Chapter 4

On board the emperor's ship

Padmé had begun to fear for her life. The imperial guards had treated her very roughly, no doubt at the command of their evil master. After spending close to an hour being interrogated, she was brought to the emperor, her clothes in tatters.

"Why Senator, you're looking rather dishevelled," Palpatine said with a smile. "Don't tell me my men have been mistreating you."

Padmé looked at him with hatred in her eyes, doing her best not to break down. "You have commanded them to do no less," she said. "Though why I'm not sure, other than to satisfy your twisted, cruel need to inflict pain on other beings."

Palpatine's smile merely grew. "I have bigger reasons than you realize," he said. "You think Vader still cares about what happens to you? I assure you, he is completely under my control."

"Think again, you sadistic bastard."

Padmé looked over to see Vader standing at the doorway. She nearly wept with relief. "Ani!" she cried.

Vader looked at his wife, her clothes tattered, her face bruised, and felt the rage boiling inside of him. "He'll never hurt you again, Padmé," he said.

"Don't be so sure," Palpatine said, and shot a blast of Sith lightning at Padmé. She crumpled to the floor as Vader rushed forward, lightsaber in hand. He deflected the lightning before it could kill his wife, and focused his rage on Palpatine.

"You die today, my master," Vader said, gaining the advantage. But then Palpatine produced his own weapon, and countered Vader's attack.

"I don't think so," Palpatine said. "You will pay for this treachery, Vader. But first you will watch while your beloved wife dies."

"Not today, your majesty," Obi-Wan said, appearing behind the emperor's throne. His appearance surprised Palpatine, and it gave Vader an opening. He pressed forward and sliced off Palpatine's arm. Obi-Wan joined Vader and sliced off the other arm of their shared foe, and stood back to watch as the emperor sank to his knees, screaming in pain and rage.

"Now, return to hell, " Vader said, and drove his lightsaber through the heart of his master, killing him with one deadly thrust. Before Palaptine's body hit the floor, Vader had rushed to Padmé, picking her up in his arms. He sensed that she was alive, but knew she needed medical attention immediately. He looked over at Obi-Wan, not needing to say anything.

"I'll cover you," Obi-Wan said, and ran to the door to slay any guards that stood in their way. Vader looked down into his wife's face, rage over her mistreatment filling him. No one will ever hurt you again, angel, I swear it.

Reaching the hangar, after leaving a wake of death and destruction behind them, Obi-Wan piloted the craft off of the ship and headed at once to the Devastator . Once they were far enough away, Vader signalled his first officer. "Now, Captain, fire!"

At once the emperor's ship exploded into a ball of fire, the shock wave rocking the small shuttle.

"Hold it steady," Vader told Obi-Wan.

"I'm doing my best," Obi-Wan said, wishing that it was Vader at the controls.

Before long the tractor beam from the Devastator captured the shuttle and brought it safely on board. A number of Vader's men met them in the hangar. Vader ignored them and moved past them with Padmé in his arms, Obi-Wan following behind.

"I'll relieve Threepio," Obi-Wan said as they boarded a turbo lift. "The twins are a little out of his league sometimes."

"Very well," Vader said. "Once Padmé is awake, I'm sure she'll want to see them," he said.

"Of course," Obi-Wan said. "She'll be fine," he said after a moment of awkward silence.

"She has to be," Vader said, looking down into her face. Memories flashed through his mind as he hurried to get Padmé to the medical wing, memories of finding his mother, of holding her in his arms as she died...No...I won't lose Padmé too...I got to her in time...not like Mom...I was too late to save her, it's not too late to save Padmé...she has to be okay...

"This woman needs medical attention," Vader said as he entered the medical bay. At once medics and medidroids rushed over to him as Vader placed Padmé carefully on a medi-bed. He stepped back and let them attend to her, the anxiety welling up inside of him. "Is she all right?" he asked, unable to keep silent. "Tell me what's going on!"

"She's alive, but her vitals are weak, Lord Vader," the lead medic reported. "We will need to act quickly to stabilize her."

"Do whatever you must to save her," Vader said.

Vader paced up and down as the medics tended to Padmé. The anger reminded him of how he'd felt when Palpatine had told him that the Jedi had killed his wife. Vader worried that he would soon lose it completely if Padmé did not regain consciousness soon.

"Lord Vader, she's coming around."

Vader rushed over to his wife's side, relief washing over him as he saw her open her eyes at last. He picked up her hand. "Padmé, thank God," he said.

Padmé looked up at him, frowning as she remembered what had happened. "Luke and Leia," she said, her voice weak.

"They are safe," Vader assured her. "They are on board, Obi-Wan is with them. And Palpatine is dead, Padmé," he told her. "You'll never have to be afraid of him again."

Padme's eyes filled with tears. She said nothing, but simply squeezed his hand.

"I need to examine the patient, my lord," the medic said tentatively. "if you don't mind."

Vader looked down at him and then stepped back to let him do his work, watching intently as he did so. The medic could feel the dark lord's eyes upon him, and grew nervous, wondering who this patient was that was obviously so important to Vader.

"Well?" Vader asked impatiently.

"A moment, please," the medic said as he continued his examination. He listened to Padmé's heart, took her blood pressure, and did a number of other tests that pushed Vader's patience to near the breaking point. Finally he stepped back. "She is going to be find, Lord Vader," he said. "I would suggest some rest and fluids to help her get her strength back."

"Can I go home?" Padmé asked.

"I wouldn't advise it," Vader said. "There are better medical facilities here than your medi-droid can provide."

Padmé frowned, reminding Vader just how stubborn she could be. "I'm fine," she told him, sitting up. "Just a little...freaked out."

Vader nodded. "Understandably," he said. "But perhaps it would be prudent to at least spend the night aboard," he said.

"But..." she protested.

"Humour me," Vader said.

Padmé sighed, remembering how over-protective he was. "Very well," she said. "But I don't want to stay here," she said. "Where are the twins?"

"In the quarters beside mine," Vader told her. "It won't take long for the room to be ready for you all to stay," he said.

Padmé could see how desperately he wanted her and their children to stay with him, and so she nodded. "Okay," she said, giving him a smile.

Vader smiled. "I'll be back shortly," he said. "Let the doctors take care of you."

Padmé nodded, and watched him leave before taking a drink of water from the attending medi-droid.

Vader made his way to the quarters where Obi-Wan had brought the twins, and entered the room to see Luke and Leia chasing Obi-Wan, giggling like mad. Obi-Wan, who clearly had not noticed Vader, was laughing as well, obviously enjoying the game. Vader watched for a moment, unable to stem the feelings of jealousy as he watched his onetime mentor playing with his children. Luke and Leia clearly adored Obi-Wan, and he adored them. Will they ever feel that way about me? he wondered. Is there any way that I can play with my children that way?

"How is Padmé?" Obi-Wan asked as he noticed Vader.

"Better," Vader said. "She'll be fine."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Good, that's good," he said, sensing the undeniable tension that existed between them. "No doubt she will want to return home as soon as possible."

"No doubt," Vader said, looking at the twins. "You seem quite comfortable looking after them," he commented.

"I am," Obi-Wan replied. "They're wonderful children," he said. "You will see that for yourself soon enough."

Vader didn't want to admit it, but he sensed strongly that his children were afraid of him, and he wondered if he would ever have the chance to get to know them. "Perhaps," he said.

Obi-Wan regarded his former padawan. He couldn't read him, which surprised him. "So," he said, sitting down on the sofa. "What happens next?"

Vader ignored the question, and simply watched Luke and Leia play.

"Too much has happened between us for you to ignore me now," Obi-Wan said.

Vader turned to look at Obi-Wan, angered by his comment. "Yes, you mutilated me and left me to die," he snapped.

"You left me no choice when you tried to kill me," Obi-Wan replied, "when you slaughtered Jedi younglings in their beds!"

Vader said nothing in response, for he had wondered when he would have his past crimes thrown in his face. "I can't deny what I did," he said. "And I know you won't believe me if I tell you that I hate myself for it. Now that I know Sideous used me..."

Obi-Wan sensed Vader's emotions clearly at this point, not only him, but Luke and Leia, who stopped playing and looked up at their father. Vader looked down at them, noticing their attention, as had Obi-Wan. Both men watched as the twins stood up and toddled over to where Vader stood and looked up at him. Vader looked down at them for a moment, and then bent down to face them at their level. Luke and Leia examined his mask, as though trying to discern the strange man before them.

"Luke, Leia," Vader said. "I'm your father, your daddy," he said. Tentatively he held a hand out to each of them. The twins looked over at Obi-Wan, as though verifying Vader's statement. Obi-Wan simply nodded. Luke and Leia turned back to Vader and allowed him to put an arm around each of them. Vader was moved by their trust, and simply held them for a moment, allowing their sweet, pure auras surround him.

Obi-Wan watched, knowing that if Vader were ever to be redeemed, that Luke and Leia were key.

"Where's Mommy?" Leia asked.

"She's resting," Vader told his daughter. "But we can go and see her. Would you like that?"

The twins nodded simultaneously.

"Then let's go," Vader said, picking up a child in each arm.

Obi-Wan watched without comment, wondering if Vader himself knew how powerful an influence Vader's children could be on his future.

Padmé was just coming out of the fresher when Vader arrived with the twins. She smiled when she saw them in his arms and held her arms out to them as he set them down. Luke and Leia ran over to their mother and hugged her tightly.

"Is she ready to leave?" Vader asked the attending medic.

"Yes," the medic replied. "But I would strongly recommend that she gets plenty of rest," he said.

Vader nodded. "I'll see to it personally," he said.

Vader and Padmé returned to the quarters, the twins in tow.

"I'd like to go back to the house," Padmé said when they sat down. "Luke and Leia need their own things, their own beds," she said.

"Agreed," Vader said. "But the medic thinks that you ought to stay here tonight, that you need the rest. We can return to the house tomorrow, Padmé."

Padmé nodded, stifling a yawn. "I suppose that's a smarter plan," she said.

After putting the twins to bed, with Vader's help, Padmé went to bed, falling asleep almost immediately. Vader could not deny how exhausted he was, for he'd slept very little in the past few eventful days. But before he could reach his chamber, he was signaled by the bridge.

"What is it, Captain?" Vader asked in irritation.

"My Lord...the admiralty, sir, they are asking questions, looking for direction," the officer stammered. "The death of the emperor has left them all in something of a tizzy, my lord."

Of course, Vader thought with a frown. I knew I was forgetting something... "I'll be right there," he said, deciding that sleep would have to wait a little longer once again.

Upon arriving at the bridge, Vader was reminded in no uncertain terms that, with Palpatine gone, he was in charge of the Empire. There were dozens of messages from every sector, admirals and moffs in a frenzied state needing direction. I don't need this, Vader reflected as he looked through the messages. I don't want this ...not now, not any more.

"I'm going down to the planet," Vader told his second. "I shall return within the hour, and then we will make for the Capital. Be ready to leave."

"Understood, sir," the captain replied.

Vader brought Threepio down to the house with him and there he instructed the droid to pack up clothes and belongings of both the twins and Padmé. He knew that his wife wouldn't be happy that they were leaving Naboo, but perhaps making her and the children as comfortable as possible would soften the blow.

"Leave orbit," Vader said upon returning to the bridge. "Make for the Capital, maximum velocity. I'm going to get some sleep," he told his second. "Contact me when we arrive."

"Very good, milord," the captain replied.

Vader headed to his quarters, hoping for some much needed sleep. It was not to be.