound asleep underground, protected from the hot suns of Tattooine, and detection by anyone. Anyone except someone who had the force.

In the Jedi Starfighter, Anakin, and Obi Wan's spirit had almost reached Tattooine. Swirls of memories good and bad tugged at them. Anakin remembered his mother, the sand people, and wondered about Luke having grown up there. Broken promises to free his fellow slaves. His mother. Thinking of his mother brought to mind sad recollections and regret over her as well as Padme. And something Obi Wan had told him.

"Master, when can you tell me more about the secrets of the eternal and everlasting force that only those who have passed into it know, as you told me about when you used it to restore my sight? Must I be dead first, can you tell me, now?"

Obi Wan, while emotional at the time he made that promise to Anakin, was worried about its implications now. Though he did totally trust and love Anakin again, he wondered what he'd have in mind to use that kind of power for. "It is very cosmic and detailed, my friend. We don't yet have the time to get into it. I told you I will share it with you while you are still among the living so that you may use it to cross over when your time comes as I did. But for now, it must wait. The matter at hand is finding young Luke. Patience."

Anakin was afraid he'd say that. He didn't want to cause a disturbance in the loving and useful reunion he had with Obi Wan, but he coudn't help thinking "if he could use that power to heal my eyes, what else can he do? What else can be healed? Could he....bring the dead back to life?" Anakin did not dare say this, not yet. It was trying to keep Padme alive that had driven him to the dark side, and a life of tragedy for himself and others. Still, that guilt and ever present sadness would not leave him. IF he could learn this power, was there a chance, at all, she could be brought back to life? Dare he even think of it? Was it possible? He didn't speak these words aloud though Obi Wan in his infinite wisdom somewhat sensed his train of thought. "Obi Wan," he finally asked, You told me that with the force, NOTHING is impossible. Are you able...can..." he choked on the words, unable to get them out. It didn't matter. His old master had sensed his feelings.

"Can I teach you to bring the dead back to life?"

Anakin didn't answer but turned and stared directly at him. Memories of Palpatine raced through his mind, and he said the same thing he had said to him: "How did you know that?"

Obi Wan almost chuckled. "Anakin, here you are presuming I have the ultimate power of the universe at my disposal, and am able to bring dead beings back to life, and you would question that I could read your feelings? I have been doing that all along, my friend. It's how I knew you needed me. It's how I knew I could trust you again." Then he looked more somber. "I am afraid that once a person is long dead, and their body is past the time of restoration, it is too late. There is a time, soon after... but when years have passed, so has the time. I'm sorry."

Anakin was heartbroken. He tried to read Obi Wan's expression, and inner feelings, to see if this was true or if he was only trying to discourage him from going on another desperate chain of action. It wasn't the same as reading a living being, he was of the force now, it wasn't working. But he believed him. "I am sorry, master, I hope you understand that it is in my heart, and I had to try. I hope this does not change the way you feel about me now."

"No, Anakin. I understand. In fact, I knew you were going to ask."

"You did?" He looked embarrassed, though still upset and disappointed. In his mind, he cried, if only it were not too late.Then he had another thought. "What about spirits, are Jedi the only ones who can return from the netherworld of the force?"

"As far as I know, Yoda, Qui Gon, and myself, along with a Shaman of the Whills, are the only ones who have achieved immortality as individuals. However, the force is strong, and deep, and there are things we do not yet know. We are searching for answers, that's where Qui Gon is now, searching through the force to discover things. One day, you will join us. I am sure there is much to learn. Much is possible. But for now, dear friend, let's find Luke, and save him from himself."

Obi Wan wondered, just for a second, if he did the right thing healing Anakin's eyes. As long as he remained blind, he was humble and pitiful, but now that he could see again he was more like his old self, stronger, more confident, and maybe more defiant? Perhaps a blind Anakin would have been less threat to the universe. Well, he thought, having no limbs or lungs didn't stop him. No, he reconsidered, and regretted even questioning himself. Yoda was not right, he had done the right thing. Anakin needed to see to find and fight Luke and stop him from becoming the new Sith Lord. No, Anakin should see, this was the right thing. He could sense in his spiritual being that Anakin had truly, deeply changed, and was not a threat. While his talk of bringing the dead back to life was just like the Anakin of old, the one who turned, it was just his love, attachment, that made him think of it. He knew that now, and knew the old order had been wrong. Though for years it had been different, he had now purged himself of any doubt. Anakin was back, the good friend and brother he remembered before his turn, only now with enough experience never to let the dark side sway him again.

Anakin tried to get his mind off the infinite possibilites Obi Wan had sent racing through his mind. He would never give up on them, and he was anxious to learn the secrets. But for now, Luke was the main issue. The starfighter approached Tattooine's weak atmosphere and penetrated it. As they came through, they saw that it was early morning, and the suns were burning brightly on the sands. Anakin had hated Tattooine for so long, and always thought it ugly. It wasn't quite so ugly today. Even the harsh, barren dunes and scorching suns of Tattooine were a gorgeous and welcome sight after experiencing blindness! Anakin quietly let out a half laugh. "Well, here we are, home sweet home." It had been a focal point for all of them, Anakin was raised here, lost his mother there, Luke grew up there, met Obi Wan there, Obi Wan had lived in his old hut and communed with Qui Gon there, waiting for Luke to come to the force.

Now it had brought them all full circle, and in a way, back to square one- stopping the dark side. If Luke were to become a full Sith Lord, and take an apprentice, the whole mess could start back over again. It had to end, now.

**************

Leia was now so desperate, she no longer cared about being discreet. In their latest flyby, she could see her mother was alone, and crying, in her apartment. On the skyline, they saw fire coming from the Jedi temple. They did not dare get any closer to see what was happening, but they knew it was bad. On the transmitter, Han picked up horrid tales on the newsline. They swarmed closer and closer to the penthouse balcony. "Take me in, Han." she said with determination.

"What, are you crazy?"

"Something terrible has happened, and it involves my parents. Now, Han, take me as close as you can to that balcony."

He could tell she was not changing her mind, and while he worried, he loved that part of her nature. Hovering just over where Padme could not see the ship out her window, Leia lifted the hatch on top and, using a rope with a hook to secure a grip on the balcony railing, tried to get the courage to jump. Up high the wind would toss her about. She called upon whatever force existed in her to guide her, and jumped. She missed! Han was terror stricken. He tried to move the Falcon and turn it around to come under her, but by the time he made his wide turn to circle back, the brave young former princess and senator, and part Jedi, had managed to pull herself up to where she could grab hold of the railing. Once she was safely on the balcony, she waved Han off, he had to go before anyone came after him. Carefully, she snuck to the sliding glass doors and peeked around the corner. There sat her mother, crying on the couch. It was now or never, fear, propriety, especially her job, didn't matter now. "Hello." she boldy announced her presence.

"Leia, how did you get in here?"

"It's not important. What is important is getting you out of here. You are in danger, your husband Anakin is in great danger."

"Anakin? How did you know he was my husband?"

Leia had slipped up, and now didn't know what to say. She had to do it. She was going to openly come right out with it. She was her daughter, sent from the future to save her. She took a deep breath, and began to speak. "I have something to tell you that is going to be quite a shock, but in a good way, I hope:" Padme stared at her in shock and anticipation. But before she could say another word, there was a knock at the door. Padme put her finger to her lips to tell Leia to be quiet, then with her hand silently waved her away, pointing to the bedroom. Leia respected her wishes, and quietly tiptoed into the bedroom. Padme went to the door, and opened it. It was Obi Wan Kenobi.

***********************

After all these years, Anakin remembered the place where his mother was buried. He wanted to visit it one more time, something he had not been able to do in all his years as Vader. He had felt wrong, like his mother would disapprove. He hated the ugly place, the whole planet. The pain was too strong. If he had gone there, Luke would not have remained a secret so long. Obi Wan looked over at the sand hill where he had last seen Beru holding baby Luke when he had given him to her and set off for his years of solitute as a hermit. They landed it, and got out. Anakin walked slowly to the place where his mother was buried, though the stone was broken and covered by years of blowing sand, he had not forgotten. He had a sad, silent moment with her as tears rolled down his face. He knelt and touched the ground above her. He hoped she was happy and at peace, wherever she was in the force. Anakin looked around the remains of the homestead and imagined his son there as a child, and deeply regretted how he had come to be there, and how much time he had missed. All he could do was save him now. Then, another feeling came to him, one that Obi Wan already had. They both sensed a presence, the presence of the force strong human sleeping underground. At the same time, Luke was awakening, and he could sense them too. Anakin had to clear his mind of the hurtful emotions before he felt the presence, but now he did.

"Master," he said in a low voice without moving or turning around, "Luke is here. Now"

"I know. Get ready."

The Skywalker Dynasty

Chapter 16

Anakin stood with his back to the old Lars homesite, knowing Luke was going to emerge from it, probably armed. He did not turn around. Obi Wan vanished in his ghost form for now, but kept his presence. He wondered if Luke could sense him as a ghost as Anakin had. There were anxious moments of deadly desert silence. Then, being as quiet as he possibly could, Luke began to climb out of the hole in the ground and advance. His lightsaber was drawn but not ignited. As he approached Anakin from behind, he ignited it, and held it in a position to strike him from behind. Anakin could not only sense Luke, he could hear his approach, and see his shadow, though he had not turned around and did not plan to- yet. When he was squarely behind his father, Luke raised his lightsaber and took a swing. Instantly, Anakin ignited his own lightsaber, and blocked the blow backward over his shoulder without even moving the rest of his body. He didn't even need to see. Once the lightsabers were locked and humming, Anakin turned around to face Luke. He remembered what Obi Wan had said, don't tell him you can see again, so he tried his best not to focus on the lightsaber, or make eye contact with Luke, while still seeing the action. For a few seconds, the lightsabers did not move. Then, Luke spoke.

"You old blind fool. How did you manage to get out here with that starfighter?"


"I came with an old friend."

Luke looked around. "Is this, friend, here?"

"It doesn't matter. This is between me and you." Anakin said strongly. "I came to stop you and punish you for blinding me, and stop you you from reigning more terror on the galaxy!"

"You are one to talk about terrorizing the galaxy!" Luke chuckled harshly.

"I have changed, Luke, I intend to make ammends for my tragic mistakes. Starting with preventing you from repeating them!"

Luke smiled wickedly. "It's not going to be easy for you, is it? What a pity this will be your last fight."

Being so close to Luke, and his evil attitude, Anakin's temper was fuming. He was having a hard time controlling it. He broke the stalemate and moved his lightsaber. Luke easily blocked it. "You pathetic blind fool! How dare you think you can challenge me?" Luke taunted. Anakin only meant to defend himself, but wanted so badly to teach Luke a lesson. Luke gritted his teeth and took a swat at Anakin. It was prompty blocked. Back and forth they went, each meeting the other's blow, Luke with Vader's old red lightsaber, Anakin with Luke's homemade green one. Luke, knowing that a ravine dropped off sharply and deeply a few yards away, and thinking his father still blind, intended to drive him backward off of it, injuring him enough to end the fight early. Anakin realized he was being backed up, but never looked back. He planned to spring his true and fully operational skills on Luke when the time was right. He held back, only making weak defensive moves, until he felt himself losing his footing and falling backwards. Luke grinned with evil delight at the thought of humiliating his father. But the old Jedi instinct kicked back in, and Anakin, who was actually no longer blind, of course, peeked back over his shoulder as he fell, saw the distance between him and the ground and made his calculations. He turned his downward drop into a graceful backflip, Jedi spin and perfect landing on both feet in the ravine below. He amazed even himself. All those years in the suit had stifled his agility, but now he was free of it, and had more lightweight artificial limbs, so his old skills came back to him and he was able to execute them fully. He stood at the bottom, looking up at Luke, who was still holding his lightsaber and looking a bit stunned the fall had not stopped him.

"Impressive." He said to Anakin, as he had once said to him. "Most impressive, for an old blind, limbless wretch!" Just then, Anakin bent slightly at his knees, raised his arms,and launched upward, jumping, almost flying, to the top of the ravine and landing solidly on the edge beside Luke.It was the best he'd done that since the elevator as he and Obi Wan were rescuing Palpatine years ago.

Anakin, even out of the Vader suit, still had a good 3-4 inch height advantage on his son. He stood tall and steady, holding his lightsaber in attack position, and stared menacingly at Luke. He did not speak, but Luke did. "Father, you can see, can't you?" He realized no blind man could have saved himself from that fall, or gotten back up so easily. He felt Anakin's intense eyes piercing through him.

Anakin grinned at him with much satisfaction and said "Your feelings serve you well, my son. I warn you, I am more than able to take you in a fight. You know that. You defeated me in Palpatine's throne room, but I was wearing the suit. I am not anymore. If we fight now, I will regard you as any other worthy opponent. You have abused your Jedi powers tyrannically. You tried to blind me, you tried to kill me. I will do what I must."

"You will try."

Watching but unseen to Luke, Obi Wan felt much concern.

***************

From Padme's bedroom closet, Leia heard everything said between her mother and Obi Wan. This told her a lot. A story she did not really know. A story that hurt her personally, because it was about her parents. Thinking Obi Wan gone, Padme rushed into her room to change to travel clothes. She had almost forgotten about Leia. After changing in the bathroom, she faced her. "I'm sorry Leia, something has come up, you will have to go."

"No, I'm coming with you."

"Oh, no, you cannot. Please, be kind and leave me."

"If I am kind, I will not leave you. I am here to save your life."

"My LIFE? What is this about?"

It was now or never. "Senator Amidala, I am your daughter. I have come from the future to stop what is going to happen right now. Anakin is going to be badly injured, and you, are going to, die."

Padme turned ashen white. "How is this possible?" She wondered if it was true. It could be, if Anakin's dreams came true, why not this? Then she thought, there is no such thing as time travel, this girl must be a spy. Her mind was still wrestling with belief in her story, and fear of a spy or assassin. She remembered the attempts on her life, and wondered if this was part of the plot. Had she only looked into Leia's deep brown eyes and saw her own. If she had only listened to her heart, and searched her feelings, she would have known. But she didn't. "I don't know who sent you here or what this is about, but I have to go. Now."

"No, mother, don't!" Leia cried out. This moved Padme deeply, so much she almost stopped. But some unseen fate was dragging her away. Threepio came in and told her the ship was ready. She went with him. Leia ran after her, begging all the way. She didn't turn back. "I must find my husband. If you are still here when I get back with him, we will discuss this matter with him." That was all she said as she jumped into her ship and flew away. Leia made one last pitiful lunge at the ship, clawing with her fingers on the edge of the deck and crying. When the ship was gone, she squeezed her fingers into a fist and pounded the ground, crying harder than she ever had. Unknown to her, Obi Wan had stowed away. They were going to Mustafar, where her father would be maimed and her mother choked and left dying. It wasn't fair. She had been sent to save them, and she had failed. Then she thought what Han had told her. Maybe you can't stop fate, maybe you aren't supposed to. She couldn't let that stop her. She knew the ship was heading for Mustafar. She had to find Han and see if he would at least make an attempt to track Padme down. If they did, they could stop the lava fight too. Unless it was already written in the book of fate, she was going to change the outcome.

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty

Chapter 17

Leia was still crying as he mother's ship disappeared in the clouds. She got up and tried to flag down Han, but she didn't see the Falcon anywhere. She ran back inside and bagged a few items she thought might be important She knew that if Padme returned and found them gone, she would no longer trust her, but knowing that unless she reached her she was never coming back, she took the chance. Contacting Han on her communcator, she met him on the balcony. He opened the hatch and she jumped in.
"Han, we've got to get to Mustafar, now."

"Mustafar, is it? What next?" He shrugged and exhaled heavily.
"You don't know how important this is, my mother is going to die, my father is going to fight Obi Wan Kenobi and become Darth Vader, hurry!"

Han remembered how originally he wanted nothing to do with this princess, and Luke had convinced him helping her would be worth it. Sometimes he wondered if that turned out to be true considering all they had been through. But worse may have befallen him if he had not been with her. She did save him from Jabba, and from himself, in many ways. Still, there were times he had to wonder, "why couldn't I have fallen in love with a normal girl?" He spoke this under his breath, and she heard him.

"I'm so sorry, Han, but this is really, really important."
"Leia, there is no guarantee we can even make it, or do anything once we get there."

"I know, but we have to try."
"You know, I didn't tell you because you were so worked up, but I believe we will be able to make it home, to our time now, and I want to go."

"Han, no, not before we save my parents! And my adoptive father! We can prevent the empire, and save Alderraan, and countless lives! You will go down in history as a hero!"
"You forget, once we change these things they will no longer have occured, so who will know? Our own recent heroics on Endor will be forgotten."

"Is that it? Oh, Han, we can save so many so much pain! Let's get to Mustafar, fast!" But just then, she felt a disturbance in the force. She sat down and closed her eyes. In a state of near medidation, a vision came to her. Luke. Her twin was in trouble, she could feel her father but not see him there. She knew Luke had to be saved, and turned back, now. But what about her parents? Maybe she was meant to do both? How? Could she save everyone? She called out to Han and told him what she saw.
"Tattooine, now?? Make up your mind! I know you care, but we can't take on everything, baby!"
She tried to be brave, but the tears came. "I'm sorry, Han. I don't know what to do. You said we could make it back to our time, so let's get Luke first! Then we can bring him back here, and he will know what to do in Mustafar!"

Han was doing well holding his temper. "You do know that if we go back to the present we may not be able to return here. It's a chance you must take if we leave now for Tattooine. Think about it."

Leia decided to leave it to the will of the force. She was not sent back by accident. If she was meant to return, she would. "Tattooine." She said, breathlessly and unsure."Tattooine first, then back here, with Luke, to stop Mustafar, if we are not too late."

"I will set the coordinates to whatever brought us here, it may work, it may not. All I can do is try." He set his course, and they flew away fast. "If any ship can do it, it's this baby." He bragged.

*****************

Far away in time and space on Tatooine, Luke and Anakin were engaged heavily in battle. The duel was very evenly matched, to Luke's surprise. He had intended on having an easy time with his father, but he did not. For a moment, he resented having donated the tissue that healed him. "Damn you, I made you, you are only what you are because of me, and my tissue! I made you!" he screamed. Anakin found the irony so hilarious he wanted to laugh. "YOU made ME? Are you forgetting, I am your FATHER?" With this, their lightsabers clashed in a strong stalemate and stare-down until finally Anakin broke his out and crashed it down onto Luke's. Luke did the same to him.

They were both very fast, very strong, and very capable. Back and forth they went, all across the sand, up and down the landscape, in twists, turns, flips and push-offs. Anakin was feeling very high on his own adrenaline as he realized he was almost what he was before his Mustafar injuries. He was suprising even himself with his moves. He gloated to himself in satisfaction, the pride and happiness showing on his face like an aging ice skater whose long gone triple axle had finally returned. He was actually enjoying the Jedi flips and turns, his strength, and skill, and the challenge of the fight with an even opponent. His heart was not full of rage at all, he was fighting because he knew he had to, and because he needed to stop Luke. In the meantime, he took pleasure in testing and proving his skills. It was actually a beautiful fight to watch, and Obi Wan was watching. He would step in if he needed to, but saw no need to at this time. Anakin was holding Luke one on one, and even taking advantages at times.

Luke, on the other hand, was furious. He was angry at his father for trying to stop him, and angry his father could not be stopped. His dark side rage led him to use his left hand to shoot force lighning at his father again. This time, Anakin was ready, and deflected it with his lightsaber right back into Luke. Every time Luke sent it back, Anakin blocked it. "Bounces off me and sticks to you!" Anakin snarled as he mustered all his strength to deflect it. He was not able to inflict it on any part of Anakin, his eyes, his chest, his limbs, anything, Anakin was too well prepared, and too good a shot. He block it perfectly. "Just stop it, Luke, you have no idea what deflected force lightning does to a person."

Luke did not stop. "You're bluffing, how would you know?"

Anakin stared at him while holding his lightsaber firm against the lightning. "You remember Palpatine's face, what it looked like? I saw that happen, I was there! It was caused by exactly this. He tried to shock Master Mace Windu with force lightning and he deflected it back into his body with his lightsaber! That's how he came to be hideously deformed! So stop before it happens to you!"

"But Windu lost that fight, and so will you."

"Windu only lost because some impetuous young, misguided, misled fool stepped in and took off his hand before he could stop Palpatine. That young fool was ME! Don't you do it, Luke, don't let the dark side consume you! Isn't the story of my life lesson enough for you?" Anakin was sincere, and all his feelings were expressed on his face. But Luke was too full of rage to stop. He saw that his father was trying to use his experiences to steer him back on the right path, but he was in no condition of mind to listen. Anakin's lectures and advice were the reason he blinded him and fled in the first place. He had not changed. He continued the fight.

On and on the elegant and expertly done and evenly matched duel between father and son raged on until Anakin got one more move in on Luke and skillfully knocked his lightsaber from his hand by its handle instead of taking off his hand. Luke lost his balance and stumbled backward on his rear end and lay there, glaring up at his father who was glaring back down at him. Anakin saw Luke reach out his hand to pull his lightsaber to him using the force, but Anakin also reached out his hand and tried to do the same. The lightsaber rattled in midair as the two force strong opponents both tried to haul it in. This was when Obi Wan Kenobi made his audio and visual presence known. He stepped up and used the force break the tie and help guide the lightsaber to Anakin's left hand. Anakin reached out and grabbed it, and crossing the two in front of him as he had done against Dooku years before, held them both over Luke with a smile and look of triumph glowing all over his face. Anakin glanced over at the still hiding Obi Wan out of the corner of his eye and winked. He nodded back in approval.

"You are beaten." He proudly announced to Luke, in his best non-voice amplified Darth Vader voice. "Don't make me destroy you." He smiled as he looked down at Luke. "Or cut off your limbs, or put out your eyes, or anything like that." Luke sreamed and tried to kick the lightsabers out of Anakin's hand. "Don't do it, Luke, I will cut off your legs if I have to. I don't want to." Seeing and sensing his father was serious, he lay still. But he wasn't finished. He tried to use the force to choke Anakin. Holding both lightsabers and having no hands left to do the gesture, Anakin stared hard at Luke and used his mind to answer. Both of them were starting to choke a little when Obi Wan walked up and stood by them. Luke was shocked by the appearance, and ashamed he hadn't sensed him in his fury. He felt angry and ashamed, but not regretful, not yet.

"Release each other!" Obi Wan demanded, and waved his hand as the choke holds released and each caught their breath. Luke spoke first.

"Ben! What are you doing here? You take his part in this?"

"Luke, I tried my best with you, but like your father before you, in his youth, I failed. I am for what is right in the force, and now, your father is on the right side, you are not." Luke only gave an indigant dirty look and locked his jaws in a teeth gritting growl.

"It's over, Luke." Obi Wan said in his calm, stately, wise voice.

"NEVER!" Luke screamed, rising to his feet. It took both Anakin and the spirit of Obi Wan to subdue him again.

"Now," Anakin told him to his fac, pointing to the vehicle,."get your butt over to that Jedi fighter, and get in, sit down and shut up. We're going home." Anakin knew, as Luke had of him, that nothing could be done to restrain him because he was so force strong. He was not coming peacefully on his own, and Anakin did not want to take any of Luke's body parts to stop him. Obi Wan used his stronger eternal force power to contain Luke, and levitated him to the Jedi fighter. As Anakin tried to climb in, Luke lunged forward again, and Anakin was forced to strike him with one of the lightsabers. A gaping but not deadly wound tore through his shirt and into his shoulder. He howled in pain, and held it with his other hand. "You are most fortunate it was not much worse, because if not for my compassion for you despite all you've done, it would have been." Anakin declared powerfully. He knew could have and would have easily killed or maimed him if he had not been his son.

"I hate you!" he snarled at his father. Anakin stared into Luke's eyes and was surprised to see they were still blue, even in such anger. This was a good sign he was not totally a Sith yet. There might still be hope for him.

Obi Wan realized this had been no ordinary father-son brawl as he felt much peace flowing in the force. The Chosen One had done it after all, stopped the last ember of the Sith in the universe, and brought balance to the force. He even had done it while sparing Luke's life, as he said he would. Thanks to Anakin, and Luke, the prophecy had been fulfilled. Still he sensed that was not the end of all Anakin was destined to do. More awaited him, and the force was still not done with Anakin Skywalker.

"It's over, Luke. For your own good, stop." Obi Wan ordered him. Obi Wan's spirit would have to contain Luke on the ride back. Anakin turned off both lightsabers and hooked them onto his belt. Very full of himself, he used his old Jedi moves to jump, not climb, right into the pilot seat for the flight home. Before anyone could speak or act, they saw a ship landing to the side of them. Almost in unison, the trio recognized it as a familiar sight to all of them, and sighed aloud: "The Millenium Falcon!"

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 18


The hatch opened and Han Solo began to disembark. Obi Wan stayed in the starfighter to contain Luke while Anakin opened the glass globe and jumped out to go face Han.


"Oh, hello, Captain Solo, what brings you here?" Anakin greeted him with a nervous smile.

Han looked surprised, raising his eyebrows and putting his open hand to his chest. "How do you know me? Are my heroics now that famous that everyone knows my face? You've never seen me before, have you??"

For a moment, Anakin realized that Han didn't know who he was, and wanted to leave it that way. Being anonymous was great. But then he knew that with Luke in tow, and having to deal with him and Leia, the truth would surely come out. Might as well face up to it now. It took a lot of courage, but he had it in him. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. We have met, in, Bespin. I'm afraid I wasn't treating you very well. I regret to say, I ordered you frozen in carbonite."


Now Han was really thrown for a loss. "That was Darth Vader. Are YOU Darth Vader?"

Anakin blushed. "I used to be. Please forgive me, I am a changed man. Please, call me Anakin. Anakin Skywalker."

Now Leia emerged from the Falcon. She stood frozen in the opening, her arms outstretched at her side, her mouth gaping. "Anakin Skywalker? My FATHER?" Anakin looked up at his daughter and smiled, but he was afraid of her reaction. 'That's my daughter, Padme's daughter!' He thought as he scanned every inch of her face, thinking how much she reminded him of her mother, and how he should have thought of that when he first saw her. But then, he had been so consumed by evil as Darth Vader his feelings did not allow it. He had hurt so much he did not allow himself to feel. How much he regretted that! How badly he wanted to run to her, to touch her, to look at her, apologize to her, and bond with her. He was worried if she would readily accept him. All he could do was show her love and kindness and hope the rest found its way.

"Yes." He said honestly. "It's me, Anakin Skywalker, your father."

She had experienced a lot lately, but this was too much. "How is that possible?" She wondered out loud. She had just left Coruscant where he had been on his way to Mustafar. And he spoke of being Darth Vader? What was going on?

Anakin laughed in his old shy way, looking down with the little smile. "I was Darth Vader. But Luke killed Palpatine, and we escaped from the Death Star to my home in Coruscant."

"I know that, I sensed it."

"Good girl! We'll make a Jedi of you yet."

"But, why- do you look like you did, healthy and young? I thought you- weren't you, burned, and...." Anakin took a few moments to fill her in on his miraculous healing and all the recent events. She was shocked, but not upset. She had a bombshell of her own and was about to drop it.She stared at him, her father, a father she'd never had, and had only known as a monster in the worst of times. This was too hard. She wanted to hate him, but having failed to save him in the past, she was actually relieved to see that if he was here and now that he was changed, and not like Darth Vader. She had an idea. If he were truly changed, pehaps he could stop himself on Mustafar! She didn't mention it yet. When Anakin asked her where she had been all that time after the Battle of Endor, she had quite a tale of her own to tell. But she told them there was no time, don't ask questions now, she would explain all on the way to Mustafar.

"MUSTAFAR?" Anakin screamed. He was never going back there again. "WHY Mustafar?"

Leia looked directly into his eyes and spilled the beans. "We've been back in time, father. We tried to stop what happened when you turned, but it didn't work and now we are desperate. If we hurry, there may still be a chance...."

Anakin's face was like a ghost as his enormous wide blue eyes stared at her, searching for some answer he hoped to hear. "A chance, for what?"

"To stop what happened. To save my mother."

At her words, Anakin's heart and mind raced out of control. A CHANCE TO SAVE PADME! Could this be real? He ran up and hugged Leia. She did not resist his affection but did not immediately return it. "You can take me to her, while she lived?" Leia nodded. Anakin almost passed out. Regaining his composure, Anakin motioned for Obi Wan to bring Luke, then hurried on board the Falcon. This was going to be a strange journey and and even stranger adventure!

Not having time or space for the starfighter, or the stolen TIE fighter, everyone climbed aboard the time travel ready Falcon and Han punched it out of the steamy Tattooine atmosphere. On board, Luke was carried by Anakin and placed on the old cot he layed on when he got his hand cut off after dueling Darth Vader in Bespin. He was barely conscious, and not in a good mood. Obi Wan's ghost came along, but did not show himself yet. Leia, seeing Anakin carrying Luke, went running to him. "Luke, what happened?" She said. His eyes fluttered open and tried to focus on her.

"Leia." he said in weak voice. "My shoulder, help me."

She moved his hand from the wound and looked at it. "Father tried to kill me." He whispered. Leia was at first furious and wanting to toss Anakin into outer space. But then he came through the doorway.

"That's because he tried to kill me. He has turned to the dark side." Now she looked back at Luke with disapproval. 'Luke? The dark side? No way. Could he?' "Search your feelings, Leia, you will know it to be true." Spoke Obi Wan's spirit. Everyone but Han could see him, including her. She had another few stunned moments as she met the force spirit of Obi Wan Kenobi. Things were getting stranger and stranger, but not much shocked her anymore. They all stood over Luke, waiting to see how he would react next. He was weakend, and would not raise a fuss in front of Han and Leia, even at his worst. He lay there, defeated and silent, barely awake. She took a few moments to clean and bandage his wound, and noticed something else on the back of his shoulder, just under the skin. If the lightsaber wound had not opened it, no one would ever have detected it.

"What's this?" She asked. "There's something wrong with your back..."

Luke managed to speak up "must be where they took that chunk out of me to regrow skin to heal Father."

Anakin walked over and looked at it. "No, that's not the same spot." He pointed to the place where the specimen was taken. "What IS that?" He wondered along with Leia. They wished they had a droid on board, but in their haste, Han and Leia had abandoned them, along with Chewy, on the Kashyyyk of the past. Leia carefully slid an instrument under Luke's skin. He screamed in pain. Leia gasped. It was some kind of implant! She ran a check on it with the Falcon's computer system. It came back as a known substance, something used as a time controlled drug to slowly seep into a person's skin at intervals, affecting their mind! A chill went down her spine. Someone was using Luke! But who, and why?

Anakin came over and examined the now removed implant. "I've seen these before, the empire used them on people. Because Luke is a Jedi, his mind is too strong to be controlled, so they had to put it in his body and let it work its way through his system that way. This makes perfect sense! Though Luke was leaning to the dark side from the moment he killed the Emperor, he was never pure evil until....." he stopped talking and searched his memory, then resumed. "until after he took me home from the hospital!" He slammed one fist into the other. "There must be a droid still loyal to the empire working there, and he did this to Luke when he went in to donate tissue! Only XC-454 worked on me, and he is neutral, so I didn't get one. That explains it all! I am so relieved my son isn't really as evil as I thought. I didn't think Luke would put out my eyes and try to kill me. This took him over the brink and used his conflict over the dark side to send him too far in the wrong direction. When we get back, I will find that droid and destroy him myself. Then we will find out if he did this to anyone else, find them, and remove the implants."

Leia looked shocked at her father. He was a good man. He had really changed inside, but he looked just like the Anakin she had seen on the balcony with Padme. This was strange, but good. Of her own free will, she embraced him. He hugged her back, and they both wept. Anakin apologized for all the wrong he had done to her as Vader, and promised to continue to do anything he could to make things right. Luke, his implant removed, had fallen unconcious, but was alive and well. They left him to rest, hoping when he awoke, the old Luke Skywalker would be back.

Obi Wan was pleased. He felt in the force Luke was going to be all right now. "Anakin, how did we not sense this?" He did ask. "It was not a something living, or eternal, not of the force. But we did sense the dark side in him, and it was there, I know it, you know I know it well. He had it in him in our duel on the Death Star. He had it in him when I brought him home, and it worried me. But he did get steadily worse and more evil as that thing released the drug into him. It took him over the edge. But we saved him, old friend, we found him and saved him. Who knows what would have become of him? Kenobi and Skywalker brought him back. We saved him from himself, and the galaxy from him as well. It was the lightsaber wound that exposed it. The force was telling us something." He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning against the doorway to rest. "Ah, I feel better now." It had been a long day.

All was quiet on the ship as it headed toward its mission ahead. Anakin found Obi Wan and stood with him, his presence was soothing and comforting. Thoughts of going to Mustafar swirled in his mind. "Obi Wan, what do you make of this time travel? Will we really be able to stop events of the past?" He did not answer. He wasn't even sure if he, as a spirit, could travel backward in time by spacecraft. He knew much of life, and the force, but this was going to be a new, though surely useful, experience for even him. The force was eternal, but physical time travel, this was yet to be explored.

Anakin walked over to the viewport and stared out at the stars as he always had as Darth Vader. "Oh Padme" he thought to himself as he gazed into the depths of space. "If there's any way to save you now, there's nothing I wouldn't do. I'm coming, my love."

The Skywalker Dynasty

Chapter 19

Luke's head was spinning, and aching. As he stirred himself awake, he didn't know where he was. He opened his eyes and strained to see his surroundings. Soon the blurry haze cleared and he slowly recognized the interior of the Milleninum Falcon. How did he get here? It took him awhile to remember. The last of the drug from the implant was weakening and draining from his body, and it gave him a sickly feeling of withdrawl. It had taken his dark side leanings and magnified them much stronger and led him to do things he never would have gone so far as to carry out, and made it impossible for him to resist on his own. He didn't even want to think of all the people and creatures he had killed or hurt on his rampage, or things he must have destroyed. Surely his name was even more well known now, but not for the righteous avenging hero he originally had been. While all feared him and none would challenge him, he felt so ashamed. He wished he could take it all back. He struggled for the strength and the breath to speak. "Father." His voice cracked, barely audible.

Leia came in to check on him, and saw he was awake. Quickly she rushed to his side, sat down and put her hand on his forehead. "You okay?" She asked, stroking his sweaty hair from his forehead.

"Oh Leia, I feel terrible."

"Terrible in pain, or for the things you did?"

He turned away. "Both." There was only one person who would understand how he felt now. "Leia," his big blue eyes begged as he spoke, "go get Father. I have to talk to him." She just nodded, and went to get him.

On the deck, Anakin was talking to Han about the ship. "You know, I always desired to fly this ship." He admitted. Han gloated with pride. "Really? People call her a bucket of bolts, but this is a very special ship."

Anakin laughed quietly. "You have a hard time imagining Darth Vader coveting your ship? Well, I did. I was always amazed at its escapes and abilities. Frustrated, but amazed just the same." Han snickered when he heard this. "No, it's true! I always did have a thing for a good fast ship. You know, I was a podracing champion as a youngling. In my youth I was quite good in a speeder, you should have seen me. When I was Vader, there were times when I would go off to my private chamber on the Executor, take off my suit and mask, lay back and try to find some races on my vidscreen." He and Han both got a laugh out of that. "It's funny, really, everyone on the star destroyer was terrified of me, that I'd choke them to death at any moment, and they thought I was in there spying on their every move and thinking evil thoughts. Sometimes I was, but sometimes I was just resting and enjoying a good podrace, if I could find a signal in the right part of the galaxy. I know a good ship when I see one, and this is a fine piece of machinery."

Han swelled with pride. That was quite a compliment coming from such an experienced pilot. Anakin was almost afraid to ask, but he did. "Do you think, maybe, you'd let me fly it sometime? Not now, I will leave the time travel to you, this is too important. But may I have a turn, another time?"

"You won't get a scratch on it, will you?" Anakin just looked at him and smiled. "In case you haven't heard, I am the best star pilot in the galaxy."

"Well, we will have to put that to the test sometime, shall we?" "You're on. " They both smiled and shook on it.
Anakin leaned back in the copilot's seat and sighed, staring out the window at the stars, and thinking about so much. "You know, Solo, you have no idea how devastated I was when I was blinded and thought I'd never see, never be able to fly again."

"Oh, I understand, I can relate to that." Han said, as they both conjured bad memories. Anakin felt waves of remorse he had been partly responsible for Han's carbonite ordeal. "Oh yes, that's right, you do. We have a lot in common, Solo. I like you." Han loved hearing this, though he hadn't planned on asking him for Leia's hand, knowing they were getting along helped.

Anakin continued to brag about his flying prowess to one almost as bold. "You know, I did design the TIE fighter. I am quite good. I'd love to see what you have in your engine room here, another time."

"No problem, pal." Han realized he LIKED Anakin. That was good, since he was going to be his father in law soon! This was going to work out very nicely, if the main mission, the one too tense to speak of, would succeed first. The opportunity to reach the time travel portion of their trip was approaching, and everyone feared its failure so much they didn't even mention it. But they felt it. It just had to work!

From over their shoulder, Leia spoke. "Father?" Anakin turned around to face her. "Luke is awake. He wants to talk to you."

Anakin got up and rushed to him. Worried about Luke's state of mind, and reaction, he came through the doorway with hesitation and apprehension. Luke's head turned and he focused his bright blue eyes on his father. "Father." he groaned, weakly, almost pitifully.

"Hey, Luke, how do you feel?"

He shook his head. "Not very good. It's not just the drug implant. I know I was heading to the dark side and that's why it was able to use me. I feel so ashamed. I did horrible things, I remember them all. First, Father, I would like to ask for your forgiveness for the way I treated you. You were doing what was best for me, and I refused to listen. I was very cruel and hurtful. I can't believe I actually put out your eyes."

Anakin stared at him with those eyes, and put his hand on Luke's good shoulder, and mustered a crooked half smile. "I admit it would be a lot harder to forgive you for that had Obi Wan not healed them for me." Luke looked down, in deep remorse. His father sensed and understood his feelings. "Luke, if anyone knows how you feel, it's me. I was Darth Vader! You know all the atrocities I committed."

"Yes, Father, that's why I had to talk to you, to someone who would understand, and not judge me."

"You got me there. As much as I disapprove of your recent actions, I am not one to talk. Because I had changed so much, I was able to know what you were doing was wrong, and want to stop you. You hated me for that, but you know I was right. And I know I have done wrong. I suffer a lot with the guilt, and I always will. You are not going to escape that, son. But what you can do is what I've done, start now, anew, and try to be the best man you possibly can, and perhaps in some way we can atone for the evil that we wrought. We can know we will never commit such actions again, stop others from doing them, and try to make things right." There were tears in Luke's eyes as he nodded his head 'yes' at his father, who gave a bittersweet smile back. Obi Wan's spirit had been watching and listening, and he was pleased. He was overcome with gladness and satisfaction that his two favorite Jedi were once again on the right side, and on it together.

Anakin could not stop thinking of Padme. If they could save her, if she could know him, and Luke, now, he hoped she would approve. Or, because of the trip, could all the bad things he had Luke were feeling be erased? Time would literally tell. The momentary silence was broken by Han's screams as the ship started to shake and make strange sounds. "Anakin! Get up here, help me!" Hearing this, he turned his head to that direction, then got up, leaving Luke with a sad wink and a tender squeeze on the arm. He ran to the deck.

"Good, you're here." Han said breathlessly. "I just tried to reestablish the coordintates of the time and place we'd been, and the ship's going haywire."

A look of panic crossed Anakin's features. "Oh, no, does that mean we won't be able to get back?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to do everything I can. There seems to be something loose, I need to get below. Will you take the controls?"

"My pleasure, I will do what I can." Anakin said as he sat down in Han's pilot seat. He had flown a lot of ships in his time, but never a Corellian freighter. In his haste, he tried his best to figure out what to do. His hands and eyes raced all over the controls and instruments at once, not touching anything yet. "Han! What do I do?!" He screamed. Han was already under the floor working on the engine parts.

"Oh, I'm sure you can do it." Then in sarcastic, though actually serious tone, he added, "Use the force!" Anakin gave a nervous smile, and very much like Han, muttered, "oh, great!"

Obi Wan's spirit came up behind him. "Seems to me I believe I remember someone telling me 'the ability to pilot this ship is irrelevant' at this point, or something like that."

Anakin remembered, and gave Obi Wan a look of recognition before he turned back to the controls. "Right." He answered. "Hold on, kids!" He screamed out to Luke and Leia in the other room as Leia filled Luke in on the time travel. "This is going to be rough!" He got a look of determination on his face as his mind and body did everything it could to fly the ship. It was in good hands.

While the turbulence was great, and strange things were happening, Anakin, and Obi Wan, were able to bring the Falcon through as Han toyed with the inner workings. Soon, to everyone's relief, it was running normally again. Anakin leaned back and breathed a heavy sigh. Han, crawling out of the engine pit, did the same. "You did great, I knew you would."

"Same to you. Can we make it?" "Move over to the copilot seat, I know what to do now. Let's try."

Leia was so proud of both of them. She stood behind them, and asked cautiously, "are we still going to make it?"

"I'm gonna give it my best shot." Han said as he punched it. On cue, the stars froze, flashed and began to disappear- backwards. "Here we go!" He hollered. Among the passengers, the tension and anticipation, and unspoken fears, were too strong. This was it, make it or not, they were headed back in time.

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty

Part V "My Immortal"

Chapter 20

By ASW

The Millenium Falcon screeched through time and space, acting strangely and frightening all those on board. Would it not work again? Should they even have tried? Were they too late, or lost forever in space? No one really knew. Obi Wan was wondering how this would affect him, being a spirit, but so far so good, the force had decided he should stay. Han and Anakin, in the pilot and co-pilot positions, were doing everything in their combined amazing skill to bring the ship and the mission in successfully. Leia came out of Luke's room and could barely stand to watch. She was so afraid she had made the wrong desicion, and they were going to be too late to prevent the tragic events. But, what if they weren't? What did she really expect to do? She thought of how strange it was going to be, 2 Anakins, 2 Obi Wans, she and Luke both adults and babies inside her mother, it was confusing. What was going to happen? The worry and tenseness made her heart beat strangely, and her hands and knees go weak. She was so thankful to have Han and Anakin at the controls, and Obi Wan's spirit was around. There was no one else better in a fight, or piloting, or getting out of trouble. Or into it!

Han and Anakin were shouting and struggling to control the ship with all they had going for them. At last, calm and silence. The shaking, the flashing lights, the time travel seemed to be over. Han and Anakin steadied the Falcon and searched the instruments and coordinates to determine their location. It had to be the right time, and the right place. Mustafar, or at least Coruscant, 24 years in the past. The stars were back to normal now. Space seemed its usual self. They spotted a planet. Anakin's heart sank. "That's not Mustafar, it was orange! We have to try again, go!"

Han understood his desperation, but couldn't do a thing. "I'm sorry, I can't. We were the first to experience time travel, and as of now I can't really control it. We were most fortunate to make it back to our own time, and here again. We will be luckier still to make it home."

Anakin could not accept this. "Why did you bother to bring me here if we weren't going to make it?" He was tearing up. So was Leia. "We had to try. And we can STILL try. Han, Father, what is that planet?" Han looked at his instruments. "I'll check it out, I have my suspicions, but I'm not sure."

Anakin put his hand in front of Han's face, but did not turn his own to face anyone. "You needn't bother, I know that planet, I recognized it the moment I saw it when we came out of hyperspace. I'd know it anywhere. It is Naboo."

"Naboo?!" They all yelled out in surprise at one time or another in the next half minute.

"How is this possible?" Leia asked.

Obi Wan, who had survived the turn of events, looked at her. "I think that question is beyond any of us, anymore, my child."

She was feeling so lost. "What does this mean?"

"Well" Han spoke up, "let's take her down, and find out." He proceeded to carefully take the ship through Naboo's atmosphere.

As they broke through the clouds Anakin announced, "it IS the old Naboo!" Like Chewy had done with Kashyyyk, he recognized it as different from what it would look like in their own time. He could tell by the landmarks and the scenes, it was indeed the Naboo of the past. "We might not be too late to save Padme, she must be here, or we can find a way to contact her if she is on Coruscant, let's land and see what's up."

They took it down. It was a very smooth landing considering their trip. They parked it in a discreet location and set out on foot. Obi Wan was invisible to all but force users, and Luke, Han and Leia would not be recognized by anyone since they were not around, or not grown, back then. Anakin felt lucky to find one of Luke's old Jedi cloaks in the back of the ship and he put it on, hood up, to conceal his possibly well known identity. The mood seeemed depressing. It was not a normal day. Anakin sensed the worst. Accosting a strange gungan, Luke asked him what was going on today, why the city seemed so inactive. The gungan bent his head and shook it sadly. "Weesa in mourning, friend."

Anakin was full of fear. "WHY?" he asked, knowing what he already sensed, not wanting to hear the response.

"Weesa lost her, our beloved former Queen and Senator, sweet, sweet Padme Amidala. Shesa being buried tonight."

Anakin split from the group and ran as far as he could get before his regrown lungs gave out air for him and he had to stop to catch his breath. The others followed, finding him, coming up behind him. "Don't touch me." He cried softly. They were all disappointed, but for him, it had been a chance at final redemption, a chance beyond hope that he could save her. And they had just missed- by that much.

Leia started to cry. "It's all my fault. We shouldn't have gone to Tattooine first."

Han gave her a hug. "Don't cry, princess. It wasn't your fault! If we hadn't picked up your Daddy here, we never would have made it this far. He helped me a lot. I hate to admit it, but I couldn't have done it alone."

She looked up at him with her tearstained face and whimpered, "now what? Do we go home? Was it all for nothing?"

Anakin turned around, in a rage of frustration, and yelled "NNOOOOOOOOOOO!" His voice echoed against the walls they stood between. They all hoped it did not attract attention. "We can't give up now, we have to do something."

Leia looked sympathetically at him, and wiped one of his tears, mingling with her own on her finger. "I feel the same way.But she's, gone."

Anakin spun around, breathing heavily. He refused to accept it. "NO, she's not. There has to be something we can do." Then he turned to Obi Wan. "Master, you told me that if a body was not dead long, not beyond restoration, it would be possible for the immortals of the eternal force to bring back life. You brought back my eyesight, you can bring back Padme."

Obi Wan feared it would come to this. "Anakin, healing your eyes was one thing, bringing the dead back to life, that's something else. This is what caused your turn, you remember."

Anakin turned to stare at him, still crying. "Then you know just how much this means to me, and that I would stop at nothing to save her. It's even stronger now, for all my years of suffering over this, I must make it right." Obi Wan did not respond. Anakin spoke again. "You know you can do it. And you know you want to. You know, you loved her." His spirit face was covered with more human emotion than it had shown even if life. He did love her, and pity her, and also wanted to save her. "Let's go to the funeral, Anakin. I cannot promise you anything, but we will see what we find."

"Then you think there is a way?"

"As I told you, there is much we do not know. But we can learn." This was all the spark of hope Anakin needed. The group regathered, and they set off on foot for the area of the funeral of Naboo's most loved resident.

When the time came, the sad procession started. The time traveling group stood among the crowd and watched, trying not to attract attention. It was heartbreaking for them all. Luke for the first time looked upon his mother's face. Leia looked upon it as the woman she had seen alive only recently, and had tried to save, as well as being her mother. For Obi Wan, it brought back a lot, being there when she died, the sadness, the deep tragedy of it all. As he stared at her face, though he knew it may not be meant to be, he had to consider if Anakin was right. Anakin was beside himself with grief. All the pain he had felt over and over manifested itself again when he actually saw her dead body, and he didn't know if his mind and newly restored body could handle it. His heart was pounding, and he had pains in his chest. His eyes were so full of tears he could barely focus on the beautiful face he had not seen in so long. Then, through the tears, he noticed the little snippet in her hand, the one he'd given her when they were so young, and he turned away in untold grief and pain. He didn't even see, as the others did, the heartbroken faces of Padme's family as they passed behind her. It was all anyone could do to subdue Anakin. Together, after the procession had passed, they circled around him and showed him all the love and support they could.

It was then that Han, of all people, spoke up. "Wait." He smiled in his sly way. "I have an idea." They all turned to look at him. What did he have in mind?

Slowly the crowds dispersed. As often happens in funerals here on earth, the family and friends had all departed, not wanting to see the unbearable inevitable- her being layed to rest. This left only the gravediggers with the body. Now, the group approached. Luke used his Jedi mind tricks on them.

"You don't want to bury this body." he said, waving his hand in front of their weak minded faces. "You want to go now, to have a drink."

They both fell for it. "We don't want to bury this body, we want a drink." And with that, they left Luke, Leia, Han, Obi Wan and Anakin alone with Padme's body. Anakin pushed back his hood and bent to kiss her cold lips, as if she'd awaken like a fairy tale princess. For a moment, he just stared at her, drinking in every part of her beauty, touching her hair, her eyelashes, her cheeks. He had been so starved for this for so long, and now here she was, but still gone from him. He felt as if he was losing his mind. He squeezed her hand, and lay his body upon hers trying to send all his force powers through her. It did no good. "I'm here, I'm here! I LOVE YOU!" he screamed, between gasps and outbursts of uncontrollable crying. Obi Wan recalled her dying words, how she had asked for him, and how she felt there was still good in him. He knew, as Anakin did, that if he had been there, and spoken these words to her, it would have mattered. But it was too late now.The others stared in grief of their own and agony for him. Finally, Anakin turned to Obi Wan.

"You have to bring her back, Master." He begged. "Try it, it might work."

Obi Wan did not look positive. "I told you, healing body parts is not like restoring life. Perhaps this is what Yoda meant when he said that I would lose my immortality for helping you. I don't know as much of the eternal as Yoda and Qui Gon, but one thing I do know is that we who have passed are a life force, and each person has only one life force." He put his glowy hand on Anakin to calm him for the unwanted news. "A life for a life. If I bring back her life, I could possibly lose my own immortal being." At first, Anakin was furious! He wanted Obi Wan to sacrifice himself, he wanted Padme, it was all that mattered. Then he realized it wasn't right to ask that of him.

All Anakin's feelings swirled in his mind, body and soul, until finally he took a deep breath and spoke. "Obi Wan, what about MY immortal soul? You said, as Jedi, I will have one as you do. You said you would teach me. Teach me now."

Obi Wan was amazed at Anakin. "How will that help now, my friend?"

Shaking, and crying, his blue eyes red rimmed with tears that also stained his cheeks, Anakin raised the green lightsaber, slowly ignited it, and aimed it at his own chest. "Take MY soul. I am going to give my life for her. When my body is gone, use my spirit, and bring Padme back. It is my final wish."

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 21

By ASW

"Father, NO!" Luke and Leia screamed as they ran toward him. He did not stop. He closed his eyes, steadied his grip, and aimed to thrust the lightsaber through his own chest, ending his life, and releasing his soul to save Padme.

Obi Wan was frantic! "Anakin, don't!" He screamed. "We aren't even sure this will work! You will be dying for nothing!"

For a moment, Anakin stopped. He looked at Obi Wan. "I cannot continue to live with the guilt of knowing what happened to her, knowing that my love for her destroyed her. For that, I can never forgive myself. Having this second chance to save her, and failing, made it more unbearable than I can ever overcome. Goodbye, my master."

He looked lovingly over at Luke and Leia. "Don't die, father! We love you, we need you!" Luke cried out.

"We wanted mother, but we don't want to lose you too. We just found you!! Please, stay with us." Leia added with desperate, pleading eyes that reminded Anakin of Padme's.

He couldn't stand it. "I love you all, but I cannot go on. Please, fulfill my final desire. I told her once I would give my life for her, and I will. Please allow me this. Take it." The last words were a whisper as he once again closed his eyes and his mouth and concentrated his effort on aiming the lightsaber into his own chest. Luke made one last lunge to try to stop him, but he was too late.

Anakin collapsed to the ground, the lightsaber still in his hand. No one saw a visible wound. They wondered what happened. Had he died of heart failure? A broken heart? Shock? Luke bent to touch his father's pulse in his neck. It was not gone. He touched his chest, and felt a faint breath.

Just then, a voice came from behind him. "Anakin is not dead." Luke did not recognize the voice, but Obi Wan did. They all turned. It was Qui Gon Jinn's force spirit. Beside him was Yoda's All were still and silent. Even Han was given the benefit of being able to see all the spirits now. Qui Gon spoke: "We have been searching the force for you, Obi Wan, and for Anakin."

"Have I displeased you, Master?" Obi Wan inquired.

"No, you have not. You were right to help Anakin. You were right to restore his sight, it should never have been taken from him. I disagree with Yoda on many things, but we have explored, and learned a lot. Still, in all of our travels, and discoveries, we have seen nothing so powerfully moving as the scene I just witnessed. I have watched Anakin all these years, and I have been both amazed and greatly disappointed. But this is our chosen one, he has repented, and is redeemed. He will recieve his immortal soul, but not on this day. He had indeed brought balance and love to the force. Anakin is a Jedi who has more than earned his favors. He was willing to give up not only his life, but his rare and valuable difficult to attain immortality as an individual for love. He has shown selflessness, compassion, and, at last, no fear, and ability to let go, even of his most precious possession, his own life. For this, he will be rewarded."

The group looked at Anakin crumpled to the ground, and at the spirits, and wondered what was going to happen next. Now, Yoda spoke. "Born of the force, he was. Lived of the force, on both sides of the force, he has. Die of he force, sacrifice his own soul, he was willing to do. Travel and learn from Qui Gon, I have. Wrong was I. Humble am I."

Qui Gon gave an approving look at Yoda, and spoke again. "My discoveries of the workings of the force are great. Change much, I can. Whether or not it is the will of the force to do so in all things, I have yet to know, so I will not always act. But if there is anything so surely written in it at this moment, it is that Anakin Skywalker will suffer no more. This is an event of monumental proportions you here are about to witness, because it has never, and may never, depending on cirucmstances, ever happen again. This young woman should never have died in the first place. A disturbance in the force was caused by this, and will be corrected. Anakin deserves what is about to occur, and I will use all my eternal and mystical energy and knowledge to complete it. If I may ask you all to stand back, except you, Obi Wan, will you please join us?"

Obi Wan smiled as he stood side by side with Qui Gon and Yoda. Luke, Leia and Han surrounded fallen Anakin, still unconcious on the ground. The three wise spirits gathered, and raised their blue glowy hands, aiming them at Anakin's immobile body. The three humans jumped back in awe as they saw a blue glow surround and overtake Anakin's human form. It shook and levitated, until it was standing. With a blinding flash that made Luke, Leia and Han shield their eyes and turn away, Anakin seemed to disappear, then reappear. He was alive.

He was still the same Anakin who had passed out, who had lived 46 years, and who had remembered each one with joy or pain.He was still the same Anakin who had been Vader, changed, who had lived and learned, who had volunteered to sacrifice his own life. But incredibly, miraculously, his body and health were totally restored.

Standing, awake but barely aware, he looked at the three spirits. "So, I am dead?" He asked.

They all smiled. "No, quite the opposite." was the answer. He didn't even take time to examine himself, he ran straight to Padme. She was still cold.

Yoda stepped forward. "Me it shall be who chances the experiment. 900 years have I had, pain have I caused to others in my arrogance and obstinance."

Master Jinn cut him off. "No, Master Yoda. You have also learned from and regret the things about which you had been mistaken. This will not require any of us to do what you ask. With the three of us together, our power shall suffice." Yoda nodded at Qui Gon and Obi Wan smiled at Anakin a they all turned toward Padme. Anakin glanced up at them for a second, and while he returned his gaze to Padme, the enormous blue glow ingulfed her body as it had his, enveloping her until she could barely be seen. She shook, levitated, and the ground beneath her even rattled. Luke and Leia were stunned and Han had given up his last ounce of doubt about the force being real! One last powerful flash of energy, and all was calm.

Anakin, standing over her, touched her again. This time, her eyes opened, and she looked up at him. The first sight she saw was his smile, and his beautiful blue eyes, and an outline of golden curls around his head. "A-Anakin." She managed to speak.

"Are you okay?" He wanted to look at the children, and at the spirits, but he was too happy to take his eyes off of Padme.

"Yes, I am okay. I'm here, and I love you." "There is still good in you." she gasped.

"You better believe it." He said, touching her face. "Don't you ever leave me again." He cried. She raised up, putting her arms around his neck, and he lifted her into his strong arms. They kissed, and embraced as one, as if they would never let go.

At last, Anakin looked up at the spirits and asked, "Are you sure I am not dead? If I were dead, I would gladly be if I could be reunited with her."

The spirits assured him, "Anakin, you are not dead."

He looked around, assuring himself this was not a dream or a vision, but real. Again, the same look of disbelief and not wanting to hold hope he had given Obi Wan when he healed his eyes crossed his face as he inquired: "Is this of the force? How long before it fades? Do you have to be present for it to continue this way?"

They all looked at him. Obi Wan spoke. "No, Anakin. You don't understand. We have used the eternal spirit of the everlasting force to restore Padme's life. It isn't going to fade. She is living again, with her own body."

He smiled and cried at once, but did not put her down or leave her. "Thank you, my master. Thank all of you, my masters. I will do whatever I can to make myself worthy of this."

"You already have, Anakin. You already have." Qui Gon said.

"We must go now, Anakin." He motioned to Obi Wan.

"Obi Wan too?" Obi Wan sadly nodded. Tears of joy, and sadness, filled everyone's eyes.

"Will I see you again?" Anakin pleaded.

Obi Wan smiled. "I guarantee it. And you won't have to die first, either. Goodbye for now, my dear and much loved brother and friend."

Anakin was able to raise one hand he was using to support Padme to bid farewell. "Goodbye, chosen one, child of the force." Qui Gon waved. Yoda only nodded his approval. Finally.

"May the Force be with you all, always." Anakin called as they disappeared. "It will be, Anakin, it will be."

Obi Wan's was the last voice he heard as they all vanished. "and it will be with you. Remember, with the force, nothing is impossible."

(not the end, yet...)

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 22


After the spirits were gone, the remaining members of the group stood in awe, in joy, in love, and embraced. Anakin and Padme literally could not keep their hands and eyes off of each other! She was still a bit in a daze, and had not fully regained her coherent mind enough to consider everything or to ask questions about what had happened, or who Luke and Leia were. It was going to be a lot on her when the time came to fill her in, but the only thing that mattered now was that she was saved, alive and healthy, and back with Anakin. That night, under the stars, the gravediggers returned to bury the empty coffin, never realizing she was not in it. For now, it was best no one else knew the shocking turn of events. As far as everyone else knew, she was buried. Anakin felt terrible for her family, he would have to let them know somehow. The group in the Millenium Falcon was gone from the gravesite, but still in the past time as they left Naboo's atmosphere. Luke was now helping Han copilot, since Anakin was too busy cuddling with a sleeping Padme. He had to hold her every second, afraid if he let go, she'd disappear, or die in her sleep. She did not seem real to him as he held her, looked at her, touched her, smelled her hair, tasted her lips. It was a dream come true magnified. Finally, his eyes closed, and his head tilted to the side. He too was asleep. Leia, seeing them, smiled, and covered them up to their necks with the Jedi cloak as a blanket. Then she joined Han and Luke at the pilot seats.

"Han." Luke said with a smug smile. "have you now seen something that would make you believe there is a mystical energy force controlling everything?"
Han's eyes started rolling before all these words left Luke's mouth. "What do you think?" was his only answer. It was obvious.
Luke, turning to Leia, laughed. Leia was so relieved to see Luke back to his old self. It was overwhelming to them to have their parents on board! They had missed all their growing up years, and now what? Leia's mind raced to strange questions. They were still back in time, could they still go find themselves as babies? Would Anakin and Padme decide to stay in their own original time, how would this effect the future? It was a lot to grasp and comprehend. If only they didn't have to think about it right away, they would need time to plan what was best. Or did they even know the answer to that. They all stared out at the stars, and Leia, standing behind her brother and her betrothed, stretched her arms around both sets of shoulders. "Lately it's occured to me," she said, "what a long strange trip it's been." They all laughed. "That is the understatement of the epoch!"

Just then, Han's communicator began to beep. He picked it up, and heard a crackling but desperate call for help. It was Chewy! Oh, poor Chewy! In all the confusion he and the droids had been left on Kashyyyk, during the Clone Wars! Chewbacca explained to Han that his borrowed piece of junk ship had broken down in midair, crashing. He and R2 were okay, but poor Threepio was again dismembered and in dire need of repair! They were all three trapped, and were doomed to be killed by droids or clones or both if Han did not come right away! Han looked to Luke and Leia for approval. "Look, gang, whatever else we have to do, I've got to save my buddy." Luke and Leia agreed, they would not have it any other way. The Falcon set its course for Kashyyyk, still in the same time. It wasn't long before they approached it, and Chewbacca guided Han to his location via the communicator as the ship landed. The hatch opened, and Han and Luke jumped outside. Leia stayed inside with her parents, still sleeping off their major and otherwordly experience. She kept guard with her own blaster.

Luke spotted Chewbacca as he ran toward them. "There he is, Han!" he pointed out.
"Over here, pal!" Han screamed. This only alerted the enemies, who were in pursuit. The situation appeared desperate. While Han and Chewbacca tried to hold them off with blasters, Luke ran back to the ship. "Leia, we have to get out of here. I'm going to wake up father so he can fly the ship out of here while we fight and make our escape. Leia looked over at Anakin, hating to disturb him. Luke thought the reuninted lovers in each others' arms was a touching sight too, but needed one of them badly. He gently shook Anakin's shoulder and spoke softly. "Father, please wake up, father?" Slowly, Anakin began to stir, his head moving back and forth, groaning softly. When he opened his eyes, he froze in a look of shock. The first thing he saw was Padme, and he was not yet awake enough to remember what had just happened. It took a few seconds to absorb into his mind. Then he remembered! He looked at Luke, and back at her, and smiled. It WASN'T a dream!

"Father, I don't like bothering you, but we are in trouble. We came to rescue Chewy and our droids and now we are under under attack. Han and Chewy need me to fight, will you please fly the ship?" This took awhile to sink in too. Then he looked at Luke and nodded.
"Be right there." He kissed Padme and gently laid her down without waking her. He followed Luke to the front of the ship, and they looked outside. "I sure wish Obi Wan was still here" Anakin said out loud, "this is a Clone wars battle, a job for Kenobi and Skywalker." He looked so forlorn as he gazed out at the scene. Luke turned to him, igniting his lightsaber, and said "well, how about Skywalker, and Skywalker?" Anakin smiled at his son as he pulled his own lightsaber an ignited it. Slowly, but surely, to his and Luke's surprise, the red was melting down and changing colors until the entire blade was now brilliant blue! The last sign of the dark side in either of them was now gone. They looked at the blade, then back at each other, and at Leia, and they all smiled.

Anakin took the ship up over the scene and set it on automatic pilot hover. "Leia, can you keep a watch on this for us?" He asked. "This will help in event of a quick getaway." She nodded, sure thing! She also kept watch over the ship, prepared to use her blaster or even its gunner to protect it if necessary. Anakin and Luke gave one last smirky look of pride at each other as they literally jumped out the open hatch, flipping backward, then into synchronized Jedi spins before they landed squarely on their feet, lightsabers humming. There they were, father and son, side by side in battle, for the first time both united on the good side of the force.
Han and Chewy saw the two Jedi. "It's about time, I thought they were gonna kill us!" He snapped at them.
Anakin and Luke stood back to back so that no one could shoot or attack them from behind, and slashed away with their lightsabers. "I've got your back, son." Anakin joked.
"Likewise, Father!" Luke yelled back in great satisfaction. They were very good together. Han was amazed to see them not only slicing up droids, but deflecting blaster shots like they were nothing! It was a fierce battle, the four of them against the larger group, and it got very scary at times. But soon, all of the droids lay on the ground in smoldering pieces. Triumphantly, Anakin turned off his lightsaber, spun it in the air, and slammed it back onto his belt like an old west gunfighter after a successful duel. In admiration, Luke did the same. They turned to each other, both with smug smiles. "Skywalker and Skywalker, that works." It certainly did.
"Hurry" Han yelled, "we have to get out of here before anything else tries to attack us!" Luke and Anakin enjoyed using their Jedi skills to jump back into the hovering Falcon's open doorway, and helped Han and Chewbacca in too, as they took their old places at the pilot and co-pilot seats. The Falcon's instruments alerted Han of more enemies coming in the distance. Amid the rubble on the ground, Luke spied R2, squealing and bouncing up and down, his long arms dragging a net with the pieces of his friend Threepio in it. They needed to send an extension arm down to pull them up.

"Let's go!" Luke said as he looked up at Han. "And don't forget the droids!"

Chapter 23


"Hurry up, I have to shut the door and take off!" Han shouted desperately. The extending arm he had sent out for the droids had not reached, and with the enemies approaching, Luke and Anakin became desperate and called upon the force. Their combined power levitated R2 through the door, causing an anxious moment as the net holding Threepio's remains tore and almost broke and fell! But now to everyone's relief, the droids, the humans, and the wookiee were all safely inside the Milleninum Falcon and it whirled, turned and sped out of the area, then upward, out of Kashyyk airspace. While Han and Chewbacca flew, and Leia checked on Padme, Anakin and Luke examined the droids.

"R2, are you okay?" Luke asked, the little droid beeped away.
Anakin's eyes were huge with surprise as they studied every inch of the droid. "Luke, did you say, R2? Is this droid called, R2D2?"
"Yes, Father." R2 jumped happily up and down, recognizing Anakin, and trying to use his sensors to figure out what was going on.
"Luke, did you know, I used to own this little guy, back here, in the past?" Luke's eyes were wide in shock now.
"You did? This same droid?" "Yes! He flew with me everywhere!" Anakin laughed.
"Me too!" Luke told him.
R2 beeped, and they understood, he was complaing that they had both always told him "R2, stay with the ship!" They both laughed and patted his dome.
"You know, he was with me when I flew that Death Star mission in the Battle of Yavin." Luke said.
Anakin looked down, sadly. "I thought that looked like my R2, but I thought it couldn't be possible..." His mind drifted off. "Luke, there has to be some meaning to this, that you and I had the same droid! How did you come to own him?" When Luke, and now Leia too, explained everything about the message for Obi Wan, and how Luke had become involved, chills shot through all of Anakin's newly restored body. He was overcome. "It was the will of the force. It was destiny. There is no other explaination, it was meant to be for us to find each other, and for all to be made right." He said softly, with a spacey glow in his eyes. They all shared a moment of goosebumps and warm feelings as they knew it to be true. But the suprises weren't over yet.
Anakin also noticed the pieces of Threepio, and commented: "That looks like a droid I built when I was a kid. His name was C3PO."
Now Luke looked shocked again. "Father, this is Threepio. He's been with us all along too, since we had R2."
Anakin almost passed out from the shock. "Oh, Luke, Leia, if I had known this before, it would have meant something. I'd have turned from Vader ages ago. I wish I had known!" He suffered again with guilt of the way he'd treated his children earlier as Vader, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He hoped that while the ship was still in the past, something could be done, if it could, to stop the things he had done. He glanced over at Padme, and the warm tear reached his cheek, tasting salty as he licked it from his lips.

"Han" Luke called out, "I need your tools to work on Threepio, is that okay?"
"You know it is, and you know where they are, kid." Luke started to go open the tool compartment, but Anakin used the force to wave it open, and levitate the necessary tools to him. Luke stood in awe and admiration for his father.
"Leave this to me, Luke," Anakin said with pride, "I built him, I can rebuild him." Anakin sat on the floor, carefully putting together each piece of Threepio, while R2 anxiously watched, and Chewbacca barked in happiness he did not have to do it this time! He had him all but reassembled when he stood up to take a break. He stretched and yawned, walking over to Han.

"What are the chances we will be able to maintain this ship as a time machine?" He asked. Han had no answer. It was the force that had brought them this far, and seemed to be controlling their path, so if it worked, it did, and if it didn't, don't blame him. Anakin hated to feel the least bit greedy after the gifts he had recently received, but he coudn't help but wonder out loud: "You know, if I can stay back here, Padme and I can get our babies from the Lars and Organa families, and live the life we should have before I made my mistakes."
Luke looked at him, cocking his head sideways. That was too weird for him to think of, himself as a baby. What would he do? Go home or stay in the future? "Father, what about me, and Leia now? And yourself, in the past, there would be 2 of you. What are you going to do, fight yourself as Vader? What if the Emperor finds out what happened, he'd kill you."
Anakin was very confused too. "I love our new life, Luke, but I can't give up on what I had back then."

Leia looked sadly at him. "You had your chance, way back then, you could have had that. But you lost it. Do you think it's too late to get it back? What of the other implications?" She asked. Anakin asked her opinion. "Father, I don't want to leave until I have found a way to save my adoptive father Bail Organa, and the entire planet of Alderaan, from destruction. There is lot of good we can do by stopping the events of the last 24 years from coming to pass."
Anakin nodded in agreement. "And while we're on this trip, might as well go back further in the past, and save my mother!" Luke would also have loved to have saved his grandmother, and Alderraan, but was worried about Anakin and Leia's propositions. While their intentions were very good, as was what they wanted to do, how would this effect everything else? They were fortunate enough to be able to have saved Padme, but he wondered what else would happen if they messed with too many events. He felt it, but he didn't speak it. He left Leia and Anakin to their regrets and reflections and contemplations. Luke was concerned that the force, it all its infinite wisdom and generosity to Anakin, might find him ungrateful and greedy and change its mind about its gifts to him. Anakin sensed this in Luke, and considered this too, as stood silently staring out the window. He knew he was once again letting his emotions rule him, and feared where it would lead him. "What will be will be the will of the force, and not me.." he spoke without turning around.

Just then, it did. The Falcon rocked and shook, and lights flashed again. "Here we go again!" Han yelled out as he and Chewbacca fought to maintain control. "Look Anakin, if you can bring balance to the force, surely you can help me steady this thing, get over here!" Anakin joined them at the pilot seats. But nothing anyone did helped to stop the disturbance, until finally, a noise clanked, loud at first, then as gentle as a tiny bell. All was silent. The ship was fine and all were safe. But Han noticed something on his control panel. The coordinates he had set for the time travel no longer existed. Whatever had given them the ability had taken it away as suddenly as it had come by chance. "I think the uh, 'force' has made up its mind, guys." He announced. "We are no longer capable of time travel." Anakin and Leia looked shocked and devastated. Luke just stared. He had expected this. Too much tampering with fate, no matter how good your intentions, was not the will of the force. The things that had been changed were, but it could no longer allow them to run free all through the circuits of time changing things. They must be thankful for what they did have, and go on from there.

"Where are we, Han?" Leia said sadly. "Are we still in the same time?"
From all Han could read and pick up on his communicators, he had his answer. He didn't know how she would take the news. "No, baby, I'm sorry. We are back in our own time, and as far as I know, we will be staying here."
Her emotions were torn. She had been given a chance to go back, and she had helped save her mother and redeem her father. Yet she had not saved the republic, or Alderraan, or her adoptive father. Anakin, seeing and sensing her despair, walked over and put his arm kindly around her and they comforted each other. He didn't need to search her feelings, for they were his own as well. "I know how you feel, there was much I wanted to change. But it is the will of the force. It has given us much, and what it has not, we must understand there must be reasons for it. We can go home, and make it right for now. Remember, the Emperor is dead, the empire is defeated, there is much to do. You will be needed." She looked up at him and nodded with a brave half smile. They both had tears on their cheeks. Luke walked over and hugged them both, all three of them embracing and feeling love. Anakin thought how lucky he was to have them, and Padme, but how sad it was he would never see them as babies or make up for their lost childhoods and everything else. They were safe, but the events of the last 24 years must remain unchanged. Back in Coruscant, there would be much they could do for the galaxy, and they must be prepared for what lie ahead, not behind. That was over.

"AAHHHHH!" came a shrill cry from the back of the ship. It was Padme's voice! Anakin ran to her. Luke and Leia stood back, watching. Anakin sat down beside her and lovingly cradled her in his arms. "What is it, my love? Are you all right? Please say you are not hurt or ill, I can't bear that." She shook her head no, looking up at him with teary and pleading but desperate eyes. "Anakin, what happened to the baby? It's GONE!" Shaking uncontrollably, she showed him the pillow she had pulled from under her dress, the one Yoda had used to make her appear pregnant at he funeral. Her tragic death had not registered in her memory, at least not now. Now that she was awake and more coherent, she was shocked and horribly upset to reach down to feel her baby and discover she was no longer pregnant.

Anakin held her tight and patted her back. "Shhhh, it's okay, I promise, the babies are okay, they are not dead."
"Where are they?" she demanded through her gasps of crying. Over her head, which was on his shoulder, Anakin stared over at Luke and Leia where they stood. It was a look of, don't say anything yet, and a look of, oh this is going to be a tough one. They stayed still and silent, waiting for how their Father was going to explain this, and how their Mother was going to take it. It was indeed going to be tough, but as much as they had been through, this was their last obstacle to final happiness. They were going to get through it together.

"Anakin?" Padme begged, looking up again. "Where is our baby? Please tell me."

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty

Part VI:

Chapter 24

Anakin stared into Padme's pleading eyes, not knowing what to say. After all this, he might lose her anyway once she knew the truth. Would she hate him now? At least she was alive, even if she did, and he felt good about that. He also wondered if her fragile health could take the news. But there was no avoiding it now. He took a deep breath and didn't really know where to begin. "Padme, a lot has happened, a lot it might be hard for you to grasp right now."

"Anakin, I can't wait. I need to know. Tell me now, no matter what."

Anakin looked back over at a very anxious set of twins and began, choking on his words: "Well, let's put it this way, to start with, that age difference thing we used to have, you being older than me, that's no longer a factor."

She shook her head in confusion. "Where is the baby?" She demanded. Anakin began again.

"Darling, this is going to be hard for you, but now there is nothing else I can do but tell you the incredible truth. You died in childbirth, just as my dreams predicted. I just traveled from the future, and your life was restored by the spirits of some of my Jedi masters."

Her face was pale with shock. "How is this possible?" She muttered. "And what about the baby?"

Anakin put his hand on her cheek and tried to smile in a comforting way. "We had twins, Padme. A boy and a girl, Luke and Leia."

A look of recollection crossed her face as she remembered the birth. "Oh, my babies, yes, of course!" Anakin used his hand to slowly turn her face to the doorway where they stood. "Much time has passed. There are our twins."

Padme started panting. "This cannot be, no no!" She shook as she cried. He tried to calm her but she pushed him away. Luke and Leia ran over and tried to calm her.

"Mother." Leia spoke, and when she did, Padme remembered her from the apartment. "You- you said you were my daughter, come from the future to save me, and I didn't believe you! Oh, if only I had! What terrible events must have occured because I didn't listen to you. But it seemed so crazy at the time, yet, now, not as wild as this. Oh, it's all my fault." She started to cry.

"No, no!" Anakin cried, reaching for her. "It's all my fault, you have no idea."

"What do you mean?" He proceeded to fill her in on everything that happened, from the time she passed out at Mustafar until now. It took a long time. Luke and Leia stayed with them to make sure they were okay. Padme was silent through most of it though her mouth and hands were shaking. It was all too much to take in. The fight with Obi Wan. His disfigurement, dismemberment, and life as Vader. Organa and Lars raising the children. And how destiny brought them all back together through the droids, and the battles that followed. Then the entire new set of shocking events that had happened since Luke had killed the Emperor, Luke on the dark side, Anakin turning back, Anakin's healing, the time travel, culminating with her own ressurrection! She sat stunned, holding her arms around her legs, refusing to look at anyone. This was very traumatizing. She swatted at any hand that touched her. "I want to be alone." She cried. They all understood, and walked away.

Anakin walked the other way, also wanting to be alone. Luke and Leia saw that he was crying. They cried too, knowing what this had done to them both. Saving her was great, but they had to think about the consequences and other things in the scheme of events. Still, Luke assured Leia that the force ghosts would not have allowed her to be brought back if there wasn't a good reason, and that they had to know it was all going to be all right. This had to be part of, yes she was tired of hearing about it, the will of the force. And the force wasn't done with any of them yet.

Just then, Han and Chewy started clanking around up by the pilot seats. Luke and Leia ran to see what was wrong. "There's something wrong with the ship, kids." He said in a voice that did not sound encouraging. "We're going to have to put her down, nearest place we can for repairs."

"Can you fix it?" Leia asked, very worried.

"I think we can, me, Chewy, and your father, but we have to land, now." There was nothing around that Han recognized on his charts. He did not want to alarm the others, but he was afraid they might just lose power and start drifting into space uncontrollably forever. Then he noticed a planet, it was showing up on his instruments, but it was not on his charts! He had never seen it or heard of it before. He had no choice, unchartered and mysterious as it was, he took the Falcon down and landed it in the only place that looked inhabited. As he walked out and looked around, he was shocked to see that the few beings who resided there were of a lower life form of odd looking fuzzy creature, They had huts and crude clothing, but certainly did not possess the technology the rest of the galaxy enjoyed in some form. This must be why it was unchartered, they had never been able to communicate with any other planets! So all this time, it had been free of the Empire. Han wondered if when this place was charted, he would get the credit for its discovery. It was a shame that Threepio was still not functional, though he may not have been fluent in this strange dialect at all.

Nothing Han could do broke the communcation barrier, until, strangely, suddenly, a group of humans, a Twi'lek, and a couple other known species came running toward him. They were wearing the same crudely spun clothes as the creatures, but they were in the form of Jedi outfits, and many of them held lightsabers!

One of them spoke to Han. "Are we glad to see you! We haven't seen a ship in 24 years! We've been stranded here since we were kids!"

Luke, noticing this, and the lightsabers, came out to see what was up. "Are you, Jedi?" He asked, showing them his own lightsaber.

"Yes, we are." Spoke one of the young men. "We were living in the Jedi temple when the terror came."

"Terror?" Luke inquired. "Yes, there was a purge on the Jedi, and our temple was being invaded by clones. But before this happened, we got a strange message."

Just then, Anakin's curiosity got the best of him and he came out of the ship. "What kind of strange message was this? How do you know of the Jedi?" He asked. A young man in his early 30's with golden hair looked up at him. "Master Skywalker!" he exclaimed in surprise. Master Skywalker...he had not been a master, though he should have been...no one called him master except.....except....the younglings!

Chapter 25


That voice that had called his name, it was deeper, and different, and the face was older, but he was sure, and he sensed, this was the same young child who had spoken to him as he rampaged the temple on the dark side. "Master Skywalker, there are too many of them, what are we going to do?" How those words had haunted him! How his deeds had tortured him! Could it possibly be, no, it couldn't. But considering everything else that had happpened recently, why not? The young blond man explained that just before the clones reached them, the youngling and Padawans had recieved a strange message from Master Yoda, ordering them to leave.

"What kind of message, a hologram?" Anakin asked.

"No, it was like a hologram, but, different, it glowed...kinda, blue..."

A chill shot through Anakin's bones! Old Master Yoda, who had been so determined not to change anything and had learned his lesson, and somehow found a way to reach the younglings in the temple while in the past, and had alerted them to escape! These Jedi remembered Anakin, but not as the one who had betrayed them that night. They had no memory of it! It didn't happen! Anakin was so overjoyed to hear this! How his heart and soul felt so much lighter now! But he couldn't let on as to what had originally occured, so he just asked them "how did you come to be here?"

They explained that only one of the Padawans knew of an available ship and was able to fly, so they set out in it, fleeing the terror of that night. But due to their lacking piloting skills and collective youth and inexperience, they had gone way out of control and off course, crash landing here on this strange planet, unable to contact anyone these last 24 years! They had no idea about the Empire or anything that had happened! They were accepted by the local creatures, who fed and clothed them, and they kept up their Jedi practices just in case they were ever rescued. So here we had an entire order of Jedi no one knew about! If only they had been around in the days of the Empire, how interesting that would have been!

"So, you continued training on your own, from what you knew?" He asked.

One of the former Padawans, Tylem, spoke to him: "We were able to train under these limited conditions as best we could. We couldn't have done it without the help of Master Windu."

Anakin turned to them, his face ashen, his eyes bulging. "Mace Windu? I thought, he died....."

"No, he was hurt badly, he lost his hand, he was shocked, and he fell...he used the force to catch himself before he hit the ground, and managed to make it back to the Temple just as we were taking off."
Anakin's heart felt so much lighter to hear this too! "Master Windu is alive?"

"Barely." Another new Jedi knight explained. "He was injured, and we did not have the means to give him proper medical care here, so he has not aged well. He is now about eighty, in our, I mean, Coruscant years, and not in good health. We fear he is so weak he may soon become one with the force."

"Can I go to him?"

Several of the group stared grimly at each other. "I don't think he wants to see you, he said it was you who hurt him."
"Then you know the whole story?"
"No, only that he was trying to kill the Chancellor, and you cut off his hand. Why, Master Skywalker?"

Anakin wallowed in his shame, and lowered his head. "At that time, I thought the Chancellor was going to help me, and Master Windu was going to kill him. I am so sorry, I want to tell you that, I must tell him that." One of the young women smiled and took him by the hand, telling him she would take him to see Master Windu. He followed her, alone, into the forest, to a crude looking hut made of branches. The door creaked open, and there on a cot lay the once formidable Mace Windu, shriveled by age and poor health. He turned to look at the doorway, and was shocked by who he saw.
"Young Skywalker, is that you? Am I dreaming, have you become one with the force and I as well?" he moaned weakly.
"No, Master Windu. A lot has happened, a lot I am not proud of." He took some time to gently break the events of the last 24 years to him. He was devastated, and it seemed to take an even further toll on his fragile condition. He said he had sensed the disturbances in the force,but with no communications to the outside world, he could not get the details of the news.
"Anakin, how could we all have been so fooled? You are guilty of much, but if only Yoda and I had seen through the Chancellor! The Council is disgraced, and is no more."
"Master Windu, I should not have gone to the Chancellor's office. You said I would gain your trust if my news of him being a Sith Lord were true, and it meant so much to me to have your trust."

"Then how could you betray me? Why, Anakin, WHY?" He was getting upset, and the female Jedi, Kyrie, calmed him down.

"Master Windu, Palpatine lied to me, he tricked me! He told me that if I followed him, he would show me the way to stop the ones I love from dying. He promised me the life of my wife and child, he said he would teach me the power of Darth Plaegus..."

"Anakin, it was still your decision, and you chose the wrong path! How could you betray us? Why did you believe him? There is no such power!"

"Yes, Master Windu, there is, but not like I thought. There is a power, for Jedi, for the good only, to come back from the force as a spirit maintaining your own consciousness. Qui Gon, Yoda and Obi Wan have already done this."
"What?"

"Yes, it is true. Once they know you are still alive I am sure they will come and teach it to you. You will not only become one with the force, but have immortality and powers beyond belief!" Anakin told him. Mace smiled, a light coming into his old eyes. He knew his time was not far off, and this news brought him much joy.

"There is more, Master Windu. Those dreams I told Yoda about, there were of my wife, Senator Amidala..."

"Anakin, you were secretly married? That is against the code, you know..."
"Much was against the code, at the time I felt you were all wrong! And you were wrong, wrong about Palpatine, and it cost you. But I was wrong about him too, and it cost me, greatly."

Mace saw the true regret in Anakin, and sensed it, too. "So, you turned on me, because he had promised you the life of your wife? You poor misled child! I do hold you responsible for your actions, but the depths that evil Palpatine sunk to are unfathomable. I am prepared to forgive you."

Anakin took his shaking hand. "Can I ever, ever gain your trust?"

"When you go from here, take the young ones with you. Return to the Temple, and start the order again. I sense something I never sensed in you before. I sense I can trust you."

This meant a lot to Anakin. Another old wound could be cured if he could gain the trust of Mace Windu. "I will. My son, Luke and I, we will rebuild the order. And you are coming with us."

Mace shook his head. "No, Anakin, I cannot make the trip. It is not my destiny to return with you. You must do it yourself, you, the younglings..."

"And my son Luke. I have a son, Master, a wonderful, strong, good son. He is every bit the man and Jedi I should have become. You will like him. But please, come with us.."

"I cannot. I will stay here and live my last days in peace among the creatures in this forest. I fear what awaits you back home will not be something I am strong enough to handle. You will."

Anakin wondered what he meant by that, but knew the force would show him. "If we are not able to return for you before your time comes, I will see you someday, in the force, my master." A tear blinked from his eye. Mace only nodded, held his hand up, and turned his head to the wall before Anakin and Kyrie saw him crying, too. Much was resolved for him, peace could come at last.

Anakin returned to the landing site, very emotional once again. He ran among the group, crying, hugging, back slapping, calling each one by name. They were all in their early to late thirties, a dozen human men, a couple of women, the blue Twi'lek, a nephew of Saesee Tin, a niece of Shaak Ti. He was so happy to see them, and to know that they were alive! The others in the group came out to look, and to take great pleasure in the scene. What good fortune this was! The force was kind to them. All were in a good mood. Just then, Padme appeared in the doorway, and called out to Anakin. He turned around and walked to her. She stuck out both arms and they embraced.

"Can you ever forgive me?" He begged sadly with tears in his blue eyes, wetting their long, gorgeous lashes.

"I already have." She whispered in his ear. "It means a lot that these younglings are safe after all, as I am. But I realize that what you did in all those dark years were because of the bad influence of Palpatine, oh, darling, how could I not have seen what he really was?"

"How could the Jedi not have sensed it?" He added

She looked tenderly at him. "I know you thought you were saving me when you turned to the dark side, and I know you know now it was wrong. I know you suffered much because of that, and as Vader, and you regret it all and wish to make it right. I know how you were willing to give your life for me. I know how you saved our son."

Anakin was overjoyed. "You understand, everything now, even my memories, and my true feelings?"

"While I was sleeping back there, all was revealed to me."

"How? In the force, in dreams?"

"While I was sleeping, or was I meditating, or drifting in semiconciousness? I don't know, but the whole story, all those years, from the time you returned from the Outer Rim, until.. last I saw you. I felt your pain, Anakin. I could see it all, I could feel it all, everything, it must be like what you say about sensing through the force. I think, now that this has happened to me, the force is with me too."

Anakin smiled and hugged her, his heart beating with happiness. Maybe this meant that now she too could share in the afterlife of force users, and they would never have to be separated again! Yes, he could sense it. This was meant to be, it would happen. They, and their children, would be able to spend the afterlife together! He held her tightly, letting his own force presence engulf her, and he felt her own inside her. This was the best gift of all.

"Anakin, from this day forward, let us promise to always love and cherish each other, and to always share our deepest feelings, even fears with each other. Together, we can do a lot to help the galaxy. As I was given a new beginning, let this be a new beginning." She reached out her hand, and he took it. He motioned for Luke and Leia to come, and the entire Skywalker family hugged in one big circle. Then Padme started to cry again as she gazed upon the faces of her children. "You're both so beautiful, and so good. I am so sorry to have missed your growing up years, and all the happy times we could have had as a family if things had been different. But now, we have another chance to make it good from now, it's all any of us can do. Leia, I am sure you recieved much love with Bail Organa and his wife, they were wonderful people and I was proud to have known them. I am very proud of both of you, Luke and Leia, and I know the future holds much wonder yet to come." Again, they all hugged, and tears dripped down all four faces. Then she turned to Anakin: "I do regret so much missing out on their lives, though not as much as if I had not been given this renewal of life. I do wish we could have seen them as babies, and children."

Anakin was also feeling this way. "You have no idea how much that upsets me too. We have them now, and we will make the best of our time together. You know, Padme, instead of you being 5 years older than me, I am now about 18 years older than you. While you were brought back from your untimely death, I was healed, and restored to health and former appearance, but I did not lose years." She wrapped her arm around his and latched them together. "You are beautiful, my love, same as you always were, and whatever we have is more than we had before. I am grateful to you, and Leia, and Luke, and Han and his ship, and the Force. But Anakin, do you think, maybe, someday, we could have another baby?"

Anakin smiled at this, knowing he was now healthy enough to oblige, and that she was still interested in making babies with him. "You just make sure, you don't die and leave me too soon."

She couldn't help but laugh a little at this. "Darling, I wouldn't dream of it."
He laughed too. "I won't dream of it either, believe me." He winked, knowing it was his dream that started it all. There would be no more nightmares for Anakin. The family was together, and all was forgiven, and the future seemed like a new light in the sky.

"Hey, loverboy, get over here help me get this ship off the ground will ya?" Anakin, Chewbacca and Han worked on the ship for a couple of hours, then readied it for takeoff. Han joked about naming the newly discovered planet after him, or should it even be known? Nah, he liked having the idea of a secret outpost he could turn to where no one else was going to show up. "That's it, we're outa here." He announced as he called all to get back on board for the final stretch of their journey.

One of the former younglings called out to him "You aren't just going to leave us here, are you? Take us back with you, to Coruscant!"

"Of course, come aboard! Master Windu has asked me to take you, to rebuild the Temple and the Order."

In all the excitement and shock, Anakin and Luke had hardly considered the extent of what this meant- if they were to take them back to Coruscant, they would have a ready made Jedi troop at their disposal. And the return of the Jedi to the temple could only be a good thing for the future of the republic, as long as it was done right, without the mistakes of the old masters. But having traveled time and space and learning about the afterlife, Anakin, and Luke, were deeply wise, and would use their knowledge well. Great times lay ahead!

"Well, looks like I'm stuck with the lot of you." Han said as he motioned them aboard.It was going to be crowded, and some would have to ride in the cargo hold, but they were going home. The Falcon picked up speed, and to the shock of the native creatures, was soon zipping beyond their view and back into space.

[Annie]

The Skywalker Dynasty

Chapter 26

By ASW

While back on board, some of the passengers watched as Anakin finished the last repairs on Threepio. Carefully, he completed all his circuitry, and put his head back on. Soon, his eyes lit up, his head turned, and he was working again! Everyone cheered.

"I knew you could do it, Anakin!" Han told him.

"I did too."Anakin looked up with a proud, almost smug grin. "I built him myself, from junk, when I was just a kid. I'm much better now, and hopefully, he will be too." Anakin stared at the old face, colored a bright but scratched gold. This was such a special droid. He couldn't believe he had been so cold and hard as Vader in Bespin that he didn't even consider that the familiar voice may have been this old friend! What would Threepio think of him now? Did he know he was Vader?

Anakin made some final adjustments, and the eyes flickered on, the head turned, and the familiar voice spoke. "Master Luke!" He said as he looked around the room at mostly unfamiliar faces. "Han, Chewy, Leia, R2! What is happening? Who are all these people?" Anakin was sad to see that Threepio didn't remember him.

"Don't you remember me?" Threepio stared at Anakin, and shook his head sadly. Anakin was disappointed. "Something must be wrong with his memory circuits, he may know Darth Vader, but he would remember me as myself-" He paused for a moment, considering that "himself" was being Anakin Skywalker. The same person who built this droid, the same person who loved Padme and fathered Luke and Leia, a good person. When he realized he had thought of himself that way, the joy of being his old self again thrilled him once more. Darth Vader's life was like a nightmare to him now.

"Father," Leia spoke up, "it seems to me I recall my father, I mean, my adoptive father, saying that Threepio's mind had been wiped once.'

Anakin looked straight up at her. "Wiped? Why?"

She shook her head. "It was after the Clone Wars, right about the time the Empire..."

Anakin rolled his eyes, then closed them, and bent his head back in a shameful memory. "Of course. They wouldn't want him to have any memory of...." he remembered it was Threepio who had flown Padme to Mustafar. By erasing his memory of Anakin, he would not know who Vader was. "So, he has no memory of my past with him." Anakin looked so sad.

Padme's eyes light up like light bulbs, and she spoke up. "Anakin, I kept a microchip of his memory as a restoration disc in case anything happened to his memory!"

"Do you still have it?" He asked, sounding like an excited child.

She looked down, and remembered with a sigh, "it was in my apartment, which is now long in the past. I don't know what happened to it."

But then, Leia remembered the things she had taken out of Padme's apartment that night she was there! She ran and got the bags, and Padme dug through them and found it! "Oh, here it is!" She announced as he held it up.

"Thanks Leia, for robbing my apartment! There's lots of things in here I am glad to have."

Leia didn't know what to say. "Uh, no problem, Mother."

Padme laughed at her and handed the chip to Anakin, who installed it in Threepio's memory bank. He restarted the droid, and this time, when his eyes lit up the first thing he said was "Master Ani! How good it is to see you, thank you for fixing me, my maker!"

Anakin was so glad! "Any time, Threepio, my special friend." Threepio may have some adjusting to do once everything kicked in, but like everyone else, he was going to be okay. R2 squealed and rocked back and forth. He would now have his old memory back as well as his new, the entire saga! His eyes lit up as he looked around. "Master Ani! Mistress Padme! Master Luke! Oh, I am so happy!" Everyone showed their affection for him.

"Good to have you back, Threepio." Luke smiled at him. Anakin and Threepio went back a long, long way, and they and R2 now shared older memories than anyone else. Now the circle was complete as Luke and Leia also had memories with their father's droids of his youth, and these droids had tied their destinies together in saving the galaxy. They were very special and always would be.

Anakin and Padme stood at the window, staring at the stars. "I feel so badly for my family, Anakin. They don't even know I'm alive. I don't even know if they are alive. This is breaking my heart." Oh, no. The last thing he wanted to do was break her heart again! He asked Han if they could stop by Naboo for awhile.
Han said he thought now they had back to Courscant, but could leave again later. "Besides" he smiled at her. "There's going to be a wedding in a couple of weeks"
Leia's eyes shot over at him, and just as cocky as he was, declared, "oh, there is, is there?"
"Yes, there is!" He stood his ground. Anakin and Padme and Luke looked at them all and laughed. "Look, princess, if anyone should be in doubt about this matchup, it should be me! Look at all the trouble you've caused me!"
She put her hands on her hips and mocked a huffy voice."And you think you'd be in any less trouble without me?"
"Probably not." He admitted, and everyone laughed.
She walked over and hugged him from behind as he flew. "Yes, there is going to be a wedding, very soon." She turned to her mother and added: "And I can't wait to meet my grandparents, my aunt Sola, and all my cousins and their younglings!" Padme had feared her parents had not lived into this time, but according to Leia's check of databases, they did. They could all look forward to a very special and happy family reuninion, well, once the shock wore off! Padme wasn't even sure it had worn off for her, but she was feeling comfortable and loved just the same. Once they got home, they were going to be very happy together, and things were going to be fine. She and Anakin looked at Han and Leia's cuddling, and did a little of their own. Kyrie, who had wondered up to the group away from the other newly discovered 'younglings', gazed lovingly at Luke. He returned her stare, in his own shy way.

Just then, Han got a desperate message on his communication speaker! It was Lando. He informed him that Coruscant was in turmoil and under seige! With Luke and the spectre of Darth Vader gone from the city, insurgents, including rogue droids like the one that drugged Luke, former stormtrooper deserters, and out of work bounty hunters had formed a renegade army and threatened to take over the city, and all the power it held. Not only Coruscant, but the entire galaxy was now in danger if this group or any part of it were to gain control and run a government. It could be worse than the empire, and more unstable. Mon Mothma and a few old senators for liberty were holed up in the old senate building, guarded weakly by a few poorly armed freedom fighters. Admiral Ackbar and the rebel fleet was forming a blockade around the planet to make sure no more troublesome characters got through, and Lando, Wedge, and a few other experienced pilots were on their way to help with the fight to secure the city. Everyone on the Falcon stood silent, shocked and deeply concerned. It wasn't over yet.

"Han, old buddy, I hate to beg, but the fate of the whole galaxy rests on this. Are you still as crazy as I am?" Lando begged for help.

"Guess there's no rest for the wicked, is there?"

"I'm afraid not, my friend. When you're as good as we are, you're always bound to be needed!"

"I'll be there, buddy, you know it!" He transmitted back.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Lando sighed in relief. He also heard Chewbacca roaring in the background. He was with them too.

"I'm here, Lando, count me in!" Luke shouted so that Lando could hear.

"Count US in." Anakin said, joining and shaking fists with Luke. "Skywalker and Skywalker, the best team in the galaxy, is on the way."


The Skywalker Dynasty




Part VII

Chapter 27

The Skywalker Dynasty: Chapter 27

By ASW

Han brought the Millenium Falcon out of hyperspace a little closer to Ackbar's command ship than he had intended. Poor old girl, he thought, she had been through so much and needed a rest badly, yet here she was, here they all were, back in battle. Han spoke to Ackbar over the ship communicator. "General Solo, Milleninum Falcon, requesting permission to proceed past blockade of Coruscant." The Alliance command ship answered back "you may proceed" then someone added "good to have you here." It was so good to be needed, or was it? As the ship penetrated the atmosphere, everyone on board stared in shock. Smoke rose up from almost all parts of the city. In the air and on the ground, skirmishes raged. Dead bodies of many species lay on the ground and hung from windows.Wrecked and burning vehicles and debris were scattered all over the ground and even on tops of buildings. It was a horrid sight. Han didn't know if he was needed more on the ground or in the air. Anakin suggested they go to his home, check out all the holograms and transmissions and figure out where to start. As they flew into the underground landing area, they noticed that the outside of the house had been vandalized and therer was grafitti all over it. Palpatine's old palace nearby had been totally looted and set afire. Everyone knew of his demise. Anakin figured it was only fear of him and Luke that had saved their home from the same fate. Inside, it was not damaged, save for the few out of place things still lying about from Anakin's hurried departure after days of wandering around blind.

Padme looked all around as she slowly walked through the house. "This is your house? Well, you sure came a long way from a Jedi with no possessions."
"Welcome to our happy home, darling." He said as he caught up with her and put his arm around her. "I'll make it whatever you want it to be. I have to make up for all that time I was a kept man at your expense."
She gave a shy smile. "How happy it will be remains to be seen." She spoke negatively, as she walked to the window by the balcony and looked out onto the devastated city.
"Careful" he said, gently pulling her back from view. "I wouldn't get to close to the windows with all the shooting going on."
Anakin pulled out the picture he had carried of her all those years, and had been too hurt to look at. For the first time, he looked at it, really looked at it, and smiled. Then he looked at her, and the picture, her again, and showed it to her. "I carried this with me all those years. I never stopped loving you, Padme. I never stopped hurting. I love you so much." They both had tears in their eyes.
"Oh Anakin, I love you too. I am so happy we are together, and everything just has to be all right now."
"It will be, my love. I will do anything, I promise"
She put her finger to his lips. "I remember you saying these things before, and where that led. Please, don't...."
This time, he hushed her. "No, it's not like that. We're going to get out of this. Everything is going to be fine for all of us. We will make it happen." She fell into his arms, and they hugged. As he held her, he looked out the window into the city, and contemplated all that lie ahead.
Just then, Anakin noticed something on the balcony- two darkly clad human forms! They must be looters trying to break in! "Get back!" he ordered Padme as he motioned her away. He ran out onto the balcony, followed only by Luke, and faced the two shady characters.
"Freeze right there, or we'll shoot!" One of them declared.
"You will try." Anakin chided them boldy.
The criminals let loose with their blasters, but the shots were quickly blocked and deflected backward into the air by Luke's lightsaber and Anakin's hands. Then Anakin used the force to pull both guns to him. Once he had them in his grip, he used the force to crunch them to pieces. "That's what I think of your guns. Most uncivilized." Anakin said to them as he smirked and shook his head, pieces of crumbling blaster falling to the ground from his hands. The criminals tried to make a run for it and scale back over the balcony, but Han came up from behind with his own blaster and shot at them. Fleeing, and still in shock from what they had seen, the scum fell to their deaths.

Back inside, everyone was congratulating them, all very impressed. One of the former younglings commented that he had never seen such awesome power, and that he had much to learn to be as powerful as Luke and Anakin.

"Your skills will be needed." Luke told him and the other long lost Jedi. "I have just received a transmission, the rogue army has set up headquarters in the old Jedi temple. We must go to clean it out." To the younglings who looked upon it as a home and a sacred place, this was an outrage! They were determined to go immediately. Luke and Anakin agreed they would go, but first they must organize their attack for maximum effectiveness.

"I know an underground passageway that leads from my parking hangar to the street just before you reach the temple. We can take that for surprise."
Luke looked at his father, a bit unsure. "You mean, just march right into the temple?"
Anakin stared right back at him. "It won't be the first time it's been done. We can do it, and this time, for the right cause." Images of his attack on the temple with the clones raced through his memory. This was a chance to almost rewind it, to redo it, to atone for it, for a good instead of evil. Luke and the whole new band of Jedi followed Anakin as he made his way downstairs.

Padme came running. "Anakin, you promise me, you and Luke will be safe, I will not lose you." He stopped to hug her again, and they kissed.
"Padme, I love you so much. This is something we must do, and we must go now. We will return." She hugged him again, and then turned to her son, Luke, and hugged him too. No one else spoke, but they all knew they had to go. Anakin led the way again, turning back to take one more look at Padme. She blew him a kiss. "For luck." She whispered. He returned the air kiss. Anakin and Luke gave her one last look of love as they turned to lead their Jedi underground, and to the Jedi temple.

Leia hugged her mother as they both worried with anguish imagining what Anakin and Luke now faced. But they were not to be left in peace, either. Lando called in to Han's personal communicator. "Han old buddy, get over to the senate building. The freedom fighters are almost defeated, and if it's stormed, we will lose our last chance at freedom!" Lando and Wedge, along with other pilots, were monitoring the battles from the air, and both sides had fighters in speeders, some were even snipers using sneak attacks. It was chaos! Was it even safe to be out in it? Of course not, but something had to be done. Everyone's hearts and minds raced. This was it, the final showdown, the last stand for freedom. All who went out were risking their lives, but they could not hide and do nothing after all they had endured. Leia got a call on her personal communicator from Mon Mothma, asking her for any help she may have available. She promised to come. The time was now.

Leia looked up at Han with her most pleading eyes. "Han, can you cover me? I'm going into that Senate building."
"What, no, you can't go in there, not without sufficient backup..."
Then Padme stood up next to her daughter and bravely announced "she will not be alone, I am going too."
Leia looked at her. "Mother? Are you sure? After all you've been through..."
"Leia," she continued, "all I've been through, all we've all been through will mean nothing if we fall back under a vicious and hostile regime, this one just as dangerous and more unstable than even the empire! We will all surely be marked for death anyway if this happens! We must act now to secure safety and liberty for ourselves and all other living beings!" Everyone was very moved by Padme's courage and determination.

"You got it." Han decided right then. "Both of you go in and make your move! You are both former senators, it will be an important power play. This is just what we need. I'm sure if I tell Lando and Wedge what's going on, they will be right behind us!" Chewbacca bellowed loudly, shaking his blaster in the air. Han looked at him and laughed nervously. "I didn't want to speak for you, pal, this is going to be the roughest yet. Good to have you along!" Then, a heavy sigh. "Let's go, into the Falcon."
"Oh dear, what am I to do?" Threepio whined. Leia suggested he stay behind and guard the house, and report anything unsavory to them. That was important too! "Oh, R2!" he cried as he saw his longtime companion roll away with the others. R2 whistled back an encouraging way that they would meet again.

Perhaps their greatest challenge of all awaited them. Hearts pounded and ice water ran in veins as the group prepared themselves. Leia tossed her spare blaster to her mother, who caught it in midair. It had been a long time, but she could still handle it. Han and Chewy readied the Falcon for its flight into destiny or doom. They were going right onto the heart of the city, into the heat of battle, into the mouth of the beast, and face it down with all they had.

Somewhere underground, along the darkened secret passageways, the last of the Jedi all marched together, toward the temple. As they approached the opening that would take them to the street above, Anakin turned around and faced them one last time. "May the force be with you." He said to the group in his most heartfelt and encouraging voice. They all returned his message, then, with Anakin in the lead and Luke at his side, began their ascent up into the city.

[Annie]

Chapter 28

With their lightsabers the only light to lead the way, the Jedi made their way through the dark passageway and up into the streets above. As they emerged, Anakin went first, looking around for any signs of danger, then he waved the others to follow. Anakin's heart raced as he looked up at the Jedi temple. All the images, good and bad, flashed through his mind. His old life there, old friend long gone, the council meetings, and, that night....no, he couldn't go there, not now. He turned back once more to look at his marching army, and it was hard to believe they were the same younglings he had turned on so long ago. He was so glad they were here. He recalled his last march into it, with the clones, and his memory was haunting him. Why, why, how could he have let Palpatine fool him? Then his downward thoughts turned to something else, he let them be replaced with determination, power for the right reasons, and atonement for mistakes of the past. Up the steps he marched, the music still blaring in his head. The others all marched behind him, except for Luke, who came up at his father's side to join him. He glanced over at Anakin and smiled. Anakin was too intense to say a word to him. He just nodded, and turned his head back forward. They marched on.

It was dark, and so quiet they could hear their own footsteps echo. Was this really such an important place to the rogue army? Or was it something else? Suddenly, Anakin froze in his tracks. He sensed it was a trap, they had a lookout who alerted them of their entrance and they were waiting to attack. Before he could speak, Luke told him he sensed the same thing. Apparently, all of their numbers did, because they all looked apprehensive, with lightsabers ready. There would be no surprising a large group of Jedi!

Then it happened, a noise creaked above, they all looked up, and immediately a bunch of droids were dropped onto them! They dodged the falling metal fighters and started into them as soon as they hit the ground! It was a slaughter! The well prepared Jedi did suffer any casualities at the hands of those droids, and it wasn't long before each and every metal body was in pieces on the floor. Luke walked over to one and inspected it. "Father, this is the one who worked on me in the hospital. I hate to think that some of the people acting up in the streets are only doing so because they are under the influence of the same implant I had." Luke looked honestly concerned. Anakin shared his worry, but knew it would be impossible to stop and inspect each and every person for the implant if they were attacking you, or the alliance army. But he did the best he could, he quickly contacted the MedCenter and spoke to XC-454. He told him which droid it was, and to alert all his human patients of the implant,and if possible have them all rounded up. He also spoke to an alliance commander about doing the same thing. They only hoped there would not be too many victims of this evil plot. From the looks of the rabble causing the uprising, it wasn't average citizens but former stormtroopers, bounty hunters and droids. Perhaps the end of the rogue droids would end their plot.


There was yet another sound, and lights ahead. All the Jedi looked up. Without another warning, the attack was on, all sorts of renegades with blasters! The Jedi flew into action, deflecting the shots, some going into the walls, others flying back into the assassins themselves. Others had to be cut down by lightsaber when they would not surrender to cease their attacks. After a heated battle, all the survivors were cornered, and Anakin used the force to make a downed pillar move to hold them in until the alliance army and medics could arrive.Anakin and Luke used the force to strip them of their weapons. They weren't going anywhere. "All too easy." Anakin almost gloated as he put his lightsaber back onto his belt. He shouldn't have. Yet another barrage of enemies emerged through both doorways and began attacking!

"It's not over yet" Luke hollered out, and all the Jedi prepared to fight once again.

As the Millenium Falcon swooped down toward the Senate building, the scene was much worse. This being the head of power in the galaxy, everyone in the fight who was able to come had converged here. Thank goodness for Ackbar's blockade, Han thought, at least no more can come who are not already here! He had to use the Falcon's own guns to shoot away the groundfire. "I have a bad feeling about this." He said as he gave Leia one of those looks.

"Han, how are we going to get in there?"

"That's what everyone in this fight wants to know, sweetheart."

The building was surrounded. The casualties on both sides looked to be significant. What were their chances? They could only hope the force would be on their side as they made their power play. Han called to Lando on his communicator.
"Where are you, pal? I need you to cover me!"
Lando answered back, through static. "I see you down there, I'm in the middle of some trouble of my own, if I live, I will be right there."
If he lives? Han did not seem very positive about anyone's chances. "Oh," he smirked sarcastically. "great." He glanced over at Leia and Padme. "Look, uh, I don't know how much longer we can stay here without getting killed. Maybe we'd better retreat for now."
"Oh, Han, no!" Leia cried. "We can't give up now, if we do, some of those insurgents might secure a stronghold and...."

A familiar voice came over the communicator. "Yeeeah, old buddy, I'm coming your way!" It was Lando! And he wasn't alone, he had Wedge right behind him!

"Ahhh! I knew you could do it!" Han called back. "Cover us, we're going for it!"
"You got it!" They both promised him. Now that he had backup, Han boldy fired away at the ground forces aggressively and offensively. He knew his friends would cover for him. This time, Lando had his back instead of stabbing it like he did in Bespin, though he had long since made up for that by helping rescue him from Jabba. The heroes of the battle of Endor had more work to do, and they weren't giving up. Soon it became apparent that there was no way they could get inside short of blasting a hole in the building, and they didn't want to do that. A few rouge speeders came by and had to be shot down by Lando and Wedge. The danger was great, and it was at risk of becoming a stalemate.

Then Padme had an idea. "Han, take the ship into the Senate landing area.I'm going inside."

Han turned and stared at her in shock. "Do you know how dangerous that is?"

She closed her eyes and bit her lip, and spoke again. "I'm not afraid. I'm going inside, on foot." She held up the blaster Leia had given her next to her face. "I came down here for one reason, and I'm not leaving until I get in there. We can't do it like this. Take her down, over there." She motioned to the old landing area. "She's right, Han." Leia said, standing proudly next to her mother and holding up her own blaster. "We have to go in, and that's how we're getting in. The power play happens now."

Han did not disagree. He felt part of something bigger, something that had to be done. He did not think of danger, or greed, or anything else but the final prize. He didn't want to broadcast to Lando or Wedge where they were going to land in fear of someone intercepting, so he just told them to follow him and cover him. Of course, they did. The Falcon spun out and up, followed by Lando and Wedge as his wingmen, protecting the Falcon all the way.

Back at the Jedi temple, the fiercest of fights was on. Several of the younglings had been wounded in the fight, and Shaak Tii's niece had been killed. As devastated as everyone was, they couldn't stop now. For the former younglings who had lived together for so much of their lives, this was heartbreaking. They let it turn to something else, not the dark side, but strength, and emotion, and calling upon the force they screamed out in rage and attacked the rogues like they never thought they could. One by one they fell. They had to save city, and the galaxy. They got more violent than they had ever wanted to be, but maybe it was necessary. Anakin and Luke stood again, back to back, and were unstoppable together to any who approached. They found themselves having to cut off a few hands and take away a few blasters, then using the force to move objects to keep enemies immobile. They did not speak of the youngling's rage, and did not feel the dark side in any of them. This was the Jedi temple, and some of them may not have acted exactly in th Jedi way. But this was no time to let up. Coruscant had to be freed. The temple had to be cleared out. Everyone was so hyped up, they hardly realized that other than their voices, the place had fallen silent. The survivors were disarmed and secured, and alliance fighters were on their way with a transport to take them all to prison. Those who needed medical care would be taken care of, and if anyone had an implant like Luke's that would be taken into consideration in their trials. At last the Jedi stopped, breathed heavily, and looked around. They were alone. They had successfully defeated all of the rogues. Though they sensed they were safe now, they did not let down their guard. Slowly, one by one, all of the former younglings went to surround the fallen body of Sheeka Ti. A few of the others were wounded, but not badly. They all knelt onto the ground around their friend and cried.

Their rage at her death had caused them to fight valiantly, though their anger was great, it never drove them to the dark side. Anakin's mind thought back to the Tusken camp, and how he had killed them all for revenge for his mother. He thought this was different, had he only killed the guilty ones, it would have been different. These Jedi had not attacked for no reason, they had been attacked by a vicious army intent on their own deaths, and that was no different than what the Jedi had done in the Clone wars. While guilt may not leave them, they had done well in battle today. Anakin and Luke went over, stepping over bodies of the enemies, and stood as brothers with their brave Jedi comrades. Anakin was so glad that they had not died all those years ago, and that he had done them no harm. Yet he could not escape the eeire irony of standing in the Jedi temple with them, amid dead bodies, just like that night so long ago.

As they stood in silent mourning, they watched as Sheeka's body slowly vanished, leaving only her clothing and her lightsaber behind. The others, who were not aware of the Jedi's new afterlife abilities, were shocked. Anakin knew that the spirits were near, and they had taken their brave little Jedi into the force with them.

In every possible way, the Jedi had returned.


Chapter 29


All alone, Anakin made his way through the rubble and broken ornate stone of the once beautiful and stately temple. It was surreal to be here again after all this time, and to have the circumstances be something he had never expected. He went into the council room and stood on the old Jedi symbol, now as faded and scarred as he had once been. The ground was littered with debris from the recent turmoil, and from years of wind and the elements coming in through the broken windows. How ashamed he felt to have been a part of the Empire, and the way it had treated everyone. He was going to do everything he could to restore the Jedi order and the old republic. A tear dripped down his cheek as he stared out the cracked glass at the smoke rising up from the formerly picturesque city. It was going to take much money and much time to rebuilt it to its former glory, but he'd be there to help. His memory also took him other places he didn't want to be, in the past, things that were said and done in that room, and events that followed. Lost in thought, he didn't hear Luke approach from behind him.
"Father? Are you okay?"

Anakin turned around. "Luke, you should have seen this place in the old days, it was magnificent! This was the council chambers, I had always wanted to be a master..Luke, it looks like you and I are the masters now, and we have our group out there behind us. It's time for the return of the Jedi." Luke stared solemnly into his father's eyes, and they embraced. "Luke, I'm so sorry, for everything.... I wish I could make it all right.."

"I know you do, Father, I can feel your pain and your regret. Let go, don't harbor that or it will eat away at you. You have done much to atone, and everything will work out for us. We can make everything right now." Anakin was so touched, he broke down and cried. "I love you, son." Luke stared at him again. "I know. Love you too."

The other remaining Jedi all came up too, but stayed far back as not to disturb the touching scene. Looking around, they shared Anakin's nostalgia for the place, and their minds too were full of memories and sadness. The force was strong in that room. The spirits were also there, watching, feeling very pleased, but did not manifest themselves. Indeed it was, as long last, the return of the Jedi, to their temple, and a new beginning.

Under heavy fire, the Falcon slid itself up under the overhang of the Senate building landing area. Right behind were Lando and Wedge, protecting the ship from ground and air fire. Once they landed, they all hurriedly jumped out, holding their blasters, running and looking around in every direction for shooters or snipers, any enemies. "Let's go!" Padme yelled and motioned to the others. "This is the way in!" Leia had remembered that too, from her days in the Senate, the last days before the Emperor abolished it. Mother and daughter looked the picture of steadfast conviction and determination as they marched toward the door. Beside and behind them, Han, Lando, and Wedge ran, covering for them, and R2 bringing up the rear, squealing the whole time. Suddenly, a shot came from nowhere! Lando turned and returned the fire. "Watch out!" He screamed, and everyone at once turned his direction. Unseen in the shadows, the enemies fired at them, and had only the blaster flashes to see what direction to shoot back. They kept blasting, sheilding themselves when they could, and running the whole time.

Over at the Jedi temple, Anakin got a strange look on his face and rubbed his head. "What is it, father?" Luke asked. Anakin was having one of his visions, and it would not stop running through his mind. He saw Padme and sensed she was in danger. "I sense something is wrong, we have to go, now."

Then Luke felt the disturbance in his head, too. "It's Leia, I can sense, she is in danger."

"It's Padme I see, and they are together." Anakin closed his eyes and tried to focus on the message in the vision. He recognized the place he saw, he had been there before. "Luke, they are at the Senate building, and they are in trouble. Come with me!" Leaving the new Jedi knights to secure the temple, Anakin and Luke took off toward the Senate building. Along they way, they encountered more renegedes, and had to fight them off with their lightsabers as they ran. Skywalker and Skywalker were coming for the rest of the family.

Through the city streets marched the Jedi, Luke and Anakin, and all of the others. Like glorious conquering heroes, they passed grateful crowds cheering the return of the Jedi, and all the good that came with them. Along the way, there was still resistance, but it never lasted long against the powerful rivals of the Jedi brigade. They fought off what was left to challenge them as city dwellers who'd been in hiding now hung from windows screaming their thanks in voices so loud they soon joined into one big roar of excitement. Somewhere, music was blaring. Tissues and paper notes trickled down like a ticker-tape parade. In every possible way, it was the true return of the Jedi.

"We're going to have to blast our way in, but don't stop!" Leia shouted, and she and Padme led the way, their rear guard following and covering for them. They didn't know if they had stopped all the shooters, but they had gotten past them and now stood in a secure doorway entering the building. Padme sighed deeply. "Here we go." She looked over at Leia, and they exchanged a nervous smile.The door had to be blasted open, and they entered. Once they were inside, Han Chewy and R2 folllowed, but Lando and Wedge and stayed just inside the door to stop any intruders who might try to bust in. All still held their blasters ready. They called out on communicators to all alliance forces, the Senate was secure, surround and protect it from the outside.

Inside, the huge Senate meeting area was in a sad state of disrepair from its time of neglect as well as the most recent events. It was about half full with a mixture of former Senators, freedom fighters and ordinary citizens who had been able to get inside before the siege, hoping for protection as the war in the streets waged. A dead silence fell as Padme and Leia were spotted. Leia was well remembered, but Padme, it had been a long time. Some among them remembered her, others had only seen her image and read of her. But her face was recognized, and it brought an awesome shock and gasp through the crowd. "M'lady!" one voice called out. "How is this possible?"
"Don't even ask." She answered. "But, it is."

A hushed mumbling of voices went up through the entire arena. Was she really back, or was this some kind of trick? She was with Princess Leia, and General Solo, two of the heroes of the rebellion, so surely she was on their side. Could this be, a miracle, sent to save them all? One by one, the citizens she passed grasped at her and called out her name. Some were in tears. Some fell to their feet as if in worship of her. No one moved, no one challenged and she and Leia made their way to the platform where Mon Mothma and a few associates now stood. The sounds of the fighting outside could not even be heard, it seemed to be replaced by music, and a tingling feeling went through everyone's body.
"Padme!" Someone screamed.
"Queen Amidala!" An astonished group sighed and bowed at her feet.
"Senator!" Some shouted here and there.
"She's been returned to us to bring us back to peace and hope!" An old woman cried for all to hear.
It seemed so impossible, so unreal, but no one was questioning it now. Gasps and cheers began to go up as she ascended up to stand next to Mothma. Mon Mothma looked just as surprised as anyone, though very pleased, and feeling more than fortunate. She reached out and touched Padme's hand. She stared into her face, and noticed it not aged as her own had become. "Is it really you?" She asked breathlessly. How....?" Padme shook her head. "There will be time to explain later. Now, our mission is to secure the Senate and return peace!"

"You are to rule now, as Queen?" Mothma inquired.
"It is you who has led this alliance and has guided the galaxy this far, under the dread of the Empire, and it is you who shall behancellor. I will do what I can, I will be here, as will my daughter, Leia."
"Your DAUGHTER?" Mothma was shocked. "I thought you were Bail's daughter?"
"I am and I always will be, and I want to make him proud." Leia said, overcome with emotion. "But this is my biological mother. My parents are Anakin and Padme Skywalker, and I will join with them to bring all that is good to all of the beings in our galaxy!"

Mothma was surprised. She recalled Padme had been pregnant when she died, but wondered why Bail Organa had never told her who Leia was. He must have had a good reason. Mothma gently touched Leia's shoulder and gazed at her with satisfaction. This was one of those things that was going to have to be explained later, she understood. She was honored that after such a miraculous return, and literally fighting her way through the seige to secure the Senate building, that she would want her to be the Chancellor. Of course Mothma deserved it, having led the rebellion and fought for freedom for so long. "I will be here, Mon Mothma." She assured her, "every step of the way, we will get everything on the right track again and run things the way they should be! But now, I have some time to catch up on, with my family, and together, we will all help you." Mothma was speechless. And she didn't even know who all of the family was, and what a great thing it was to have them all behind you!

Over at the entrance door, R2 beeped. Lando and Wedge stood ready. Han and Chewy looked over and saw them looking edgy,and ran to help. Someone was coming. They all redied their blasters and aimed them at the approaching footsteps. R2's beeping got louder and louder, and he blocked their aim. They tried to move him before they shot. There was no need. A familiar voice called out "Han, don't shoot, it's me!" Luke yelled. R2 knew this, and that's why he acted like he did.

"Luke!" they all yelled. Anakin also stepped in from the shadows. "How did you guys get over here?" Han asked.

"With great difficulty. The streets were a constant fight. But Father and I, and our brave Jedi warriors, we could handle it." He looked over at Anakin and they both nodded, proud yet humble, true Jedi.

"It should be better now, we had a terrible time getting here from the temple, but once we got here, some of the fighters told us the alliance is announcing the city is back under control. We cleaned out the temple, you guys and the freedom fighters took care of the seize, the droids who started this and others have been rounded up and locked up. There's nothing left but a few stragglers in the streets, and they won't likely show their faces now."

Lando, Han, Chewy and Wedge all stared at Luke and Anakin. "So, is it, over?"
"Finally." Anakin said with a smile. "All of the bad things are passed and gone. It's finally over." Then he turned and looked up at the podium where his wife and daughter stood side by side with Mon Mothma and a few other Senators. The crowd started to yell 'speech, speech!' but Mothma shook her head. This was not her day as much as it was Padme's. She motioned her hand for Padme to take the floor and speak, and she did.

"M'lady!" "Queen Amidala!" "Senator!" "Padme!" Came calls from the crowd. All at once, the doors swung open, and more alliance members entered. "The rogue army is defeated." General Modine announced. Cheers went up to celebrate the total victory, but only for a moment, as everyone was in such awe a silence fell across the arena as they returned their attention to Padme.

Slowly yet triumphantly, Anakin and Luke made their way up to join her and Leia. Luke was a welcome and well known face, and was also cheered, and Anakin brought stunned sighs from those who had not known he was Vader and thought him killed in Order 66. Anakin Skywalker, hero of the republic, was back, and now openly standing next to his wife in public. All that old hiding didn't matter now, the past was gone and the future was only getting brighter. As Anakin came close to her, they locked lovingly onto each other's eyes with a look of 'we did it' as well as 'I love you.' Luke and Leia winked at each other, and they all momentarily held hands before letting go and just standing behind Padme literally as well as figuratively. There would be time for joyous celebration later, this was a solemn occasion. The whole Skywalker family was there, and they'd all had a part in reaching it together.

Han, Chewy, Lando, Wedge, and R2 came too, but did not climb up on the podium with the rest of them, they stood back to proudly watch and guard them if necessary. Through the open doors, the exhuberant freedom fighters filed in, followed by a supportive and jubilant crowd of citizens. Outside, beings were coming out from their hiding places, inside and underground, to have another celebration in the streets. All the lights came on inside the building, and they aimed on Padme where she stood. The crowd called out her name.

"Some of you may wonder how I got here, and why. I cannot answer all of those questions myself, but I can tell you this: as surely as I returned and was was reborn, and you see me today, peace, freedom and justice will also rise again and return to stand in front of you today as I do. Long live liberty!" She shouted with much emotion as she raised he fist into the air. Hundreds inside, and many more watching on screens outside and at home also cheered, and started to shout, an overwhelming roar of happiness went up into the night as the sunrise broke through the darkness in colorful rays to symbolize the new beginning. Voices were loud, and hands were clapping. With Padme and Leia to restore order and freedom to the Senate, and Anakin and Luke to carry on the Jedi and protect justice, the future of the galaxy was now secure. And this is how liberty was reborn, and this is how the Skywalker Dynasty came to bring it in..
...with....thunderous...applause!!