Darth Vader: survival and redemption

by HawksFan12

Darth Vader survives the end of Return of the Jedi. How will Anakin Skywalker find forgiveness and redemption? Will the Empire and Rebel Alliance finally end their war? Can they defeat a monstrous new enemy that threatens them all? For entertainment only, I own nothing, all credit to Lucasfilm, Disney, Paramount.

Emperor Palpatine let his burning hatred feed the deadly Force lightning that was pouring out of his fingertips. The object of his rage was the impudent, foolish young Jedi curled up in agony at his feet. Palpatine paused the lightning assault for a moment. "Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark Side!" The pathetic young Jedi, son of Skywalker, weakly groaned and tried to stir. After a brief pause and some additional taunting, Palpatine renewed the lightning assault, with even more power and fury than before. This drew a scream of agony from Luke, and to the Emperor's amusement, the fool actually pleaded to his father for help. The Emperor sneered to himself. Didn't this young imbecile realize his father had sworn himself to serve the Dark Side before Luke had even been born? Then he had the nerve to disarm himself in front of the Emperor of the Galactic Empire?! Had not the ancient and pitiful refugee Jedi warned him about the power of the Dark Side? Had not his own father warned him about lowering his defenses not more than 10 minutes earlier? This youngster was most unwise; Palpatine was able to see that now. He would not make a worthy replacement for his aging father. True, he had managed to destroy the first Death Star, but he had assistance, and even the power of the Force was not immune to a stroke of luck. No, Palpatine now accepted that he would be better off keeping Lord Vader by his side, imperfect though he certainly was. From Palpatine's point of view, Vader was more intelligent, more cunning, more ruthless, and certainly more obedient. He had long ago deduced that Vader desired to overthrow him and rule the galaxy, but that was the very nature of the Sith. The apprentice always longs to learn all they can from the master, then overthrow and replace the master. Palpatine thought to himself, as he furiously blasted lightning onto a now-motionless Luke, that he had little fear of Vader overpowering him. All it would take is one shot of lightning to the delicate life support apparatus keeping Vader alive…

At that instant, Palpatine felt a pair of powerful arms clench around his torso and heave him up off his feet. In shock and terror, Palpatine wildly lashed out with Force Lightning as his silent attacker, Lord Vader, carried him the few short steps to the railing and heaved Palpatine over the side. As Palpatine realized that he was falling to his death, surprisingly enough, he had a reaction that many humans do at their moment of death; time slowed down for him and he experienced a vision of his life. A life of lies, deceit and treachery. Over eight decades spent achieving his goals, one methodical step at a time. Beginning in his youth, being drawn into the darkness and learning the forbidden ways of the Sith. Slowly building his knowledge, skill and power. Assassinating his master while he slept, once he had nothing more to learn from the old fool. The tools he used included manipulation of public office, bribery, blackmail, kidnapping, even rape. Once in public office, he used all of these weapons in addition to assassination and unflinching, pitiless corruption. The lives he had destroyed were literally countless. He had started and waged wars, used mass genocide, even destroyed an entire planet to strengthen his hold on power. Now, finally, the cruelest joke of all was on him: it was all for nothing. His fleet was in a life-and-death struggle out there in space, his prized Death Star was now unprotected and under assault, and his apprentice of two decades had betrayed and murdered him. The Emperor's last glimpse was far above him, back up at the railing, he spied for an instant a black helmet peering over the edge at him. He experienced one last instant of burning rage, then his body struck the Death Star's reactor core and he simply vaporized. Palpatine was no more. The destruction of his physical body was like a wound to the Force itself, and all of the pent-up Dark Side energy exploded out and up the shaft, wailing and howling, perhaps with the souls of all those that had fallen to Palpatine in one way or another.

This unnatural wind wailed past Darth Vader, whipping his cape briefly. Vader was immobile; Palpatine's last blast of flailing Force lightning had impacted Vader's life support system. Instead of the familiar powerful breathing sound, there was now a sickly gasping sound. Luke crawled over to his father and pulled him back from the edge. Luke paused for a moment to gather his strength, but not for too long. He could hear in the near distance laser cannons, rockets firing, and explosions. He knew he had a few minutes at best. Luke spotted his lightsaber lying where he had foolishly tossed it in front of the Emperor, and made a motion with his hand. The saber obediently jumped over to Luke's palm, and Luke clipped it onto his belt. Luke bent down and whispered "Come, father, we've got to get out of here." He then helped Vader regain his footing and led him to the turboshaft. They were whisked out of the throne room and to the flight hangar, where Vader's shuttle was still waiting. Here and there, groups of stormtroopers and Imperial officers were scrambling around, but they were too far across the hangar and too consumed with panic to pay any attention to Luke and Vader. Luke nearly had Vader to the shuttle when Vader's strength gave out. He buckled to the floor, and Luke nearly fell on top of him. "Father, just a little further, you must get on the shuttle." Vader shook his head slowly, and pleaded for Luke to help him take his mask off. Luke realized Vader would die, and refused. Vader's life support system was damaged, but it was still functional. Vader then passed out, but Luke could feel with the Force that his father was still alive. At that moment, one particularly panicked stormtrooper came upon them, hoping to receive instructions from Lord Vader… anything to divert his attention from the fact that the destruction of the Death Star appeared imminent. Luke realized that after this battle, the main challenge would be convincing the remaining Imperial forces to join the Alliance and end the long Civil War, so he might as well start now. Luke, sensing the stormtrooper's panic, spoke calmly. "Were you looking for Lord Vader?" The stormtrooper's panic suddenly subsided, and he replied, "I… I was looking for Lord Vader." Luke nodded. "You have found him." "I have found him." "We must get him in the shuttle." "We must get him in the shuttle." Luke smiled inwardly, remembering when he first saw Obi-Wan using that same trick on Tatooine on other stormtroopers, so long ago. Together, Luke and the stormtrooper carried Vader into the shuttle, and the door closed behind them. Luke then decided to dispense with the mind tricks. He lifted off, and just as the shuttle flew out of the hangar, a massive explosion filled the hangar with fire. Another minute and they all would have been killed. The stormtrooper saw this and sat down, overcome with shock. He had to take off his helmet. He looked at Luke, who got on the shuttle's communicator and changed the frequency, then communicated directly with Admiral Ackbar's command vessel. Luke identified himself, gave the shuttle's location, and said he was flying immediately to the medical frigate. Suddenly, the stormtrooper remembered who he was, and who Luke was. "Wait… you're one of those Rebel scum; why would you rescue me? And why would you want to rescue Lord Vader-?" At this, Luke fixed the trooper's eyes with his own. He simply and firmly said to the trooper, "He's my father." Luke then turned his attention back to flying the shuttle. The stormtrooper was stunned silent by what Luke had told him, then looked a little closer at Luke. "Wait a minute… you look familiar. Is your name Skywalker?" Luke merely nodded. He was concentrating on avoiding lingering Tie fighters, in case they noticed an Imperial shuttle attempting to dock on a Rebel frigate. The stormtrooper carried on. "I thought so! We've met before, on the first Death Star." Luke briefly glanced at him with disbelief. The trooper continued. "Your big furry brown friend beat me up and took my uniform, which got me transferred onto an Imperial scrap vessel, which as it turned out was a blessing in disguise, because the Death Star blew up soon after, didn't it, Skywalker?" Luke was about to reply when a massive explosion behind them violently rocked the shuttlecraft. The Death Star had exploded. Once again, the stormtrooper was struck by just how narrowly he had avoided death. Luke looked at the stormtrooper. "What is your name?" The trooper replied, "My designation is TK421. My name before the Empire is irrelevant." Luke nodded. "Fair enough, TK421; how about making sure my father—Lord Vader, is secure and still breathing? We'll be landing soon." No mind tricks were necessary this time; TK421 complied.

The Imperial shuttle slowly approached the docking bay of the Rebel medical frigate. Luke could see outside the window a pair of Y-wings flanking him, keeping close watch. When the shuttle touched down, Luke instructed TK421 to let him open the door first, which turned out to be a wise move, since they were immediately greeted by a trio of large Rebel security officers, who had their blaster rifles at the ready. They relaxed considerably when they recognized Luke. They spotted TK421, and Luke reassured them that this stormtrooper helped him escape the Death Star. Then one of the officers saw the motionless form of Darth Vader lying in the shuttle, and gasped "Holy mother of.." and instinctively raised his rifle. Luke stepped in, grabbed the end of the rifle and pointed it up at the ceiling. The officer gazed at Luke with confusion. Luke, who was after all a Commander in the Rebel Alliance, issued an order to the officer. "Get me a stretcher so I can get him into a medical bay before he dies. I'll explain everything later." The officer complied, while the other two Rebel soldiers took TK421 into custody. Luke called out to them as they departed. "Treat him well; if not for his help, I would be dead now." One of the guards acknowledged this with a nod, although privately he was somewhat disappointed. This meant no customary beat-down as was the norm with captured stormtroopers.

Luke walked swiftly ahead of the floating stretcher, heading for a medical bay, but the sight of the body of Darth Vader caused everyone who caught a glimpse to immediately halt what they were doing and stare with disbelief. Luke could sense their reactions through the force. He sensed confusion, disbelief, anger and hatred. Only the presence of Luke Skywalker, renowned hero of the Battle of Yavin, prevented many of the Rebel soldiers from destroying Vader's body, living or not, out of spite if nothing else. Every Rebel on this ship had at least one horror story of their treatment at the hands of the Empire, and Darth Vader was, of course, well known, hated and feared throughout the galaxy. It was a tribute to Luke's reputation that they trusted in him; if Skywalker wanted this evil thing to live, there must be a very good reason. As for Luke, he couldn't reach the medical bay fast enough. His father needed to be away from prying and hateful eyes. Finally, the stretcher entered the medical bay, and Luke dismissed the guard. Silently, the medical droid drifted over and fixed his unemotional gaze upon Lord Vader. Luke did not need to explain Vader's condition; the droid had scanned and diagnosed Vader in a microsecond. The droid looked at Luke. "His life support mechanism is damaged beyond repair, and it will soon fail, but he can be saved. We can replace this mechanism, which is hopelessly outdated, with modern equipment. His life will not be in immediate danger." Luke recalled the hateful stares of the Rebels in the corridor and had his doubts about the droid's last statement, but ordered the droid to proceed. Luke was relieved that the medical droids were not programmed with emotions, as C3PO and R2D2 were. This medical droid did not see the second most hated man in the galaxy on the medical table, it only saw a humanoid that was in need of medical care and required attention. Morality and emotion were not part of the equation for this medical droid. Luke exited the medical bay, to see that a small crowd had gathered and silently, expectantly stared at him. Some of them had blasters attached to their belts. Luke supposed now was as good a time as any to begin the explanations. "Yes, that is Darth Vader in there… or rather, it was. Believe me, you will soon know all of the truth, but suffice it to say for now, he is no longer the evil monster you remember. And, here is the truth that no one else yet knows: the Emperor is dead, and it was Darth Vader who personally killed him, while saving my life." That bombshell of information was enough to stun many of the Rebels who were fully prepared to storm the medical bay with weapons drawn, Skywalker or no. Luke continued. "Please, I beg you. Leave him alone, at least until I have revealed the entire truth. Believe me when I say, if not for the actions of Darth Vader, we would have lost today's battle. I have fought alongside many of you in many battles, we have saved each other's lives repeatedly, and now I ask you to grant me your trust." Three large Rebel soldiers, veterans of the Battle of Hoth, stepped forward, and took up positions guarding the door to the medical bay. They remembered nearly dying on that frozen wasteland, as a giant AT-AT loomed up behind them as they attempted to flee in the deep snow, their comrade's bodies being ripped to shreds all around them by Imperial laser fire, when suddenly the metal beast exploded from the inside and toppled over on its side. Thanks to Skywalker and the bomb he had thrown inside, they were able to flee onto one of the last transports off the planet. They had never forgotten this, and now, when he pleaded for their trust, they resolved to repay Luke.

On the bridge of the Rebel command ship, Mon Mothma stood alongside Admiral Ackbar. They faced a large viewscreen, and an Imperial Fleet Admiral, flanked by two Captains, came into view. Mon Mothma opened the negotiations. "Admiral, I propose an immediate cease-fire. There has been enough death and destruction today. The killing need not continue. Both the Emperor and Lord Vader are dead." The Imperial Admiral suspected as much, but wished to be certain, rather than have the Emperor turn up in a shuttle and demand to know why he had stopped the Imperial Star Destroyer fleet from moving in for the kill. The Admiral was, in fact, torn with indecision and turmoil. On the one hand, he had just witnessed the Super Star Destroyer crash into the Death Star, which itself had then exploded shortly thereafter, and one dozen standard Star Destroyers had been lost. This battle was clearly, if not lost, no longer capable of being truly won. On the other hand, he had many of his Captains urging him to rally the remaining thirty Imperial Star Destroyers and charge at the wounded Rebel fleet. The Admiral spoke. "A cease fire… yes, that is certainly one option. But, tell me, my dear: why should I not merely overwhelm your broken and battered fleet with my Star Destroyers? Should it turn out that you are misinformed about the Emperor's demise, why would I risk him turning up and having me fed to a Rancor for failing to pursue this battle to victory?" At that moment, an aid signaled for his attention. The screen was muted, and the Admiral testily asked, "Yes, what is it?" The aid turned his back to the viewscreen- so that the Rebels could not see his face- and informed the Admiral that the entire debris field had been scanned, and there were no shuttlecraft or any other type of vessel in the vicinity, and no signs of any life; just millions of tons of twisted, shattered wreckage. The Emperor truly was dead, and presumably Lord Vader with him, since both were known to be on the Death Star during the battle. With this information, the Admiral's bravado began to evaporate. The Empire had suffered staggering losses today, and while the Rebels had not gone unscathed, the momentum was clearly on their side. The Admiral reached a decision, and motioned at the screen operator. The screen was unmuted. "Attention Rebel Commander. (The Admiral decided he would not dignify them by bothering to learn their names.) A cease fire is now in effect. All Imperial craft are to dock immediately. If they are fired upon, this cease fire will end at once, and we will attack your pathetic fleet with every vessel at our disposal. This communication is ended." The Imperial Captains relayed the word to the other Star Destroyers, who in turn relayed the orders to all remaining Tie and other fighter craft. The Rebels did likewise, and immediately all firing ceased. Hundreds of pilots on both sides breathed thanks to the Force, and steered their fighters toward their respective vessels. It was an odd sight to see swarms of Tie fighters passing groups of X-Wing and Y-Wing craft with no one firing a shot. After a short time, all the fighters on both sides were docked. The fleet of Star Destroyers all began to rotate facing away from the Rebels. On the bridge of the lead Star Destroyer, the Admiral gave an order, and within the space of two minutes, all thirty of the surviving Star Destroyers had jumped into hyperspace. Their destination was Coruscant. With the battle here at Endor clearly now unwinnable, the Admiral had decided his next highest priority was to move his fleet to the capital of the Empire, to defend against a Rebel invasion of the capital, should they be so foolish as to make the attempt.

On board the Medical frigate, Luke retreated to a private room to meditate. Much had been gained, and lost today. He felt a presence in the Force. Opening his eyes, Luke saw ghostly images of Yoda and Obi-Wan silently smiling their approval at him. Then they vanished, just as the viewscreen began beeping for his attention. Luke sighed, and activated the screen. Leia's face appeared, but she looked both flustered and in pain. She was wearing a bandage on her arm. Before Luke could say anything, he could hear Han demanding "What do you mean, he's your father?!" Leia shot Han a look that both pleaded and demanded his silence for the moment. "Luke, are you all right? What happened?" Luke responded with concern in his voice. "I'm fine, Leia; what happened to you?" Leia dismissed the question. "Merely a flesh wound. What happened up there?" Luke hesitated as he gathered himself. "Leia, you would never have believed it. Our father... well, he started out trying to sway me to the Dark side, he and his Emperor. But something happened, Leia. He changed. He's redeemed himself. Vader destroyed the Emperor, not I." Leia was temporarily speechless, so Han stuck his face in front of the camera. "Kid, he may have killed the old man, but Vader has NOT redeemed himself. Not even close." Leia pushed Han out of the way. "Luke, I'm sorry, but Han is right. It takes a lot more than that one moment, one act to make up for all the butchery, death and destruction he's caused throughout the galaxy. We're better off with both Vader and the Emperor dead." Luke hesitated. "Well, actually… the Emperor is dead, but Vader is alive. After he saved me, I got him off the Death Star. He's on the medical frigate." Luke could hear Han standing up suddenly. "I'm going up there." Off camera, Chewbacca's angry snarl of agreement could be heard. Somewhat to Luke's surprise, Leia agreed as well. "See you soon, Luke." Luke noted the anger in her voice. Then she reached out and clicked the camera off. Once again, Luke sighed. This was going to get complicated.

In the medical bay, inside the head of the man formerly known as Darth Vader, another war was being waged. The poison of the Darkness that answered to the name of Darth Vader had been overwhelmed and subdued by Anakin Skywalker, after over 20 years of lying dormant while Lord Vader was unchallenged. The problem was, Anakin Skywalker could remember everything. He was overwhelmed with a rush of horrible memories, any one of which could have driven lesser men insane. His wife screaming and dying, his own hand holding his own lightsaber as it sliced through the bodies of Jedi children, the feeling of lying helpless as fire consumed his body, of being rebuilt into a mechanical monster. And then, over two decades, so much death and destruction and unrelenting evil that it all ran together, and he would never be able to remember it all, just as he would never be able to forget it all. The particularly awful memories stood out, including standing by and restraining his own daughter (though he was unaware of this at the time) while her home planet was destroyed in vain. Later, he very nearly killed his own son, in service of the Emperor, the man who had taken everything from him. Anakin, even though he was unconscious, was so overwhelmed with regret, grief, and shame at these memories that he actually hoped he died before he regained consciousness. If he awoke, the only thing he had to live for was to apologize and make amends, but what good deed could he do that would be equal to his crimes?

Anakin's wish was not granted. He slowly regained consciousness, and the first thing his eyes saw was a medical droid looking down at him. This jolted another awful memory; the last time he had seen a sight like this, he found his burned body trapped inside black mechanical armor while his evil master looked on. This time, though, when his head turned to the other direction, he saw his son looking at him, and he noticed his eyesight was normal, not a world of red through the eyes of his old mask. Anakin managed to gasp one questioning word. "How…?" Luke reassured him. "Father, the Emperor kept you trapped in antiquated equipment; there was no need for it. He did this to you deliberately. Your original eyesight has been restored." Anakin's head fell back onto the table. Another sign of the evil of his master. Another crime against Anakin by Palpatine, revealed. When Darth Vader had awoken, he was so repulsed by memories of the lava damage, he had not questioned the limitations of his new suit and body, particularly when he discovered the strength of his new mechanical limbs. Now, Anakin found it had all been another lie. How much more would he find that Palpatine had taken from him, even after Palpatine himself was dead? When would he ever stop paying the price for knowing the man?

Luke touched a control on Anakin's bed, and the upper half of the bed slowly lifted up, so that Anakin could direct his gaze around the room and not stare at the ceiling. Anakin did just this, and he was like a blind man who had recovered his sight. He had forgotten that there were other colors besides black and red. He looked at Luke, with his dark blonde hair. So this was his son as he truly appeared. He then spied, on a table behind Luke, a familiar dark shape. Luke noticed, and nodded his head. "Yes, that's your old mask. You won't be needing that anymore." Anakin slowly managed to speak. "How can I live without it?" Luke moved a mirror in front of him, and Anakin saw he had what looked like a small white module implanted on his neck. "This is a temporary measure. The medical droid says your lungs can be healed with bacta transplants; it will take a little time, but when it is done, you won't need a mask or any other type of assistance." Anakin noticed his voice was much like his old voice, not the deep, artificial voice of Darth Vader. And the sound of his breathing was almost normal, a soft in-and-out whisper, not Vader's well known and feared loud, mechanical breathing. Anakin also noticed his natural hearing was back. Luke must have persuaded the Alliance to expend considerable medical resources on him. Suddenly, there was a commotion out in the corridor, punctuated by the angry roar of a large wookie. Luke excused himself and went out into the corridor.

The first thing Luke saw when he stepped out of the medical bay was the three Rebel soldiers barely managing to hold back a livid Han Solo and Princess Leia. Chewbacca appeared ready to flatten the soldiers, Rebel or not. When Han and Leia spotted Luke, they calmed somewhat. Which is to say, they reluctantly holstered their blasters. Luke persuaded the three of them to join him in an empty conference room. He spent the next several minutes recounting what had transpired aboard the Death Star, in detail. Leia appeared more moved than Han did. Luke locked his eyes on Han. "The Emperor threatened to give orders that if the shield around the Death Star dropped, then Endor should be destroyed. Vader- or rather, Anakin, our father, (Luke gestured at Leia) prevented this from happening. He saved me, and he saved all of you as well." Leia spoke up. "Luke, I can't believe you've forgotten about everything he did for the last two decades. He killed my family!" Luke pulled off the glove on his right hand, revealing the mechanical hand with an ugly blaster hole burned into it. "Leia, believe me, I have not forgotten. His stormtroopers killed my Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on Tatooine, on his orders. I found out years ago, the stormtroopers identified them directly to Vader. He watched their execution. He knew exactly who they were." Leia covered his damaged hand with hers. "Then WHY are you protecting him? For all we know, this is just a ploy to get rid of his master, win your pity, and try to rebuild and take over the Empire for himself!" Luke shook his head. "Leia… if you only could feel from him what I have felt in the Force. I have felt good in him, and the evil, the Darkness in him is gone. You will see for yourself. You have the Force in you; you only need to learn to use it." This was all Han could take. "Look, kid, the evidence against Vader is factual, it's on record. How many billions are dead because of him? And you want him to get a free pass because he killed his boss and you think you felt something good from him?" Leia spoke up again. "He killed our mother, Luke!" A weak voice from the doorway startled them all. "I loved your mother with all that I am, and I still do to this day." They all looked at the door, and saw a figure wearily leaning against the entrance. From the neck down, it was Darth Vader. But the cape was gone, as was the mask. The pale, sad looking old man with mournful eyes gazed at them all. This was Anakin Skywalker, or rather, what was left of him. Chewbacca was the nearest to him, and lumbered over directly in front of Anakin, growling dangerously. Anakin gazed up at him. "This is Chewbacca, isn't it? I always have admired Wookies; that's why I stopped that bounty hunter from killing you at Bespin." Chewie snarled at Anakin. Han smirked and interpreted for Anakin's benefit. "You admire Wookies so much that you bombarded Kashyyk how many times? Killed how many Wookies, and enslaved the rest? Is that why you spared his life? Right before you had me frozen in carbonite?!" Anakin did not reply. What could he say? What defense could he give? 'The Emperor made me do it?' At that point, Chewbacca could not restrain himself any longer, and unleashing a roar of rage, he lashed out and struck Anakin with a devastating blow. Anakin flew back the short distance to the wall, struck the wall with his back, and crumpled to the floor in a sitting position. In a flash, Luke was by his father's side, and as Chewie started to move in for the kill, Luke gave Chewie a low powered force shove, just enough to move him back. Chewie didn't even lose his footing, but naturally, he was upset, as were Han and Leia. Luke quickly checked to make sure his father was still alive, then turned to face Han and Leia, who stood by Chewie and glared at Luke. Han was furious. "What the hell are you doing, Luke? Defending that murdering monster?" Han's right hand twitched, and Luke noticed that Han's hand was uncomfortably close to his blaster. Luke said nothing, but allowed his own left hand to move a little closer to the lightsaber attached to Luke's belt. They were all surprised to hear a faint chuckle. Anakin slowly picked himself up and stood unsteadily behind Luke. "It has been so long… decades, since anyone knocked me around like that." He looked past Luke, directly into the eyes of Han Solo. "I completely understand your rage, Solo… and you, Chewbacca, and you, Leia, my daughter. I make no excuses for myself. For some reason, the Force decided that I should go on living, so now, all I can do is try to make amends." Han snarled at him, "Good luck!" Then whirled, and he and Chewie stormed out of the room. Leia remained behind, a stony expression set on her face as she stared at Anakin. Luke started to say something to Leia about how he was preparing to tell the galaxy the truth about Darth Vader/Anakin, and to ask if he wanted to also reveal that Anakin was also Leia's father. Leia didn't turn her head to look at Luke, but her eyes caught his with a look that he had never seen before; and suddenly Luke felt one inch tall, and he fell silent. Anakin would rather have endured a hundred more blows from Chewbacca than the death stare that Leia was giving him, as her eyes left Luke and returned to Anakin. "I do not HAVE a father, Luke; he died at the same time as my mother. My adoptive father was on Alderaan, and we all know what happened there, don't we? " She stared at Anakin, and saw grief spread across his face, and she was glad. After a moment, she turned and silently left the conference room.

Hours later, things were settling down on the Rebel ships. In some sections of the ships, celebratory cheers and singing could be heard. The battlefield had been carefully swept, but just as the Imperial Star Destroyers had found, there were no living survivors from either side in the debris field. The Rebels on Endor had their hands full dealing with their Imperial prisoners. Some were defiant, but others were more than ready to renounce their allegiance to the Empire and join the winning side. These would be given the least trust and the lowest, most menial jobs, until they had proved themselves worthy of trust. Artoo and Threepio had rejoined Han and Leia on the medical frigate. What none of them realized was that deep within the frigate, in a small, secluded room with little more than a bed and a table, Anakin Skywalker sat alone. He had hoped to meditate, but his confrontation that day had kicked loose a whole new flood of painful memories. Leia reminded him so much of Padme, now that he could see her with human eyes. The look she had given him was one of pure hate. Anakin knew only Luke's presence had prevented his death that day. Anakin took advantage of his solitude. He began to weep, and the more he wept, the more the memories assaulted him. After a time, he heard the door slide open. Anakin dried his eyes and turned to see who had entered. He saw a short white and blue astromech droid in the entrance. Anakin's first thought was that it had been programmed to deliver a meal, or relay a message. Then he looked a little closer. "Artoo? That can't be… is that you?" Then, a taller golden droid entered. "Artoo, don't disturb him, Master Skywalker told us to stay away… oh my goodness, Darth Vader?" Anakin recognized his own creation instantly. "Hello, Threepio. I had a feeling that was you, back on Bespin. And I am no longer Darth Vader; please call me Anakin Skywalker." Threepio was amazed. "My goodness, another Master Skywalker? Are you perhaps related to Master Luke?" Anakin was puzzled, and Artoo chirped and beeped briefly. Threepio said, "What do you mean, my mind was wiped? What are you talking about?" Anakin nodded in understanding. That made sense; one of Threepio's faults was that he was terrible at keeping a secret. Anakin spoke to Artoo. "But was your mind wiped, Artoo? How much do you remember?" Artoo beeped again, and out of habit, Threepio translated. "He says that he remembers everything." This sent a chill through Anakin. Artoo had indeed witnessed everything: Anakin's childhood, his ascension to Padawan, and then Jedi; the Clone Wars, and his fall to the Sith. Remarkable, that this little droid had for so long held within him the most explosive secret in the galaxy: the truth of Darth Vader. Anakin spoke again to Artoo. "Thank you, my friend, for keeping my secret, and no doubt for watching after my son and daughter." He reached out to pat Artoo on the dome, but the little droid scooted backward, then pivoted around and hurriedly left the room. Threepio excused himself and followed, calling out both questions and insults at Artoo. The door closed, and Anakin sighed. Another destroyed friendship. Artoo had been by his side in countless battles when he was a Padawan, but now he recoiled from Anakin's touch. And who could blame him?

The skies above Coruscant rapidly filled with Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace, and immediately took up defensive positions around the planet. Admiral Gahl, the Admiral who had made the decision to depart Endor and return to Coruscant, now faced the unpleasant task of explaining this decision to the Imperial Governor who had been left by Palpatine in charge of the planet in his absence. Admiral Gahl faced the viewscreen as it shimmered, and Imperial Governor Suvan appeared. He apparently was most displeased. Admiral Gahl explained that the Super Star Destroyer Executor had crashed into the Death Star, which had then exploded, not to mention twelve standard Star Destroyers had been lost, along with hundreds of Tie craft of all classifications. Both the Emperor and Darth Vader had been lost, as well as all personnel on the Death Star, and even the 501st stormtrooper legion on Endor. "Given all of these unfortunate events, I alone made the decision to withdraw and protect the next most valuable location in the Empire, which is, of course, this planet." Governor Suvan leaned forward and practically hissed, "Why did you not finish off the Rebel fleet? I know for a fact that they had just lost two of their largest vessels to fire from the Death Star, not to mention dozens of irreplaceable fighter craft! They were weakened and you should have struck while you had the chance!" Admiral Gahl could take no more. This had been a very stressful day, and now his military decisions were being second-guessed by a pale bureaucrat who had not fired a weapon in anger since before the fall of the Old Republic. "Begging your pardon, Governor Suvan, but I was there, you were not! One Rebel fighter can use its superior shielding and firepower to finish off ten Tie Fighters, easily! I remind you, the Alliance destroyed twelve standard Star Destroyers with their fighters, as well as fatally damaging the Executor. Had the Emperor allowed all of the Star Destroyers to attack the fleet from the beginning of the battle, we would easily have won, but he wanted to show off his Death Star's firepower." Governor Suvan shook his head. "So now you attempt to cover up your spectacular failure by disparaging our Emperor? You had better hope that he has indeed been lost, or you will pay for those comments with your life."

Back on the Rebel medical frigate, Luke appeared from a conference room with Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma, as well as General Calrissian. He had informed them of all of the details of the events on the Death Star, and while Lando was understandably less than enthusiastic, Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma had recognized, with their keen political minds, that having a reformed Sith Lord, the Emperor's right hand man, now on their side… the political implications were staggering. They had agreed to extend refuge and political asylum to Anakin Skywalker, and entrusted his recovery to Luke. Now, the time that Luke had dreaded was upon him. He stepped up to a podium, and began to speak. His image was broadcast all over the medical frigate, as well as all over the Rebel fleet. Over the next several minutes, Luke laid it all out: his parentage, the fact that Leia was his sister, and the events that had transpired on the Death Star when Anakin had re-emerged and destroyed the Emperor. At the end, Luke was practically pleading. "Anakin Skywalker was one of the greatest Jedi heroes of the Clone Wars, until the Emperor corrupted him. Becoming Darth Vader cost him his wife and children, not to mention nearly killing him and forcing him to live with ghastly wounds for two decades. Believe me, no one is more aware of the crimes of Darth Vader than I am. My adoptive family was murdered on his orders. Vader nearly killed me on more than one occasion. But that evil being is gone, my father has returned, he has destroyed the evil that consumed him, and I now beg you to allow him an opportunity at some form of redemption."

Naturally, the media is the media in any galaxy, and after Luke's long and impassioned speech, the headline that was blasted all over the galaxy's holonet feed read: DARTH VADER IS ALIVE! The subline read that he had been captured by the Rebel Alliance, and was being held. The media also gleefully reported that two of the Alliance's most revered heroes, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa, were in fact Darth Vader's children. Buried at the very bottom of the article was the full text of Luke's speech, which ensured that far more citizens of the galaxy read the media's spin on the news than Luke's explanation. Part of the media's treatment of this news was self-preservation; if Vader was really alive, it only made sense to give the news an Empire-friendly spin. None of the reporters or editors wanted to find themselves on an Imperial prison barge. Across the galaxy, citizens buzzed with the news. Conspiracy theories were everywhere, as the revelation that two of the Alliance's finest were in fact children of the feared and hated Darth Vader caused many to re-evaluate the battles of the Galactic Civil War with this new knowledge. Some even went so far as to blame Leia for the destruction of Alderaan. And it would only get worse.

Over Coruscant, Admiral Gahl and Governor Suvan were simultaneously interrupted from hurling accusations at each other by breathless aides bearing urgent news. Both then looked at each other and said as one: "Lord Vader is alive!" While Governor Suvan primarily felt relief at this news, Admiral Gahl experienced panic and dread. He could practically feel his airway being cut off already. The Admiral reached out, ended the communication, and strode into his quarters, barking out orders that he was not to be disturbed to the stormtroopers stationed outside his door. Once inside his quarters and away from prying eyes, Admiral Gahl sat at his desk, rested his head as he leaned back in his chair, and pondered his options. To the amazement of the Imperial Officer Corps, Lord Vader had allowed Admiral Piett to live, despite repeated failures. Lord Vader had no idea how much money certain officers had lost in the unofficial betting pool as a result of the mercy shown by Lord Vader. Admiral Gahl had no doubt in his mind that Lord Vader would not be in any mood to repeat this mercy, not after this catastrophic defeat.

Back on the Rebel medical frigate, Luke sat with Anakin in his quarters. Anakin had seen the announcement broadcast by Luke, and was impressed and humbled. Now, Anakin made an unexpected request that surprised Luke. "Son, please summon R2-D2; he fled from me, but he will stay if you command him. He has some valuable information that you need to know." Although he was perplexed, Luke complied. Artoo appeared in a few minutes, and immediately scooted over to be next to Luke, and as far away from Anakin as possible. Anakin smiled, and spoke to Artoo. "Artoo, please show my son here all the information you have on his mother." Artoo rotated his dome so that his large eye was gazing at Luke, in an unmistakably questioning manner. Luke nodded, and Artoo complied. A hologram appeared between Luke and Anakin. It was a beautiful woman, dressed in the flowing robes of a queen. Anakin drew in his breath and whispered one word.. "Padme.." With Anakin's urging, Luke learned the entire truth of the rise and fall of Anakin and Padme's relationship, including Anakin's mad crush on her as a little boy, then ten years later as a teenage Padawan. Luke saw how Anakin won Padme's heart, married her in secret, and then… the betrayal. Luke saw Padme's and Anakin's political views grow apart, creating a rift between them. Luke learned that Padme had been the 'mother' of the Rebel Alliance, while Anakin was seduced to the Dark Side, supposedly as a means of protecting the love of his life, and of the Republic. Luke learned the full truth of Order 66, and his father's participation in that action, including the slaughtering of Jedi children. The recounting concluded with Anakin's charred, burnt face disappearing as Darth Vader's mask was lowered down. As Artoo's hologram silently faded away, Anakin's head was cradled in his hands, and the tears were freely flowing. "She was right, son… she was right all along, but I was too consumed with the Dark lust for power to see it. I practically murdered her. For this, for those I killed in Order 66, for the countless others I killed in the following two decades; there can be no redemption or forgiveness. I fail to understand why did the Force allow me to live when you rescued me? Or perhaps this is my punishment, or at least the beginning of my punishment?" Luke replied, "One thing that you may do to offer some sort of repentance is to assist us when we travel to Coruscant. The negotiations there will be extremely difficult, and the Alliance could use your help." Anakin gazed at Luke, as if to say, 'I'm pouring my heart out here, and you're bringing up politics?' Luke explained himself. "Father, you know that one of the founders of the Rebel Alliance was my mother. Although I never knew her, I know this is what she would want you to do. Assisting the Alliance may also help Leia look at you and see more of Anakin Skywalker, and less of… who you used to be." Luke deliberately avoided speaking the name Darth Vader. Luke then stood up. "Father, I'll leave you for now, you need to rest. I'm going to take Artoo and pay a visit to Han and Leia; perhaps when they know everything I know, they may find it somewhat easier to let go of the past." As Luke and Artoo neared the door, Anakin spoke up once more. "Luke… thank you. I can see you are trying your hardest to help me, and I thank you for that." Luke smiled and left without a word.

On the bridge of the Rebel command ship, Mon Mothma was engaged in a delicate, long-distance negotiation with Governor Suvan. Actually, this was merely a negotiation to arrange how many Rebel ships would be allowed to approach Coruscant, so that the real negotiations could proceed. Even this preliminary step was testing Mon Mothma's patience and skill to the limit. Suvan was enjoying himself posturing. "If your command ship appears in Imperial space anywhere near the capital, I assure you, it will be promptly destroyed. There is a large fleet of Star Destroyers protecting this planet, and-" Mon Mothma had enough. She cut off the Governor. "We have no intention of attacking Coruscant. We merely wish to meet and negotiate a formal end to this horrible Civil war, nothing more. Nobody wants the galaxy fractured any longer. It is true, you have a great number of Star Destroyers. But I warn you: more and more planets are openly joining the Alliance every day. You can't repress them all. Please, let us meet and bring an end to all of this!" Although Suvan kept a decent poker face, Mon Mothma had reached right through the empty posturing and touched the real fear in the hearts of all the Imperial leaders: the Empire was dying. The Alliance was rising, and nothing could stop it. She was completely correct: just since the destruction of the Death Star several days ago, over a dozen planets had openly declared themselves affiliated with the Alliance, an act unthinkable under the rule of Palpatine. To suppress a planet required several Star Destroyers and the resolve to keep them there, not to mention supporting an occupational army. And this was only the beginning. Suvan knew, in his heart of hearts that he never dared voice aloud, that it was not a matter of if the Empire would fall, but when. The only hope for the Empire, from Suvan's point of view, was to allow the Rebels to approach, then either secure Vader's release, or storm the Rebel ship and rescue him. Perhaps with Lord Vader back in command of the fleet, there might be a chance… "Very well, you may bring one, and only one of your vessels into orbit around Coruscant. The rest must remain beyond the edge of the solar system." This was to ensure that if the Rebels attacked, there would be at least some warning. Mon Mothma responded. "Agreed… provided that there will be one, and only one Star Destroyer in orbit with us." Suvan shook his head. "You have great nerve, making demands on the Imperial fleet… but very well. I tire of this triviality, let us meet and get down to the real issues at hand!"

Meanwhile, on the medical frigate, Luke and Artoo managed to locate Leia, Han and Chewie, in the docking bay with Lando, who was attempting to explain to Han why the Millennium Falcon no longer had its familiar radar dish. "Han, I'm telling you, we were inside that thing, obstructions every which way, going as fast as we dared, Tie fighters firing on us from the rear, and I don't mind saying, had anyone else been piloting her, she wouldn't have made it out at all. But yes, I did misjudge the position of an overhang, and it took off the dish. Sorry, old buddy." Han was about to playfully retort, when he and Leia spotted Luke approaching them. Leia silently turned her back, and Han said to Lando, "I'll see you later, pal. I just remembered, Leia and I have something to attend to… anywhere but here." Lando winced internally, even though he knew that shot was aimed squarely at Luke. Lando silently drifted away as Luke quickened his pace and caught up with Han, Leia and Chewie. Only the memories of Luke's long and faithful service to the Alliance, not to mention rescuing Han a time or two, kept Chewie from bellowing with rage at Luke. Instead, he settled for a low growl. When Luke placed himself directly in the path of Han and Leia, they had no choice but to speak to him. "Kid, we're not the ones you want to be talking to right now. Why don't you go talk to your buddy Darth Vader." Luke accepted the insult, and directed his next comment to his sister. "Leia, I know you are upset, but I have some new information that you need to see. Please, come with me, and let me explain." Leia responded with another one of her silent stares of death. Luke tried another tactic. "Leia, what you are holding on to now is anger, and hate. These are not the feelings of a Jedi. You must let go of these feelings, or you may be consumed by the Dark Side as our father was. Please, come, let me help you." Han was about to retort when Leia sighed. "All right, Luke, but this is a waste of time. I'm doing this for you, because I do care about you, even though I'm furious with you right now." As Leia went with Luke, Han and Chewie remained in place, watching them leave. Luke thought for a moment, then invited Han to join them. "Han, you may as well see this too, if you and my sister are going to be together." They all entered a private room, and the door closed. Artoo activated his hologram, and they all stared at the image of a nine year old slave boy on Tatooine. "This is Anakin Skywalker… our father, Leia."

Elsewhere, in Anakin's quarters, he was lost deep in meditation, when finally the event he had prayed for happened. Anakin sensed a presence in the Force, opened his eyes, and saw a ghostly vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi looking at him, smiling. "Hello, Anakin, my old friend." Anakin drew in his breath with shock. "Obi-Wan! How…?" The ghostly vision actually held up his hand. "Just a hidden power of the Light side of the Force, which I learned from Master Yoda." Right on cue, another ghostly image appeared, and old Master Yoda smiled up at Anakin. "Your children, very special they are, Anakin! Saved the galaxy they have, hmm?" For the first time in decades, Anakin felt the beginnings of joy, although tempered with shame and regret. But the Force was not done yet. Before Anakin could reply, yet another ghostly image shimmered into view, this time in the shape of Master Qui-Gon. "Yes, Anakin, your children did a tremendous amount to win the war, but in the end it was you who destroyed the Sith. Never forget this." After a moment, when Anakin overcame his shock and found his voice, he protested. "But Masters.. all the death and destruction I caused for two decades! There can be no forgiveness or redemption for this, surely!" The three Master's faces were more serious, but then Yoda spoke. "True it is, there has been much lost, but not entirely yours, the fault was." Qui-Gon added, "You were seduced at a very vulnerable time, by a very evil, intelligent and devious Sith Lord who was a master manipulator. And we Masters were too consumed, too rigid to see what was happening and help you." Anakin's mind raced with confusion. Were they absolving him of all guilt? Obi-Wan directly answered Anakin's thought. "Anakin, you do share some guilt in all of this, but not nearly as much as you place on your own shoulders. When you gave in to Darth Sidious, the good person you are was lost entirely, and from then on, your actions and decisions were being made by the Dark Side of the Force. Your crime was giving in to a Sith Lord, albeit with the intentions of saving your wife from death." Anakin intervened. "Exactly! I gave in, I let the Darkness in, and as a result—" Yoda cut him off. "Beware, Anakin, torture yourself you must not! Atonement for your sins, you have already begun. Destroying the Emperor, a huge accomplishment this is." Obi-Wan spoke up again. "By overcoming the Dark evil within you, you destroyed Darth Vader. Then you destroyed Darth Sidious. In one moment, you destroyed the Sith, something even I thought impossible, but your son never lost faith." Yoda actually moved closer to Anakin. "You ask how you may atone, do you? Help your son! Trained him, I did, and very powerful he will become. He has only begun to discover his power. Greatest of all Jedi, will he be; greater than all of us. Only he sensed the good in you, Anakin. Help him you must. This is why the Force allowed you to live. One task remains in your journey. Help your son, you must." Qui-Gon added "Your daughter, too; she also has great potential, waiting to be molded." Yoda nodded in agreement. Obi-Wan got the last word, as the visages of Yoda and Qui-Gon faded away. "Anakin, old friend… it is good to have you back again. You must help usher in the new generation of Jedi. Help them avoid the mistakes that we suffered. Warn them of the Dark Side, allow them to fall in love, do not force their love to be in secret, as yours was. This is a fatal weakness that evil ones can prey upon. And fear not, Anakin; when it is your time, you will join us in the Force, and you will know peace." With that, Obi-Wan silently vanished, and Anakin was alone once again. This time, however, he was filled with hope instead of shame and self-loathing. Anakin made a decision, and rose to his feet. Despite his son's pleas to remain in his quarters, Anakin knew he had to step out and begin to accept his fate sometime, and that time was now. Anakin walked through the corridors of the Rebel starship. He no longer wore the black body armor of Darth Vader; he was dressed in simple grey trousers and a white tunic with black shoes. Still, with the breathing aide box, and the scarred, bald head, every single Rebel on board knew exactly who this was. And every single Rebel was shocked to see what appeared to be the beginning of a smile on his face as he made his way to the bridge.

Elsewhere, Leia dabbed at her moist eyes as Artoo's hologram vanished. Now, she and Han and Chewie all knew the full story of Anakin Skywalker. Han and Chewie were stony-faced and silent. They hated to loosen their grip on their hatred of Lord Vader, but they both had to admit: there was a lot more that they didn't know, and this had to be taken into account. Luke wisely held his tongue, allowing them all to process what they had seen. At that moment, Chewie barked in surprise. They all looked up, and saw Obi-Wan shimmering into view. Luke had seen this sight several times before, as had Artoo, but Han, Leia and Chewie had not. They all recognized Kenobi. Leia gasped "Obi-Wan!" as she stood up, intending to try to greet the apparition with a hug, but Luke's gentle hand on her shoulder held her in place. Obi-Wan spoke to them. "My friends, I shall keep this brief: the evil man you knew as Darth Vader is gone, destroyed by Anakin Skywalker. Part of the reason the Force kept Anakin alive was to serve a form of penance, which is to assist his children in the formation of a new foundation of Jedi, and the reformation of the Republic. And beware, there is a new evil approaching, and Anakin can help you defeat it. I beg you to allow him to help you; do not allow hatred to dominate your thoughts. Do not reject his help. And Leia, allow Luke to pass on his knowledge of the Force; you have the potential within you to be a great and powerful Jedi, but you must train yourself to let go of anger, and hate, or you risk being consumed by the Dark Side, as your father once was. Farewell, my friends." As Obi-Wan faded from view, the communicator on Leia's belt beeped for attention. Leia absently fumbled at the button, still stunned by what she had witnessed. On the communicator, the faces of Mon Mothma and Lando Calrissian appeared. It was time.

Across the Galaxy, planets everywhere had been ravaged by decades of constant warfare. The Clone Wars had scarcely ended when the Galactic Civil War sprang up in its place. Only this time, the oppression of the Empire affected countless systems, even if they were fortunate enough to escape having battles scar the surface of their planets. Many of the outlying systems who considered themselves out of the way, and therefore out of the Empire's sphere of interest, had adopted an unwritten policy of keeping their heads down and hoping the war passed them by. They feared that if they gained a reputation as a system that harbored Rebels, they would bring upon themselves the wrathful weight of Imperial occupation and oppression. And there was much truth to this sentiment. This, however, started to change. Many years in the future, scholars of the Galactic Civil War would point to one event as the beginning of the end of the Empire: the destruction of Alderaan. The senseless destruction of this planet, and nearly all of its inhabitants, was a clear signal to every planet in the galaxy that no system was safe from the Emperor's wrath. Here and there, supplies donated to the Rebellion began to trickle out of systems that were formerly staunchly neutral, or even pro-Empire. The Rebellion received increased funding, donated starships, fighters, weapons, and volunteer soldiers. This was underscored by the stunning destruction of the first Death Star. Suddenly, the formerly ragtag band of Rebels was now a serious, legitimate military opposition to the all-powerful and feared Empire. Admiral Ackbar pondered this sequence of events as he stood on the bridge of the Rebel flagship. No doubt in the future, scholars would declare that the fall of the Empire was inevitable. Ackbar snorted to himself with contempt at the thought. He thought to himself, that he would love to have those scholars here now to aid him in the upcoming negotiations with the remnants of the Imperial military. Perhaps their view on the inevitability of the fall of the Empire would be shaken. It was still very possible to bungle these negotiations, which could plausibly lead to years of further destructive conflict and loss of life. Ackbar's reflection was interrupted by a voice behind him. "I understand you are in need of some assistance, Admiral." Ackbar turned and recognized Anakin Skywalker. "I am still well familiar with all of the Imperial officers in command of the planet of Coruscant, and the fleet; I offer you my services." Ackbar did not speak, but a smile slowly appeared on his face as he sank into his chair. Ackbar gestured to the chair across from him, and Anakin sat down.

Several days later, less than one million miles from Coruscant, the Rebel Alliance's flagship leaped out of hyperspace, flanked by a dozen smaller battle cruisers, and perhaps fifty X-Wing and Y-Wing fighter craft. This represented approximately one fourth of the Rebel's surviving starfleet. If this turned out to be a trap, and these ships were destroyed, it would be a heavy blow to the Alliance. The X-Wings opened their S-foils to attack position, and they took up "aggressively defensive" positions in front of the Rebel flagship. From the planet of Coruscant, three Star Destroyers and a swarm of Tie Fighters moved to meet the Rebel ships. The fighters of both sides flew in extremely aggressive, agitated flight paths, yet no one fired. Had one pilot on either side fired a single shot, it would have been like dropping a burning match into an open barrel of gunpowder. One hardly needed to be strong with the Force to feel the nervous tension on both sides. As per pre-arranged agreement, the Rebel flagship moved ahead, and was escorted by a single Star Destroyer. Both ships slowly moved toward Coruscant, side by side. Behind them, both Rebel and Imperial fleets kept a wary watch on each other, but did not follow.

Many light years away, in a remote corridor of the Outer Rim, a lone Star Destroyer slowly made its way around an asteroid field. Having briefly orbited the planet of Hoth, the Imperial vessel lumbered on its slow, laborious patrol route. The Captain in command of this ship thought it a particularly useless waste of time. The official reason for this patrol was to dissuade the Rebel Alliance from attempting to re-occupy their former base on the icy planet, yet even the lowliest stormtrooper could plainly see that the Alliance's days of hiding on this icy tomb were long since over. The Alliance had grown into a significant, legitimate counterforce to the Empire, and continued to grow stronger by the day.

Unknown to the dejected Captain of this lonely Star Destroyer, his vessel was being watched. Inside the asteroid field, a strangely grotesque figure gazed at a screen, which was focused on the Star Destroyer. After a brief initial scan, an emotionless, mechanical voice was heard. "A vessel has been detected. Unimatrix six seven one grid two nine five. Activate. Alter course to intercept."

Aboard the Star Destroyer, alarms wailed. Officers scrambled to identify what was happening in the asteroid field. There was a strange green glow, and the asteroids were being shoved aside by a vessel of some sort. All too soon, the vessel revealed itself. It was large, and entirely cubical in shape. It bore the resemblance of an incredibly complicated formation of pipes, panels, and conduits. It was larger than the Star Destroyer, and was headed directly for it. Suddenly, the intercom speakers crackled, and a mechanical voice was heard all through the Star Destroyer. "We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ship. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile." Amid the shock and growing fear, the Captain was pleased to see that the swarm of Tie Fighters docked aboard the Star Destroyer had immediately launched and were screaming toward the cube. Following was a smaller swarm of more heavily armed Tie Bombers. The swarm of Tie Fighters reached the cube first, lasers firing. Most were absorbed by the green shielding of the cube, but a few shots found gaps in the shields and struck the surface of the cube, causing minor damage. Unfortunately for the Tie Fighters, the cube was armed, and returned fire, rapidly picking off the Tie Fighters one at a time. The wave of Tie Bombers immediately followed, firing ion disruptor beams and launching proton torpedoes. The ion beams definitely had an effect on the shield of the cube, and while the shields did not collapse, they did weaken, which allowed a number of torpedoes to strike the surface of the cube, causing more serious damage. Predictably, the Tie Bombers met the same fate as the Fighters, and only a small handful of the Imperial craft survived to scramble back to the Star Destroyer. Aboard the Star Destroyer's bridge, a junior officer breathlessly ran up to the Captain. "Sir, one hundred fighters and bombers went out, only fourteen survived, and are on the way back!" The Captain nodded. "Shields at maximum, lock all weapons on that… vessel." Locking weapons was hardly a challenge, since the strange looking cube now loomed up close to the Star Destroyer, almost entirely filling the windows of the main bridge. "Back us off and fire all weapons!" The Star Destroyer unleashed a fearsome volley of high-powered ion disruptors, guided missiles, proton torpedoes, and of course, the familiar deadly powerful turbolasers. The same weaponry that had been known to devastate the surfaces of planets now attempted to shatter the shielding of this alien craft. Indeed, the green shielding protecting the cube did begin to weaken once more, and the damage to the cube's outer surface was increasing. The cube retaliated by firing its intense green beam at the Star Destroyer's weapon emplacements, methodically destroying turbolasers and ion cannons one by one. The few remaining fighters and bombers seized the opportunity presented by the cube's weakened shielding and lunged in for another attack. All were destroyed, but they managed to knock out the source of the cube's main weapon.

Aboard the Star Destroyer, the Captain was just starting to think that he might make it through this battle alive, when a new alarm went up. "Intruder alert! Enemy soldiers appearing inside the ship!" Immediately the Captain knew. "They're using a teleporter of some sort, attempting to invade the ship! Alert all stormtroopers! And keep those shields up!" Suddenly, in a corner of the bridge, a strange hum sounded and there was a green glow, and five black-armored Borg appeared on the bridge. Immediately the guards drew their blasters and fired. The first two Borg fell, but the Imperial blaster fire bounced harmlessly off the remaining three Borg. They advanced up the steps toward the command crew of the bridge. One of the Borg grabbed a crewman and jammed two tubes into his neck, then let him drop to the deck. The Captain grabbed the First Officer and fled from the bridge. As the doors closed behind them, they could hear blaster fire and screams. Then all went silent. The Captain looked at his subordinate. "Come with me."

Back on Coruscant, the negotiations between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire were mired down in posturing, threats, and demands, mostly from the Imperial Admirals and Generals who were primarily interested in saving their slice of the power and wealth that they had amassed under Palpatine's dictatorship. The gang of greedy officers was faced by Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, and Lando Calrissian. There were no guards inside the conference room, but outside waited a platoon of stormtroopers and Rebel soldiers, who were simultaneously eyeing each other distrustfully and watching monitors of what was happening inside the conference room. Several doors down the corridor, activity began to stir among the Imperial officers as the first reports of the battle with the alien ship reached Coruscant. It was time for a pre-scheduled break in the conference, and the Imperial representatives wandered out into the hallway. They were met by a tense-faced Major, who delivered the first reports to the Admirals. The Imperial Admirals promptly turned to the Rebel delegates, preparing to accuse them of staging this attack to affect the outcome of the negotiations. This accusation was deflected by the Imperial Major who delivered the report. "Sir, this craft is like nothing we have ever seen before. It already has one of our Star Destroyers on the brink of destruction. Certainly it is beyond their capabilities." He intended this insult for the Rebel delegates, but the Admirals were more upset with being contradicted by a junior officer in front of the enemy.

The situation on the Star Destroyer battling the Borg had gone from bad to worse. One third of the ship was now under the control of the Borg invaders, and they seemed to have the ability to rapidly adapt to weapons fire. They also possessed great strength when attacked physically. The Captain literally dragged his subordinate to a shuttlecraft and shoved him inside. He then handed the Commander a data disk that contained recordings of the battle, and some of the information gained on the enemy thus far. The shuttle launched out into space from the far side of the Star Destroyer facing away from the Borg cube, so that the fearsome enemy never saw the shuttle until just before it had jumped into hyperspace. The shuttle escaped safely, leaving behind a Borg cube that had already regained use of its main weapon, and a Star Destroyer being consumed from the inside by invading Borg drones. Soon, all firing had ceased from both the Star Destroyer and the Borg cube, and space was still once more. Inside the Star Destroyer, the Borg smashed down the blast doors protecting the last group of Imperial stormtroopers who had not been assimilated. The stormtroopers unleashed a hail of blaster fire, but the Borg had long since adapted, and the fire bounced off their shielding, in some cases killing the stormtroopers who had fired the shots in the first place. They were the lucky ones.

Some time later, the lone Imperial shuttle came out of hyperspace above Coruscant, alarming both the Rebel and Imperial fleets hovering near the planet. Fortunately for the pilot, he had called ahead and notified the Imperial fleet of his approach, which forced the Imperial fleet to grudgingly notify the Rebel fleet, out of fear that a nervous X-Wing pilot would blast the shuttle before the pilot could be secured. When the Rebel Alliance heard the Empire admitting that one of their Star Destroyers had been overpowered by an unknown invader, and the only surviving shuttle craft was on the way, they agreed to let it pass and dock on board the Imperial flagship. The fleets of fighter craft on both sides watched as the shuttle seemingly tip-toed its way past the two massed armies of war machines, and docked on an Imperial Star Destroyer. The Imperial crew immediately secured the pilot and the data disk, and began to analyze.

Hours later, on Coruscant, Admiral Gahl watched as Governor Suvan angrily demanded an update on the analysis. He was determined to prove that this distant attack had been a Rebel ploy to affect the negotiations. "Captain, I demand that you confirm my theory on the nature of this attack immediately! I understand that Imperial penal colonies on Hoth are especially harsh this time of year, Captain, so I suggest you tell me what I want to hear!" For his part, based on what he had seen, the unfortunate Captain on the Star Destroyer knew this new threat was far too serious to disregard, even if it meant offending one of the highest ranking Imperial Governors. "Excellency, this new invader is most definitely NOT affiliated with the Rebel Alliance. If that were the case, this war would have ended years ago, and not in our favor." While Governor Suvan stammered with rage, and Admiral Gahl stifled a smirk, the Captain went on to detail what they knew of the Borg vessel, its armament, shielding, adaptability, strength, and assimilation process. The more he listened, the more Governor Suvan's petty ego-fed anger evaporated, replaced with fear. He looked at Admiral Gahl, and saw deep concern engraved in his face. The Admiral sighed. "If only we still had the Death Star… this 'cube' would be but a memory by now." He had an inspiration, and turned to the conference room where the Rebel delegation waited. He walked up to Mon Mothma. "You hold Lord Vader aboard your flagship, correct? He must be returned at once. With Lord Vader back at the head of our Starfleet, we will smash this new invader!" Mon Mothma shook her head. "Anakin Skywalker is no longer Darth Vader; that evil person is gone. The Sith are dead. Only together will we manage to defend our galaxy against this… Borg." Admiral Gahl had to restrain himself from grabbing Mon Mothma by the shoulders and shaking her to her senses. "Call him what you will, he is a great military tactician, the greatest I have ever seen! Changing his name does not change the fact that he is a genius! He would have to be, to retain his position as the Emperor's right hand man for two decades. Return him to us NOW, so we may defeat this invader that threatens us both!" At this, Admiral Ackbar came up behind Mon Mothma. "No, don't, It's a trap! If they get him back, and he reverts back to Darth Vader, this whole war may erupt once again!"

Aboard the Rebel command ship, Anakin and Luke stood on the bridge, watching reports come in about the new alien invader. Anakin gazed out the window at the Star Destroyers and said to Luke, "The Imperial fleet will want me to return. I can feel their fear and uncertainty. They think I can lead them in battle to defeat this new invader." Luke glanced at his father. "And could you?" Before Anakin could answer, they were summoned to a viewscreen. Admiral Ackbar addressed Anakin through the screen, and although clearly unhappy with the situation, reluctantly asked if Anakin and Luke would be willing to travel to the lead Imperial Star Destroyer and assist in the coming battle against the Borg. Admiral Ackbar explained. "We can be certain this new alien invader has scanned all information on the captured Star Destroyer, and we all agree it will most likely make a strike against the heavily populated planets in the Outer Rim. We believe it will assimilate countless millions of beings, capture ships and equipment, and it will not rest until it has a firm foothold in our galaxy. Eventually, we can expect a campaign against Coruscant. Our best hope is to destroy it now, while the alien presence is limited to two vessels. We need your help to do this." Anakin nodded and said, "I understand, and I am ready to do my best to help defend the galaxy." Admiral Ackbar bowed his head and stepped away from the screen, to be replaced by Lando Calrissian. "Anakin, we have arranged for you and Commander Skywalker to be transported to the lead Star Destroyer by… an old friend." The screen went dark, and both Skywalkers sensed a presence behind them. They turned and saw Han Solo and Chewbacca. "Hey guys, need a ride?"

In the docking bay of the Rebel command ship, they slowly walked over to the Millennium Falcon. Anakin gazed at the ship, recalling all the times when it had eluded the might of the Empire. Luke handed an object to his father. Anakin looked at Luke's hand, and it held a newly assembled lightsaber. "Here, father, take this. I don't want you on this Imperial vessel, or in combat with this new alien invader, without a weapon." Anakin slowly took the lightsaber, examined it, and pressed the button on the hilt. A bright blue blade sprang out and hummed. Through his mask, his old Sith saber had always appeared hatefully and intensely red. This blue blade reminded him of days long ago, when he was an innocent Jedi, fighting alongside Obi-Wan. Before the catastrophe. Anakin pushed these thoughts down, deactivated the blade, and clipped it to his belt. This was no time to regret the past. As they moved toward the boarding ramp of the Falcon, Han threw Anakin a quip; "Here's your chance to finally see the inside of this ship!" As they entered, Anakin appraised the battered and aged interior of the Falcon. "Yes… much as I imagined!" Chewie released one of his guffawing laughs, and Han stammered "Wait, much as you.. what?" Obviously Anakin's old sense of humor was recovering from its 20 year slumber as well. Luke merely smiled, shook his head, and went up to the cockpit. Anakin and Luke sat in the rear seats, while a slightly irritated Han sat in the pilot's seat. "You know, she'll make point five past light speed." Anakin was about to reply, but Luke beat him to it. "Then we should be at the Star Destroyer in no time. Shall we go?"

Light years away, the Borg cube and the Star Destroyer it had assaulted were slowly moving through space, side by side. The Star Destroyer now gave off a green glow from its many windows, instead of the normal white. There were odd black additions to the outer hull. Inside, there was no talking, only the noise of silent drones reconfiguring the interior of the ship. Regeneration alcoves were set up by the hundreds. Stormtrooper body armor was gathered in one place, to be dematerialized for other usage at a later time. The former occupants of this armor now had Borg body armor, and various mechanical implants all throughout their bodies. On the bridge of the Borg cube, the data stolen from the Star Destroyer was being thoroughly analyzed. A planet was selected, one which had a dense population, yet was isolated. A perfect starting point for the Borg invasion. The Borg cube and Borg-controlled Star Destroyer moved off together toward their new target.

This strange time of sights that would have been impossible mere days before gave another odd sight: the Millennium Falcon slowly approached a Star Destroyer, moved underneath it, and gently docked in the Star Destroyer's docking bay. The Falcon's ramp lowered, and the Captain of the Star Destroyer greeted Anakin as he walked down the ramp. "Greetings, Lord V-" Anakin immediately held up his hand. "My name is Anakin Skywalker." The Captain acknowledged this with a stiff bow at the neck. "As you wish.. er.. Master Skywalker." Luke, Han and Chewie walked down the ramp as well. The Captain gave the three Rebels and the Falcon a brief, disdainful glance, then turned toward the hangar door. They all made their way to the bridge, and together, the Imperial Star Destroyers and Rebel vessels all leaped into hyperspace together.

The planet Tantra was situated in the Outer Rim. It boasted a population of 4 billion beings, and a strong and vibrant economy. The Empire maintained control of the planet all throughout the Civil War. Now, they sent panicked distress calls as a mysterious cube-shaped vessel and a Star Destroyer that had been taken by the alien invader appeared in the sky above Tantra. Coruscant acknowledged the distress calls and assured the terrified planet that help was on the way. For once, the Empire was telling the truth. Just as the Borg vessels were moving into orbit around the planet, dozens of Star Destroyers and Rebel starships leaped out of hyperspace less than one million miles from the planet. Immediately, swarms of Tie Fighters and Rebel Fighters rushed to engage the Borg ships. The Y-Wings were especially valuable, because they were the most heavily armored fighters, and they possessed an extremely powerful ion cannon. A group of ten Y-Wings made a charge at the head of the Borg Star Destroyer, losing four fighters in the first assault, but also knocking out the shields surrounding the bridge. Using the same tactics that the Rebel Fleet had honed at the Battle of Endor, the Y-Wings disabled the shields, allowing the X-Wings and A-Wings to swoop in and do as much damage as possible. This time, however, the Rebels were assisted by swarms of Tie Fighters. The other large ships of the Rebel and Imperial fleet wished to move in and assist, yet were hesitant to do so out of fear of Borg drones teleporting aboard their ships, so they kept a safe distance.

Aboard the lead Star Destroyer, Anakin studied the scans of the Borg ships and compared it to the readings they had from the previous encounter. Anakin motioned to Luke. "Do you see this, son?" Luke looked puzzled. Anakin coached his son. "Relax your mind, Luke; don't merely read the data, let the Force guide your analysis." Luke did as his father asked, and slowly the pattern revealed itself. The Borg ship used shields that were constantly shifting and changing frequency. Using ion weapons to weaken the shields was much like using a sledge hammer to knock a hole through a brick wall. True, eventually you will be successful, but it takes far too much time. Learn the frequency of the shields, be able to predict accurately, and you have the code to simply open the door in the wall. Luke and Anakin were distracted when the crew on the bridge began to cheer. Looking out of the window, the cause was soon apparent: The Borg-controlled Star Destroyer was being rocked by explosions from the inside. Suddenly, the entire vessel violently exploded, raining large chunks of flaming debris down on the planet below. Now, however, the Borg cube struck back. It fired off dozens of captured Imperial guided missiles, destroying Rebel and Imperial fighters alike. The cube brushed aside dozens of tiny fighters with missiles and its own powerful weapon. It appeared determined to move itself closer to the fleet of Rebel and Imperial vessels, for reasons that were soon made clear. As Luke and Anakin studied the Borg shielding, twenty drones materialized inside the bridge. They immediately opened fire on the Imperial bridge crew. Luke and Anakin rapidly drew their lightsabers and charged at the drones, deflecting Borg fire. Several of the guards managed to fire a few shots, and two drones went down before all the others adapted to the laser fire. Luke brought his blade down with great force, and it sizzled through the body of a Borg drone as Luke sliced the drone in two. Anakin and Luke rapidly dispatched all but four of the Borg in this way. Anakin swung his blade to finish off another drone… and his lightsaber clashed against the Borg's shielding, but did not penetrate. The Borg had adapted. Now the drone reached out to grab Anakin's neck. Luke thrust out his hand and the unseen power of the Force threw the drone back into the other three. The door to the bridge opened, and three specially equipped stormtroopers rushed in, aimed their weapons, and out spewed flames that roasted the four remaining drones alive. Several well-placed laser blasts put the drones out of their silent agony. Anakin looked at the bridge Captain. "That is how you beat them. Vary your attacks, keep them off balance, and kill when you have the chance. Let the others know." The Captain nodded and relayed the word to the other ships of both the Rebel and Imperial fleets.

Meanwhile, in space, the battle against the Borg Cube was not going well. Rebel and Imperial fighters and bombers were buzzing all around the cube, but the progress against the shield was slow, and they were taking very heavy casualties. The Star Destroyers and Rebel starships itched to move closer and bring in their heavy weaponry, but feared having gangs of near-indestructible Borg drones teleporting aboard their ships. Anakin had an idea, and quickly summoned Luke and Han Solo to his side.

Several minutes later, Han sat in the Captain's chair of the Millennium Falcon, muttering about a suicide mission. Chewie ignored him. Anakin and Luke sat in the main hold, near the holographic chess table. Han called back, "Ok kid, we're within range; this had better work!" Han looked back out of the cockpit window. The Borg cube loomed directly ahead. Fighters from both fleets desperately buzzed about the surface, trying to find a weakness and punch a hole in the shields. There was a shimmering, whining sound in the main hold, and two drones materialized. One rushed Luke, and was promptly struck down by Luke's green lightsaber. The other drone rushed Anakin, yet Anakin offered no resistance. The drone jammed two tubes into Anakin's neck, then Luke's lightsaber took off the drone's head. Luke hollered up to the cockpit, and the Falcon immediately turned and fled back to the Star Destroyer where it had been docked. On the deck where he had collapsed, Anakin struggled as the color drained from his face. His veins began to turn dark, and his pale skin took on a slightly green tone. As Chewie docked the Falcon, Han rushed back to see what was happening, just in time to see a mechanical appendage burst out of Anakin's skin. Anakin looked at Luke and Han, and reassured them. "They assimilate beings with nanoprobes, but they don't have control of me. The Force is protecting me. But I can hear all their thoughts." Han looked at Luke. "You let one of those things… assimilate him?" Luke retorted. "My father allowed it, to try to gain access to their knowledge and communications." Anakin spoke. "And it's working… I can hear what they are thinking, I know how to defeat them. But we must hurry. When they discover that they cannot fully assimilate me, they may adapt… and these nanoprobes are very powerful, even for someone strong with the Force." Anakin stood up and strode quickly for the exit. Luke and Han struggled to keep up. Anakin strode across the docking bay, to the corner, where his personal X-1 prototype Tie Fighter sat. He had ordered it repaired after the damage suffered in the Battle of Yavin, but had never flown it in combat again. He was speaking all the way. "They want to invade our galaxy, to take over… I hear something about how they overwhelmed and defeated a Starfleet in their own galaxy, now they seek new areas to conquer. This cube is the first, a scout, the first of many. An invasion fleet is on the way. We must defeat this one, and not allow it to establish Tantra as a launch point for the invasion of our galaxy." Anakin rapidly climbed aboard his X-1 and activated the engines. Han Solo pulled out a communicator and pressed a button, alerting ship Captains of both fleets. Anakin piloted the X-1 out of the hangar, and toward the Borg cube.

From the Borg's perspective, this battle would inevitably lead to victory. The small fighter craft were being destroyed, and then the larger vessels would be assimilated. The Borg aboard the cube had not attempted to destroy the larger vessels because they hoped to use them, after assimilating the crew, to bolster its invasion fleet of this galaxy. Once sufficient cubes and spheres arrived, the inferior design vessels would be tossed aside, but for the time being, they could be useful. One of the vessels launched a single fighter, now headed toward the cube. Scans reveal nothing unusual about this fighter, other than slightly upgraded weapons and shields. It is irrelevant.

Aboard the X-1, Anakin concentrated on using the Force to silence the Borg nanoprobes that were still attempting to take over his body, and also he was allowing the Force to guide his monitoring of the Borg shield frequency. Anakin saw a Tie Fighter just ahead of him unable to pull up in time, and it crashed in a fiery explosion against the Borg shield. At the last possible second, Anakin adjusted the X-1's shields, and the fighter drifted through the Borg shielding unharmed. This drew the attention of the Borg, and they directed fire at his ship. Anakin could sense the fire before it emanated from the weapons array, thanks to the Force, and maneuvered the X-1 to avoid it. Using his new connection to the Borg, Anakin had deduced where the main transporter array was in the cube, and he guided his vessel rapidly to that part of the cube's surface. There. Right in this spot; the transporter array was 30 feet inside the structure of the vessel. Anakin flew full speed at the cube, lasers blasting a hole in the surface of the cube. Chipping away the surface until he was less than 10 feet from the transporter array. Then Anakin flipped a concealed switch and prepared to fire the specially installed high yield concussion missile, donated by the Rebel fleet. His X-1 surrounded on all sides by the flaming wreckage of the hole he had drilled in the surface of the Borg cube, his tiny ship literally inside the cube, Anakin pressed the button to fire the missile. He felt no pain, and his world went completely white. The sounds of battle drifted away, leaving only a peaceful silence. From the silence, a soft, beautiful voice that he had dreamed of hearing a thousand times: "Anakin? Annie, is that you?"

Aboard the lead Star Destroyer, Luke and Han watched as the bottom corner of the Borg cube erupted in an intense explosion. Admiral Ackbar, aboard the Rebel cruiser, led the charge against the Borg cube. With its transporter array destroyed by Anakin, the larger ships did not have to fear invasion from Borg drones, and they moved in and combined their fire against the Borg cube. The Borg still lashed out with every weapon at their disposal, causing severe damage to several Star Destroyers and completely destroying a Rebel frigate, but soon the weight of numbers proved to be too great. With large ships from two fleets massing all of their fire against the Borg cube simultaneously, the shields rapidly weakened, then collapsed, and soon the Borg cube was completely destroyed. No Borg succeeded in transporting aboard any of the larger ships. For the time being, the Borg threat was eliminated.

Several weeks later, on Coruscant, The Rebel and Imperial leaders met and signed the treaty that formally ended the Galactic Civil War. It abolished the Galactic Empire, and established the New Republic. Most of the political prisoners taken under Palpatine's regime were freed. Those Imperial leaders responsible for war crimes would be prosecuted, and punished under the law. Also during this time, the full truth of Palpatine was revealed to every citizen of the galaxy, from before the Clone Wars to the present day. The truth that he had manipulated both sides in the Clone Wars, then manipulated the creation of the Empire, then used the amassed power for his own evil, personal gain. The Imperial and Rebel fleets would be merged, as would the military personnel of both sides. This would no doubt lead to much awkward integration issues, but there was a reason for such unprecedented cooperation and accommodation. The galaxy had seen a new threat on the horizon, and knew that an invasion was likely imminent. They had no more time for civil bickering. A monstrous, new common enemy had appeared that threatened all of them, no matter what uniform they wore. Every planet in the galaxy sent one representative to Coruscant, and democracy was born anew. The new, combined military sent their best minds to pool their talents. Using every scrap of intelligence on the new Borg enemy that they had gained in the battle against the cube, they began working on methods of defeating a future invasion.

Back aboard the Rebel flagship, there was a small ceremony in a private chamber. Attending were Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Artoo and Threepio. They gathered around an altar, upon which lay the black armored suit, cape and helmet of Darth Vader. Luke lowered a torch onto Vader's cape, and the entire uniform quietly started to burn. Overhead, the ventilation unit silently caught the smoke and kept the air clean. Smoke poured out of the mouth slits of Vader's helmet. Tears streamed down Leia's face, as she held onto Han for support. Luke was more composed, but his eyes were moist as well. Han stared at the helmet in stony silence as it melted. Then, Leia gasped quietly. They all looked up, and saw a shimmering image of Anakin. He appeared as a young man, and his arm was around a smiling, beautiful brown-haired young woman. Luke said, "Mother?" Anakin looked at the group, smiled, nodded once, then he and his wife were gone.

-AFTERWORD-

This segment is to answer a few questions that may come up after reading this story.

I was never completely satisfied with how "Return of the Jedi" (ROTJ) ended; I thought there was a lot of interesting story material left unanswered. What happened with the Rebel and Imperial fleets? Did they have trouble ending the war officially? And above all, what if Darth Vader had survived? This prompted me to write this story.

I am posting this story now, before "The Force Awakens" is released, and before any post-ROTJ story line is established on film. I am aware that there was extensive Expanded Universe material before the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm, but I mostly ignored that. I did not want to deal with the Emperor popping up in cloned bodies.

I began writing my version of this story without a clear ending in mind, and the story told me that a deadly, scary, threatening new enemy was needed; one that would threaten both the Alliance and the Empire. Otherwise, without a terrifying new common enemy, it threatened to bog down in political posturing over the negotiating table between the delegations of the Alliance and the Empire. I had enough of that in the Prequels. So, I need a new enemy, and since I am a fan of both Star Wars and Star Trek, I thought, well, why not bring in a Borg cube? I did not start out envisioning this as a crossover, it just ended up that way.

Yes, I am aware I have taken some technical liberties, especially with Borg technology. I know cubes don't have centralized bridges, or weapons centers, or transporter rooms. Or, they have so many backups that it really doesn't matter. I am aware of this, and I don't care. My goal was to try to write a good story, not to be 100% faithful to the Borg tech manuals. Besides, the writers of Star Trek themselves have been known to "forget" certain details when the plot requires it.

I feel that the Star Wars universe is aware of teleportation, and it may even exist in their universe. Just because we never have seen it on-screen doesn't mean it's not there. Luke refers to it in "A New Hope." That's why I had our guys take it in stride and figure out a way to eliminate that little piece of technology from the Borg cube, which was key to winning the battle.

Hope you liked the story!