Chapter 4

Grand feasts in one of the large dining halls of the Imperial Palace were often daily occurrences. Senators, officials, wealthy individuals, and perhaps a luck up-start, often fought for an opportunity to attend such a lavish event, even if they didn't get the Emperor's ear for more than a moment. It was the chance of a lifetime, and yet just as rare as an invitation was, even rarer were the days that the Emperor himself canceled. Speculation would be whispered, of course, but nothing ever came of such whispers. In place of a large formal dinner surrounded by sycophants, and blathering idiots, Palpatine would much rather spend an evening with his son.

Dressed in a simple black suit in the style of the Imperial Navy, Vader enthralled his father with his plans for the coming weeks. He was to spend a little more time on the capital before returning to his duties aboard his Star Destroyer. There was much to be done throughout the Empire. Royal tours, and Military precessions, as well as a few military engagements… Vader was filling his role exactly as he was meant to and striking fear in the hearts of those who wished to see their reign end.

"You have done well, my son," Palpatine said with a curled smile, "how many have been killed so far?"

"Three-thousand," He said, "And the day is not yet done."

"I must confess at first I was rather disappointed to hear Mon Mothma had been taken to prison rather than killed on the spot for her treachery. I'm so glad things worked out for the better."

"I can't take all the credit," Vader said, "It was Senator Amidala's suggestion that gave me the idea."

Palpatine's eyes widened, "Really? I had no idea her distaste for traitors ran so deep."

"Why wouldn't it?" He asked with a shrug.

"It's just that… I've known her since she was a young girl. Smart little thing, yet… naive in some ways. She believes there is value in all life," He said.

"That's ridiculous," Vader scoffed. "If all life has value, then why does the colo claw fish hunt the opee sea killers? Why would institutions like slaver exist? Unless the laws of nature dictated that, in some way, others are meant to be superior to them?"

Palpatine smiled, "I have taught you well," He said. "Perhaps… when you return from your next mission, a little gift will be waiting for you."

Vader's eyes perked at the mention of a gift, "What is it?"

The Emperor clicked his tongue, "Patience. I know that isn't your strong point, but try. I promise it will be worthwhile."

With dinner almost finished and no social obligations keeping him at the table, Vader stood and bowed his head to his father before dismissing himself. As much as he enjoyed talking with his father these days, he much preferred the company of his latest guest. Padme had sent word back to the palace that she would be working late. Jealousy surged through him at the thought of her prioritizing her job over him, but that would soon change. He had plans for while he was away, plans that would leave her anxious for their next meeting when he returned. Vader climbed into his speeder and made for the Senate Office building, eager to escort her home. Traffic swerved out of his way as he flew head-on into on-coming traffic, paying no mind to the angry pilots who blasted their horns at him. A few times police speeders pulled behind him with their sirens blazing, but it only took them a moment to scan his plates before pulling back, leaving him to do as he pleased.

The Senate Guards on the main landing platform were silent as they stood at attention when he passed by them without a word and as he sauntered his way through the halls, he ignored the hurried pleasantries from Senators and Representatives he passed. His first stop was Padme's office where he figured she would be working on some bill or another but instead found the room dark with the only trace of her being a small pile of datacards of research on her desk. Vader frowned, unsure where she could be if not her office. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and stretched his senses out for her. She wasn't too far away. A few offices down… in Senator Organa's office. A predatory growl vibrated in his throat as his eyes blazed open. Turning on his heels, he marched quickly in the direction of the senator.

A pair of Alderanian guards stood watch outside the door. Vader watched as the two men exchanged looks as he reached to open the door and one dared to hold his hand out as if to stop him. Vader's eyes narrowed as he waved his hand, the Force knocking both back and up, flying into the ceiling and the wall behind them. The men fell to the floor with a thud as Vader opened the door to the office. A small gathering was being held. Five Senators sitting in a circle in the middle of a heated debate, which stopped when the door opened. All five pairs of eyes were wide in surprise and he could practically smell the fear oozing out of some of them. Curious. But not the reason he was here.

With an overly calm face pasted on to mask the anger he was feeling, he greeted the beings in the room with a polite bow of his head, "Senators," He greeted, "I'm sorry for the interruption. I was under the impression that Senator Amidala would be returning with me to the Palace." His eyes made contact with hers, "Are you ready to go, Padme?"

The overly familiar address had the desired affect and he could feel the shock from the entire room, including her. Padme's eyes flashed an almost pleading look to Senator Organa before she managed to recover. "Yes, I am," She said, reluctance just barely noticeable in her voice as she gathered her things. "I'm sorry," She told her colleagues, "We'll have to continue this discussion later."

Vader smiled as she joined him at his side and the two left. He made a show as they walked out, his hand on her back, their sides pressed together and he couldn't help but smile at what he was hearing being whispered as they left. 'Vader's new whore'. Part of him liked the sound of that. But another part thought she deserved an even grander title. Perhaps that would be something he would talk to his father about later.


Despite how hot and humid the climate of Tatooine was, Obi-Wan felt a distinct chill enter the room at the mention of the Emperor's son. His grey eyes bore into the woman across the table from them. She couldn't possibly be Vader's mother. The mother of the heir had died moments after his birth. And yet, as he watched Shmi Skywalker and the way she tensed at the mention of the Emperor and Vader, he wasn't quite so sure about that story. Yoda let out a light chuckle despite the situation and Obi-Wan sent him a warning glance. The elder Jedi's advanced age seemed to have taken a toll on him manners.

"Not Vader, I speak of," He said, his fingers twisting the Gimer stick in his hands, "The other. Home of the second son, this is… sense it, I do." He laughed again.

"My son died," Shmi said. "The Emperor killed him."

Obi-Wan's jaw slackened, "Second son?" He asked, shocked beyond words, and slightly frustrated with Yoda's inability to explain this to him earlier. Every time he'd said 'second sun,' he'd really meant a literal 'second son.' The revelation was unexpected. Never had there ever been any mention of another child born to the Emperor.

"A twin, Vader has," Yoda said, "Strong with the Force, both children are. Difficult, two heirs would have been. The Rule of Two, the Sith follow still."

"Which was why the Emperor killed the younger of my sons," Shmi said, her eyes narrowed at them. "I don't want to talk of this anymore," She said, abruptly standing, her seat pushing back with loud screech. "I'd like you to leave. Now."

"Dead your son is not," Yoda said, making no move to stand. "Alive, he is. Here, he lives. Sense him, I do."

Obi-Wan kept his eyes on Shmi, gauging her reaction to the Jedi's words. Her signature rippled in agitation at the line of questioning. He sensed anger and frustration directed at Yoda but underneath he could also sense a fleeting fear. Obi-Wan's eyes widened as he stretched his senses farther. Yoda was right. Faintly he could sense the presence of another masked by a protective shield that seemed to encompass Shmi as well. "Shmi," he started, "Please… is your son truly here?" She shared a brief glance with her husband before her gaze dropped to the floor and she game a small nod.

Two. The Emperor truly had two sons… The Jedi looked to Yoda, "How… how are there two of them? I thought—"

"After Vader was born," Shmi started, "they took him from me and everyone who had been attending me left with him," She said. "I had done my part. They didn't care what happened after. But once they left, I still felt contractions. Fifteen minutes later, Anakin was born." Shmi met their eyes as she spoke. "I knew what would happen to him if I stayed. So, with what strength I had, I took him and ran. I was exhausted, and I nearly died from the loss of blood… but, everyone was distracted with all the commotion around Vader. It was the first time since I became pregnant that I wasn't being watched. I was able to leave through one of the secret passages in the palace. And from there, I got to a space port, and got on the first ship to the Outer Rim."

Obi-Wan could not help but be impressed by her courage, and smiled while giving her a respectful nod of his head.

"Train him, we must," Yoda tapped his Gimer stick on the seat of his chair.

Her eyes burned in anger at the Jedi, "He's been through enough," She said. "Please. Leave us in peace. We want no part in your Rebellion."

"We have no part in the Rebellion," Obi-Wan said, standing from his seat, "And I do understand how you feel—"

"Do you? You Jedi have been raised since birth to do what you do. All I want is for my son to be happy."

"And what of your other son?" He asked, "What about Vader?"

Her eyes dropped as a tear trailed down her cheek, "His father has poisoned his mind. It kills me to see what he had been made into."

His hand came to rest on her shoulder, "So, you know what he is capable of. When Vader succeeds his father, the Galaxy will be in great danger."

"He is still my son."

Yoda shook his head, "No," He said, "The boy you birthed, gone, he is. Twisted by the Dark Side, your son has become. Strong, your second son is. Save the galaxy he will."

Her fists clenched as she looked out to the courtyard of the home. "You won't think that if you meet him," She said.

"We'll be the judge of that," He said. Shmi shook her head as she let out a heavy sigh. Obi-Wan reached out and touched her hand empathetically, "If there is a chance your second son might be able to restore peace and order to the galaxy, isn't that worth a chance?" He asked.

"You don't know what he's been through," She said. "I had nothing when I came here. Nothing. Do you know what happens to people like that?" She asked, her eyes welled with tears as she spoke, "They get sold," She said. "We were sold. Made someone's slaves… I didn't buy our freedom just to see him be made a slave again."

His brow creased as he bit the side of his lip, Shmi had a very strong will, and her points were not so invalid. But Yoda was certain about this boy and he himself could sense the potential in what traces of the boy's presence was leaking through the shield. "Can we just talk to him?" He asked, "Give him an opportunity to chose?"

It took her a moment to think about it before she game a small nod. Her husband came to her side and gave her hand a supportive squeeze. The two shared a silent look between one another, the love they had for one another evident even without the Force. Cliegg gave the Jedi a respectful nod of his head before dismissing himself to contact his own son and let him know what is happening while Shmi led the two Jedi to the other side of the home. Across the open crater pit that connected the home's underground rooms, Shmi led them to a small alcove on the far side of the pit. Two doors sat opposite one another, one leading to what looked like a cluttered workspace, littered with broken parts and a large tarp covering an old speeder. The other set of doors opposite, were closed. Shmi knocked twice, "Ani?" She called, waiting for a response. When she received none, she opened the door and called again. Obi-Wan peered over her shoulder, and noticed the room was in fact a bedroom. Directly across from the door was a bed next to which sat a small table with a series of breathing masks hanging on the wall as well as an assortment of medicines sitting high on a shelf. In the far corner was a desk which, like the workspace in the other room, was littered with parts and tools. A young man sat in the stool at the desk, a laser cutter in his hand as he fiddled with the wiring on a rust-covered droid. "Ani, there's someone to see you," Shmi said, taking a step to the side to let the two Jedi pass.

The young man looked up from his work and turned to face them. Obi-Wan's eyes widened at the face that greeted them. Despite being no older than twenty-two, his face was scared worse than even the most battle-hardened soldiers he'd seen. Old burns seemed to cover every inch of visible flesh from the deep gash that ran the length of his bald head, and most likely defended down what was left of his limbs since it was obvious all four of his limbs were prosthetics. A transparent respirator covered his mouth and the low airy sound of mechanized breathing was just barely audible in the room. Obi-Wan cleared his throat and gave a polite bow, "Hello, I am Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Master Yoda," He started.

"I'm Anakin," the young man said. "Why are you here?" His intense blue eyes observed them keenly as they stepped further into the room.

Yoda closed his eyes as he closed the distance between himself and Anakin. "Strong in your family, the Force is," He said, "But dark… Fear, I sense in you, but also kindness." His eyes opened as he smiled at Anakin. "Painful are your scars?"

Subconsciously, the young man wrapped an arm around himself, gripping the opposite arm as if trying to hide what they could not see.

"May we ask what happened?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice low and empathetic.

Anakin swallowed as he turned back to his droid. "I… I was in a crash," He said. Boonta Eve Classic about thirteen years ago." He started, "I lost power to one of my engines and spun out of control."

"He was trying to buy our freedom," Shmi added. "If we won, Watto was going to give us our freedom in exchange for the winnings and whatever we sold the pod racer for."

"I don't even know how it happened," He continued, "I tested that pod just before the race. I spent months perfecting the design. I tried to reattach and redistribute power when it happened but…"

"Sensed the danger, you did," Yoda said. "Alive you are, save you, your senses did."

"I don't think so," He said. "When it happened I just… jumped."

"Guide you, the Force did. Tell you of danger, it did. A good skill to have, a skill a Jedi must perfect."

Anakin's eyes narrowed, "Jedi?"

"The Force is strong in you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, "We believe that with the proper training, you could become a great Jedi."

"The Empire wiped out the Jedi."

"Not all," He argued, "So long as there is but one Jedi, there is still hope. Yoda and I won't be around forever. If peace is to be restored to the galaxy one day, then our ideals and philosophies need to survive. And we believe that through you, that might be possible." Anakin's eyes narrowed as he looked at them. He could sense the confusion from the young man, and he wondered how much his mother had actually told him. "What do you know of your father?" Obi-Wan asked with a sigh.

"He's a moisture—"

"I mean your biological father."

He remained silent as he glanced towards his mother. Shmi closed her eyes as she let out a breath, "Nothing," She said.

The conversation between Shmi and her son had quickly gotten intense. There was obvious hurt from the lies, but also shock from the truth of his parentage. Obi-Wan and Yoda had left the two of them to talk for a little, giving them some privacy as they talked about deeply personal things that they had no business in. Obi-Wan had helped himself to some blue milk in the kitchen while Yoda meditated in the corner. Both of them could sense the emotions coming from the others in Anakin's room. The intensity of the boy's anger was surprising, but in a way, understandable given the circumstances and having not been raised and trained to feed on such feelings, there was potential to teach him how to control those feelings, that is, if he agreed to be trained.

It had been close to half an hour by the time the emotions seemed to calm down and Anakin walked into the kitchen. His brow was creased as he stood in the archway and made eye contact with the Jedi. "You want to kill my father." He said, "And you want me to do it."

"We want peace," Obi-Wan amended. "We want balance and to restore order to the galaxy."

"By killing my father," He said, "And my twin brother."

"A threat, both are," Yoda said, "Heard of their exploits, you have."

"Of course," Anakin said with a heavy sigh as he took a seat at the table, "But I don't know how you expect me to do any of that when…" He looked down at himself, his meaning quite clear from how he looked at his prosthetics and the respirator on his face.

Obi-Wan walked over to where he sat and placed a supporting arm on his shoulder, "I have an idea," He said.


"Where is the Rebel base?"

The lights in the interrogation room were dim, lit only by a small light in the ceiling and the glow of Vader's lightsaber as he twirled it in his hands. The military precession on Mandalore had been interrupted by an attempted terrorist attack. One of the military floats had been rigged to explode and the driver of said float had been reported as acting strange prior to the launch of the parade. Now, with the parade over and the bomb dismantled, the driver stood, strapped to a standing table, his face bruised and bloody and his clothes a tattered mess. Vader sighed as the man refused to answer yet again. Stepping closer to him, he brought his lightsaber dangerously close to the man's finger. He yelped as the skin of his finger started to burn, the flesh cauterizing before it could bleed. "Where is the Rebel base?" He asked again, bringing it close enough that the blade hissed as it made full contact with the man's skin.

He screamed as he banged his head against the metal of the table, "I-I don't know!" He cried.

"I don't believe you!" Vader returned, stepping back once again. "It was your float that was equipped with a bomb!" He said, pointing an accusing finger at him, "Who told you to set it?"

"No one! I didn't do anything!"

"Liar!" Vader lunged at him, his fingers wrapping tightly around the man's throat until he started to gag, "Give me a name," He said, "Give me the name of the planet your Rebels are based. Give me the name of the person who told you to set the bomb."

His eyes started to roll back as he let out a strangled sound, "D-et…Watch."

Vader released his hold on the throat and moved to the jaw, "What?"

"Death Watch!" He cried, "It was all Death Watch! There'd been rumors since before the Empire that they weren't happy about the way Mandalore was being run. I guess they figured you being here was as good a chance as any to send a message."

With a snap hiss, the red glow of the lightsaber faded as he returned the blade to his belt, "Interesting…" He remarked. "Death Watch means to send a message to me… Well, I don't think they'll like the answer." Vader looked back to the door to the room and called the captain of the 501st in. The Storm Trooper saluted as he entered, "Put the city on lockdown," He said, "No one goes in or out until we find this Death Watch. Enter everyone's homes. Anyone hiding a suspicious person is to be considered a threat and is to be locked up until the full extent of their betrayal is discovered." The clone nodded, taking his orders intent on following them to the letter. "As for you," He said, directing the conversation back to the traitor already in his midst, "I'm concerned you might either be lying or hiding something else. We aren't done until I decide which."

"I-I've told you all I know!" He cried, "I swear!"

Vader let out a small hiss, "I don't believe you."


In the early days of the Empire, it had been easy for Palpatine to declare his enemies and get rid of them either by legal means or even secretly. The Kaminoans, who had provided the clone army that was the serve the Empire, had been a loose end that needed to be tied off quickly. Lama Su, who had once served as the Prime Minister of the main cloning facility, had been quickly named an enemy and replaced by a loyal bureaucrat held firmly under the Emperor's thumb. What few beings knew however, was that Lama Su had simply gone into hiding. His location was not well known, but Obi-Wan had kept tabs on a few key individuals over the years should they be useful. Lama Su's knowledge of the clone army was something he figured might be advantageous and for the current situation, his knowledge on cloning and regeneration was key to the success of the Jedi's plan.

Reaching Kamino had been no challenge at all. But getting onto the surface and past the military defenses around the planet would be. Star Destroyers orbited the planet, each one with at least ten squads of TIE fighters patrolling the nearby space. Obi-Wan dropped their small ship out of hyperspace just out of range of proximity sensors and killed the power, letting forward momentum carry them past a nearby asteroid field. Using the Force, the two Jedi directed a large space rock close enough to them that they could latch the landing gear of their borrowed ship onto it. Anakin watched from the back seat in mild fascination as they closed in on the Star Destroyers. The asteroid was large enough to not warrant any concern from the ships, so long as they didn't pass too close.

It took some time for them to drift close enough to the planet for gravity to take hold of them. With a jolt, the rock and their ship were pulled by the planet, forcing them to speed up. Faster and faster they descended, the temperature of the ship rising as red streaks flared past the viewports. As the ship started to get too hot, Obi-Wan gunned the engines, restoring power, he veered the ship sharply in the direction of a secret facility far from where the Empire's hold is strongest.

A small landing platform jut out just above the waves, lit only by a small ring of lights. The ship landed softly before the platform was quickly hidden away by a domed roof rising over and sealing them inside before waves crashed over it, hiding them under the waves. The three travelers disembarked from the ship, and made their way to the small lift on the edge of the platform that would take them even further down.

Anakin looked around the water planet in amazement. Never in his life had he seen so much water. He turned slowly around as he followed the two Jedi, though lagging behind. They took the lift down to the very base of the facility where they were greeted by the tall slender figure of Lama Su. He gave an elegant bow which the three returned.

"Greetings, Master Jedi. I'm glad you were able to find us." He said. "Your message was rather… unexpected and I must confess we aren't quite sure what your particular request entails."

"I apologize for not being more specific," He started, "But we didn't want to risk it being intercepted." Obi-Wan reached over and took Anakin by the shoulder, giving him a gentle nudge forward, "He's the reason we need your particular skills," He said.

Lama Su's large eyes widened as he looked at the young man, "I see…" His head craned over him as he looked at his appearance, taking in the visual damage to the skin. "Reconstruction of flesh is fairly easy," He said, "Though, the limbs and internal functions are slightly more complex. What is the extent of internal damage?"

Anakin gave a small shrug, "Burns in the respiratory system, irregular sinus rhythm, and damage to the left kidney and liver."

The Kaminoan nodded as he looked back to the Jedi. "Can you help?" Obi-Wan asked.

Lama Su made a low noise in his throat, "It won't be easy," He said, "We do not have the same high standard equipment as they use in the cloning facility. But, it isn't impossible." He waved out his hand from his side in a silent bid to follow him. Slowly they walked down the stark white hallways and rounded overpasses that connected the main building to the secondary building. Through the windows the ripples of the water above could be made out and fishes and sea life drifted past, gliding through the water with ease. Lama Su led them to small medical ward, headed by a Kaminoan doctor who greeted them with a similar elegant bow.

"Before we begin anything," Lama Su started, "We need to see for ourselves the full extent of internal and external damage. If you would…" He gestured to the high medical table in the middle of the room.

Anakin swallowed as he stared at it, feeling uneasy. Obi-Wan gave his shoulder a firm squeeze, "We'll just be outside," He said, "But, if you don't want to do this, we can still back out."

Anakin shook his head and entered the room. Regardless of what was going to happen, this was a chance. A chance for him to have a normal life. To breathe without the aid of a machine. To look human again. He still remembered the accident and the pain he'd felt in the immediate aftermath and continued to feel for years after. This would be nothing compared to that. Taking a deep breath, he entered the room and allowed the door to shut behind him.