Author's Note: Thank you all for reading and a BIG thank you to all those who have reviewed so far. Your feedback is very appreciated and keeps me going with this story.

Chapter 2

Luke struggled to get to his feet and stumbled over to where his father had fallen to the ground. With unshed tears in his eyes, he got down on his knees and used both hands to push his father's body onto his back. "Please, Father. Stay with me this time." He begged. "Oh Force...let him live this time." He then pleaded with the Force itself.

At that point, he felt his father's neck with two fingers with his right hand to see if he could feel a pulse. To his relief and amazement, he felt a faint pulse and then noticed that his father's chest had started to raise and fall now that he was on his back. Luke let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank the Force. Just don't die on me, Father. I'm not going to lose you again." He pleaded again with his father's unconscious form as he attempted to stand up.

Once on his feet, Luke walked over to where he had dropped his own light saber and bent down to pick it up. As he did, he looked down at the dead Sith, the clone body of Palpatine, who his father had killed in order to save his life and grimaced. "Well, I guess you won't be taking over the galaxy after all." Luke spat out as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his communicator but noticed it missing. "Blast! I must have left it in the X-Wing." He cursed to himself as he turned to give his father's unconscious body a glance to make sure he was still breathing before turning to head back outside through the cave system.

He stumbled and almost fell a couple of times as he walked, trying to remember the way he came while using his light saber to light his way. When he finally emerged from the opening of the cave, he was met by a series of excited beeps and whines from R2 that couldn't help but make Luke smile. "Hello, R2. No...I'm not fine. I need medical help." He paused as he recovered from a dizzy spell. "So does my father." He told the droid who whined at him with concern. "I'll be ok, R2. Nothing that a couple of days in a bacta tank won't cure. But I'm not so sure about my father." He paused as he put his hand on the side of the X-Wing and leaned into it to support himself. "R2, see if you can find a medical facility nearby. One that can send a ship to retrieve us. I don't think I can fly in my present condition." He told the droid as he fell to his knees in exhaustion.

R2 whined again with concern as he watched helplessly as his master fell over on his side unconscious. Fearful for his master's life, he did as his master asked and started a search for a nearby medical facility.

Sometime later...

Luke awoke with a start to a bright light being shined in his eyes. "Wh-what's going on?" He asked groggily.

"You're going to be alright, Master Skywalker." A man said as Luke groaned while he felt himself being lifted from the ground and put into a medical capsule.

But just as they were lifting him into the air, he became more alert and remembered his father being unconscious in the cave. "Wait! There is another...in the cave! You can't leave him!"

"Don't worry, Master Skywalker." The man answered him. "That little droid of yours is something. He wouldn't stop hounding us until we followed him into the cave where we found your friend." He paused. "Your friend is very weak, but we think he might make it. We just have to get him to the Salvation Medical Frigate and get him into a bacta tank. You as well."

Luke let out a sigh of relief, even in his semi-conscious state, he was able to comprehend what he was being told. "Th-thank you. You don't know how relieved I am to hear..." He started to say just before losing consciousness again.

When Luke awoke again, he could hear the tell tale sounds of a heart monitor to his right and could feel the oxygen tube in his nose. He groaned in pain as his eyes fluttered open.

"Well, look who finally came back to the land of the living." Luke smiled at the sound of his wife's voice as he tried to look in the direction he had heard her voice, seeing her blurry form next to him.

"Hi, Mara." Luke said as he eyes were finally able to focus on her. "I see you found me." He told her with a small chuckle and a very weak smile.

Mara, who was now wearing a black jump suit with her light saber fastened on her belt and her red hair in braid down her back, abruptly got up from the chair to the right of his hospital bed and kneeled down next to it, putting her right hand on his forehead. She started to stroke his head, running her hand through his dark blond hair. "This is not funny, Luke." She paused as she looked away with suppressed ire and then looked back at him with concern and love. "You could have been killed. What were thinking going off by yourself on some mysterious mission without telling anyone where you were going?!"

Luke just looked back at the troubled face of his wife with love and reached over with his right hand and stroked her face. "I'm ok, Mara."

"Luke, you almost died. You don't know how close you were. They thought they stabilized you but then your heart stopped for two minutes." Mara exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

"I did?" Luke looked at her with surprise. "I'm sorry." He told her as she leaned into his hand on her cheek and put her right hand over his.

She then sighed as she looked away and then back at her husband again. "Luke, they also found a body in that cave with your friend." She paused. "He looked like a younger version of Palpatine and he had a fatal light saber wound through the heart. What happened in that cave, Luke?"

Luke dropped his hand from his wife's face and turned his head away from her, trying to think how to tell her what did happen. I'm having a hard enough time believing it myself. How can I tell her? "He was a clone. The Dark Side presence we felt was Palpatine trying to come back in the body of his clone."

"What?!" Mara exclaimed with shock. "How is that possible?!"

Luke looked at his wife with fear and shook his head while still on the pillow. "I'm not sure. But he was able to clone himself and..." He then paused...wondering if he should even tell her about her father's clone and remembering what his father had done for him.

"And what, Luke?" Mara interjected with anticipation.

Luke's heart felt like it clenched as he became extremely worried about what had happened to his father. Is he still alive? "Mara...my friend...that was brought here with me. How is he doing? Do you know?"

Mara just sighed. "The doctor's aren't entirely sure. They thought he was going to be ok, but he hasn't regained consciousness at all since they found him in that cave next to Palpatine's...clone body." She paused and cringed at the thought. "He appears to be in a coma...and they have him on life support." Mara informed him with compassion. But then her curiosity got the better of her. "Who is he, Luke? Why are you so concerned about him. I sensed your fear and sadness about his condition as strongly as if he were one of your family. Because I certainly don't know him, and I thought I knew everyone you know."

A tear formed in Luke's right eye as he smiled warmly over at Mara. "You know him...or knew him rather...once before." Luke told her and then paused before dropping the bombshell. "He's my father."

At this revelation, Mara just stared at Luke with disbelief and then got to her feet. She immediately started to head towards the door to his room. "Luke, I'm going to ask the doctor about your meds because you're talking crazy. He doesn't look a day over 30, so there is no way he could be your father."

"Wait! Mara!" Luke pleaded with her and she turned to look at him, putting her right hand on her hip. Luke looked directly into Mara's green eyes. "I'm not delusional, Mara. He is my father. But...that isn't his original body." He paused and then let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he did. Luke then looked back up into his wife's fearful eyes. "Palpatine cloned not only himself...but my father as well. When I arrived at the cave, I fought the clone and then Force pushed him into some power converters." He sighed again. "I'm pretty sure it killed him...but my father's Force spirit..."

"Your father's what?!" Mara interjected as she was now looking at him with shock. She approached Luke's bed again and pulled the chair up closer to it and sat down. "Luke...did your father visited you...like Master Kenobi did?"

Luke nodded. "Yes." He paused. "I left to go to Geonosis because he came to warn me about what Palpatine and father's clone, Vader, had planned. They were going to seek revenge by killing me and all of our family. I didn't want to risk all of you so I went alone."

Mara got to her feet, trying to keep her temper in check as she looked away from her husband and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She then turned around and looked at her husband again. "Luke, you know who your father had been. Why did you trust him? Why did you follow him there. It was obviously a trap!"

"Yes it was, but not my fathers." He closed his eyes and then opened them again. "Why do I trust you?" Luke shot back at his wife. "You were an assassin Hell bent on killing me out of revenge for your master's death because of some final order he gave you. Yet I married you and we have a child together. So don't talk to me about who my father used to be!"

"I am not him!" Mara retorted as she turned abruptly back towards him.

"I know you're not...but..." Luke came back.

"Hey, Hey Whoa!" Han's voice interrupted from the doorway as he reached out towards them with his right hand. "What is going on in here?" He asked as he entered the room and Leia came in just behind him wearing a white top and trousers with brown boots. Her hair was braided and wrapped around the back of her head.

"Nothing." Mara stated with ire to Han and Leia. "Just a family discussion."

"Well, I am family by blood and I want to know what's going on in here." Leia stated as she walked closer to her brother and stood on his left side. She then bent down and kissed her brother on the forehead before standing up again to look at Mara and then back down at her brother. "What is going on here? Why are you two arguing?"

Mara looked over at Leia trying to keep her temper in check. "You will never guess who Luke claims he brought back with him from Geonosis."

Leia looked down at her brother with a start. "Luke, who did you bring back with you? Who is that man?"

Luke lifted his head up a bit and then plopped it back on the pillow, rolling his eyes. "Argh! Mara! I didn't want her to know yet!"

"Uh oh." Han interjected as he walked over to lean up against the far wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest to await the onslaught to begin and feeling all sorts of pity for Luke.

Leia glared over to her husband and then turned back to Luke with distrust. "What didn't you want me to know...yet...Luke?"

Luke just sighed as he looked up at his sister with dread. "He's our father."

"What?!" Leia exclaimed in response.

"That's what I said." Mara stated as she looked over at Leia and then down to Luke again. But before Luke could say anything in reply she looked back over at Leia's horrified face. "He claims your father's Force ghost took over the deceased clone body of Darth Vader."

"He what?!" Leia replied in horror. "Please tell me that isn't Darth Vader lying in the next room, Luke. Please tell me it's not!" She demanded as she pointed to the wall.

Luke just sighed. "He did it to save me OK?! Palpatine was going to kill me...with Sith lightening. Just like on the Death Star."

All three of Luke's visitors just looked at Luke with shock. "He what?" Leia asked in awe.

Luke turned to look her in the eye with complete seriousness. "Palpatine was going to kill me and he took over 'Vader's' body to save me. I think he thought he would survive only long enough to kill Palpatine. I had Force pushed Vader into some power converters, which killed him, so the clone was dead."

Leia just absent mindedly sat down in the chair that was to the left of Luke's bed, putting her hands over her eyes to try to calm herself, bending over to put her elbows on her knees. "I can't believe I'm hearing this." Leia declared in a muffled voice.

It was at this point that Han decided to step forward. "Luke...are you trying to tell us that Darth Vader is back?!"

Luke looked directly into Han's eyes. "No! I'm telling you that Anakin Skywalker is back. Darth Vader is dead."

"You're nuts. You know that, Luke?" Han retorted as he ran his right hand through his graying brown hair. "You know what he was!"

"He's not our enemy anymore. He's the good man that Ben...Obi-Wan knew before." Luke tried to explain. "And he's saved my life twice now. That has to say something about him. Besides...it's been like 30 years. I thought you both had forgiven him by now?!"

"We did...for who he had been before...Anakin Skywalker." Han replied as he sighed, holding his right hand out towards Luke. "Look! Forgiving someone who is dead is one thing, but having them all the sudden resurrected again? Well...that is just kind of...disturbing."

"Luke, I certainly hope you know what you're doing." Leia jumped in as she was now looking at her brother with concern. "How do you know he has totally changed? He saved your life twice...but that doesn't mean he automatically became good again after being evil for 23 years."

"I know what I'm doing." Luke replied. "Do either of you sense the Dark Side coming from his room?" He asked as he looked at his sister and then over to his wife. "Do you?! Because I don't." He sighed. "There is hope for him. But you all need to give him a chance."

"If he makes it..." Mara interjected.

"He will." Luke said with confidence. "I know he will."

"How can you be so sure?" Han asked him cautiously.

Luke sighed again. "He has to."

"I see what this is all about." Leia started. "You want him to live so you can get to know him."

"Yes." Luke replied as he looked over at his sister with determination. "And I want to ask him about our mother. Don't you want to know about her?"

Leia started to get tears in her eyes. She didn't know if she wanted to scream or cry at that moment in time. "Yes...I have always wanted to know about her. But...we don't even know if..."

"I know what you're going to say...and don't say it." Luke interrupted her. "He didn't rape her. I felt love emanating from him when I mentioned our mother to him earlier. He loved her."

"Yeah...well...did she love him back. That's what I want to know." Leia interjected. "Somehow I just can't believe that our mother could love a monster like him."

"He wasn't always a monster, Leia." Luke tried to convincer her. "He was once a good man. Obi-Wan told me that they were good friends before he was seduced to the Dark Side."

Leia just sighed as she crossed her arms across her chest, looking over at Han. She then turned back to look at Luke. "Well...only time will tell. We don't even know for sure if he will wake up, do we?"

"No." Mara answered her. "The doctor told me he's in a coma. They aren't sure if he will wake up or not."

"There...see?" Han jumped in. "We may just be fighting over nothing. If he never wakes up, we never have to deal with the reincarnation of Darth Vader."

"Anakin Skywalker!" Luke corrected Han.

"Same guy as far as I'm concerned." Han retorted.

"Will you all just leave." Luke finally said. "I'm tired and all this arguing is making my head hurt worse than it already did."

Everyone in the room looked at Luke with sympathy and instantly felt ashamed of themselves. "Hey, I'm sorry, Luke." Han apologized. "Come on, Ladies. Let's get some lunch and let Luke rest awhile. We can finish this discussion later after he's been sprung from this place."

Both Leia and Mara continued to act ashamed of themselves as they nodded and looked towards Han, then back at Luke. "We're sorry, Luke." Leia also apologized as she got to her feet and bent down to kiss her brother on the forehead. "We'll be just down the hall if you need us." She told her brother as he nodded. She then weakly smiled down at him, patting him on the arm, before going out into the hall.

Han started out the door as well and then turned back towards his brother-in-law. "Get some rest, kid. We'll be back later." Luke also nodded at him as Han then followed his wife down the hall.

Now alone with just his wife, Luke looked up at Mara who was still looking at the door her in-laws had just exited. "Is Ben with you?" He asked her with concern.

Mara's expression went from guilt to a loving smile as she bent down and kissed her husband gently on the lips. She then stood up as they continued to look at each other with love. "Yes, he's out in the waiting room with Jacen and Jaina."

"Oh." Luke replied as his eyes started to droop. "That's good. I'd like to see him later."

"I'll bring him in after you get some rest." Mara told him as she patted his right leg. "Well, I can see that we have worn you out." Mara told him. "I'm sorry our conversation got so heated." She sighed as she then crossed her arms in front of her chest. "We will discuss this more later. I love you, Luke."

Luke smiled up at her with love. "And I love you."

They then kissed one more time before Mara turned and left the room. She paused at the door with one last loving glance before heading down the hall to join the rest of the family.

Meanwhile...Somewhere across the galaxy...

"Lord Sideous, welcome back." The tall grey and white Kaminoan said just after witnessing a dark Force spirit enter another clone of the dark lord.

The dark lord's yellow eyes shot open and then looked up at the Kaminoan. "Dr. San Ti." He acknowledged as he sat up and swung his feet around to sit on the edge of the hospital bed. "And of my apprentice, Lord Vader?"

"I am here, my master." The voice of a young Anakin Skywalker stated as Sideous turned to look at the young man of 30 standing just inside the door.

"Gooood." Palpatine said as he pulled the hood of his robe over his head as he looked at Lord Vader who was looking back at him with his own glowing, yellow eyes. "I see that the spiritual transfers were a success once again, doctor." Palpatine said as he looked back over at the doctor.

"Yes, my Lord." Dr. San Ti replied with a bow. "Your plan worked brilliantly."

"Not that brilliantly." Palpatine sneered in response as he got to his feet and walked over to Lord Vader. He then reached out with his hands and attacked him with Sith lightening. Vader screamed in agony as he fell to his knees and then stopped. Vader looked up at his master with hate in his yellow eyes as Palpatine spoke to him. "You will not fail me again, my apprentice, or there will not be a next time. I will just train another one of your clones instead of bringing you back."

Vader looked down with shame as he tried to regain his composure. "Yes, my master. I will not fail you again. Luke Skywalker and his family will die this time."

"Yes...they will." Palpatine started and then his eyes went wide as he sensed something through the Force he wasn't quite expecting. Vader looked up from his kneeling position on the floor with confusion at his master's change of mood. "What is this I sense?" Palpatine continued with a surprised look on his face. "Soooo...Anakin Skywalker is alive again."

Vader looked up at his master with shock. "How?"

Palpatine then looked down at the young Sith. "It doesn't matter how." He paused as he slowly looked away in thought. "But now I know who killed me a second time." He said with contempt and then sneered with his yellow eyes glowing brighter from under his hood.. Anakin Skywalker will certainly pay for this. I will make him suffer and watch all of his pitiful family die before his very eyes before I give him a most painful death.