Remade

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 29

Anakin and Padmé changed their clothing, donning simple, inconspicuous trousers, tunics and boots, for the journey. Stealing through the darkness of the Coruscant night, they made their way to Han’s ship, which he had left at a landing platform not far from the emperor’s property.

“So this is the Millennium Falcon,” Anakin said as they reached the infamous freighter. “This is the ship that evaded the Empire on a regular basis?” he asked incredulously looking at the worn looking ship which seemed to a collection of mismatched pieces bolted together in an utterly random fashion.

Han bridled under the implication. “I know she don’t look like much,” he replied, “but she’s the fastest ship in the rebel fleet,” he added proudly.

Anakin cocked an eyebrow, keeping his comment to himself at this pronouncement. Padmé gave him an amused look, grateful that he had the good grace to keep his opinion to himself just this once.

Once on board, they met Han’s copilot, an enormous wookiee named Chewbacca.

“Okay, let’s get out of here, Chewie,” Han said as he took his seat. “You might want to sit in the back,” he added, addressing his comment to Anakin and Padmé. “It’s a little more comfortable back there.”

“This is fine, Han,” Padmé said, sitting down behind Chewbacca. Anakin sat beside her, feeling strange not to be in the pilot’s seat. He looked at the controls, his hands itching to take them.

“Strap yourselves in,” Han said. “We have clearance to take off.”

Anakin looked over at Padmé. He hadn’t figured out what he would say or do to free their children, yet; but that would come to him, of that he felt certain.

“We should be at the Sullust system about 1200 hours,” Han announced as they made the jump to hyperspace. “You might as well make yourselves comfortable.”

Anakin stood up. “I’m going to stretch my legs,” he said. He had noticed that Padmé was having difficulty staying awake. “Come along, angel,” he said, holding his hand out to her. “You could use some sleep.”

Padmé did not try to deny his observation, and stood up, putting her hand in his.

They made their way to the hold and sat down on a small cot.

“Now, lie down,” Anakin told her, patting his lap.

“But aren’t you tired too?” she asked.

“No,” he replied. “I know I wouldn’t get a wink of sleep anyway. You go ahead.”

Padmé didn’t object, and lay down on the cot, using Anakin’s lap as her pillow. Within a few moments she drifted off to sleep, as Anakin massaged her back to help her relax. His mind was far too active to sleep, and as he sat there, he tried to formulate a plan.

Clearly he could not reveal that he was the emperor; that would blow his whole scheme out of the water. No, they would have to simply introduce themselves as Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, the parents of Luke and Leia. Yet, surely there were some who would recognize them both. Would that be a problem? Would they be able to piece together who I have been for the past 22 years?

“So what’s the plan?”

Anakin looked up to see Han enter the hold.

“Get back my children,” Anakin replied. “By whatever means necessary.”

Han nodded his understanding as he sat down. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea?” he asked.

Anakin frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that sounds more like an approach I’d expect from Darth Vader,” Han replied. “Not Anakin Skywalker.”

Anakin fought back the urge to lash out at the young pilot, but managed to control his ire. After all, he was right.

“So who are you, then?” Han asked when Anakin made no reply. “Are you Darth Vader or Anakin Skywalker? Leia seems to think you’re neither, with elements of both. I don’t understand how that’s possible, but I suppose that’s because I don’t get all that Force business.”

Anakin smiled, amused by Han’s candor. “I suppose she’s right,” he replied at last. “But have no fear, Captain Solo,” he added. “I have no intention of wrecking havoc on the Rebel base.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Han said. “Cause it wouldn’t do much to endear you to your kids I would guess.”

“No, I’m sure it wouldn’t,” Anakin replied. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas?”

Han rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well, I’m pretty good at getting out of sticky situations,” he said.

“Yes, I’ve noticed,” Anakin returned wryly.

“Yeah, I’m sure you have,” Han replied. “I don’t think you should tell them you’re the emperor,” he began. “I think you need to try to negotiate with them, rather than throw your weight around.”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, I agree. But will they be willing to negotiate? The question of my children’s loyalty will still be at hand.”

“Yeah, I know,” Han replied. “What if you had an explanation for why they were gone? One that was connected to you in some way?”

Anakin considered this. The reason they were gone was connected to them; but he knew what Han meant. Somehow Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala needed to be intrinsically involved in this. But how?

“As weird as it might be to say it, maybe you could claim to be prisoners of Vader, you and your wife,” Han suggested. “As a Jedi knight wouldn’t you be an enemy of the Empire?”

“Yes indeed,” Anakin replied reflectively. “I suppose we could tell them the truth, at least part of it.”

"Which part would that be?”

“About how Palpatine held Padmé, Luke and Leia prisoner and I killed him in order to save them,” he replied. “That much is true.”

Han nodded. “Yeah, that’s true,” he conceded. “But what about Vader? How does he fit into all this? And why were you on the Executor?”

“I don’t know,” Anakin muttered, shaking his head. This was getting so complicated, and one thing he knew from experience, the more complicated the lies became, the easier it was to mess everything up.

“Maybe the fact that you saved them will be enough,” suggested Han.

“Perhaps,” Anakin replied, not convinced. He highly suspected that the negotiations would be the aggressive kind.

“Things will fall into place,” he said at last, looking down at his sleeping wife. “They usually do.”

Han nodded. “So what happened to cause this change of heart?” he asked.

Anakin looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” Han replied. “The transformation from Darth Vader back to Anakin Skywalker. What made you do it?”

“I finally came to the realization that the emperor had been using me all my life,” Anakin replied. “And that he had lied to me about everything, including the death of my wife, my children, and my own injuries.”

“And what made you realize that all of a sudden?” Han asked.

“I found Luke,” Anakin replied simply. “When the Death Star was destroyed, I had spies find out the name of the rebel who was responsible. When I found out that it was Luke Skywalker, I realized that he had to be my son.”

“And Leia?” Han asked. “I’m assuming you didn’t know she was your kid when you tortured her on the Death Star.”

Anakin scowled at the question. “Obviously not,” he replied. “I’d give anything to return to that day,” Anakin continued, speaking more to himself than to Han. “Anything. But there is nothing I can do to change the past. All I can do is atone for what I have done and hope that, someday, my daughter forgives me.”

“She’s confused right now,” he observed. “At least that’s the impression I get. I think she wants to forgive you, wants to have the relationship that Luke has with you, but is too damn stubborn to get there. You know what I mean?”

Anakin nodded. “I do indeed. Stubbornness is something she and I seem to have in common.”

Han smiled. “Well I knew it had to come from somewhere.”

“I…appreciate your help, Solo,” Anakin said. “I’m grateful for what you have done to help me.”

“Well, I kinda figured I owed you one for what you did to help me out with Jabba,” Han replied. “Besides, your kids are my best friends. I wasn’t about to let them rot in the brig.”

Anakin nodded. “They choose their friends well,” he observed.

Han shrugged, uncomfortable with the all too unfamiliar praise. “Yeah, well, I’ll just be glad when they’re free. Assuming we’re able to pull this off, what happens next? Will you take them back to Coruscant?”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead yet, to tell you the truth,” Anakin replied. “I’m still working on how I’m going to get them out of the brig.”

Han laughed. “We seem to have a lot in common,” he commented. “I never look past the end of my nose either.”

Anakin smiled. “Well you know what they say about the best laid plans.”

Han nodded. “Yep, I sure do.” The sound of the sublight engines was heard. “Looks like we’re coming up on the Sullust system,” he said, standing up. “I guess it’s show time.”

“Yes, it does indeed,” Anakin replied, looking down at his still sleeping wife. He hated to disturb her peaceful slumber, but realized he had no choice. Gently he shook her shoulder, kissing her cheek lightly. Padmé’s eyes fluttered open. She was disoriented for a moment, and then looked up at Anakin.

“Are we there?” she asked sleepily.

Anakin nodded. “Yes, we’ve just made the reversion from hyperspace,” he told her.

Padmé sat up, feeling knots of anxiety in her stomach. “I’m scared, Ani,” she said softly.

Anakin put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “So am I,” he admitted. “But we have to be strong, Padmé. For Luke and Leia’s sake.”

Padmé nodded. “I know,” she said. “For them I can do anything.”

Anakin smiled. “Come on,” he said, standing up and taking her hand. “Time to get our children back.”

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 30

Han and Chewbacca directed the Falcon to the command ship where they docked the freighter.

Anakin felt strange as he walked through the command ship with his wife, lead by Han and his copilot. He spent half of his life trying to find the Rebels, hunting them down across the galaxy; and now here he was on the command ship. One year ago this scenario wouldn’t have seemed possible. But of course, one year ago he didn’t know that he had a family. That changed everything…

“It looks like Mon Mothma is in the command centre right now,” Han said after consulting the ship’s intelligence system. “Are you ready?”

Anakin looked at Padmé. “Yes, I think we are.”

“Then follow me,” Han replied. “This way.”

Mon Mothma sat at her computer terminal, poring over the records of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. There was nothing in the records of either that would indicate a predilection to treason; both had shown exemplary service, their loyalty unquestionable. So what had caused them to consider such treachery? Mon Mothma stared at the images of both individuals, something at the back of her mind nagging at her, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. There was a familiarity to them, and it bothered her that she was unable to place them. Skywalker…could he possibly be related to Anakin Skywalker? No, that wasn’t possible; he was a Jedi, and the Jedi were not permitted to marry. Coincidence? The young man had demonstrated unusual abilities that were much like those used by the legendary Jedi. The more she thought of it, the more puzzled she become. And what of Leia Organa? Why were the two of them in league all of a sudden? There had to be a connection somehow, and she was determined to find out what it was.

Mon Mothma’s musings were interrupted by the door chime. She looked up from the screen. “Come in,” she said. The door opened.

“Ah, Captain Solo,” she said, returning her attention to the screen in front of her. “I’m sure you’ll be thrilled to know that my computer is working again. I don’t suppose you know anything about the unfortunate break down it had yesterday?”

“Uh, Mon Mothma,” Han said, realizing that she hadn’t noticed his companion. “There’s someone here you need to talk to.”

“Oh?” she asked, looking up. She did a double take when she saw who it was. “Anakin Skywalker??”

Anakin merely nodded, doing his best to control the anger he felt directed at the woman.

“Padme Amidala?” Mon Mothma asked next, looking at Anakin’s companion. “Is it really you?”

Padmé nodded, wishing she could summon up some happiness at seeing the woman who had once been a friend. Considering how her children had been treated by Mon Mothma, it was difficult for her to hide her hostility.

“Mon Mothma,” Padmé replied. “It’s been a long time.”

“Yes, it has,” Mon Mothma agreed. “I…I though you’d died! I saw the footage of your funeral on the holonet! And Anakin,” she said, turning back to Anakin. “I assumed you had perished in the Jedi purges. What is this all about? Where have you been all these years?”

“We were forced to go into hiding,” Padmé said. “And have been living in the Outer Rim for the past 22 years. But that isn’t the reason we’re here, to return to public life. We’ve come because of our children.”

“Your children??” Mon Mothma asked, completely perplexed. “What are you talking about? You two have children together?? What children?”

“Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa,” Anakin said at this point. “Your prisoners. They are our children.”

Mon Mothma sat down, completely astonished by the revelation. She had no idea that Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala were married, let alone that they’d had children together. What was the reason for all the secrecy?

"I have to admit that I am completely baffled by all of this,” Mon Mothma said at last.

“That is your problem, the way I see it,” Anakin replied coldly. “We aren’t here to explain our private lives to you, only to retrieve our children whom you have been persecuting.”

Mon Mothma frowned, not liking the tone that Anakin’s voice had assumed. “Your children are prisoners of the Alliance,” she replied, her tone matching Anakin’s in its iciness. “They have been caught in the act of communicating with the enemy, namely, the flagship of the Empire.”

“Yes, we know that,” Padmé replied calmly. “They were communicating with us.”

“With you?” Mon Mothma replied. “What were you doing on board Darth Vader’s ship?? Unless you have joined the Empire yourselves.”

It was Padmé’s turn to grow angry. “I resent that implication,” she returned. “We were held prisoner on that ship,” she said, thinking fast. “Our children were trying to free us.”

“That’s right,” Anakin said, picking up the story. “My wife and children were being held prisoner by the emperor. I came to their aid, killing the emperor in the process. For that I was imprisoned on board the Executor, along with my family.”

Mon Mothma listened, growing more astonished by the moment. “So how did you escape?” she asked pointedly.

“My husband is a Jedi,” Padmé said, looking at Anakin. “Surely you know what that means.”

Mon Mothma nodded. “Yes, I suppose so,” she replied. “So you’re telling me that Luke and Leia escaped, and then communicated with you? How could they send a message to you if you were prisoners?”

Anakin and Padmé looked at one another, a sense of unease growing in them. Now what?

“That isn’t your concern,” Anakin said at last, deciding that he’d had enough. He waved his hand in front of her, manipulating her mind with the Force. “You will relinquish Luke and Leia into my custody, no questions asked.”

Mon Mothma stared at him vacantly for a moment. “The guard will release them to your custody,” she said at last.

Anakin smiled. “Very good,” he replied.

He and Padmé turned to leave. That was too easy, Anakin reflected, his sense of alarm not relaxing. We’re not out of this yet.

Han lead Anakin and Padme to the brig, where a single guard stood outside the door.

“Captain Solo,” the guard said. “What are you doing here?”

“Mon Mothma has ordered Luke and Leia be released to me,” he said.

The guard frowned, not sure he ought to believe the Corellian. He was well aware of the friendship between Solo and the two prisoners.

“I’ll need verification of that order, you realize,” the guard replied.

“Of course,” Han said confidently. “Contact her yourself.”

“I’ll do that,” he said. “Wait right here.”

The guard walked over to the comm. on the wall down the corridor.

“This is ridiculous,” Padmé muttered.

Anakin did not reply, for he was watching the guard closely. He had a sinking feeling that the ruse was up. “Get ready to run,” he told Padmé and Han. “This isn’t going as planned.”

“What do you mean?” Padmé asked.

“I’ll cover for you,” Han said, drawing his blaster, realizing what Anakin was planning.

Using the Force, Anakin pushed the door aside, where inside his twins looked up in astonishment.

"Father?” Luke asked, standing up. “What are you doing here?”

“No time to explain,” Anakin said. “Come with me, both of you. Fast!”

Luke and Leia rushed out the door, where Han was waiting with Padmé.

“Let’s beat it,” Han said, running down the hall as the guard started the pursuit after them.

Anakin turned and Force pushed the man, sending him flying down the hall.

“This way,” Han instructed as they rounded the corner, heading for the hangar.

Soon the sound of blaster fire was heard behind them, and they realized that they were being pursued.

“We can’t hold them off forever!” Han shouted. Anakin used his lightsaber to deflect the blaster fire as Han shot into the crowd of guards who had been dispatched to stop them.

“Go!” Anakin shouted at Han, knowing that they were close to the Falcon. “I can handle this!”

Han looked quickly at Anakin, amazed at the speed and accuracy with which he deflected the laser bolts. Handy guy to have in a tight spot, he reflected.

“Do it, Solo!” Anakin ordered his tone carrying authority. “Get my family to safety!”

Han decided he would do as he was told, for a change, and escorted Padme and her children to the Falcon, leaving Anakin to dispatch the remainder of the guards.

“Where is Anakin??” Padme cried looking around frantically as they boarded the Falcon.

“He’s coming,” Han said. “He told me to get you on board safely. He looks like he can handle things pretty well.”

“He can,” Luke said. “But he’s outnumbered...” he stopped as they heard the sound of boots upon the ramp.

“He’s made it,” Padme sighed with relief.

“Okay Chewie, let’s hit it,” Han said as he ran to the cockpit.

Padme, Luke and Leia sat down, strapping themselves in as they waited for Anakin to appear.

Luke felt a sense of unease as they sat, the wait seeming unnaturally long. “Something’s not right,” he said, unstrapping himself. He ran out of the hold and into the short hallway that lead the hold to the boarding ramp. “Father!!” he cried when he saw his father collapsed on the floor, a puddle of blood forming under him.

Luke rushed to his father’s side. “No!!” he cried, taking his father by the shoulders. “Father, can you hear me?? Father!!”

Padme and Leia came running when they heard Luke’s desperate cry.

“Ani!!” Padme screamed when she saw the prone figure of her husband on the floor. “What happened?”

“I think he was shot,” Luke said. “He’s bleeding, Mother,” he added, looking up at Padme, “he needs medical attention immediately.”

Padme nodded, the tears blurring her vision. “Let’s get him into the hold.”

The three of them managed, with considerable difficulty, to carry the dead weight of Anakin’s unconscious body into the hold and laid him down on the cot.

“I’m going to tell Han what happened,” Luke said, running off to the cockpit.

Padme sat at Anakin’s side, taking his hand, her body paralyzed with fear. Leia stood behind her, her arms folded tightly over her chest. She stared at her father’s face, unable to deny the feelings that she could feel churning within her. Hold on, Father….I can’t lose you now. Padme looked up at her daughter in surprise; almost as though she could read her daughter’s thoughts.

“He’ll be okay, Leia,” Padme said through her tears. “He has to be.”

Leia could only nod in response, as her own tears slid down her cheeks, surprising her utterly.

“Hold on Ani,” Padme said softly. “Please, hold on. I can’t bear to lose you again.”

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 31

“What do you mean, they got away??” Mon Mothma cried angrily. “You outnumbered them!”

“I’m sorry,” the leader of the security squadron replied. “But one of them was a Jedi. He deflected all of our blasts with his red laser sword.”

“It’s called a lightsaber,” Mon Mothma returned sharply. And then she thought about what he had said. “Did you say red??”

The security officer nodded.

“Are you sure??” Mon Mothma asked.

“Absolutely certain,” the officer replied. “You can look at the security holos if you don’t believe me.”

“He’s right, Mon,” General Dodonna called from across the room. He sat at computer screen watching the security footage of the incident earlier. “It was a red lightsaber that Skywalker used.”

Mon Mothma frowned. “But the Jedi don’t use red lightsabers,” she stated. “They never did. In fact,” she continued, “there’s only one person I’ve ever seen using a red lightsaber: Darth Vader.”

“Darth Vader??” Dodonna replied. “So what is it that you’re saying, Mon? You think he took Vader’s saber?”

“No, I think he is Darth Vader,” Mon Mothma replied as the pieces started to fall into place. “Now it all makes sense. No one has seen or heard from Anakin Skywalker in 22 years, and now, all of a sudden, he’s back. Coincidently, when Skywalker disappeared, Darth Vader appeared on the scene. Isn’t that an awfully big coincidence?”

Dodonna’s eyes widen as he begins to follow her line of thinking. “And Luke and Leia…when they were on board the Executor it was because Vader was there and Vader is their father!”

Mon Mothma nods. “Yes, exactly. Do you realize what this means? That all these years we’ve trusted the children of our greatest enemy! And now he is emperor,” she shook her head. “With them at his side, the galaxy is doomed, Dodonna. With Vader in charge, there will never be peace. And now that he has our two strongest allies with him they will surely crush us. The Alliance will die.”

Dodonna frowned. “No, that can’t be true,” he muttered. “If he were out to crush us, don’t you think he’d have killed us all when he had the chance? Darth Vader isn’t a negotiator; he just takes what he wants. Is there a chance that he’s changed? That whatever metamorphosis that transformed the hero Anakin Skywalker into the villain Darth Vader has been reversed?”

Mon Mothma sighed. “I suppose anything is possible,” she conceded. “We will just have to wait and see what he does next.”

“We know what he is going to do next,” Dodonna pointed out. “He’s taken the power from the regional governors and given it back to the planetary systems. He means to reinstitute the Imperial Senate. Do those sound like the actions of a Sith?”

“No, perhaps not,” Mon Mothma conceded. “Still, all the duplicity has me suspicious. We cannot trust that he will not use or manipulate his own family if it means getting him the power he craves. We must be on our guard, General.”

“Of course,” Dodonna replied with a nod of his head. “Always.”


“I understand how serious the situation is, Luke,” Han said. “But if we stop, the Alliance will catch up with us and all this will be for nothing.”

“If we don’t stop, then my father will die,” countered Luke adamantly. “He is bleeding profusely, Han! If we don’t get him to a medical facility as soon as possible, then he won’t survive!”

Han sighed with frustration, feeling caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Chewie, check the navicomputer,” he said at last. “What’s the closest planet?”

Chewbacca checked the readout on the computer and barked a response to Han.

“Omwat,” he muttered. “Not exactly Coruscant, but I suppose it will have to do. Set a course, Chewie.”

“Thanks, Han,” Luke replied.

“I’m going to take you there, but if I want to keep them off your trail, I can’t stay,” Han replied.

“I understand,” Luke replied.

Padmé, Luke and Leia found the medical facility in the capital city to be professional and efficient. Anakin was taken in at once when they had seen the extremity of his injuries. Padmé and her children waited outside of the examining room as the physician tended to Anakin’s injuries.

“I hope that Han is able to keep the Alliance off of our trail,” Padmé said as she paced worriedly.

“Don’t worry Mother,” Leia said. “Han can disappear better than anyone I know.”

“Yes, that’s certainly true,” Luke replied. “They’ll be hunting for him for the next week.”

Padmé nodded her mind preoccupied. “I wonder what’s taking them so long?” she muttered.

“It hasn’t been that long, Mother,” Leia replied. “It just seems long because, well, because...”

“Because we’re worried?” Luke suggested. He could see that his sister was as concerned about their father’s wellbeing as he and their mother was, and wanted her to admit it.

“Yes, that’s true,” Padmé said.

“We’re all worried,” Luke said, looking at Leia. “Aren’t we Leia?”

Leia looked up at her brother, unable to deny her feelings any more.

“Yes, Luke,” she agreed. “We are.”

Luke smiled at his sister. “He’ll be okay, Leia,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “He’s strong; he will make it.”

“Excuse me; are you the family of the patient?”

Padmé, Luke and Leia turned to see the physician who had admitted Anakin standing before them.

“Yes, we are,” Padmé said. “What news do you have? Is he alright??”

“No, he isn’t,” the doctor replied. “He is alive, but he has lost a great deal of blood.”

“Can’t you give him a transfusion?” Luke asked.

“Normally that would be standard procedure,” the doctor replied. “But your father’s blood has…unusual characteristics. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“What are you talking about?” Leia demanded. “What characteristics?”

“It’s the midi-chlorians,” Padmé said, realizing what the doctor was talking about. “That has to be it. Anakin’s blood is unusually high in midi-chlorians.”

“Midi-chlorians?” Leia asked. “What are they?”

“Midi-chlorians are microscopic life-forms that reside within the cells of all living things and communicate with the Force,” Padmé replied, remembering what Anakin had told her many years ago. “Your father’s count is higher than anyone’s, even the Jedi masters.”

“So does that mean he cannot be given a transfusion??” Luke asked desperately. “I can’t accept that!”

“I didn’t say that,” the doctor. “But the blood we give him must be compatible both in type and in…medi-chlorian count.”

Padmé turned to her children, as her hopes soared. “Luke, Leia, one of you could be the donor,” she said.

“That’s right,” the doctor replied. “As his children you will have a comparable count. Let’s get you both tested at once.”


After much cajoling and pleading, Padmé convinced the nurses to allow her to see her husband. Seeing Anakin so still and pale did not make the situation any easier, however, as the wait for the result of the blood tests dragged on and on. Granted, this facility was not exactly the infirmary on Coruscant; but she had not expected that things would take this long.

Padmé sat at Anakin’s bedside, holding his hand, the only sound in the room the heart monitor beside his bed. Anakin had been unconscious for nearly 7 hours, and though she was no doctor, Padmé knew that this was not a good thing. The longer he remained unconscious, the weaker he became; and Anakin would need all his strength if he were to fight for his life. Don’t leave me, Ani, she pleaded to him silently, hoping that on some level of consciousness he was still able to read her mind. I can’t lose you again.

The sound of the doors opening was heard and Padmé looked up to see her two children entering the room. The phlebotomist who had conducted their blood tests accompanied them.

“Well?” she asked. “What news?”

“It seems both of us have inherited the high medi-chlorian count,” Luke told his mother. “Father’s count is incredibly high, but we aren’t too far behind.”

“So that means either of you can give him the transfusion he needs to live?” Padmé asked hopefully.

“No, only one of us has the same blood type as Father,” Luke replied, looking at his sister. “It’s Leia.”

Padmé turned her eyes to Leia’s. This is it, she thought, the moment of truth. Will my daughter let her father die as payment for his past transgressions against her? Or will she be able to get beyond the past and do what is right?

“Well Leia,” Padmé said at last. “It’s up to you. Will you do it? Will you save your father’s life?”

Leia looked over at the form of her unconscious father. So much had happened between them in the past weeks; Leia could no longer deny the transformation in her father. Nor could she deny the connection between them. Somehow the fact that they shared the same blood type made that connection stronger, more real. Will I save him? How can I not??

“Yes, I’ll do it,” Leia said at last, not taking her eyes from her father’s still form. “He’s my father, I have to save him.”

Padmé’s eyes filled with tears as she walked over to Leia and embraced her tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered to her.

“Well, let’s get to it,” the technician said. “Time is of the essence.”



Why do I feel so weak? was Anakin’s first thought as he slowly regained consciousness. The next thought was to remark that he was in considerable pain also. It was in his back, and radiated into his shoulders.

“Ani, can you hear me?”

That’s Padmé’s voice he thought as he struggled to regain his senses. His eyelids felt incredibly heavy, and it frustrated him that he was so weak. Finally he managed to open his eyes, and was rewarded by the sight of his wife’s smiling face looking down at him.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hi,” he replied weakly.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Like I’ve been run over by a reek,” he said.

Padmé laughed. “Well, not quite,” she replied. She looked down at his hand that she held in her own. “I was so afraid that I’d lose you, Ani,” she said softly. “I’ve been so worried.”

“I’m too stubborn to die, Padmé,” he told her with a weak smile. “You ought to know that by now.”

Padmé laughed again, the relief and happiness spilling out of her.

“Are the kids here?” he asked. He turned his head to look around the room and stopped when he saw Leia asleep in a bed beside his. “What happened?” he asked, alarmed. “How did Leia get hurt? Is she alright??”

“Yes, calm down Ani,” Padmé said gently. “She’s fine. She’s just a little worn out from the transfusion.”

Anakin looked up at his wife. “Transfusion?” he asked. “What do you mean?”

“Blood transfusion,” Padmé explained. “Leia donated the blood you needed, Anakin. She saved your life.”

Anakin looked back at his sleeping daughter, astonished by Padmé’s revelation. “She did that …for me?” he asked softly.

“Yes she did,” Padmé replied. “Her blood type matches yours, Luke’s does not. She was your only hope of survival.”

Anakin did not know what to say. He was astonished that Leia would be willing to do such a thing, and it filled his heart with hope, love, and gratitude to his daughter. Perhaps, at last, she has accepted me..

“You’re awake!”

Anakin looked over to see Luke approaching him, a smile on his face.

“How are you feeling?” Luke asked his father as he came to stand beside his mother.

“Grateful to be alive,” Anakin replied. He could feel the fatigue washing over him again, threatening to overpower him.

“You need to rest,” Luke said, sensing his father’s struggle to remain awake.

“Luke is right,” Padmé said. “You can barely keep your eyes open,” she observed. “Rest now, Ani,” she said, bending to him and giving him a light kiss.

Anakin surrendered to the fatigue, closing his eyes once again and drifting off to sleep.

“Does he know that Leia saved his life?” Luke asked as he and Padmé watched Anakin sleep.

Padmé nodded. “Yes, he was quite shocked, actually,” she replied.

“I’m not surprised,” Luke said. “The two of them have been sparring for weeks now. Still, I knew it was only a matter of time before she came to accept him.”

“I have to admit that I had my doubts, Luke,” Padmé responded. “Leia is so stubborn, so single minded, so much like her father.”

Luke chuckled. “Yes, I’ve seen that myself. Now come with me, Mother. You could use some rest yourself I think. Or at least a bite to eat. These two will be sleeping for a while yet I think.”

“I think you’re right,” Padmé replied. “I am a little hungry now that you mention it.”

“Come on then,” Luke said, taking his mother’s hand. “Let’s go.”


Leia woke up a short time later. She opened her eyes and took a moment to get her bearings. Remembering where she was, she turned to see her father sleeping in the bed next to hers. His face looked so peaceful in sleep, and Leia had to admit that she felt a tremendous sense of relief knowing that he was going to live.

“Nice to see you awake.”

Leia looked over to see a nurse as he entered the room. He was carrying a tray of food. “How are you feeling?” he asked. “Are you hungry?”

Leia nodded. “I’m starving,” she replied, looking longingly at the food before her.

The nurse smiled. “I thought you might be,” he replied as he set the tray down on the table beside Leia’s bed. “This should help.”

“Thank you,” Leia said as she commenced eating. “How is he?” she asked.

The nurse stepped over to Anakin’s bed and checked the monitor above his bed. “He’s stabilized nicely,” he replied. “I understand he was awake for a short time earlier.”

“Really?” Leia asked. “That’s…wonderful,” she decided at last with a smile.

The nurse nodded. “Your father is in amazing physical condition,” he commented. “He’ll be up and around in no time.”

“That’s good to hear,” Leia replied. “Where are my mother and brother?”

“I’m not sure,” the nurse replied as he made note of Leia’s vital signs. “But I’m sure they’ll be back soon enough.”

Leia nodded as she continued to eat her meal. Now that the crisis of her father’s brush with death had passed, her thoughts turned to Han, and wondered where he was. I hope he’s alright, she thought anxiously. I just hope that bucket of bolts didn’t let him down, she thought, knowing all too well of the Falcon’s legendary malfunctions.

“Your vitals are all perfect,” announced the nurse. “I’ll check back with you in a little while,” the nurse said. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

“Well, you could tell me where my clothes are,” she said, looking down at the shift she wore.

“They’re in the ‘fresher,” the nurse replied, pointing in the direction of the refresher. “Feel free to get dressed whenever
you’re ready.”

The nurse left as Leia finished off the rest of her meal. That hit the spot... she reflected as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. She then got off the bed and headed for the ‘fresher to get dressed.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 32

Leia left the ‘fresher, happy to be out of the oversized hospital gown. She looked around and noticed the neither her mother nor her brother were present. Looking over to where her father was convalescing, she was startled to see him watching her.

“Just wake up?” she asked casually, feeling awkward with him.

Anakin nodded. He too felt awkward, for he was uncertain of his daughter’s motivations for agreeing to donate blood to save his life. Had Padmé and Luke coerced her? If so, then she would undoubtedly feel more bitterness than ever. He watched her as she walked over to the bed, trying to read what was in her heart. But, as usual, she was blocking him; something he had come to expect from her.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, standing a discreet distance from the bed.

“Not bad,” he told her. “Why did you do it, Leia?”

“Excuse me?”

“Did your mother talk you into it? Or was it Luke?” he asked.

Leia frowned as she began to understand what he was driving at.

“No, they didn’t,” she retorted. “Neither of them. What makes you ask that? Why would you assume that I would need to be coerced into helping you?”

“Because of our past,” Anakin replied. “Because I know that you will never be able to forgive what I did to you.”

Leia looked away for a moment, her jaw tightening ever so slightly. “That doesn’t mean I’d want you to die,” she responded at last, not looking at him.

“I’m grateful,” Anakin replied. “Truly grateful, Leia.”

She shrugged. “Well, you saved my life, so I guess we’re even.”

“I’m not sure we’ll ever be even, Leia,” Anakin replied softly. “Not after what I did. If I could change the past...”

“Please don’t continue,” Leia said, looking at him finally. “Nothing will ever change what happened. Nothing.”

Anakin could see in her dark eyes the conflicting emotions. He sensed that part of her wanted to forgive him, to allow him into her heart; but the past was still a huge obstacle for her, and no doubt always would be. Some things are simply unforgivable, he reflected somberly. Some actions do not merit a second chance.

“I’m sorry,” he simply said, looking away from her. Her eyes were so much like Padmé’s; seeing them looking at him the way they were right now was too difficult, too painful. It brought back too many memories of past abominations committed against both wife and daughter, abominations he would never forgive himself for.

The tension between father and daughter was finally alleviated by the return of Padmé and Luke.

“Well there you are,” Leia said, relieved to see them both.

“You’re looking well,” Padmé said as she approached Leia. “When did they release you from bed?”

“Just a short time ago,” Leia replied. “Any word from Han yet?”

Padmé shook her head as her eyes fell onto Anakin’s face. “Not yet,” she said. “How are you feeling, Ani?” She could see in his eyes that he was troubled.

“I’m alright, Padmé,” he replied.

Padmé sensed that something had transpired between he and Leia; both seemed edgy.

“Have you had anything to eat?” Padmé asked Leia.

“Yes, I just did,” Leia replied.

“Has the doctor been back to see you, Father?” Luke asked, turning to Anakin. “Father??”

Anakin turned his attention back to his son. “What did you say?”

Luke and Padmé exchanged a look, both concerned by Anakin’s preoccupation. “Luke asked if the doctor had been back to see you,” she said.

“Not that I am aware of,” he replied. “I just woke up a short time ago.”

“A nurse was in,” Leia put in. “He said your vitals signs looked good.”

“That’s wonderful,” Padmé said with a smile, picking up Anakin’s hand. “I’m so relieved.”

Anakin managed a smile. “Well I have our daughter to thank for that,” he said, looking over at Leia.

“We are all grateful to her for that,” Luke said, putting an arm around his sister’s shoulders.

“Yes, we certainly are,” Padmé added, smiling at Leia.

Leia felt embarrassed and uneasy by all the praise and attention. She looked at her father, who seemed as uncomfortable as she did.

“Well, look who’s awake.”

The four turned to see the attending physician enter the room. She walked over to Anakin’s bed. “How are you feeling?” she asked, looking up at Anakin’s vitals posted on the diagnostic screen above the bed. “Looks good,” she said. “You’re making a remarkable recovery.”

Anakin nodded. “So when can I get out of here?”

The physician smiled. “Now let’s not be hasty,” she said. “You don’t want to rush things; after all, your body has suffered a great deal of trauma.”

“Story of my life,” Anakin muttered.

“Well we’re not going anywhere soon,” Luke said. “So you might as well take your time, Father,” he said.

Anakin frowned. “Why is that??”

“Well, Han brought us here,” Luke explained. “But he left immediately, as we figured the Alliance would be behind us.”

Anakin was puzzled for a moment until he remembered what had happened on the command ship. Yes, things have become quite complicated now, haven’t they?

“So where are we, anyway?” Anakin asked. “And how do we get home?”

“Omwat,” Padmé replied. “We’re on Omwat. And as for how we’re getting home, that remains to be seen.”

"I’m sure Han will arrange something,” Luke said. “He’s always got something up his sleeve.”

Anakin frowned. “He could be days before he manages to get back here,” he stated. “I have a better idea,” he continued, turning to Padmé. “Send word to Firmus Piett,” he told her. “Tell him to come and bring us home.”

“Do you think he can get here faster than Han?” Padmé asked skeptically. “We’re very far from Coruscant, Ani.”

“I know that,” he replied. “But Piett won’t have x-wings on his tail. He’ll get here fast enough once he knows the situation.”

“Okay, I’ll send word at once,” Padmé replied and left the room.

Anakin looked at his children. “Looks like you’re coming to Coruscant too.”

Luke nodded. “I guess so,” he replied. “It’s for sure we can’t go back to the Alliance.”

“No,” Leia concurred, a frown on her brow. “I can’t believe Mon Mothma threw us in the brig, after all we’ve done for the Alliance. She has too much power; it’s gone to her head.”

“Power does have a way of doing that,” observed Anakin. “Soon enough they will understand the true reasons why you were on board the Executor,” he added. “Once the Empire has been dismantled, there will be no more need to hide our identities.”

“And how easy do you think it will be to do that?” Leia asked skeptically.

“It won’t be easy,” Anakin replied. “And it won’t happen over night; but I am determined to make it happen. I’ve already begun the process.”

“That’s right,” Luke said. “We heard about that. So what will become of Leia and me? We don’t have a place in the Alliance anymore.”

“You will always have a place with me, Luke,” Anakin replied. “And you as well, Leia, that is, if you wish it.”

Leia looked at Luke. “I want to be with my brother,” she said. “No matter what.”

Anakin smiled. “Well then, it looks like we’ll all be together after all, one way or another,” he said, looking at Leia. Like it or not…

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 33

“A transmission from Piett was received a short time ago,” Luke announced to his parents as he joined them in the infirmary. “He has just entered the system and figures he’ll be here within the next three hours.”

“Good,” Anakin replied, anxious to be released from his enforced captivity. “Not soon enough for me.”

Padmé smiled, knowing how impatient her husband was to resume his life. Secretly she was glad that they had been delayed in their departure. Knowing Anakin as well as she did, she knew that he never would have submitted to the rest he needed to recover otherwise.

“No word from Han?” Leia asked her anxiety evident in her voice.

“I’m afraid not,” Luke replied. “But don’t worry, Leia,” he added. “You know Han. He’s bound to just show up unannounced any time now.”

“Does he know where we’ll be after we leave here?” Padmé asked.

“I told him we’d be on Coruscant,” Leia replied. “I didn’t know what else to tell him. It’s not like we can go back to the Alliance.”

“No, I think we’ve burned that bridge,” Luke told his sister.

She snorted. “No, they burned it, Luke,” she retorted. “Mon Mothma will be sorry she accused us of treason.”

Anakin frowned, not liking the way his daughter was talking. She sounds like me, he reflected. Unforgiving and vengeful.

“Soon all will be revealed and Mon Mothma will understand the necessity of all this,” Anakin declared. “Right now we have to hide the truth from her and your other allies. One day they will understand, Leia.”

Leia wasn’t as confident as he was, and didn’t try to hide it. “So what are we going to do?” she asked. “Luke and I? We can’t let it be known that our parents are the emperor and empress, or else your pretense will be destroyed.”

“Yes, I know,” Anakin said, frowning. “This is something I hadn’t anticipated when we set out to rescue you and Luke.”

“I guess not,” Leia replied, reminded all of a sudden of a similar moment on the Death Star months earlier.

This is some rescue! When you came in here didn’t you have a plan for getting out??

He’s the brains, sweetheart!

Typical Han Solo, not thinking about the future, just acting on impulse. Leia suddenly realized how alike Han and her father were, and it made her wonder if that was part of the reason that they couldn’t get along. Despite the fact that she and Han loved one another, they still drove one another crazy. Was that the reason her father and her drove one another crazy? But I don’t love him, she told herself adamantly. He may be my father, I may owe him my life, but I will never love him…never.

Anakin watched his daughter as she went through her thought process. Not if you never forgive me, Leia, not if you never let me in.

She looked over at him quickly, forgetting momentarily about his telepathic prowess. In his eyes she could see that she had hurt him, and she looked away.

“I’m going for a walk,” Anakin said gruffly.

Padmé was confused by his sudden sullenness, and looked over at her children for an explanation.

“What was that about?” she asked, knowing that there was much that went on that she wasn’t privy to between the three of them.

Luke shrugged, knowing, but not wanting to be the one to tell her. “I think Leia can tell you,” he said, looking at his sister. “I’m going to go talk to him.”

Padmé watched her son leave the room and then turned to Leia. “I don’t understand you, Leia,” she said. “I truly don’t.”

“What do you mean?” Leia asked.

“I think you know,” Padmé replied, growing tired of her daughter’s attitude. “How long are you going to hurt him? Does it somehow erase what happened in the past when you see that pain in his eyes?”

Leia folded her arms over her chest, becoming defensive with her mother’s accusations.

“Of course not,” she retorted. “Nothing can make up for the past.”

“No, you’re right there,” Padmé agreed. “I should know, for I lost more than any one because of what happened to your father. You seem to think that you are the only one who is hurting because of the past, that you are the only one who has the right to resentment. Well let me assure you, that is not the case. I’m not trying to belittle what happened to you, I know what Darth Vader did to you.”

“If you know, then surely you can see why I can never forgive him,” Leia replied, her voice rising with emotion.

“Do you know how much you are like your father, Leia?” Padmé returned. “So much that it frightens me. You see, part of the reason he turned to the Dark Side was out of a sense of resentment. He never forgave the Jedi Council for not allowing him to go to his mother when he was sure that she needed him. His mother died, brutally tortured at the hands of Tusken Raiders, and Anakin had spent weeks suffering from prophetic dreams foretelling her death. And yet the Council forbade him to go to her, and, being the dutiful padawan that he was, he obeyed them. He never forgave them for that, and it ate away at him, allowing Palpatine to sow the seeds of darkness in him.”

“So what are you saying, Mother?” Leia countered, inwardly shaken by Padmé’s revelation. “That you think I’m going to turn to the Dark Side?”

“No, I’m not saying that,” Padmé replied. “But I am saying that the negative feelings you are holding onto so tightly will destroy you if you don’t learn to deal with them and get past them. Your father is living proof of the destructiveness of anger, of resentment.”

Leia turned away from her mother, unable to face her any longer. “I am trying,” she said at last.

“Are you?” Padmé challenged her. “Your father has saved your life twice now,” she reminded her. “And saved Han’s as well from a life of servitude to Jabba the Hutt. He has brought the four of us together; perhaps in a rather unconventional way, but were it not for his determination, we might never have found one another again. And now he is willing to devote his life to reverse the destructive influence his master had on the galaxy.”

“An influence that he had a hand in,” Leia pointed out.

Padmé shook her head with a sigh. “I don’t know how to get through to you, Leia,” she said softly. “I thought that when you agreed to donate blood to save his life that you had finally accepted him, that things would be different. But they aren’t, are they? You still resent him, you still haven’t forgiven him. Will you ever? Or will you hold onto that resentment for the rest of your life?”

Leia frowned, not wishing to think about what her mother was saying. She didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to reflect on the emotions that continued to confuse her. It was far easier just to see things in black and white; Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader, and Darth Vader was evil. Period. End of story. What more was there to say?

“I think I understand,” Padmé said at last, seeing that Leia was not about to respond. “Well I’m sorry that you feel that way, Leia. If you gave him half a chance, I think you’d see that he is a remarkable man and more than worthy of a second chance. But you have to try, Leia; you have to let go of your anger, or you will never see him as anything but the monster who hurt you in the past.”

Padmé left Leia at this point, having said her piece.

“It’s not so easy, Mother,” Leia said softly, as a tear ran down her cheek. “If only it was.”

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 34

“How are you feeling?”

Anakin sat down beside his son before responding. “I’m alright,” he replied. “Just anxious to get out of here.”

Luke nodded. “Yeah, I know.” He looked at his father, knowing that something else was eating away at him. “What else is on your mind?” he asked.

Anakin looked at him. “What makes you think there is?” he asked.

Luke smiled. “You forget, Father; I can read you just as easily as you can read me.”

Anakin nodded, a smile spreading across his face. “How could I forget?” He sighed, looking down at his boots. “I suppose I’m just feeling discouraged about your sister. She truly hates me, Luke. I’m beginning to think that she always will.”

“I don’t believe any of that,” Luke replied. “She just needs time.”

Anakin shook his head. “She’s had time, Luke,” he retorted. “It’s been many weeks now since she learned the truth, and in that time I’ve done everything I can to show her how I feel about her. I don’t know what is left for me to do, son.”

In truth Luke felt the same way, but he didn’t want to admit it to his father.

“You don’t either, do you?” Anakin remarked, looking at his son.

Luke looked at his father, and was about to respond when they were interrupted.

“Oh, there you are.”

Anakin turned away from his son to see the medical officer standing before them.

“Were you looking for me?” Anakin asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “Your wife tells me that you are leaving us soon, and I wanted to give you a final check before you do.”

Anakin groaned inwardly, tired of being examined. It seemed to him that he’d received more medical attention in the past several weeks than in his previous forty four years of life.

“I’m fine, I assure you,” he told her at last.

“I’m sure you are,” the physician replied. “But let’s just double check to be sure.”

“Very well,” Anakin sighed, as Luke smiled at his father.

Enjoying this, Luke?

You bet.

Nice.

Luke chuckled as he watched his father walk along with the physician. He was concerned about Anakin, for he knew how frustrated his father was. The situation with Leia had him depressed, and Luke was at a loss to know what to do or say anymore. He had spent many hours speaking with his twin, trying to convince her that their father had changed, that he was no longer the villainous monster who had terrorized the galaxy for two decades. Although Leia admitted that Anakin had chanced, she still could not accept him. The past was a very painful subject for her because of him, and it seemed as though she would never get over it. Luke worried that his sister’s unyielding attitude would prevent their family from ever being whole, and Anakin from ever being healed.

“Now just sit right up here,” the medic ordered Anakin after he had removed his tunic. “Let’s have a look at that wound.”

Anakin looked at Padmé who stood at his side, smiling at his efforts to hide his impatience.

“This was your doing, wasn’t it?” he asked her.

Padmé lifted her eyebrows. “Mine?” she echoed. “What makes you think I had anything to do with it?”

“Because I know you,” he muttered. She just shook her head. Her eyes traveled to the other side of the room to where a medical droid was performing a last check on Leia.

“She hates me, Padmé,” he said softly.

Padmé frowned, looking at him again.

“No matter what I do, she will always hate me.”

Padmé shook her head. “She doesn’t hate you, Ani,” she replied. “She is just having difficulty accepting that you are her father.”

Anakin snorted. “That’s an understatement,” he muttered. “I don’t know what else I can do, Padmé. What can I do to change her heart?”

Padmé sighed, her heart aching for him, from the look in his eyes. She looked over to Leia, and could see that her daughter was listening to what Anakin was saying. Her face remained impassive, however, as she did not register any reaction to what he’d said.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Ani,” Padmé replied at last. “I suppose she is only one to answer that question.”

“Do you remember how certain I was that you were carrying a girl, Padmé?” Anakin said, a slight smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

Padmé nodded. “I remember,” she replied with a smile.

“I remember when we were first married seeing this little girl in the youngest of the youngling classes,” he recalled, his features softening at the memory. “She was tiny, and had big brown eyes. I remember wishing for a little girl like her, and thinking that if we ever had a daughter that she’d look like that. I don’t know what happened to that girl; I never saw her again.”

Padmé took his hand and squeezed it, not needing Jedi senses to see how much he was hurting. She looked back at Leia. Do you know how much you are hurting him? Does it make your own pain less by doing so? She thought to herself, wishing she had Anakin’s ability to project thoughts into the minds of others.

Leia looked away from her mother, unnerved by the intensity of her stare; by the poignant words she’d overheard her father utter. He wanted a little girl…he knew that Mother was carrying me, a girl, his little girl, the little girl he’d wanted since they’d married..

“Well, you seem to be in fine shape,” the medic announced.

Leia looked up at him. “What did you say?” she asked.

“I said you’re fine,” he repeated.

“Oh, thanks,” she replied, hopping down off the examination table. She walked over to where her father and mother were.

“Are we all set to go?” Leia asked.

Anakin and Padmé looked up at her, startled by her sudden appearance.

“Your father is in perfect health,” the medic announced. “Although he could use more rest,” he added.

Anakin glanced back at the physician. “Does that mean I can leave, or not?”

“You’re free to go,” she replied with a smile. “Somehow I doubt that we could convince you to stay even if we tried.”

Padmé smiled. “You’re right about that,” she replied.

Anakin didn’t need to be told twice, and stood up from the table, taking the tunic his wife handed to him.

“Luke is waiting for us,” Anakin said, looking at Padmé. “Piett ought to be here soon.”

“Thank you for everything,” Padmé said, turning to the physicians.

“You’re most welcome, Arcadia,” she replied, using the false name that Padmé had used while on the planet. “I wish you a safe journey.”

“Thank you,” Anakin replied. “For everything.”

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 35

The journey back to Coruscant was a long one. Padmé gave in to the fatigue she was feeling and went to sleep in the passenger lounge. Anakin was grateful to Piett for having the consideration to bring a comfortable vessel for the long journey, and was glad to see his wife getting some sleep. He knew that she carried a lot of worry and stress inside of her, and it concerned him that she was not getting enough rest.

“So what is the plan once we reach Coruscant?” Luke asked his father as they sat down to have a bite to eat. Leia sat with them, keeping to herself for the most part.

“I was thinking that the two of you would need to hide your true identities,” he replied. “So perhaps if you were to pose as members of the household staff that might work.”

“Yes, I think so,” Luke answered. “What do you think Leia?”

Leia had not been paying attention and did not answer.

“Leia?”

Hearing her brother’s voice she looked up. “What did you say?”

Luke exchanged a glance with Anakin. “Haven’t you heard a word we’ve been saying?” Luke asked.

“Sorry,” Leia mumbled. “I’m just worried about Han,” she replied. “And pretty tired too.”

“You should try to get some sleep,” Anakin suggested. “It’s a long trip to Coruscant.”

“I don’t think I could sleep even if I tried,” she replied. “Too much on my mind.”

“I can understand that,” Anakin told her. “I have that problem all the time.”

Leia didn’t ask what was on his mind, and was grateful that he didn’t ask her the same. In fact, Leia had noticed a decided change in her father’s attitude recently. It was almost as though he had given up on her, and Leia wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that. Was this just another of his mind games; to feign indifference as some sort of bizarre punishment?

Anakin looked at his daughter, reading her thoughts easily. She looked at him, becoming unnerved by the intensity of his eyes. Anakin sensed this, and looked back at Luke.

“I’m sure your mother will have some ideas,” Anakin continued. “She’s always been the more logical one,” he added with a smile.

Luke smiled too. “Are you saying that you’re not logical?”

Anakin shook his head. “No, I never have been. I think with my heart, let my emotions govern my actions. Not a good thing sometimes, letting your heart rule over your head,” he commented, looking down at his half eaten meal.

“Perhaps not,” Luke put in. “But if it hadn’t been for your heart you’d never have found us all.”

Anakin looked up at his son. “No, that’s true,” he conceded. He sighed. “You would think that the Jedi Order would have seen the value of the human heart rather than trying to deny its existence.”

“How did they do that?” Luke asked.

“It was forbidden for Jedi to have attachments, emotional attachments,” Anakin replied.

“So how did you and Mother manage to get married?” Luke asked.

“We married in secret,” Anakin replied. “Going against the Jedi Code.”

“You went against the Jedi code??” Leia asked.

Anakin looked at his daughter. “Yes, I did,” he replied simply. “I would have gone against the universe to be with your mother.”

Leia did not know how to respond to such an admission, and she looked away.

“I’m beat,” Luke said rubbing his eyes with a yawn. “I think I’m going to try and catch an hour or two of sleep.”

“Good idea,” Anakin replied. “I may try myself in a while.”

Luke stood up, noticing the look on Leia’s face. Don’t leave me alone with him! She said to him. Luke just walked away, however, thinking that perhaps it was about time the two of them had a heart to heart talk.

Anakin felt as uneasy as Leia about being left alone. Still, he knew that he and his daughter needed to talk, to get everything out in the open, or else their relationship would never get off the ground.

“So what’s on your mind?” Anakin asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Leia shrugged. “Han mostly,” she replied, not looking up at him. “I haven’t heard back from him in a few days.”

“Captain Solo is very resourceful,” Anakin commented. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that,” she retorted.

“No, the future is never easy to see,” he returned. “Just as the past is never easy to forget.”

“You’re right there,” Leia said, looking up at him at last. “Impossible in fact.”

Anakin met her stare. “If there’s something you wish to say to me, Leia, I wish you’d just come out with it.”

Leia hesitated for a moment, not certain she wanted to dredge up all the ghosts of the past. She wasn’t confident in her ability to speak of what happened without losing control of her carefully constructed demeanor, and she did not want her father to see her in a vulnerable state.

“I’m not sure you do,” she replied at last, looking down at the food that she had barely touched.

“Why would I ask if I didn’t wish it?” he retorted.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “You do a lot of things that don’t make any sense to me.”

“Such as?”

Leia took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. “Saving Han, for starters,” she began.

“I explained that when we were on Bespin,” he countered.

“You said something but I didn’t really understand what you meant,” she replied.

“Didn’t understand or didn’t believe me?” he responded.

Leia looked up at this point. “Well, to be honest, I didn’t believe you,” she replied. “You have to understand my point of view.”

“I do understand.”

“I don’t think you do,” she retorted. “Not unless you wake up at night from nightmares of being tortured, your mind still full of the horrible images implanted there.”

Anakin sighed. “There is nothing that can erase what I did on that terrible day, Leia; no way I can undo what I did. If I could, you know that I would.”

“But you can’t,” she retorted, her emotions bubbling to the surface. “You can’t undo it, and there’s nothing you can say or do to make the pain of that day go away. Nothing.”

“Perhaps not,” he conceded. “But knowing you feel that way won’t stop me from loving you, Leia. You do know that I love you, don’t you?”

Leia looked up at him again, her eyes troubled, reflecting the conflict within her.

“With all my heart, I love you,” Anakin continued. “You are my child, Leia, the daughter I’d always dreamed of having. And I know that you may never accept me, never feel anything but resentment and animosity where I am concerned; that won’t change the way I feel about you.”

Leia shook her head. “You see?” she said, her voice cracking ever so slightly. “This is what I mean. How can you say something like that when I know that part of you is still immersed in the Dark Side? Sometimes I don’t even know who you are, Darth Vader or Anakin Skywalker!”

“Does it matter what name I use, Leia?” he replied calmly. “I am your father no matter what. My feelings for you are the same where I am known as Vader or Skywalker.”

“So you admit that part of you is still Vader?”

“I have renounced the Dark Side,” he replied. “But it isn’t so easy, Leia. The transformation isn’t instantaneous, just as my descent into Darkness wasn’t. But I am fighting it, and I will defeat it. Now that I have my family, your mother and brother’s steadfast belief in me, I will triumph over the Darkness once and for all, make no mistake.”

“For the sake of the galaxy, I hope you do,” she responded. “For my mother’s sake as well. It would destroy her all over again to have you turn back to the Dark Side now.”

Anakin nodded. “I know,” he replied. “And I won’t let that happen again. I have already caused her too much heart ache.”

“And yet she has forgiven you,” Leia observed.

“She has,” Anakin replied. “I’m not certain I deserve her forgiveness, but she has given it nonetheless.”

“She is very strong,” Leia commented. “Far stronger than I am.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Anakin replied. “You have great strength, Leia. I’ve often heard it said that pain is what makes a person strong; in my case, I think it only served to destroy me,” he said, more to himself than to her.

“What do you know of pain?” she asked, angry that he would compare himself with her mother, with her.

“A great deal,” he said, stung by her question. “More than you will ever know, Leia. Some day I will tell you, that is, if you care enough to hear it.” He stood up at this point, exhausted and weary from the negative emotions he felt from his daughter.

“Just one more thing,” he added before leaving her. “There is no faster way to the Dark Side than through hatred, Leia. Hatred and anger are what fuels the Dark Side. Remember that.”

Leia was too stunned to reply, and could only watch her father retreat from the room.

Anakin was met in the corridor by Firmus Piett.

“Anakin, good news,” Piett said upon running into him. “I’ve just made contact with Han Solo.”

“What did you say??”

Both men turned to see Leia standing in the doorway.

“I’ve made contact with Han Solo,” Piett repeated, speaking to Leia. “Thanks to some adjustments to our long range sensors made by your father, I located the Falcon and was able to raise Solo.”

Leia turned to Anakin and, for the first time, looked at him with true appreciation and gratitude in her eyes. Anakin smiled. “Go talk to him, Leia,” he suggested. “I know how anxious you’ve been to do so.”

Leia smiled, and nodded, and then bolted from the room.

Anakin watched her go, feeling a little better about the future of their relationship than he had mere moments before. “Good work, Piett,” he said, putting a hand on the admiral’s shoulder. “Well done.”


Anakin headed for the cockpit with Piett, where he checked the long range sensors. Sure enough, the Falcon was on the screen, not even 2 parsecs away.

“Did he give you any indication as to his situation?” Anakin asked.

Piett shook his head. “No sir,” he replied. “But I rather got the impression that he was still being pursued. You know how tenacious those Rebel pilots can be.”

“I do indeed,” Anakin muttered. He looked over his shoulder as he heard someone else enter the cockpit. It was Leia.

“Han is in trouble, isn’t he?” Anakin asked, turning his attention back to the sensors.

She only nodded, trying hard to fight the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

“Well he won’t be for long,” Anakin said as he changed their course.

“What are you doing?” Leia asked as she sat down behind her father.

“I’m going to help Han,” he replied. “What else?”

“Sir, if the Rebels out number him, then we can’t do much...”

“I don’t care,” Anakin replied, cutting Piett off. “I am not about to let Solo fight this battle alone. Besides, Piett, you forget who you’re talking to,” he added with a sideways glance at him.

Piett smiled. “The Hero with No Fear,” Piett replied with. “Yes, how could I forget that?”

“The Hero with no Fear?” Leia repeated. “Who is that?”

“Your father,” Piett replied, nodding in Anakin’s direction. “That’s what he was called during the Clone Wars. There was no greater pilot or warrior than him.”

Leia looked at her father, a mix of surprise and admiration in her eyes. There was so much that she still did not know about him. He had been a different man before the Dark Side destroyed him; and the more she learned, the more she realized that the man he had once been was truly remarkable. Despite herself, she found herself longing to know that man, to find out who it was that had captured the heart of her mother, and won the admiration of a galaxy.

“ETA to Solo’s last coordinates,” Anakin asked Piett.

Piett checked the navi-computer. “Less than one hour,” he replied.

Anakin nodded in acknowledgement. “See to it that the primary laser cannons are fully charged,” he commanded. “I think we’re going to need them.”

“Right away,” Piett said, getting to his feet and leaving the cockpit. Leia took his seat and watched her father as he worked his hands over the controls without even looking at them.

“Thank you,” she said.

“What for?”

“For finding Han,” she replied. “For helping him. I appreciate it.”

Anakin looked at her. “You love him, don’t you?” he asked simply.

Leia nodded her head.

“I know how terrifying it can be when the one you love is in danger,” he said quietly. “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, least of all you, Leia.”

Leia frowned, growing more puzzled by the minute by this enigma who was her father. I need to know what happened to him, she decided. I need to know why he became Darth Vader.

Anakin could read her thoughts quite clearly, but pretended not to know what was in her mind. If she wanted answers, then he was determined that she would have to be the one to ask for them. He was not about to reach out to her again, for her rejection had been too painful, and too frequent. Still, her curiosity encouraged him; at least now she was starting to realize that she did not know who he truly was, and that there was far more to him than the evil Sith Lord she had grown to despise all her life. That at least offered him a glimmer of hope that she would some day realize how Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were opposite sides of the same man.

“Is Han okay, Leia?” Luke asked as he joined his father and sister.

“For the time being,” she replied. “He’s still being pursued, and the hyperdrive is out. Again.”

Luke shook his head. “No, not again,” he said.

“We’re on our way to meet him,” Anakin put in. “No harm will come to him, hyperdrive or no hyperdrive.”

Piett entered the cockpit at this moment. “We’re all set,” he reported. “Laser cannons are at full power.”

“Good,” Anakin replied. He looked at his children. “Which one of you wants to man the cannon?”

Luke and Leia looked at one another. Manning the cannon would mean firing on pilots who had been allies and comrades mere days ago. Anakin sensed their conflicted emotions, and understood from whence they had come.

“I’ll do it,” Leia said at last. “If it means saving Han and Chewie, I’m prepared to do anything it takes.”

Anakin nodded, giving her a smile. “Very well,” he said. “Take a seat. Luke, you can act as co-pilot, that is if Admiral Piett doesn’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Piett replied. “I know my piloting skills are no match for your son’s,” he added.

Luke smiled. “Well, I don’t know about that,” he said as he took the seat beside his father.

“Nonsense,” Piett replied. “You are the son of the greatest star pilot who ever lived; it’s only natural that you would be a gifted pilot.”

“How long until we reach Han’s last reported coordinates?” Leia asked.

“A matter of moments,” Anakin replied, checking the navi computer. He looked at his daughter. “Are you ready? You can’t hesitate to fire upon them, Leia. If they won’t back down, we will have no choice.”

Leia nodded. “I’m ready,” she said, her eyes fixed on the screen in front of her.

“Piett, see to it that my wife is secure,” Anakin commanded. “It’s going to get a little bumpy soon.”

“I’ll see to her safety at once, sir,” Piett replied and then left the cockpit.

“Prepare to make reversion,” Anakin told his son.

“Reversion in 30 seconds,” Luke announced, watching his controls closely.

The tension in the cockpit was thick as the three waited for what seemed an eternity for the ship to reach its destination. Finally they felt the familiar jerk as the sub light engines kicked in, and through the view screen the stars reappeared.

“There he is!” Leia cried, pointing out the view screen where the Falcon was engaged in a dog fight with a trio of x-wings.

“I see him,” Anakin said, heading the larger Imperial vessel in the direction of the skirmish. “Luke, raise our shields, and then hail the x-wings, tell them to back off or we’ll open fire.”

Luke complied, feeling strange about making such an ultimatum. Mere weeks ago it was him who was flying an x-wing, and now here he was hunting them down in an Imperial ship. But this is all different…I’m not fighting against the Alliance, only those who would harm my friends.

“No response to our message, Dad,” Luke reported.

Anakin cocked one eyebrow. “Just as I expected,” he muttered. He looked at Leia. “Target their weapons control,” he told her. “We don’t want to destroy them unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Leia nodded her head in understanding and then took aim. The three of them watched as the closest x-wing’s weapons control center sparked and crackled under the laser cannon’s fire.

“They’re still not complying” Leia muttered, a deep frown creasing her brow.

“No, they don’t appear to be,” Anakin concurred. “Fire again, Leia, this time disable their main engine.”

Leia was about to take aim when the other two x-wings opened fire upon the Falcon.

“He’s lost his front shield,” Luke noted, seeing the amount of damage the x-wings’ fire was able to inflict upon the freighter.

Leia saw it too, and made a decision. Without a second’s hesitation she aimed the weapons at her control on each of the x-wings in succession, blasting each of them to oblivion.

Luke looked over at his twin, shocked that she would take such drastic action. Leia appeared completely calm about what she had done, and turned to Luke. “See if they will listen now, Luke,” she suggested.

“They’re hailing us,” Luke replied, looking back at the comm.. “Asking us to stand down.”

“Good,” Anakin said. “Let’s hope he has more sense than his comrades. See if you can get Han.”

“I have him on right now,” Luke.

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?” Han’s voice could be heard over the comm..

Leia grinned, relieved and delighted to hear his voice. “Saving your skin, again,” she replied.

“THANKS A LOT YOUR HIGHNESSNESS,” his voice replied. “NICE OF YOU TO DROP BY.”

Anakin shook his head with a smile at the cheek of the young pilot. “Solo, your ship’s disabled,” he stated, having checked the readout on the Falcon. “I’m going to employ the tractor beam to tether you in. Get ready to come aboard.”

“MY PLEASURE!” he replied.

Leia raced out of the cockpit as the tractor beam pulled the Falcon closer.

“Well, looks like we did it,” Luke said to his father.

Anakin nodded. “Yes, so we did.”

“Something wrong?” asked Luke.

Anakin frowned. “I suppose I’m just a little concerned at the ease with which your sister dispatched those two x-wings. I know it was necessary, but…”

“I know what you mean,” Luke agreed. “I felt it too.”

Anakin looked at his son. “You make an excellent co-pilot, son,” he said with a smile.

“It was an honor to pilot at your side,” Luke replied. “I’d always dreamed of having a chance to do so, ever since I was a young boy.”

Anakin nodded, wishing with all his heart that he’d known his son when he was a young boy. No doubt he was as remarkable when he was a child as he was now.

“Come on,” Anakin said, standing up. “Let’s see to our passengers.”

“What about the third pilot?” Luke asked as Anakin reached the doorway.

Anakin turned back and looked at the view screen. Darth Vader would have blown him from the stars long ago, he reflected; but I am not he, I will not act like him.

“Leave him,” he said at last. “He can make his way home.”

Luke nodded as he watched his father leave, hoping that he wasn’t making a grave mistake.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 36

“Welcome aboard, Captain Solo.”

Han looked over Leia’s shoulder to the commanding figure of her father standing in the doorway.

“Anakin, you’re alright!” Han said. “You were in pretty rough shape the last time I saw you.”

Anakin walked over to where his daughter stood with Han and his copilot, Chewbacca.

“Well, thanks to my daughter, I’m just fine,” he said looking down at Leia.

Han looked at her too, making a mental note to ask her what had happened back on Omwat.

“I appreciate you coming to help me out,” Han said.

“Guess we’re even then,” Anakin said, looking back at Han and holding out his hand to him.

Han shook Anakin’s hand. “I’m not so sure about that,” he replied. “I think I still owe you one or two.”

Anakin smiled, looking back down at his daughter. “You don’t owe me anything,” he said softly, lightly touching Leia’s face. In his eyes she could see how tired he was, as well as the sadness that never seemed to completely disappear from his brilliant blue eyes. Leia stood mesmerized by them for a moment, unable to respond, unable to tear her eyes away from his. And then he walked away. Leia watched him go, confused yet again by her feelings within her.

“Your father is an amazing man,” Han observed.

Leia looked up at him. “I’m surprised to hear you say that,” she commented. “You’ve hated Darth Vader for years.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Han conceded. “But the man who just saved my butt again is not Darth Vader.”

Leia sighed. No, he isn’t…so why can’t I accept that? Accept him?

“No, I guess not,” she replied at last. “Still, I have to wonder how he became Vader in the first place. I need to know.”

“Maybe you should ask him,” Han suggested.

Chewbacca barked in agreement.

“Chewie says he remembers what a hero your father was,” Han translated. “That he saved the village of some of his relatives during the Clones Wars.”

This didn’t surprise Leia; she had learned a lot about the exploits of Anakin Skywalker since finding out that he was her father. What could have caused such a hero to become such a monster? What could have caused him to turn his back on everything and everyone he loved, including, and most especially, his wife? Leia needed answers, for all she had at this point were bits and pieces of truths, none of which amounted to a complete explanation. Yet, part of her was afraid to ask; what if the truth of what happened to her father was too much to bear? What if it only made things worse? There’s only one way to find out for sure.



“Anakin, don’t be stubborn.”

“I’m not being stubborn.”

“Yes you are, you are tired, you haven’t slept in more than 24 hours, and you need to lie down.”

“Fine, I’ll lie down; on one condition.”

“And what would that be?”

“That you lie down with me.”

Padmé’s eyes widened at her husband’s suggestion, and the implication behind it.

“Anakin Skywalker, you are truly incorrigible,” she said, shaking her head, looking up at him.

Anakin laughed. “Yes, I know,” he said. He tried in vain to stifle a yawn.

“I saw that,” she said, taking him by the hand and leading him to the passenger lounge. “Time for you to have a rest, your majesty.”

Anakin sighed, allowing his wife to lead him to the cot in the lounge. He sat down on the edge of it and looked up at her.

“You’ve made Leia very happy,” Padmé told him, running her hands gently through his spiky hair.

“Yes, she seemed very happy to see Solo,” he agreed. “I’m relieved to see him myself. He’s a good man, Padmé.”

Padmé nodded. “Yes, he is. Now get some rest.”

Anakin hated to admit to his wife just how tired he was. He lay down on his side, propped up on one arm. “Have you given any thought about the roles our children will play when we get back to Coruscant?” he asked.

“I thought perhaps Leia could be my handmaiden,” Padmé replied. “And Han could be your chief of security.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Anakin said as he yawned openly. “What about Luke?”

“What about me?”

Padmé turned around to see Luke enter the lounge.

“We’re trying to find a explanation for your presence in our household on Coruscant,” Padmé explained. “Perhaps you have some thoughts about that.”

“Well, I could always be Dad’s apprentice,” Luke replied. “After all, everyone still thinks he is a Sith Lord, right? And the Sith are always in two’s, or that’s what I always thought.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Padmé replied. “What do you think of that idea, Ani?” There was no reply, so Padmé turned back to Anakin. “Ani?”

Anakin was fast asleep, his body finally giving in to the fatigue that had overtaken him. Padmé smiled, and bent down to kiss him lightly on the cheek. She pulled up the blanket over
him. “Sleep well, Ani,” she said softly.

“He could use the sleep,” Luke observed as Padmé came and sat down with him.

Padmé nodded. “Yes, he’s exhausted. He’s always had trouble sleeping, always too busy to get the rest he needed.”

Luke smiled. “Sounds like him,” he replied.

Both of them looked up as Leia entered the room.

“Where are Han and Chewie?” Luke asked.

“In the galley,” Leia replied, sitting with her mother. “They’re starving, so I made them something to eat.” She looked over to where her father was asleep on the other side of the room. She wanted to ask her father about his turn to the Dark Side, but he was sleeping now, and she wasn’t sure when another chance would present itself. Perhaps her mother could tell her what she needed to know. All Leia knew at this point was that she needed answers; the conflicting emotions within her were eating away at her, and she needed to get them under control. She was hoping that knowing the truth about her father would allow her to do that.

“Mother, what happened to him?” Leia asked at last without preamble.

Padmé turned and looked at her daughter. “What happened to whom?”

“You know who,” Leia replied. “Him, my…my father,” she said.

Padmé lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “I’m not sure what you’re asking, Leia.”

“Why did he turn to the Dark Side?” Leia asked. “What happened to turn him into Darth Vader?”

Padmé was taken aback by the question, and yet encouraged that Leia was expressing enough interest in her father to ask.

“It’s a long story, Leia,” Padmé replied at last. “Are you sure you want to hear it?”

“I think we both need to hear it, Mother,” Luke said. “There’s still so much we don’t know about our father, about what happened to him.”

“Very well,” Padmé said, sitting back and collecting her thoughts. Where do I begin? She wondered.

"When I was 14, I was Queen of Naboo,” she began. “And my planet was under siege by the Trade Federation. The Republican Senate placed me under the care of a Jedi knight by the name of Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. While we were trying o escape from Naboo, our ship sustained damage that we were unable to repair, so we had to make an emergency landing. The closest inhabited planet was Tatooine. While there, Qui-Gon and I met a young slave boy. This young boy, who was 9 at the time, was the only human to ever compete and win in a pod race. He gave us his winnings so that we could buy the parts we needed to fix our ship. Qui-Gon also arranged for the young boy to be freed, for he saw in him unusually strong Force abilities, and wished to train him as a Jedi. So the young boy left his mother and came with us to Coruscant, and then on to Naboo, where he was instrumental in defeating the army of the Trade Federation. If you haven’t guessed it, the young boy was your father.”

“Father was a slave?” Luke asked incredulously.

Padmé nodded. “Yes, he and his mother both. After Qui-Gon was killed in a duel with a Sith, he went on to become the Padawan learner of Obi-Wan Kenobi. We didn’t see one another for ten years, and when we did, he had already become a very powerful Jedi, though still a padawan. But the changes in him had already begun; he had begun to suffer from nightmares about his mother, nightmares that turned out to be prophetic, for she died terribly at the hands of tusken raiders. But I’ve already told you about that,” she said. She sighed. “We were secretly married, your father and I. we couldn’t be apart, the connection between us was just too strong to ignore. It was so difficult though, for the Clone Wars had started by then, and he was away at the war for weeks, even months at a time. The war changed him, hardened him, but our love never wavered. And then one day he came home to learn that I was pregnant. He was so happy, so excited…” she stopped as the memory of that day came to her mind and she smiled. “I was scared, afraid of what it would mean when it became public knowledge that we were married, for we knew that we couldn’t keep our marriage secret once we had a child. But he wasn’t worried. He was determined to make it all work out, no matter what it took. But it wasn’t to be,” she concluded sadly, looking over at him.

“What happened?” Leia pressed her. “If he was so happy, and you were so in love, why did he leave you?”

“It wasn’t as simple as that, Leia,” Padmé continued. “The very day I told your father about my pregnancy, he began to have nightmares. This time, they were about me. He dreamed of me dying in childbirth. This dream terrified him so much that he became obsessed with it, for he was certain that it too was a portent of things to come. He was so determined to prevent his dream from coming true that he began to search for a way, any way, to keep me from dying. All the while, there was someone who was waiting for the right moment to move in, to capture his soul, someone who had befriended him and mentored him since he was a young boy, earning his trust and his friendship, while all the while planning to use him for his own nefarious ends: Palpatine.”

“Palpatine had designs on Father even when he was a boy?” Luke asked in amazement.

Padmé nodded. “Yes, it was obvious even when Anakin was a child that he was unusually gifted with the Force; they called him the Chosen One, the one that the Jedi had prophesized would bring balance to the Force, and destroy the Sith. Palpatine knew this too, and wanted Anakin to be his apprentice, to use his tremendous powers for his own plans. In the end, that is exactly what he did.”

“But surely he saw what Palpatine was up to,” Leia put in. “why did he allow him to use him that way?”

“No one saw what Palpatine was up to, Leia,” Padmé replied. “Not until it was too late. No one suspected that he was a Sith, not even the Jedi Council. By the time it was discovered, it was too late. Palpatine had managed to convince your father that the only way to save me, to save us, was through knowledge of the Dark Side of the Force. That was how he lured him in finally. He used Anakin’s love of me, his fear of losing me, to destroy him.”

Luke and Leia sat in stunned silence for a moment, overwhelmed by what their mother had just told them. They had always known that Palpatine was evil incarnate; but to learn that he had been the instrument of their father’s destruction was shocking and disturbing.

“Obi-Wan tried to save him,” Padmé went on. “But it was too late; none of us could reach him, not even me. The Dark Side had taken hold of his soul, changing the wonderful, good man he was into the servant of evil that eventually became Darth Vader. He and Obi-Wan fought on Mustafar…” she stopped her, not wishing to remember that horrible day, not wishing to tell her children what their father had done to her on that day.

“That’s how he was injured, wasn’t it?” Luke asked quietly. “That’s why he was forced to wear the mask and breath suit all those years?”

Padmé nodded as an errant tear made its way down her cheek. “Yes,” she replied her voice no more than a whisper. She looked over at Anakin who was still sleeping. “I only learned of that recently; of how Obi-Wan mutilated him and left him to die in a fiery grave. I …I can’t even imagine the pain he must have suffered,” she added.

Leia sat in silence, too stunned to react. She had expected a much different story, a story of power, and greed and betrayal; not a tragic one, not a story where her father was the victim. He was the villain, wasn’t he?? So why was it that she felt sorry for him? Why was it that her heart ached for the young slave boy who was so afraid of losing the one he loved that he gave up his soul to save her?

Leia could feel her throat tightening, the emotions welling up within her, threatening to overtake her.

“So you see,” Padmé said at last as she brushed away her tears. “Your father’s conversion to the Dark Side was not so simple. It was a conversion borne of pain, of fear, of anger both at himself and at the Jedi for not allowing him to save his mother, for not allowing us to live a normal life and be together. I see that now. I only wish I had seen it when it was happening to him. Maybe I could have prevented it from happening at all, maybe I could have saved him...” she stopped as her own emotions overwhelmed her, and she buried her face in her hands. Luke put his arms around her and held her close as she wept, his own tears falling freely now that he knew the tragic truth of his father’s past.

As for Leia, the truth of her father’s fall from Grace was not at all what she expected, and learning of it only added to her confusion and conflict. She looked over at the sleeping form of her father, trying to imagine the agony he must have gone through as he grappled with the decisions that lead him to the Dark Side. What do you know about pain? She had asked him mere days ago. What indeed…her father knew more of pain than anyone she knew, and it made her feel guilty that she had questioned that. But I didn’t know…I didn’t know what I do now...how could I have known? And in a moment of clarity a thought struck her: how could he have known? Leia closed her eyes as she felt the tears rolling down her face. She did nothing to prevent them now.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 37

Leia had finally drifted off to sleep. Padmé and Luke, who had slept earlier, had joined Han and Chewbacca in the galley to have something to eat. Leia was exhausted from all the worry and stress that had consumed her recently. Now that Han was safe, she was able to relax and give her body the rest it so sorely needed.

It wasn’t long before Leia’s sleep was invaded by the tortured images of a nightmare. But it was not her nightmare, but rather that of her father. The images were so intense that his mind projected them, encroaching upon her unconscious mind.

Sulfuric fumes filled the air, and the heat was unbearable. It was difficult to breathe, and yet the pursuit continued. Running, always moving, hatred and anger propelling him forward as he pursued his foe, the one who had once been his best friend, his brother, his mentor…Kenobi…the pursuit lead them to the river of fire, the heat rising off of it in great, sickening waves, causing the sweat to run down his back and plaster his long hair to his neck and brow. Leaping, the Darkness flowing through him as effortlessly as the river below flowed over the planet’s surface, he declared an end to the pursuit. But then, the agony, the searing, mind numbing pain that rocketed through his body, as the laser blade of his foe sliced through his legs and his arm. Mutilated, tumbling down the slope toward the fiery river, the hatred searing his mind, filling him with anger, with utter blackness…and then the fire…

Leia shook herself from the dream, forcing herself awake, her heart pounding within her. She sat up quickly, her body bathed in sweat. What was that??? she wondered anxiously. And then she knew. Looking over at her father, she knew that it was his dream she was seeing, his nightmare, his memories.

Leia got off the cot and rushed over to her father. He was clearly agitated.

“Wake up,” Leia said, sitting on the side of the cot and shaking his shoulder. “You’re having a nightmare, wake up!”

Anakin did not respond right away, and Leia was forced to shake him more vigorously, taking both shoulders in her hands.

“Wake up!!” she shouted, shaking him forcefully. “Father, wake up!”

Anakin’s eyes snapped open, and he looked up, right into the eyes of his daughter. He was discombobulated, the images from his mind still fresh, the sight of his daughter and the look on her face all adding to his confusion.

“Leia??” he said.

“You were having a nightmare,” she said. “I…I saw it. I don’t know how, but I saw what you were dreaming. It was …” she stopped as the horror of what she had witnessed crashed over her, preventing her from speaking.

“Mustafar,” Anakin said. “I was dreaming about Mustafar.”

Leia nodded. “Mother told us about what happened to you there,” she said, her voice barely audible. “I had no idea…I can’t even imagine…” she stopped again as the grief overwhelmed her.

Anakin sat up, surprised by his daughter’s compassion. “She did?” he said simply.

Leia nodded. “Yes,” she replied. “She told us about what Palpatine did to you, how you tried to save her, how you dreamed of her dying…all of it. I wanted to know why you had turned to the Dark Side, I needed to know.”

Anakin nodded. “And now that you do?” he asked, trying to see what was in her heart. “Does it make any difference?”

“Yes,” she replied quietly. “It makes all the difference. I had no idea that you had suffered so, that you turned to the Dark Side out of fear of losing Mother. You turned to the Dark Side because you loved her, and it destroyed you,” she said, the tragic irony of it striking her hard.

“Because I loved all of you,” he replied, “You, your brother and your mother. I would have done anything to save you all; only I was too foolish to realize that this fear was what Palpatine used to lure me to the Darkness. He used me all along, Leia; since I was a child, he manipulated me, just waiting for the day when he could use me to control the galaxy. And I let him do it. I let him use me, I let him destroy me and our family,” he said, the self-loathing he had lived with for so long rearing up again.

Leia shook her head. “You didn’t know,” she said, realizing this for the first time. “Mother knows that now, and so do I. You didn’t know what he was doing to you, no one did, not until it was too late to do anything about it.”

Anakin shook his head, his frown deepening. “That’s no excuse,” he replied. “I should have known, I should have seen what he was doing before it was too late. I never should have listened to him. I lost everything because of him, everything that meant anything to me, everyone I loved.”

“But you destroyed him,” Leia reminded him. “Remember?? You killed him and saved us all. You avenged our family, Father.”

Anakin was astonished by the change in his daughter, and part of him wondered if he was actually still asleep and dreaming it all. Could it be true? Was she finally seeing the truth of what had happened all those years ago? Was she finally able to put aside the ugly past that he and she shared?

“I suppose so,” he replied at last. “I only wish it hadn’t taken 22 years for me to do it. So many wasted years, so much time gone by that will never be recaptured….the regrets are so heavy, Leia, so crushing. I would give anything to change it all,” he said softly, his eyes cast down to the floor.

Leia nodded. “Yes, I know you would,” she replied. “But there’s nothing that can be done to change the past. All we can do is build the future, and do all we can to make up for the lost time.”

Anakin looked up at his daughter. “Is that what you want, Leia?” he asked.

“Yes, I do,” she replied. “I want that more than anything.”

Anakin smiled, feeling as though an enormous weight had been lifted from his heart. “I can’t tell you how that makes me feel, Leia,” he said, reaching out tentatively to take her hand.

She looked down at her small hand enveloped in his huge one. The physical connection only strengthened the emotional one that she had been denying for weeks now. She looked up at him again, relieved to at last be able to acknowledge that connection, to nurture it and explore it. “I think I know,” she replied.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, tears springing to his eyes. “So sorry for everything, Leia.”

Leia nodded. “I know,” she said softly, her own tears coming again. “I am too, for all the hurtful, insensitive things I’ve said…for not listening, for not believing in you.”

Anakin shook his head. “You have nothing to apologize for, Leia,” he said. “Nothing. I deserved your scorn, your anger.”

“My anger, perhaps,” she conceded. “But that anger didn’t give me the right to say the things I said,” she added, looking down at their hands again. “I suppose I was hurting, and I wanted to hurt you as well. That was wrong, and I apologize. I didn’t know what had happened to you…I just didn’t know.”

Anakin brought his hand to her face and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. “It’s time to put the past aside. If we don’t, our family will never heal.”

Leia nodded. “You’re right,” she replied. “I know we both have many scars from the past, but perhaps we can help one another, you and I. I know we haven’t got off to the best start, but maybe we can start again. What do you think?”

Anakin smiled. “I think that’s a fine idea,” he said. “I must be the luckiest man in the galaxy to have been given a second chance at life. Thank you, Leia. Thank you for giving me that chance.”

Across the room, Padmé and Luke watched as father and daughter embraced for the first time. Luke smiled and looked as his mother.

“I knew she would come around in time,” he said quietly. “I just knew it.”

Padmé smiled. “I wasn’t so sure, Luke; but I’m very glad that you were right. Now perhaps our family can be whole again.”

Luke nodded. Yes, now we can be a real family, at last.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 38

“We have entered the Coruscant System, sir,” Piett announced as he entered the passenger lounge.

Anakin looked up. “Very good,” he said. “Have you sent word to the palace to prepare for our arrival?”

“Yes I have,” Piett replied.

“How did you explain your absence all this time?” Luke asked.

“Vacation,” Anakin replied simply with a smile.

“Good idea,” Han replied. “Even the emperor needs a break, right?”

“Exactly,” Anakin replied.

“I took the liberty of bringing along your cloaks,” Piett told Anakin and Padmé. “So that upon your return you can be disguised.”

“Good thinking, Firmus,” Padmé replied. “We were in such a hurry to leave that we didn’t even think of that.”

“That is Piett’s area of expertise,” Anakin commented. “Thinking of everything.”

Piett smiled a little self consciously. “I am here to serve you, sir, and you too my lady, in whatever capacity I can. May I ask how you will be explaining the presence of your children in the imperial palace now, sir?”

Anakin looked at his son and daughter. “Well, I think we can pass Leia off as Padmé’s handmaiden,” he replied. “As for Luke…”

“I’ll be your apprentice,” Luke spoke up. “After all, everyone but us gathered here thinks you’re still a Sith lord, right?”

Anakin nodded.

“Well, then you need an apprentice,” Luke replied. “That will be me.”

“Actually, I was hoping to have two apprentices,” Anakin replied, looking from Luke to Leia. “In reality at least. In appearance, however I think Luke’s idea is a sound one.”

“You want to train us both?” Leia asked in surprise.

“Why does that surprise you?” Anakin asked. “You have already manifested latent Force abilities; it is time to hone those abilities. Unless you are not interested in becoming a Jedi.”

Leia sat for a moment, thinking about what her father was proposing. Did she really possess the abilities needed to be a Jedi? Was it truly possible??

“Perhaps Leia needs some time to think about it,” Padmé suggested. “That is a big commitment, after all.”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, it certainly is,” he agreed. “But if we are to rebuild the Jedi Order, then we will need all the help we can get.”

“I will give it some thought, Father,” Leia replied at last. “It’s a big decision. In the mean time, I would be happy to be your hand maiden, Mother,” she added, turning to her mother. “It will be a good way to hide while being close to the both of you at the same time.”

“What about me?” Han asked. “I’m assuming you guys have figured out what part I’m going to play in this.”

“We have indeed,” Anakin replied. “I thought that you and Chewbacca could serve as my heads of security.”

Han nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I think we could do that, eh Chewie?”

Chewbacca barked in response. (Which translated would mean, “Indubitably, my good fellow.”)

“Then it’s all settled,” Anakin said. “When we return to Coruscant, we will all have our parts to play in this grand charade.”

“I only hope that Mon Mothma doesn’t end up blowing our cover,” Leia muttered. “She’s bound to be angry. She could really cause trouble for us.”

“You’re assuming that she knows the true identities of Emperor and Empress Vader,” Luke pointed out. “There’s no way of linking Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader.”

“True,” Leia replied. “Still, she can be very resourceful. All I’m saying is we’d better be wary of her.”

“Of course,” Anakin agreed. “We cannot afford to underestimate anyone, least of all her.”

It was well into the night when they made their descent to Coruscant. Using a secret access, they entered the palace. As it was the middle of the night, there were no servants about, which made it easier to make an unnoticed entry.

“Quite the place you’ve got here,” Han observed, looking around in amazement at the grand establishment.

“It’s rather large,” Anakin replied. “Too large if you ask me.”

“Well we have plenty of room, that’s one advantage,” Padmé put in. “Here, let me show you where you can sleep.”

Padmé showed the four newcomers to rooms of their own, and it wasn’t long before everyone was settled in and sound asleep.

“It feels nice to have our children under the same roof, doesn’t it?” Padmé said as she snuggled up against her husband.

Anakin wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, it does,” he agreed. “Our work isn’t finished yet though, we still have to explain their presence here, and find a way to disguise them. All of them.”

Padmé nodded. “Yes, that’s true. I only hope that Leia’s feared about Mon Mothma are unfounded; if she has managed to figure out who you are, then it could create some serious trouble for all of us.”

Anakin sighed. “I’ve had my share of trouble, Padmé; all I want is to enjoy a quiet life now.”

"We have a long way to go before we can do that, Ani,” she replied. “But now that we’re all together, it won’t seem so difficult. Luke and Leia will be very valuable in our mission to dismantle the Empire.”

“Yes, they will,” Anakin replied, kissing her brow softly. “But let’s talk about this another time,” he added.

Padmé smiled. “Why, is there something else on you mind?”

“You could say so,” he replied, pulling her closer.


Arili Roye reached the command ship of the Rebel Alliance within 24 hours of losing the Millennium Falcon. She did not look forward to reporting her failure to Mon Mothma, especially since her two comrades had been killed. Mothma did not like failure, and would not be impressed with the loss of Solo and his ship. More disturbing, however, would be the report that it was Luke Skywalker who had issued the ultimatum to back away from the Falcon. Skywalker was now on the side of the Empire, Arili realized in astonishment. She had not known him personally, but there wasn’t a being in the Alliance who didn’t know who he was or how important he was to the Rebel cause. How could he have turned against the Alliance? It didn’t make any sense. Still, it was true, and it was up to Arili to report it to her commanding officers.

“Go on in,” the guard at the door told her. “They’re expecting you.”

Arili nodded and entered the room, taking a deep breath to brace herself.

“Come in, Roye,” Mon Mothma said as she saw the young pilot enter the room. “You’re alone?”

Arili nodded. “Yes m’am,” she said. “I’m afraid I’m the only one to survive the pursuit.”

Mon Mothma frowned. “What are you telling me, Roye? That Solo destroyed the other pilots?”

Arili shook her head. “No, it wasn’t Solo,” she replied. “We had him cornered, three of us, me, Anraeth Passik and Deke Bujold.”

“Three against one, and you lost him??” Mothma demanded angrily.

“Well, it wasn’t three against one but rather two against three,” Arili explained. “You see, an Imperial ship appeared, a Delta-class JV-7 shuttle, and they destroyed Passik and Bujold..”

“JV-7?” Mon Mothma interrupted. “That’s the ship used to transport the emperor...” she stopped as she began to put the pieces together.

“There’s something else you should know,” Arili said. “Luke Skywalker was on board that ship, I’m certain of it. He was the one who ordered us to back away from the Falcon.”

Mon Mothma’s frown deepened as absorbed this disturbing piece of news. Skywalker was on board the emperor’s ship…that could only mean one thing.

“Tell me everything that happened, Roye, and don’t spare any detail, no matter how small. I need to know everything.”-

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 39

The royal household was curious about the newcomers, but knew better than to ask questions. They simply accepted what the emperor and empress had told them: the young woman was a native of the empress’ home planet, and had come to serve her as a hand maiden. The younger of the two men was a Sith apprentice; that alone was enough to stop them from asking any further questions. As for the older man and the wookiee, the official word was that they were security experts, and that they were to serve as the head of the empress’ personal guard. It all made sense, and there was no reason for anyone to suspect the truth of the newcomers’ identities. Of course, the household staff was made up of droids, and droids are incapable of thinking; a lucky thing in this instance.

In the lower level of the great estate, Anakin had arranged for a gymnasium to be set up. It was his hope to train his children there, with the goal of one day rebuilding the Jedi Order. Luke had already shown great skill and the same natural abilities as his father.

As for Leia, Anakin hoped that in time she would come to accept her heritage and join her twin in the reforming of the Jedi Order. For the moment she seemed to be too consumed with her relationship with Han Solo to show much interest in anything else. This annoyed Anakin, for he felt that his daughter’s latent Force abilities were going to waste so long as she remained untrained.

“You can’t push her, Ani,” Padmé reminded him as she sat at her mirror brushing out her long tresses. “It has to be her decision.”

“I know that,” Anakin replied, watching his wife from their bed. “But it just annoys me that she is paying so much attention to Solo; I’m getting a little tired of it.”

Padmé smiled and looked at her husband’s reflection in the mirror. “Imagine that, someone who is too much in love to care about anything else. Remind you of anyone?”

Anakin looked thoughtful for a moment, and then smiled as he realized that it was he that she was talking about. “Well, that was different,” he said at last. “I never ignored my Jedi calling. Leia is my daughter; that calling is as much a part of her as it is me, or Luke. I would just hate to see her waste her abilities, Padmé.”

“I know you would,” she concurred, setting down her brush. “But now isn’t the time to start telling her how to live her life, Anakin. The two of you have only just begun to build your relationship; if you start to get too pushy with her, she’ll only get her back up. You know what she’s like; she’s just like you.”

Anakin laughed. “Yes, I suppose you’re right there,” He admitted. “Alright, I leave her alone, for now at least. But if the Jedi Order it to be rebuilt, then I will need her help, Padmé.”

“I know,” she said, standing up and walking over to the bed. “And in time I’m sure she will come to realize how important her role is in the reformation of the Order. Just be patient with her, Ani. That’s all I’m saying.”

Anakin nodded as he watched his wife climb into bed beside him. “Patience has never been one of my strong suits, you know that. But I will try.”

Padmé smiled and leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek. “That’s all I ask, Anakin.”

“For you? I can do it, Padmé,” Anakin replied, taking her face in his hands.

“Thank you, Ani,” she replied, snuggling up next to him. “I will miss you and Luke when you leave in the morning,” she said.

Anakin kissed the top of her head. “I will miss you too,” he replied. “But it is important that we make our presence felt in the galaxy. It has been nearly a month since I removed the regional governors. It is time to check up on them to make sure they are following my orders.”

“After the example you made of Orrick, I don’t think they would dare not follow them,” Padmé comments. “But I understand what you’re saying. It will be nice for you to have Luke with you.”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, it will be,” he agreed. “Like a dream come true having my son at my side,” he added with a smile.

“I’m sure,” Padmé replied. “Leia and I have our own work to do. It’s so exciting to be creating a new senate, Anakin. I’m so happy you decided to reinstitute it; it will bring the galaxy one step to democracy again.”

“It will,” Anakin agreed. “And who better to spear head that transition than you, my love?” he commented with a smile.

Padmé smiled. “With the help of our daughter,” she replied. “I am very excited about working with Leia on this. She already has so many wonderful ideas; I can tell she is as thrilled about this as I am.”

“It seems the future of the galaxy is in good hands,” Anakin said. “I only hope that the Alliance doesn’t cause any trouble for us.”

Padmé frowned. “To tell you the truth, Anakin, I’m rather surprised they haven’t done anything to try to get Luke and Leia back. It’s been two weeks now since we freed them and it doesn’t look like they have made any attempts to get them back or even find out where they are.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Anakin told her. “They may have been searching for them all this time, we wouldn’t necessarily know it. Besides, they wouldn’t even beginning to know where to look. They don’t know we are the empress and emperor, after all.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” she replied. “Leia and Luke seemed to think that Mon Mothma was getting close to piecing it all together. If she does…”

“If she does than we’ll have a huge problem on our hands,” Anakin concurred. “Let’s just hope she isn’t clever enough to figure it out, at least not until we’ve accomplished what we have set out to do.”

Padmé nodded. “Yes, that’s all we can do. I suppose. So long as they are unable to make a connection between you and the galactic emperor, then we should be alright.”

Anakin nodded, but inwardly he felt uneasy. The thought of that last pilot escaping had been eating away at him for the past two weeks. At the time it seemed that he was simply demonstrating the compassion that a Jedi Knight was supposed to possess; but now it seemed that he had made an error in judgment. If that pilot had reported back to the Rebel Alliance that an Imperial royal shuttle had saved Han Solo, it would undoubtedly raise their suspicions. I was foolish to allow that pilot to get away…he reproached himself. If they make the connection to us, it will be my fault…

“Ani? Are you okay?” Padmé asked, looking up at him.

He shook himself from his musings and looked down at his wife. “Yes, I’m fine,” he said, forcing himself to smile. “Just thinking of how much I will miss you over the next few weeks.”

Padmé smiled and moved closer to him. “I will miss you too,” she said softly. “I will miss this,” she added, taking his face in her hands and kissing him.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 40

“Please contact us as soon as you can, Ani,” Padmé said to her husband as she and Leia said their goodbyes to Anakin and Luke.

“We will,” Anakin assured her. “Of course we’ll be in the Outer Rim, Padmé; communications will be difficult.”

Padmé nodded. “Yes, I realize that,” she replied. “It’s just that we’ll be anxious to hear from you both.”

Luke smiled at his mother. “We’ll find a way, Mother,” he told her. “Don’t worry.”

Padmé smiled and hugged her son. “Thank you, Luke. Take good care of one another.”

“We will,” Luke assured her. “You and Leia do the same.”

“Have a safe trip, Father,” Leia told Anakin as he hugged her.

“We will,” he replied. “With Chewbacca with us, we’re bound to be fine.”

Leia nodded with a smile, and then turned to her brother to say her goodbyes to him.

“Don’t worry, Padmé,” Anakin told her as he held her in his arms. “We are well protected.”

“I know that,” she replied as she pressed her cheek against his chest. “I suppose I just hate being parted from you. It will be a long month.”

Anakin nodded. He looked down at his wife, smiling as he did so.

“What is it?” she asked, seeing the thoughtful look in his eyes.

He shook his head. “Nothing at all,” he told her, keeping his thoughts to himself for the moment. “I love you, Padmé. I will see you soon.”

She nodded. “I love you too, Anakin,” she replied. “Have a safe trip.”


Anakin, his son and Chewbacca made their way to the Outer Rim territories, where the corruption had been most rampant. They began at the Elrood Sector.

“I can’t believe that the Empire has allowed the crime in this sector to go unchecked for so long,” Anakin commented as he and Luke made their approach to the capital world of Elrood.

Luke looked at his father. “Palpatine didn’t care about that?”

Anakin shook his head. “No, the system is poor, and relatively unimportant, therefore the inhabitants are deemed unworthy of protection from criminal elements, including their own leaders. Well, that is about to change.”

Anakin and Luke were met on the landing platform by the governor and the Imperial officers who were charged with running the enormous ore refinery located on the planet.

“Lord Vader,” the governor, a weasely little creature named Shydark, bowed low and obsequiously as Anakin and Luke reached the end of the landing ramp. “It is indeed an honor to have you visit our humble world.”

“We are not here to pay you a visit, Governor,” Anakin pronounced, stopping in front of the single-eyed creature. “I assure you, this is not a pleasure trip.”

Shydark frowned, or what appeared to be a frown at this comment.

“Is there something amiss, my lord?” he asked nervously.

“Obviously you were not present at the Imperial palace 5 weeks ago,” Luke put in. “Or you would realize why we were here.”

The governor turned his attention to the smaller man at the emperor’s side. His face, like Vader’s was hidden from view by a large cloak.

“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure,” Shydark remarked smoothly, looking Luke over with undisguised mistrust.

“This is Darth Vengeance,” Anakin replied, hating to use a Sith name to introduce his beloved son. “My apprentice.”

“I see,” Shydark replied, looking at Luke with renewed respect. “I welcome you, Lord Vengeance.”

Luke only nodded, feeling strange at being called the Sith name he and his father had thought up only a short time ago.

“I am glad you gentlemen are here too,” Anakin said, addressing the other men for the first time. “I will require reports from all of you.”

“Reports, my lord?” one of the officers spoke up.

“Yes,” Anakin replied. “Financial reports. I have long suspected that there was a great deal of embezzlement going on at this facility, and I mean to put an end to it if it means replacing every last one of you.”

The men looked at one another with alarm.

“Gentlemen?” Luke said, holding out his arm. “Lead the way.”


Mon Mothma had become virtually obsessed with learning all she could about Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala. She had been utterly shocked to learn that they were married, and wondered how it was possible for them to keep such a secret for so long. She remembered Padmé well during the times before the Empire, how instrumental she had been in the beginnings of what would eventually become the Rebel Alliance, and had even visited her home on more than one occasion. How was it possible that she did not know that Padmé was married to someone as famous as Anakin Skywalker?? She understood the need for secrecy, for the Jedi were forbidden to marry; but it seemed incredible that they had managed to pull it off without anyone finding out. And they had children too…Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa were their children…but Leia had been the daughter of Bail and Breha Organa of Alderaan...why wasn’t she a Skywalker too? And where had Padmé and Anakin been all these years? So many questions, so few answers; it made her head swim just to think of it.

Yet, deep inside her, a nagging feeling would not go away; Luke Skywalker had been on board the Imperial ship that had destroyed two rebel pilots…he may have even been the one to shoot them from the sky. Or maybe it was Leia…what was it all about? Why were they on board that ship? There had to be a connection, just as there had to be a reason why Anakin Skywalker was using a red light saber…Somehow Anakin Skywalker had survived the Jedi purges, and somehow his disappearance coincided with the appearance of the galaxy’s most sinister agent, Darth Vader. Was it possible that the two were one? This thought had entered her mind before, but she had refused to believe it; but now that she had learned of Luke Skywalker’s presence on board an imperial vessel, it was getting harder and harder to discount. The more she thought of it, the more sense it made. It explained where Skywalker was for so long, why Padmé had not been heard from in two decades, why Leia, their daughter, had been adopted into a different family, and why Luke, their son, had grown up on a back water planet on the Outer Rim, far from the Imperial influence. They were all hiding from him…hiding from Vader…So why were they now willing to acknowledge their relationship to him? There was obviously far more to this situation than she knew. Now that Luke and Leia were gone, she would need to find answers elsewhere. Who would tell her what she needed to know? Who could she trust? The Skywalker children were no longer trustworthy, and their father had been, or still was, Darth Vader; that left only one person. Mon Mothma only hoped that her hope would not be misplaced, and that somehow she would find a way to secure the trust of the one who could furnish her with the answers she needed: Padmé Amidala.

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 41

“It looks just as I remember,” Padmé said as she, Leia and Han stood in the enormous domed senate building.

Leia nodded. “You were part of the senate when it actually had some say in the galaxy,” she commented. “During my tenure it was almost powerless. I think Palpatine only kept it alive as long a she did for appearance only. It was the last vestige of democracy. Once it was gone, any pretense of his reign being anything but a total dictatorship was swept away.”

“Which is what it was all along,” Han put in. “He didn’t fool anybody.”

“Maybe not,” Padmé replied. “But he certainly managed to convince a lot of people that the creation the Empire was for the good of the galaxy. I will never forget that day, the day that democracy died.”

The Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society….
So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.

“But we’re going to reverse al the damage that he did,” Leia reminded her mother, squeezing her hand. “We are going to witness the rebirth of democracy, of freedom.”

Padmé looked at her daughter, giving her hand a squeeze. “Yes, we are,” she agreed.

“Won’t Mon Mothma be shocked when she finds out what the two of you are cooking up?” Han commented with a grin.

“I for one am looking forward to an apology from that woman,” Leia replied. “She certainly owes Luke and I one.”

“Don’t hold your breath, sweetheart,” Han muttered.

Padmé smiled. “I just hope she doesn’t do anything to derail our efforts, or those of Luke and Anakin.”

“She hasn’t done anything so far,” Han pointed out. “And it’s been more than three weeks since we sprung Luke and Leia from the command ship.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Leia replied with a frown. “And you know it. She’s very patient, Han. She could be just biding her time, waiting for the right moment, the right opportunity to make her move. We cannot discount the possibility that our every move is being watched.”

Padmé felt the skin on the back of her neck tingle at Leia’s statement. She hoped her daughter was wrong, but intuitively she felt otherwise. I wish Ani were here, she found her self thinking. Since he had left, she had not been herself. She was happy to be working on this project with daughter, for it kept her mind occupied. She knew that otherwise she would do nothing but worry about Lake and Anakin. The only news they’d received of them was on the Imperial Holonet, which reported that Emperor Vader and his new apprentice, Darth Vengeance, had cleaned house on Elrood. Their actions had sent shock waves throughout the quadrant, sending governors scrambling to get their affairs in order, some of them choosing to vacate their office completely rather than face the wrath of the new emperor.
It bothered Padmé to hear her son referred to as Darth Vengeance, even though it was but a ruse.

“Mother? Are you okay?”

Padmé shook herself from her thoughts.

“Yes, yes I’m fine,” She replied.

“You just looked so far away,” Leia said. “Are you feeling alright?”

Padmé sighed. “Yes, I’m fine,” She repeated. “Just a little tired, that’s all.”

Leia nodded, secretly worried about her mother. She had noticed her fatigue, and worried that her mother was not sleeping well in the absence of her father and Luke. The connection between Leia’s parents was truly remarkable even after so many years spent apart. It almost seemed as though they were a part of one another. No wonder he fell into such Darkness without her, Leia reflected.

“Let’s go home,” Padmé said at last. “It’s getting late, and I’m hoping we’ll have word from Anakin and Luke tonight.”

“Good idea,” said Han. “Besides, I’m starving.”

“When aren’t you starving?” Leia teased him.

Han shrugged. “When I’m eating” he replied with a grin.

Leia and Padmé laughed as they walked out.



“They’ve left the Elrood sector and the report is that they are headed for the Allied Tion sector.”

Mon Mothma nodded her understanding. “And they have been away from the capital for how long?”

“Three weeks so far, commander,” the rebel informant reported. “Our sources say it will be at least another month before they return.”

“Yes, the emperor seems rather busy in the Outer Rim,” She commented, more to herself than the man in front of her. She looked up at her comrades. “Maybe now is the time to make our move, gentlemen. With Vader in the Outer Rim, weeks away from home.”

Reikan nodded his head. “Yes, that would make sense,” he concurred. “I’m still not so sure about this plan of your, Mothma,” he added. “It sounds far too risky to me.”

“And to me,” Ackbar spoke up. “We don’t know what the fall out of this could be; it could make this much worse.”

Mon Mothma frowned, her cheeks growing pink with anger. “If either of you can come up with a better plan, then I’d be most pleased to hear it.”

Reikan and Ackbar looked at one another.

“You don’t know for certain that your theory is correct,” Reikan spoke up at last. “Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader the same person?? It seems ludicrous to me. Skywalker was a hero, not a traitor. What would make him become a Sith?”

“I don’t know,” Mothma replied. “That is what I intend to find out,” she replied. “The coincidences are just too great to ignore, gentlemen. Anakin Skywalker’s disappearance coincides precisely with the emergence of Darth Vader; not to mention all the business with Luke and Leia. Why is it so hard to believe?”

“It’s not that,” Ackbar said. “If you are wrong, just imagine the repercussions. Vader is not a man to be trifled with, Mothma. He will hunt us down and destroy us, you can be sure of that.”

“Well what do you suggest then?” she retorted hotly. “That we just ignore the fact that our two strongest allies are now Imperial agents? That one of them shot down and killed two of our pilots? I can’t ignore those facts, I won’t ignore them! I need answers, and I mean to get them by whatever means necessary.” She stopped and looked at her two comrades, seeing their unease. “If either of you have a better plan, I’d be happy to hear it.”

Ackbar and Reikan remained silent.

“Just as I thought,” Mothma said. “I tell you what; I will wait one more week. If you can come up with a better plan, then I’ll listen. But if not, we will proceed as planned. We don’t have time to waste, gentlemen. Are we in agreement then?”

Reluctantly Ackbar and Reikan consented, secretly knowing that no matter what plan they came up with, Mon Mothma would push for her own agenda. She was on a mission, and both of them knew that when she was, it was best to step out of the way. One week they reflect. One week to avert a potential disaster...

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 42

Anakin and Luke had arrived at the Allied Tion sector amid a political coup d’etat. The governor had recently been assassinated, in light of the emperor’s recent announcement. There had been rampant corruption in the sector for years for the late governor had been utterly arrogant, greedy and stupid; a bad combination. Anakin and Luke had been shocked by the upheaval that met them upon their arrival at the capital world of Jaminere; yet they made certain not to let their distain of the brutal slaying of the imperial official be too obvious.
“I’m afraid our stay here might be longer than we had originally anticipated,” Anakin told his son as they sat in the privacy of the quarters that had been arranged for them. “We have a big mess here to straighten out.”
Luke nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it sure seems that way. Still, I can’t really say I’m surprised at the way things turned out here, given the late governor’s record.”
“No, neither am I,” Anakin concurred. “The Outer Rim territories were assigned to the bottom of the barrel when it came to administrators; Palpatine didn’t really care about these worlds, just what material wealth their addition to the Empire meant.”
“What if one of these planets decides that they don’t want to be a part of the Empire any more?” Luke asked. “What then? Are you willing to let them secede rather than force them to stay?”
Anakin sighed. “That is a good question, son,” he said. “The Clone Wars began over that very issue; worlds that didn’t want to belong to the Republic anymore banding together to fight against the establishment. I have no desire to start a war; yet, if I allow worlds to leave the Empire, it will weaken my position as emperor.”
“I understand,” Luke replied. “I just hope it doesn’t come down to that.”
“No, neither do I,” Anakin replied with a frown. “Still, the formation of the senate should entice worlds to stay, and assure them that things will change under my rule.”
“I wonder how things are going back home,” Luke commented. “I know how excited Mother and Leia were about getting started with that project.”
Anakin smiled. “Yes, your mother is a natural in the political realm. There is no one better for this task than her.” Anakin thought of his wife, realizing that it had been weeks since he had seen her now. “I think I will try to get a message to her tonight,” he told Luke at last. “I know your mother, and I know she’ll be worried until she hears from us.”
Luke smiled. “Yeah, I agree. At this distance it will be a while before she gets it though,” he reminded his father.
Anakin nodded. “I realize that,” he said. “But better late than never, right?”
“True,” Luke agreed. “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to hear from you.”
“I’m sure she will too,” Anakin replied.

Padmé arrived home late one evening to find a message waiting for her from Anakin. Due to the distance, the message had been prerecorded, which disappointed her somewhat; she was hoping to speak to him live. Yet, even this was better than no contact at all. She sat down at her desk and activated the holo projector to view the message.
Hello my love, Anakin began. I hope that this message finds you and Leia well. I am speaking to you from the planet Jaminere in the Allied Tion Sector. Things here are rather unsettled at the moment. The imperial governor, Haken Katana, was executed by the people of this world four days before our arrival. Obviously he had made a lot of enemies, and the situation had reached an untenable point. While I don’t agree with the harshness of their solution, it has actually made our job somewhat easier. We are leaving a team of experts, or so they call themselves, he added with a grin to help the provisional government reach stabilization and begin to function as a democratic body. The people here seem quite excited about the idea of a senate, and are willing to consider remaining in the Empire with that end in mind. I miss you both, as does Luke; I hope that we will be home soon, but I somehow doubt it. The northern quadrant is massive, and, as you know Padmé, the Other Rim was greatly neglected during Palpatine’s reign. I hope to leave it in a far better state than when I arrived. I hope that your project is going well; knowing you both I’m sure it is well under way by now. I’d better go now; some sort of formal dinner is waiting for us. You know how much I love that sort of thing. I love you both.
Padmé sighed as Anakin’s image faded out. I hope that we will be home soon, but I somehow doubt it… the words stuck in her mind, making her mood even bluer. She was spending a great deal of time alone in the evenings, as Leia and Han continued their courtship and would often don disguises and go into the city for the evening for a diversion. Padmé couldn’t blame them; they were young after all, and in love. She remembered what that felt like, only she and Anakin had never dared set foot in public together, never once went to dinner, never went dancing…so much they had sacrificed to keep their secret. And what ended up happening in the end? She reflected sadly. We spent half of our lives estranged…
Padmé stood up, trying to shake the malaise from her spirit. They will be alright, she kept telling herself. They will be home soon, and they will be alright. That thought, however, was not enough to dispel the gloom she felt as she walked through the enormous palace alone, with only droids to keep her company. She felt certain that Leia would stay home to keep her company if she knew how despondent Padmé was feeling lately; but Padmé wouldn’t dream of letting on to her or anyone how she was feeling. You’re being foolish, she admonished herself repeatedly. Don’t be such a baby.
“Is there anything I might get for you, my lady?” the protocol droid RX79 asked as it saw Padmé leaving the study.
“No, thank you,” she replied. “I think I’m going to turn in early again. It’s been a long day.”
“Very good, my lady,” the droid returned. “Have a pleasant sleep.”
“Thank you,” Padmé replied as she ascended the stairs. Once in the enormous bed chamber that she shared with Anakin, she sat down on the edge of the bed. What is wrong with me? She asked herself. It was more than missing Anakin and Luke; that much was certain. Part of her wondered if she ought to consult a medical droid, to ensure that there was nothing physically wrong with her; but then Leia would catch wind of it, and that would open up too many questions. No, this is just me missing Anakin, that’s all … she told herself as she began to undress. I’m afraid of losing him again…I’m afraid that he’ll return to the Dark Side, and this time take our son with him…is that it? She didn’t even know for sure if that was it.
Climbing into bed a short time later, Padmé reached over and laid her hand where Anakin normally slept, frustrated to feel tears filling her eyes. I miss you Ani, she thought to herself, half wondering if he would hear her somehow. Please come home soon.

Anakin woke up with a start, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. He had been dreaming of his wife, and sensed that she was deeply troubled. Anakin sat up in bed, his mind focusing on her, reaching out to her in the vastness of space. He smiled in the dark. “I miss you too, angel,” he said softly. “Sleep well.”

[therealthing]

CHAPTER 43

“Lord Vader, can you give us any details about Governor Katana?”

“He is dead. Next question?”

Luke smirked deep inside his hood at his father’s adept handling of the media. So far no one had overstepped the limits that the new emperor had clearly delineated at the last press conference. No one wanted to end up like that; so they worded their questions carefully, which amused Anakin and his son no end.

“Lord Vader, we’ve heard rumors that you will be visiting Arkanis next. Is this true?”

“Yes.”

“Will you be removing the Hutt influence from that sector?”

“We plan to have a ….chat with Jabba,” Luke spoke up. “Whether he will cooperate or not remains to be seen.”

“What will happen if he doesn’t?”

Luke and Anakin looked at one another, or at least faced one another as they considered this. Finally Anakin answered.

“We shall do whatever is necessary,” he said at last. “The criminal element in the Arkanis sector, particularly on the planet Tatooine, has been thriving for many years. The Hutts have accumulated a great deal of wealth from the subjugation of others. That is about to end. No one will make money from enslaving another being while I am emperor.”

Luke smiled grimly, knowing what a sore topic this was for his father. Having endured a life of slavery as a child, it was natural for Anakin to feel antipathy towards those who perpetrated the slave trade.

“Lord Vader, is…”

“That is all,” Anakin said, ending the man’s sentence and the press conference abruptly. He and Luke turned and left the room, leaving the reporters to wonder what the emperor had in store for the notorious Jabba the Hutt.

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

“That doesn’t sound like the Darth Vader I know,” Admiral Ackbar commented as he turned away from the holonet broadcast to face his companions.

General Reikan shook his head. “No, I was thinking the same thing,” he replied. “Clearly something is going on, something we know nothing about.”

“Is it possible that Darth Vader has once again become Anakin Skywalker” Jan Dodonna suggested. “In more than just the physical sense? Are we overlooking the obvious here?”

Mon Mothma frowned, not replying immediately, even though she knew that the comment was directed at her.

“And what might the obvious be?” she asked at last, turning her eyes to Dodonna. “That Darth Vader is suddenly kind hearted and just, and that we can trust him implicitly, that the galaxy is safe in his hands?”

“No one is saying that,” sputtered Ackbar.

“It certainly sounds like it to me,” countered Mon Mothma hotly. “You all seem to forget that the benevolent Lord Vader recently killed two of our pilots, men with wives and children. Not only that, he killed one of his own administrators because he dared to voice an opinion Vader did not approve of. Are you all so blind to what this man is capable of? Have you forgotten the past 22 years of torment he has put us through?”

The three others looked at one another, deeply disturbed by Mon Mothma’s narrow, unyielding viewpoint.

“No one is denying the depth of the damage Darth Vader inflicted upon the galaxy,” Reikan spoke up at last. “What we are saying is that there is a possibility that he has changed, that he has reverted back to the good man we all remember him being before the rise of the Empire. You cannot deny that some of his actions lately have been uncharacteristic of Vader; and why else would Princess Leia and Luke want anything to do with him if he was still the monster we know?”

“Not to mention Padmé Amidala,” Ackbar put in. “The fact of the matter is, he has changed. We cannot discount this, Mothma, nor can we make any foolish, rash moves that would only end up making us look like the very thing we’ve been fighting 22 years to defeat.”

Mothma frowned. “Well, I’m afraid it’s too late for that, gentlemen,” she said simply.

“What are you saying?” Dodonna demanded.

“I’m saying that I have already sent an envoy to Coruscant,” Mon Mothma replied. “I need answers, and it has been more than a week since we first discussed this matter. If the Emperor Vader is truly the benevolent ruler you seem to think he is, then he will not object to us asking some questions.”

“But he is not there, and you bloody well know it, Mothma,” Reikan shot angrily. “What are you up to?”

Mothma made no reply.

“It’s of no consequence,” Ackbar spoke up. “The security around the Imperial palace is so heavy those …envoys won’t get within 100 meters of the place.”

“Oh, I think they will,” Mothma spoke up. “When they tell the empress that we have something that belongs to her, something that holds sentimental, personal value to her.”

The three looked at one another. “What are you talking about?” Dodonna asked.

Mothma simply smiled at them. “All in good time, my good general,” she replied. “All in good time.”

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

“My lord, Jabba the Hutt expresses his sincere regrets that he will not be able to attend the meeting this afternoon.”

Anakin and his son exchanged a look. He’s kidding, right? Luke thought.

Apparently not, his father replied. Then he turned to the messenger.

“You tell your master that if he doesn’t get his bloated, maggot infested body down here within 30 minutes I will raze his palace and all the monstrosities inside of it to dust,” he said in flawless Huttese. “Is that clear?”

The being, a twilek named Bib Fortuna, blanched visibly. “Yes, your highness,” he stammered as he backed away from the ominous pair.

Luke waited until the creature was out of earshot and then turned to his father. “Was that a bluff, Father? Or do you mean to destroy Jabba?”

Anakin sighed. “The hutts are a vile, devious lot, Luke,” he replied. “If he refuses to speak to us, then yes, I will.”

“And if he does come? What then? What will you say to him?” Luke probed. He was afraid that the Darkness that still lurked deep within his father would rise to the surface if the Hutt proved to be too uncooperative. But perhaps that is what it will take to make Jabba see that we mean business.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” Anakin added, sensing his son’s unease. “But make no mistake Luke; Jabba is a gangster. In the days of the Republic beings like him were dealt with harshly. He has been allowed too much freedom, too many liberties, and now he sees himself as the self made ruler of this planet. Well his reign is about to end. If it means imprisoning him, then so be it.”

“And if it means killing him?”

“Then I won’t hesitate to do so,” Anakin replied.

Luke nodded in understanding, conflicted and yet trusting that his father knew what he was doing.

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

"Mother, you’ve barely touched your breakfast,” Leia observed, a frown creasing her brow. “Is there something wrong?”

Padmé looked up at her daughter, unsure how to answer her question. “I’m not feeling the greatest, Leia,” she replied. “I think it’s all the stress, all the worrying. I haven’t heard from your father in a few days, and you know me; I worry about him so.”

Leia nodded, not thoroughly convinced that her mother was being completely forthright. “Is that all? Maybe we ought to get you to a doctor.”

Padmé frowned. I hate doctors, she thought to herself. “I don’t think that’s necessary,” she replied.

“Well I do,” Leia countered. “Humor me, Mother,” she added. “Let me take you into the city. I know how you hate the medical droid; we’ll find a human doctor. I’m just worried that you’re letting yourself get run down. Please? For me?”

Padmé smiled. “You remind me of your father, you know that?” she said.

Leia laughed. “Does that mean yes?”

“Do I have a choice?” Padmé replied.

Leia shook her head. “Nope you don’t” she said, standing up from the table. “Let’s go.”

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

“So kind of you to grace us with your presence,” Anakin said as a cowed Jabba the Hutt slinked into the make shift audience chamber aboard the Imperial vessel.

Jabba glared at Anakin and Luke, not even trying to hide his anger.

“What is the meaning of all this?” demanded the corpulent creature. “Since when does the Empire interfere in my business?”

"Since I became emperor,” Anakin replied, staring unflinchingly at Jabba. “Your days of running this system are over. I have ordered an investigation into your business ventures, which I know are merely a front for more nefarious operations.”

“You have no proof of that, Vader,” Jabba growled.

Anakin lifted an eyebrow, surprised by the Hutt’s bravado. It was rumored that Jabba was impervious to the Jedi mind control, and probably felt that he was immune to the powers that Anakin and his son possessed. The fool, Anakin reflected.

“I will have all the proof I need,” Anakin replied calmly. “Enough proof to convict you of racketeering, smuggling, drug trafficking, and running a number of prostitution ring, to name only a few of your more lucrative trades.”

Jabba’s only response was a string of Huttese curses, directed at both Anakin and his family. Barely had the words left his enormous maw then Jabba felt himself hurled through the air and against the bulkhead of the ship. Luke was astonished that his father was able to Force push the enormous bulk of the creature, and watched as Jabba struggled to regain his equilibrium, not to mention his pride.

“We are not here to negotiate terms with you,” Anakin continued as Jabba wormed his way across the room once again, somewhat slower than previously. “We are here to destroy the criminal element in this system, starting with you. You may either cooperate willingly, or you may spend what is left of your pathetic existence in the spice mines of Kessel. You have one minute to decide what your fate will be.”

Jabba did not reply, but merely stared at Anakin, the loathing he felt for him evident in his huge, glassy eyes. Then he opened his mouth, but rather than a response, as Anakin and Luke expected, he let out an enormous belch, one that sent a wave of foul smelling air wafting across the room to assault Luke and Anakin’s olfactory senses. Jabba then smiled, but it was the last thing he would ever do, for he was sent across the room once again, this time with such force that he became embedded in the wall, his bloated body impaled by the broken steel braces that held up the wall, the sinister smile still plastered to his gruesome visage.

Anakin took a moment to calm down. He had come dangerously close to using the Dark Side, so greatly had the Hutt angered him. I will not give in to it, not again, he vowed to himself. I will not let my family down, not this time.

“So much for negotiation,” Anakin said at last, regarding the disgusting mess. “Let’s go.” He and Luke walked to the door.

“Send someone in there to clean up that mess,” Luke told one of the clones who stood guard inside the door. “And repair that bulkhead.”

The clone looked at the remains of Jabba as they hung against the shattered bulkhead. He shook his head, amazed that anyone would be foolish enough to challenge the emperor Vader.

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

“Well, what seems to be the trouble?” the physician asked as Padmé sat down on the chair he offered her. Leia stood beside her.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Padmé repaid. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”

The physician nodded. “Anything else? Appetite okay?”

Padmé nodded. “No, not really.”

“She barely eats anything at all,” Leia put in, folding her arms and looking at her mother.

Padmé looked up at her daughter, annoyed. “That’s not true,” she protested.

Leia only lifted her eyebrows in response.

The physician looked from one to the other, sensing that there was some disagreement between the two. “Okay, why don’t we run some tests just to discount anything physical? Is that satisfactory to both of you?”

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Leia said. “What do you say, Mother?”

Padmé sighed. “I suppose I really don’t have a choice in the matter do I?” she remarked.

Leia only smiled in response.