Anakin took Anne to her room and put her in a deep sleep with a mind suggestion. Her blue eyes fluttered shut and Anakin tucked her into bed.

Anakin then felt a disturbance of a spiritual nature enter her room it was Qui-Gon. "Anakin."

"Qui-Gon, what is going on? I defeated Sidious, why I do feel the darkness growing stronger. How does this affect Anne?"

"She was his servant, Anakin and despite all your efforts to completely eliminate all his ties to your daughter, there is still a connection; especially since she was only six years old when he first enslaved her. Even now, she still does not have the full strength of a Jedi to countermand his hold on her. You will need to become a Jedi Master and gain full strength of the light in order to help her."

"Qui-Gon, that is something that I cannot do." Anakin lowered his head in shame.

"You must or Anne will fall into darkness. You are the only one who can help her; she loves you and trusts you emphatically."

Anakin sighed deeply and knew what he must do, although it would be incredibly hard, but he knew it would be his trial and his alone.

xXx

After being gently shaken awake, Anne she opened her eyes, seeing her father leaning over her, brushing her long blonde hair from her face.

"Did you want to eat dinner?"

"How long have I been asleep, father?"

"Since lunchtime, come."

Anne stretched her arms above her head and yawned.

"May I have a ride?"

Anakin sat on the bed and she crawled on his shoulders and played with his long hair. Anne noted how worried that her father was; only she could notice his deepest feelings, to the world he appeared calm and relaxed. She could always sense his inner turmoil. "I love you, father."

"And I you, young one."

"There's something bothering you isn't there?"

"Yes, but don't worry about it."

Anne sat beside her father smiling at both Luke and Mara Jade.

"Feeling better, Anne?"

"Yes, thank you, Luke."

Anne ate her dinner listening intently on the conversations; Anakin informed Luke that he had a trial of his own to follow, alone. He would be leaving Anne in their care.

Anne stood to her feet so fast that her chair clattered to floor and she sent an emphatic "NO!" through the Force; it was so strong that the dishes on the table shook.

"Anne, calm down and pick up your chair, young lady." Anakin ordered.

"No, Father. I will not stay here while you go off by yourself."

"You will do as I tell you, Anne Marie. Now, pick up your chair and sit."

"No." Anne looked Anakin dead in the eyes while she crossed her arms.

"This is your final warning, Anne Marie Skywalker, you will do as I tell you or else I will find another way to motivate you to behave."

Luke's eyes grew large as Anne gathered the Force and simultaneously picked up the dishes and slammed them down on the table so fast that two Jedi and one former Sith Lord dove under the table while the shards shot out in several different directions. Anne ran out of the dining room and into night air.

Luke looked into Anakin's face and saw his eyes darken and he picked up his chair and stalked outside.

"Let me help, Mara."

"She's a regular chip off the old block, you know?"

"Yes; her temper is vicious."

Anne sat up in the large tree, sobbing. It did not take Anakin long to find his daughter.

The overwhelming sadness emanated from Anne and Anakin found his anger dissipating. He leapt on large branch and sat next to Anne as she crawled into his lap hugging him tightly.

"Anne, this is a trial I must complete alone, it will be very perilous. You will be much safer with Luke and Mara."

Anne continued to cry as her fear of losing her father continues to overwhelm her. Anakin sighed deeply as he gathered her into his arms, leapt to the ground, and carried her back to house. He would have to meditate on this; the pain their separation would cause would be excruciating. Even during the battle of Endor, Anne always remained in psychic contact with him.

Anakin instructed Mara to give Anne a warm bath. Anakin retired to his bedroom, sat on the floor, crossed his legs, and started search the Force for an answer.

Mara Jade bathed Anne; but noted how she did not want to play or push bubbles around the bathtub; she was hurting.

After drying her and braiding her hair, Mara Jade helped her into her pajamas and escorted her to Anakin's bedroom.

"Say good night and I'll take you to bed."

Anne nodded and knocked on the door. Anakin waved his hand and the door opened.

Anne slowly walked inside the darkened room and noted how cold it was in here, as her breathing appeared as little wisps. Even Mara couldn't help but to feel the Force emanating with great despair and something even viler than that, anger. Deep unrelenting anger that it even chilled Mara to the bone, actually anger was too weak of a word to describe the feelings that were swirling around bedroom like a tornado.

"Leave us, Mara." Anakin ordered none to gently either. Mara's eyes widened with surprise and felt a gentle push away from the door as it slammed.

Anne stood there watching her father and for the first time she felt something a feeling she could only receive from one person, fear. She knew how powerful her father was and sometimes when he became dark, she was afraid of him.

Not as afraid as she was of the late Emperor, but always treaded very slowly on thin ice. Anne remained silent and stood there not moving an inch.

Anakin remained in a meditative state, despite having Anne in the same room with him.

"You are the beacon in my darkness, Anne. I do not know why or how that is. However, it seems that no matter how far I had fallen into the Dark Side you were the only one that managed to bring me out of it. This is why the Emperor hated you and feared you so much."

"He was afraid of me? How can that be father? I am afraid of him."

"He was afraid of what you represented, the light. He sought out to destroy you completely either through death or by other means. It seemed that no matter how many times he beat you, starved you or worked you to near death he couldn't completely destroy you."

"Why?"

"I don't know; I guess we will have to find the answers together, Anne."

"I'm going with you?"

"Yes, besides I know you, and how much trouble you would cause without me looking out for you. You already have Luke, Mara, and even Leia wrapped around your smallest finger."

Anne smiled sheepishly and knew that her father was right, she could get away with far more here than when she was with her father. He was incredibly strict and in her opinion overly protective.

"Go get some rest we have to go into town tomorrow to prepare for our trip."

"Father?"

"Mm?"

"I'm sorry about what happened at dinner."

"Yes, I know. Just don't let it happen again." Anakin pointed at his youngest as she gulped and quickly kissed him goodnight, but not before feeling a solid smack on her bottom.

"You know, Dad, you would never need to raise a whip to me, because your hand is more than enough." Anne remarked as she rubbed her bottom.

"Get to bed. There's more where that came from." Anne's eyes grew large and quickly exited the room as Anakin lightly chuckled. Luke nearly collided with Anne as she ran to her room.

Luke had finished cleaning the kitchen as Anakin went into the living room to light a fire.

Anakin sat on the floor as he sipped from his whisky. "Would you like some company?" Luke asked.

"Sure." Anakin replied.

Luke loved his father but he still did not know him as much as he would like. If there was, one thing that his father desired more than anything was his privacy. As Lord Vader, he had no problem in getting anything he wanted except one thing and that was freedom. Anakin turned and looked at his son, smiling gently he noted still how naïve his son was; it was no wonder that Mara referred to him as farmboy. It was highly appropriate nickname. One thing that Luke had in spades though was his strength in the Force and the way he could manipulate it without any conscious thought.

"Sometimes I wonder what you've done if you had witnessed all my stunts, would you have been proud? Or, would I have been spending nearly all my time soothing my backside from your ministrations."

"Probably both, my son; I drove Obi-Wan crazy with my stunts as well."

"Uncle Owen was always yelling at me."

"That doesn't surprise me; if you were anything like me than that's probably why he yelled."

"Why didn't he like you, father?"

Anakin thought back to the early morning bringing his mom back from the Tusken Raiders and admitting to Padmé what he had done. It was first act in the Dark Side; he set him on his path to become Palpatine's slave. Maybe he should have stayed on Tatooine as Owen had suggested.

"Owen was a stubborn man and enjoyed farming and the simple life. I always had my head in the skies, even when I was child. I used to frequent the pilot's bars and listen to their stories, sometimes to after midnight. Mom used to get so angry with me, she always say that I was my namesake. Even some of the pilots referred to me as walker of the skies. As Lord Vader I enjoyed the freedom of flying my ship and requisitioning new models."

"What was grandmother like?"

"She was five-three, brown hair and dark brown eyes; her long hair was always up in a braid. Mom was very compassionate and quiet; but at the same time, she could have a bad temper. I guess that's where I get my temper. The one thing she couldn't stand at all though was for people to lie to her, especially her son. I only attempted it once, and never repeated it."

Luke tried to imagine what his grandmother would have done, but nothing seemed to fit. He tried to get his father to tell him, but he refused.

xXx

Anne awoke to see a dark figure in the standing in the moonlight and before she could do anything, she felt a hypodermic needle enter her arm and fell unconscious as the second entity left. The first dark entity left a note and laid it on Anne's pillow.

Anakin awoke yelling for Anne as he felt her presence disappear seemingly without a trace. Luke jumped out of bed, ran to Anne's room, and saw the note his father was holding.

Lord Vader,

Your presence is required at the behest of your dear, sweet, daughter.

Your friend, Emperor Palpatine

Author's Note:Thanks for all your kind reviews and I'm sure you are aware that I own none of the canon characters, places, or all things Star Wars related.—Darth Gladiator45