The Pain of a Thousand Lifetimes
By JadedofMara
The lowest two fins of the Lambada-class shuttle folded up like the wings of some monstrous bird of prey as the ship set down in a large clearing on the forest moon of Endor. At the edge of the trees, Leia Organa stood with her arm around her new fiancé, Han Solo, grinning jubilantly. On board the shuttle, Leia could feel a powerful, Light Force-presence, of the kind Leia had always associated with her brother. As the main hatch ramp began to lower, Leia ran forward to greet Luke.
What she saw made her heart freeze.
At the top of the ramp, his exposed face deathly white, stood Darth Vader, his mask removed, for some reason Leia didn't understand. Cradled in his arms, looking like a baby, or a child's doll, was Luke, his eyes closed, and his expression peaceful. Vader kept walking until he was right in front of Leia, when he stopped, though he still didn't take his gaze from Luke's sleeping face.
"Luke…" Leia whispered, her eyes caressing her brother's face, noting it's numerous burns. Her eyes stung from unshed tears as she looked up at Anakin Skywalker. "F-father?" she trembled, the first of many tears falling down her cheeks.
Anakin looked up at her, with eyes so familiar from another face, now filled with the pain of a thousand lifetimes. "I'm… sorry, Leia," he rasped, his voice hoarse with emotion, and he squeezed his eyes shut, two tears slipping from beneath his lashes.
"He's gone."