Wish 7
Author's Note: I'm going to try and finish all the unfinished Star Wars and Harry Potter stories that are hanging around and I have decided to start with this one. It may go a bit slow though, so please be patient. I'll probably still write more SW oneshots, especially Luke/Vader fics that are always popular.
Not really knowing what to expect, Obi-Wan held out his hand to the Goddess of Love. Her hand closed around his and then Tatooine vanished. The next instant the startled Jedi found himself standing out in the open reaches of outer space with only a thin, insubstantial ribbon of glistening silver beneath his old and worn sand-covered boots. Panic squeezed his heart; a very un-Jedi like reaction, but who could blame him? Without a ship or protective spacesuit, space was deadly. Every blood vessel in your body would explode instantly as the air was sucked from your lungs, your body frozen solid as space was very, very cold. A second passed and then another, yet Obi-Wan found himself still alive and well. His heart returned to its normal rate as he realized that although this place looked like space it must be something else. The Jedi had thought they knew everything in their vast library of knowledge but he already knew they had been wrong. They hadn't known of clones or the water-soaked world that made them. And they certainly hadn't known of gods or this place.
Stars and planets whipped by at incredible speeds, yet no wind tugged at his hair or robes. The planets' colors against the absolute blackness of space were amazing. The pathway beneath him glowed with a milky iridescence, like a pearl. Every so often an arched doorway supported by carved pillars appeared and the glowing ribbon wound through these doorways before continuing on. The pillars had an ancient appearance to them and the Jedi pondered for a moment how old they were. "Where exactly are we?"
"This is the Celestial Highway that all true gods use to travel. It allows us to appear anywhere we wish in the entire galaxy within seconds. We normally don't allow mortals access but do sometimes make exceptions in special cases." Aphrodite explained matter-of-factly. "It's a different plane of existence actually. Mortals live on the prime material plane and we live here. Our home is on Olympus, of course."
Obi-Wan rubbed his chin in thought, his blue eyes locked on the Goddess that stood just in front of him. Now that he knew he wasn't going to die from exposure, he instantly dismissed the odd surroundings. What was important, however, was the fact that a goddess had taken an interest in his run-away Padawan turned Sith Lord. The last time someone had taken in interest in Anakin it had been for the worst. Palpatine had twisted the boy and lied to him. In the end it had led him straight to the Dark Side and the extinction of the Jedi. There had been other Sith Lords in history and no one had ever stepped forward before, so why now? "Why are you doing this? If Anakin is truly your brother, why didn't you help him when he was a child? Why didn't you prevent his mother's murder by the Sandpeople?"
"Zeus had a protection order on Watto's house; the house Anakin's mother lived in as a slave. As long as she stayed there she was safe from all harm. But we can't be everywhere and watch everyone around the clock. We have an entire galaxy to run you know…" Aphrodite turned to him with sad eyes. "We're overworked the way it is. There are only so many of us and most of us are multi-tasking. So the sooner Ani can take up his job…"
Alarm bells sounded in Obi-Wan's head. "Job? What job? Anakin isn't fit for any job!"
"Well, he is supposed to become a full god later, but that's not important at the moment. The thing is Ar messed up my best couple of the century and I want them back together! They're sooooo cute together, don't you think?" Squealing with glee, Aphrodite bounced excitedly on her pink heels. "Who cares about old stuffy warlords and their stinky old armor anyway? Love is so much better!"
"Love is what started this mess!" Obi responded, arms crossed over his chest. "If Anakin hadn't fallen in love with Senator Amidala then none of this would have happened. Palpatine wouldn't have been able to dig his evil claws into the boy or if he did, he would have had much less leverage. But what did he do for love? He destroyed the entire Jedi Order! He killed Younglings, mere children!"
"Well, don't think that's my fault!" Aphrodite protested. "I have nothing to do with that warlord stuff. That's my brother, Ares, Ar for short. He likes that sort of thing. I just get people together so they can be happy. Normally Ares and me get along just fine, but sometimes his stupid wars break up my happy couples. He thinks I'm just going to sit by mutely and let it happen. Well, not this time! I got a favor from Zeus himself this time. And before you say anything, there's nothing wrong with love. Love is a many splendid thing and it's what makes the galaxy go 'round. You'd know that if you weren't such a … a … stuffy Jedi!"
"Well, at least I am a proper Jedi."
"Still, you're not bad looking…" Aphrodite bit a pink fingernail as she studied him with appraising eyes. "I suppose I could help you out…"
"NO!" Obi-Wan gulped, blue eyes wide with horror at the thought of the Goddess messing up his life even worst than what it was. "My life is already in shambles because of this love nonsense! And just because Anakin has a new body doesn't mean he's cured of the Dark Side. That's a bunch of rubbish."
The next moment the glowing pathway came to an end and the Jedi passed through a final pillared doorway; then he found himself standing in Bail Organa's home in a tastefully decorated foyer. He had forgotten about his nervousness about seeing Anakin, but now it was back full force. And what he had told the Love Goddess was true; once a Sith always a Sith. Still, he hadn't sensed any evil or maliciousness around the powerful blonde woman. Most likely she meant well but had no experience with true evil. And if anything was evil it was the Sith. More than likely she had just made Anakin, no Vader, more powerful by healing him of his injuries. He already had the galaxy at his knees with a robotic body; what would he do with a real one?
Worst, now he had his children as well and the galaxy had lost their last hope for peace and righteousness. So much had been riding on Luke and Leia's young shoulders. Now it had been for nothing, ruined.
Still, he had promised to support Anakin. It was all very confusing and he didn't know what he should do. There hadn't been time for him to contact Master Yoda, to ask for advice… Was love really wrong, as the Council had taught? And could Anakin really be back from the Dark Side? It just seemed too fantastic to believe…
But Aphrodite was a real goddess and she could do miracles.
"Relax!" Aphrodite cooed at him, her eyes glowing happily. "Ani will be happy to see you!"
That was easy for her to say. The last time he had seen Anakin he had almost been killed. Then a voice floated to him from the next room. It was a child's voice and was full of skepticism.
"Well, having a lightsaber doesn't make you a Jedi, although it did impress me at first. I'm sure you have him convinced, but then he doesn't appear to be very bright, does he?"
"Hey!" Another childish voice cried out, insulted. "I am too bright! What do you know anyway? You're just a dumb girl! And father is a Jedi! Only Jedi have laser swords and he said he killed monsters with it!"
Curious, Obi-Wan stepped into the doorway to watch the domestic scene.
Anakin sat at a table in a cozy breakfast nook, young Luke sitting on his lap. The eight-year-old boy was glaring at his twin sister, Leia, in a heated disagreement about Jedi. Obi-Wan knew the plan was for Bail to tell Leia about Jedi when she grew slightly older but they had wanted her to have a normal childhood as well. Growing up as a Princess on Alderaan, she had been spared the hardships Luke had suffered on his Uncle's moisture farm. Yet the moisture farm had been the best place for the infant boy to grow up as Anakin loathed his homeworld with a passion. Seeing the two together was a sight indeed; they were twins yet so very different.
Even more hard to believe was the fact that Padme Amidala was sitting next to her husband, her head resting on Anakin's shoulder. A light smile graced her face at her children's little dispute. She looked real and solid, not ghost like in any way. Yet Obi-Wan had seen her die right before his very eyes.
But what really drew his eyes was Anakin himself. Bail had been right in his description of the young man. Not the slightest burn marred him in any way; it was if that horrible day on Mustafar had been erased and had never happened. Anakin's dark brown hair was full and wavy, the thick locks falling onto his shoulders – yet the older Jedi knew he shouldn't have any hair at all. The black Vader outfit was gone, replaced by his usual dark brown Jedi robes. And where Anakin's hands clasped together around Luke's waist, well, he could see he had two flesh and blood hands. At least one should be a prosthetic; the one chopped off by Count Dooku. Yet it was real.
He felt Anakin's gaze land on him, his look as intense as always. And it most definitely was Anakin, not a clone copy. That had apparently not occurred to Bail, but it had to him. Hesitantly and unsure of himself, Obi-Wan reached out with the Force to his former Padawan. A part of their old training bond was still intact; something which surprised the older Jedi. He had presumed it would have been entirely destroyed when Anakin had become a Sith; either that or it had been restored when his body had been. Yet it was still there and he probed along that route. At the moment Anakin was switching between gloominess and happiness, as unpredictable as always. Darkness still hung about him, but Obi-Wan was uncertain if he was still a Sith. Truthfully, Obi-Wan didn't have enough information. His logical mind said that breaking free of the Sith was impossible, but his heart hoped that it could be. He didn't want to face Anakin in another fight; he just couldn't. The first one had broken the heart he wasn't supposed to have. The Council said Jedi weren't supposed to form attachments, but he had grown attached to the boy anyway. It was just one if his many failings and he had failed Anakin many times. In the long years he had spent on Tatooine watching over Luke from a distance, he had nothing else to do but to think.
Princess Leia, unheedful of the new guest that lingered in the doorway, continued her conversation with her twin brother. "Monsters? Don't tell me you still believe in monsters? That is so childish! It is also politically incorrect! Why, you could start a dreadful incident using that word! You should use the word alien for no doubt that's what these beings are."
Luke scrunched his face up, horrified at what she just said. "You sound like a horrible droid! Even the awful girls in my class don't talk like that!"
"Well, where are you from?" Leia asked him politely, her brown eyes scanning him up and down once again. She had already started learning about the many worlds in the Empire but she hadn't covered all of them. That would be impossible. Besides, she was just eight-years-old and learning all the worlds would surely take until she was ten or perhaps eleven.
"Tatooine. But I didn't like it there." He honestly replied. "It was nothing but blowing sand and my Uncle yelled at me a lot."
"Well, I never heard of it." Leia replied as she boldly stared him down. "And there's nothing wrong with how I talk. I told you, I'm studying to be a Senator. I doubt if you even know what that is."
"I do too!" Luke cried loudly. "Everyone knows what that is!"
"Then tell me what it is." She retorted, hands on hips.
"Uhhh, a Senator is a … Senator!" Luke blurted, red faced. Why did he need a sister for anyway? And why did it have to be this one? Surely some other girl, one quieter, would do just fine. Why couldn't she go play with her dolls, isn't that what girls do? According to commercials on holovision it's what they did. They brushed fake hair and put outfits on the things… it was a total waste of time!
"Just as I suspected…" Leia said as she spun on her heel neatly to turn her back on Luke, her long brown braid twirling outward. A little gasp of surprise escaped her lips when she saw Obi-Wan standing in the doorway watching them, Aunt Dite hovering somewhat behind him studying her pink fingernails.
Just then her father's office door opened and Bail Organa emerged. Spotting the newcomer, a happy look of relief spread across his face. Wasting no time, Bail headed towards the Jedi and shook his hand. "Master Kenobi! My, you certainly got here quickly!"
"Yes, well, I had a bit of help in that regard." Obi-Wan admitted, a light smile appearing on his face. The smile helped cover his nervousness and being in the same room with Anakin was making him very nervous indeed.
"I don't know what to do…" Bail admitted in a whisper, a hint of fear creeping into his voice. "You will handle it, won't you? I'm afraid he'll want to take Leia away from me. It's clear he knows she's his daughter. Worst, she's been having Force-visions."
"This situation is bizarre to say the least." Obi-Wan sighed, remembering his recent trip on the Celestial Highway.
"Leia, come here." Bail called firmly, eager to get his daughter away from the possibly dangerous young man. Still, he didn't want to insult Anakin … Lord Vader, in anyway, either. That would be just as bad. Because it truly didn't matter what name he went by or how he looked, he was still Lord Vader. And Vader was still the right hand to the Emperor and could command a fleet of ships and millions of stormtroopers. He could snatch Leia away just as easily as wiggling his finger and he would be powerless to stop him. Nor did Bail think for one minute Anakin would be satisfied to go hide on some backwater planet and live the life of a fugitive. During the Clone Wars Anakin always enjoyed being in the middle of the action. He would grow bored quickly and would seek out his old life as Lord Vader. That and Vader had credits, lots of credits. After having all that wealth whom would want to give it up? No, the frugal life of a Jedi never suited Anakin very well. The outfit he had chosen for himself, the tabards crafted from fine leather, said that very well.
Princess Leia wasted no time moving over to Bail's side, her curious brown eyes on the new visitor. He had a bit of a haggard appearance and his brown robe looked somewhat faded from the sun. Still, his hair was trimmed neatly and his blue eyes had a sparkle to them. He bowed politely to her; a little bow from the waist and it spoke volumes about his past association with the Senate and the Court. It was obvious to her at once that Aunt Dite must have brought him from somewhere, but why? Was he supposed to be another one of her newly discovered relatives? She wasn't even sure how she felt yet about her 'parents', if that's who they truly were. Although something inside her knew the truth, that they were her parents, they were still total strangers to her and she didn't feel like rushing off with them somewhere.
"Leia, I want you to meet a good friend of mine, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi." Bail said, a nervous smile on his face. "He's a Jedi Master."
"Another Jedi?" Leia's brown eyes grew wide, surprised at her father's words. She knew her father, that is Bail, wasn't given to flights of fancy or believing in superstitious nonsense. Did that mean Jedi really did exist? But before she could say anything else her new mother came running up to the newcomer, one hand dragging her new father along.
"It's good to see you again, Master Kenobi." Padme said as she stopped a short distance away, her dark eyes darting between Obi-Wan and Anakin. "We're both happy to see you, aren't we, Anakin?"
Anakin blinked his eyes at his former master. "I am happy to see you, Obi-Wan, although you probably don't believe me. And I am grateful you kept Luke safe all these years. You were the one that took him to Tatooine, weren't you?"
"I had no choice, Anakin. You must understand that." Obi-Wan replied nervously, unsure how he would react to the news that he had practically kidnapped his infant son. At the moment Anakin seemed to be grateful or so he said. But Sith found it easy to lie and lie in such a way it sounded like the truth. "I did what I thought was best. You were not thinking clearly at the time."
The younger Jedi bowed his head, acknowledging that Obi-Wan was right. "I don't know what came over me. I feared Padme would die and I … I couldn't take that risk. I had sought council from Master Yoda but his words weren't comforting. I didn't know what else to do and then Palpatine told me about the Sith. I walked right into his trap and there was no way out, until now."
Obi-Wan, of course, knew the entire story and how Anakin had been carefully led right into the trap no one had seen coming until it was far too late. Still, not the entire fault lie at Palpatine's feet; some of it lay squarely on Anakin's shoulders for not using common sense. He should have realized part of his anxiety was about becoming a father for the first time; something that made the strongest men nervous. His wife would no longer be just his; he'd have to share her with a new infant. And Anakin's situation was anything but normal: a secret forbidden marriage in a time of war. It was a recipe for disaster.
Anakin raised his head and stared into Obi-Wan's blue eyes. "Are you angry with me? I have no excuse for my behavior, especially not on Mustafar…"
"I am disappointed in myself." Obi-Wan finally admitted. "I shouldn't have allowed the Council to assign you your own mission. You weren't ready to go out on your own yet and I knew it, yet I allowed them to override my word. But I wish you would have trusted me with your secret, that you were married."
"Well, I'm still married." Anakin raised his chin and wrapped an arm around Padme's shoulder, drawing her close for comfort. He knew Obi-Wan had every right to be angry with him, so it was perplexing to see his old Master sad and depressed instead. And why did Obi-Wan think it was his fault? He was eager to get his own assignments and was chafing under the bit of being a Padawan. "And have your views on marriage changed these past few years?"
The unexpected question surprised Obi-Wan as it was the last thing he expected his former student to ask. "I cannot say."
"So you still can't speak to women if it's not in an official Jedi capacity?" Anakin asked innocently. If was no secret that the older Jedi loathed social functions because of the forced politeness and dancing, yes, Obi-Wan hated dancing. He never knew quite what to say to a female if it didn't relate to his Jedi duties; something Anakin never had any trouble with. "Although I suppose you had little opportunity to meet women on Tatooine."
"Anakin, you are avoiding the issue. You are a Sith and now you have placed both your children in jeopardy!" Obi-Wan was still torn about the Sith issue. Anger and hate made a Jedi into Sith, but those could also become habits. Could Anakin really break those habits, habits he had for years? "Do you really think Palpatine is just going to let you go, forget about you? I hid your son for a reason. He was safe on Tatooine and I was watching over him from a distance. He didn't know they had survived. Now he will and he'll see them as a threat to his power. Is that what you want?"
Padme's dark eyes filled with fear at the mention of Palpatine harming her children. She had been just so happy to see them, to hold Luke in her arms and to meet Leia for the first time, she hadn't really thought of Palpatine at all. And now their selfishness might get their children killed! "What can we do, Master Kenobi?"
"Am I a Sith still?" Anakin asked, doubt in his mind. "It all happened so fast. It's like a whirlwind out of the desert. One minute I was in my quarters on Executor and then suddenly I was a father, cured of my injuries and on my way to the Underworld to get Padme back."
"I don't know, Anakin. These events defy all logic and known history of the Order!" Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at Aphrodite, for it was she who created this mess in the first place. "Goddesses are not supposed to pop out of thin air and disrupt our lives like this. If you can control your temper and not reach for anger when you use the Force, then yes, you may be a Jedi once again. But it won't be an easy path. Anger and hatred has become a habit by now and I never heard of anyone who made it back before."
"But I am the Chosen One, am I not?" Anakin asked boldly, almost defying his old master once more. "I have done things that no Jedi has ever done before, so why can't I come back from the Dark Side? Besides, I have a Goddess on my side. Surely she cured me of the Dark Side, has she not?"
Anakin bent down and picked up a wide-eyed Luke, holding him once more in his arms. "Seeing my son has given me joy I haven't felt for ages. I would like to share that with you. You have always been the father and brother I never had, Obi-Wan. But there is more to life than the solitary existence of the Jedi, of simply following rules and obeying orders. Being raised in the crèche you don't know this, but family life is not some horror. It's a blessing, when it goes right. Help me raise my children and keep me from straying back to the Dark Side."
Arms still crossed over his chest, Obi-Wan sighed. He had no choice really. Someone had to keep an eye on Anakin. He certainly couldn't allow him to run about freely without supervision; especially not now that he had his children. And he had so much power. That hadn't changed. Still, Obi-Wan had to admit change was inevitable. The Order was gone and dead, the Temple destroyed. The life as he had known wasn't going to come back even with a Goddess's help. And he was so tired of living by himself in the desert staring moodily down at the ruins of the Sandpeople village, of practicing the lessons Master Yoda had given him before they parted. Life in the Temple had been austere but at least there had been people around, news from a thousand worlds and research to do. Obi-Wan had always enjoyed researching things in the huge library, carefully assembling clues and following where they led him. But there had been none of that on Tatooine and even the moisture farmers had avoided him as if he carried some dreadful disease. "Very well, Anakin. I accept your offer. Truthfully, I missed you over the long years we've been apart."
"You … you missed me?" Anakin asked, blinking his eyes rapidly as a thin layer of liquid built up on their surface. He had been so convinced that the older Jedi had hated him all these years and now to learn the exact opposite was shocking.
"Of course I missed you. Why wouldn't I?" Obi-Wan replied, their bond telling him the younger man's emotions were once again rapidly growing out of control. The truth was, Anakin had never learned to control them. Perhaps controlling them wasn't something he was able to do; no matter how skilled with the Force he was. "We've been together all those years, through countless life and death situations. We were a team. So yes, I missed you."
"But surely proper Jedi don't have feelings, Obi-Wan." Anakin stated, his voice sounding slightly odd as he tried to reign in his freewheeling emotions. The last thing he wanted to do was end up crying on Obi-Wan's shoulder like a young child. He could feel his throat tightening against his will, his vision growing slightly blurry. He knew for his old master to admit such a thing as missing him, it was a revelation. The older Jedi had always hid his feelings on Anakin and their bond had never deepened as other Padawan/Masters bonds had. He never really knew what Obi-Wan thought of things in his mind as he kept it hidden, even from the bond. "Missing me suggests attachment, doesn't it?"
"Of course I was attached to you, Anakin! I just hid it better." Obi-Wan admitted, slightly red-faced. The truth was, he had his own failings. He had never felt like a true Jedi, not inside his mind. He had doubts of his own ability and because of that he remained silent when he should have spoke up. At least once this had almost caused them to get killed while on a training mission. He also remained silent when he should have praised Anakin for a gob well done, but the time never seemed right to him and then it was too late to praise him. This in turn caused Anakin to grow annoyed and restless, falsely thinking nothing he did was ever good enough for Obi-Wan. "So I never was the perfect Jedi, either. I … I don't ever want us to fight again. It broke my heart the last time…"
Handing Luke over to Padme, Anakin rushed at Obi-Wan and threw himself into the older man's arms where they cried noisily on each other's shoulder.
Princess Leia watched the two sobbing men for a moment from where she stood next to her father, Bail. It was clear to her the two had a fight in the past and now had forgiven each other. She rolled her brown eyes, embarrassed at the scene. Jedi! No wonder they're the stars of holodramas!
Luke was wide-eyed, confused by all the talk of Sith. And who was Palpatine? There had been talk of danger and Luke knew what that was. But Padme's perfume was working its way up into his nostrils and he couldn't concentrate on what he had heard the adults talking about. He had to find out what a Sith was and why his father was a Sith and not a Jedi… or was it the same thing? His father seemed to have a bunch of names, because when he first met him he had been Lord Vader. The word 'lord' didn't mean anything to Luke and he just presumed it was a first name, for moisture farmers didn't deal with royalty. And although Jedi were in holodramas, the Sith never were; other types of villains were used instead.
Squirming, Luke got free of Padme's arms and slowly walked over to the two men who were now wiping at their wet eyes. Both looked embarrassed about the whole incident, but the question was burning on Luke's tongue. Reaching for Anakin's leather tabards, he yanked on it to get his attention. "What's a Sith?"
Surprise flickered across Anakin's face, for he had forgotten that both of his children had overheard the entire conversation. How was he supposed to explain to his son that he had been an evil monster for many years? Worry started nipping at his mind, worry that if he told Luke the truth that the boy he just met might grow to fear him. And he didn't want to loose him now that he just got him. That would be unbearable.
Obi-Wan knelt down in front of Luke, a serious expression on his face. "Sith are like Jedi in many ways. They have the same magical powers, like you see on holodramas. Jedi use their powers for good, to help people. The Jedi is at peace when he uses his powers. Sith, however, use anger and fear. It is a very bad thing to become a Sith."
Luke digested this for a few minutes, realizing Sith were obviously some type of villain. But his father couldn't be a villain, could he? Of course not! His Uncle had told him that Anakin Skywalker had been a pilot and how could a pilot be bad? They just flew ships here or there. There wasn't anything bad about that at all. Plus he was a Jedi, too! A Jedi pilot, surely that was better than a regular pilot! But then Luke's face darkened slightly. If his father was so honest and good, why did he have two names? Good people didn't have two names, did they? "You're not a Sith, are you?"
"I …" Anakin started, his voice faltering. Fear was crawling around in his brain again and he knew in his heart it could lead him straight back to the Dark Side. Would it always be this hard? Couldn't he even answer a child's simple question without running into problems?
"Because when I first met you, you were helpful." Luke continued, speaking truthfully. "You weren't angry that I was … wherever that was, that white room. If Sith are bad guys, surely they'd be in a hideout, like living with rats in a dirty alley or a house with broken windows…"
Obi-Wan smiled at the boy's simple ways of thinking. "I'm afraid real Sith don't live that way, Luke."
"And who's this Pal-whatever? Is he a Sith, too?"
"Palpatine is the Emperor." Princess Leia replied, her brown eyes on her twin and a frown on her lips. She really didn't think anyone could be that dense. Luke had just reached an all-time low on her mental chart. "Everyone knows that! How can you not know who the Emperor is? He rules the Empire. You have heard of the Empire, haven't you?"
"Of course I did!" Luke exclaimed hotly, feeling insulted. He wasn't that stupid! "They have cool fighter ships and when I grow up I'm going to fly one!"
So typical Leia thought. "And I suppose you never heard of Lord Vader, either."
A light bulb went off in Luke's head and he grew excited. Eagerly he pointed a finger at Anakin. "That's Lord Vader. He's my father!"
Leia, however, seemed annoyed. "Don't be ridiculous! That's not Lord Vader! Everyone knows Lord Vader! And if you think that's him, that I'm a Wookie!"
Luke grew puzzled. "What's a Wookie?"
"Really," Leia huffed with hands on her hips. "What rock did you crawl out from underneath? You have best start learning these things less you embarrass me in a public situation! And I suggest you have your eyes checked, because that is not Lord Vader. Now if you excuse me, I am dreadfully late for school!"
Luke watched her pick up a padd off the table and head for the door. When she had just about reached it, then Luke remembered she had just insulted him. He needed a good retort to shout back at her, less she start bossing him around for the rest of his life. "Is too!"
Leia rolled her eyes, annoyed. Her new brother was not only an idiot but a liar as well! Oh, she just knew he was going to ruin her spotless reputation at school, the one she had worked so hard to achieve. She studied hard, got perfect grades, had perfect attendance, did extra credit, read extra things on her own and now he showed up from who-knows-where! If he went around claiming the young man who was their new father was Lord Vader, why, everyone would say he was insane! And that … that … it was unthinkable! An inspiring Senator couldn't have a crazy twin brother, no! Before he could think up more fanciful stories from his twisted brain, she fled out the door and down the path towards the nearby school building.
"I think we'll have a lot of explaining to do…" Obi-Wan stated dryly, although it had been slightly humorous watching the two argue as to whether or not Anakin was Lord Vader. And although he was indeed Lord Vader, Leia apparently had won. Still, they had more serious things to discuss and the older Jedi turned his mind to that. "Now what are we going to do about Palpatine. I'm sure he can feel the change in you all the way from Coruscant and he'll be on his way here if he isn't already."
Anakin knew that was indeed true. When he had been in danger last time, on Mustafar, Palpatine had sensed it and had showed up quickly. "What should we do? Anywhere we go he'll probably just track me down…"
"Perhaps we need a bit of divine intervention." Obi-Wan shifted his gaze from Anakin onto Aphrodite. Bowing to her, he spoke politely. "My Lady, if you wish your happy couple to stay together, then I suggest you do something about Palpatine."
The Goddess of Love squealed with excitement, her entire face brightening at the idea. If there was anything she loved doing, it was practicing her trade and casting spells. Emperor Palpatine would be in for the biggest shock of his life.
To be continued…
