Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating. Life got a little busy the past few weeks, so I've only been feeling up to reading other people's stories, which is something I also enjoy doing here. :)

Thank you again for all your wonderful reviews. One reviewer mentioned that they were a little disappointed that Padme forgave Anakin so quickly for his actions towards her on Mustafar, etc., so I thought I would explain my theory on this.

Despite what Anakin had done to her, she knew there was still good in him just as Luke also saw and sensed it in him. This, to me, shows that Luke got his forgiving nature from his mother. Both want to see the good in him and love him unconditionally.

Luke sensed the good still in Vader, and it was proven to him when Vader saved Luke's life on the 2nd Death Star by killing the Emperor. Luke took a little longer to come around to forgiving his father only because he was surprised by the revelation that Vader was his father, especially since he cut off his hand to disarm him on Bespin. Padme, on the other hand (no pun intended), knew what a good man Anakin was before he turned to the Dark Side. She knew Anakin very well and loved him dearly as her husband. They were soul mates. Therefore, she missed him and wants to believe he is who he was before. She also senses his sincerity and remorse for what he did to her and the galaxy. Therefore, she has forgiven him so she can help him to forgive himself. She knows that he needs her love and forgiveness to continue down the path to redemption. That is my theory anyway. I hope that makes sense.

Ok, now on with the story...

Chapter 7

Jedi Temple Hanger - Coruscant

When the trio arrived in the hanger, they were immediately greeted with the excited beeps from a droid that Anakin recognized immediately from the other side of the hanger. "R2?!" Anakin asked with a large grin forming on his lips.

R2D2 quickly wheeled up to Anakin with another outburst of excited beeps as Luke and Padme both looked on with amazement. "Wait...Father, you know R2?" Luke asked with a puzzlement.

Anakin, who had bent down to greet R2, turned to look up at Luke with a look of happiness on his face. "Yes, he was my astrodroid during the Clone Wars." He told his son as he stood up and patted R2 on the top of his dome. "It's good to see you too, my friend." Anakin told the droid as R2 also replied with a series of beeps.

Padme laughed. "Yes, he actually started out as an astrodroid on my ship when I was Queen of Naboo." She told her son with amusement. "I always felt better knowing R2 was with Anakin on his missions away from Coruscant. He's a very resourceful little droid."

Luke just shook his head and laughed. "Yes, he is. He's certainly saved our hides a number of times."

"Where have you been, R2? I haven't seen you since I arrived back here." Anakin asked R2 as he was greeted with another series of beeps in reply.

"He was on a mission for the New Republic with Lando Calarissian and Chewbacca in the Outer Rim. They were due back this morning." Luke explained. "They must have just returned and dropped R2 off to me." He then crossed his arms in front of him as Anakin looked in his son's direction. "You remember Lando and Chewie, don't you Father?"

Anakin sighed and ran his right hand through his hair, looking down with remorse as memories of the events on Bespin started entering his mind again. "Yes, I remember them." He paused as Padme moved closer to him, putting her right arm around his waist to comfort him as she noticed his change in demeanor. Anakin weakly smiled down at his wife and put his left arm around her, giving her a reassuring squeeze to show his gratitude for her loving gesture. He then looked back at Luke with concern. "I'm afraid they won't like me too well once they realize I used to be Darth Vader. I'm sure Calarissian still isn't happy about me showing up on Bespin and disrupting the colony there. As administrator of that facility, I sensed his great fear for the safety of the citizens when I arrived there seizing control of it with a squadron of stormtroopers. I made him feel he had no other choice than to betray all of you in order to protect them."

Luke looked at his father and then away in thought as he put his right hand on his chin. "Lando and Chewie don't know that my father was Darth Vader, so you shouldn't worry about that, Father." He paused. "Leia, Han and I agreed that we would keep that knowledge to ourselves. You had died, so we didn't think it was pertinent for anyone else to know it. As far as we were concerned, the less people who knew the better." But then he looked back at his father with fear as a thought occurred to him. "That is unless Han or Leia changed their minds and decided to tell them now that you have returned."

They all looked at each other in horror as Padme spoke up. "Certainly, Leia and Han wouldn't betray your trust by telling them now, would they?" She asked as she looked at her son with concern and then up at her husband.

Luke shook his head as Padme looked back at him. "I don't know. Both of them are really upset by Father's reappearance." Luke sighed as he also ran his right hand through his hair. He looked down and then back up at his parents. "Han did say he was concerned that Leia and I would be hurt and lose our credibility if anyone else knew who our father had been. So I hope not."

Anakin looked at his son in thought and then sighed. "Well, let's just hope he kept that promise...Leia as well."

"Oh dear! There you are Master Luke. Something of great importance has come up and..." The familiar voice of 3PO stated as he entered the hanger, gaining everyone's attention.

"3PO?!" Anakin asked with astonishment and Padme also looked at the very familiar looking golden protocol droid with shock.

3PO tilted his head to one side and looked at Anakin like he was trying to remember him. "Do I know you, Sir?" 3PO asked with confusion.

Anakin and Padme just smiled at each other as Luke looked on with surprise. R2D2 then wheeled up to 3PO with a series of beeps.

"What do you mean he is my creator?" 3PO asked with confusion and Luke's mouth gaped open.

Anakin and Padme just laughed when they heard 3PO's response and noticed Luke's shocked reaction. "Yes, 3PO." Anakin replied with a smile. "My name is Anakin Skywalker and I built you when I was 9 years old so you could help my mother on Tatooine. Don't you remember me...or my mother, Shmi Skywalker?" Anakin asked as a tinge of sadness could be heard in his voice.

3PO looked at Anakin with even more confusion and tilted his head to one side again. "No, I am sorry, Sir. I am afraid that I do not remember you or your mother." The golden protocol droid replied and then everyone heard another series of beeps come from R2. 3PO looked down at his companion. "What do you mean my memory was wiped?! By who?!" 3PO retorted in shock as R2 beeped again, answering his question. "Captain Antilles and it was ordered by Viceroy Organa?!" 3PO translated with surprise. He then turned back to Anakin and the others. "Oh dear! I am sorry...Master Anakin. I wish I did remember you, especially if you are my creator."

Anakin just weakly smiled at 3PO. "It's ok, 3PO." He said as he moved closer to the droid and Padme released him from her embrace. Anakin put his right hand on 3PO's shoulder. "It's not your fault."

It was then that Luke finally found his voice. "You built 3PO?!"

Anakin then turned to face his son and laughed. "Yes." He paused. "I'm quite surprised that 3PO and R2 are with you now. I had no idea."

Luke just laughed as well, running his right hand through his hair and shaking his head in disbelief. "Me too, Father." But then he became serious as he remembered that 3PO had come there to tell him something of importance. "3PO, what is it you came here to tell me. Is Leia alright?"

3PO, upon hearing Luke's question, turned to Luke. "Yes, Master Luke. Princess Leia is in excellent health. But she sent me here to tell you that your presence is needed immediately at the Senate Building as an urgent matter has come up in regard to the Empire." He paused. "She seemed quite upset by the information that General Calarissian brought back with him from the Outer Rim."

Luke and Anakin exchanged concerned looks. "What kind of information, 3PO?" Luke asked him.

"Oh, they didn't tell me. Just that it has something to do with the Empire." 3PO told Luke.

"This isn't good." Anakin stated as Padme looked up at her husband with concern and then over at her son.

"But I thought the Empire fell when Emperor Palpatine died." Padme said as she looked at them with confusion.

Luke looked back his mother with sadness. "Unfortunately, not entirely." Luke explained to his mother. "There are still some Imperialist groups out there who want to overthrow the New Republic government and regain control, especially Ysanne Isard who took over control of the Empire after Palpatine's death." He paused. "We chased her off of Coruscant only a few months ago."

"I remember Ysanne Isard." Anakin stated with disgust. "She is a true sociopath and could definitely pose a huge threat to the New Republic government if she regains any kind of power. She even had her own father framed for her own failed mission on the planet of Darkknell. She had him charged with treason and Palpatine had him executed within an hour of her accusation. I didn't find out the truth until it was too late." Anakin sighed as more painful memories of what he had done as Darth Vader started to flood his consciousness again. "As Darth Vader, I worked very closely with her father. He had been the director of intelligence for both the Old Republic and the Empire. We had...worked together to...hunt down the last remaining Jedi who had escaped the purges." He paused with more sadness as tears started to form in his eyes as he chastised himself for his part in the murder of so many of his fellow Jedi. He sighed. "Armand Isard was no angel by any standard. But I still, to this day, cannot believe that his own daughter would do such a thing to him. She used to idolize him so much."

Padme, noticing the tear that started running down Anakin's right cheek, moved closer to Anakin, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him tight into an embrace. "Anakin, I know what you're thinking and stop it! Stop hurting yourself this way!"

Anakin returned his wife's embrace and kissed the top of her hair as tears started flowing down his cheeks more heavily. "Padme, but all those Jedi I helped hunt down and killed..."

"Stop it, Anakin!" Padme retorted as she pulled back enough from their embrace to stare up at Anakin's face with determination. "Like I told you before. You can't change the past. You must forgive yourself and move forward."

Luke, feeling the intense sadness and remorse emanating from his father's aura, looked at his father with understanding. "Mother is right, Father." Luke interjected causing both of his parents to look at him. Luke stepped towards his father and put his left hand on his father's right arm. "Darth Vader is dead, remember?"

Anakin nodded and sniffed back his tears, using his right sleeve to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Yes...Darth Vader IS dead."

Luke squeezed his father's arm with reassurance. "Now come on." Luke started. "I'm sure Chancellor Mon Mothma and the strategy team will want you there as well."

Anakin then nodded in agreement to his son as he looked down at his wife with sadness. "It looks like you'll get your wish, my love." He paused. "You'll get to meet your daughter with me present. Although, I am sorry that it will be under such dire circumstances."

Padme weakly smiled up at her husband and hugged him tighter. "It's ok, Anakin." She paused. "It can't be helped. The future of the New Republic is at stake."

"Perhaps I better go along first and pull Leia aside long enough to tell her about Mother before you both arrive." Luke suggested. "I think Mother just showing up at our strategy meeting will be a bit awkward, don't you think?"

Anakin sighed. "You're right." He agreed as he looked down at his wife's sad face and then back over at their son. "Perhaps you should, Luke. You go ahead and we will be along shortly."

Luke nodded as he put his right hand on his mother's arm. "It will be ok, Mother." He weakly smiled at her. "I'll pull Leia aside and tell her the good news. I know that's not how you wanted to meet her, though."

Padme let out a shaky sigh as she put her right hand over her eyes and then looked back at her son as she dropped her hand from her face. "Actually, I think under the circumstances, I should stay here." She paused. "I can wait to meet her."

Anakin looked down at his wife with love and concern. "Are you sure, Padme?"

Padme sadly nodded. "Yes...I have waited 24 standard years to see her again. What is a more few hours?" She paused. "She needs to have her wits about her right now and meeting me in the middle of this important meeting will only make her emotional." Anakin pulled his wife closer into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. Padme then pulled back and looked up at love at her husband. "I'll be fine. You both go ahead." She then reached up and pulled Anakin into a light kiss, looking him into his beautiful blue eyes and then smiled up at him with reassurance. "When the meeting is finished...bring her to our old apartment at 500 Republica."

Anakin looked at her with confusion. "500 Republica?"

Padme snickered. "I know what you're thinking, Ani." Padme paused with a smile. "My family kept the apartment for me. That was going to be my surprise to you this morning. I wanted us to all have breakfast there."

Anakin got a huge smile on his face and then shook his head in amazement. "You never cease to amaze me, my love." He told her as he lightly kissed her lips again and then they continued to stare into each other's eyes.

"Eh hem." Luke interrupted while turning red in embarrassment at his parents' continued public display of intimacy. Both of his parents turned to look at him while still embracing one another. "I don't mean to interrupt...but shouldn't we be going?"

"Uh...yeah." Anakin replied as he quickly kissed Padme one more time on the lips and then pulled away from her. "I guess we must be going." He told her with regret.

"You go ahead." Padme told him as she gave him a loving nudge in Luke's direction. "Duty calls." She paused as she noticed her husband's concerned look. "Go on. I'll be fine."

"I love you, Padme." Anakin told her as he stood next to Luke.

"I love you too, Ani. Now go! Both of you." Padme urged as Luke gave his mother a quick hug and she returned it.

"We will bring Leia to you as soon as we can." Luke assured her.

Padme just nodded with a tear filled smile as they backed out of their embrace. "I know you will."

"I love you, Mother." Luke told her with a smile. "I'm so glad that you're back in our lives."

Padme started to cry at her son's words. "So am I. I love you too, son. Now go!" She said again as she waved them away from her.

"Ok...we're going, we're going." Anakin replied playfully as he reached over to grab his son's arm to pull him along with him.

"3PO, stay with my mother." Luke told the droid as Anakin and Luke started towards a speeder at the far end of the hanger.

"Yes, Master Luke." 3PO replied as he waddled up next to Padme.

"I'll drive." Anakin stated as he jumped into the driver's seat.

Luke not wanting to argue with his father just smiled and shook his head. "Ok." He simply replied as he jumped into the passenger seat.

Both men waved back at Padme as she looked back at them with tear filled eyes and waved back at them. "See you soon!" She shouted after them as Anakin drove the speeder out of the hanger into traffic.

Senate Building – Strategy Room

Leia, who was dressed in a white dress and wearing her hair in dual buns, was impatiently pacing the length of the pure white strategy room, briefly pausing at the far end of the room as she looked out the window over the Coruscanti skyline. She peered out into the traffic, hoping to catch a glimpse of Luke's speeder as he made his way towards the Senate Building but to no avail. "Where is he?" Leia exclaimed as she started pacing the room again.

"Leia, will you please sit down?" Han tried to coax her as he looked up from his seated position at the grand conference table with his arms crossed in front of him. "Wearing a hole in the floor isn't going to make Luke get here any faster." He sighed. "Besides...the meeting isn't supposed to start for 15 more standard minutes. The kid has time to get here."

"I know!" Leia replied as she stopped and looked at Han with concern. "I just want to get this meeting underway."

"I know, Leia!" Han paused. "We all do. We are all upset by this news of the fleet Ysanne Isard and that group from Thyferra are gathering in the Outer Rim." Leia sighed and then sat down in the chair next to Han, putting her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. They were the first ones in the meeting room so Han reached over with his left arm and put it around her to comfort her. "We will come up with a good plan. Don't worry, Leia."

Leia looked up at Han with fear and tears starting to form in her eyes. "We've come so far, Han. I just hope our dream of a New Republic isn't a short lived one. We've worked so hard."

Han started to rub Leia's back as he moved over to her and kissed her cheek as a thought occurred to him. "Do you think Luke will bring your old man with him?" Han asked her as she looked at him with horror. "I hate to say it...but maybe having Darth Vader here might actually help us figure out a good plan. I'm sure with him being in tight with the Emperor all those years, he knew Ysanne Isard. Maybe he can give us all some pointers on how to deal with her."

Leia just shook her head. "I'm sure he will bring him. They've hardly left each others' side since...he returned." Leia said grudgingly. She sighed as she looked away and then back at Han. "I hate to admit it, Han, but you may be right." She told him just as they heard the doors to the strategy room swoosh open and they saw Lando enter wearing a gray uniform and a tan cape.

"There you are. I thought you might be here already." Lando stated as he crossed the room to where the couple was sitting and sat on the other side of Han. "Where is everyone?"

"We were just thinking the same thing." Han replied as he looked over at his friend and the doors swooshed open again causing the trio to look at the door again.

"Hey! Isn't that...?" Han started to ask.

"General Kota?" Leia acknowledged as she got to her feet and crossed the room to greet the stoic looking general with short white hair and a goatee with a smile on her face. "It's so good to see you again."

"Princess Leia, I just wish it wasn't during such grievous times." General Rahm Kota replied as he turned his head towards her, his brown eyes, the right one with a prevalent scar over it, vacant due to his blindness. "Is your brother, Luke, joining us? I do not feel his presence here yet in the Force."

"Yes, we sent for him, General. He should be here shortly" Leia paused as she put her right hand on Kota's left arm. "Are Starkiller and Juno Eclipse going to be joining us as well?"

Kota shook his head. "Unfortunately not, Princess." He paused. "Chancellor Mothma, just informed me that she requested that Starkiller and Juno return to the Outer Rim to keep a sharp eye on the situation. They are to report any movement by the enemy."

Leia nodded. "That is a wise decision." She replied as Kota and she walked towards the others and Kota sat down next to Lando.

"Lando Calarissian." Kota said in acknowledgment of the man sitting next to him causing the other man to look at him in surprise.

"Yes." Lando replied and just shuttered, waving a hand in front of Kota's eyes. How does he do that? He thought to himself.

Kota just smiled in amusement. "Lando, I sense your thoughts and you forget that I was trained as a Jedi. I do not need eyes to see."

Lando, not knowing how to answer, just dropped his hand down in embarrassment and turned away with a blank look on his face. "Yes, of course, how could I forget?" Lando replied as he remembered back to when he knew Kota during his less than steller days as a drunk on Bespin. Lando, of course, had been surprised to learn that Kota had been a Jedi back then, as he didn't display the usual signs of being one due to his continued drunkenness.

Han just smiled at him and then looked over at Kota. "It's nice to see you again, General."

"General Solo." Kota said with a nod as he paused...sensing something...or someone through the Force that didn't quite make sense to him. It was then that the doors to the conference room slid opened once again and a reserved smile formed on General Kota's face. "Anakin Skywalker, so we meet again."

Author's Note: If you do not know who Ysanne Isard, General Rahm Kota, Starkiller and Juno Eclipse are, Ysanne Isard comes from the EU and the remaining characters come form the Star Wars video game (a special thank you to one of my reviewers, KrautYank, for bringing the Kota, Starkiller and Juno's characters to my attention for this story).

Just so you know, I have never played the SW video game and have only read a few of the EU books, so please bear with me as I write these characters. I am writing them based on what I have found on Wookieepedia and some quotations I found on imdb. So if they are not exactly what you remember, please forgive me.