Remade

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 16

Padmé watched as her daughter conferred with the emperor, her mind fighting against the effects of the drugs in her system. She knew that Palpatine was doing his best to turn Leia to the Dark Side; even in her haziness she knew. What possible reason could he have for doing this? What had happened to Vader? Palpatine had said that he was on his way here, now. She wished with all her heart that she could shake herself out of the stupor the drugs had reduced her to; Leia needed her, and if Vader were here, he needed to be warned. But there was nothing she could in her present state.

“What will become of my mother if I decide to help you?” Leia asked at last. “If I help you destroy Vader, will you release her to my care?”

Palpatine smiled. “If that is what you wish,” he replied. “Of course I will release her to you. It is right that she be with you, after all.”

Don’t listen to him Leia…no matter what he tells you, don’t listen to him!

Leia frowned, unnerved by the unsolicited thought. Luke, is that you?

Palpatine watched her closely, sensing that she was in silent communication with someone. Vader…

“Something wrong, Princess?” he asked, all trace of benevolence gone from his face.

Leia looked at him and for an instant saw sheer evil in his yellow eyes. It chilled her, and she took a step back from him. Palpatine realized his misstep, and assumed his kindly attitude.

“I understand that this must be very upsetting to you,” he said, his voice soothing once again. “But you can trust me, Princess.”

“Can I? she asked as reason started to fight its way through her anger. “I’m not so sure…”

Palpatine felt a surge of anger through him as he saw his golden opportunity slipping away. “Well you really have no choice in the matter, Princess,” he said, his voice edged with anger. “You see, I have your brother and your mother in my custody. If you value their lives, you will join me.”

Leia shook her head, realizing that she had backed herself into a corner. He had been manipulating her all along, just as Luke said he would…

“Guards, take Senator Amidala back to her cell,” Palpatine announced at last. “And arrange for her execution at once.”

“NO!” Leia cried. “Don’t hurt her! I will do anything you ask, just don’t hurt my mother any more!”

Palpatine smiled. “You are finally starting to see things my way,” he taunted her. “Very good. You will make a fine apprentice.”

Anakin and Luke stopped in their tracks and looked at one another in alarm.

“What is it?” Piett asked anxiously. “What’s wrong?”

They had both felt a strong surge of terror emanating from Leia.

“We have to hurry,” Anakin said. “Leia is in trouble. Follow me.”

Anakin lead his son and Piett to the room where Palpatine was holding Leia and Padmé. All of them realized that the room would be heavily guarded, and so they split up.

Anakin had been to the home of his former master before, many times, and knew his way around well. He was one of the few people who were aware of the secret passageway that lead into the throne room, and was glad of that knowledge now. The closer he approached the room, the stronger the feelings of darkness grew. What troubled him was that these feelings were not merely emanating from the emperor, but from his daughter as well. Anakin frowned, fighting his own rage to press on. He slipped through the dark, narrow passageway silently, his hand on his lightsaber. Finally he reached the end of the passage and slipped into the shadows of the large room. He quickly surveyed the situation, making note of the lay out of the room and the position of the people within it. He stopped and nearly gave himself away when he saw his wife. Though he had sensed her presence, the sight of her after so many years made him stop, his knees growing weak. Padmé…he thought what has he done to you??

As Anakin was making his way towards the room, Piett and Luke dispatched the guards outside the door with their blasters easily, gaining entry into the room.

“Luke!” Leia called, relieved to see her twin. Luke gave her a quick look before turning his attention to the guards holding his mother captive.

“Let her go,” Luke ordered as he and Piett shoved their blasters into the backs of the two guards holding Padmé. The guards stepped back and lifted their pikes to dispatch the two assailants, but didn’t have a chance to activate their weapons before they were shot dead.

“An impressive display, young Skywalker,” Palpatine said from his throne. “But surely you realize that even with your crude weapons you are no match for me.”

“Your overconfidence will be your undoing, Palpatine,” Luke retorted as Leia rushed over to their mother. Piett covered Luke as the young Jedi approached the throne. “Your reign of terror is over, your majesty,” he added, pointing his blaster at the emperor. Palpatine did not flinch under the young Jedi’s threats; in fact, he smiled.

“You’ll forgive me if I remain skeptical,” Palpatine remarked. He looked in the direction of Piett who stood with Leia and Padmé, and, with a small movement of his hand, sent Piett flying across the room and against the wall.

“Kill me, Skywalker,” goaded Palpatine. “Go ahead. You’re half way to the Dark Side if you kill an unarmed man in cold blood.”

Luke felt confused, and hated the emperor for muddling his thoughts this way.

Palpatine sensed the young man’s conflicted emotions, and took full advantage of it. “Perhaps you are not as sure as yourself as you think, Skywalker,” he goaded. “I sense tremendous anger in you, tremendous hatred. They make you strong, don’t they? Can you feel the power they give you?”

“Don’t listen to him, Luke.”

Luke turned to see his father emerge from the shadows of the room. Palpatine took the boy’s moment of distraction to send him across the room with a bolt of blue energy. Luke crashed against the wall, as his sister and Piett rushed to his aide.

“So, my apprentice,” Palpatine said, turning to face Anakin. “You have betrayed me.”

Anakin took a moment to look towards his son, and then back to his master, his blue eyes cold as a glacier. He shook his head. “It was I that was betrayed,” He retorted. “You used me, you lied to me…all these years you have treated me no better than a slave. But no more. It is over now, my master. You will pay for the pain you have inflicted upon my family.”

Anakin’s lightsaber glowed ominously in his hand as he approached the throne. Palpatine looked at the red blade without a trace of emotion in his yellow eyes.

“You think it’s so easy, do you?” Palpatine retorted, slowly rising to his feet. “You underestimate my powers, Skywalker!” he said, punctuation his sentence with a blast of Sith lightning. Anakin used his lightsaber to deflect the lightning and push it back at the emperor. This enraged Palpatine and he came back with another more potent bolt.

“We have to help him,” Luke said as he struggled to his feet. “Leia, help me…”

Leia tried to help Luke to his feet, but her brother was still too weak from the electric shock and he crumpled to the floor again. Luke looked up at his sister. “You have to help him, Leia,” he said. “The blaster…get the blaster!”

Leia was torn. She looked over at where Anakin and Palpatine were engaged in a battle of mortal proportions. On the floor mere half a meter from her feet was the blaster that Luke had dropped when he had crashed against the wall. She bent over and picked it up, still trying to decide what to do.

“Do it, Leia!” Luke urged. “Kill him!”

But before Leia could even take aim, the sound of blaster fire was heard from the other side of the room. Leia and Luke both looked over to see Palpatine face down on the floor.

Anakin was just as surprised as his children, and looked over to see Padmé holding a blaster.

“Padmé,” he sighed, dropping his lightsaber and running over to her.

He took her by the shoulders and looked into her dark eyes. “Padmé, you’re alive...you’re alive!!” he exclaimed, holding her close to him.

Padmé dropped the blaster to the floor and went limp in his arms.

Anakin picked her up and carried her over to where their children were watching in astonishment.

“What’s happened to her?” he asked, looking at Leia. “What has he done to her?”

Leia looked up at her father, seeing the look of anguish in his eyes. He loves her…he adores her…how could I have believed that monster for a moment?

“I…I don’t know,” she stammered at last. “I assumed that …that this was somehow your doing,” she admitted.

Anakin frowned. “What??” he cried. “Did Palpatine tell you that?”

Leia nodded, her eyes fixed on her mother’s face. “Yes…he told me that Mother had been in his care for many years….that she had recently been hospitalized because you had …brutalized her…”

Anakin closed his eyes as he absorbed this information. So this was your plan, was it Palpatine? To augment the hatred my daughter feels for me by inventing lies about her mother?

“It’s not true, is it?” Luke asked joining his sister, feeling utterly drained. Leia put her arm around his waist to support him.

Anakin opened his eyes and looked down at his wife. He shook his head. “No, of course it isn’t,” he said softly. “I’ve been searching for your mother for months. I thought she was dead until recently.” He looked up at his children. “We need to get her to a medic,” he said. “Right now.”

“What happened?” Piett asked as he approached the family, rubbing the back of his head.

“The emperor is dead,” Luke told him. “Mother killed him.”

Piett’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at the unconscious form of Padmé Skywalker. “What?? How? I thought she was…”

“We don’t know anything at this point,” Anakin put in. “Except that she needs medical attention.”

Piett picked up the blaster that Luke had dropped earlier. “I’ll get us out of here,” he announced heading for the door.

No, this way,” said Anakin. “There’s a secret passage that leads to a landing platform. Behind the throne.”

“I see it,” Piett said. “Follow me.”

Anakin and his family along with Firmus Piett made their way to the landing platform where they commandeered one of the shuttles located there.

“You know how to fly one of these?” Anakin asked his son.

“I’m sure I can figure it out,” Luke replied. He and Piett left for the cockpit, leaving Anakin alone with his still unconscious wife and his daughter.

Leia watched as her father spoke softly to her mother, his eyes conveying the deep love he felt for her.

“You really love her, don’t you?” Leia asked at last.

Anakin looked up at his daughter. “That surprises you, doesn’t it?”

Leia shrugged, feeling uneasy at her father’s ability to read her emotions.

“I guess it does,” she admitted.

Anakin looked back at his wife, weary with sparring with his daughter.

“So what happened?” she asked next.

“What do you mean?” he asked, not looking up at her.

“If you loved her so much, why did you become Darth Vader? A creature incapable of loving anyone?”

Anakin looked up at his daughter. “It’s a very long story, Leia,” he replied. “My reasons for turning to the Dark Side are not simple ones.”

“I didn’t think so,” she replied. “Was it the power? The position Palpatine offered you?”

Anakin frowned and shook his head. “The only power that I wanted in the beginning was the power to save your mother,” he told her. “I didn’t care about anything else.”

“I don’t understand,” Leia replied. “Save her? From what?”

Anakin began to reply but stopped. No…it can’t be…

Leia frowned, sensing her father’s anxiety level shoot up exponentially. “What is it?” she asked. “What’s wrong now?”

Anakin looked at his daughter. “It’s Palpatine…he’s still alive.”

Leia’s eyes widened in alarm. “What??” she cried. “How do you know?”

“I can sense it,” Anakin replied. “His dark presence in the Force is unmistakable. He is alive, Leia. He may have been knocked unconscious, but he isn’t dead. I can feel it.”

Leia felt as though all warmth had just drained from her body.

“What are we going to do?” she asked quietly.

Anakin looked down at Padmé’s face. “I won’t let him hurt any of you again, Leia,” he replied assertively. “I must face him myself. Alone.”

“What are you talking about, Father?”

Anakin and Leia looked up to see Luke standing there. “We’re on board the Executor,” he explained. “Who are you going to face, Father?”

“The emperor,” Anakin replied. “He’s still alive, Luke.”

“That can’t be!” Luke exclaimed. “He was dead, I saw him!”

Anakin shook his head. “No, he is not dead,” he replied. “I can sense his presence, the darkness that he embodies. I must destroy him once and for all.”

“I’m coming with you,” Luke declared.

Anakin carried his wife through the corridors of the Executor, ignoring the curious stares of the crewmen they passed. Luke and Leia followed behind, while Piett headed for the bridge.

“Can I help you?” a medical droid asked as the Skywalkers entered the sick bay.

“Attend to this patient,” Anakin ordered as he lay Padmé down on one of the diagnostic beds. “She has been unconscious for almost an hour.”


The medical droid approached the bed as Anakin stood back, his arms folded over his chest.

“Father, I’m not letting you go after Palpatine alone,” Luke said as he stood next to his father.

Anakin didn’t take his eyes from his wife. “No Luke,” he replied. “You are not ready for this. Besides, you have no lightsaber.”

“I can make one,” Luke replies. “You must have enough materials on this ship to build a dozen lightsabers!”

“True, but that still doesn’t mean you’re coming with me,” Anakin replied.

“You’re being unreasonable!” Luke protested. “You can use my help! Why can’t you admit that you need my help?”

Anakin looked at his son. “I won’t risk losing you again, Luke,” he said simply. “I’ve come close too many times. This fight is between the emperor and me. I have a personal score to settle.”

“Don’t you think that we have one too?” Leia spoke up, much to Anakin’s surprise. “After what he did to Mother? To all of us?? This is our fight too, as much as yours.”

Anakin looked from his son to his daughter, sensing that he was losing the battle. “I hope you’re not planning on coming too,” he said to Leia.

“No, I will only be in the way,” she admitted. “I have no skill with the lightsaber. But Luke does. Take him with you. Please.”

Anakin was surprised by Leia’s vehemence. He looked down at Padmé, reflecting just how much the two women in his life were alike. Negotiators both…

“Very well,” Anakin said at last. “Luke will come with me. I don’t suppose you know how to build a lightsaber, do you boy?” he asked, a small smile on his face.

“No,” Luke admitted. “But if you show me I will remember.”

Anakin nodded. He bent down and kissed Padmé softly on the mouth. “I’ll be back, my angel,” he told her softly. “I promise.”

“Come then,” he said. “Let’s get to it.”

Leia stayed with Padmé while Anakin took his son to the machining station in the very bowels of the great star destroyer. Just as Luke had predicted, it was well stocked both with materials and tools.

“Is this where you built your lightsaber?” Luke asked his father.

“No,” he replied. “This ship isn’t that old. But I had the materials brought on board in case I ever needed to repair it, or build another one. I was rather careless when I was a young man, Luke,” he remembered with a smile. “I can’t count how many lightsabers I destroyed or lost over the years.”

Luke smiled, enjoying the first father and son moment he’d ever experienced. “So how is it done?”

Anakin looked through the drawers of materials, until he found what he was looking for.

“I built my first lightsaber when I was 9,” he told his son as he assembled the materials needed. “Seems like another lifetime now.”

“You were nine when you began your apprenticeship?” Luke asked.

Anakin nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “A little old, actually; but Qui-Gon Jinn, my first master, felt certain that I was the Chosen One of Jedi legend. He went against the Jedi Council to train me,” he related as he showed Luke how to assemble the weapon’s energy chamber.

“I thought Obi-Wan trained you,” Luke commented as he assisted his father.

“Careful with that,” Anakin cautioned. “That’s the heart of the saber. I’m afraid it will be red, Luke,” he said, looking up at his son. “Siths don’t use any other color.”

Luke frowned. “Well, I suppose I have no choice,” he replied. “I just hope I can get back the one I lost on Kamino. It was yours, you know.”

“It was?” Anakin asked. He thought back to the last time he had used his Jedi saber…and closed his mind on the memory. Mustafar…

“Obi-Wan said you’d want me to have it,” Luke explained.

Anakin nodded. “He was right about that, son,” he replied, not wishing to get into a discussion about the circumstances under which Obi-Wan had come to be in possession of Anakin’s saber.

“Here’s where it gets tricky,” Anakin explained. “The crystals must be lined up precisely or else you’ll blow your head off the first time you activate the matrix.”

“Okay…” Luke replied uneasily. “And how exactly do you do that?”

Anakin smiled. “Use the Force,” he said simply. “Can you do it?”

Luke nodded. “I think so,” he replied.

“No son, do it, don’t just think you can,” Anakin advised.

“You sound like Master Yoda,” Luke commented.

Anakin smiled. “First time for everything I suppose,” he said.

Anakin watched as his son finished assembling the lightsaber with his guidance.

“Well done, my young padawan,” Anakin said with a smile as Luke activated the new saber.

Luke smiled. “Padawan?” he asked.

Anakin nodded. “A Jedi term for apprentice,” he said.

“I see,” Luke replied. He deactivated the saber. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” he replied. “I’m ready. Let’s check in on your mother first, and then we’ll head for Coruscant.”

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 17

Luke and his father had been busy constructing a new lightsaber for nearly 2 hours. By the time they returned to the sick bay, Anakin felt a familiar presence in the Force; Padmé was awake.

“Anakin, a word with you please,” Piett called as he saw the two Skywalkers coming down the corridor.

“You go ahead, Luke,” Anakin instructed his son. “I’ll catch up to you in moment.”

Luke did not need to be told twice, for he was as anxious as hs father to see how Padmé was.

“What is it?” Anakin asked.

“We received a message from Coruscant a moment ago,” Piett related. “It seems the emperor is indeed alive, and is threatening to send his personal flotilla of TIE fighters to destroy this vessel if you do not surrender yourself immediately.”

Anakin snorted in response. “Let him try,” he replied. “A swarm of gnats against a rancor. I will be paying the emperor a visit; he needn’t be concerned about that.”

Piett couldn’t help but smile. “So what message should I send in response?”

“Tell him to send his fleet,” Anakin replied. “If he thinks he can intimidate me again, he’s got another thing coming. That will serve my purpose as well, for he will not expect us if we refuse his order.’

Piett nodded. “Very good, sir,” he approved. “I shall be sure that the shields are at maximum power and our gunners are ready for a fight.”

“They could use the practice,” Anakin replied as he walked away, hearing Piett chuckle to himself as he did so.

Anakin stopped in the doorway of the sickbay, uncertain if he ought to intrude upon the reunion within. Luke and Leia sat on either side of Padmé’s bed, each of them holding one of her hands as she looked up at each of them in turn, her dark eyes shining with love and joy. Anakin watched as each of his children expressed their relief and joy at seeing their mother alive.

He felt his heart ache to think that it was he who responsible for keeping the three of them apart for so long. If he had only listened to his wife on that day so long ago when she had begged him to come away with him, how different everyone’s life would have turned out. He would have been there to see his children as they took their first steps, learned to string words together into a sentence, to hear them call him Daddy…

But no...You chose the Darkness instead...you chose Palpatine over your family... Anakin could feel the rage bubbling up within him, making him wonder if indeed he had eradicated the Darkness from him completely. The hatred he felt for Palpatine was powerful, and potent, and filled his soul utterly, pushing out anything and everything else at that moment, his whole being bent on revenge…and then Padmé’s eyes met his.

That moment he felt his anger melt away, retreat into the shadows of Darkness that still lingered around his battered heart. She had always been the only one to keep his demons at bay; when he lost her, all hope of redemption had been lost as well. But now she was back. She was alive. And she was looking at him as she once had, all those years ago. I am not worthy of her...not after everything I’ve done. I was never worthy of her.

Anakin stepped into the room; his steps had never been so unsure, and moved over to where his wife lay watching him.

“Hello,” he said simply, awkwardly. His hand moved to run it through his hair, a gesture he had used when he’d had a full head of thick unruly hair, a gesture of nervousness, of self doubt. Now all he felt was the blond stubble that had begun to sprout on his newly healed scalp.

“Hello,” Padmé replied. Anakin could sense that she did not know what to call him, whether he was truly Anakin Skywalker, or, despite his appearance, still the Dark Lord who had ripped her life apart.

“How are you feeling?” he asked the awkwardness reaching palpable proportions.

“I’m okay,” she replied. “Better.”

“What did he do to you?” he asked bluntly.

Padmé was taken aback by his directness. “He…I was drugged,” she replied. “He found me months ago and kept me prisoner. He was trying to find out what I knew about Luke,” she said looking at her son. “If I knew where he was. I didn’t know anything, but he didn’t believe me. I think if you hadn’t shown up when you did….” She stopped as the horror of her ordeal overwhelmed her.

Anakin frowned; the images and terror she felt flooding through his mind, infuriating him. “Palpatine will pay for what he has done to you, Padmé,” he replied, the anger simmering just under the surface. “He will not get away with this.”

Padmé was troubled by the look in his eyes, the look of anger that reminded her of that horrible day so long ago. Who was he? Had he been redeemed? Or was there still a Sith lurking behind those brilliant blue eyes?

“Luke told me,” she said, looking at her son. “I wish you would reconsider this…”

“There is no other way, Padmé,” Anakin interrupted. “He does not understand anything but violence, and so he shall have it. I swore upon your empty grave that I would avenge you, Padmé, you and our children. And that is exactly what I intend to do.” He turned his eyes to his son. “It’s time, Luke,” he said.

Luke nodded. “I’m coming,” he said. He turned back to his mother and smiled at her. “It’ll be okay,” he told her softly. “I know he is angry right now, but he truly has changed, Mother. I know it. I can feel it.”

Padmé nodded, trying to take comfort in her son’s declaration. “Be careful,” she said, touching his face.

Luke took his mother’s hand and kissed her palm. “I will,” he said. He turned to his sister. “Take care of each other,” he said as he stood up.

Leia stood up to face her brother. “Please be careful Luke,” she said, embracing him tightly.

"I will,” he told his sister. “See you soon.”

Leia released her brother and looked at the doorway where her father was waiting. She wished she had it in her to reach out to him, but still could not quite manage to do it. She still saw glimpses of Vader in him, no matter what he looked like on the outside.

“Ready?” Luke asked as he met his father at the doorway.

Anakin nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.” He looked back up at his daughter and his wife. “We’ll be back soon,” he said, trying to sound optimistic.

Leia nodded. “Good luck,” she said simply.

Anakin smiled, knowing the effort it took for her to even say that much. “Thank you,” replied. Then he and Luke turned and left the room.

Leia turned back to her mother, who seemed lost in thought.

“He has changed,” Padmé said thoughtfully. “Hasn’t he, Leia? He’s not Vader anymore, is he?”

Leia turned back to where her father had stood mere moments ago. “I hope not,” she said softly. “I truly hope not.”


Anakin and Luke took one of the shuttles from the hangar bay of the Executor and, having been given the signal for from the bridge, left the ship. Piett watched them leave, and then gave the signal to raise the shields.

“Prepare the ion cannons,” Piett ordered. “And watch for incoming TIE fighters.”

“TIE fighters sir?” asked the weapons officer. “We’re engaging TIE fighters sir??”

Piett looked at the officer and nodded. “Yes, lieutenant,” he replied. “They are on their way right now to destroy this ship. Would you have us do nothing?”

The officers and crew on board the bridge looked at one another, puzzled and alarmed by their commander’s statement.

“Why are there TIE fighters coming to attack us, sir?” asked one of the younger crew member. “Aren’t we on the same side?”

Piett sighed. “I’m not sure we are, Gareth,” he replied. “The emperor has gone mad…he is no longer capable of ruling the Empire. It is our duty to ensure that he is not allowed to wreak havoc throughout the galaxy in his madness.”

Murmurs of shock and disbelief spread through the bridge. It had been long rumored that the emperor had drifted into senility long ago; was this now the result of his mental condition? Total madness?

“Cannons are fully charged and ready sir,” the weapons officer replied. “Awaiting your command sir.”

Padmé was undergoing a number of tests in the medical bay. She was beginning to grow tired of all the questions and all the scans .Her mind was elsewhere, in the shuttle that was on its way down to Coruscant at that very moment.

She was worried, with good reason. Her son was so young, not much more than a boy; how could he possibly overpower the master of the Sith? Padmé remembered back to that day so long ago on Geonosis when a very young Anakin Skywalker and his master had faced the evil Count Dooku. Anakin had lost his arm that day…and a part of his innocence his well, she suspected. Was Luke about to suffer the same fate?

And what of Anakin? Was he Anakin? Or was he Vader? The moment she and Anakin’s eyes had met, she had felt that old connection, that same fire that had existed between them so long ago. She and Anakin had been soul mates, the passion between them unquenchable and all consuming. All that had changed on that dreadful day when he had turned his back on her and their child. Because of Palpatine...would he be able to face his master again without succumbing to those same old temptations? How could he destroy Palpatine without destroying himself as well?

“You’re worried, aren’t you?” Leia asked her Mother as they walked through the corridor of the ship.

Padmé looked at her daughter. “Yes, you are too, aren’t you?”

Leia nodded. “I am,” she admitted. “Luke isn’t ready for this.”

Padmé frowned. “He’s so young,” she said softly. “The same age as your father was when…”

“When he turned to the Dark Side?” finished Leia.

“Yes,” Padmé replied softly. “He was so young…so conflicted.”

“Why did he do it, Mother?” Leia asked at last. “Why did he turn his back on you? On us?”

A look of profound sadness touched Padmé’s face. “It wasn’t as simple as that, Leia,” she replied. “Your father was terrified of losing me. He had a dream of me dying in childbirth, and was so afraid of it coming true, that he searched for a way to save me. That was what lead him to Palpatine. I didn’t see what was happening to him until it was too late...” she stopped as the memories of that agonizing day flooded back to her…that day when Obi-Wan Kenobi had shattered her world…
Padmé, I need your help. He's in grave danger.

From the Sith?

From himself . . . Padmé, Anakin has turned to the Dark Side.

You're wrong! How could you even say that?

I have seen a security hologram of him killing younglings.

Not Anakin! He couldn't!

He was deceived by a lie. We all were. It appears that the Chancellor is behind everything, including the war. Palpatine is the Sith Lord we've been looking for. After the death of Count Dooku, Anakin became his new apprentice.

I don't believe you ... I can't…

Even after the 22 ensuing years, the pain of that horrifying revelation still tore at her heart. How could I not have known? I could have saved him…I could have stopped him from going so far that there was no turning back…if only I had seen it before it was too late…

“Mother? Are you alright?”

Padmé shook herself from her agonizing ruminations and looked at her daughter.

“I’m just remembering, Leia,” she replied. “The past is a painful thing for me, it always will be. I only hope that the future will bring healing to all of us.”

Leia took her mother’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I hope so too,” she said softly.

Anakin and Luke piloted the shuttle to the Imperial palace. Anakin still knew all the security codes of course, so entry onto the property was not a problem.

“How are we going to get in there undetected?” Luke asked looking at his father.

Anakin thought for a moment, and then an idea struck him.

“We’re not,” he said, manning the laser cannon controls. Without another word he opened fire upon the façade of the palace, leveling the front of the building in a matter of moments to a pile of rubble and Dura steel beams.

“So much for a surprise attack,” Luke muttered as he followed his father out of the shuttle.

Father and son walked side by side, lightsabers poised, carefully sidestepping the still smoldering ruins of the building. Here and there they saw the trapped bodies of the red robed guards, some dead, some almost dead. Alarms were wailing inside the palace as they stepped onto the marble floor and out of the ruins.

“Someone’s coming,” Anakin announced and at once two royal guards came at them, force pikes aimed in their direction. The air sang with bursts of blue energy that issued forth from the pikes. Anakin and Luke deflected the bolts with their lightsabers and advanced upon the guards. Deadly energy filled the air between the combatants as each side used their weapons in an effort to destroy the others. The guards, however, were no match for the two Jedi, and their bodies eventually ended up dead on the floor, their heads beside them.

“Father, look,” Luke said, bending down to pick up an object that had rolled out from under the robes of one of the guards. He held it up and showed it to Anakin. “My lightsaber!”

“I recognize that,” Anakin said with a smile. “I suppose the Force meant for you to have it back.”

Luke smiled and clipped it onto his belt.

Anakin stood still for a moment, reaching out with the Force. Where are you my master? It wasn’t long before he was struck with a familiar dark presence. He braced himself, steeling his mind and his soul to face the monster that had owned him for so long.

“This way,” he told his son, heading off down a long corridor.

Palpatine knew that his treacherous apprentice was on his way, he could feel the unmistakable tremor in the Force. The Sith Lord smiled as he sensed the conflict within his apprentice; yes, he had changed, far too much for Palpatine’s liking; but he still sensed traces of Darkness within him. Perhaps Darth Vader was not as dead as Anakin Skywalker seemed to think he was. And he brought his son with him…so much the better...

“Welcome, Lord Vader,” Palpatine said smoothly as he sensed the presence of the two Skywalkers in his throne room. He turned slowly in his throne to face them. “How considerate of you to turn yourself in.”

Anakin narrowed his eyes in anger. “I am not here to turn myself in,” he spat. “I think you know why we’re here.”

Palpatine cast a withering look at Luke, and then turned his attention back to Anakin.

“Please enlighten me,” he said sarcastically.

“We’re here to make you pay for what you did to my mother,” Luke said, igniting his lightsaber.

Anakin looked at his son, worried that the boy’s zeal would hamper their efforts.

Palpatine only smiled at Luke’s threat. “Young Skywalker, your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark Side,” he stated deprecatingly.

“We shall see,” Anakin said as he lit his own saber. “Whose power prevails, Jedi or Sith.”

Palpatine rose to his feet. “Jedi?” he spat. “I see no Jedi present. Only a pathetic young weakling who calls himself a Jedi because he possesses his father’s lightsaber and a Sith whose mind is too full of mutiny to know that he will never be anything more than a slave.”

Palpatine knew exactly what words to use to enrage his former apprentice. Anakin approached the throne with his saber held high meaning to decapitate his former master, when the old man produced his own saber from within the sleeve of his voluminous cloak.

“I am no slave,” Anakin said in a voice filled with rage.

Luke could sense his father’s anger, his blind rage, and it scared him. He knew the power of the Dark Side, and how it had once claimed his father; was history bound to repeat itself?

“My father is a Jedi,” Luke said, anxious to diffuse the time bomb. “The Dark Side has no hold on him, or on me. The Sith is no more, Palpatine. You are the last of your kind, and your life is at an end.”

“Is it now?” Palpatine spat. “We shall see!” with that he lunged at Luke, the quickness of his movements belying his tremendous old age.

Luke parried the blows of the old man, surprised by the strength of his attack.

Anakin came at him from the other side, using the Djem So style he had perfected so long ago. Palpatine fought furiously, deflecting the attacks on both sides, looking for a weakness to take advantage of. He felt certain that it would be the boy who would be more easily dispatched; the elder Skywalker was a powerful opponent; he had new strength, new vigor since his surgery, and Palpatine began to worry that he would be no match for the remade Skywalker. No longer was he the dutiful apprentice, the henchman of the Sith. He was the Chosen One, the One who could destroy the Sith.

“Your powers are weak, old man,” Anakin taunted, mindful that he had once used those same words against another master.

“Not so weak as your pitiful son’s,” Palpatine retorted, slicing through Luke’s right arm just above the writs. Luke screamed in agony, falling to his knees. Anakin staggered for a moment, feeling a rush of pain projected from his son. Palpatine took advantage of his momentary distraction to push him back, forcing Anakin to back pedal.

“Did you think you would get away with your treachery, Lord Vader?” Palpatine hissed as he continued to press his advantage. “Did you think it would be so easy to abandon the Dark Side?”

“I have renounced it,” Anakin retorted, “I reject the Dark Side and all it represents! I will not be a slave to it or to you any longer!”

“You forget, Lord Vader, that I own you,” Palpatine replied. “I own your very soul; you will never escape from the Dark Side. It is a part of you, and you a part of it. You cannot exist without one another!”

“Don’t listen to him, Father!” Luke called out to him, fighting to remain conscious. “You are a Jedi! You are better than him! You are the Chosen One!”

Anakin glanced at his son briefly and then back at his foe. He drew strength from his son’s words, and the love he felt behind them, and pushed back at Palpatine. He could feel the Dark Side beckoning him, taunting him as his former master was, tempting him to tap into the tremendous anger that he felt within him; but he resisted it, he forced himself to look beyond it, to embrace the living Force that he knew was his salvation.

“I am the Chosen one,” he said, pressing the assault, using wide, sweeping blows in an attempt to overwhelm Palpatine with brute strength. Palpatine became enraged, and attacked again and again, only to have Anakin back and repel each attack, pushing him back with his superior strength.

“You will never destroy the Sith, Jedi!” Palpatine screamed, his rage hitting a pinnacle. He lashed out at Anakin with Sith lightning, only to have it deflect back against him. Palpatine was rapidly losing strength, his own physical limitations no match for the strength of his powerful opponent. Thinking quickly, Palpatine decided upon another strategy.

He glanced over to where Luke was lying in a state of shock, cradling his wounded arm and directed a bolt of sith lightning at the defenseless youth. Anakin grew enraged and pressed the old man harder, trying to keep his attention from Luke.

“You will not harm my child again,” Anakin threatened, his blade a blur of red flashes crashing down up on that of his foe. “You will not harm my family again! This is the end for you, my master!”

With that Anakin used the Force to bring Luke’s lightsaber to his left hand. He ignited it, and the blue blade joined the red in the battle. Sith and Jedi both, blue and red as one, they continued to hammer relentlessly at Palpatine, driven by hatred, driven by love, both emotions giving him seemingly endless strength. Palpatine could sense his end was near, but he fought on, struggling more with each step, with each blow of the sabers that came at him relentlessly, finally driving him to his knees. Dropping his weapon, he knelt there, panting for breath, suffocating as his lungs gasped for air.

Anakin stood over him, lightsabers poised, as a moment from his past flashed before him. Suddenly it was Count Dooku’s face before him, his eyes imploring him for mercy as Palpatine urged him on. Kill him…he’s too dangerous to let live…KILL HIM! That was the moment that he had begun his descent into darkness…the moment he allowed Palpatine to control his destiny.

“This is your end, my master,” Anakin said and with one quick movement, severed the dark lord’s head. The head of Palpatine rolled away, his yellow Sith eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling as his decrepit body crumpled to the floor.

Anakin stood for a moment, shaking and exhausted. He looked over at his son, who was pale and unconscious. Anakin turned off the lightsabers and rushed over to him.

“Luke, can you hear me?” he asked as he cradled his son in his arms.

Luke’s eyes fluttered open and he looked dazed for a moment. “Father?” He asked in a weak voice.

“I’m here, son,” Anakin said, overwhelmed with the fierce sense of love he felt for his boy. “I’m right here, Luke. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m sorry,” Luke said softly. “I wanted to help you…I really wanted to be there for you...”

Anakin felt his eyes fill with tears. “You were, Luke,” he told him. “You were there for me, in the way that matters the most.”

Luke didn’t really understand what his father meant, but smiled at him anyway as he drifted off again. Anakin picked his son up in his arms and carried him out the secret exit, tears of love and pride rolling down his face.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 18

Anakin made it to a Sentinel class shuttle undetected. He realized that he had the advantage of a head start on the imperial guards, but knew that once they broke into the throne room and found the emperor dead, they would begin to comb the area for the assassin. He needed to get off Coruscant as quickly as possible and back to the Executor where he hoped he would have sanctuary, no matter how temporary.

Bursting forth from the atmosphere of Coruscant, Anakin piloted the ship towards the star destroyer.

On the bridge of the Executor, the tension was thick. Piett had informed the crew of the presence of Anakin Skywalker in their midst, and there was not one crewman or officer who had not heard of the legendary Jedi hero. What they did not know, however, was that this same man was in fact Darth Vader, whom they all believed to be dead.

Padmé and her daughter waited with the bridge crew with grim anticipation. Anakin and Luke had been gone nearly two hours; surely things were over one way or another by now. Finally a familiar voice broke was heard over the comm..

“Executor come in, this is Skywalker on Shuttle Hephaestus. I have started my approach. My son is injured, have a medical team ready to receive him. Lower your shields.”

Padmé and Leia exchanged a look of fear and anxiety. Luke was hurt.

“Oh Leia,” Padmé said, reaching out to her daughter. Leia took her mother’s hand as they stood helpless, unable to do anything to expedite the return of the ones they loved.

“We have you on our screen, Hephaestus” the communications officers replied. “But are unable to lower the shields at the moment, sir. We are currently under attack.”

Attack? “Repeat message,” Anakin asked.

“We are under attack,” the officer repeated. “TIE fighters, sir. Give us a few minutes to get the situation under control.”

“You have to bring that shuttle on board at once!” Padmé cried. “My son is hurt! He could be dying! Lower the shields!”

“My lady, you know we cannot do that,” Piett replied gently. “If we lower our shields, those fighters out there would be able to inflict serious damage to this vessel. Surely you can see the delicacy of the situation.”

Padmé knew all that; she was no stranger to battle. But somehow none of that mattered when Luke’s life was in the balance.

“Shuttle Hephaestus we will lower the shields when we have eliminated the enemy threat,” the comm. officer informed Anakin. “Please keep your distance until such time.”

Anakin shook his head. “There’s no time,” he muttered, hitting the accelerator and directing the shuttle towards the battle. The Sentinel class shuttle fully capable of holding its own in a fight, and this was the reason Anakin had chosen it. Equipped with eight retractable laser cannons mounted on the hull, two concussion missile launchers, a retractable ion cannon, and a pair of retractable repeating blaster cannons mounted beneath the cockpit, its design was sleek and aerodynamic, making it easy to maneuver in tight spaces.

Raising the shields, Anakin dove into the melee, setting his sites on the nearest TIE fighter and blowing it to bits. The Executor was pegging off the fighters with relative ease, but it lacked the maneuverability of Anakin’s much smaller craft.

“Sir, Shuttle Hephaestus has entered the fight!” reported one of the crewmen on the bridge of the Executor.

Piett smiled to himself, not surprised in the least by Anakin’s actions.

"Monitor it,” Piett ordered. “Make sure he doesn’t run into trouble out there.”

“Ani, be careful,” Padmé muttered quietly.

Leia looked at her. “Ani?” she said.

Padmé smiled. “Yes, his nickname. I always called him that. It’s what his mother always called him, short for Anakin.”

Leia nodded her understanding, having a hard time the man who was her father had ever earned a nickname of any sort.

“He’ll be fine,” Leia tried to assure her mother. “From what I’ve heard, his piloting skills are second to none.”

“You’re right about that,” Padmé concurred. “That doesn’t mean I’m not worried.”

Leia’s statement soon became apparent as the shuttle quickly dispatched several TIE fighters while performing feats of piloting prowess that amazed the bridge crew who were watching the dog fight. Between the ion cannons of the star destroyer and the laser cannons of the shuttle, it wasn’t long before the TIE fighters were destroyed.

“Lower the shield and signal the Hephaestus to come aboard,” Piett ordered. “And have a medical team standing by.”

“Right away sir.”

Padmé and Leia left the bridge at once and headed for the hangar bay.

Anakin directed the shuttle into the huge maw of the Executor, relieved to be on board at last. While he had actually enjoyed the thrill of the fight, he was worried about his son, and was anxious to get Luke the medical attention he needed as soon as possible.

No sooner had the shuttle settled onto the deck of the hangar bay than a team of medical droids moved forward to receive their patient. Padmé and Leia stood by, both waiting anxiously as the ramp of the shuttle lowered. Even before it came to rest on the deck, the sound of footsteps could be heard on the metal ramp. In a moment Anakin appeared, carrying his son in his arms.

“Luke!!” Padmé cried as she and Leia rushed forward as Anakin laid his son on the stretcher that hovered one meter above the floor.

“What happened to him?” Leia demanded as the medics did a quick examination of Luke’s vital signs.

“Sith lightning,” Anakin replied, not taking his eyes from his son. “He has lost part of his right arm as well. I suspect he’s in a state of shock.”

“Maybe we should let the medics determine his prognosis,” Leia replied.

Anakin looked up at his daughter, annoyed that she questioned him even now. “I know what I’m talking about Leia,” he told her. “I’ve had a few injuries in my life.”

Leia looked up briefly and met her father’s gaze. She could see his indignation, but more than that, she could see his fear, his worry for Luke. He loves Luke…she realized to her amazement. He truly loves him.

“We have to get him to the medical ward as soon as possible,” the medical droid announced. “He is in a state of shock and needs intervention immediately.”

Anakin exchanged a brief look with Leia, but did not say a word to her. He merely followed the medical team as they escorted his son from the hangar bay.

“Are you alright?”

Anakin turned to see his wife at his side. They had said almost nothing to one another since being reunited, and the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.

“I think so,” he replied. “I’m uninjured, if that’s what you mean.”

Padmé wasn’t sure how to respond to him, she wasn’t sure of anything where he was concerned. While he looked like her Ani, he wasn’t quite Anakin. There was a time when she could read his thoughts as easily as he could read hers; but that was before he had slipped away from her, before Palpatine had destroyed the good man he had once been.

“I…I’m so glad you weren’t hurt,” she said softly.

Anakin looked down at her, unsure how to respond to her. Was she trying to reach out to him? No, why would she? It’s a miracle she’s even talking to you, after what you did…

“Thank you,” he said, not knowing what else to say.

Padmé sensed his reticence, and looked away from him. He is not your Ani, she told herself. He never will be again.

Upon arriving at the medical ward, the droids transferred Luke to a diagnostic bed and hooked him up to an intravenous drip. Anakin watched his arms folded over his chest, trying to contain the emotions that he felt within him. His son…his beloved son...the only member of his family who accepted him, who loved him…

Anakin’s hands curled into fists as he thought of how Palpatine had inflicted this upon his son. Despite the fact that the emperor was dead, Anakin’s hatred of him lived on, dark and dangerous. What if I lose him? Anakin thought in terror. How can I go on knowing that I could have prevented his death?

“How is he?” Padmé asked, approaching the bed.

The medical droid looked up at her. “He is stable,” it pronounced. “We are about to fit him with a prosthetic hand.”

Luke stirred and tried to open his eyes. Padmé took his hand. “It’s okay, Luke,” she said gently. “You’re safe now. You’re going to be fine.”

Luke looked up at his mother, feeling confused and disoriented. “Father?” he asked weakly. “Where is my father?”

Padmé looked up to see Anakin’s eyes soften, and for a moment she saw her Ani in his handsome features.

“I’m here, Luke,” he said as he came over to stand at his son’s side.

“I’m right here.”

“What happened?” Luke asked.

Anakin smiled. Clearly the boy was discombobulated. “It’s all over, Luke,” Anakin told him gently, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder. “The emperor is dead. We did it son. We did it together.”

Luke smiled as the sedative started to kick in once again, and he drifted off to sleep.

Anakin felt as though a tremendous weight had been removed from his chest. He will live...he will be alright... the relief rushed through him, rivaled only by the fierce love he bore his son.

Padmé watched the emotions flashing across Anakin’s face, growing more confused by the moment. How was it that at one moment he seemed so aloof and sullen, and the next he was brimming over with love and tenderness?

Anakin looked up, sensing his wife’s attention upon him. “I’m sorry this had to happen, Padmé,” he told her. “I know that doesn’t mean much, but I am sorry, so very sorry for everything.” He felt as though he could tell her he was sorry every day for a thousand lifetimes and it would still not be enough. He was unable to read her; unable to sense what she was feeling, though he was certain he knew. What he had done was unforgivable; his recent actions didn’t even begin to make up for the agony he had put her through.

Padmé nodded. “So what now, Anakin?” she asked. “Where do we go from here?”

Anakin frowned, not knowing how to respond. “I’m not sure what you mean,” he said slowly. Surely she knows how I feel…how I wish things could be as they once were…how I wish I could take her into my arms right now and show her how I feel about her…but that will never happen, not after all that has happened.

“I meant now that Palpatine is dead,” she lied. “What is going to happen?”

Anakin straightened up and folded his arms over his chest, shutting her out again. “The royal guard will seek out the assassin,” he told her. “Luke and I did not leave any living that saw us, so it will not be easy for them to track the deed to me.”

Padmé nodded her understanding, chilled by the thought of him killing everyone in his path. “I see,” she said. “What will this mean to the Empire, though? Now that Palpatine is dead?”

“I don’t know,” Anakin replied. “I honestly don’t. The future wasn’t part of my considerations when I set out to destroy him.”

Padmé was about to respond when the medical droid interrupted her. “I’ll have to ask you to step aside,” it said. “I have the prosthesis ready.”

Anakin and Padmé stepped away from their son’s bedside, watching as the medical droid set to work.

“At least that hand looks real,” Anakin commented.

Padmé looked up at him, remembering how self-conscious he had been of his own prosthetic arm.

“Medical technology has come a long way,” she commented. “You are living proof of that.”

Anakin looked down at her. “Me?”

Padmé nodded. “Yes,” she replied. “Your arm,” she said, motioning to his right arm. “You’ve had it replaced.”

“Yes, I have,” he replied, beginning to wonder if she had any idea of the extent of the surgery he had undergone recently. Did she even know of the injuries he had incurred on Mustafar? Surely she must have; surely she knew that he had lived as Darth Vader for the past 22 years…how could she not?

“Where have you been, Padmé?” He asked at last, his own need to know superseding his efforts to maintain his distance. He turned and looked at her, and in his eyes she saw for the first time the lost little boy she had once known.

“Does it matter now?” she asked, looking back at Luke. “Palpatine managed to find me. Obviously my hiding spot wasn’t as secure as I thought.”

“What did he want with you? Why did he imprison you?” Anakin demanded, feeling anger rising within him again at the thought of his angel being in the hands of that monster.

“He wanted to know where Luke was,” Padmé replied. “He seemed to think that I would know. He told me that you and he were planning on turning him into a Sith,” she added, turning her eyes back to him.

“The emperor recognized the threat that my son posed to him,” Anakin replied, looking at Luke. “I merely suggested that rather than destroy the boy, we try to turn him into an ally.”

“Turning him into a Sith is destroying him,” Padmé retorted, turning her eyes back to him. “Letting that monster destroy him would have been far worse than death.”

Anakin turned and looked at his wife, seeing the anger and resentment in her eyes.

“I had no intention of letting Palpatine use Luke, Padmé,” he told her. “Luke is my son; I would do anything to protect him.”

“Would Darth Vader have done anything?” she countered. “Or would he have followed his master’s orders no matter what?”

Anakin sighed, his suspicions confirmed. She would never forgive him; never accept him, no matter what he did now.

Their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Leia into the medical ward. She stopped and looked at her parents, sensing that they were engrossed in an intense conversation.

“Everything alright?” she asked looking from one to the other.

“Fine,” Anakin said. “Luke will be fine. Were you able to make contact with Captain Solo?”

“Yes, he was back with the fleet. Thank you. Thank you for keeping your word,” Leia replied.

Anakin merely nodded in response. “I need to see what’s going on,” he added, anxious to put some distance between he and Padmé. “Excuse me.”

With that he left, leaving Padmé and Leia to watch his retreating figure.

“What was that all about?” Leia asked.

Padmé shook her head. “I’m not sure,” she replied softly. “I don’t begin to understand him, Leia. Sometimes he seems like the Anakin I once knew and loved…and then other times, he’s like a stranger to me.”

Leia sighed. “As much as I hate to admit it, he has changed, Mother,” she replied. “I knew him when he was Darth Vader; he was an unfeeling monster, bent on violence and destruction. Since finding Luke and I he has undergone a transformation, and I don’t mean just physically. Just the fact that he went through that life threatening surgery surprised me.”

“Life threatening surgery?” Padmé asked. “What are you talking about? He had his prosthetic arm replaced. How is that remotely life threatening?”

Leia looked at her mother in disbelief. “Mother, surely you know about the injuries he suffered,” she said. “He wore a breather suit for 22 years because of what happened to him.”

Padmé felt her blood run cold. She had seen holophotos of Darth Vader, and of course he was on the holonet often enough. She knew that Darth Vader had once been her Anakin, but she always assumed that the mask and armor were part of his persona, as Jango Fett’s had been part of his, a way to dehumanize himself. A way to hide his true identity from the galaxy; what had happened to him on Mustafar? The last thing she remembered on that awful day was the feel of his invisible fingers closing around her throat….

“I …I never knew that,” she admitted. “What happened to him, Leia? Do you know?”

Leia shook her head. “I know very little,” she replied. “All I know is the extent of the surgery. They had to replace most of his respiratory system, half of each leg, half of each arm, create new skin…he was badly injured. I don’t know how it happened, he’s never told me.”

Padmé realized just how little she knew about the ensuing years between when she had last seen Anakin and the recent days of their reunion. If there was ever a chance of reconnecting with him, she needed to learn all she could about what had happened. That is, if he still wants me…

Anakin returned to the bridge, his mind and heart a conflict of emotions. How could I have been foolish enough to think that Padmé would forgive and forget? After everything I’ve done?

“How is your son?”

Anakin shook himself from his reverie to give Piett his attention.

“He is going to be fine,” Anakin told him. “His hand has been replaced, he will be just fine.”

“What a relief,” Piett replied. “Your wife must be very relieved to have you both back alive and well.”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, she is. Any word from the surface?”

Piett shook his head. “No,” he replied. “We broke out of orbit an hour ago and no sign of pursuit yet. Did anyone see you and Luke enter the palace?”

Anakin shook his head. “No one who is still alive,” he replied. “We killed any one we encountered.”

“Wise precaution,” Piett replied. “So what now? What are you going to do now, Anakin? Remain with the Empire? Join your children in the Alliance?”

Anakin sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “I don’t know,” he replied. “I don’t know where I belong anymore, Piett. I wish I knew what to do, I wish someone would just tell me.”

“You know that’s not possible,” Piett replied. “This is your life, Anakin; it must be your decision. But think of it this way; you’ve been given a second chance, another opportunity to live the life you could have had with your family.”

“Perhaps,” Anakin answered. “Perhaps not. It’s not so easy just to pick up the pieces, I’m learning that now.”

Piett wanted to question him further, but realized that Anakin Skywalker was, despite his recent metamorphosis, still a private man.

“You need to get some sleep,” Piett observed. “It’s been a hell of a few days for you.”

Anakin smiled. “It has indeed,” he replied. “Thank you my friend. I don’t know how I’d have gone through all this without your support.”

“I am honored to be able to help you, Anakin,” Piett replied. “You are a great man, don’t ever doubt that.”

“Thank you, Firmus,” he replied. “Let me know if you hear anything from Coruscant,” he added, heading for the exit.

“Of course,” Piett replied. “Oh, and sir, where are we headed?”

Anakin turned around. “You’re in command now, Piett,” he said. “That’s your decision.” With that, he turned and left the bridge.

Anakin returned to his quarters, his body aching with exhaustion and the exertion of the events of the past 24 hours. He wondered how the physicians of Kamino would approve of his reckless disregard for his still convalescing body. Yet, despite the fatigue and battle weariness he felt, Anakin did feel good. Really good. Better than he had in years. So much had happened since his surgery on Kamino that he’d had no time to reflect upon the miracle that the Kaminoan physicians had worked in his transformation.

As he stood in the ‘fresher getting undressed, he stopped and looked at himself in the mirror. Is that really me?? He thought to himself as he looked at the smooth, flawless skin that covered his chest. His arms were fully human again; he was fully human again. And his face… he noticed to his amazement that he needed a shave, and that the blond hair he had been born with was coming back, covering his head now with stubble. He stared into the blue eyes that were reflected back at him in the mirror, eyes that had not been seen by anyone save him in a lifetime. My son’s eyes…the thought of his son brought a smile to Anakin’s face. He was so proud of the boy, and felt such a strong connection with him it staggered him to think that they had spent only a few days together. It seemed like so much longer. But Leia still rejects me….she will never accept me…nor will her mother…

The thought of his wife soon erased the smile from his face. Seeing hear again was like a dream come true, a thousand dreams that he’d spent the past 2 decades trying to sublimate. She was alive, but that was the only part of his dream that had any actual basis in reality. In his dreams, she would rush into his arms, absolving him from all his past transgressions, and vow her eternal devotion to him as she had so many years ago on Naboo. That was not going to happen, that much was certain. And the sooner you accept that, the better…

Anakin rubbed his eyes tiredly as he yawned, deciding to get to bed before he fell asleep right where he stood. He had just changed into his sleep pants when he heard the door chime.

“Piett, why can’t you just make a damn decision yourself,” he muttered as he headed for the door. He opened it, and was surprised to see Padmé standing there.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” she said, noticing that he appeared to be ready for bed.

Anakin shook his head. “Never,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

“May I come in?” she asked.

“Of course,” he replied, stepping back to let her enter. “I’m sorry; I’m just surprised to see you.”

The awkward tension between them was obvious to both of them, and they stood for a moment in uncomfortable silence.

“Sit down,” Anakin said. “Please.”

Padmé looked around the austere quarters and sat down on the sole chair in the room. Anakin sat on the small desk nearby, watching her intently; curious to learn why she was here.

“I just found out something from Leia,” Padmé began. “Something very shocking, very disturbing, and I needed to talk to you about it.”

Anakin sighed, wondering which one of his atrocities his daughter had filled her in on. There were so many to choose from: her torture with the mind probe, the destruction of Alderaan, the killing of countless rebels…the list was a long one.

“What did she tell you?” he asked evenly, trying to keep his composure. Padmé was obviously very distressed by what she had learned, and looked up at Anakin with troubled eyes.

“She told me that …that you had been hurt, Anakin, very seriously hurt, and that was the reason you wore the black suit, the mask…” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “Is it true??”

Anakin was so stunned by her question that he hesitated before responding. She didn’t know?? So Kenobi…didn’t have the courage to tell her what you did to me, did you? How typical…

“Yes it’s true,” Anakin replied, watching her closely for her reaction. “I nearly died on Mustafar, Padmé. I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”

Padmé’s eyes registered a brief flicker of pain at the mention of that dreadful planet; her memories of that day still too raw to examine closely. “How?” she asked. “What happened to you?”

Anakin frowned, not wishing to relive that horrific scene that changed his life irrevocably. His mind rushed, unheeded, back 22 years, to the shores of a river of fire, where his best friend and brother left him mutilated and in agony…he closed his eyes as the memory of fire engulfing him assaulted him…

He stood up and walked away from her, pushing the memories away, pushing her away with them. “Why do you want to know?” he asked.

“How can you ask me that?” she asked the pain in her voice unmistakable.

Anakin was surprised by the vehemence of her response. “I guess I just assumed you wouldn’t care, Padmé.”

Padmé stood up and walked over to him. “Would I be asking if I didn’t?” she replied.

Anakin looked down at her, confused by the contradicting emotions he sensed in her, so much like his own.

“Alright, I’ll tell you,” he said at last. “I…I fought with Obi-Wan,” he began. “It was a brutal, prolonged fight that ended on the edge of a river of lava. I …I tried to jump to where he was, to gain the advantage of position, but as I was jumping, he …” Anakin stopped and turned away, not wanting her to see the pain these memories still inflicted him with.

“What did he do?” she asked, putting her hand on his arm. He looked down at her hand and then up at her face. She could see how difficult this was for him, how utterly agonizing the memories of that day were for him.

“He…he sliced through me, severing my legs, my arm…leaving me mutilated on the sand,” he continued, forcing each word out. “I was too close to the lava, and….the heat from it, from the sands…..ignited my clothing, engulfing me in flames.”

Padmé put her hands to her face, horrified that he had suffered such agony. “Oh, Anakin,” she whispered as her eyes filled with tears.

“He left me to die there, Padmé,” he continued. “He walked away and left me to burn. It was Palpatine who found me, took me back to Coruscant, and had me transformed into the thing that was known as Darth Vader.”

Padmé shook her head as the tears rolled down her face. “I had no idea you had suffered so,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

Anakin did not know how to respond. No one had ever expressed sorrow over his injuries; he himself had come to accept them as punishment for his betrayal of her. How was it that she was able to show genuine concern for him after all that he had done? After everything he had taken from her?

“Thank you, Padmé,” Anakin replied. “I…appreciate your compassion.”

[therealthing]

Padmé sensed the conflict that raged through Anakin. She wanted to help him, to reach out to the Anakin she knew was still there inside of him, but was not certain he would respond to her. He seemed to be doing his best to push her away and shut her out, content to battle with his inner demons alone. Just as he did before...when I lost him to Palpatine…when I lost him to the Dark Side.

Anakin, why are you doing this? she thought sadly. Why are you pushing me away?

Anakin looked back at her, hearing her silent plea.

“Is that what you think I’m doing?” he asked.

Padmé was startled. “What did you say?”

“You think I’m pushing you away,” Anakin replied. “I heard the question in my mind as clearly as if you had asked it.”

“I’d forgotten about your ability to do that,” she said with a small smile.

“Old habits die hard,” he commented wryly.

“They do,” she agreed. She waited, wondering if he was going to answer the question, not wanting to ask it again, for it obviously had upset him the first time. But he did not answer, and Padmé believed that in itself was answer enough.

“I’m sure you must be tired,” she said at last. “I won’t keep you any longer,” she said, putting distance between her and Anakin, sensing that he wanted it so. She walked to the door, hoping that he would stop her, that he would give her some reason to stay; but he did not. All she heard him say as she opened the door was, “Good night, Padmé.”

“Goodnight,” she replied without turning around. And then she was gone.

Anakin walked over to the door and rested his hand upon it. He hated the way he felt, hated the confusion and self doubt that assailed him. If only he could allow her in. She had always been able to assure him when he doubted himself, when all others did; why was it so difficult for him to let her do so now? Because you are not the same man anymore, and the moment she realizes this she will reject you…she will leave you as you once left her…he closed his eyes as his hands curled into fists of frustration over a situation he felt powerless to change.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 19

Padmé returned to the medical ward where she found Leia sitting with her brother. Luke was awake, and seemed much more alert than he had earlier. Both of her children looked up as Padmé approached them.

You look much better,” she commented, smiling at Luke.

Luke nodded, returning her smile. “I feel much better.” Luke watched his mother closely, sensing how distracted she was. “Is everything alright, Mother?” he asked her.

“Why do you ask, Luke?” she replied.

“You just seem…uneasy,” he commented. “You’ve spoken with Father, haven’t you?”

Padmé was surprised by her son’s ability to read her so well. He was his father’s son...

"Yes,” she said with a sigh. “I just came from seeing him,” she admitted. “I’m worried about him,” she added quietly.

“Why?” asked Leia. “The emperor is dead; he got his revenge. He has all of us. Isn’t that what he wanted?”

Padmé looked at her daughter. “Leia, your father is a very complex man,” Padmé replied. “He has always been so. I get the impression that he is feeling very lost right now, very confused.”

Luke nodded. “I get that same impression,” he put in. “There are moments when I’m convinced he has renounced the Dark Side, but then I sense such tremendous anger in him, that I have to wonder if there is still a part of him that has not let go of it yet.”

“What are you saying, Luke?” Leia asked, growing alarmed. “That you think there is a chance he could slip? That he could become Darth Vader again??”

“No, of course not,” Luke replied. “But I sense that this is a dangerous time for him. He wants to be Anakin Skywalker, I know he does; but the anger is still there, the pain and fear that feeds the Dark Side.”

Padmé listened to her son in silence. She agreed with him, as much as she wanted to deny that she too had felt his conflict, she could not.

“Luke is right,” she said at last. “And it is up to us to make sure that he doesn’t slip back into the darkness. We have to assure him that he is Anakin Skywalker, that we believe in him. If he feels that he is alone, he will end up back in the darkness again.”

Leia listened to her mother and brother, her heart a jumble of mixed emotions. She wanted desperately to reach out to the man who had risked his life to save hers, the man who had shown Han mercy when he could have crushed him, the man who had avenged the wrong doings her family had been made to suffer. But if what Luke said was true, if there was even a chance that the Dark Lord still lingered within the heart of her father….no…I can never forget what he did to me…I will never forget that day, that horrible day…the images he put in my mind haunt me still…the terror I felt on that day still leaves me shaking and breathless in the night...

Padmé looked at her daughter, seeing how conflicted she was. “Darth Vader did terrible things,” she said, knowing of the destruction of Alderaan. “I know that. We all know that. We all have the scars of his dark reign. But if we are to save him from slipping back into that black abyss, we have to put the past aside.”

“How can you, Mother?” Leia asked. “After everything he did to you?? How can you put it aside??”

“Because I could not bear to see him slip away from me again,” Padmé answered. “I lost him once; I can’t let that happen again. I love him, Leia. I know you must think me mad for feeling that way, but I have always loved him…” she stopped as her own emotions and insecurities beset her. She pushed them aside and looked back up at her daughter. “Besides, you seem to forget that he risked his life to save me, Leia; to save all three of us. I don’t expect you to fully understand, Leia,” she began. “But you see, I know Anakin Skywalker, better than anyone, and I know that he is worth fighting for. I am not saying that the past can just be forgotten; I know we all bear the scars of it. But if this family is ever to stand a chance of becoming whole, we have to get past it, no matter how difficult it might be.”

Leia shook her head. “I don’t know if I can do that,” she said. “Darth Vader destroyed my home, killed the people who raised me as well as millions of other innocent people; how can I get past that?”

“We will help you, Leia,” Luke said at last, taking his sister’s hand. “We are your family; that’s what families do.”

Padmé smiled. “Luke is right,” she said. “We all have to help one another, and most especially, your father. He needs all of us to bring him back. He’s almost there; but without our support, he won’t make it.”

Leia knew that her mother and brother were right. Part of her wanted more than anything to have a family, to acknowledge and embrace the connection she felt with her father.

“I will try,” Leia said at last. “But I can’t make any promises. That’s the best I can do.”

Padmé and Luke exchanged a look and smiled. Both of them sensed that it would fall to them to bring this family together, for Leia and Anakin were so alike in their stubbornness that it would be difficult to get them to bend at all. The fact that Leia was willing to try meant a great deal, and Luke and Padmé knew this. At least it was a start.


Leia had tried for close to three hours to sleep, but it was futile. She could not get the conversation she’d had with her mother and brother earlier out of her mind.

It astounded her that her mother still loved her father, after all that he had put her through. How is that possible? How can she bear to look at him after the hell he’d put her through? Yet, Leia knew what it was like to love someone; after all, didn’t she love Han Solo despite all his shortcomings? All his arrogance and pig-headedness? Leia smiled as she thought of him, missing him desperately. He might not be alive now were it for her father. Han had been as surprised as Leia when Darth Vader had arranged for his bounty to be paid. Luke had accepted their father completely; the bond between them was profound and undeniable. Deep inside Leia too wished for that sort of bond with her father, for as much as she had tried to deny it, there was a connection between them. She had felt it, strong and undeniable. But how do I get past it all? How do I forgive the unforgivable?

Leia got out of bed and got dressed. Before changing her mind, she left her quarters and set out.

Leia wasn’t the only one who could not sleep. Despite having fallen into a deep sleep, Anakin awoke several hours later and was unable to return to it. He had been dreaming of his wife, of their honeymoon on Naboo, when all that mattered was their love and being together. He had dreamed of Padmé often over the past 22 years, his subconscious mind not able to repress the memories that his conscious mind refused to acknowledge.

He tossed and turned for an hour or so, and then decided to get up. He hadn’t been up long when he sensed the presence of someone standing at his door. It was one of his children. He could sense their ambivalence, their doubt as they stood there trying to decide whether or not to press the door chime. Anakin decided to make the decision for them, and walked over to the door.

Leia was startled when the door slid open to reveal her father. He did not seem surprised to see her. Probably knew I was here...she reasoned.

“I’m sorry to be here so late,” Leia began, uneasy under her father’s appraising eyes. “I …I couldn’t sleep.”

“No, me neither,” Anakin admitted. “Come on in.”

Leia walked into her father’s quarters and looked at the unmade bed. It looked as though her father had spent as restless a night as she had.

"What’s on your mind?” Anakin asked his daughter.

Leia turned and looked at him. “Plenty,” she admitted. “Too much actually, that’s why I can’t sleep. I’ve always had trouble sleeping, actually; can’t seem to turn off my mind at night.”

Anakin nodded a slight smile on his face. “Yes, I can relate,” he said. “I’m afraid you come by that trait honestly, Leia.”

Leia smirked. “Thanks,” she said.

“No problem,” Anakin replied with a smile. “Have a seat.”

Leia sat down on the chair her father indicated and folded her hands on her lap. “I had a conversation with Mother earlier,” she began. “I guess she was here earlier tonight, was she?”

Anakin nodded, curious to see what his daughter had to say.

“She’s worried about you, you know,” Leia continued.

Anakin frowned. “Why?” he asked simply.

“She seems to think that you are in danger of slipping back to the Dark Side,” Leia said, watching her father closely for his reaction.

“She does?” Anakin replied, standing up and walking away from her.

“Is she right?” Leia asked.

Anakin looked back at his daughter, unnerved by her candor. She is her father’s daughter…

“I have renounced the Dark Side, Leia,” he replied.

“Have you?” Leia asked.

Anakin frowned. “How can you ask me that?” he retorted.

“Because you are still so angry,” she returned. “You are still shutting out everyone.”

Am I doing that? he asked himself.

Anakin looked away from her, not liking the way she was cutting through his defenses. Padmé was always able to do that too...

“Is that what I’m doing?” he asked tiredly.

My mother seems to think so,” Leia replied. “And she knows you better than anyone. I thought you said you loved her.”

Anakin turned around. “You have no idea how much I love her!” he replied hotly. “Don’t you dare question that!”

Leia lifted her eyebrows, surprised by his outburst. “Then show her you do,” she replied, not letting his outburst intimidate her. “Let her in. Don’t keep pushing her away, because I strongly suspect that’s what you’ve been doing.”

Anakin was about to respond when Leia continued, cutting him off.

“Do you know how lucky you are that she is even willing to be in the same room as you after everything you did?” she said, growing angry as well. “You destroyed her life! And yet she still loves you. She is willing to put the past aside to try and reach out to you.”

"How do you know that?” Anakin retorted. “What makes you think she would do such a thing?”

“Because she told me so,” Leia replied, standing toe to toe with her father. “I you weren’t so damn stubborn and brooding you would realize that!!”

Anakin stared down at his daughter, at a total loss for words.

“Why does any of this matter to you?” he asked at last. “You’ve made your feelings for me quite clear. I would think that you would be doing your utmost to keep us apart.”

Her father’s question took her by surprise, and she didn’t know how to respond to it. He’s right…why do I care? I don’t know why…I just do.

“I …I don’t know why,” she replied at last. “Maybe it’s because I love my brother, and I know nothing would make him happier. Maybe I want my mother to finally have some happiness in her life…maybe I’m trying to accept that you are my father.”

Leia’s words surprised Anakin, and he softened. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I…I know how difficult this is for you. I have caused you a great deal of pain, I know that, and if I could take it all back, I’d do so in a heartbeat. I suppose that’s why I have such a hard time believing that your mother is willing to give me a second chance…she more than anyone has reason to hate me, to reject me.”

“I know,” admitted Leia. “But she loves you. Despite everything, she loves you still. I don’t begin to understand the depth of that sort of love, but it’s obviously there, even after all these years, after all the pain you caused her.”

Anakin considered his daughter’s words, still reluctant to believe them. “I want to believe that, Leia,” he said quietly, “More than anything. I’m just afraid to.”

Leia was surprised by her father’s admission, and in that moment she began to see the insecure little boy within the grown man, the little slave boy that had claimed her mother’s heart so many years earlier.

“What are you afraid of?” Leia asked.

“I …I don’t know,” he said, turning away from her.

“I think you do,” Leia retorted. “But until you figure it out for yourself, no one can tell you what to do. As much as we’d like to try,” she added with a wry smile.

Anakin looked back at her. He knew what an effort it must have been for her to come here like this, to reach out to him the way he had. It made him think that perhaps there was hope after all of having his family back.

“Thank you, Leia,” he said. “I know it wasn’t easy for you to come here tonight. It means a great deal to me that you did so.”

She smiled. “I didn’t know if I’d have the guts to go through with it, to be honest. I stood outside your door trying to work up the nerve to ring the buzzer.”

“I know,” Anakin replied with a smile. “I felt your presence.”

“Figures,” Leia replied. She sighed. “Well, maybe we should both try to get some sleep.”

Anakin nodded. “Agreed,” he said. “Sleep well, Leia.”

“You too,” Leia replied.

Anakin watched her as she turned and left him then, amazed and encouraged by her visit. Padmé loves me…he still couldn’t believe it. But if Leia was right, then he needed to make sure he let her know how he felt before she gave up on him completely.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 20

Anakin paced up and down in his quarters, his mind mulling over the unexpected visit he’d just had with his daughter. Ever since he had come to realize that she was his child, that horrible night on board the Death Star had haunted him. He had been so obsessed with finding the stolen plans that he stopped just short of killing her to find the information, and she had not given it to him. Now I know why I could not break her. Yet he had tried to break her, with torture devices, with mind control, by planting suggestions in her mind so horrific they would have driven a weaker person mad... She more than anyone had reason to hate him; and yet it was she who had taken the initiative to reach out to him.

Not only that, she had revealed an incredible truth to him, a truth Anakin still had trouble believing. Her words still echoed in his mind:

Despite everything, she loves you still. I don’t begin to understand the depth of that sort of love, but it’s obviously there, even after all these years, after all the pain you caused her.

How can that be? Anakin couldn’t wrap his mind around it; it didn’t make any sense to him... I’m not worthy of your compassion, Padmé, and certainly not worthy of your love…. I don’t even know who I am anymore. I don’t want to pull you down in this; you don’t deserve that, not after everything I’ve put you through. I don’t want to hurt you again, Padmé. Yet, from what Leia had said, he was hurting her, hurting her by refusing to let her close, by pretending that he didn’t care anymore. But what if Leia is wrong? What if she is misleading me? No, she would not do that, she would not toy with my emotions, and certainly not those of her mother…so what do I do now? Do I tell Padmé how I feel? Do I take that chance?

Anakin’s ruminations were interrupted by a signal from the bridge.

“What is it?” Anakin asked.

“Sir, we’ve dropped out of light speed and are awaiting orders,” Piett’s voice reported.

“I’ll be right there,” Anakin replied. The last thing he wanted right now was the burden of command. At one time the thought of having control of the Empire in his grasp was his sole focus, his sole reason for living. Now that had all changed. Now he realized that there were more important things in life than power; the love, acceptance and forgiveness of his family were all he craved now. Life was indeed ironic he mused as he rode the lift to the bridge.

“What is our status?” Anakin asked as he met Piett on the bridge.

“We have left Coruscant,” Piett replied, “and are on the outer periphery of the system.”

Anakin nodded. “And what are your plans?”

Piett smiled. “My plans? Well, to be honest, sir, I was hoping you had some. We are in an unprecedented situation; the emperor is dead, Darth Vader is dead. Where does that leave the Empire?”

“In your hands,” Anakin replied. “You are the admiral of the flagship of the fleet. Who better than you to assume leadership of the Empire?”

Piett did not seem convinced. “Me? I’m not a politician, Anakin, no more than you are.”

Anakin smiled. “The way I see it, you are the best choice, and certainly the best chance for peace in the galaxy.”

“Peace? Now there’s a thought,” Piett replied thoughtfully.

“If you were in control of the Empire, you could make it happen, Piett,” Anakin pointed out. “You have two of the leaders of the Alliance on the ship right now, they could arrange for a meeting with the rest. Why not consider it?”

“Why don’t you take a hand in this?” Piett asked. “It’s your idea, your vision, Anakin.”

Anakin sighed. “I have other considerations now, Piett,” he replied. “My own life needs to be sorted out before I can take on sorting out the galaxy.”

Piett nodded in understanding. “Yes, I can understand that. Still, the galaxy needs heroes right now, Anakin.”

“I hardly qualify as a hero, not anymore,” Anakin replied introspectively. “Not after all the atrocities I’ve had a hand in over the past 20 years.”

Piett listened patiently. “I can see how you would feel that way,” he replied. “But the past cannot be undone, Anakin, and there is no sense in spending the rest of your life punishing yourself.”

Anakin shook his head. “It’s not so easy,” he said, turning his gaze to the stars that filled the large view screen. “I have so much to atone for, so much damage to fix; I don’t even know where to begin, or if it’s even possible to make up for all that I’ve done.”

Piett watched Anakin, knowing how confused he was. Yet, he also knew that Anakin Skywalker was a complex man, one whose passions ran deep. At one time, he had been consumed with power; as Darth Vader that was his focus, his obsession. That focus had shifted completely.

“May I make a suggestion, sir?” Piett said at last.

“Please do,” Anakin said, turning to him once again.

"Concentrate on your family,” Piett replied. “Let them be your focus right now. I have a feeling that if you set things right with them, the rest will all fall into place.”

Anakin nodded. “And what of the Empire?”

Piett shrugged. “You know what the bureaucratic process is like,” he replied. “It will take weeks before the dust settles after all the upheaval lately. Not to mention the investigation into the death of the emperor.”

Anakin frowned. “Yes, I’d almost forgotten about that,” he muttered. “I imagine I will be called to account for that eventually.”

“Perhaps,” Piett replied. “Perhaps the security holograms of the day he died mysteriously disappeared,” he suggested cryptically.

Anakin looked at his first officer with surprise. “What are you saying?” he asked.

“I think you know,” Piett replied. “You don’t think I rose to the rank of admiral without knowing a few tricks, do you?”

Anakin laughed. “I know exactly how you rose to the rank of admiral, Firmus,” he replied. “I always figured you were the only man under my command with a brain in his head.”

“Thanks…I think,” Piett replied wryly. “Now go talk to your family, and I will figure out what to do to keep this crew busy while we decide upon our course of action.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Anakin replied. “Thank you, Firmus. Again, I am in your debt.”

Anakin left the bridge and headed for the lift. He could feel his pulse racing, and actually began to perspire as he approached the deck where his wife’s quarters were. He was reminded of a day long ago, of another ride in a lift, when he was a 19 year old Padawan who had just been assigned, along with his master, to protect a certain Senator from Naboo. She still had that affect on him, even after all these years. Be calm, Skywalker…relax…

The lift reached its destination, and Anakin stepped out. He strode down the corridor, each step causing his heart to beat a little faster. This is ridiculous, he admonished himself. I’m not a 19 year old boy, damn it! I’m …his thoughts were derailed when he saw Padmé standing in the corridor before him. She seemed surprised to see him.

“Hello Anakin,” she said. He could sense her hesitate, and realized that she was doing her best to protect herself from his indifference.

“Hello,” he replied. “I... I was just coming to see you.”

She lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh?” she asked. “Why is that?”

“I was hoping we could talk,” he replied, hating the tension that was between them. “We need to talk, Padmé.”

She studied his face, trying to read what was in his eyes. There was a time when she could tell what was on his mind simply by the set of his shoulders, the set of his jaw; but not now. Now he was an enigma to her, and until he decided to lower the defenses he had meticulously built up over the past 2 decades, she would never know what was in his heart. Unless of course he told her; which isn’t likely to happen, she told herself.

“By all means,” she said. “My quarters are just down the corridor.”

“After you,” he said.

They walked along in silence, each trying to read the other, each failing to do so. He was not the only one to have erected walls.

“So what is on your mind?” she asked casually as the door closed behind them. She sat down on the edge of her bed and watched him, waiting for him to begin, wondering what it was he wanted to say.

“I…I don’t know where to start,” he admitted, pacing nervously in the small room. “There is so much I want to say, so much I need to say, I don’t even know how to begin.”

Padmé did not respond, and merely watched him as he paced around.

“First of all, I want to say that I’m sorry,” he began. “No, that’s too weak,” he added. “Sorry just doesn’t cut it. There are no words that I can say to express my shame at what I did to you, Padmé. The level of shame is beyond description, the depth of my regret is immeasurable. I…I don’t expect you to forgive what I did, nor do I deserve forgiveness; but I wanted to say it to you nonetheless.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Is there anything else?” she prodded, knowing full well that there was. She knew him well enough even after all these years to know that much.

Anakin looked at his wife, trying to decide what to do, what to say next.

“I…I think that’s all,” he began, turning away from her. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you by bringing all this up, but I…”

“Why are you doing this?” she interrupted, standing up, unable to take the agonizing tension any longer.

Her sudden vehemence startled him. “What is it that I am doing?” he asked, not looking at her, knowing that she would be able to read his eyes too well.

“You know exactly what,” she retorted, taking his arm and turning him to face her. “You’re doing your best to pretend that you’re alright, but I know otherwise. Why won’t you talk to me?”

Anakin faced his wife, confused by her actions, by her insistence.

“I …I don’t know,” he admitted at last, weakening under her discerning eyes. “I’m not sure…I’m not sure of anything anymore, Padmé. All I know is that I destroyed our family, committed such unspeakable acts…I don’t know how you can even bear to look at me anymore.”

“Listen to me, Anakin,” she said, moving to face him again. She waited until he met her gaze before continuing. “I’m not going to pretend that the past never happened, there’s no way either of us can do that. I’m not going to stand here and tell you that I can forgive and forget all that happened, that would be a lie and you know it. But what I can tell you is we have to talk about it, we can’t just ignore what happened; we must talk about it if there is ever to be healing in our family.”

Anakin looked at his wife, not sure he had heard her correctly. It almost sounded as though she wanted a future with him. But that couldn’t be.

“No, we cannot ignore the past,” Anakin replied at last. “But neither can we change it. Believe me, I would give anything to change it, to undo all the pain I caused you; but I can’t. I have to live with that shame and guilt for the rest of my life.”

Padmé saw in his eyes the depth of his pain, and she finally realized why he was so reluctant to reach out to her. His transformation from Vader back to Skywalker was so swift, so unexpected, that he had not yet had time to adjust. Anakin Skywalker was horrified by the atrocities committed by Darth Vader; and was forced to carry the burden of guilt for those actions. He was overwhelmed with shame with remorse, and hated himself for the life he had lead as Darth Vader.

“Anakin,” she said, taking his hands. “Look at me.”

“I am looking at you, Padmé,” he replied.

“No, really look at me,” she insisted, “like you used to. Look inside me, Anakin. You were always able to see what was in my mind and in my heart. What do you see there now?”

Anakin stared at her, trying to look beyond the confines of his own self made purgatory, beyond the guilt and the shame of his past, beyond the remorse he felt every time he thought of what he had done to her. And what he saw astounded him. She loves me…

“Padmé,” he said his voice no more than a whisper.

She took his face in her hands, realizing that he needed to hear her say it. “I love you, Ani,” she said softly. “I have always loved you. Can’t you see that?”

He looked down at her hands in his, and could only nod, his throat too constricted to speak. Hot tears spilled down his face. His catharsis had begun.

Wordlessly she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him to her, cradling him in her arms as he wept.

“Let it all out, Ani,” she soothed, stroking the top of his head as he buried his face against her shoulder. “You don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here now. We will get through this together.”

“I love you,” he said at last, pulling back and taking her face in his hands. “I have never stopped loving you, Padmé. All the years when I thought you were dead, a part of me was dead too. You are in my very soul, Padmé. I…I don’t’ know how I existed without you.”

Padme smiled; elated and relieved to see the Anakin she once knew and loved at last.

“I don’t want to lose you to the Dark Side again, Anakin,” she said, looking up at him. “I know you are going through an identity crisis of sorts right now; but I want you to know that your family is ready to help you through it. We won’t let you fall again, Ani. I won’t let you fall.”

Anakin smiled. “I don’t know if I deserve your love, Padme; I don’t know that I deserve a second chance. But I am grateful beyond words for both.”

"I am grateful to have my Anakin back,” Padme replied softly. “I have been lost without him.”

Anakin awoke with a start, surprised that he had even been asleep. The last thing he remembered was his wife’s hands working the tension knots out of his shoulders, and his children…

He looked around the room and saw that only Leia was still there, studying intently the content on the view screen before her. He stood up and stretched.

“What’s that you’re reading?” he asked.

Leia started, not expecting to hear her father’s voice. She turned around to see him walking towards her.

“Uh, just looking up some data on …” she replied, not sure she wanted him to see what she was looking at.

“On me,” Anakin, said, peering at the screen. “Look at all that hair,” he mused, running his hand over his still stubbly scalp.

Leia couldn’t help but crack a smile. “It will come back,” she said. “It already is.”

“Yeah, I know,” he replied, sitting down next to her. “Did you find what you were looking for?” he asked, watching his daughter closely for her reaction.

“I’m not sure,” she replied, looking back at the screen where her father’s youthful image looked back at her. “You’re so young…how old are you here?”

Anakin leaned forward for a closer look. “Twenty-one,” he replied. “Remind you of anyone?”

Leia nodded. “Yes, Luke looks quite a bit like you,” she remarked. “Not as big as you though; and not as intense.”

Anakin sighed as he nodded thoughtfully. “No, he’s more like his mother in many respects,” he replied.

Leia looked at him. “What about me?” she asked. “Who am I like?”

Anakin regarded his daughter for a moment before responding; knowing that the last thing she wanted to hear was probably the most accurate. “Well, you look like your mother,” he replied at last. “But I’m afraid you are more like me in personality. You probably don’t want to hear that, but you did ask,” he concluded with a wry smile.

“I did,” she conceded. “And I have to admit that I do see myself in you. At least, the you that is sitting here before me. Not the man you were 6 months ago.”

Anakin frowned. “No, that was no man, Leia,” he replied solemnly. “That was a monster.” He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he fought to push away the images of his daughter in agony from his mind. So many senseless acts of cruelty…so much blood...

“He was,” Leia agreed. “But he’s gone now, right?”

Anakin looked at his daughter. “You have your doubts?” he asked.

Leia shrugged. “Not really,” she replied. “Mother told us about what happened,” she continued, turning her eyes back to the youthful image on the screen. “About how Palpatine manipulated you.” She turned back to him. “Is it true that you turned to the Dark Side to try to save her?”

Anakin nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “It didn’t turn out exactly as I had hoped,” he added with a frown.

“No, obviously not,” Leia agreed. “Would you...if you could go back and change things, would you? I mean, what would you have done differently?”

Anakin considered his daughter’s question for a moment before answering. “That’s a difficult question,” he replied at last. “I’m not sure I could narrow down one decision that I made that determined the course of my life; it was more a matter of a series of events that lead me to the Dark Side.”

“But where did it all begin?” Leia persisted. “Surely there was a point where you had a difficult decision to make, and you chose the one that lead you to the Dark Side.”

Yes …there was a decision…a dreadful, terribly wrong decision…

Anakin frowned as he remembered that day in Palpatine’s office so long ago. Master Windu had the Dark Lord at his mercy, and would have killed him if Anakin hadn’t interfered. But he had…he had struck down the Jedi Master, allowing the monstrous Palpatine to live...and that was the beginning of his apprenticeship, the beginning of the end..

“There was one moment,” Anakin said at last, standing up and walking away from his daughter. “One terrible, monstrously wrong decision,” he said.

“What happened?” Leia asked.

Anakin hesitated before answering her. “I…thought if Palpatine died that I would lose any chance of saving Padmé. I was so terrified that I would lose her that I threw away all sense of reason, my sense of right and wrong was completely distorted by the confusion and terror within me. I …defended him, when I had the chance to kill him. I struck down a fellow Jedi, a man I’d known since I was a boy, rather than see him destroy Palpatine. I knew he was a Sith…I knew that but I didn’t care. All I cared about was saving Padmé. And he made me believe that if he died, all chances of saving her died too.”

Leia listened to her father, her heart aching. She had always assumed that Darth Vader had embraced the Dark Side out of purely selfish reasons; it as almost inconceivable that he had acted out of love. Yet the atrocities he committed later in life had nothing to do with love…they can’t be explained away so innocently…

Anakin turned and looked back at his daughter, and in his eyes she could see the pain and guilt that his memories of that dreadful watershed moment still caused him.

“You see,” he continued. “It is not as black and white as simply deciding to join the Dark Side. It was an agonizing decision to protect Palpatine; but in my heart I felt as though I had no choice. I felt certain that I would lose your mother without his help, and I knew that I could not live without her.”

Leia listened to her father’s tragic story, compassion stirring in her heart despite her best efforts to deny it. Surely someone who loved another person that deeply could not be all bad….

The door opened at that moment, and both father and daughter turned to see Luke and Padmé enter the room.

“Did you have a bit of sleep?” Padmé asked, setting down a tray of breakfast on the table.

“A bit, yes,” Anakin replied. “Is that for me?” he asked hopefully.

Padmé smiled. “Yes, it’s for you,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Luke has brought some for you too, Leia.”

“Thanks,” she replied, still thinking about her father’s story.

Luke looked at his sister and sensed her conflicted emotions. He knew that she had begun to soften towards their father; yet there were still many scars that he knew would take a long time to heal. Perhaps they never would.

“We saw Admiral Piett in the mess, Father,” Luke said. “He asked if he could speak with us. I told him to meet us here. I hope that’s okay.”

Anakin nodded as he dug into his breakfast. “I know exactly what he’s going to say,” he said between bites.

“Oh?” Padmé asked. “Jedi intuition?”

“No,” Anakin replied. “I just know him like the back of my hand,” he replied.

Padmé laughed along with Luke. “Well, we’ll see soon enough.”

Anakin nodded as he looked over at his daughter who had barely touched her food. She looked up and met his eyes. He could see in their dark depths a new level of understanding that gave him a small spark of hope that perhaps his relationship with her was not a lost cause. He smiled at her, and she could feel a strong surge of love emanating from him, love and gratitude. Leia smiled back, feeling that, once again, she had caught a glimpse of the real Anakin Skywalker.

[therealthing]

An hour later…

“Let me get this straight,” Anakin said, folding his arms over his chest, looking at his family as Piett stood by watching with amusement.

“You think I should reveal that I was Darth Vader? After the lengths I’ve gone to in order to hide my identity?” he asked, frowning. “What sense does that make?”

“Listen to me, Anakin,” Padmé replied patiently. “As Darth Vader you can assume control of the Empire, declare yourself emperor. As the emperor’s right hand you would naturally be his successor.”

"Your wife is right,” Piett put in. “You know as well I do that were I to make a bid for the leadership, grand moffs would come out of the woodwork from all over the galaxy to challenge me. It would be chaos. You are the natural choice to succeed the emperor.”

Anakin was not convinced. “You all seem to forget that I have renounced the Dark Side,” he reminded them. “And you are asking me to become Darth Vader again??”

“Not become him,” Luke said. “Just assume the name. No one needs to know that you are really Anakin Skywalker again; Vader is just a name, Father.”

“Luke is right,” Padmé said. “As emperor you could put an end to all the injustices in the galaxy that the Empire has created. Plus you could negotiate with the Alliance for a truce to end the war.”

Anakin listened to his wife’s words. Could it work? Could he really fix all the damage that he’d had a hand in? But the danger of that much power was daunting…how could he avoid the dark side with that much power in his grasp?

“I don’t know,” he said at last, shaking his head and walking across the room. “That much power…I’m not sure I am ready to do this.”

“No one here doubts that you have renounced the Dark Side completely, Father,” Luke said. “And that you can do this. I know it is a huge job, but you would have the support of all of us behind you. Mother is an experienced politician; her help would be invaluable. You’re the only chance the galaxy has of knowing peace. Surely you know that.”

Anakin looked at his son, surprised by his declaration. “Do you really believe that, Luke?” he asked.

Luke nodded. “Yes,” he said. “I do. The Empire needs a leader; who better than you to be that leader? And because you have renounced the Dark Side, you are the best chance of resolving the conflict between the Empire and the Alliance.”

“Think of it, Ani,” Padmé said, growing excited as the ideas jumped into her mind. “You could create a New Republic, slowly change the office of emperor into that of a constitutional monarch, giving power back to the systems, removing the iron grip of the Empire and releasing worlds to govern themselves.”

Anakin considered all this as he paced around the room. If what Padmé was saying was true, then didn’t he owe it to the galaxy to try?

He turned and looked back at his family. “And what part do you play in this, Padmé?” he asked. “Will you work with me? I’m no politician, as you well know. If I’m going to do this I will need your help.” He turned to his children. “Yours as well.”

“Luke and I will need to return to the Alliance,” Leia replied. “If it’s made public knowledge that we are your children, your credibility as Darth Vader will be compromised. But Mother can be your Empress; that way she can help you without raising suspicions.”

Anakin turned and looked at Padmé. “Empress Padmé,” he mused. “Well you’ve been a queen, why not an empress too?”

Padmé smiled. “Yes, why not? Of course I couldn’t use my real name. We can’t take the chance that the Empire will connect me to Anakin Skywalker or else your reign will be a short one.”

“Yes, very true,” Piett put in. “You will have to assume the name of Vader, my lady.”

"Of course,” Padmé replied. She turned to her children. “I do not like the thought of being separated from you so soon, though,” she said softly. “We just found one another and now it seems we have to be apart again.”

“Yes, I thought of that too,” Leia said, a frown on her face. “But it cannot be helped.”

“I’m sure we can work out something,” Luke said. “A meeting place, somewhere out of the way, secluded, where we can be together as a family.”

Anakin and Padmé looked at one another, and at the same time, said, “The lake retreat.”

“The what?” asked Leia, looking at her parents.

“A special place, very special,” Padmé said, her eyes not leaving Anakin’s. “Your father and I were married there, it belongs to my family.”

“On Naboo?” Luke asked.

“Yes,” Padmé replied. “My home.”

Piett felt rather awkward at this point, feeling as though he was intruding upon a special family moment. However, there were important matters to attend to, and he knew that his presence was necessary.

“So the way I see it,” he spoke up at last, bringing everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand. “We need to have a press conference, and reveal the remade Lord Vader, at which time you will announce your ascendancy to the throne.”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, I suppose time is of the essence. We don’t want a civil war breaking out.”

“Agreed,” Piett said. “If you will allow me, I will see to that at once, sir. Or should I say, your majesty,” he added, extending an exaggerated bow.

Anakin laughed as Piett left the room. He turned back to his family. “This is all happening so fast,” he told them. “We’ve barely had time to get to know one another, and I feel like we’re being torn apart all over again.”

“But not forever,” Luke reminded his father.

“No, not forever,” Anakin said, smiling at his son. “I have no desire to spend the rest of my life as emperor; I’ll do what I must, for as long as I must, but my primary focus is you, my family.”

Padmé put her arm around Anakin’s waist and looked up at him. “That is something we all share, Ani,” she said. “We have spent so long apart; we need to spend time getting to know one another.”

Anakin looked down at his wife with a smile. “Or getting to know one another all over again,” he replied.

She nodded in agreement. “Sounds wonderful.”

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 21

"I don’t like this, Luke,” Leia confided in her brother as they returned to the medical ward.

Luke looked at his sister. “What are you talking about?”

“You know what,” she retorted. “Emperor Vader. I’m not so sure I like the idea of giving him that much power.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with it earlier,” Luke pointed out. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Leia shrugged. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I think I’m just trying to be sensitive to Mother. She believes in him, her trust is unwavering. I can’t say the same thing, Luke. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that he was Darth Vader; how can we be so sure that he won’t slip back to the Dark Side when he has that much power in his grasp?”

Luke was silent as he considered his sister’s words. No one could be sure of anything, not even Anakin himself. But action was needed, and their plan was as good as any, Luke reasoned.

“We need to have faith that he won’t, Leia,” he said at last. “I know you have had trouble trusting him; but there isn’t time for doubts. If Father doesn’t step in and take control, someone else will. Or the Alliance will move in and the fighting will escalate. This is the only way to ensure that the conflict is brought under control.”

“Control?” Leia asked. “Control is the very issue I’m talking about, Luke! How can we be so certain that once he has control of the Empire he will graciously dole it out like he says? That much power would be a temptation to anyone, and we’re not just talking about anyone, are we? We’re talking about a Sith.”

“A former Sith,” Luke countered, growing frustrated with his sister’s stubbornness. “He saved your life, Leia, after you tried to kill him. Doesn’t that tell you something about him? Why are you so sure that he is not worthy of our trust?”

Leia sighed. “I’m not,” she replied. “I’m just….it’s just too soon, Luke. I haven’t had a chance to accept that he’s my father, and now you’re asking me to put my trust in him as ruler of the galaxy. It’s too much to expect, I can’t do it!”

Luke said no more, for he saw his parents standing in the doorway behind Leia. Judging by the look on Anakin’s face, he had heard Leia’s vehement declaration.

“No one expects you to do anything beyond your means, Leia,” Anakin said. She whirled around to see him, her face reddening.

“I…I didn’t know you were there,” she stammered.

“Obviously not,” Anakin replied. I was a fool to think that she was beginning to accept me, he thought bitterly. “I’m sorry you feel this way, but I’m not sure what else I can do to earn your trust,” he continued, walking into the medical ward. He turned and looked at his daughter. “But perhaps your antipathy towards me will work to our advantage.”

Padmé frowned. “How?”

“Leia herself said there mustn’t be any connection made between her and Luke and myself,” Anakin explained. “No one will suspect that she is my daughter when she harbors such serious doubts of my trustworthiness.”

Part of Leia felt badly; she had come a long way towards accepting Anakin as her father, but she would be lying if she said that she was comfortable with this plan. One thing she had learned about her father was that it was impossible to hide her feelings from him, so there seemed little point in trying.

“I’m sorry you still feel that way, Leia,” Padmé said sadly. “But perhaps your father is right. You and Darth Vader have had a history of animosity; it wouldn’t be believable if you were suddenly a supporter of his.”

“Yes, I suppose it would,” Leia concurred. She looked up at her father, hating the hurt look in his eyes. “The best way you can earn my trust is to let me give it willingly, and not force me into a situation where I have no choice.”

Anakin frowned. “Is that what you think I’m doing?” he challenged.

“Well, yes,” Leia retorted. “You are planning on declaring yourself emperor, and expecting that I can accept that without question. Given your history, you have to admit that this is a little much to ask.”

“Believe me, Leia,” Anakin replied hotly. “I have no expectations where you are concerned. Perhaps this was all a big mistake,” he said, turning to his wife. “I’ve changed my mind. I want nothing to do with this plan. I wash my hands of it.” He stormed out of the room without so much as a backwards glance.

Padmé closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Now what? She asked herself.

“I hope you’re happy, Leia,” Luke remarked angrily. “Why can’t you just put your differences aside? Why can’t you see that he is the best chance for mending the divisions in the galaxy?”

“Don’t lecture me, Luke!” Leia retorted hotly. “You weren’t the one who was subjected to his torture! You weren’t the one whose home was destroyed in front of your very eyes! It’s not so easy to forgive and forget when you’ve gone through the hell he has put me through!”

“Enough,” Padmé said at last, stepping in. “No one is questioning your right to be angry about what Darth Vader put you through, Leia,” she said, looking at her daughter. “And Luke, you have no right to question that,” she added, addressing her son. “But you are not the only one who has suffered because of the actions of Darth Vader, Leia,” she continued, turning back to her daughter. “I really thought you’d learned to accept him, but I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry, I wish there was something I could do to change your opinion of him, but I’ve done all I can, and so has he. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to see if I can salvage this situation before it’s too late.”

Padmé left her children at this point. She ran down the corridor after Anakin. “Anakin, wait!” she called as she saw him get onto the lift.

Anakin heard his wife calling him and stopped, holding the door open for her. Don’t push me right now, Padmé, he thought to himself.

“Ani, you don’t mean what you said back there,” Padmé said as she joined him in the lift. “You’re angry, understandably so, but...”

“Damn right I’m angry,” he replied hotly. “She is too much, Padmé, too stubborn, too unyielding. I was foolish to ever think that she and I were growing closer. She will never forgive me for what I did to her; and perhaps she’s right not to. Perhaps she’s right; there’s too much Darth Vader still within me to entrust me with that much power.”

Padmé grew frustrated at her husband’s negativism. Was he right? Was there still too much of Darth Vader lurking within him? Anakin Skywalker had never shown such doubt about himself; perhaps it was too soon, perhaps he needed more time…but there was no time...

“Listen to me, Anakin,” Padmé said at last, using her best senatorial voice. “Obviously whatever transpired between you and our daughter was tremendously painful to her; otherwise she’d not have such difficulty putting it behind her. She has come a long way, however, in what I understand to be a very short time; you have to be patient with her. Getting angry with her isn’t going to help her trust you.”

Anakin listened to his wife, feeling resentful that she was taking Leia’s side. Would she be so quick to defend her if she knew that Leia had tried to kill me? He wondered.

“I understand that she hates me,” Anakin retorted. “And probably always will, no matter what I do. Are you telling me just to accept that?”

“Of course not!” Padmé replied in exasperation. “But you seem to think that she is unjustified in her distrust of you. Put yourself in her place; how would you feel?”

“I don’t know, Padmé,” he replied testily. “I’ve never had a father. And if I’d had one, I’m certain that I never would have tried to kill him, as my daughter has done.”

“When did she do that??” Padmé asked. “I can’t believe that…”

“No, you can’t believe any wrong doing on her part, just mine, is that it?” he cut in angrily, turning away from her as the lift doors opened. Anakin strode down the corridor to his quarters, his wife following him. Neither of them said word until they reached his quarters.

“Anakin, calm down,” Padmé said, becoming alarmed at his growing anger. “You must get past this anger; you’re starting to scare me.”

Anakin looked at his wife, suddenly feeling remorseful for lashing out at her the way he had. Why was it that the anger still came so quickly?

"I’m sorry,” he said contritely. “You’re the last person I should be taking this out on. It’s just so damn frustrating, Padmé! I feel like…like I know what I need to do, but I’m not sure I can do it. I’m not sure I can be trusted to do it.”

“Anakin, no one can tell you what to do,” she replied. “No one knows what is in your heart. You have renounced the Dark Side; you have fought back against it, and won. Your son loves you, and accepts you. Your daughter will eventually do so as well; I love you, and want you back in my life, despite everything. But only you can forgive yourself, no one else can do that. And until you do, you will be forever questioning yourself, never fully trusting that you know what is right. You can’t live like that, Ani. You will never be able to be emperor if you are always second guessing yourself.”

“Then perhaps I should never have agreed to do it,” he replied quietly, turning away from her again.

Padmé shook her head, her patience reaching an end.

“You listen to me, Anakin Skywalker,” she said, her dark eyes flashing with emotion. “You are the only person who can put an end to the destructive conflict that has plagued the galaxy for the past 20 years; conflict that you have had a hand in. This is your opportunity to right the wrongs that you helped Palpatine perpetrate. You owe it to the galaxy to try, Ani! You owe it to your children to make this galaxy a better place, a safe and civilized place again. And you owe it to me; I have spent half my life in mourning for what we had, for what we lost because of that monster, Palpatine. We will never be able to get back those years, Anakin,” she said, her voice starting to falter. “Never see our children grow up again, never hear their first words…” she put her hands in her face as the emotions overwhelmed her.

Anakin felt his heart aching as Padmé broke down. She had been so strong since they had been reunited; yet there was still so much pain that she carried, so much sadness for the lost years of Luke and Leia’s childhood, and for his betrayal of her. He walked over to her and took her by the shoulders. “I’m so sorry,” he said softly, pulling her close to him. “So sorry for everything.”

Padmé resisted his embrace and pushed at him. “How could you, Ani??” she cried. “How could you think that I had betrayed you? That I had brought Obi-Wan to Mustafar to kill you?? I wouldn’t betray you if it meant my own life!! And yet you believed I had! And if it weren’t for Obi-Wan, you would have killed me!!” she cried, striking at him with her small fists. “You nearly did kill me, as well as our unborn children!! How could you?? How could you betray me like that??”

Anakin realized that this outburst was long over due, and so he let her vent, knowing that she had undoubtedly wanted to say these things to him for a long time. The trouble was, he had no answers for her burning questions. Looking back, it seemed inconceivable that he could have choked her, but he had. The fact that she was willing to resume a relationship with him at all was miraculous; he would be foolish to think that she did not harbor a lot of anger and pain because of what he had done to her on that terrible day.

And so he let her vent, let her strike away at him, knowing that she needed to get it out of her system, knowing that he deserved everyone of her words of accusation, every one of her blows. Finally she tired herself out, and simply looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. Anakin took her face in his hands and pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you, Padmé, I promise.”

Padmé could only nod as she closed her eyes, feeling exhausted by the emotional catharsis she had just gone through. But when Anakin wrapped his arms around her this time, she did not resist, and melted into his embrace.

“I’ll do it, Padmé,” he said softly, brushing his lips against her hair. “For you, for our children, I will do it.”

Padmé looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, Ani,” she said softly.

Anakin smiled, taking strength in her love. “I love you,” he replied, and bent to kiss her, to show her just how much.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 22

“Everything has been arranged,” Piett announced as he sat down at the conference table with Anakin, Padmé, Luke and Leia. “The Imperial press team will be here in 48 hours.”

Anakin nodded. “I suppose there’s no backing out now,” he commented, looking at his wife.

Padmé smiled at him, and put her hand on his. “It will be fine, Ani. You’re going to make a great leader.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Piett concurred with a smile. “But there is a matter of some importance that we still need to discuss.”

“What is that?” asked Padmé.

“Concealing your true identities,” Piett replied. “We can explain Vader’s physical transformation; even provide medical proof that he is who he claims to be. But the faces of both Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala are very recognizable, even after all this time. Are you prepared to reveal your true identity?”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea, personally,” Luke declared, looking at his parents. “It would undermine your position as Emperor, Father. The Imperial hierarchy would be suspicious of your true motives if they knew that you were really Anakin Skywalker.”

“Luke is right,” Piett put in. “And anyone who knew you, milady, would never believe that you would have any part of the Empire, much less to be its Empress.”

Anakin nodded. “Very true. Padmé Amidala was known as a champion of democracy, and a defender of the Republic,” he said, looking at his wife. “They mustn’t know who you truly are, Padmé.”

“So what is the solution?” she asked, looking at the three men. She had noticed how quiet Leia was; indeed, she seemed totally absorbed in her own thoughts. “Any ideas, Leia?” Padmé asked her.

Leia shook herself from her reverie and looked up at her mother. “I’m sorry, Mother; what did you say?”

“Mother asked if you had any ideas, Leia,” Luke said, annoyed with his sister’s seeming indifference to the situation.

“Leia disapproves of this course of action,” Anakin said, looking at Leia. “I doubt she has any suggestions to help facilitate it.”

Leia met her father’s gaze, stung by his remark. She could see the hurt in his eyes as he looked at her. Yet she could not deny what he had said; she did harbor serious doubts about the scheme to make Darth Vader the emperor, and was not about to play the hypocrite and pretend otherwise.

“What about disguises?” she suggested at last, directing her comment to her mother.

“Disguises?” Anakin repeated. “Surely you’re not suggesting that damnable mask again!”

"Well, it would hide your face,” replied Leia calmly, looking back at him. “Isn’t that what you want?”

“It would, but I’m not about to subject myself to that again,” Anakin replied, frowning at the thought of it.

“It’s a moot point,” Piett said. “The mask and all the rest were left on Kamino, and have probably been destroyed by now. Even if they weren’t there’s no time to get them before the press conference. Besides, you are forgetting that your mother requires a disguise as well.”

“No one ever saw Palpatine’s face,” Luke observed. “At least, not unless they were up close, and even then it was only a glimpse.”

“More than I ever wanted,” Leia muttered, shuddering at the memory of his deformed visage.

“What is your point, Luke?” Piett asked.

“My point is Father could wear something similar to the hooded cloak that Palpatine wore. He could say that it was traditional garb for the emperor, or that he was wearing it in deference to the late emperor, or some garbage like that,” Luke replied.

Anakin smirked at his son’s obvious disgust for the late ruler.

“That might just work,” Piett replied, nodding thoughtfully. “And perhaps some sort of veiled headpiece for you, my lady.”

Padmé nodded. “I wore rather outlandish headpieces when I was Queen of Naboo. They might serve as an example.”

“Good idea,” Anakin said, smiling at his wife. “I barely recognized you myself in those things.”

Padmé smiled. “Well then, it will work just fine, won’t it?”

As preparations were made for the big announcement, the Skywalker family prepared itself for yet another separation. Luke and Leia were to return to the Rebel Fleet at once; they could not take the chance of the press getting wind of the true reason for their presence on board the star destroyer. No, they were to return to the Alliance as liaisons, unwilling ones, albeit, but liaisons nonetheless. The fact that they had been treated with fairness and consideration while on board the star destroyer would hopefully go far in paving the way to an amicable meeting between the new emperor and the Rebel leaders. Of course, that was still weeks away; Emperor Vader had much work to do before such an overture of peace could be extended to his lifelong enemies. He had much to prove to the leaders of the Rebellion before they would even consider speaking with him in terms of truce. Darth Vader had spent two decades carving a name for himself as a ruthless monster throughout the galaxy; it would take more than the word of Luke Skywalker and, perhaps, the Princess Leia Organa to convince the rest of the Alliance that he could be trusted.

“We will be following the news of your announcement,” Luke told his parents as he and Leia prepared to board the Millennium Falcon. “I wish we could be here with you,” he added.

“So do I,” Anakin replied. “I could use your support, Luke.”

Luke smiled at his father. “Well, we’ll work it all out somehow.”

“I hope so, son,” Anakin replied. “Have a safe journey, and may the Force be with you.”

“May the Force be with you, Father,” Luke said. He held out his hand to Anakin, but his father pulled him into his arms to give him a big bear hug. Luke smiled, hugging his father back.

Leia watched the exchange between her brother and her father, a strange feeling of jealousy invading her. How was Luke able to accept him so readily? How could he trust someone who a mere month ago had been the most feared, ruthless being in the galaxy? Part of Leia envied her brother’s relationship with their father. There had been times in the past week when she had felt close to him, connected to him; times when she had seen glimpses of the man he had once been. But there was too much water under the bridge…too much history..too much pain…

“Leia?”

Leia turned to see her mother standing before her. “We’ll be in touch,” Leia said as she hugged her mother. “Good luck with everything.”

Padmé looked at her daughter, knowing her well enough even after such a short time to know that she was preoccupied. She had seen the way that Leia watched Luke and Anakin’s interaction, and realized that, in spite of herself, Leia was beginning the healing process. She wanted to accept Anakin; of that, Padmé was sure. It was only a matter of time now.

“What is it?” she asked.

Leia shook her head. “Nothing,” she muttered. “I’m fine.”

Padmé frowned, frustrated with how much Leia was like her father. Maybe that’s why they can’t get along…

"Open your heart, Leia,” Padmé advised her softly, touching her daughter’s face. “Not just your mind.”

Leia looked at her mother, amazed by her ability to forgive. Surely the wrongs that her father had committed against her mother were far worse than those committed against her; and yet, she not only had forgiven him, she clearly loved him. Will I ever be able to do that?

“Goodbye Mother,” Luke said, embracing his mother next. Leia watched, acutely aware that her father’s eyes were fixed on her. Finally she turned to him. He merely watched her, waiting for her to speak, seeing by the set of her shoulders and the look in her eyes that she was too stubborn to break the ice first.

“Have a safe voyage,” Anakin said at last.

"Thanks,” Leia said at last. “Good luck with …everything.”

“Thank you Leia,” Anakin replied, smiling at her. He knew that he couldn’t push her. She had come a long way towards accepting him, but obviously needed more time. Time isn’t something we have a lot of I’m afraid, he reflected. “May the Force be with you.”

Leia nodded. “Thank, you too. All set Luke?” she asked, turning to her brother.

“Yep,” Luke said. “Ready whenever you are.”

“We’ll see you soon,” Padmé said, watching her twins disappear into the Flacon. Anakin walked over and put his arm around her shoulders, seeing how upset she was to watch them leave.

“We will see them again soon, won’t we Ani?” she asked as they left the hangar bay.

Anakin did not know how to respond. The future was so uncertain and unpredictable; he truly did not know what would happen once the announcement that he was now emperor was made. Would civil war ensue? Would enemies and assassins surface to challenge him? Would his true identity be revealed? There was so much at stake, and so much that could go wrong; but so much that could be accomplished as well. A chance to repair all the damage…a chance to bring peace to a galaxy that had known nothing but war for more than two decades…

“I hope so, Padmé,” Anakin replied at last. “I truly do. But we have no way of predicting when. It all depends on how successful we are in our plans.”

Padmé nodded. “This has to work, Ani,” she said. “We have a golden opportunity to set things right, to bring back to the galaxy what was lost all those years ago because of Palpatine’s ruthless ambition.”

Anakin sighed. “He wasn’t alone in his ambition, Padmé,” he said. “I am responsible for what happened just as much as he was.”

“But you are going to set things right, Anakin,” Padmé reminded him, taking his hand. “You are atoning for what you did, and once you’re emperor, you will have a chance to put things right.”

Anakin nodded. Let’s just hope I am given that chance…

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 23

“How’s this?”

Anakin looked over at his wife. “You’re not really going to wear that, are you?” he asked, trying to hide his smile.

Padmé frowned, her hands on her hips. “Anakin Skywalker, are you laughing at me?”

“Me?” he asked, his face straight. “Never. You look…divine.”

Padmé snorted and turned back to the mirror. “I look ridiculous,” she muttered.

“Well, I wasn’t going to say anything,” Anakin said, looking at her reflection over her shoulder. “But yes, yes you do.”

She turned around and gave him a poke in the stomach.

“Hey! I’m just being honest, Padmé!” he said, stepping back and rubbing his abdomen, trying hard not to laugh.

Padmé shook her head. “Well it will serve the purpose,” she said, adjusting the veil ever so slightly. “That’s all that matters.”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, this is true.” He pulled the hood up on his new, ebony cloak. “Alright, my turn,” he said, turning to her. “Can you see my face?”

Padmé removed the elaborate headpiece and veil and peered up at him. “I can see your eyes,” she said. “But only from up close.”

Anakin turned and looked in the mirror. From a distance he could not see any features of his face, only the dark shadow cast by the deep cowl of his cloak. “I guess this is good enough,” he said, looking over his outfit. He wore a long sleeved cloak, much like the one he had worn as a Jedi, of the deepest black. It hid his features completely, the only hint of his appearance being his great height and width of his chest and shoulders. But this alone would not be enough to identify his true identity, for Darth Vader was well known for his immense size.

“What do you think, Padmé? Is this good enough? Please say yes; I really, really don’t want to wear a mask again.”

She looked up at him again and studied him. “I think it will do, Ani,” she said. “No one will be able to see who you are. And it will be only for public appearances anyway, right? We won’t have to wear these ridiculous outfits when we’re alone.”

Anakin shook his head. “No, of course not. In the privacy of our home we will be able to be ourselves. And hopefully our reign will be a short one.”

“Let’s hope so,” Padmé replied. “Nothing would make me happier than to resume a quiet life of anonymity.”

Anakin smiled. “Yes, I couldn’t agree more; though somehow I can’t quite imagine such a thing.”

“No, our lives have been anything but quiet, haven’t they?” she commented softly.

Anakin looked at his wife, regret filling him over the lost years, the years they had been cheated out of. “I have cost you so much, Padmé,” he said, fresh guilt welling up within him. “Caused you so much pain. I’m still astonished that you are willing to have anything to do with me.”

Padmé sighed. Despite her assurances, her declaration of love, and her steadfast support of him in his quest, he still had so much self doubt and recrimination. Padmé feared that if he was never able to forgive himself for his past transgressions he would never completely be redeemed.

“Anakin, we’ve already been through this,” she replied at last. “I forgive you, Anakin. Can’t you see that? I love you! Isn’t the fact that I’m still here with you proof of it?”

“Yes, of course it is,” he said, lowering his hood. “And I am grateful beyond words for your forgiveness, and your love, Padmé. I know I don’t deserve them, nor will I ever be able to make up for what I…”

“Anakin, stop it,” Padmé said at last, taking him by the arms. “Will you stop it? You have to let go of the past, and not let it destroy you all over again. It worries me when you talk this way! It worries me that you will let the darkness take you again, that your own self-hatred will prevent you from ever truly being Anakin Skywalker again.”

Anakin looked at her. The same thoughts had crossed his mind as well, for as much as he had changed, as much as he had renounced Darth Vader, he knew that the shadows of the Dark Side still lingered within him.

“I won’t let you slip away, Ani,” she said at last, seeing the doubts in his eyes. “I won’t lose you again. I couldn’t go through that again.”

“You won’t lose me, Padmé,” Anakin said, taking her face in his hands. “No matter what happens, I will never leave you again.”

Padmé tried to take comfort in his words, but they only created another level of anxiety within her. No matter what happens? What does that mean??

“Well are we all set?” asked Piett as he entered the room and joined Anakin and Padmé.

“I think so,” Anakin replied, releasing his wife. “Have the wolves arrived?”

Piett smiled. “Not yet,” he said. “But they are due to arrive within the next 6 hours or so. How are you feeling?”

Anakin sighed and looked at his wife. “Not bad, all things considered. The cloak’s sleeves are too short, though,” he said, looking down at his wrists. “I’m going to get this altered. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Alright,” Padmé said as he left them. She sighed and looked up at Piett, wondering if she ought to confide in him. He had proven to be a trusted friend and ally in all this; surely he was an honorable man.

“I’m worried about him, Firmus,” she said, a frown creasing her brow.

Piett frowned, and nodded. “Yes, I can see that. What is wrong?”

Padmé walked about in the small room, trying to put her fears into words.

Piett watched her as she gathered her thoughts. He too had been concerned with Anakin’s moodiness, but hadn’t said anything. He merely attributed it to the stress of the situation; but perhaps there was more to it than he knew.

“As strange as this sounds, you probably know my husband better than me in some respects,” she began.

Piett’s eyes widened at hearing this unexpected statement. “I doubt that very much, my lady,” he said.

“Do you?” she asked. “He hasn’t been in my life for more than twenty years now, Piett. And the man he is right now is not the man I knew.”

“Nor is he the man I knew,” Piett put in. “Is that what this is about? Are you concerned that he is still Darth Vader? Because I can assure you that he is not.”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” Padmé said. “Although I never knew Darth Vader personally, I knew enough about him to see that. But my concern is that he is neither, that he is somehow caught between the two, not completely one or the other.”

Piett frowned. “I’m afraid you’ve lost me, my lady,” he admitted.

Padmé sighed, frustrated at her inability to voice her feelings adequately. “Think of it this way; would he have chosen redemption if circumstances had not unraveled as they had? Was it the fact that Palpatine had the twins and I held captive that forced Vader to turn against his master?”

Piett considered her words. Was it the fact that his family had suddenly and unexpectedly been brought together that had acted as the catalyst in his transformation?

“I’m not sure I can answer that, my lady,” Piett replied at last. “Things have happened so quickly ever since he discovered that it was your son who destroyed the Death Star. There certainly hadn’t been time for him to even consider what his actions have meant.”

“Exactly,” Padmé said, relieved that he was starting to understand. “The situation with Palpatine forced his hand, forcing him into a series of events that eventually brought him to this point where he is now. Is it any wonder he is confused and second guessing himself?”

“Not at all, Piett replied, “anyone would be in the same situation. But if what you believe is true, that he is caught between being Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, not fully one or the either, then he is in a very precarious situation.”

Padmé felt a cold rush of fear spread through her. “Yes, I know,” she replied. “And he is about to assume more power than anyone in the galaxy.”

Piett looked at Padmé and merely nodded. “Yes, he is,” he replied. “Power like that can be very dangerous. If there is any trace of Darth Vader left within him, it could be very dangerous indeed.”

Padmé shook her head. “I won’t lose him to the Dark Side, Piett,” she averred. “Not again.”

Piett frowned. “I pray you won’t, my lady,” he said. “Because the galaxy would never be the same if a remade Emperor Vader was unleashed upon it.”

Piett’s words gave Padmé a chill down her spine. I won’t let that happen…no matter what it takes, I will keep Anakin from slipping into the Darkness again…

“You’re right,” she replied. “That is why I am going to be with him through this, Piett. I will not let the darkness take him again. I swear it.”

Piett nodded, admiring her tremendously. “With you at his side, Anakin Skywalker is bound to triumph over Darth Vader.”

Padmé smiled grimly. That is what I am counting on. That is what my very life is depending on.

“Admiral Piett.”

“Excuse me, my lady,” Piett said as he heard the comm.. “Piett here.”

“Sir, we just received word. The transport carrying the press corps has just left hyperspace. They will be here within the hour.”

Piett glanced up at Padmé. “Understood. We’ll be right there. Piett out. Well my lady, looks like it’s show time.”

Padmé nodded. “Yes, so it seems. I will find Anakin and meet you on the bridge.”

“Very well, see you shortly.”

Padmé watched him leave and then turned back to the mirror. With trembling hands she set the elaborate headpiece in place and brought the veil before her face. She stared at herself in the mirror, only her dark eyes showing above the black gauzy fabric. Satisfied that she looked the part, she turned and left the room in search of her husband. Let this work, she prayed as she made her way through the corridors of the ship. Please…let this work…

Reporters and their equipment filled the gallery; the mood was one of excitement and anticipation. Speculation about the reason for this press conference was rampant, though most guessed that it had something to do with the rumors of the death of the emperor. There were some who had even heard that Darth Vader had died also, but no one knew for sure.

Piett stood by calmly watching the reporters jockeying for position in front of the makeshift platform that had been erected for the purpose of this conference. He hated the press; they always managed to find some dirt to publish about the military, usually inaccurate, and always sensationalized.

A door on the other side of the room opened, and a hush fell on the crowd as a pair of figures clad all in black entered. One was tall, obviously male, and wore a floor length cloak that extended to the tips of his fingers and brushed the floor as he walked. His face was covered by the deep cloak, but judging by his stride and the breadth of his chest and shoulders, he was young and strong. At his side walked a small, feminine figure, dressed in a flowing black gown, elaborate tiara and veil. Holo-recorders flashed and hummed furiously as the elegant, mysterious couple made their way across the platform to the podium that had been placed at the far end.

“Your attention please,” Piett announced, having moved to the front of the platform. He waited until the room was silent before continuing.

“Welcome to the Executor,” Piett continued once he had the attention of the room’s occupants. “We are aware of the number of rumors being bandied about the sector, and that is why we called this conference. It is my sad duty to announce the demise of Emperor Palpatine,” he began. “This news comes as no surprise I’m sure,” he continued, amid a small hum of murmurs in the room.

“What about Lord Vader?” one reporter shouted out.

Piett turned his attention to the man, a frown forming on his brow. “Questions shall be fielded at the conclusion of this meeting,” he said. “I would ask you to hold them until then. But since the question has been asked, I will address it, as it is pertinent to the reason you are all here. The late emperor died without issue, and so the succession has been passed to his right hand, Lord Darth Vader,” he concluded, gesturing to the cloaked figure on the platform behind him.

There was an immediate reaction to this news, and it was both loud and incredulous. Anakin turned and looked at his wife, uneasy by the reaction of the crowd. He could see that he needed to take charge of the situation, and stepped to the front of the platform. Putting up one hand, he immediately brought the room to attention, all eyes now on the mysterious cloaked figure before them.

“You no doubt have questions,” Anakin began, looking around the room at the shocked faces of the reporters. “I will answer them now.”

Hands shot up immediately, all wanting the scoop on the new emperor.

“We all heard rumors that you had been killed, Lord Vader; how can we be sure that you are in fact Darth Vader?” one woman asked.

“There is ample medical proof to verify my identify,” Anakin replied. “It is available for you to view at any time you wish.”

“Lord Vader, you have obviously undergone some sort of physical transformation. Can you tell us anything about it?”

“I underwent extensive reconstructive surgery recently. I am no longer dependent upon the mask and respirator that I lived in for 20 years. I am fully human once again.”

“Was there a reason you underwent such drastic surgery? And if it was possible, why did you wait so long?”

“Those are personal questions,” Anakin replied, becoming annoyed with their prying. “I will not answer them.”

Mutters went around the room.

“Is that a woman with you? Who is she?”

Anakin turned to Padmé and held his hand out for her. She put her hand in his, feeling tremendously nervous at being centered out this way. “This is the Lady Vader,” Anakin replied. “My wife.”

This announcement brought a huge reaction. Darth Vader has a wife? It hardly seemed possible.

“How long have you been married? Were you his wife in secret all these years?”

“I believe my husband said that he would not answer any questions of a personal nature,” Padmé spoke up. “And neither will I.”

“Will we be permitted to see your face now that you have taken off the mask?”

“No, you will not.”

“Why, Lord Vader? Surely you realize the galaxy is curious to see what you look like, and certainly your wife now that is has been revealed that you have one.”

“That may well be,” Anakin replied, trying to remain calm, but growing annoyed at the man’s insistence. “But just like my predecessor, I reserve the right to remain anonymous.”

“But surely….”

“Are you deaf?” Anakin snapped when the man persisted. “You are unworthy to look upon the face of the emperor, and certainly that of the empress! Do not press me in this matter, or you shall regret it.”

The man felt a tightening in his throat, and reached his hands up quickly. Padmé watched in shocked, silent horror, knowing what was happening, knowing exactly how the man felt. She wanted more than anything to run out of the room, to detach herself from the situation; but she knew that would compromise Anakin’s position. She pulled her hand from his, and stepped away, unable to hide her feelings. Anakin turned with surprise as he felt her hand leave his. Padmé looked up at Anakin, only her eyes visible; but in their dark depths Anakin could see the fear and horror she felt, and immediately released the man, who fell to his knees, gasping for air.

“If there are no further questions,” Piett said, trying to break the tension, “we shall conclude this conference.”

The reporters looked at one another, none of them wishing to ask another question after the last one had caused such a terrible reaction from the new emperor. It was obvious that Lord Vader had not changed as much as he had appeared to.

As the reporters filed out of the room, Padmé took the opportunity to leave as well, making her way towards the separate entrance she and Anakin had used earlier.

“Padmé wait,” Anakin called after her as he followed her out into the corridor.

Padmé did not stop, and so Anakin had to run to catch up to her. She felt him take her by the elbow and turn her around to face him.

“Padmé, why are you running away like this?” he asked in exasperation. “Let’s talk about this.”

“Talk?” she said. “Talk about it? What’s to be said, Anakin? Or maybe I should call you Vader.” She turned and walked away. Anakin watched her for a moment or two, and then took off after her.

“Don’t do this, Padmé,” he said as he entered her quarters, not bothering to use the door chime.

She turned and looked at him, her hands clenched tightly on the headpiece that she had removed.

“What am I doing?” she asked as she tossed it onto her bed. “I wasn’t the one who nearly killed a man back there!”

“I didn’t kill him, Padmé,” Anakin replied calmly. “I merely used him as an example. I cannot have any dissention, anyone questioning my authority, can’t you see that?”

“I see,” she replied. “So if anyone questions you, you kill them? Is that it?”

“No, of course not, it’s just...”

“It’s just what, Anakin? What are you going to say to explain this? Because right now I feel like I’m talking to Darth Vader, not Anakin Skywalker.”

Anakin frowned. “But I am Darth Vader, Padmé,” he replied. “At least I have to behave like him if this bid to be the emperor is to be successful. Don’t you understand?”

Padmé felt the tears brimming; her throat tightening as she fought back the terror and sorrow that filled her. “I don’t like this,” she said quietly. “It’s too dangerous. How can you be sure that you won’t become Darth Vader again if you pretend to be him? If you act like him, what is the difference? You will become him again! And if that happens….”

Anakin waited for her to finish her sentence, afraid to hear what she was going to say.

“I won’t become Darth Vader again,” he said at last, taking her by the arms. “I thought you understood that, I thought you believed in me, Padmé.”

His words and the hurt in his eyes grabbed her heart. If she had any doubts about his identity crisis before, they were gone now. He was caught between the two identities, neither completely on the Dark Side, nor in the Light, straddling the line between the two. And it’s up to me to make sure he doesn’t fall onto the wrong side…

She turned her eyes up to his. This is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, she thought to herself. But I’m his only hope…if I abandon him now; he will undoubtedly slip into the darkness again.

“I do believe in you, Ani,” she said, softening her voice. “I….I really do. It’s just not easy..”

Anakin sighed, wanting to pull her into his embrace, not sure if he should. “I know it isn’t,” he replied. “It isn’t easy for me, either. But one thing I know is that I can’t get through this without you. I need you, Padmé. I need your support, your love; without them I know I would be lost.”

Padmé could see in his eyes the depth of his fear. It seemed that he was just as scared as she was of what could happen. He had gone through the fear of losing her all those years ago alone, and he had ended up in Darkness. Padmé was determined not to let him be alone this time.

“I’m not going anywhere, Anakin,” she said, taking his face in her hands. “As long as you need me, I will be here. I’m not going to leave you alone, not now, not ever.”

Anakin pulled her to him, holding her tightly as he fought against his own tears. “Help me, Padmé,” he whispered. “Help me to stay here with you, with our children. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do this alone.”

Padmé closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against his chest. He was not her Ani, not yet; but the love she bore him was just as strong, just as deep as if he were. And he needed her. The fact that he willingly admitted it told Padmé that he wanted desperately to overcome the temptation of the Dark Side, and she was determined to help him to do just that.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 24

“Let me get this straight,” Han Solo asked as he folded his arms over his chest. “You were on board the flag ship of the Empire, Darth Vader’s ship, and you were never interrogated? Never threatened? Intimidated? Nothing??”

“That’s right,” Luke replied. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Luke, we’re talking about Darth Vader here,” Han replied, puzzled by his friend’s question. “You know him, big man, black cape. Not exactly the friendliest guy in the galaxy.”

“Yes, we know him,” Leia put in. “The same one who arranged for your debt to Jabba the Hutt to be paid.” Leia put in.

Han looked at her. “Yeah, right,” he muttered. “I still don’t get that. So if you weren’t there as prisoners, then why were you there for so long.?”

Luke and Leia exchanged a look. They had decided that they couldn’t tell their friends in the Alliance anything about what had transpired over the past three weeks, realizing that it would compromise their parents’ plans to take over control of the Empire. Still, Han was their closest friend. Surely he could be trusted to keep their secret.

"If we tell you Han, you have to swear to keep it secret,” Leia said at last. “The future of the galaxy depends upon it.”

Han’s eyes widened at her pronouncement. “Whoa…this sounds big. What’s goin’ on?”

“First you have to promise not to say anything to anyone,” Luke said.

“Alright kid, you know me,” Han replied, making a zipping motion over his mouth. “I’ll put it in my vault. Now spill it.”

Luke exchanged an amused look with his twin before he began. “Well, it’s kind of complicated,” he commenced. “I hardly know where to start.”

Han waited as patiently as he could for Luke to continue. Finally he did so.

“Leia and I have found out that we are actually brother and sister,” Luke began.

“Huh??”

“Twins,” Leia put in. “We’re twins. We were separated at birth because of our parentage, well, actually because of who are father is, and what happened to him.”

"Our mother nearly died when we were born, and we were taken away from her,” Luke continued. “In order to keep us safe from our father and the emperor.”

“Hold it, hold it,” Han said at this point, putting his hands in front of him. “Slow down. Who is your father that you needed to be protected from him??”

Leia and Luke looked at one another, neither one of them wanting to say it.

“Our father is Anakin Skywalker,” Luke began. “He was a great Jedi Knight, the greatest ever, but he was manipulated by the emperor, and fell to the Dark Side. It did it in order to save our mother, but that’s another story. The bottom line is, he became Darth Vader.”

Han’s mouth actually fell open at this point. “Darth Vader…Darth Vader is your father?? Is that what you are telling me??”

Luke nodded. “Yes, that’s it.”

“That’s why he wanted to talk to you on Bespin?” Han asked Leia next. “To drop this little bomb shell on you?”

Leia smirked. “Yes, that’s exactly right.”

“I can’t believe it,” Han muttered in disbelief. “This is …it’s…so how come he’s just telling you this now?” Han asked, not even sure what to say.

“He thought we were dead,” Luke continued. “He was told by the emperor that our mother had died before giving birth to us. He as believed us to be dead all these years, and only recently found out that we were alive.”

"Our mother is alive too, as it turns out,” Leia put in. “She was being held prisoner by the emperor, who also held Luke and I prisoner.”

Han’s head was beginning to spin. Darth Vader is Luke and Leia’s father…their mother is alive…the emperor held them all prisoner…am I going crazy?

“I’m sure this is all pretty shocking,” Leia said, seeing the look in Han’s eyes. “It’s been at least that for Luke and me too.”

“So how did you get away from him?” Han asked. “I can’t imagine Vader letting you two go once he had you in his clutches.”

“He’s changed,” Luke said. “He’s not the same evil Sith Lord that we’ve all come to hate and fear; he’s Anakin Skywalker again, Han. Saving Leia and our mother from Palpatine changed him. He killed the emperor for what he did to all of us.”

“Vader killed the emperor??” Han asked. “You mean the Empire is finished?”

“No, not exactly,” Leia replied. “Actually our father is going to be the emperor now,” she replied.

“That was your father?” Han asked. “We saw the press conference on the holonet. “He didn’t look like Darth Vader at all.”

“Well that’s a story in itself,” Luke said. “Sit down, Han. We might as well start at the beginning.”

Han listened in shock, surprise, amazement and incredulity as Luke and Leia related all that had transpired over the past weeks. So much had happened that Han felt as though his brain was going to short circuit from all the information.

“You realize that Mon Mothma is going to want a full report of where you were?” Han asked. “How are you going to explain all this and still keep your parents’ secret?”

“We haven’t figured that out yet,” Luke replied. “Any ideas?”

Han shook his head. “Not a clue, kid. I can’t get over all this; you’re Darth Vader’s kids….I can’t even imagine what a shock that must have been for you guys.”

“No kidding,” Leia muttered. “Not exactly good news to find out that your worst enemy is actually your father.”

“Yeah I bet,” Han replied. “Though I have to admit that I’m grateful to him for cleaning up that mess with Jabba. Any idea why he’d do that?”

Leia’s face grew warm as she recalled how easily her father had recognized her feelings for Han. She was the reason he helped Han, plain and simple. But how could she tell him that without having to express her true feelings to him?

“I think Leia can explain that better than me,” Luke said at last, sensing his twin’s embarrassment. “I’ll catch up with you two later.”

Han, who was growing more perplexed by the minute, watched Luke leave and then turned back to Leia.

“Something you want to say to me, Leia?” he asked, watching her closely.

Leia had been a senator before her 17th birthday, was a princess and accustomed to handling delicate diplomatic situations; but this conversation made her want to crawl into a hole and hide.

“Well, yes,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “I guess so.”

Han didn’t say anything, but merely watched her squirm, enjoying her discomfort immensely.

“The thing is, well,” Leia began, examining the table top that she was standing next to. “Vader helped you because of me.”

Han nodded. “You mean because we’re …friends. Sort of.”

Leia looked up at him. He wasn’t about to make this easy. In fact, he even seemed to be enjoying her mortification.

“I suppose so,” she said, meeting his eyes.

Han lifted an eyebrow, not convinced she was being completely forthcoming. “That’s it?” he asked. “So why was that so hard to say? Unless there’s more that you’re not telling me.”

Leia frowned, hating the way he could cut through her smokescreen every time. “What more could there be?”

Han smiled and walked over to her. “I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe he saw the way you were looking at me.”

“Excuse me??” Leia retorted. “And how was that??”

“Like you were worried, like you cared about what happened to me,” he replied, stopping when he was standing right in front of her.

“Of course I care about what happens to you,” she replied, getting uneasy by the proximity of him. “You’re a valuable member of the Alliance, a natural leader...”

“Yeah yeah, I’ve heard all that before,” Han replied. “But that’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.”

Leia made no response, her heart starting to pound within her as he got closer to uncovering her secret.

“I seem to recall we were getting pretty close when we were on Bespin,” he continued. “Or was that just my imagination?”

Leia looked down at her feet. “No, that wasn’t your imagination,” she muttered.

Han lifted her chin so that she was looking in his eyes. “What are you afraid of, Leia?” he asked softly. “I would never hurt you, you know that.”

“I know,” she replied, mesmerized by his hazel eyes. “I guess I’m just not accustomed to, well, to...”

“Falling in love?” Han offered, a lop-sided grin on his face.

Damn him...Leia thought in frustration. How does he do that? Yet, what’s the point of lying anymore? Life is too short not to be totally honest about our feelings.

“Yes, that’s it,” she relied, looking into his eyes. “I never imagined it would happen to me, particularly not with a scruffy looking, arrogant nerf herder like you,” she said with a smile.

Han laughed at her unusual declaration. He put his hands on her shoulders. “I love you too,” he said softly and pulled her close to kiss her.




Padmé stood in the enormous room, having a difficult time thinking of the enormous estate as her new home. The ceiling vaulted high above her, the décor austere and masculine. The only part of her new home that she felt comfortable in was the enormous garden behind the building. It seemed oddly out of place here, amid the stark, utilitarian feel of the rest of the estate.

“The rooms are ready,” Anakin said as he descended the enormous winding staircase. “I’m having our things moved in right away.”

Padmé nodded in understanding. “This place is enormous,” she commented. “It’s hard to imagine you living her all alone.”

“I didn’t,” Anakin replied as he reached her. “I have never lived here, Padmé. The emperor had this place made for me as a gift, but I never spent a single day living in it.” He looked around the huge room. “It’s just too…big. What would I need with a place like this?”

“Well you’re the emperor now,” she commented. “It’s expected that you’d live in something palatial.”

“Yes, I suppose so,” he replied. “And since Luke and I pretty much destroyed the official residence of the emperor, I suppose this will have to suffice.”

Padmé frowned. “I wouldn’t live in that place,” she said, remembering her incarceration there. “I’d not set foot in that place for anything.”

“I know,” he replied. “Neither would I. I’ve ordered what’s left of it to be torn down.”

“Good,” she replied. She sighed. “I miss Luke and Leia,” she said.

It had been a week since they had left, and almost that long since the Vaders had declared themselves rulers of the galaxy. As expected, the transition had been without incident: so far. A formal inaugural reception was in the works, affording the most powerful members of the Imperial bureaucracy to meet their new emperor, offer their congratulations and pledge their fealty.

The thought of a formal affair was immensely unappealing to Anakin, who had always hated the hypocrisy of politics. Yet being emperor meant socializing with the Empire’s elite. He was glad that Padmé was with him in this, for she possessed the grace and natural charm her new station required.

“The gardens are beautiful,” Padme said as they walked out onto the balcony. “I was quite surprised to see them.”

Anakin placed his hands on the stone railing and looked below at the panoply of colors. “I insisted on it,” he told her. “It was my tribute to you, Padme,” he added, turning to look at her.

Padme was stunned by his words. “Really?” she asked.

He simply nodded. “Yes, there are a number of species native to Naboo down there,” he said, indicating the forest of flowers below. “All of your favorites.”

Padme was touched by this revelation and put her hand on his arm. “You did that for me?”

“Of course,” he replied. “My love for you has never waned, Padme; not even when I thought you were dead.” He looked back down at the garden. “I wanted to have some way of commemorating your memory, and what better way? It seems foolish I know, since I never lived here; but even though I didn’t, I insisted that this garden be tended to and cared for.”

Padmé was moved by his admission. It seemed so unlikely that Darth Vader would do such a thing, and it made her realize that Anakin Skywalker had still existed deep within the dark armored Sith Lord. Just as Darth Vader exists deep within Anakin Skywalker now…she reflected.

“I think it’s beautiful,” she said at last. “And a beautiful tribute. Thank you, Ani,” she said, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek.

Anakin kept his eyes on the gardens below. His relationship with his wife was in an awkward state, and he wasn’t sure if things would change in the near future. Although he felt certain that the love they had always felt for one another was just as strong as it had ever been, he was not certain that she was ready to resume all aspects of their marriage. It had been over twenty years since they had enjoyed marital relations…twenty long, lonely years… His desire for her had not waned at all during that time, but he could not help but wonder if she felt the same way. Since being reunited they had shared kisses, hugs, but nothing beyond that. Still, life aboard a star destroyer was anything but private; and with their children and Piett always around, there had been little opportunity to go beyond the most innocent of embraces. But now they were in what would be their home, and, for the first time in their marriage, were openly married. There was no need to hide their relationship. Ironic he mused since our relationship is barely beyond that of friendship right now…

“Excuse me, your majesty.”

Anakin, who was still no accustomed to being addressed in that matter, turned to the protocol droid standing behind he and Padmé.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I have the menu for the reception here for your approval,” it said, handing a datapad to Anakin. “The kitchen staff needs to know what to purchase.”

Anakin glanced down at the datapad. As if I have a clue…he reflected. He handed it to Padmé. “I think you’d better see to this,” he said with a smile. “I’m out of my league.”

Padmé laughed and took it from him, scanning over the list quickly. Anakin watched her as she did so. He had been trying hard to keep the dark side at bay, for he knew how much he had frightened her on that day of the press conference. So far it had been easy, for everyone seemed to be bending over backwards to please him. He wasn’t fool enough to think that this would always be the case, however; and hoped that he would be able to keep his anger in check should it be roused.

“It looks fine,” Padmé decided as she handed the datapad back to the droid. “Tell the kitchen staff to proceed”

“Very good, your majesty,” the droid replied, bowing formally to Padmé.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being called that,” Anakin commented as they walked back inside.

“It does take some getting used to,” Padmé replied. “I remember feeling that way when I was first nominated queen. That was so long ago.”

“It was,” Anakin remarked. “We were just children. But I remember that day we met as clearly as though it was yesterday,” he recalled with a smile. “So much has happened since that day, hasn’t it? So much damage, so much pain…”

Padmé watched as her husband’s mood changed right before her eyes. It bothered her how mercurial he was, how sullen he could still be. She had hoped that her presence in his life would help his shed the shadow of darkness that still lurked within him; time would tell if she could.

“Come on, your majesty,” she said, linking her arm through his. “Let’s look around. I’m anxious to see the rest of this place.”

Anakin looked down at his wife and smiled. She always had a magic touch when it came to him; even in his darkest moods she could lift his spirits with just a smile. She truly was the best chance he had of conquering the dark side once and for all.

“Right this way, my empress,” he said, taking her hand.

Anakin lead her around the castle, showing her the high towers, the library, the formal sitting room. It was getting dark outside by the time they had completed their tour and were sitting down to a late supper.

“So what do you think of your palace, my empress?” asked Anakin as they ate their dinner together.

“Very impressive,” she replied. “And quite beautiful.”

“It’s not exactly the lake retreat on Naboo, is it?” he asked.

“Well, it’s every bit as grand,” she replied. “But no, that place holds a special spot in my heart, Anakin,” she added softly. “So many wonderful memories are associated with that place.”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, I agree,” he replied. “Our first kiss took place on the balcony there, remember?”

Padme smiled. “Yes, I remember. You were so confused, poor Ani. I feel badly about how I tried to deny the way I felt about you.”

“Don’t ever feel badly for anything, Padme,” Anakin replied. “You were only trying to prevent us from doing something rash.”

“I know, but in the end, we went ahead and did it anyway,” she mused.

Anakin looked at her, trying to determine if she harbored regrets for their marriage. Not that I could blame her if she did…

“We were young and impetuous,” he said at last. “A dangerous combination.”

“Do you regret it?” she asked.

“There is so much in my life that I regret, Padme; but marrying you isn’t one of them,” he replied at once. “The short time we were together was the only time in my life that I was completely happy.”

Padme was moved by his words. There were times when she felt certain that she had her old Ani back, times like this when he said things that made her heart melt; but then his eyes would harden, as his own self-condemnation took over. If only he could learn to forgive himself, if only he could learn to let go of the past…

“I feel the same way,” Padme replied softly, looking down at her meal. “Even though I had to endure so much because of ….what happened, I have never regretted loving you, Anakin,” she said, looking up at him. “And I have never stopped loving you, either. I hope you realize that.”

Anakin nodded. “I do, Padmé; it astonishes me that you feel that way, but I do realize it. I’m not deserving of that love, however; but I am grateful for it just the same.”

“Please stop saying that, Anakin,” she replied, looking him in the eyes.

He frowned. “What?” he asked defensively. “What am I saying that you object to??”

Padme sighed. “You keep saying you don’t deserve my love,” she replied. “If you didn’t deserve it, do you think I’d be here with you right now? How many times do I have to tell you that I’m here because I want to be, that I need to be?”

“I don’t doubt that, Padme,” he responded. “It’s just that…I’m not sure you understand that I am not the man I was. I’m not even sure who I am at this point. And I don’t want you getting hurt by having expectations that I am unable to meet.”

“What expectations are you talking about?” Padme asked, beginning to grow angry with his attitude. “I don’t expect things to be the way they were, Anakin; I’m not a fool.”

“I didn’t mean to imply that you are,” Anakin responded in frustration. “I’m just so afraid of hurting you again, Padmé, even unwittingly. Can’t you see that?”

Padme sighed. “Yes, I understand how you feel, Ani, truly I do; but you have to trust that I am strong enough to go through this metamorphosis with you. You are so afraid to hurt me that you are keeping me at arms length, and that hurts me more.”

“At arms length?” he said. “Is that what you think?”

Padme nodded. “Yes, it is,” she replied. “Why else haven’t you touched me the way you used to touch me?” she asked softly. “Unless you don’t want me anymore.”

“Don’t say that,” he retorted. “How can you even think that?? I can’t tell you the number of nights I have lain awake, unable to sleep because of the longing I felt for you! There hasn’t been a day in the past 22 years that I haven’t thought of you, Padme. You are in my soul, you always have been. I can scarcely draw a breath that I don’t need you.”

Padme did not respond, but merely stood up and walked over to his side of the table. She put her hand out to him, looking down at him, expressing what she felt with her eyes. Anakin hesitated, but only for a moment. He put his hand in hers and stood up.

“You’re sure this is what you want?” he asked softly.

She nodded, looking up at him. “Yes, Anakin,” she replied. “More than that, it’s what I need. I need you, Ani; just as much as you need me.”

Anakin nodded, and brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it, his eyes never leaving hers. The touch of his mouth upon her skin was like an electric shock to her system, and she felt her knees grow weak for a moment.

Without saying another word, they left the dining room and went upstairs, closing their bedroom door behind them.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 25

Padmé’s sleep was interrupted in the middle of the night by the sound of Anakin’s voice. She woke with a start, and immediately realized that he was having a nightmare. He tossed about on the bed, muttering incoherently. She was sure she heard her name at least once, as well as those of her children. Finally, as his distress seemed to escalate, she moved over to him and shook him in an effort to wake him up.

Anakin awoke suddenly, totally disoriented for a moment. He felt someone’s hands upon his arm, and instinctively grabbed them, encircling two slender wrists.

“Ani, wake up!” Padmé said, trying to wrench free from his iron grip.

Anakin opened his eyes and saw the face of his wife above him, and immediately released her. “I’m sorry,” he said, “did I hurt you?”

“No,” she said, not totally truthfully. “It’s okay- you were having a bad dream.”

Anakin sat up as his mind started to shake off the fleeting images of the dream. “Yeah, I was,” he muttered, running his hands through his short spiky hair.

“Do you remember what it was about?” Padmé asked, caressing his shoulder gently.

Anakin shook his head. “No,” he told her. “I don’t…maybe that’s a good thing, though.”

“Yes, I’m sure it is,” Padmé replied.

Anakin looked at her. “I’m sorry I woke you up,” he said. “It’s unusual to have someone to wake up with,” he added with a smile.

Padmé smiled too. “Yes, I know what you mean,” she said. “I’d almost forgotten how comforting it is sharing a bed with you.”

Anakin lay back down and pulled her close. Padmé snuggled up to him, her hand resting on his chest.

"I never dreamed I would have you in my arms like this again, Padmé,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I’m almost afraid that I will wake up and find that all this has been a wonderful dream.”

Padmé ran her fingers through the hair on his chest. “I know,” she replied softly. “I feel the same way.”

Anakin closed his eyes, savoring the feelings just having her in his arms elicited; the smell of her hair, the sensation of her skin, the warmth of her body…all reminded him of happier times, before the darkness took him, before the unthinkable happened.

“I’m not looking forward to this …party,” Anakin said as he ran his fingers over Padmé’s bare shoulder.

“I know,” she replied. “But you will have to accept this sort of thing as part of being emperor. I remember feeling the same way when I was queen; so many official receptions, it got tiresome after a while.”

“But you’re a natural at all this, Padmé,” Anakin replied. “You were raised to be a queen; I was just a dirty little slave boy.”

Padmé smiled and looked up at him. “You may have started out as a slave, but look at you now. Besides you’re forgetting that you are the Chosen One.”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, perhaps,” he said.

“You don’t believe it?” she asked.

Anakin shrugged. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “It doesn’t seem too likely that the Chosen One would have taken the path that I took. Look what I did to the Jedi...”

She stopped him with a finger placed on his lips. “Don’t,” she said. “You and I both know all about what happened. Let’s not dwell on it, Anakin. Not right now at least.”

Anakin took his wife’s hand and kissed it. “You’re right,” He said. “I’m sorry. I will try not to, but you will undoubtedly need to give me a kick in the pants on occasion.”

Padmé smiled. “I can manage that,” she said as she moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.


“We’re all so relieved that you are safe,” Mon Mothma said as she took her seat across from Luke, Leia and Han. Beside her were Admiral Ackbar, and General Reikan.

Leia and Luke felt as though they were facing a firing squad, the tension in the small room was so thick. Mon Mothma, although a soft spoken woman, was not to be taken lightly. She was a formidable leader, a tireless champion of the cause of the Alliance, and a staunch enemy of the Empire and all it represented. When she had called Luke and Leia to this meeting, they both knew that she would be asking some hard questions, questions neither of them quite knew how to answer. There hadn’t been time to formulate a plan when they were still on board the Executor, and since they had returned, neither of them had been afforded a moment alone to come up with a plan of action. They had asked Han along, knowing he had a quick mind, and was good in tight situations. He was only too happy to help out in any way he could.

“When we received the message from Piett, I knew that there was something wrong,” Mothma continued. “Tell us what happened, and please, spare no detail.”

“If they think they’re going to get away with holding the two of you prisoner for over two weeks, they’ve got another thing coming,” Reikan put in.

"Well, it all began on Bespin,” Leia started. “Darth Vader was waiting for Han and me there. He had followed us there, and since the Falcon’s hyperdrive was malfunctioning, he had a head start.”

“So what did he do?” Reikan asked, leaning forward. “Solo showed up here alone, but you and Luke went AWOL for more than two weeks. What happened?”

Luke and Leia exchanged a brief look. “Well, we tried to get away from Bespin, to return to the fleet,” Luke began, leaving out the details of the duel, and the shocking disclosure Vader had made to them. “But Vader’s ship caught us in a tractor beam, and we were brought on board the flag ship, the Executor.”

“So you were prisoners, then,” Mon Mothma said, her brow furrowed in a frown.

“Well, yes and no,” Luke said, looking at his sister for help.

“How is that possible?” Ackbar asked at last. “Either you were or you weren’t.”

“You weren’t harmed?” Reikan asked.

“No, not at all,” Luke replied.

“Did they ask you for information?” Ackbar asked.

Leia shook her head. “No, they didn’t.”

“So what did they want?” Mon Mothma asked, beginning to grow exasperated. “Surely Darth Vader had a reason for bringing you on board his ship.”

“Well, Vader wasn’t actually the one who brought us on board,” Leia said, thinking through her response carefully. “He was injured, near death in fact. Piett is the one who captured us.”

“Vader was injured?” Ackbar asked. “We heard a rumor that he had died, but then it just came out that he is the new emperor. It’s all very confusing, hard to know what to believe.”

“Darth Vader is the new emperor,” Luke replied. “That is true. He underwent massive, extensive surgery to repair his injuries. He’s been completely remade.”

“Incredible,” muttered Ackbar to himself. “And what about the woman who was with him? He called her Lady Vader. Do you know anything about her?”

“No, nothing,” Leia said, looking down at her hands folded on the table.

Mon Mothma exchanged a glance with her comrades. Clearly something had happened on board Vader’s ship that neither Luke nor Leia were willing to divulge. What could it have been? Why the two of them?

“I don’t understand your reticence in this matter,” Mothma declared. “But it’s obvious to everyone here that the two of you are hiding something. I warn you; if you are withholding vital information…”

“Now wait just a minute,” Han spoke up at last. “What exactly is this little pow wow about? Are you actually accusing the two of them of collaboration with the enemy??”

Mon Mothma shot Han a dirty look. “This doesn’t concern you, Captain Solo,” she said icily. “In fact, I’m not even sure why you’re here.”

“Han is here because we asked him to be here,” Leia said. “And I have to say that he raises a good question. Is that the reason you called Luke and I in here? Because you think we’re in collusion with the Empire??”

“No one here thinks that, Princess,” Reikan said.

“No?” retorted Leia hotly. “Sure sounds like it to me.”

“We are simply concerned that you and Luke were missing for so long, and we would like an explanation,” Reikan replied. “I think in our position you would be asking questions as well.”

"I think that both Leia and I have done more than enough to earn the trust of everyone in this room,” Luke spoke up at last. “And yet it seems that you don’t trust us at all. If there is no trust between allies, how can we ever hope to have peace in the galaxy?”

“You’re joking, right?” Reikan said. “Vader is now the emperor, and you expect there to be peace?? He’s a bloodthirsty murderer, Luke; he won’t stop until he crushes the life out of all of us.”

“And yet here we are, Luke and I, both alive and well after spending more than two weeks on his ship,” Leia countered, surprising even herself with her defense of the dark lord.

“There must be a reason for it,” Ackbar asked. “He does not spare the lives of his enemies without a reason.”

Mon Mothma sat quietly, listening to all that was said, pondering it all. She had a theory, and she hoped that she was wrong. If she was right, the very future of the Alliance was in question.

“I don’t see the point of continuing this any further at this time,” she spoke up at last. She examined the faces of both Luke and Leia closely before continuing. “We will leave if for now, and reconvene when cooler heads have prevailed.”

Luke couldn’t help but be alarmed by Mothma’s intense stare. Does she suspect something? He wondered anxiously. Is she starting to piece it together?

“Good idea,” Ackbar said as he stood up. “Let’s get a good night’s sleep, and perhaps in the morning things will seem clearer.”

“Agreed,” Reikan said, joining Ackbar. “Goodnight to you,” he said, addressing Han, Luke and Leia. He and Ackbar left the room, followed shortly afterwards by Mon Mothma.

Leia turned in her chair to watch them leave and then turned back to her brother. “What are we going to tell them, Luke?” she asked.

Luke shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said, his eyes still focused on the door where the three rebel leaders had just exited. “But I have a bad feeling that Mon Mothma is starting to put it together.”

“What do you mean, kid?” Han asked. “Surely you don’t think she suspects the truth about the two of you!”

“I don’t know, Han,” Luke replied, turning and looking at his friend. “But the way she was looking at me and Leia just now was really strange. She was a senator, wasn’t she?”

Leia nodded. “Yes she was,” she concurred. “And so was our mother. Is it possible that she ...oh no, it can’t be...”

“So what if she knew your mom,” Han said. “It would be a huge jump of logic to say that you two are her kids.”

“You haven’t seen our mother, Han,” Luke said. “The resemblance between her and Leia is incredible. If Mon Mothma even gets close to putting it together, we are in big trouble, and Father’s reign will be a very short one.”

“Well we won’t let that happen,” Leia said, her own fears growing as she considered what Luke was saying. “We can’t let her discover the truth.”

Luke shook his head. “No, we can’t,” he agreed. “But how do we prevent it? She has resources at her disposal.”

“We just have to make sure she doesn’t find out,” Han said, standing up. “Even if it means doing a little creative hot wiring,” he added with a smile.

Leia looked up at him with a frown. “What are you talking about, Han?”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he said. “Leave everything to me.”

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 26

“Excuse me, your majesty, but Admiral Piett is anxious to speak to you.”

Anakin and Padmé looked up from their breakfast to the protocol droid who stood before them.

“I hope everything is alright,” Padmé said as she joined Anakin at the computer terminal in the office close by.

“Good morning your majesties,” Piett said as he saw Anakin and Padmé appear on the screen. “I trust you are both adjusting well to your new home.”

“Yes, so far so good,” Anakin replied. “You have news, Piett?”

“Yes,” Piett replied. “I received an encoded message from your son. He asked me to relay it to you, since he didn’t know how to contact you directly.”

Anakin felt Padmé s anxiety level skyrocket as she grasped his hand.

“Thank you, Piett,” Anakin replied, “transmit it at once.”

“At once,” Piett answered. “I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow.”

“Yes, of course,” Anakin replied, too distracted to think of anything but the message from Luke. Piett’s image faded out as the transmission commenced. Anakin and Padmé were both excited and yet apprehensive to see their children appear on the screen.

“Hi Mom, Dad,” Luke began. “We hope you get this message okay; sorry we had to go through the Executor but we didn’t know who else to reach you. We wouldn’t have felt it was necessary at all if things hadn’t become so messy here.”

Anakin and Padmé exchanged a look of alarm as they waited for their children to explain. Soon enough, Leia spoke up.

“You see,” she began. “It seems that our absence from the rebel forces has come under the suspicion of the Rebel leaders. They are almost accusing of defecting to the Empire because we are not being completely forthcoming about what happened to us during our absence.”

“What??” Anakin blurted out. “That’s ridiculous!!”

“Let them finish,” Padmé said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“We don’t know how to handle this,” Luke said. “If we tell them the truth, then we put the two of you in danger. If we don’t tell them anything, then they will continue to suspect that we have been up to something and that could land us in the brig.”

“One other thing,” Leia said. “Mon Mothma is one of the leaders, as you may know. She was a senator when you were, Mother; we think she may suspect that we are your children. Han here has managed to prevent her from nosing around in our personnel files for now. I won’t tell you how he managed that,” she added with a wry smile. “But it’s only a matter of time before she can get the system back on line and do some research.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Luke asked. “We are sort of stuck between a rock and hard place here. We’d appreciate any advice you can offer. Bye for now- we miss you.”

Anakin and Padmé watched the transmission fade from the screen in silence. Anakin clenched his fists in frustration.

“What are we going to do?” Padmé said at last.

“I never stopped to think about the position we were placing them in,” Anakin said, shaking his head.

“We never should have let them leave. They would have been safer here with us,” Padmé added, worry creasing her brow.

“Would they?” Anakin countered. “How would we explain their presence without revealing our true identities?”

Padmé looked at him, realizing that he was right. “Well we have to do something,” she said. “We can’t let them be condemned for something they are innocent of.”

“No,” Anakin replied, standing up.” We cannot. He paced about in the office, his hands clasped behind his back. Padmé watched him, her own mind trying to find a solution to the predicament.

“What if we tell the Alliance leaders that I was trying to recruit Luke and Leia to work for me? To defect? Luke’s Force abilities are no secret to anyone, nor are Leia’s talents as a politician. They would make valuable allies.”

Padmé nodded as she started to see where her husband was going with his line of thinking. “Yes, that’s brilliant, Ani,” she said with a smile. “And they refused your offer, thus proving their allegiance to the Rebel cause.”

“Exactly,” Anakin replied. “It would explain their presence here, as well as the fact that they were not harmed or interrogated while in my custody. Hopefully that will satisfy their commanders. Imagine, thinking that our children would be disloyal! Their loyalty is without question, above all reproach! I wonder if those idiots who run that collection of riff raff have any idea of how fortunate they are to have Luke and Leia as a part of their cause. I would give anything to have them here with us.”

Padmé smiled, touched by Anakin’s overt love and pride in their children. “Well, perhaps one day we shall,” she said. “Who knows what the future holds?”

Anakin nodded. “True,” he said, sitting back down at the comm. station. “I’m going to send word to Luke and Leia,” he explained.

First he contacted Piett on board the nearby Executor to acquire the frequency on which he had received Luke and Leia’s message. Anakin knew that Piett was completely trustworthy, as did his children, or else they would not have chanced sending a message directly to him on board what was technically an enemy vessel. Piett provided the information Anakin needed, and it wasn’t long before Anakin and Padmé were sitting face to face with their son.

“It’s so good to see you,” Padmé said, smiling at her son. “We already miss you both.”

“We feel the same way,” Luke told his mother. “Let me contact Leia.” As Anakin and Padmé watched, he activated his comlink and hailed his sister to report to his quarters.

“Piett relayed your message,” Anakin explained. “I’m sorry you were put in this position, son. I can’t believe anyone would question you or your sister’s loyalty.”

Luke shrugged. “Well, I suppose they are just being cautious. Oh, here’s Leia now.”

Leia sat down beside Luke, and behind her Anakin and Padmé could see a man that Anakin recognized as being Han Solo.

“Hello,” Leia said, waving to her parents.

“How are you, Leia?” asked Padmé.

“I’m fine,” she said. She turned to Han. “This is Han Solo,” she said by way of introduction. Han peeked over her shoulders, curious to get a look at the illustrious parents of Luke and Leia.

“Hi,” he said simply with a casual salute.

“Hello Han,” Padmé said. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same here,” Han said. He looked next at Anakin, and felt strangely nervous about addressing him. “Hello, sir,” Han said. “I want to thank you for helping me out with Jabba. I appreciate it.”

Anakin nodded at him. “You’re welcome,” he replied. “I take it Luke and Leia have told you everything then?”

“Yes, we have,” Leia replied. “We trust Han implicitly.”

“Of course you do,” Padmé said with a smile, recognizing the look in her daughter’s eyes.

“We’ve talked about your situation,” Anakin began, “and have come up with a solution which we hope will alleviate the pressure you two have come under because of this situation. You could tell Mon Mothma and the others that I, that is, Vader, had offered you a place in the Empire, that he was trying to gain you as allies, and that you refused him. Your loyalty to the Rebellion would be beyond question, as far as I can see.”

Luke nodded. “Yes, that sounds like a good plan,” he replied. He turned to his twin. “What do you think, Leia?”

Leia looked thoughtful for a moment as she considered her father’s words. “I suppose they would buy it,” she said at last. “But how do we explain getting away from you? The Darth Vader that they know would never relinquish us so easily.”

“No, you’re right there,” Anakin replied. “Perhaps you could tell them you escaped.”

“On the Falcon?” Leia asked incredulously, to which a disembodied “Hey!” was heard from behind her and Luke.

“Yes, on the Falcon,” Anakin replied with a smile. “She may not look like much, but she’s pretty fast.”

“Thank you,” Han said, leaning forward, for which he received a playful shove.

Padmé laughed. “So that settles it then,” she said. “Leia you mentioned that you suspected Mon Mothma was beginning to piece together you and Luke’s parentage; what makes you think that?”

“Just the way she was looking at us,” Luke replied for his sister. “I just had this…well, this feeling,” he said, not being able to explain it any better than that.

Anakin nodded. “Your feelings are probably correct, Luke,” he said. “In which case, she may very well be able to put it together. Your name is Skywalker, after all.”

“But your marriage was a secret, wasn’t it?” Leia asked. “How would she know that you two even had children together?”

“It would be a long shot, for sure,” Padmé replied. “But Mon Mothma is a resourceful woman, she always has been. I don’t know what else to tell you, except to be careful around her.”

Luke and Leia exchanged a look. “We will,” Luke replied.

“We’d better go,” Leia said. “This frequency is safe for now, but you never know how long it will stay that way.”

“It was good to talk to you both,” Padmé said, smiling at her children. “We miss you both so much.”

“We miss you too, Mother,” Leia replied, looking at her mother, and then she turned her eyes to her father. “Father,” she said.

Anakin smiled, his heart warmed. “May the Force be with you all,” he said.

“May the Force be with you,” Luke replied, and then their images faded from sight.

Anakin turned to his wife, a smile still on his face. “She called me Father,” he said. “Did you hear that?”

Padmé smiled. “Yes, I did,” she said. “I told you she would come around.”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, and as usual, you were right.”

Padmé laughed. “Well, you should realize that by now, Ani,” she replied standing up.

“Realize what?” he asked, taking her hand.

“That I’m always right,” she teased, bending down to kiss him.

Anakin laughed. “Ah yes, quite right. Well, let’s see what nonsense is left to be done for this circus tomorrow night,” he said, standing up.

“Such enthusiasm,” Padmé quipped as they left the room.

Anakin laughed again.


“Wow, you really do look like your mom,” Han commented as the three of them sat in Luke’s quarters. “And you look like your dad,” he added looking at Luke. “I still can’t believe that he is, or was, Darth Vader. He’s so young! I always expected Vader to be old for some reason.”

“No, he’s in his early 40’s I’d guess,” Luke replied. “He was very young when he turned to the Dark Side. I don’t know much about it; we haven’t had much of a chance to talk about the past, unfortunately. But he’s changed now, Han. I know that is hard to accept, given the way Vader has terrorized the Rebellion; but he has changed.”

“I could tell when we saw him on Bespin,” Han replied. “When I saw him sitting there I thought, great, I’m history…but then he arranged to have my bounty paid. I couldn’t believe it. Yeah, he’s changed all right. Think knowing you two were alive had something to do with that?”

“Undoubtedly,” Luke replied. “And Mother as well. I had the impression that he had nothing to live for when he believed she had died along with us; but now that he knows the truth, he’s a changed man.”

“Mother has had a lot to do with that,” Leia remarked. “She loves him unwaveringly. It’s incredible the bond between the two of them. I don’t know if he’d have come so far if it weren’t for her. And you too, Luke. You accepted him quite easily as well. I’m still struggling with it.”

“You called him Father, Leia,” Luke pointed out with a smile. “That couldn’t have been easy for you, but I could see how much it meant to him to hear it.”

Leia smiled. “Yes, I saw it too. Well, I can’t deny that he is my father. I’m not exactly thrilled about it, but denying it is just stupid.”

“So you think Mon Mothma is going to buy this?” Han asked.

“I think so,” Leia replied. “It’s a realistic scenario. Well, except for the part about us making a get away on the Falcon,” she had to add with a grin.

Han rolled his eyes. “I can’t win,” he muttered.

Luke and Leia laughed. “Come on,” Luke said as they stood up. “we might as well get this over with.”

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 27

Anakin paced up and down in the grand bedchamber that he shared with his wife. In the Great Hall below the Imperial dignitaries were gathering, preparing to greet their new emperor and his empress.

“Toadies,” Anakin muttered as he paced, waiting for his wife to finish the finishing touches to her outfit. “Sycophants,” he continued, his sullenness blowing into a full blown mood as his anxiety level rose.

“Imbeciles…”

“Anakin, at least try to enjoy yourself this evening,” Padmé chastised him as she entered the room from the ‘fresher.

“Enjoy myself??” he asked, stopping and looking at her. “You’re kidding, right?”

Padmé laughed. “No, actually I’m not,” she replied, walking over to him. “I know you hate the hypocrisy of these events, but you need to get used to them if you are going to be the emperor.”

“I know, I know,” Anakin said as Padmé stood before him. “I’m just not anticipating this being a particularly cordial affair.”

“Well, perhaps not all of it,” she agreed, “but you have to do what you must, Ani. You’re the emperor now; you have to make the hard decisions.”

“That’s not what I have a problem with,” he replied. “It’s the hypocrisy of it all, the sickening pandering of these idiots that I am forced to endure. I’ve always hated it.”

Padmé sighed. “Yes, I know,” she said, brushing imaginary lint off of his ebony cloak. “But this won’t be forever, Ani. And in the long run, won’t our efforts be worth it? If we can accomplish what we are hoping to?”

“Yes, of course, you’re right,” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. “As always.” He pulled her face to his and kissed her softly on the mouth. “What would I do without you here to keep me from going mad?”

Padmé smiled up at him. “Let’s hope you never have to find out,” she said, adjusting her veil. “Now let’s get you ready, Anakin. Your subjects await you.”

As he had expected, Anakin spent the next two hours being fawned over by his only too eager to please subjects. He was grateful for the deep hood, for it allowed him to roll his eyes at will. And he did so, frequently. As the right hand of the late emperor, Darth Vader had been forced to endure the occasional social event; but he avoided them ferociously. Now, he realized that this was no longer an option. Besides, he reasoned, this reign will be a short one if our plans go as we hope. The thought of this and of retreating to a life of peaceful anonymity appealed to Anakin tremendously; and it was what enabled him to endure the overt pandering of the Imperial elite.

Padmé did not leave his side, and for this Anakin was most grateful. Her presence was like a balm upon his frazzled nerves, and she helped him keep the beasts at bay. What would I do without her? He wondered as he watched her speak to the Imperial delegates with the same charm and grace that had always been her trademarks. In Darkness…as I was for 22 years without her. Anakin smiled, tuning the rest of the room out for a moment, and simply basking in her soothing aura.

“My Lord, everything is prepared.”

Anakin looked away from Padmé to see Piett standing at his side.

“Very good,” he replied. “We shall commence at once.”

Padmé had heard Piett’s announcement, and turned to her husband. “Are you ready for this?” she asked quietly.

Anakin nodded. “Yes, it is time.” He took her hand and left the room with her, ascending the great stair case.


“You are telling us that Darth Vader invited you to join the Empire??” General Reikan asked incredulously.

“Yes, that’s right,” Leia replied. “Luke is a practically a Jedi, and I’ve been a senator since I was a girl. He sees that we both have strengths he can exploit. Why is that so surprising?”

“Well, I don’t suppose it is,” sputtered Reikan. “But it just seems so…so unlike him. He doesn’t gather allies, he merely crushes his enemies.”

“I take it you declined his generous offer,” Mon Mothma asked.

Luke and Leia looked at her, unsettled by her icy stare and the tone of her voice. Luke had not been able to shake the uneasy feeling she had given him at their last meeting; indeed, it only seemed to be getting worse.

“What do you think?” Leia retorted angrily. “We’re here aren’t we?? Why would we even entertain such a thing?”

“Forgive me for saying so,” Luke said calmly, addressing the former senator, “but it sounds to me like you are questioning our loyalty to the Alliance.”

“No one is doing that, Commander Skywalker,” Ackbar spoke up. “This situation is just very strange, and we need to understand fully what happened while you were on board the flag ship.”

“We’ve told you,” Leia snapped irritably. “I don’t know what else you want from us.”

“You could start by telling us why an encoded message from Commander Skywalker’s quarters was sent to the very flag ship you supposedly escaped from,” Mon Mothma returned.

Luke and Leia sat in stunned silence; both of them feeling themselves fill with anxiety. How did she know?? It was a secure channel...

“I can see by your reaction that you have no explanation,” Mothma continued. “Very well. Until such time as you do, you will be considered suspects of espionage.”

“You can’t be serious!!” Luke cried.

“I am very serious,” Mon Mothma replied angrily. “Who do you take us for, fools?? First you disappear for more than two weeks, and then when you return, you offer some flimsy excuse for your absence. Next, you tell us that you were offered an alliance with Darth Vader, the most reviled and venomous enemy of the Alliance. And now we discover that you have been communicating with his ship! No doubt with Vader himself!! Put yourself in my shoes; what conclusions you draw?”

Neither Luke nor Leia knew how to respond. A thousand thoughts ran through their minds, as they desperately tried to think of a reasonably explanation. Do we tell them the truth? Leia asked her brother silently. Luke hesitated, not knowing what to say. No…he answered at last. You know what would happen if we did that. Leia knew, all too well. Not only would it destroy their parents’ chances of setting the galaxy right, but it would also place their lives in danger. The truth was not an option.

“Fine,” said Mothma standing up at last. “Since you can offer no explanation, I am placing you both under arrest until such time as you can.”

“This is an outrage!” Leia cried as two security guards came forth to escort her and Luke out to the room. “You are making a huge mistake, Mothma. Huge!!”

Mon Mothma merely watched as the two were taken out of the room. She turned to her colleagues after the doors closed behind them.

“You’d better be right about this,” Reikan told her. “I would hate to have the two of them as enemies.”

Mon Mothma raised one auburn eyebrow. “Oh, I believe we are well past that point, General. They already are our enemies.”

Han Solo was not invited to the meeting in Mon Mothma’s office, for which he was rather irritated; but he was waiting in the corridor outside as it proceeded, leaning up against the wall, his arms crossed in front of him. He was worried; he knew that Mon Mothma was a no nonsense sort of person who brooked no hint of duplicity from any one under her command. When the doors opened and he saw Luke and Leia being escorted from the office like two common criminals, he realized that his worst fears had come to fruition.

“What the hell is going on??” he demanded of the guards.

“We are escorting the prisoners to the brig,” announced one of the guards. “Under orders of Mon Mothma.”

“Like hell you are!” Han growled, reaching for his blaster.

“Han, don’t,” Luke said. “That will only land you in trouble.”

“I’m not going to let them do this to you two,” Han countered, walking along side them as the guards escorted them down the corridor. “This is bullshit!”

“It is, but we are in no position to change things, are we?” asked Leia.

Han knew what she referred to; their parents’ plans hinged on keeping their true identities a secret. If it were known that Luke and Leia were in fact the children of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, then everything would come unraveled. It was a no win situation.

“You may not be,” Han countered, “but I bloody well am.”

“Han, don’t be foolish,” Leia chided him, secretly loving him for his protectiveness.

“Yes, Han,” Luke said, knowing that they mustn’t say anything incriminating in front of the guards. “It’s not like you’re a Jedi, after all.”

Han frowned, stung by Luke’s words. “Hey,” he said, the hurt evident in his voice. “Just because I don’t follow that hokey religion doesn’t mean that I’m ….” He stopped as the true message behind Luke’s words hit him.

“You’re right,” he called after Luke and Leia as they were lead away. “I’m no Jedi.” He waited until they were out of ear shot. “But I know some one who is,” he said to himself as a plan formulated in his mind. He took off running in the opposite direction, in search of his copilot, Chewbacca. He was going to need his help.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 28


“Delegates from the far reaches of the Empire, I have an announcement to make,” Anakin said as the room below him became silent. He was standing with Padmé on the small balcony outside of their bedroom, overlooking the great hall.

“Although I have assumed the seat of the emperor, you will find that I am nothing like my predecessor. The late emperor was content to allow the planets in this Empire to be subjected to the exploitation of the regional governors. Palpatine did not care, so long as order was kept. I am not Palpatine. During my years as his apprentice I saw a tremendous amount of abuse of power by the these governors, who were more interested in lining their own pockets than seeing to the well being of the people in their systems. This will stop effective immediately.”

There were murmurs of surprise and disbelief from below as the intentions of the new emperor became clear.

“The regional governors will be removed from their positions,” Anakin continued, enjoying the shock he sensed from the congregation below. “And it is my command that within one year the planets that have been enslaved by the tyrannical grasp of exploitation create their own governments.”

The murmurings grew louder, as disbelief started to turn to outrage. Was Vader mad??

“It will be the job of the former governors to assist the planets in the formation of a government, to ensure that they are self-governing within one standard year,” Anakin continued. “The Empress Vader will directly supervise this endeavor, as well as creating a new Imperial Senate, which she shall personally oversee.”

“This is outrageous!” A voice from the crowd exclaimed. “It will never work!”

Anakin searched the crowd for the dissenter. A deathly quiet had fallen over the assembled dignitaries. Orrick…he realized as he zeroed in on the source of the voice.

“You have an objection, Governor Orrick?” Anakin asked, trying to keep his anger in check. Padmé could hear the edge in his voice, and feared the worst. She reached over and put her hand over his on the railing in an attempt to keep him calm.

Orrick had not intended for his remark to be so loud, and looked up at Anakin nervously. “Uh…well...not entirely, your majesty,” he stammered.

"No?” Anakin returned. “It sounds to me like you do. Unless you are denying that is was you who shouted out that incendiary comment?”

“Well…uh…no my lord…I mean...your majesty...” Orrick stammered.

“So you are admitting to questioning me,” Anakin replied, his voice a deadly calm.

“No! Of course not, it’s just that...” Orrick’s words were cut short as his throat became constricted. His eyes bulged as he grasped at his throat desperately, while those around him looked on in horror.

“Anakin, stop it,” Padmé said quietly, squeezing his hand.

Anakin turned to her. “I have to make an example of him, Padmé,” he replied in a voice that frightened her in its coldness. “I cannot allow this sort of dissention to go unchecked.”

Padmé shook her head. “That is the way of the Dark Side,” she told him, her dark eyes full of anguish. “Don’t do this!! You’re better than this!”

Down below Orrick fell to his knees as Anakin turned back to him, struggling with the demons that raged through him. She’s right…this is not the way to deal with this…but how can I allow this to go unpunished?

Anakin looked back when he felt Padmé yank her hand from his and leave the balcony. He turned back and released the man. Orrick collapsed to the floor, his face blue. Anakin watched as he fell to the floor, dead. Anakin felt horrible, guilt and remorse overwhelming him as he gripped the railing tightly. Will I ever eradicate the darkness completely? Will it possess me for the rest of my life?

Finally he spoke, knowing that he mustn’t show his underlings his remorse. I must not show any sign of conflict…Darth Vader would never show remorse for killing a man, no matter how undeserving his death may be…

“If there are no other …comments,” he began, his voice strong and commanding. “Then our summit is concluded. Leave my home now.”

He turned and left the balcony, closing the doors behind him. Padmé was sitting on the edge of their bed, staring straight before her.

“Padmé, I didn’t mean it to go that far,” Anakin said as he approached her.

She looked up at him, seeing that he was remorseful, but not able to forget the sound of his voice when he pronounced the man’s guilt.

“I know,” she said, trying to be gentle, trying to understand. “But you can’t control these impulses, Ani,” she said to him. “Not yet. If you want me to help you get past this, then you need to listen to me.”

Anakin sat down on the bed beside her, leaning forward to rest his face in his hands.

“I’m trying, Padmé,” he replied quietly. “It’s not easy to be in this position; I’m doing the best I can.”

“I know you are,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I know how difficult this is. You didn’t turn to the Dark Side over night; your journey back to the light will not happen over night either. But you are nearly there, Ani. Please don’t give up, please don’t let the Darkness win.”

Anakin sat up and turned to his wife. He knew she was the reason that he managed to fight the Darkness at all, she and their children. It was his love for them that kept him from sliding back into the abyss.

“I’m sorry,” he said, reaching out a hand to stroke her face. “I am fighting with everything within me to resist the darkness. Having you with me is the best chance I have.”

Padmé felt the tears welling up within her. She had seen him lose the fight once before; how could she stand to face it again?? I won’t ..I won’t allow him to lose this time.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she told him, turning to him. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you here with me, Anakin. I’m not going to lose you again.”

Anakin smiled, cupping her cheek in his hand. “Thank you, my love,” he said softly. “I would be lost without you. I…”he stopped, as a terrible sense of dread filled him. Padmé grew alarmed.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Luke and Leia,” he said slowly. “They are in trouble…I can feel their fear, Padmé…something has happened.”

“What are we going to do?” Padmé asked, not doubting for a moment that Anakin’s senses were deadly accurate.

Anakin shook his head, trying to reach out to his children with the Force. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.

“Do you know where they are?” Padmé asked him.

“Not yet,” Anakin said, standing up. “But I intend to find out.”


Luke and Leia sat in a detention cell, a heavy silence having settled between them. Luke was well aware that he could break them out, even his rudimentary Jedi skills were no match for the guards posted outside of their cell. Yet, he also realized that escape would only incriminate them further in the eyes of the Rebel leaders.

“Father will help us, Leia,” Luke said to his sister. “He knows we’re in trouble.”

“How do know you that?” she asked.

“Father speaks to me, Leia,” Luke explained. “He would speak to you too if you allowed him into your mind.”

Leia looked away, not wanting to get into another argument with Luke. She was too scared, too worried about what would happen to them. “Maybe we should just tell them the truth,” she said.

Luke shook his head. “Have some faith,” he said. “Father won’t let us go through this.”

“What do you think he’s going to do, Luke?” she challenged. “Come here and ask that we be released? Negotiate for our release? You think they are going to just hand us over to him?”

“I don’t know,” Luke admitted.

“No, of course not,” she said. “And if they don’t what will he do? What does Darth Vader do when he doesn’t get his way?”

“He is not Darth Vader,” Luke replied adamantly. “Why can’t you just accept that? Why won’t you admit that he has changed?”

“I admit it, openly,” she replied. “But he has not changed enough to prevent him from doing something violent and ruthless. You heard about what happened at the press conference. Someone said something he didn’t like, and he reacted violently. Those are not the actions of a redeemed man.”

Luke frowned, hating to admit that she may indeed have a point. “What do you want me to say, Leia?” he asked tiredly.

“I want you to be realistic, Luke,” she replied. “That’s all. You are too easily convinced of his goodness, and it has blinded you to the fact that he is, in some way, still Darth Vader. Yes, he has changed; but there still remains a lot of Vader in him, and you know it was well as I do. If he finds out what has happened, he will kill whoever stands between him and us.”

A chill ran down Luke’s spine as he considered Leia’s words. She’s right…he will kill anyone who harms us.

“Han is on his way to Coruscant right now,” Luke reminded her. “He will know what to do. He’s not going to allow people to be killed.”

Leia raised one eyebrow. “And what do you think he can do to prevent it?”

Luke did not want to think about it, for the more he did, the more uneasy he became. It seemed that there was no easy way out, no matter which way you looked at it.

Anakin and Padmé had spent half the night combing through the Imperial Intelligence Network, searching for the last known whereabouts of the Rebel base. The transmission that Luke had sent was untraceable; but there had been some reports that they were investigating.

“This is getting us no where,” Anakin grumbled as he commenced his trademark pacing.

“What else can we do?” Padmé asked, looking up from the computer terminal.

Anakin shook his head, his frustration level rising with each minute that passed. “May the Force protect those Rebels if something happens to Luke and Leia,” he growled. “We never should have let them leave; Padmé…none of this would have happened if we had kept them here with us where they belong. If something happens to them, I will never forgive myself, and as for those Rebel commanders...”

A knock on the door interrupted his ranting. Anakin strode over to the door opened it.

“Excuse me, your majesty,” the protocol droid said. “But there is a man here who insists upon seeing you.”

Anakin frowned. “Who is he? What does he want?”

"He says he is a family friend,” the droid replied. “Han Solo.”

Anakin’s eyes opened wide. “Did you say Han Solo??”

“Affirmative, your majesty,” the droid began but didn’t get the words out before Anakin and Padmé rushed past it and headed for the stairs.

Han walked around in the great hallway, looking up at the high ceiling and elegance of the emperor’s residence. He still could not get over the fact that Luke and Leia’s parents were now the emperor and empress of the Galactic Empire. He was more than a little intimidated by this, for he felt certain that he would never measure up in their eyes a suitor for their daughter. Now that he and Leia had admitted to each other the depth of their feelings, he had begun to consider a future with her; until now. What can I possibly do to impress the emperor??

“Captain Solo?”

Han looked over to the staircase to see a man and a woman standing at the foot of the stairs. He recognized them as Luke and Leia’s parents.

“That’s me,” Han said, not really knowing what else to say. Seeing Anakin Skywalker in person was more than a little intimidating. He was huge, for one thing. Han had always assumed that Vader was as large as he was because of the bulky armor; now he saw that clearly that was not the case. But it wasn’t the man’s imposing physical presence that was the most daunting, but the intensity of his cerulean eyes.

“You have news of our children?” The empress asked, her soulful brown eyes reminding Han so much of Leia’s.

Han nodded. “Yeah, I do. Mon Mothma has thrown them into the brig.”

Anakin frowned. “The brig??” he cried. “What is the charge against them?”

“Espionage,” Han replied.

Padmé and Anakin exchanged a look.

“You mean to say that the rebel leaders think our children are traitors to the Alliance?” Padmé asked in indignation.

Han nodded. “Yes m’am, I’m afraid so,” he replied. “They weren’t able to explain why they were gone for so long, and Mon Mothma suspects that they were lying about everything. Plus she found out that Luke had been in contact with the Executor,” he added. “That was sort of the last straw.”

Anakin’s frown deepened. “You must take me to them,” he said. “I won’t allow this travesty to continue.”

“Wait a minute,” Padmé said. “You’re not going without me, Anakin,” she said.

Han was amused by how much like her daughter the empress looked at that moment, standing toe to toe with her giant of a husband, not intimidated in the least by the look in eyes.

“This will be dangerous,” Anakin told his wife. “I won’t stand for you being placed in a harm’s way, Padmé.”

“Luke and Leia are my children too,” she said in reply. “Do you think I want to sit here and wait for word while you’re half way across the galaxy? I’m coming with you!”

Anakin shook his head and exhaled loudly. He turned to Han. “Where are they?” he asked.

“The command ship,” Han replied. “Sullust system.”

Anakin nodded. “Where is your ship?”

“Follow me.”