A Destiny Rekindled.

Vader finds Luke when he is sixteen, realising Palpatine's lies, he leaves the Empire and renounces the darkside. The Rebel Alliance won't aid him - because of his past serving the Emperor.

With no one he can to turn to, and enemies on all sides, Anakin still has his 'kidnapped' son to contend with - but when is doing the right thing ever easy?

OTHER INFORMATION.

_ Vader was healed after Mustafar and did not require the suit to survive.

_ Luke always knew who is father was - Anakin Skywalker, Jedi and hero - But was not aware that he had become Vader.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

"He hates me," Padme closed her eyes, Luke's reaction had crushed her; though she wasn't sure what she had expected, but that hadn't been what she had hoped for.

"He's shocked," Anakin whispered, "and hurt. but he doesn't hate you," he stared at Padme, looking at her for the first time in sixteen years.

Leia hugged her mother, "he'll come round." Luke was just hurt, he didn't understand. "Once he knows everything, he'll come round, you'll see."

Obi-wan took a deep breath, 'then we had better go and try to help him to understand this," he had intended to tell Luke after Anakin had proven his trust, when they were on the way to Padme and Leia; he had not planned for Padme showing up however, and now, now he had no idea how to explain it all to him.

x

Luke wrapped his arms around himself, his hands clenched into fists. Looking up he sighed, his father stood with Obi-wan, behind them were his mother and his sister. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Obi-wan. "You knew too?"

Obi-wan closed his eyes, and nodded silently.

"And Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru?" Luke's voice shook, his shoulders shaking.

Obi-wan nodded again, "yes."

"Luke," Padme stepped forward, "I know you're upset, but you need to let me explain."

Explain? Luke stared at her, he had been so excited when he had learned she was alive, now he was just hurt. "Explain what exactly?" he stood and folded his arms, "everyone else knew, except Dad, you all knew and kept it from me like I was some dirty secret that you were too ashamed to accept_"

"It wasn't like that!" Padme's eyes were wide, "I - we - were trying to keep you safe."

Luke frowned and shook his head, "that doesn't make any sense. You stayed with Leia for her whole life," taking a deep breath, Luke shook his head. 'Whether you meant it or not, you chose her over me. You abandoned me."

tears filled Padme's eyes, "we had to separate you to keep you safe from Palpatine. if he had found you_"

"I'd have been killed or made to turn to the darkside," Luke glanced at Anakin, "Dad already explained that." His father had been honest, even though he had done terrible things, he hadn't lied to him about anything.

Leia walked from Padme's side, "Mom gave up everything so that you could live in peace." She shook her head, "she's been so depressed that she hasn't been outside in sixteen years." Looking at her - their - mother, Leia shrugged, "this is the first time she's been out of the house, And it was for you, to make sure you were safe."

Luke shrugged, "obviously 'Mom' had some way to contact Obi-wan. So why couldn't she use it to talk to me?" Luke swallowed and sniffed back tears, "why was I the one who was kept in the dark, huh?" he looked at Leia, "you knew about everything, if it was so dangerous, why did you get to know, why did you get to stay with Mom and I didn't?"

Anakin closed his eyes, "Luke."

"What," Luke glared at him, "you're seriously taking their side in this?"

"No," walking to his son, Anakin gently hugged him, "but if you ant to understand, you have to let them explain." he sighed softly and rubbed Luke's back, "if you can forgive me for everything I did as 'Darth Vader', surely you can at least listen to your Mother for five minutes?"

x

"when you and Leia were born, we knew that you had to be kept safe." Padme looked at Luke, "I wanted to keep you both, together, but you would have been too easily sensed by Palpatine. If he had found you, than any hope of defeating him would have been lost."

"Master Yoda made the final decision, at first he wanted to raise you with him." Padme shook her head, "i wanted you to be raised, if not by me, than by family. Naboo was too obvious, so, Obi-wan took you to Owen and Beru."

Obi-wan cleared his throat, "it was Owen who decided that you shouldn't be told anything, at least, until he thought you were old enough to understand." Shrugging he sighed, "I always wanted to tell you, but Owen forbade it."

Luke bit his lip, "I'm sorry." Looking at his mother he shook his head, "but I can't help feeling like you abandoned me. I understand your reasons, but you still spent the last sixteen years with Leia and left me thinking you were dead." Looking down at his hands, Luke closed his eyes, "I just..." taking a deep breath, he swallowed, "it's going to take time before I can forgive you."

Anakin's eyes widened, "well we can't spend that time here." he looked at Padme, "were you followed?"

"No," Padme shook her head, "at least I don't think we were, why?"

Anakin scowled, "because Palpatine is here." He shook his head, "and i destroyed the tracker he had on my ship; after he had followed him to Galtea, he had searched the ship, he had been shielding his and Luke's presence, so the only way Palpatine could have found them was if he had been tracking the ship.

Leia gasped, "Mom, the man outside the space port..." she stared in horror, "he asked if he knew you, and when we were getting our ship ready to go, he kept looking at us."

Padme felt her eyes grow wide, looking at Obi-wan she felt her heart racing, "could he have known I was alive the entire time?"

"Possibly," Obi-wan sighed, "it doesn't matter now." Now they had to leave.

Anakin cleared his throat, "well, Luke and i will have to go with you Padme, since i had a slight, accident with mine."

"You crashed the ship," Obi-wan looked mildly amused.
Shaking his head, he followed Anakin as he started for the ship with Padme. "I'll go with you too," that way they wouldn't be trying to coordinate two ships.

Anakin ran onto the ship, "you need to contact Senator Organa." He told Padme, "if Palpatine knows about you, he could know that Bail was 'harbouring' you." He would be labeled a traitor and killed.

Luke and Leia ran on board with Obi-wan, "where are we going?" Luke asked, looking at his father, expecting him to have the answer.

"Right now," Anakin shrugged, "anywhere but here."