A/N: I haven't read any of the Star Wars books so I'm not sure if this would be considered an AU.
P.S. I do not have grey hair. I do not have a beard. And I am not a man. Therefore I am not George Lucas and thus do not own Star Wars or any of its characters.
Apology
It was the one month anniversary of The Great Battle of Endor. Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and 95% of all those who fought in the battle were partying in the Ewok village with the tribe of the small creatures who had assisted them. The fleet had returned to the small moon for the festival and it wasn't long before the music was blaring and half of the group was drunk.
Han Solo was sitting at the bar keeping and eye out for Leia. She had left to talk with Luke about something about a half hour ago. 'Probably something about her becoming a Jedi' Han thought. He still was having a hard time grasping the fact that they were siblings. He then saw her step out of a hut with Luke right behind her. Luke said something and he saw her laugh. Han looked around and noticed that some of the soldiers who were couples (and even a bunch who were just friends) were dancing with the Ewoks. Han tipped the soldier serving drinks and walked over to Leia just as her brother began to walk away to talk with the Rouge Squadron.
"Hey your Worship, care to dance." He said to Leia with his famous cocky grin offering her his arm.
"Uhm, no thanks. I don't dance." She replied rather sheepishly.
"Aww come on. I'm sure you can't be that bad." He wined. "It'll be fun."
Leia turned to look at her brother for some guidance. He simply nodded and smiled.
"Alright" She sighed.
When Wes and Janson saw Solo and the Princess walking to the dance floor they quickly took action and practically ran over to C3-PO on his throne.
"Hey, 3PO, tell the little guys to place a nice… romantic song." Wes said.
"I don't see why that would be necessary. The dancers seem perfectly content with the current music." The droid replied.
"Just do it" Janson commanded.
3PO reluctantly agreed and translated the command to the Ewok coordinating the music.
Leia awkwardly attempted to keep up with the fast pace music and Han just chuckled. She was thankful when the music slowed. Han put his hands around Leia's waist and she put her hands around his neck as they gently swayed to the rhythm of the music.
Meanwhile, two beings now joined with the force watched the young couple.
"She's happy." The first one sighed.
"Yes… she is" the second repeated.
"She looks just like her mother."
"mhmm… You should talk to her Anakin."
"I can't Obi-wan. She doesn't love me."
"You can Anakin."
"You don't know what I did to her… Hours of torture… I practically raped her mind. I held her immobile as she was forced to watch her entire planet be destroyed, for Sith's sake! And she still bears every kind of scar." He paused. "She'll never love me."
Obi-wan sighed. It was true. She suffered from constant nightmares of her time on the Death Star and Cloud City. Most of these dreams involved her father in some way. How could she love him?
"I still think you should try to speak with her. In time, she will accept you as Anakin Skywalker; the father… who loves her."
"She looks so much like Padmé. How could I not see it?"
"I don't know."
As the night's festivities came to a close, Leia had said goodnight to Han and her brother and returned to her small hut that the Ewoks had given her.
"Aww come on Princess, tired already?" Han wined.
"Yes, quite."
"But the party ain't even over yet."
"Well it is for me, so good night Han. I'll see you all in the morning." She gave Han a small kiss and left.
Leia walked over to the small table with a large shard of broken reflective glass attached that served as a vanity and began combing through her long brown hair with the small comb that Han had given her for her birthday last year… before the carbon-freeze. She began to get this feeling of not quite nervousness, almost like she was being watched by an unknown presence. She tried to ignore it but it just wouldn't go away. She sighed and looked in the "mirror". Something caught her eye. It was faint at first, almost like a distant reflection, but then it grew clearer. She dropped the comb and quickly turned around; pulling out her blaster.
It was a man. He was youngish, maybe no more than 40 years old. He was surrounded by a blue-ish glow. He looked oddly familiar and yet so strange. Like an old friend who she should know, but couldn't quite place.
"Who are you?" She asked. "Or better yet, what are you?"
The man didn't answer. He just looked at her with saddened. They stood like that for what felt like hours to them both, until he finally spoke up.
"I am so sorry."
In those four simple words the realization hit her like a rock. This was Vader; come back to haunt her. But wait. Did he just apologize?
Leia felt a shiver run down her spine and tears fill her eyes. She slowly shook her head never breaking eye contact. How could he just apologize after all he did to her?
"Please Leia…" He took a step forward and she backed up against the table.
"Don't touch me!" She felt like screaming, crying, shooting him until he died a second time. An entire flood of emotions cascaded through her. "How could you?" she spoke, her voice shaky.
"Oh Leia, I am so sorry for everything. Had I known that…"
"That what? That I was your daughter? You would have what? Trained me as a Sith to over though your emperor, Or would you have just executed me yourself when you had the chance; wanting nothing to do with your past life and out of fear that I might become a Jedi?"
Anakin stared at his daughter. What would he have done?
"I… I… I don't know. But please understand that I am not the man I used to be. That was Vader. I am Anakin; your father."
"My father." She half laughed. "My father was Bail Organa whom you murdered." She stared angrily at him. Oh if looks could kill…
"Even Vader was against that from the beginning. He would have killed Tarkin on the spot had the Emperor not favored him." He thought that it was a good idea to refer to his former self in third person.
"I just need time to think." She turned away from him again and hung her head causing her hair to fall over her shoulders. The back of her dress that the Ewoks gave her dipped down to about halfway down her back. Anakin saw her scars that covered the area: thin lines and small indents from where the mind probe had injected its needles. He assumed that her arms and shoulders were no better.
'I did this' he thought. 'How could I have done this to my own child?'
"I understand. I love you… my child. And I am truly sorry." He left and Leia began to sob.
Luke had seen his father's ghost exit Leia's room. Anakin simply shook his head. Luke walked in to see Leia sobbing in a heap on the wood floor.
"He's sorry" Luke spoke and Leia looked up and ran over to him, burying her face in his chest
"Hold me" she sobbed.
A/N: I'm not sure if I should add additional chapters or leave this as a one-shot. Please R&R and tell me your opinion and ideas for future chapters if you have any. Thanx! And may the Force be with you, always.